#It's a doozy of a chapter

[acewithapaintbrush]

"Shut the fuck up! You can turn into a horse?”

Lucifer raises his arms as if he needs to defend himself even though the imp only reaches to about his chest. “Well…I'm the king? Shapeshifting is the least I can do.” 

Blitz gasps and his eyes grow even bigger and more sparkly. 

“Earth breeds too?” he asks and doesn’t wait for an answer before he starts counting on his fingers, voice tripping over itself and breathless. “How about Appaloosas? How about a Gypsy Vanner Horse? How about Arabians? How about Shire Horses? How about Ardennes? How about a Dutch Warmblood? How about a Halflinger? Oh oh oh! How about a Jutland Horse? Or a Westphalian? How about-”

Ok, this is getting weird, even for Lucifer. 

*******

I added the tag "Horse Girl Blitz" after this chapter so do with that what you want

[lonewolflink]

current word count for ch. 5 of wheel snipe celly: 9,383

that's. stupid. that's so long.

i have two scenes left to write, one short, one medium. let's see if i hit 10k tomorrow lolllll

[threestripeslider]

Tired: Rise!Splinter is a neglectful and awful father who doesn’t care about his kids >:(

Wired: Rise!Splinter’s negligence comes from a place of deep trauma that he’s carried with him his whole life – losing his mother, having been betrayed by the love of is life, being imprisoned and forced to fight for his life, used as an experiment and subsequently being mutated and losing his whole identity as a person – and while it certainly doesn’t excuse his behavior, there is no doubt that this man loves his sons fiercely despite his own shortcomings and perhaps it is exactly that love and care that causes him to keep his children at arms length in hopes to spare them his family’s cursed legacy that grooms them into martyrs and are thus destined to die young, a sacrifice for the greater good that Splinter is never willing to make even if it means forfeiting the world to the Shredder. Splinter’s journey of fatherhood began by being completely unprepared as a fresh young single father of four young children that depend on him to survive and there is no surprise he’s hit almost every bump there possibly is when raising a child but never in his life has Splinter ever blamed or resented his children in any way – he is not perfect and he’s aware and he tries to do better all because he loves his kids this fucking much bc despite all the shit he’s been through, those kids made him realize that he can try again. to dismiss him as an awful father is a gross mischaracterization of a deeply traumatized man of color who evidently tried his fucking hardest not to pass on the hurt onto his own children while grappling with his own demons and the crushing destiny of his family’s blood line that took away his mother.

[michi-chelle-draws]

inktober 2024 - day 7

[birchbow]

I guess everybody has their own way of saying "I care about you" and "give up heaven for me" isn't the WORST way to do that.

ANYWAY HAPPY CHAPTER 44 EVERYBODY

[pjsk-story-summaries]

Where Does This Path of Thorns Lead To? Event Story Summary

TL;DR: After watching Mafuyu begin to move forward, Mizuki resolves to finally tell the others their secret. Still, they're incredibly nervous to do so, and struggle to actually send a message to Ena.

The Kamikou Cultural Festival is soon approaching. After realizing Ena will be attending this year, Mizuki decides to tell her then. MEIKO and KAITO both notice hesitation and anxiety within them, though. KAITO wants to force them to do something, but MEIKO begins to argue with him. The two end up visiting Mizuki together- KAITO to say that Mizuki needs to make a choice, and MEIKO that she'll always be watching over them no matter what happens.

Mizuki runs into Rui after they finish setting up for the festival the next day. Rui can tell something is bothering them, so the two chat. Mizuki reveals that they want to tell the others, but they're scared things will change if they do. They don't want to lose what they currently have. Rui sympathizes with them, and though he can't do much to help, wishes for Mizuki's happiness. With the courage from MEIKO, KAITO, and Rui, Mizuki tells Ena she wants to talk about their secret after the festival.

Mafuyu and Kanade join Ena and Mizuki for the daytime festival. They visit many of the stalls, including the escape room Mizuki and Toya created. During the escape room, they try solving the final puzzle by thinking about where Mizuki would have hidden the key. Though they ultimately failed, Mizuki was impressed and touched. The spot they chose was where they had initially hidden the key- Toya made the last minute change.

Mafuyu and Kanade go home after the festival, so Ena and Mizuki go up to the rooftop. On the way, though, a classmate asks for Mizuki's help with something, so Ena decides to meet them up there. Two of Mizuki's bullies end up going up to the roof, too, recognizing Ena as Mizuki's friend. They ask her if she's "actually a boy", too. Their comments lead Ena to realize Mizuki's secret is that they are transgender. They turn to find a terrified Mizuki staring in horror. Mizuki runs away.

Ena chases after Mizuki. When she catches them, though, she's at a loss for words. Mizuki apologizes for not being able to say anything. They know Ena and the others would accept them, and that they'd try and make it so nothing would change, but they can't bring themself to accept that kindness. Mizuki apologizes again for not being able to say it and runs away. Ena cries out in self-frustration for not being able to say anything back.

Fan translation (Puroeng) / Song (Ghost Flower) 2DMV

Chapter 1: After Mafuyu was finally able to tell her father her true feelings, Mizuki resolves to move forward themself and finally tell their secret. With shaking hands, they go to message Ena, but flashbacks of others calling them "weird" and "doing it for attention" make them freeze. Mizuki knows the others won't reject them, but still can't send the message.

A few days later, Nightcord all meet in the SEKAI to discuss the current demo. They end up talking about the upcoming Kamikou Cultural Festival. Ena's class is going to do a squid grill (though she's unsure if she'll actually go or not), and Mizuki's class an escape room. KAITO and MEIKO notice something change in Mizuki when they realize Ena could be coming to the festival. Mizuki's scared Ena will hear rumors about them, but decides, no matter what, they'll tell Ena during the cultural festival.

Chapter 2: MEIKO realizes Mizuki might be about to share their secret and move forward. KAITO approaches and demands information on Mizuki. He wants Mizuki to be okay because Mizuku can help Mafuyu. MEIKO tells him about Mizuki wanting to stop running away, but refuses to tell what the secret may be. The two fight about whether or not to interfere, and KAITO storms off.

KAITO goes to talk to Mizuki, but is interrupted by MEIKO. KAITO ends up telling Mizuki to stop hesitating and make a choice for survival. MEIKO promises to keep watching over Mizuki, no matter what happens.

Chapter 3: It's the day before the cultural festival, and Mizuki still hasn't been able to send the message. They had been helping Toya create the puzzle challenge, so the two finished setting it all up. Mizuki is clearly nervous about telling Ena, but tries to hide it.

Rui ends up running into Mizuki in the hall. He sees through their facade and asks to talk. Mizuki reveals their decision to tell the others the truth, but they're scared. They know the others will accept them for who they are, but their relationship will still most likely change. They don't want the others to think any differently of them, even if it's well-intentioned. Rui sympathizes with their fear of change; though he can't help alleviate it, he wishes for their happiness.

Mizuki thinks of KAITO, MEIKO, and Rui's support. They get a message from Ena saying she'd decided to attend the festival tomorrow. Mizuki finally asks if they can talk, tomorrow after the festival.

Chapter 4: Mizuki greets Kanade and Mafuyu at the school gate. Ena runs over from her class's stall, having just finished up her shift. Ena hates the T-shirt she has to wear. Kanade tries to cheer her up, which flusters her. The group decides to wander around and see the stalls. Ena notices that Mizuki seems off, but resolves to wait.

An, Akito, and Nene's class put on a photo booth, and Rui and Tsukasa's put on a play about reaching the moon. They decide to visit Mizuki's class next.

Chapter 5: Mizuki is nervous about what might happen with whatever classmate is on reception, but it ends up just being Toya. Mizuki acts as the guide for the escape room, since they helped create the puzzle. Kanade, Mafuyu, and Ena breeze through most of the puzzle.

They only have a few minutes to find the key with the last clue, so rather than actually solve the riddle, they try and think of where Mizuki would hide the key. Rather than something simple like under a desk, they check something surprising, like the pile of stuffed animals. One has a zipper on its back. They use the remaining time to open the zipper, but it ends up being a decoy. Mizuki reveals the true key was hidden in a stuffed animal hanging on the ceiling. (Still, they're shocked. That was the original place they were going to hide it- Toya was the one to make the last minute change.) They're happy, to be known so well.

Chapter 6: After the festival, Kanade and Mafuyu head home. Before they leave, Mizuki asks to tell them something later. Mizuki then asks Ena if they can go up to the rooftop to talk (even though they're so anxious it makes them nauseous). Ena chats about music video ideas to help calm down Mizuki, something they greatly appreciate.

Suddenly, a classmate runs up to Mizuki, asking for help. Apparently, another student had gotten hurt, but they need help finding the school nurse. Ena offers to meet Mizuki on the roof when they're done.

Chapter 7: Two students end up walking up to the rooftop while Ena waits. They recognize her as Mizuki's friend and ask if she's "also a guy". Ena doesn't know what they mean. The guy apologizes, knowing Ena's "a normal girl". Ena presses, and the two realize Ena doesn't know "his" secret. Ena realizes that Mizuki is transgender. She turns to find Mizuki staring at her, terrified.

Chapter 8: Flashbacks of Mizuki's memories with Nightcord flash by the screen. They can't say anything and sprint away. Ena chases after them.

When Ena finally catches up, she's at a loss for words. Through shaking breaths, Mizuki apologizes for not being able to say anything sooner. They know Ena was just surprised, not hurt, but can't find it in themself to accept it. They know they'll try and make it so nothing will change, and they'll all accept them for who they are and keep making videos. They know it's from all their kindness, and they want to accept it so badly, but they can't help but hate it.

Ena tries to reassure Mizuki, but she still can't find the words. Mizuki turns their back to her, apologizes for not being able to face her, and runs away. Ena starts crying.

The chapter ends with a monologue from Mizuki. "You reap what you sow, huh? Running, and running, always running away. I had hoped that someone would just say it for me. Guess it turned out just as I hoped. Ah... I want to disappear."

After reading the final chapter of this event, Mizuki's menu lines and live2D model are changed to a hollow, lightless version of themself, similar to Mafuyu when not masking. They also will only appear in the Empty SEKAI for area conversations, if at all.

[disasterbuck]

I guess your mama didn't know the gift she got when she got you

Buddie | chapter 7/? | 15k words (total so far)

That's right it's CHAPTER SEVEN of FAKE DATING!!!

Tired of his mom's nagging, Eddie tells a lie that spirals wildly out of control. - Chapter 7 snippet: "I put him in my will four years ago." Helena looked like she was going to explode. "Four years ago?" she hissed. "You barely knew him four years ago." "Four years ago he was already my best friend and the person I trusted most in the entire world," Eddie retorted. "And every single day since then he's just proved again and again that I made the right choice."

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Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed 💕

[gumjester]

alright new chapter on the 22nd. NOT A DRILL

[marimeeko]

Yoichi looking at Bakugou in this chapter reminds me of the moment just before Katsuki finds Izuku when he's in his dark arc...which is when the Vestiges were all talking about what Izuku needed at that moment.

What Izuku needed, being someone to bolster him, support him.

Which we know also intrinsically links to who and what Kudou was to Yoichi.

Right before they saw Bakugou, they said "the thing Izuku needs most is..." and watching as Katsuki showed up for Izuku.

Now Yoichi is serenely looking at Bakugou fighting for Izuku again. We are given, in the same chapter, Katsukis inner voice stating that he was "not going to hinder/mess with Izuku anymore", and then if I am reading the leaks right, he also shouts that "This is OUR STORY" which could also imply Izuku, and as a declaration of Katsukis loyalty to Izuku, and let's ALSO not forget we also recently had "I'm the one who steps in FOR HIM"

So, now Yoichi is looking at this kid and it's bringing ALL that to my mind again. The writing here is amazing. The framing of this fight, with Katsuki still thinking about Izuku, with yoichi seeing Katsuki like this... it feels like maybe this is acknowledgement that yes, we were right, this kid is exactly what Izuku needed. It may be Yoichi seeing Kudou in him just as AFO did.

It is just...so good.

[whumble-beeee]

Yur Gonna Get Murdalated, Rookie

The (Un)Official Guide to Hero-Keeping | Cont'd from Part 15.5

Content: adult character perceived as a minor, kidnapping/captivity, noncon drugging, guns, recreational drug use, disabled whumpee, trans whumpee, past captivity references

* * * * * * * *

Excerpt from: The Law Enforcement Policy Handbook, Chapter X: Superhumans

[Officers of the law have the right to ask any civilian to show their upper right arm to verify whether or not the civilian bears the ‘General Super Brand���. If the civilian does possess such a marking, they are superhuman; the officer has the right to use whatever superhuman training they may possess. 

If the brand indicates that the superhuman is also a ‘Latent Supervillain,’ ‘Supervillain,’ or Test Subject,’ the officer is also compelled to check the superhuman’s upper right shoulder blade for the ‘Hazardous Super Brand,’ colloquially known as ‘The Villain Brand.’ Depending on the contents of the brand, the officer may be required to arrest or otherwise subdue the superhuman. They are advised to use their best judgment to subdue the superhuman or hide and call for backup.]

* * * * * * * *

The night was peaceful. Boring, even. The type of night where you’d wanna just sit back and smoke a cigar in the amber-dusking twilight that spilled through the half-closed blinds of your office. It’s filled to bursting with old bookshelves sworn by the tests of time, a single chair for you to sit in as you work, and a sprawling, book-laden red oak wood desk, surrounded on all sides by stacks and stacks of notes, files, crucial evidence about your latest case. The scent of cigars burns your nose. You’re so close to a breakthrough, you could just about taste it on the tip of your tongue, You would find it, you always did, and you could feel it now, edging ever closer after a tirelessly rewarding and sleepless night.

And yet here Officer Kalis Brooks sat instead, bored out of her skull watching some dinky ass highway that was lucky if a car graced its beaten roads once every twenty minutes. 

If only she were a film noir detective. Truly an unfair life she led.

It was a suspicious sort of fellow she finally spotted slowly making his way down the highway. A scoundrel who wore a bandana over the lower half of his face.

A person with something to hide.

Of course, she pulled him over. Simply her duty as an officer of the law.

She approached the truck and rapped lightly on the driver’s side window, and it rolled down with a gentle whirr. She shined her flashlight into the vehicle, and the view to greet her was almost something of a–

Holy shit.

The driver sat there, lazily gripping the steering wheel, looking like some sort of modernized pseudo-cowboy with a buncha scary lookin’ gadgets. A burn scar ran all the way up the side of his face, down his neck, and reappeared on his arm where his leather jacket rolled up to his elbows. His eyes were dilated, every movement markedly relaxed. Disjointed. Uncanny even. 

He was definitely high. But at least he’d had the forethought to take off that bandana concealing his identity. That was a good thing, right?

Then her jaw nearly dropped when she registered the passenger. He didn’t even look at her, his gaze stiff and unseeing. Very obviously also high on some sort of drug, though Kalis reckoned this high was less than consensual. Not to mention the super-power suppression collar wrapped around his neck. 

He was a super. 

She wasn’t trained to handle cases like this. Was this a super kidnapping in progress?! Something more?

Shit, no time for film noir roleplay bullshit, this is serious.

This is a villain.

Her gaze snapped back to the driver, just as her hand unclipped the gun holstered at her hip.

“Sir, please step out of the car slowly with your hands up. You’re being detained under suspicion of committing an in-progress felony.”

The driver’s gaze immediately shot to his passenger. “Officer, there uh… seems to be a misunderstanding–”

“Step out of the car or I’ll have you arrested for disobeying an officer of the law.”

That got his attention. The driver blew his bangs out of his face with a slow, deep sigh, and equally slowly reached down to open the door. The metallic creak of the door swinging open was almost deafening in the moonlit night. 

“I should mention I have a gun holstered on my belt,” he drawled inattentively, boots crunching the sparse gravel scattered across the shoulder of the highway. His arms stayed firmly raised, thankfully. “A revolver. Left side.” 

“Thank you for informing me,” Officer Brooks said quickly. This man seemed to be an easy-going fella, thankfully, but air around him stank of danger, like the haze of the walking dead. She slipped the ornately decorated gun out of its holster and slapped all the bullets to the roadway with 6 distinctly clean clinks. Then triple-checked that the safety was on. Then a fourth time. The matching knife too, for good measure. 

“I’d like to ask you some questions,” she stated, barely halting her transatlantic accent from slipping through. Stop it with the film noir. “Show me your upper right arm, please.”

He sighed, then nodded, then struggled to push up the leather sleeves of his jacket enough to show her the clear absence of a super brand. 

Good, one less thing to worry about. Not a supervillain.

“Alright then, what’s going on with that boy in the truck, friend?”

“Nothin’ much. That’s Stan. He’s my ward.”

“Your ward?”

“Yuh. I have custody over him. He’s a test subject.”

“Really?” She said, voice full of faux intrigue.

“Really.”

“And who are you, exactly?”

“Handler, of sorts. A bounty hunter. I work with the police sometimes, actually, we have an arrangement.”

“Oh? An arrangement?” she asked, as if daring him to tell her all the illegal dealings he held in his hidden hand of cards.

He just shrugged.

Ugh, she hated these types.

 “Fine. You have any proof?”

“Think I left my bounty huntin’ papers in my other pants,” he quipped. “Check the kid's villain brand, call in my ID, talk to your boss. Should be proof enough.”

That was absolutely not how that worked. Though she did feel a slight vindication in her chest that she would actually probably arrest this man.

“You have your ID on you?”

“Mhm.” 

He flicked out his ID between forefinger and middle to the officer, seemingly plucking it from thin air before she snatched it out of his hand, noting every piece of identifying information, checking for signs of a fake. Nothing seemed to be out of order… Had he really just handed her his real ID?

“And you said something about the boy having a villain brand?”

The man– Declan Cansano, so said the ID– nodded. Then rolled his damn eyes.

“Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you?” She smiled sarcastically. “Need I make it obvious that you are suspected of kidnapping?” 

“I just have somewhere to be. It’s late. If you’d call in to ask about–”

“Are you telling me how to do my job?”

“No ma'am, I'm sayin’ you'd save yourself a lot–”

“Well stop ‘sayin'’ or I'll be ‘sayin’’ that you resisted arrest when I’m writing up your arrest report. This way.” 

She had to keep from grabbing his arm and yanking him as she led him over to her cruiser and deposited him near the passenger side door. Only after ordering him to turn around so she could cuff him behind his back of course.

“Stay here until I come back,” she ordered. “And remember that running from a uniformed officer is a criminal offense.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he lulled back, almost sing-songy while leaning nonchalantly against the car. “Keep an eye on the kid, he's the type you’d have to worry about.”

Because you kidnapped him? God, she couldn't wait to throw the book at that man. 

Kalis pressed the talk button on the radio clipped to her shoulder. “Officer Brooks reporting, I have a man pulled over here named Declan Cansano, roughly 6 and a half feet tall, blond, possibly… Latino? I have him detained for suspected kidnapping of the boy he has with him, a white brown-haired male, very battered and bruised and likely drugged who looks to be about… sixteen-ish? The man claims the boy is a super with villain status, and that he has jurisdiction over him as a ‘handler’ or ‘bounty hunter’ or something. Can you look him up for me?”

There was a moment of silence, then the radio crackled to life. “Report received, I'll look into a ‘Declan Cansano’ for you real quick. Do you have a name for the white male I can look into as well?”

“Not yet, I’m going to check that out now and get back to you shortly.”

“Wait,” A third voice interupted, familiar in just the right way to make Kalis’ heart flutter in her chest. Officer Frida Galleta. Her mentor, her favorite person on the force, one of the people she trusted most in this world. And… well, it didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes as well. “Brooks, did I hear you right? You said last name Cansano?”

Just as fast as it had soared, her heart dropped like a stone in a vacuum. She’d never heard that tone from Frida before. “I– I– Uh... yes. Why?”

“Oh god, I… Brooks, don’t engage with him– Look, I’m gonna call you on your personal cell–”

“Wait, Frida, what do you mean ‘don’t engage with him?’ I have him detained, I can’t not engage with him.”

“Officers, please keep small talk to a minimum over the radio,” Dispatch interrupted. “Officer Brooks, I couldn’t find anything on a ‘Declan Cansano’ anywhere, not the super or villain database, the criminal database, the employee database. But uh… to Officer Galleta’s point, if he said he’s a bounty hunter... Well, let’s just say you might wanna follow up with the chief about that before you make any decisions. They might have some sort of arrangement, so to speak.”

Arrangement…? Like a… Like…

Officer Brooks smelled the stinking injustice of a rat.

“Co–... Come again, dispatch?” she breathed into the radio.

“No!” Officer Galleta’s voice interrupted. “Dispatch, I’l’-I’lll handle this, no need to get the higher-ups involved. Please.” 

Then her phone rang. Officer Galleta’s beautiful profile photo graced her periphery as she pulled out the phone and promptly sent the call straight to voicemail, eyes straight ahead and staring into the pitch-black night. At the car that a captive was waiting for her in.

“Kalis, please answer your phone,” Galleta pleaded.

Officer Brooks silenced her radio, that wretched squeal, and started toward crime scene in the making.

It was a pig-filled world out there. She wouldn’t stand idly by as they made the entire world their mud pit.

Her phone rang again.

A single deep breath to steel her razor-sharp wit, then slammed open the passenger side door, preparing for the occupant to do anything from attacking like a spit-fire to running for the hills to grasping onto her and holding her close as the first friendly face this boy had seen in years.

Somehow, she didn’t expect the boy inside to startle and struggle, legs scrambling and weakly kicking at her to put distance between them. He leaned precariously back on the console of the car, shaking as if he were in hell when it finally froze over, and only then did she realize his hands were restrained behind his back.

Now that she wasn’t looking at him over the angry presence of a kidnapper, she could see clearly now that her first impression of him was so very wrong; He was so much worse off than she could have imagined. Deep-set dark circles under his eyes, so many bruises lining his skin, specks of dried blood flakes dotting his body, cuts caked with disgusting oozing brown, eyes dilated and bloodshot, angry red welts peaking out from under the power-suppressing collar that only could have been from being yanked around or choked, and dried blood-stains that drip-drip-dripped down the front of his oversized white t-shirt.

Her face went ashen at the ghastly scene. What had that man done?

Her phone rang once more. She muted it. It still buzzed in her pocket.

“Hi,” she started slowly. Her voice cracked slightly. “My name is Officer Brooks, or Kalis. I'm here to help you. What's your name?”

He simply returned her a wide-eyed stare. Then glanced over to her cruiser. At the man leaning on it. Then at her badge. Then down to his lap, not a single word uttered.

The phone buzzed with another call.

“It's alright,” she soothed, like a mother beckoning a lost child home. “He can't hurt you right now. I'm here to help you, but I need you to talk to me or else I can't help you. I need to know your name. It’s Stan, right? Stan? That’s what I heard from him.”

He looked up, staring into her as if she wasn't even there again, eyes so wide, so dilated. No words. He frowned, considering for a moment. Then a vindictive determination spread across his features and he moved his gaze right back to his lap.

“Alright, that's uh… that's alright.” She felt like a kindergarten teacher with the way she was talking. Her phone buzzed with yet another call. “Can I… can I at least see the super brand on your back? Can you do that for me, Stan?”

He jolted back. “No.”

More phone buzzing. Adrenaline surged in her chest. “Stan, please. I can't get you back to your family if I can't find out who you are.”

“... fam–... family?...” His eyes widened, pupils somehow blown even wider, unfocused into the middle distance.

“Yes, Stan.” She very carefully reached for the collar of his shirt, ready to pull back at any time. The boy didn’t react. “I just want to get you back to your family.”

Kalis pulled the shirt down just enough to reveal that awful blue of the villain brand. The blue that signified a test subject.

Shit, the bounty hunter had been telling the truth.

The phone buzzed once more. Kalis snatched it out of her pocket. Turning around swiftly so Stan wouldn’t think what was about to happen next was directed at him.

“What do you want?” She hissed. “I’m trying to talk to a kidnapping victim.”

“Oh thank god, you’re alright,” Frida's tinny voice came through the speaker.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I– Look, Kalis, I know this sounds bad, but I need you to let the bounty hunter go. Now.”

Officer Brooks grit her teeth. This was exactly what she was afraid of. “Why.”

“He’s… look, alright, I’m surprised no one told you before, but the police have a sort of… deal… with certain criminals and organizations. Mr. Cansano is one of them–”

“So you’re a dirty cop, then?” Kalis interrupted, voice strained, chest tight. “And– and you’re trying to bring me down with you, now? Frida, I–...  You should see what he’s done to this captive. I can't let him go.”

"I’m not a dirty cop! Not the way you’re thinking at least, I– just trust me, I can't even say over the phone but I'm on my way and I’ll tell you when I get there, I swear. Please don't do anything, for both our sakes.I know him, he's–”

“You know him?!”

“Yes, he’s–”

“How do you know him?!”

“Kalis. Listen to me.” Her voice turned deathly serious. “He's got ties everywhere. Hell, he does jobs for the police sometimes, they won't protect you if you get in trouble. He might try to kill you, and even if he doesn't and you get him arrested, now you have a target on your back from both the mob AND the corrupt police. If you try to arrest him, you're going to die. Please just leave him alone. Please."

She grit her teeth. “So that means he doesn't have any… official paperwork to prove he has authority over the super?”

“I– uh… probably not? They don't work within the law, that's why you need to let him go.”

Well then…

That’s all she needed to hear.

“I’m arresting him.”

“No! No, Khalis, I'm on my way, I'll-I’ll be two minutes, just wait–”

She slammed her phone down and turned back around to Stan, only then realizing that the poor boy probably heard everything she just said–

Nope, he was off in his own little world again.

“Stan?...”

No response.

She waved her hand in front of his face. “Stan!”

He startled back to himself, terrified, scrambling to get away from her just like the first time she'd walked up to him.

She didn't have time for this.

“Stan, honey, I'm going to arrest the man who hurt you alright? He won't hurt you anymore. I have to leave now, but one of my friends will be here very soon. She'll help you out, alright? Everything will be alright. Just please stay here. Hopefully I'll see you soon.”

Officer Brooks closed the door of the truck before she could catch a reaction, hoping that ditching Stan to be found by Officer Galleta was the best choice here.

It had to be, it was the only choice.

She steeled herself, resting her hand on her gun once more, and walked back over through the oppressive black night and into the spotlighting brights of her police car. 

To face down the bounty hunter.

“Mr. Cansano, you're–...” 

Then all of her built-up courage suddenly burst. What the hell was–...

She gaped.

Then scoffed.

Really?

“Are–… are you… smoking a blunt right now?”

The bounty hunter’s hand withdrew from his mouth, followed by a puff of dark white smoke. His gaze never once broke from the bright dot of red-yellow ash that oh-so-subtly lit his face. “Yup.”

She just stared at him for a moment. Then shook her head out. Whatever.

“Mr. Cansano, you're under arrest for suspected kidnapping of a super and illegal bounty hunting.” He didn’t so much as blink. “You have the right to remain silent, as anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you.” Crickets chirped somewhere in the forest sidelining them. “Do you understand these rights as I’ve spoken them to you?”

He didn’t move in the slightest through her whole spiel. He almost seemed to have paused time around him, actually, a frozen snapshot.

A pause as Kalis stood ready to arrest a few feet away, yet unable to move closer as the air turned sticky with his low chuckle.

A pause because, only then, did Kalis realize that when she last left the man, she'd left him in handcuffs.

The bounty hunter shoved the burning tip of the blunt into the metal siding of her cruiser, instantly extinguishing the bright ember. “You talked to your boss?”

She clutched her gun. “I've been made aware of the situation.”

“Brave one, you are.”

He pushed up out of his lean. She whipped out her gun and aimed it squarely at his chest. “Freeze.”

He stopped, staring at her gun hand, eyes narrowed, hands shooting up to show he wasn’t a threat.

Yeah right.

Police sirens in the distance. Couldn’t be anyone but Frida.

“Put your hands on the car. Slowly.”

He looked her up and down. It was funny, his eyes almost looked red, with the way the headlights shined off his eyes.

“Hands on the car.”

The hunter almost seemed to think about it for a moment. Then he laughed, pulled his bandana up over his face, and took a step forward. 

Her vision tunneled, heart pounding in her ears. All she had to do was pull the trigger.

“Shame,” he drawled. Now he had… a string? A metal string, the type used to cut clay. Held taut between his hands. “I’ll try not to make this hurt, youu seem lie one of the good ones.”

Kalis’s gun hand shook. She should shoot him. She’d never shot anyone before. Shoot him. Shoot him. In the chest, in the leg, somewhere, shoot him, shoot him, you’re going to die shoot him shoot him do it fucking SHOOT HIM–

Her finger squeezed the trigger as he lunged forward, a flash of light, everything bright white and hot and blinding as a loud CRACK split through her eardrums, her very skull. Her gun arm knocked to the side, the gun flew from her hands. Her only chance at defending herself disappeared somewhere into the inky black night.

Suddenly she was staring right into his dark brown eyes that seemed to gleam red. His hands slammed just short on either side of her neck, the wire held gingerly between them pressing into the hard muscle of her larynx.

Just the two of them. 

The crickets, the trees.

The stars, shining above so sweetly.

Her last witnesses.

She was going to die here.

“Sorry about this,” he whispered, a low grumble that reverberated her entire soul. She couldn’t look away from those blood-red eyes. Would her blood be added to that as well?

A deafening screech of tires.

His brow furrowed, gaze stuttering elsewhere. A new set of headlights spotlighted them like startled deer, two omens of death and justice heading straight for them, night turned into a shining white day. 

 Brighter, brighter.

“Holy shit,” the bounty hunter yelled. Low engine revs turned into deafening roars that wholly swallowed any screams that ripped from Kalis’ or Declan’s throats, right before a hand yanked off her feet, just barely heaved over the hood of the car and tumbling jarringonto the ground next to the man who had apparently saved them both as a giant mass of immoveable flashing red and blue and black and white metal screeched past them as it attempted to grind to a stuttering halt before flying into the ditch that sidelined the highway.

Kalis slammed into the ground.

The world spun around her.

Frida.

Frida.

Ow, FUCK–

What’s–

It was Frida!

She was saved!

Or wait, was Frida trying to kill her now?

Why had the bounty hunter saved her, were they on the same side now?

What was happening?!

The door of the cop car flew open before the car even fully screeched to a halt, and there she stood in all of her gorgeous, life-saving, terrified and anger-filled glory, pointing her gun over the top of her cop car right at the man in the cowboy hat sprawled dazed on the ground next to her.

“DECLAN CANSANO, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”

* * * * * * * *

Next

Also linking this rq for anyone who didn't see bc I think I'm hilarious

Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy | @pirefyrelight | @cakeinthevoid | @painsandconfusion | @books-are-everything

@paperprinxe | @tippytappytyping | @chaotic-orphan | @notactuallyluska | @lumpofsand

@watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees | @whumpwhittler | @thelazywitchphotographer

(If you'd like to be added or subtracted from the taglist, don't be afraid to ask!)

[fconvicted]

you NEED to tell me more about your au

(you don’t have to but i’m curious)

yeah! i'd love to share (im assuming this is about Airlock AU but you can always message me back if its in regard to a different au)- im hoping in january time i'll have more formal pieces to show case and a proper summary of what's going on.

i wanna start off by saying that the illustrations ive been posting are really just luring everyone into a false sense of security 'cause the actual plot of "Airlock" is kindda wild. before continuing, id HIGHLY suggest reading my "Eye of the Storm" PDF (at least the "Story So Far" pages), Airlock is in continuation of that specific arc.

ANYWAYS

what is Airlock?

it's approximately 5-6 years after the events of canon Overwatch 2. two major things have happened in Siebren's life at this point:

Siebren was put on trial for his association with Talon but got acquitted. The UN still didn't trust Siebren to walk as a free man with the powers he possessed. They offered him the options of being monitored by Overwatch when using his powers or don't use his powers at all. He agreed to no longer use his powers (to an extent)

Oscar de Kuiper was born; he was the genetically augmented child of Siebren and Kaori, hosting the same abilities as his father. For many reasons, including his birth, Siebren and Kaori decided to live in a small town close to Numbani that shared very similar ideology as the city.

With restricted abilities and a family to look after, Siebren did his best to continue living quietly. He purchased an observatory that was damaged back during the Omnic Crisis. He hired a brilliant young engineer by the name of Obiora to tend to the telescope and help up keep the observatory.

The political climate of the world at this time was very strained. Ramattra and his forces have been defeated, but it seemed like God AI's were stirring. There's no direct evidence of them completely waking up, but one thing was for certain: the Earth was running out of its natural resources at a fast rate. Pollution was rising high and the climate was fluctuating badly. People were speculating Omniums were being created in isolated areas, whether it was underground or under seas. Because of these lacking resources, Omnics and those with cybernetic augmentations were finding it both harder and more expensive to get their hands on new parts or resources to fix their bodies. Humans were often prioritized for repairs and Omnics were more or less ignored.

That was until Siebren discovered that Obiora had been working on a concept for a machine that would mine asteroids.

And so "Airlock" begins.

There was a little more to it: staff was hired and a decommissioned Omium restored to operate as their Earth base. Illari and Sloan were the first to be hired to fly out into the asteroid belt with Siebren, "corral" an asteroid, break it down into shipable pieces and begin the process of making the "Asteroid Farming Machine".

But what about Juno?

Overwatch had been kind enough to send supplies that would sustain the people on Mars. It was easier to ship things one way. Some plans were set up to get the Red Promise team back but it was a long process. It's through Efi that Juno found out a team was planning to set course for the asteroid belt. If they had a ship intended to go back and forth, then surely her family could hitch a ride back to Earth!

And so the Orbital Team was made! Siebren as the leader, Illari second in command, Sloan as lead mining expert and Juno as medic!

But little did the team know, someone else had a very similar plan set in the asteroid belt a little over 25 years ago.

Or more...

Something else.

[hailsatanacab]

chapter three!!

did you guys survive chapter 2? Danny did!! if only barely 😬

there's markedly less gore in this chapter, thank goodness, and now Alfred gets to explain what on earth he was thinking about signing a contract like that??? Alfred??? Explain???

[ghost-proofbaby]

me after i post this next chapter of maroon: eddie baby come back home the kids finally miss you and forgive you

[argetcross]

wasting beats of this heart of mine by ArgetCross

Chapter 31: The Pride of the Amazons

It was funny, Zagreus reflected, to watch his normally unflappable friend look so wrong-footed. Callisto, who had been lifted off her feet in her student’s embrace, shot him several panicked looks. When he gave her an encouraging grin back, she scowled at him.

“To meet again after so many years—! It must be the work of the gods,” the stable hand cried as he released an unsteady Callisto to the ground. “We all thought you were dead. I mourned you for years.”

Discomfort deepened on Callisto’s face. “That would be the story, wouldn’t it?” she muttered. Squinting up at her former student’s face, she grew cross-eyed. “You’ve grown. I remember when you couldn’t draw a full-sized bow and you would cry every time the foals were weaned from the mares. Now I can barely recognize you.”

Read the full chapter here!

[joh-nny-c]

Something changed...

[jasmine-tea-latte]

delicate - chapter 58

In which Zuko finally wakes up, and Katara makes a decision regarding their futures...

Happy New Year!!! 🥂🎊

I hope you all had fun ringing in 2025, and to celebrate all the new beginnings, I'm dropping one whopper of a chapter as I slowly but surely wrap this story up.

We revisit the moments immediately after the eclipse ends, getting Katara's POV before switching back and forth between her and Zuko once he finally wakes up.