#THE DOCTORS WOULD'VE KILLED HIM OF HE FAILED!!

[thiamblogger]

theo raeken and scott mccall in 5x10, teen wolf

[https-milo]

Family Man

Summary: Dabi meets the love of his life and leaves the LoV to care for her and their new baby

m. list / inspired by this post of mine B)

TOOTH ROTTING FLUFF • no one is dead >:( • OOC Dabi, sue me!

Being a parent was always something I dreamed about. When I was little, I used to imagine meeting the man of my dreams and starting a family with him as soon as possible. But with every failed relationship I seemed to have, my hopes that would happen diminished. I was walking home from the hospital I work at when I stumbled across a man with a long black coat and a scarred face. He had black hair and piercings and it looked like his scars had staples where they met the non-scarred skin. He was hunched over and clutching his stomach. I wearily approached him.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly. The sound of my voice made his head shoot up, he looked my straight in my eyes. My [eye color] eyes met his icy blue ones.

"Obviously not," He replied through gritted teeth.

"I can help you, the hospital isn't too far-" he cut me off.

"I can't go to the hospital," He said.

"Why not?" I asked

"Just help me out and maybe I'll tell you afterward," He answered. I nodded and walked over to him.

"Here, I can help you walk. I'll take you to my house, it's not that far from here," I said with a smile. The man rolled his eyes at me and supported himself using my shoulder. We stumbled up a few blocks to my apartment building. It was a cheap place and looked run down, but the quality wasn't horrible. I couldn't complain.

"What happened?" I asked. We were now in my apartment and I had the stranger sitting on one of my kitchen chairs.

"I got stabbed. The fucker got me good too," the man replied.

"Can you uh... Take your shirt off?" I asked. The man smirked a bit at my awkwardness.

"Sure," He replied. He took off his jacket and shirt tauntingly slow. He never gave up eye contact either. He was well built and muscular. He had scars on his stomach that matched his face. A weird part of me found it attractive. But I quickly shook that thought and began working. I looked at the wound and my quirk told me everything I need to know.

My quirk was basically an X-ray without all the machines, and it gave me a description of the wound with what caused it. "You're lucky, if you were stabbed one inch to the right, it would've hit your intestines," I explained.

"How do you know? You haven't even touched me," he asked.

I hummed, "My quirk. Wasn't fit to be a pro, so I became a doctor." I walked away to grab a needle and thread to stitch him. "What's your deal? Are you in a gang or something?"

He hesitated, "You could say that."

I nodded, "Ah ok. At least you weren't some random civilian that got stabbed then."

"What? You think I deserved to be stabbed?" He asked.

"That's not what I meant. No one 'deserves' to be stabbed. I'm just saying crime has been on the rise and I'd hate it if someone defenseless got stabbed. But since you're in a sorta-gang or whatever, then you can handle yourself," I explained.

He scoffed, "Whatever. I kill people, you know. I could kill you right now."

I shrugged, "Doesn't matter. My job is helping the sick and injured, not persecuting them. And done. There, all stitched up and not bleeding."

"What already?" He asked. "I didn't even feel you start."

"Just another part of my quirk. When someone who's hurt talks to me, it gives the same effect painkillers would. Pretty nifty, huh?" I explained. "I'm Y/N by the way. If you're ever injured again, you can stop by. I usually get off work around 10 PM and go in at 8 AM."

"Dabi. I'll keep you to that offer," He simply said before putting his clothes back on and leaving.

"Take care, be safe," I said as I closed the door.

The second time I saw him it was midnight and there were loud knocks at my door. Hurriedly, I rushed to the door and opened it. Dabi was there with a teenage girl in his arms. "I didn't know where else to go," he said. "Please."

"Don't just stand there! Put her on the counter!" I instructed. I pushed everything that was on my counter to the floor to make room for the girl. Dabi gently placed her down and I scanned her body. She had 2 stab wounds on her lower stomach and large lacerations on her arms and legs. "Who did this? What happened? Try waking her up, I need her to speak to me so she doesn't feel any pain."

"We were trying to get more recruits for our group. Apparently we messed with the wrong gang. They went crazy and started attacking us," Dabi explained. He tapped the girls face and gently woke her up.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Hi, I'm Y/n and I'm going to help you out, okay? Can you tell me about yourself?" I was cleaning the cuts on her arm first. I couldn't start stitching the stab wounds until she was awake and speaking to me.

"My name is Himiko Toga. It's nice to meet you," she answered. I wrapped her arm with bandages and moved to her legs.

"Hi, sweetie. How old are you?" I asked. She was starting to get more awake and that's all I needed.

"I'm 16, how old are you?"

"I'm 22, do you feel any pain?"

She looked at her bloodied badge wildly, "No-no but I'm sure I should? I'm bleeding!"

"Don't worry, it's just my quirk. You're gonna be okay. Dabi, can you dress this real quick? I want to stitch her quickly before she loses too much blood," I asked.

Dabi nodded and grabbed the bandages from my hand. He wrapped her leg wounds as I started to stitch the first stab wound on her stomach. "I need you to keep talking to me, okay? It can be anything, just keep talking," I said. Himiko nodded.

"Well I saw this really cute kitten! It was adorable! It was so small. It was gray with brown spots! I'm gushing just thinking about it! While me and patchwork were on our mission, one of the gang members looked soooo cute! Her hair was really pretty. Almost as pretty as yours! You're really pretty, by the way. I bet you'd look even cuter if you bled a little!~"

"Done! And thank you for the compliments, but I'm not really a big fan of bleeding. Would you like a change of clothes? I can grab something of mine real quick," I offered. Himiko nodded and sat up. I left the room and went to my closet. I tried taking her clothes into account for what she'd like. I settled for a white skirt and pink cardigan with a white undershirt. Just as I was about to walk back into my kitchen, I heard the two talking.

"She's super pretty, and nice! You should totallyyy try getting with her~," Himiko said.

Dabi scoffed, "As if she'd like someone like me. Incase you forgot, we kill people for a living. She saves them. As pretty and nice as she is, no one can look past that fact."

"Ooo so you totally would if the circumstances were different!!"

Dabi shrugged, "Who wouldn't?"

I walk over to them and hand Himiko the clothes. "Here you go, hon. You can go change in my bathroom, it's the first door down the hallway." Himiko nodded and walked to my bathroom to change. I turned to face Dabi. "You okay? Any wounds?"

He shrugged, "None that are too deep."

"I can dress them if you want. I'd rather they didn't get infected," I said. He rolled his eyes but didn't stop me from pushing him into a chair. He had some scratches on his face I hadn't noticed before, along with surface-level gashes on his arm.

"Why do you even care?" He asked. I was cleaning the blood from his cheek. Our faces were only centimeters apart. I looked into his eyes and blushed wildly.

"Everyone deserves to have someone who cares. I'm here to take care of you whenever you need me," I replied kindly. He scoffed.

"I don't deserve this," He said.

"Why not?"

He hesitated, feelings were something he obviously wasn't good with. "You're too nice. And I'm... me."

"I'm not 'too nice'," I replied. "I just... do what I can. Everyone deserves someone in their corner. And, even if I don't support what you do, I'm here for you and whoever else needs my help."

I was done bandaging him and Himiko came out of the bathroom. "I'm ready! Do I look cute?~"

"The cutest girl in the whole world," I replied happily.

"Thank you!" Himiko replied. She jumped into my arms and squeezed me. "Can I have your number? I need more girls in my life."

"Sure, do you have your phone?" I asked.

"Yep! Right here!" She pulled her phone out and handed it to me. I put my contact in and handed it back.

"Feel free to come over whenever. You don't need to be injured to hang out," I said to Himiko. I turned to Dabi, "That goes to you too."

He scoffed, "Yeah, whatever. C'mon, crazy."

He and Himiko left my house. "Take care, be safe," I said to them as I closed the door.

I was walking to my apartment when I saw Dabi standing outside my door. It had been 2 months since we first met. In those two months, he was consistently coming over. I noticed with each time he was less hurt. "Dabi? What's up? You okay?" I doted. I scanned over his body and saw no injuries.

He sighed, "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm just... I don't know. I can leave if you want."

"What? No, of course not. Come in," I replied. I unlocked my door and let him in. "I was just about to make some dinner."

"What're you gonna make?" He asked.

I rubbed my neck sheepishly, "I was going to make some ramen. Sorry, if I knew you were coming, I would've prepared something."

He just shrugged, "You work long shifts, I don't mind. As long as I'm with you."

I flushed. "You don't mean that."

"Why wouldn't I?" Dabi asked. "You... you're good to be around. I don't know... You... You're safe."

I smiled brightly, "Well, I enjoy being around you too." I finished our ramen bowls and brought them to the living room. I placed the two bowls on the coffee table. I sat down and Dabi sat beside me. Even though the couch was medium-sized and there was way more room, we were shoulder to shoulder. I handed him the remote. "Put on whatever you want."

He nodded and put on a random horror movie. "So, what'd you do today?" He asked.

"Hmm. Well, I went home early because we were double-staffed so they sent me home. Which is so stupid? Like I literally have the x-ray and painkillers built into me. And, get this, my replacement was some girl whose quirk is growing hair. Not to quirk shame, but c'mon!" I complained. "I'm not too shocked though, my manager hates me. We used to have a fling but I broke up with him because he cheated on me. And he's not over me?! Ugh, boys are so stupid. No offense."

Dabi hummed in acknowledgment, "Sounds rough."

I sighed, "Yeah. But it's ok. You're here now. What did you do today?"

"Normal league things. I got into an argument with our leader. I couldn't stand being with him. I wasn't sure where else to go, so I came here," Dabi explained.

"You're always welcome here, you know," I said.

He hesitated. "Yeah. I know."

I don't remember falling asleep, but I woke up with my head on Dabi's shoulder and his head on mine. I blushed wildly. I lightly pushed him off of me and let him lay down fully on the couch. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over him. It was 7 am and I had to work in an hour, so I decided to make a small breakfast. I got instant pancake mix and made a couple pancakes for Dabi when he woke up. I made a few extra on a separate plate for Himiko if he saw her today. I wrote a note for him.

We fell asleep watching the movie last night whoops :,) I made you some pancakes and there should be a few extra for Himiko if you see her today (but if youre extra hungry, feel free to eat them all!! I didn't tell her about them ;) ) visit me again sometime? I enjoyed your company <3

- Y/N

Dabi has been visiting me everyday for the past two weeks. He always came around 11 PM and stayed until 2 AM. Usually, though, we'd fall asleep on the couch. It was weirdly domestic. Whenever I heard his knock at my door, a feeling of unbeatable happiness overcame me. When he walked in, it felt different. I wasn't sure how or why, but something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I did a scan and he had no injuries, which made me even more confused.

"My boss wants to know who I keep sneaking off to see," Dabi said. He rubbed his neck. "He wants to meet you. Everyone does."

"Oh, ok. That's fine. Um they're not gonna like... Hurt me right?"

Dabi's eyes widened. "No. And if they try anything, I have you."

I sighed, "Okay. So like... Right now... Orrrrrr?"

He nodded, "Right now preferably."

"Ok, let me just change out of my pajamas," I said. He nodded and sat on my couch. He made himself at home as he always did. I put on sweatpants and a T-shirt. It wasn't too cold outside so I wasn't worried. I put on my sneakers and walked over to Dabi. "Ready?" He nodded and we left my apartment.

It was a 10 minute walk to his base. In that time he was growing more and more anxious. We were just outside the entrance when I stopped him. "Are you okay? Like seriously, what's up?" I placed my hands on his arms to stop him from moving.

"It's nothing. It's stupid," He said.

"it's not stupid if it's affecting you," I replied.

He sighed. "It's just... God this is pathetic... I just don't want you to like them more... than... you... like... me..." He hesitated on his words as he went on.

I giggled but hid it behind one of my hands. "You're jealous! That's so cute."

He scoffed, "Yeah, yeah. Adorable." He refused to meet my eyes. But I grabbed his face and gently tilted it down to look at me.

"You don't have to worry. I'm not gonna leave you," I said. His eyes lightened and he sighed.

"Whatever. Let's just meet them," He replied. I nodded and he grabbed my hand to lead me inside. Immediately, Himiko jumped in my arms.

"Y/n-channnn!~" She cheered as she spun us around.

"Himi-chan!" I greeted back. "How are you?"

"I'm good! Did you get the cat picture I sent you?" She asked.

"Yes! He was so cute! Did you see the makeup look I sent you?"

"Yesss!! You looked so cute! I loved the red, it almost looked like blood!~"

"I knew you'd like it! That's why I did it!" I giggled. The two of us were holding hands and excitedly talking. Unbeknownst to me, Dabi was talking with a guy with light blue hair; their boss.

"This is the girl you've been meeting?" He asked.

"Yeah. She's something, isn't she?" He had a faint, almost unnoticeable smile on his face. Shigaraki cleared his throat and I turned my attention to him. I forgot about everyone else I was meeting, I was just really happy to see Himiko.

"I'm so sorry! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Y/n L/n," I introduced. I extended a hand out to their boss, but Dabi pushed it down. I spared him a confused glance before looking back at the boss.

"Shigaraki. Dabi has told us a lot about you," He said.

"All good things, I hope?" I joked lightly. Shigaraki just hummed. I turned to the rest of the League. They were all in their villain outfits. One of them had a full body suit on with the mask being half grey and half black. One of them wore a full suit; the button-up was orange-red and he had a top hat with a mask on. Another was a lizard with purple hair and a red torn up scarf, something that obviously drew inspiration from Stain: The Hero Killer. And the final man was... made of gas? He was purple and black and sort of looked like a weird cloud.

"it's nice to meet you guys as well," I said with a wave. The man in the body suit approached me, and looked me up and down before jumping excitedly.

"Oh it's gonna be so fun to have someone new around!" He said. Then his personality completely shifted. "No it won't. Yes it will. No. Yes."

I just kinda stared at him awkwardly. I looked to Dabi for some help and he pulled me away from him. "That's Twice," he introduced. "He's a little crazy." I nodded.

"No problem! I was just a little concerned," I replied. The lizard man grabbed my attention.

"I'm Spinner. Hey, do you happen to know who the Hero Killer is?"

"I know of him, yeah," I shrugged.

"Do you agree with him?" Spinner asked.

"Well, I think there are a lot of fake heroes but like I don't think anyone deserves to die. I see a lot of people close to death with my job, and each time it doesn't get any easier," I answered.

"You do know who you're talking to right?" The top hat wearing one asked.

"Yeah, you know we kill people, right?" Shigaraki asked.

"Yeah I know. I don't support it. But, my job isn't persecuting criminals; it's helping people. So, even if I could never do what you guys do, I don't hate you or think lowly of you," I explained.

Shigaraki approached me, he placed four fingers on my shoulder and Dabi tensed. "What are you doing?" He asked.

Shigaraki smirked, "What makes you trust us? We could kill you right now."

I showed no fear. I looked him in his eyes. His red ones met my own. "I don't trust you. Nothing is stopping you from killing me. But... I don't think Dabi would walk me into a situation he knew I wouldn't leave from. I trust him and Himiko."

Shigaraki scoffed, his grip on my shoulder tightened. His index finger, which he was keeping off my shoulder, was inching closer and closer slowly. It was as if he wanted a reaction from me or someone else. I was about to say something when Dabi shoved him away from me.

"Quit it, will you?" He said gruffly, clearly annoyed. "You're lucky I even dragged her here to meet your ugly ass."

"Going soft, Dabi?" Shigaraki asked. Dabi didn't answer. He just grabbed my hand and we walked back to my apartment. His hand never left mine.

When we got home and the door was shut, he looked me up and down - as if trying to find an injury. I recognized the habit as one of my own whenever he was at my door. "Hey I'm okay," I reassured.

"The... The reason they wanted to meet you was because I've been talking about you. A lot," he said with a sigh as he lazed about on my couch. I joined him and sat curled up on his chest. These past few months have been the best of my life. He, despite being a serial killer, was safe.

"And what do you tell them?" I ask.

"I tell them I want to be with you," he admits. I could tell it wasn't easy as he hesitated on his words and his heartbeat quickened. I looked up at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's not going to be... easy liking me and I get it if you don't like me like that. Except, I might have to kill you cause this is too embarrassing to not kill over." Now, normally if a mass murderer says something like this, I'd be concerned. But Dabi said it in a light way. There may have been some truth but I don't think he'd ever kill me... Right?

"Nothing is ever easy. I thought you were cute the minute I saw you shirtless in my kitchen," I joked. "I like you too, Dabi."

He hesitated greatly at my words. "...Touya. My name is Touya."

My eyes widened, "Woah wait what? Dabi isn't your real name?"

He looked at me quizzically. "No?? What kind of name is Dabi for a baby??"

"I don't know! I thought your parents hated you or something!"

"I mean, you could say that. My old man is a piece of shit to put it lightly. I was sick of the way things were going so I... Faked my death and became a villain."

"I'm sorry, Touya. I can't imagine," I said gently. I sat up from his chest and made him look at me. There was something so cute about him, about us. He closed his eyes and placed a hand on the back of my neck, pushing my face closer to his. I closed my eyes as well and our lips connected halfway.

In that moment, we were eternal. Nothing else mattered. The cars that sped down the street and the dogs that barked, all those noises were drowned out simply by the feeling of being so close to someone else. His hands traveled to my waist and he pulled me into his lap. My hand moved from his face to his shoulder to support myself. We disconnected our lips from each other after a minute, taking deep breaths and admiring the other.

"Maybe I am going soft," He mumbles. I didn't hear him though. I was already passed out sitting in his lap.

Two months into dating and Touya practically lives with me. Some of his clothes were in my closet and drawers, I had his favorite foods constantly stocked in my cabinets and fridge, and he even had his own toothbrush in my bathroom. We were sitting on my couch when I got a call from my sister, I looked puzzled and paused our show.

"[Sisters name]? What's up?" I asked. Dabi was about to ask me something but I held a finger up. He scoffed, crossed his arms, and pushed me away dramatically. "You want me to watch your kid..? Um yeah sure! Drop him off at my house." She hung up quickly after the confirmation.

"Who was that?" Dabi asked.

"My sister. We haven't spoken in 2 years and suddenly she has a kid and wants me to babysit? Ugh," I groaned.

He just hummed. "Do you think she's gonna freak out when she sees my face?"

"considering the fact it's on wanted posters; probably," I loving tap his cheek and he rolls his eyes. I was about to move off the couch but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"Do you want kids?" He asked. It was the question I was both dreading and incredibly excited for.

"I would like some, yes. But with work and everything I don't know if I'd be able to," I replied.

"What? Like it's a one person job?" He teased.

I rolled my eyes. "With the people I used to date, I knew it would've been. How about you, Mr. Murder?"

"I used to think starting a family would be out of the picture for me but I don't know if that's the case anymore," he replied simply. He said it so casually I thought I was reading too deep into things.

"Y-you want to to have a family with me?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know who else I'd rather have one with. Besides, we'd make cute babies."

My sister arrived with my nephew. It was our first time meeting and I'm sure it was likely going to be the last. I brought Kam to the living room and introduced him to Touya.

"Kam, this is Touya. Touya, this is Kam," I said.

"Are those real?" Kam asked, pointing at Touya's face.

"My scars?" Touya asked. Kam nodded. "Yeah, bud. They're real. I got into a really bad accident when I was younger. They don't scare you, do they?"

Kam shook his head immediately. "No! They look super cool!"

Touya smiled. "Yeah?"

"Mhm!" Kam replied with an innocent smile on his face. Touya looked at me with a soft smile of his own. He had a look in his eyes as he played and talked to Kam. It was nothing I'd seen before. His eyes were full of fatherly love.

It was around 5 when the three of us were curled up on the couch. My head rested on Touya's chest and Kam sat on Touya's lap. He had protective arms wrapped around us. Kam was already sleeping and I was about to lull off myself, but then Touya started speaking.

"We should have one," He said. "These couple hours have been better than I could've imagined."

"You know it isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows, right? If we have one it's gonna be a newborn and it'll cry all the time," I replied.

"Do you not want one?"

"I do. I really do. But, I don't want to force you into a commitment you're not ready for. Kids are a handful."

"I know. But... My life has been totally different these past months and it's because of you. Fuck, princess, I don't know what kind of drug you are but I'm addicted. You make me want to be a better person. But I know even if I wasn't, you'd still be there. You're the best damn thing in my life."

"Look at you getting all sappy on me," I teased.

"Forget it then," He scoffed. I rolled my eyes and moved off his chest to look at him in his eyes. I placed a hand on his cheek and and kiss him.

"I'm only teasing. You're the best thing in my life too. Before I met you, I was just in a constant loop. My days would feel the same and my life didn't feel worth it. Even if you're a crazy murderer, you're my crazy murderer."

He sarcastically smiled and rolled his eyes. "I think I'm the more sane one in this relationship."

"Only because I got you started on meds," I shrugged. "If you're serious, we can have a baby."

"Of course I'm serious. I just... Don't want to be like my dad."

"And you're not gonna. I'm not worried about that in the slightest. I can keep you in check."

"Yeah, I know you can, doll," He breathed out a sigh. He looked down at his lap as Kam shifted to get comfortable. His smile met his eyes as he leaned his head against mine.

I woke Touya up with an at-home pregnancy test in my hand. The two lines on it made me feel anxious. I was worried he wouldn't actually want to have a kid, that maybe he just said it to make me feel better. "Touya," I said as I shook him awake.

"Hm? I'm trying to sleep, princess," He groaned into his pillow. By this time, he was fully living in my apartment. I got new pillows and sheets, we painted the walls, and hung up photos of us together. It really felt like a home.

"You might want to wake up," I said. "Something happened."

He shot up almost immediately. He looked at me and scanned my body as if he had my quirk. Then his eyes fell onto my hands with the pregnancy test in their grasp. He looked at me shocked and then he grabbed the test. He saw the two lines and breathed deeply. "We're going to be parents?" He asked.

"Y-yeah," I choked. "I understand if you don't want me to have it... I know we talked about it a lot but I get it if you... want.. to.. leave..?" I looked down and refused to meet his eyes. He sighed.

"After all this time, you really think I'm going to leave you?" He asked. He grabbed my face and looked at me so sincerely. "We're gonna be parents, princess. I'll leave the league, I'll try seeing what I can do to become reformed, I want to be with you."

"You mean it?"

"Never wanted anything more in my life."

Touya came home from visiting the League with a bruise on his face. I rushed over to him immediately. "What happened?" I doted.

"They couldn't believe I was leaving. Me and Scratchy got into a fight," He smiled. "They want to see our baby when he's born and Crazy says you need to text her."

It had been three months since Touya started his reformation process. It wasn't easy. I was basically a glorified babysitter. He was put on meds that blocked his quirk, something I knew he hated. But he kept going for me. Today was finally the day we were going to see his siblings. His father, Endeavor, was someone he wanted nothing to do with. Even after all the therapy he went through, nothing could shake the hatred he felt. His natural hair was showing now, he stopped dying it black and it was now a bright white. I wore a simple light purple dress and Touya had black jeans and a dark purple button-up on.

"What if they don't like me?" I groaned as we walked to his house.

"I should be the one worrying about that. You're not a serial killer," Touya grumbled.

"Former serial killer," I chimed. He rolled his eyes. I looked up and we were on the Todoroki Family's doorstep. "Are you ready?"

He shrugged, "Only been a decade or so since I saw them."

I huff and knock on the door. A girl opens it, Fuyumi I assume. "Hi, I hope you were informed about our visit..." I asked worriedly. Touya was standing awkwardly at my side.

"No, I'm sorry. Who are you?" Fuyumi asked.

My heart dropped. "I'm your brother's girlfriend, and this is Touya." I introduced the two for him, I knew he wouldn't be able to. Fuyumi's eyes widened.

"Touya?" She gasped. She looked at his scarred face and blue eyes. A look of recognition flashed behind her own.

"Hey, Yumi," Touya replied. He acted casual, but I could tell it was eating him up inside. There was so much he wanted to say, but no words could describe.

"Does Dad know you're here?" she asked.

Touya tensed. "He knows we're here, but I refuse to see him." His sister hummed.

"Well, come in. Tell us where you've been!" She said kindly. She led the two of us in and sat us down at the table. "Nats! Sho! Come down here!"

Touya was growing more and more anxious. He couldn't stop the feeling of anxiety that crawled within him. I placed my hand in his and squeezed tightly, he gently sighed and took deep breaths. Natsuo and Shoto came down, they were expecting dinner and not their long-lost brother and his girlfriend, obviously.

"Who are they?" Shoto asked.

"Touya?" Natsuo said, amazed. Shoto looked at Touya shocked. Natsuo pushed past Fuyumi and Shoto and embraced Touya tightly. I smiled at the sight.

Touya and I sat at the table as he reconnected with his siblings. After the initial shock of seeing him wore off, they welcomed him with open arms. We still hadn't told them the "big news" so to speak.

"We didn't come here just to meet and catch up," Touya said. He glanced at me and I looked down slightly. "Are you two getting married?" Fuyumi asked. I blushed viciously. "N-no!" "Well?" Natsuo prompted. Touya looked at me and I nodded. "She's pregnant," Touya explained. All three of their eyes widened. Fuyumi immediately started doting on me and cheerfully checked over my body. Natsuo patted Touya on his back and Shoto was just stunned. "Oh my god! How far along are you?" Fuyumi asked. "14 weeks," I answered. "I hope you guys aren't too shocked." "Well, our brother comes back from the dead with a girlfriend and a baby on the way... I think we can be a little shocked," Natsuo said. I laughed a bit. "You're having a kid out of wedlock?" Shoto asked. "Yeah," Touya said as he rubbed his neck. "It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision." "At that exact moment sure, but we talked about it beforehand," I rolled my eyes. "Hey, I'm not complaining," He teased. I blushed and stuck my thumb down at him. Shoto made a fake throw-up noise and Natsuo looked away with a soft smile. Fuyumi shook her head.

"How are you going to tell Dad?" She asked. Touya shrugged, "Simple. We're not. He'll find out when he finds out but he won't hear it from either of us." Fuyumi just nodded. "I'm glad to have you back, Touya." "Me too!" Natsuo agreed. "It is nice," Shoto added. Touya just sheepishly rubbed his neck again, he clearly wasn't expecting so much support. "It's good to be back," Touya said.

Our baby woke up crying for the third time that night. It was now one full year since Touya started reforming. He went to all his mandatory meetings, took his meds, and went through extensive therapy. I was about to get up but my white-haired boyfriend stopped me. Even though he seemed annoyed, I could see the love in his eyes from just knowing our baby was alive and with us. He was happy because we had a family. "I'll get him, princess," He said. He pushed me back to lying down and pulled the blanket back over my body. I smiled at him and watched as he went over to the crib we set up in our room. He held our baby in his hands and cradled him tightly as he rocked him back to sleep. After a few minutes, our baby fell back asleep. Touya smiled and gently placed him back in the crib.

Touya crawled into bed with me and held me close. "Thank you," Touya whispered into my hair. "For what?" I asked, snuggling into him further. "Giving me something to live for," He replied.

BONUS!

© https-milo. please do not repost, steal, copy, or modify my works!

[lgbtlunaverse]

A slightly unhinged case for jin guangyao knowing about the core transfer while WWX was still alive

Ok. SO. In chapter 101, during guangyin temple, Jin Guangyao clearly knows about the golden core transfer. He uses it to bring Jiang Cheng off-kilter and stab him and simultaneously reveals to wwx that jc himself now knows about the golden core transfer.

I've always wondered exactly when he figured it out. The most obvious explanation is that he pieced it together after hearing about Jiang Cheng asking everyone to unsheathe suibian (also? jgy? how the fuck do you know that? You were already going to/at Guanyin temple at this point! Did you just have people listen in on rumours from Yunmeng and report back to you for that?? Did you tell your spy network where you were going? My whole kingdom for a retelling of this arc from the pov of these random jin disciples seeing their sect leader start spiralling. He's diggin up random tombs? Fleeing the country? And threatening the heir's life?? What was random Jin cultivator #6 thinking of this before Nie Mingjue turned him into minced meat?)

BUT.

The first time I read that line I was like "oh so he's known for a WHILE." I mean, the line "I've always found it peculiar [that wwx never took his sword anywhere]" does indicate he's been thinking about this for a while, but it doesn't have to mean he knew back then. So I absolutely can't say with certainty that my instinct was right. But I DO have some decent canon backing for how he might have potentially figured things out as early as before Wei Wuxian's death. Specifically, after the discussion scene that takens place when wei wuxian does his thing with the wens and dissapears.

Cause, see, Wen Chao would definitely have bragged about Wen Zhuliu crushing Jiang Cheng's core to his father. He killed the current sect leader, and then permanently disabled the only heir. He did it! the Jiang are gone! I bet he was very loud about it until, a few weeks later, Jiang Cheng suddenly strolls up to the battlefield, with Zidian on his finger, cultivation very much intact, looking for Wei Wuxian.

That must've been fucking baffling if you were Wen Chao and/or Wen Zhuliu and/or any other cultivator who was there and definitely saw Jiang Cheng's core get crushed. They must have assumed something went wrong, or he faked having his core destroyed, but we've never heard of something like that happening before, and they tortured him for hours! It wasn't a quick batle where Wen Zhuliu must have missed in haste, he would've noticed!

Now, by the time Meng yao arrives, wen zhuliu and wen chao are both long dead, but that kind of thing would at least still be a source of gossip among the other Wen. The only time the core melting hand ever failed!

It might be something that, say... a very careful spy with a perfect memory looking for information... might pick up on in his stay with the Wen, no?

So, Meng Yao has heard the rumour that sect leader Jiang got his core crushed but somehow managed to... still have a core.

Independantly of his, Wei Wuxian is being really weird and refusing to carry his sword. His primary concern there is wwx stirring shit up, he has no reason to believe these things are connected yet.

But then Wei Wuxian runs off with a bunch of Wen, and before he is cut off, Jiang Cheng tells everyone that after the siege on lotus pier, he and wei wuxian were helped by Wen Qing and Wen Ning! Jiang Cheng doesn't get to say how, which is good for jgy in this moment because he's trying to steer the conversation as such that no one gets mad at the Jin sect for all the war crimes, but even if his goal is for everyone else to forget Jiang Cheng said that, he'd remember it.

So... after the moment where jiang cheng, according to rumours that were contained to the wen, lost his core, he was helped by wen ning and wen qing, who is a really good doctor. And, in canon, had written theoretical proposals on core transfers before, just never experimented on them. Were these available for others among the Wen to read? Did jgy read them? We have no way of knowing. But if he did, he remembers them. Either way, he knows her reputation.

And Wei Wuxian disappeared right round that same moment, only to resurface with his demonic cultivation, at which point he never touched his sword again. Not even in the middle of a dangerous war. Not even when he was public enemy number one and it would do wonders for his reputation if he was seen cultivating the traditional path. When doing so would have made not just him but the 50 people he was shielding safer! if Jin guangyao was somehow in his position, he'd immediately do everything he could to counteract the narrative of beign a dangerous madman who'd left the straight path. Wei Wuxian has been in absolutely desperate situations and still refuses to pick up his sword...

The saying doesn't exist yet, but i'm sure someone like jgy, more competent than everyone around him, is intimately familair with at least the sentiment of "never ascribe to malice what is adequately explained by incompetence" He is helping spread the narrative of Wei Wuxian as a violent madman, sure, but does he believe it? If it makes no sense for wei wuxian, no longer a privileged young master but an outcast, to not pick up his sword again out of arrogancy, the most reliable explanation is that he... can't.

So Jiang Cheng, who got his core melted, got help from Wen Qing, an incredible doctor, after which he coud cultivate just fine but Wei Wuxian, no matter how desperate, never used traditional cultivation ever again...

Hm. interesting!

It's likely no one else in the jianghu outside of the wen even knew Jiang Cheng lost his core to begin with. And Jin Guangyao was never given wwx's excuse of Baoshan Sanren owing him a favor like Jiang Cheng was. He has all the puzzle pieces in front of him and... if anyone as gonna put them together, it'd be him.

And that's my unhinged case for why I believe Jin Guangyao knew Wei Wuxian didn't have a golden core anymore years before anyone else did. He just never told anyone, because why would he?

I think this adds a whole other level to his speech to Jiang Cheng about how everything could've worked out if he'd just trusted Wei Wuxian more and stood by his side. He saw it all play out in real time knowing there was more going on beneath the surface!

Now the really interesting question becomes: When did he figure out Jiang Cheng himself wasn't in on it? Did he piece it together immediately from remembering seeing jiang cheng berate wwx for not carrying a sword, a thing he should've known he couldn't do? Or was it not until later, maybe the fake yunmeng bros fallout, or the REAL fallout when Jiang Yanli died? Or was it still the news of Jiang Cheng going around and asking everyone to unsheathe subian that made him realize that oh my god this stupid bitch had no idea the whole time.

[serialkilluh1996]

☆Gratitude and Grief ☆

Doctor-König x Frankenstein-female-reader pt. 1

Warnings ➛ : Angst / Mentions of bombs / Necrophilia(? He just kisses the corpse idk) / Mentions of gore/ probably an inaccuracy of how funeral homes and contracts work

What lengths will he go to in order to bring back his beloved Mrs. Frankenstein? Find out below.

You had the best husband a woman could ask for. Dr. König Frankenstein.

Strong, knowledgeable, caring, a very resourceful man too. He would personally hire Gordon Ramsey himself to make you the world's best chicken soup if you caught so much as a common cold.

Yeah, he was boastful by nature, having grown up in a prestigious mansion out in Austria with a personal cow pasture to top it all off, but his heart was in the right place. He was a show off, but he would never shy away from giving. That's what he's been doing this whole time, afterall. For the past six months, he'd been giving his all to bring you back.

It wasn't fair. He was never greedy. He never took a thing for granted. His entire life, he had been nothing but a grateful man, yet something most precious to him was taken away.

As careful and attentive as König was, nothing prepared him for the bombing of the local grocery store, leaving many injured and a single fatality. Your fatality.

Why? Why did it have to happen? He cherished everything in his life from the ability to wake up in the morning to getting to have you, ☆☆☆, as his wife. As his loving companion that supported him at his lowest. The materialistic things he owned were trivial compared to you. They didn't have the value, no, the soul that you did. He could've lost it all, given it all away, without a lick of pain, but he had become selfish with you as the months passed.

You were an angel given back to God, but he wasn't ready to let go of you. God could take someone else for all he cared. Anyone else. Afterall, König would be God if this worked out.

The first month was spent in denial and delusion. Late nights crying, unable to sleep without the warmth of your body thrown over his, taking up all the bed space despite being smaller than him. Wandering the house mindlessly, unsure of why he was even moving. What purpose did it serve? He couldn't even eat without you. It didn't take long for his loss of weight to become noticeable.

Even with his big stature, he had become thin, his once pudgy front left as a sunken, seeming hollow stomach.

Month two was spent on a stressful battle of convincing a funeral home to give him your corpse. The battle was tiresome. They were persistent, and his eager demeanor only betrayed the character of an insane man mourning his late wife, willing to do anything to get her body.

It would've failed had it not been for you jokingly signing a covenant consenting to him using your corpse for scientific study if you were to pass before him. You were always supportive of him and his experiments, and you trusted him with your life, so you didn't see a problem with giving him what was left of you after your demise. Little did you know, said demise would come sooner than anticipated.

Months three to four were spent

on prototypes while you were in the freezer. Those were the worst months of his life. With the help of other bodies, those of dead criminals, donated to science, he figured out the hard way that the it was obligatory to keep the brain in best condition over the body.

He had to practice on them first. He wouldn't dare risk his beloved without the complete guarantee of your return.

Neil, his final prototype, the one that sealed the deal, was a pain in the ass. The worse out of every attempt. A walking, decaying slob. He'd failed to keep his brain from rotting, leaving König with a zombie-like creature that spent two days wailing and growling in a cage. He couldn't bring himself to just kill it at first.

He saw hope in the man, even with his criminal past from when he was alive, but it didn't take long for his morals to change once he realized how much of a threat it could be. One blow to the head couldn't have hurt that much for it.

It was discouraging, for sure. Every night after that was spent wondering if he had failed you. He wouldn't dare bring you back if it meant letting you become that suffering, rotting, monster. But, he refused to let you rest in peace. Something in his soul wouldn't let you go.

The final months, months five to six, he spent fixing you. Perfecting you. The surgeries were draining to him. Having to replace your heart was most stressful, but knowing that you'd love him all the same if you were back was his motivation.

The lost of your ring finger pained him, knowing you wouldn't be able to wear the one jewel that bound your love, but in his eyes, in his heart, he knew the ring was just a physical expression that society bestowed upon you. The real love was in the time and effort.

He looks down on your corpse. You were so beautiful. Paler than usual, but what more could one expect from a corpse? Even in death, you were adorable. Fascinating. It was an honor to even see your face, despite the stitch going diagonally across your nose to keep your face together. No scars would destroy his love for you. No stitch would break his perfect image of you.

He rubs a hand across your forehead, dragging it down to your lips. Cold. Cold and dry. This was your last chance. His last chance. To prove himself worthy. To redeem himself. To make up for letting you die in that store.

For not being there for you as you bled out on that floor in the produce aisle. For not killing the man responsible. The death penalty wasn't enough in his eyes. No lethal injection would pay for the suffrage you went through.

His face scrunches in discomfort, his eyes squinting as they burned from the abrupt fall of tears. He should've never let you go on your own. He should've been there for you. To save you. To die with you. He lifts his hood, placing a somewhat salty kiss on your lips, leaving his warm tears upon your skin.

He places a hand on the lever connected to all the cords and jumpstarters on your body, a shutter escaping his mouth.

As he flips it, his body nearly recoils at how you begin to shake and twist, covering his mouth at the way your body twitches. He swiftly turns it off, seeing as to how you were staring to fry, his heart pumping heavily as he watched you for any sign of movement.

His eyes were hyper focusing on everything at once, his breathing was heavy, he could feel a burn in the back of his throat that he could only register as nausea.

".....grnghhhhhh..." was the low growling of his beloved as you struggled to lift yourself.

".....Sch-schatz?..." He quivers out, moving forward to place a large hand on your cheek as your empty eyes stared into his.

Thanks for reading! I'll be uploading part two when I get the chance.

You can support me by liking, reblogging, or cashapping me @ $Fundsbrownie

[chocol4tte]

I've been reading some of dimension travel with kakaobi (also, i only know some basic information and plot of Naruto, Im yet to read the manga (NOTE: ITS JUST THE BASE OF THE IDEA, THEY MIGHT BE SOME CHANGES LATER ON), but tbh, I would love to bring over team 7 to a world where:

Minato and Kashina are both alive, with Minato as the Hokage, but Naruto died as a baby due to some Chakra complications

The Uchiha clan is very much alive thank you

Obito and Rin are alive, except for Kakashi :)

Sakumo is alive, retired, and suffering~... he is one of Obito's favorite people

The Og!team 7, after fighting Kaguya and losing (Obito died a little earlier before he and Kakashi could even speak), using Kamui, they are transported to a different dimension without knowing it, thinking that maybe, they were send to a different.

When they realize that it's not their world, it becomes somewhat, bittersweet for most of the team.

The idea of Minato and Kushina crushed that their only son died and were too afraid to ever try again, that they focus their energy and love into their two remaining students. Kushina will always sigh at the sight of babies and kids, but will deny it (Kurama would try to feed her despair and fears bc he is still full of hatred). Minato would put his mind into Hokage mode to make sure he is distracted of kids laughs and playful screams; yet both still love each other very much.

Rin and Obito kind of became only friends, protective of each other as well, due to Kakashi's death; Rin is on her way to becoming a doctor, she is still very kind and sweet, yet firmer than ever. Obito started behaving a little but like Kakashi, more serious, punctual and with more discipline... I would love that at some point, he would've tried to become Kakashi, if not for Sakumo, who stopped him. (TBH, I kinda want to write this very much).

Sakumo didn't kill himself in this timeline, he lived with the shame of the failed mission, a disgraceful ninja who nobody wanted to look at. He lived to keep Kakashi safe until he became a proper adult, however Kakashi hated him because of his actions, and like the entire community, he decided to ignore Sakumo.

Like in Canon, Obito would most likely made Kakashi realize that Sakumo is indeed a hero despite no one saying the contrary.

Kakashi still loses his eye to protect Obito, from an attack and Obito is still half crushed by a rock and saved by Madara.

HOWEVER

Kakashi is kidnapped instead of Rin, he saved her and fought teeth and nails against the other ninjas...

Now, when Rin escaped, she was found by Sakumo, Minato and other shinobi, all going to defeat the enemy, unaware that Obito was also running to save his friends, however when they arrived they only found the corpse of little Kakashi

They never got to put the Three-tailed Beast inside of him, due to his insistant fighting Kakashi was killed and the plan was cancelled. Cue to Sakumo showing why he was the feared White Fang and going all out to avenge his son.

Obito arrives just when Sakumo and Rin are holding the lifeless Kakashi and welp... the rest is history.

Man, I love the idea of Sakumo taking care of Obito and teaching him through the years. Full of angst, fluff and heal. Both making sure of take care of the other mentally, emotionally and physically.

I'm thriving to imagine not only the reunion with all the people that they lost and the consequences!!!

Edit: check the tag: Tell me About Grief

[oddeyes588]

So, it's not like I've posted ANYTHING regarding this, but add Oshi no Ko to the list of things I'm obsessed with. Surprise surprise, and now I have to ramble about SOMETHING in it. ANYTHING.

So I'm gonna ramble about something that came up with friends in discord.

Anybody ever think about how much more immensely tragic Gorou's death is when you think about how it must have seemed from Ai's perspective?

OnK speeds through this part of the story pretty quickly, shooting from 20 weeks to 40 weeks into Ai's pregnancy while only showing us a glimpse of what happens during this period, such as seeing Ai being accompanied by Gorou when she goes on a walk, with an inner monologue from Gorou about how he's promised to make sure her kids are delivered safely.

As such, we don't really have much insight into what their relationship or dynamic was like, but it's clear that at the very least, they got along well. Ultimately, the story isn't about this part of her life, and whatever happens here she ultimately moves past along with her kids. HOWEVER! We can reasonably assume that they had a friendly relationship, because...

Ai very specifically wanted him to be there. Ai Hoshino, a 16-year-old girl pregnant with twins, who has been failed by the majority of the adults in her life... goes "pout pout, it has to be you!" when he mentions that other doctors will be available if he isn't.

She implicitly asks him, the doctor who's sworn to make sure she has a healthy delivery and has been with her every step of the way since she got here, to be there. Remember, Ai is 16 here. She's all smiles, but as we know, she was just as much of a human being as everyone else. She is 16 and pregnant with TWINS. It's going to be the equivalent of pushing a watermelon through a bagel, TWICE. There's no way that she wasn't nervous underneath her perfectly-practiced smile.

The show makes a gag about Gorou going silent when asked what he would do if Ai asked him to date her, but let's be clear here, Gorou was by all means a very responsible and compassionate adult. He was obsessed with idols, specifically Ai, but he treats her with respect and remains professional about the whole thing, and we can be sure that he would've kept her secret. No matter what gags are made because of his idol obsession and the time he spent with Sarina, I think we can comfortably say that when push comes to shove, Gorou Amemiya tries to do the right thing at the end of the day.

Essentially, what I'm trying to say is... in this moment, Gorou was a trusted adult, someone who Ai felt comfortable around and therefore wanted to have there during this moment of immense stress.

...so imagine how it must have felt then, when she went into labor. OnK is pretty tasteful concerning what parts of that process is shown, giving us just a brief shot of her screaming her lungs out while surrounded by nurses... but think about it.

The person she implicitly wanted there at that moment to ensure she gives birth safely... left and never came back.

Just another person added to the pile of adults who abandoned her when she needed them, right? The fact that Ruby and Aqua were born safely must have been the only relief she had that night... but Gorou's body wasn't discovered at that time. By all means, he had just left the hospital and went missing without a word, and that's where the tragedy gets even worse.

Because the only reason Gorou wasn't there, was because he was dying. He chased after a person who was stalking Ai, someone who put her family in danger, and was killed. And what were his dying thoughts?

That he needs to get back. That he made a promise. That he has to make sure her kids are born safely.

Ultimately she moves past this. Her kids are born safely, and in the end it's not like adults failing her has been uncommon throughout her life. But god, it's hard not to think about how she must've felt in that moment, going through the agony and terror of literal childbirth, waiting and waiting for this one adult who promised to support her, for hours and hours... and he just never shows up.

Though I guess in one sense, he does show up... just not in a way anybody could've expected.

[jjkamochoso]

The Perfect Fit

Story Overview: Levi Ackerman begrudgingly finds himself falling in love with the Survey Corps’ seamstress. Will they be able to own up to their feelings for each other? Or is their love doomed to fail before they discover the truths of each other’s hearts? This slow burn reader insert story will be filled with angst, yearning, and a bit of mystery as we slowly unravel the truths behind Y/N’s past… and explore her and Levi’s future!

Chapter 9

Series Masterlist

Chapter 8 linked here

Chapter 10 linked here

Levi Ackerman x female reader

Warnings: cussing, blood mention (nothing overly graphic)

When you entered Levi's room to get him clean clothes, you took the time to be by yourself for a moment, trying to collect your racing thoughts. Everything had happened so quickly-- you went from being sound asleep to stitching up Levi's flesh. Not that his injuries were life threatening or something he had never dealt with before, but it still shook you when you remembered that even someone as strong as him isn't invincible. You took in a trembling breath, moving to rest your face in your hands for a second but you stopped before they made contact. You hadn't noticed until now that your hands were covered in Levi's blood. You groaned. Of course they were, he was bleeding like a damn geyser. You didn't want to soil his fresh laundry with your stained skin so you ran to the nearest water basin to begin your cleanup. With your now clean fingers, you began to warm up a big bucketful of water to use to wash off Levi since you knew he hated being dirty but was too injured to do it himself. While the water was heating up over the fire, you ran back to his room to grab some towels and his clothes. When you dropped them off in your room, Levi gave you a quizzical look.

"Why are you running around like this so late? I'm going to my own room so you can get some sleep." He sat up with his feet dangling over the edge of the bed, threatening to get up again and it took everything in you not to shove him back down like you had done minutes prior when the doctor was in there.

"Levi," you sighed, "please relax. I'm warming up some water so I can at least clean off the grime you're covered in. Then I'll help you into your room."

"Tch. You don't think I can clean myself?" As he stood from the bed, he winced and grabbed the side with his injured ribs. You stood there, eyebrows raised as he failed to prove to you he could act independently at the moment.

"By all means, Captain. Go fetch the bucket without gritting your teeth and swearing. If you can do that, I'll believe you don't need help."

If looks could kill, you would've been dead a hundred times over from the glare Levi gave you as he sat once more. "Brat."

You let out a triumphant "humph!" and left to collect the bucket, now heated up. When you came back, you swore you heard Levi release a sigh of relief, and you figured it was because he was ready to lose his mind if he had to sit there covered in blood for any longer. You took up your usual spot next to him on the bed and dunked the first cloth in the water, bringing it to his wounded arm. He moved lightning fast, grabbing the cloth from your grip.

"I can do it myself," he grumbled, eyes fixed on an empty spot of the room, "I'm not an invalid."

You chose your next words carefully as your hand hovered over his own, fearful of scaring him away with your touch. "Levi. You're not an invalid and you're not a burden. You're injured and I want to help you in any way I can. Not because you're not capable, but because I want to make your life a little bit easier in the ways I know how." You drew in a sharp breath as your voice went small. "Please. Let me help you."

For once in his life, Levi wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't stand the thought of you seeing him in such a state of weakness, fearing you would think of him differently than the strong soldier he was supposed to be, but here you were, instead fighting to come to his aid. He knew you were compassionate and caring so it was probably just in your nature to help people you deemed in need of it. Deep in his heart he hoped it was also because you recognized the connection you two shared, whatever it could be categorized as. He relinquished the cloth to your open and waiting palm, laughing internally at the surprised look that came onto your face when you realized he had complied with your pleads. You gently took his arm in your hands and began to cleanse the area around his stitches, not wanting to irritate the skin further.

"Is it alright if I clean the other arm for you? I don't want you to pop the stitches if you do it yourself, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable, either." He had an unreadable look on his face but his eyes held a softness that you were now becoming accustomed to and was a look that you secretly hoped was reserved just for you.

"That's fine," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. You nodded and worked on his other arm, down to his hands, up to where his shoulder met his neck. He was starting to feel less tense as the warm water and your benevolent touch melted away the stresses of the expedition. When you got the go ahead to wash his back, Levi's eyes fluttered closed at the first graze of the cloth. He had never received attention like this. He had never thought he even wanted, desired, craved, something like this before he met you. You were always going out of your way to help him, but it wasn't out of pity. It was like you enjoyed doing things for him in the same way he did for you too. Little did he know, you were thinking of the same sort of thoughts as you wiped away the accumulated sweat from his scar littered back. You didn't know much about his life before the Scouts, no one except Erwin and Hange did, but judging by how faded some of the scars were, he got them decades ago and you concluded he had a rough upbringing. Not that you were surprised, no one is as guarded as he is for no reason. You were just glad he accepted your help and allowed you to see him in such a vulnerable state. You figured you had to mean something to Levi to see him like this, let alone lay your hands on him.

"Okay, back is done. Chest next?"

He nodded as he faced you again. You readied the washcloth with more warm water, trying to balance being gentle with him while being speedy enough to not douse him in cold water if it sat too long. You were extremely gentle, taking great care not to touch his ribs more than necessary. You had gotten over your timidity of seeing him shirtless, knowing that professionalism took priority when you looked at him in this state.

"Done. Legs are next, do you need help taking off your pants?"

Both of you were too exhausted to be embarrassed by the connotations of that sentence. Levi was able to do most of it but you swooped in to finish the job of releasing the pant legs from his ankles so he didn't have to bend over. Thankfully his legs weren't too dirty so it was quick work. You turned around as he changed into fresh underwear and you helped him shimmy into the rarely worn pajamas you found deep in his dresser drawer. You collected his dirty clothes into a pile to clean later and when you went to assist Levi into his own bed, you slapped your hand to your head.

"I totally forgot to wash your face. All that hard work and I forgot to polish up the money maker."

You wore a teasing grin while Levi rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. He found it so attractive that you took great care in your work, no matter what you did. He was about to stop you from raising the wash cloth to his face and suggest he could do it himself, but he decided he wanted to be selfish for once and relish in your loving contact for the limited time he had access to it. You gently dabbed the cloth onto his cheek, careful to not pull at the skin. You felt your heart rate skyrocket as you became acutely aware of just how close his lips were to yours. You felt his steady breath land on your arm as you brought the cloth to his forehead, pushing his hair out of the way, and then to his other cheek. You were getting lost in his blue gray eyes that never left your own. He was staring you down, not in a way that was threatening, but more like he was studying you. You were studying him too, as you had before in other quick glances, but this time felt different. Neither of you were afraid of the other catching you in the act of shameless staring. You both were unabashedly looking at one another, no ounce of shame or uncomfortable energy present. It was strangely familiar the way you observed each other, like you had done this every day of your lives. Come to think of it, ever since you moved to the castle, you and Levi had looked at each other a lot. Your eyes always found solace in his reassuring gaze, no matter the occasion. After a joke of yours that had the dining hall in wheezing laughter, after a sarcastic comment of his that had you fighting for your life so as to not get reprimanded by the higher ups for giggling. Bad news, good news, worse news. Any time anything happened, there was no doubt that you two would lock eyes and share silent understanding. Even now, as you tried your best to clean him up, there was no need for words. You were sharing unspoken thank you's; him to you for taking care of him, you to him for letting you do so. The air seemed to get heavier around you as you inadvertently leaned in toward him the slightest amount. Levi sensed the almost imperceptible movement but he didn't flinch away, even though his body was begging him to break away from your closeness. It was decades of dealing with shitty people in shitty situations that taught him not to trust anybody and that there's more than likely an ulterior motive behind any action someone takes toward him. Still, he found himself no further away from you as his mind reeled, telling him to run away from whatever was happening before you could hurt him.

That was the thing--he wasn't afraid of you hurting him. He had known you a little over half a year but you had proven yourself to be just as valuable to him as his closest companions and shared all of their greatest traits: you were caring like Hange, passionate like Erwin, as headstrong as Isabelle, as focused as Furlan. You were an amalgamation of every person he had ever cared about. They had never done him wrong and he'd be damned if he thought you were any different. The one thing that set you apart from those people, though, was the nature of his bond with you. You had gone from strangers to close friends in no time, which was fine with him, but his attraction to you had been confusing him nonstop since that day he ripped his cape for you. Levi was a total stranger when it came to romance. Having no good role models to show him what romantic love could be like, he grew to fear it. It was just a distraction, a pesky thing like a fly, that could only lead to heartbreak. In a world where death loomed around every corner, Levi felt he couldn't afford to lose any more people. If romantic love was as life altering as people claim it to be, losing a significant other would be world shattering. He put his life on the line many more times than the average person--what kind of boyfriend or husband would he be to subject his girlfriend or wife to the pain of losing her mate? What kind of man would he become if he himself felt the loss of yet another person he would go to the ends of the earth for? As all these thoughts flooded his mind, he still couldn't find it within himself to create a gap between you two. His heart was pounding in his chest and his blood felt like it was on fire as he took the cloth that was still resting on his face from your hand, enjoying the feeling of your skin on his own. He found an unsoiled spot of the same cloth and brought it up to your face, causing you to jump a little at the unexpected contact.

"You got my blood on your face," he said, still not breaking eye contact as he wiped your cheek with a tender brush of the fabric. You smiled airily as you savored this side of Levi rarely seen by anyone. You were sure that in any other lifetime you and Levi would've kissed by now, seeing as you were in such an intimate position, but this universe was far too cruel to allow you to indulge in affection like that. Still, you didn't let that stop you from relishing in the fact that you were here, with Levi, and he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as you were. You knew he would've pulled away in an instant if he didn't want to be so close so you took it as a win. However, you didn't want him to get too overwhelmed from your lovelorn staring so you cast your eyes and chin a bit downward. Levi immediately got your attention again by bringing his free hand to your chin and lifting it delicately so he could see your eyes again. You felt nauseous, but in the best way possible. Did he really just do that? Your heart felt like it was battering against the walls of your chest as Levi kept his eyes trained on you once more. It was like he was trying to use his irises to communicate to you everything he wouldn't dare say out loud. Luckily for him, you understood him perfectly. In a show of your dedication to him, you tilted your forehead forward and he easily comprehended what you were doing, meeting his own forehead to rest on yours. Your noses grazed each other and you had never felt a sense of peace wash over you like it did in that moment.

"I care deeply for you, too," you answered him, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes shined brighter than you had ever seen before and he was ecstatic you accepted the message he found too excruciating to speak. A barely there quirk of the lips was present on Levi, the man beyond relieved that he wasn't the only player in this game of love. You knew it was extremely late and you wanted Levi to rest before the sun came up so you reluctantly pulled away from him.

"Sleep here. I got some rest before you came back so I don't need the bed for tonight. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Levi went to protest but you shot him the most serious look you could muster. That was enough to quiet him down as he sunk into the bed, exhaustion creeping over him as he finally succumbed to sleep. You truly weren't tired so you kept your hands busy, scrubbing the blood from his clothes and sewing up his ripped shirt. Before you knew it, the sun started shining into your window and you hurriedly pulled the curtains closed so Levi wouldn't wake up. You were still in a bit of shock that he practically confessed his feelings for you, but you were more so pleased that you weren't misconstruing his actions the past few months. You knew nothing would really change in your relationship after this revelation, and you took comfort in that. You guys would be doing the same things you had already been doing, but with the truth of the intent behind the actions known. There were no expectations or societal pressures you had to bow down to, it would just be two people enjoying each others' presence and knowing you had each other's backs, no matter what. You definitely wouldn't be opposed to it if Levi suggested he wanted to try more romantic things one day, but you were a patient person. You'd wait a thousand lifetimes to kiss him if it meant he was by your side, just existing. Even if he never found himself comfortable enough to try something like that, you wouldn't fault him. His unyielding gaze was more than enough reassurance for you. You were brought out of your thoughts by your growling stomach. It must be time for breakfast! You went down to the dining hall and grabbed your food to go. It was pretty empty, which you figured considering most of the Corps just came back a few hours ago. You took a few pieces of fruit and some bread for Levi as well, carrying all of it up in a napkin. You'd make him some fresh tea when he woke. You quietly slid out a chair at the table to eat so you didn't make a mess and stress Levi out with your crumbs everywhere. As you ate, your eyes wandered along the room but they, of course, landed on the black haired man in your bed. His chest rose and lowered with the deep breathing of sleep and his lips were slightly parted. In all honesty he looked pretty beat up and you hoped his recovery would go smoothly. He hated being out of commission and you were eager to take him on your charity trip to the interior. You peeked out of the curtains and saw the sun was now high in the sky, signaling early afternoon. You wrote up a small note to hang on your door to tell people to drop off their torn clothes in a quiet manner outside the door and you'd get started on them in order of first come, first served. With a full tummy and in a dark, warm room, you felt yourself starting to get sleepy. You tried to blink away the tiredness but it was no use as you were yawning nonstop. You hadn't heard any footsteps outside your door meaning work hadn't been dropped off for you yet. You figured a little nap wouldn't hurt so you tried resting your head on the table but you were supremely uncomfortable. Levi had your only pillow and you frowned at your lack of thinking things through. You didn't want the creaking of the door to wake him or else you would've gone to his room for an extra pillow. You figured he wouldn't care if you shared the bed, right? You'd just lay your head near his feet and it'd be like you weren't even there. You stealthily placed the chair at the foot of the bed and laid your head on your outstretched arms. It must've been even comfier than you expected because you fell asleep almost instantly.

Levi immediately woke up when he felt the bed dip slightly but when he saw it was you, he calmed down right away. He couldn't resist wearing a soft grin when he noticed you were out like a light once your head hit the plush mattress. Feeling comforted by your company, he was able to fall back asleep as well, this time dreaming of you.

Chapter 10

Taglist: @blueeclipsepaperstudent

[000marie198]

Beats till the song disappears

......

Classic era, Sonic 2's bad ending timeline but I made it better. Or worse. Leaving for you to decide. Enjoy :)

...........

He trudged through the dark zone, silent and windless akin to a closed, lifeless chamber.

The place was littered with systematically arranged crystal blocks that would've looked aesthetically pleasing if it were daytime. For now, they just made the place more eerie as he waited for Robotnik to show up.

After what felt like an eternity of worried pacing to the speedy hedgehog but in reality was barely a couple of minutes, two of the structures nearby split apart, revealing a camouflaged panel sliding in the ground.

Sonic stopped, facing the opening to see the Eggmobile rise from the underground, hovering a meter or so above the inclined floor leading into the depth.

The doctor looked composed, unworried, his spectacles glinting with a previously absent touch of confidence, of victory.

"Did you bring them?" He asked, addressing the frustrated hedgehog.

Sonic revealed four emeralds without a word, pulling them away as the other tried to grab for them.

"Tails?"

"Hand them over first."

Sonic was about to retaliate but paused at seeing the other hover a finger over the mobile's control panel, staring straight at him with the unspoken threat clear in his body language. He could kill the kit if Sonic wasn't careful.

His thoughts conflicting with one another and the concern for his little brother chiming in, he finally relented, holding out the gems for the mobile's claws to grab.

"Now tell me where he is."

"Careful, hedgehog, you don't get to make demands here. I believe we had an agreement that he'll be spared only if you brought all five Chaos Emeralds, hmm?"

Silence fell over the terrain, the hero shooting a venomous glare at Robotnik. It would be too much of a gamble to attack him when he had a link open to wherever he was keeping Tails. His lack of acknowledgement to the earlier question was answer enough. He hadn't been able to collect the required number of emeralds on time.

"I see," the scientist murmured.

Sonic gritted his teeth, high strung, on edge. He was aware he had failed but he needed to know...

"Just tell me if my brother is alright."

"He is," the other sighed in an exaggerated display of disappointment, "I would've gotten rid of him by now provided your ineptitude-"

"You know I can't locate them all this fast!" Sonic snarled, looking seconds away from jumping at his throat.

"But I am feeling rather... merciful today," the man continued on without even reacting to the interruption, his demeanor betraying he held all the cards. "I propose another deal, hedgehog. If you agree, I promise that no harm will come to Tails."

Sonic shouldn't trust him. Didn't trust him. But if it meant Tails would be safe...

He nodded, signalling to Robotnik that he was listening. Said scientist smirked under his mustache.

"Become part of my legion. Surrender yourself to me, and your little friend will go unharmed."

His legion. The hero had fought against him enough times, had seen enough horrors and rescued enough critters being used as test subjects to read between the lines, to know what Robotnik meant. The mere mention of that thing still makes him sick. Robotnik wasn't asking him to just give up his freedom. He was demanding for Sonic to give up his mind and body, his free will, in the worst way possible.

Sonic's life or Tails' safety?

It took him less than a second to choose.

"Well?" Robotnik's voice prompted, already knowing his nemesis' decision.

"If you hurt Tails-"

"Oh don't be so leery. I gave you my word. Your fox friend will not be harmed. Now, do we have a deal or do I signal my bots to neutralize that menace?"

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut, shaking with a plethora of emotions he couldn't bring himself to grasp and process as they came and went in waves. He gasped in a breath and stilled, before coiled tension leaked away from his body and he sighed. Surrendered.

"Deal."

"Excellent!" He could hear the victorious grin in Robotnik's voice but he didn't react, unable to bring himself to look up, gaze fixed on his red and white sneakers as he willingly sealed his fate. His iconic shoes held his focus, shoes that allowed him his freedom to run as fast as his heart desired. The same freedom which he was now volunterily giving up for his brother.

It felt like just yesterday when he had met the little guy, his shoes very smilar to Sonic's own, a matching color scheme. Something he had never paid attention to before but was now a glaring memory. He hadn't even told Tails how much he cared for him, how much proud he was, had he?

If he were to be given a chance to speak with Tails, he'd never remain silent again.

His feet moved without his consent, following the rotound man into the underground base until he blinked out of his thoughts and found himelf in a lab, facing a tall glass cylinder strung up in the center of the circular space.

It stood empty, it's front open, waiting to be occupied. Sonic stared on, unable to look away.

"Now don't be shy, step into the capsule. Chop chop!"

A hair's breath pause and he stepped forward, inside the glass confinement and upon the platform inside, fully resigning himself to what he had agreed on. His breath shuddered with anguish and dread as Robotnik moved around it to the front and pressed a switch.

The glass sealed behind him with a decisive click.

Adrenaline shot through his veins as the machine hummed to life, lights glowing awake below the platform he stood on and the welded hatch above him.

His heartbeat began to thunder in his ears, quills pricking up but he held still, letting the titanium clamps reaching for him seal around his ankles and wrists.

He saw Robotnik clicking away at a nearby screen and then he felt a subtle jerk, the machine's hum increasing in volume and intensity, the platform under him rising up.

With one final click at the keyboard, sleek contraptions that looked suspiciously like a sci-fi mixture of scanner and blaster surrounded him and pulsing rays shot out from their openings.

Sonic grunted as he felt the energy strike him, the clamps keeping him still.

2%

It started from below, at the legs. Of course it fucking did. Sonic wanted to scream, wanted to yell and kick and bang his fists against the glass, feeling cold numbness slowly spreading up his most powerful weapons, his legs, his speed, stripped from him painstakingly slowly as flesh turned to metal.

All he did was clench his fists and grit his teeth in anguish, his whole being screaming at him to move but he held still. He couldn't move, not if it placed his first friend, his best friend, at risk.

28%

The titanium bands securing his ankles and wrists seemed to tighten, restricting the little bit of movement he had as the rays slowly climbed up to his torso, inches below his heart.

He didn't let the tears show.

For Tails for Tails for Tails for Tails

His thoughts chanted like a mantra, placing all his being into not moving, letting himself be turned into a machine, until his ears swivelled at the swoosh of a panelled door sliding open, urging him to look up.

His breath caught in his throat, each cell freezing up in a mixture of shock, rage and despair.

No. No no no no no no no no NO!

"TAILS!" The anguished wail left his chest just as his heart stopped beating, an engine's hum replacing its frantic rhythm.

He payed it no mind. It didn't matter when it was ripped to shreds anyway the moment his blurry gaze met his brother's.

Glowing red optics stared back.

He tried to move, tried to break free but it made no difference, half his body frozen on the spot, under the control of the Chaos forsaken monster who did this.

65%

The bands on his wrists burned, something warm and damp flowed down his palms and dripped from his fingers. Sonic was numb to it, struggling and shaking in the glass confine, his own screams becoming muffled to his ears.

"You promised! YOU FUCKING PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T HURT HIM!"

A screen beeped, the vitals' charts on it going haywire as the progress bar reached 78%.

The mustached scientist just stood there grinning, unconcerned and victorious.

"And I kept my promise. He is unharmed, well and alive." The words seemed to echo in his head, reverberating as if imprinting on the walls of his mind, the machine's buzz and hum drowned out by them. "Just as you asked, rodent."

He couldn't take his pained eyes off of the small yellow robot and his captor noticed that, turning to address Tails with a deceptively encouraging smile.

"Isn't that right, Metal Tails?"

The little robot finally moved, startled beeps escaping it as it's mechanical gaze shifted away from hyperfocusing on Sonic and towards what it's systems told it to be it's creator.

The familiar innocence in that small gesture, even though seeing it on a roboticized mecha, broke something in Sonic.

He tried to call out to his brother but realized he couldn't speak. He couldn't feel his muzzle or mouth anymore. Oh...

The screen read 96%.

As the metal climbed up his quills and ears and the world began to fade into static, Sonic drowned out Eggman's smug grin and droning of the roboticizer's rays, putting all that was left of his mind and strenght into focusing on Tails.

He wanted his last memory to be of his brother, even if no longer flesh and blood but mere metal and wires, he was still Tails. His Tails. That much was clear from its demeanor alone, the innocence, the curiosity, the intelligence, it was all there. Sonic would be able to tell his kid apart from a thousand other Tailses if he had to.

The tears he'd been holding back finally slipped down, the last piece of his humanity used into conveying to Tails that he was sorry, that he loved him.

99%

His eyes closed, the metal covered up the last of the organic cells and Sonic finally went still.

............

Metal Tails gazed upon the powering down capsule, his processors showing the progress bar having reached 100%.

He couldn't take his focus off of the inactive hedgehog; organic, mechanical, irrelevant, Metal Tails was drawn to him even before the roboticization was completed.

Something suspiciously illogical was recorded in his archives during the process. He had sensed what organics refer to as emotions being conveyed to him earlier by the same being. It seemed to be a combination of concern, remorse and affection.

How could he do that without any working signal and communication link to Metal Tails?

The roboticized hedgehog suddenly beeped awake, internal fans whirring as his systems rapid-fire processed the new programming and commands. He jerked within the bonds and stilled again, hanging limp for a long beat.

Metal Sonic lifted his head up, optical processors switching on to reveal glowing red optics staring straight into Metal Tails' own.

It appeared the other robot was finally awake.

Metal Tails couldn't calculate why the organic hedgehog had seemed to know about him but he had felt drawn to the blue being just the same.

Perhaps it was a satisfactory calculation on his creator's part as Metal Tails' tended to get lonely and this arrangement made him most pleased.

Another robot companion made for the perfect promised gift.

.................

No characters were killed in the making of this story, just as I promised :]

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Hi,

I see you finished Monster and are quite versed in Johan. Can you help me understand the depth of his character better? I feel like many people miss the point of it. Also I'd like to know why you like him so much.

Oh, there is so much to say about him but i will try to make it short as possible.

Lets Talk About Johan;

First of all, i heard his character as some 'evil' mastermind so i wasnt really interested in his character until i experience the story by myself. I wondered why this series is popular so i decided to give a chance. I tought Johan was like Afo (from Bnha) but he turn out to be a lot like Shigaraki lol.

What makes a character depth is if they are not one-dimensional, that there is a more than how they seem from surface. And Johan fits well since he is mysterious character who is seen as angel, monster, devil, basically anything but human but they end up failing to understand him because if he was so simple, police would've catch him a long time ago.

At the start of series, he seems like your usual dangerous serial killer which fits the psychological thriller theme of story. And one of the best thing in series is his connection with Tenma. A doctor saves his life and this dangerous killer starts to view him as parent figure. A killer who see no worth in life and the doctor who thinks every life is equal, especially saving Johan is the reason he starts to to be able to live his life as a real doctor. Only to learn the child whom he saved turn out to be serial killer.

Tenma feels responsible for this and goes to journey to kill Johan. During this journey, we aldo discover some hints of what made Johan the way he is. The irony is we get the hints and a lot of characters perspective of him, everyone except Johan.

Is his messages about 'the monster inside of him' serious or not? Tenma assumes Johan is enjoying this at first, then he assumes Johan has multiple personality disorder. And later when he talked with other doctor, he assumes Johan is just playing with him because thats what most serial killers do with police. This is interesting because all of those end up being wrong. Johan doesnt enjoy from killing people. Johan doesnt have DID. Johan didnt write those messages to play with them. We know this because we later learn that he is unconciously imitate the fairytale stories he read as child.

Meanwhile, he has fanclub. A lot of murderers admire Johan because they view him as destruction Buddha. Just like others, he is seen as monster but why though? Its not like he is the only killer in the world. And personally, a lot of characters are more 'evil' than him so the thing about Johan is; he treats human life as nothing. Not just other people but also himself. Thats what makes him so scary to everyone. He doesnt even do it out of joy, money, statue. He looks like the devil in human form. He spreads misery to world. (Thats why he burns library when they said "its humanity's treasure" LoL.)

To people, that is scary. When they look at Johan, his eyes, the see someone who has no identity (nameless world). They see someone who treats life like as a game. Which explains why many people are afraid of him.

Some also want to use him, such as they want him to make second Hitler and he is like 'Nope'.

I think the main reason i love Johan is that he is like a magician. He can create a beautifull illusion. He is someone who can touch people's hearths because how well he understands them. Which is why he is seen as angel when people dont know he kills people.

This is also why he can use other killers for himself. He can see their vulnerabilities. Because even a killer is still human and they might need acceptance, to be understood by someone. Johan can give it to them. And they wish they were like Johan because they think everything would be a lot easier for them to kill others, like some kind of edgy teens. They fail to understand the person they want to be is extremely miserable.

On other hand, Johan can use his skills with curing people. Such as him waking Suk's mother, he made her remember her son again. Though he does things with ulterior motives, same skills can be used for good things. He can make people happy or miserable by little things. With a little magic or just skill.

And even though he is villain, he has very relaxing voice. He is very elegant. He listens other people. This fits perfectly well with his manipulative character.

We also never know when he is sincere or not because when you think he doesnt he actually seem to care, such as when he cried for Karl. Apperantly, tears were real. He is always in his world, its so funny when you think about he is some kind of mastermind.

Also his interaction with kids is so interesting. I think he geniuely enjoys being around them. Otherwise, why would he bother to spend time with them, why would he know so much about child's rights, why would he look for picture book for a friend? This is the same guy who encourage kids to rooftop game (and the scene where he was projecting on Milos) which is messed up. It gives me chills. His nihisilism, him viewing life as game end up resulting him expressing love as twisted.

----

Later, everything changes when Johan finds certain book in library. Basically, Johan's character doesnt necessarely stay same during the series. He changes his motives from unconciously imitating nameless monster stories to find actual monster who ruined his life. Even though he does messed up things, everything about his character makes sense with that scene. Johan geniuely believed that he is nameless monster. Johan geniuely believed that he doesnt exist.

Everything about him makes sense because it explains why he doesnt think death as much of it. Because if someone doesnt exist, they cant be killed. If someone doesnt exist, they cant be responsible for killings. He is detached from reality. Its not that he didnt feel. Its that he doesnt view it as real the way other people does. Because Johan isnt there. This is the tragedy of Johan's story. He doesnt have name. He doesnt have identity. He feels as he doesnt exist.

The famous 'monster' tape everyone after is about a child unable to see the difference between fairytale story and reality. 'My name is Johan. My name is Thomas. My name is Hans. My name is Otto.' He is them but he is neither of them. Johan views Anna as his half, as Anna is the real one and he is fake copy. He killed people as child, not because he is evil but because he geniuely thought that monster is coming after them. He cant even separate his own memories from Anna's. He takes all bad memories both to protect Anna and other reason is to become someone. He wanted to have identity, he wanted to live so bad but he didnt have on his own so he took it from others, just like the nameless monster.

This is also why Johan is also affected by Tenma's saving him. He probably wondered Tenma wouldnt save him, if he knew he was monster. He was kinda right because Tenma regretted his decision but he was wrong because Tenma couldnt shoot him and he saved him the second time. He showed him that he has right to live, he has right to exist, and that he has a name so he is not monster. This is why Johan can open up his worst insecurities. And they really give father-son energy and i think thats cute. I am glad that even after years Tenma visists him at hospital.

And we can guess what happened at the end thanks to Grimmer (one of the characters who deserves better), 'The monster become human at the end'. and Lunge said that if he were not a human being, he would not leave a trace, only humans leave a trace. For the first time we see Johan leave his mark. So Johan is no longer a monster, just a human. Also, his real name doesnt matter, he is Johan to us/all.

I love the messages of story. There is a monster inside all of us, but we can contain/heal it and after all, we are all human, our lives are equally valuable and stealing a person's name is the biggest crime, so having a name is very important. Story still has certain writing issues but generally, it is good story. Johan is well written character because his story is such a journey. We cant even really appreaciate the story without fully understand Johan. Every scene he is in meaningfull. And personally, i think his story is very empathic because of how tragic he is. Also sometimes he looks so funny and weird which makes him entertaining. He is such a good character.

Though you are right, anon. Many people still misinterpret the story, especially his character but anyway, there are still people who makes great analysis about him. Such as this analysis made by @cyanogoth.

Its ironic that most/some main villains have the most interesting and sempathic backstories, even though they are supposed to be 'big evil' or something but in reality, they are not really.

Anyway, he is fun to think about, i love him, lol.

[it-was-funeral-grey]

Over your head (Al Haitham x F!Reader)

Prequel Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Summary: knock knock! who's there? matra. matra who? you're under arrest, anything you say will be held against you. what.

Warnings: Vulgarities, getting arrested, doctors, boat travel

Word count:<2.6k words

Inspired by:-

Author's note: i hope this is ok! i was also able to visit my grandma the day after i posted the last part :)

Please give criticism! Also, if i missed any warnings, do tell me so i can add them!

If you had a Mora for every time a random dude cried himself to sleep on your couch, you'd have one Mora. Which isn't a lot, but it's strange that it happened once.

Oh, but if you had a Mora for every time the Matra arrested you for kidnapping, you'd have another Mora. Two Mora isn't a lot, but it could help you get a new bottle of Harra spice. Archon knows that prices have gone up recently.

"Secure the house," a man wearing the Matra's iconic teal and bronze uniform barks as three of his colleagues surround you. "And call a doctor!"

It happens so fast. Chains are fastened around your hands, and you feel a hand push against your back, forcing you forward.

All around, your neighbours peek out of their houses, watching as the three Matras lead you out of the village. You can hear them gossiping amongst themselves, casting curious glances as you pass them.

"Kidnapping? Her? Who would have thought…"

"She has always been so kind…I can't believe it."

Where to? You don't know. If you were courageous enough, you would've protested- ask what is happening. But words fail you. Your tongue feels like a brick, refusing to let you plead your case.

You've been told stories about the Matra. Village elders would spook kids with tales of the 'all-knowing, scary, and will eat you if you misbehave!' Matra. You've never thought of them as scary before, though. But now, you're beginning to think that the village elders weren't exaggerating.

Their presence alone was enough to render the bustling village silent on this beautiful, sunny afternoon. You've never heard the village go this quiet, not even during the dead of night. The only sound you hear now is the pounding of your heart, together with the remaining Matra stomping into your home, throwing things around in their search for evidence.

But evidence for what? Kidnapping? Who did you even kidnap?! The Green dude? You were only helping him, for archon's sake!

"The nerve! Kidnapping the Acting Grand Sage!" a neighbour rages to another. "Sumeru is relying on him to lead us out of this mess, and she dares to harm him! Oh, may Lesser Lord Kusanali punish her!"

Wait. Hold on.

Acting. Grand. Sage?

Mr Green man is the Acting Grand Sage?!

Kaveh is going to kill Al Haitham.

It's one thing to take his keys and only let him in after 5.05 pm.

It's a whole other thing to take his keys and not come home. Leaving him outside. In the rain. For the entire night. And it's the peak monsoon season in Sumeru, so he can't even dry his drawings that had been drenched the night before.

"Seriously! He's gone from bad to worse," Kaveh laments to the shorter man. "He didn't even tell me he wasn't coming home!"

"Well, have you seen him since yesterday?" the shorter man asks, taking a seat in his office and letting out a tired sigh as he sinks into his chair. He had just come back from tracking a scholar in the desert. He really doesn't want to listen to his friend's rant right now, but he doesn't have the heart to drive him away.

"No! He left that morning at 8:55, as usual. I tried to get him to drink a cup of coffee, but he ignored me! That arrogant fungus! I swear, I'm going to-"

There's a hasty pound on the door, interrupting Kaveh's rant. But before Cyno could invite them in, the door burst open, revealing a frantic Panah.

"General Mahamatra, Mr Kaveh," he greets, panting as he leans over, hands on his knees. He must have run from the Grand Sage's office. "Have you seen Acting Grand Sage Al Haitham?"

Well, that makes two people who have asked about his whereabouts today. Usually, this wouldn't be strange. As the scribe, Al Haitham had the habit of never being where you expected him to be. Even Cyno wouldn't be able to locate him if he seriously didn't want to be found.

But he's the Acting Grand Sage now. And for the last couple of months, he has always been findable- in his office or somewhere speaking to personnel. Cyno stiffens in his seat. Something doesn't feel right.

"No, we haven't seen him," Kaveh answers. But then he frowns. "Wait- what do you mean, 'Have you seen Al Haitham'? Did he not report for work today?"

Now, that's a concerning thought.

"Yes," Panah takes another deep breath, composing himself. "He hasn't come into his office yet. I know it's only ten minutes past 9, but-"

"Al Haitham isn't one for tardiness," Cyno interrupts, standing up. "Kaveh, are you certain he isn't home?"

"Well, yes," Kaveh replies, furrowed brows giving away his concern about his roommate. "He has this annoying habit of using the shower at full blast in the morning. It's unbelievably loud. I would have heard that if he were home since the front door is close to the bathroom."

"Panah, would you happen to know Al Haitham's last know location?"

"He was heading to Port Osmos. He was going to speak with someone in the Wikala Funduq."

Damn, Cyno curses. Port Osmos is at least a good three hours away by boat. Grabbing a loose sheet of paper from his desk, Cyno scribbles a note before sealing it and passing it to Panah.

"Pass this along to the dusk bird handlers. Tell them to send it to the Matra stationed in Port Osmos as soon as possible."

"On it!" Panah grabs the note, dashing out of the office.

"As for me, I'll be heading to Port Ormos now," Cyno states, grabbing his polearm. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back."

"Who says I'm worried? I just want to get into the house- hold on, I'm coming with you!"

Al Haitham is going to kill Kaveh.

It's one thing to wake up to the sound of him hammering away on another one of his projects.

It's a whole other thing to wake up to him screeching about- "Oh archons, if he dies, what am I going to do?"

First off, he's not going to die. He's not ill. Just tired, you fickle fungus.

Second of all, where in Teyvat is he?

There's a faint rocking sensation, and he can hear the faint sound of water sloshing nearby.

A boat, Al Haitham figures. Why is he on a boat?

Opening his eyes, he is immediately greeted by the sight (and sound) of Kaveh panicking at a lady in a white gown. A doctor, Al Haitham realises.

"Sir, the Acting Grand Sage isn't going to pass on," the doctor sighs. "He's just exhausted. He must have fainted from exhaustion- please tell him that he must get sufficient rest to recover!"

Before Kaveh can respond, Al Haitham sits up, fighting the dizziness that came with it. Nope. He doesn't want to hear Kaveh's annoying, panicky voice. Not now, when he can feel a headache coming.

"Al Haitham!"

"Keep your voice down, you-"

"Are you alright?" Kaveh interrupts, concern lacing his tone. But he doesn't give him time to answer before he continues. "Honestly. To think that you'd be kidnapped! You, of all people! Who could even stand having you as a prisoner?"

Huh?

But before he could ask Kaveh what he meant by 'kidnapped', the door to the room opens. Through the door, Al Haitham can see the deck of a ship. So he was right. He is on a boat.

"You're awake," Cyno says. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Al Haitham groans, massaging his temple. "What's going on?"

So Cyno is here as well. Something big must have occurred.

Still a little groggy, Al Haitham rubs his eyes as he tries to recall what happened.

Ok, Al Haitham takes a breath. Let's think this through.

He was at Port Ormos around one in the afternoon to speak to the trade supervisors of Wikala Funduq. He wanted to talk to them about restoring the port for business- but the letters he sent there from the Akademiya were never answered. So, he had to make a trip down there himself, much to his annoyance.

That sounds about right. What happened next?

When he reached the port, he was greeted with silence. There was not a soul on the streets. The same could be said for the Wikala Funduq building, the place deserted and collecting dust, save for a lone cleaner working in a corner.

"Oh, you're looking for Mr Dilawar and Mrs Gauhar? They're not here. No one has been here for a while. There's no work here! Nothing to do!"

"Where can I find them?"

"Well...Mr Dilawar lives in Vimara village. I'm not too sure about Mrs Gauhar."

So that's how he ended up travelling to Vimara Village. He had to walk four hours to get to the village entrance since there weren't any boats that could take him there- the captain of the one that brought him to the port from Sumeru city had declined, saying that he had a personal vendetta against the village or something. Al Haitham didn't bother listening.

Yeah, he remembers that part. What happened then?

A soothing voice. A homemade meal. A gentle hand on his back. A comforting presence that made him feel so safe- something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Wait.

Oh, no.

Before Cyno could answer his question, Al Haitham had already figured out the answer.

"You didn't happen to arrest a villager for kidnapping me, did you?"

"Oh, so you do know what happened," Kaveh answers on Cyno's behalf. "Yeah-"

"That wasn't what happened," Al Haitham interrupts, stumbling off the uncomfortable bed. "Where is she?"

"Hold on, what do you mean-"

"I mean what I said," Al Haitham snaps back, heading towards the door. The headache is now hitting with full force, and he hides a wince. "Cyno. Where is she?"

If you weren't in your current predicament, you'd probably be running around the deck, admiring the way the water below reflected the stars above. You've never been on a boat this big before- it wasn't as large as cargo vessels or cruise boats that carried rich Snezhnayans, but it's larger than anything you've ever boarded.

You also would have been really excited about going to Sumeru city- home of the rich, the smart and the accomplished. You've never travelled beyond Vimara village, apart from heading to Port Ormos every once in a while.

It's a quiet night. Apart from the occasional jingling of your chains secured to the railings on the deck, the two Matra who watch over you don't make a sound apart from occasional sighs. Curling yourself into a tiny ball, you hug your legs, burying your head on your knees. It's getting cold. Goosebumps have risen all over your limbs, and you try to rub your arms to get rid of them but to no avail.

Slam!

The loud sound shocks you back into reality. Lifting your head, you see that the door to the boat's accommodation has been flung open, the light in the room spilling out onto the dark deck.

A tall figure exits the room- although your eyes have already adjusted to the dark, you can't really tell who it is, but the two Matra seem to know. They immediately stiffen in place, standing at attention as the silhouette approaches the group.

As the figure comes closer, you see a faint green glow on its shoulder.

It's him. The Acting Grand Sage. The green man- ok, you gotta stop calling him that.

The Acting Grand Sage stops just a step away from you. You raise your head to glance at him, and he meets your gaze with an emotion you can't quite name.

"Ok, hold on!" there's the sound of hasty footsteps. A man with a feather in his hair runs up to the Acting Grand Sage. "What do you mean, 'that wasn't what happened'?"

"I'll have to ask you the same," there's calmer voice, this one belonging to a shorter man. "We can't release her if you don't tell us what happened."

The Acting Grand Sage sighs, facing the two that have just joined him. There's a tension in the air.

"I wasn't kidnapped," he starts. "I spent the night at her house. That is all."

Woah, that sounds suspicious.

The man with the feather looks like he's about to have a stroke. His jaw has dropped. Meanwhile, the shorter man looks like he has been frozen in place, eyes nearly budging out of their sockets.

"You- huh?!" exclaimed the feathered man, head whipping in your direction, intense eyes burning into yours. "You, let HIM spend the night? HIM?"

You jolt back in surprise, not quite expecting to be talked to, hitting your head on the railing with a loud 'ping'. You grimace in pain, bound hands raising to massage the area, chains jingling as you moved.

"Get your head out of the gutter," The Acting Grand Sage snarls, standing between you and the feather man. "She cared for me when I passed out. I slept on the couch."

"Passed…out?" the feathered man frowned, voice now soft.

"Well, the doctor did say he was exhausted." the shorter man added.

"That's not the time for this," the Acting Grand Sage changes the topic. He faces the shorter man. "Will you release her?"

The shorter man ponders for a moment.

"I can remove her chains," he answers. "But she'll still have to come to the Akademiya to give a statement. A report still has to be submitted, so I'll need your statement as well, Al Haitham. I'll go to get the keys."

With that, the shorter man leaves. The feathered man looks shaken up but quickly follows after the other.

"Are…you alright?" the Acting Grand Sage asks once the two are out of earshot.

"I…I'm fine," your voice wobbles. You haven't spoken since the Matra arrested you because you were afraid that your words would have been used against you later on. Well, that and the fact that you were scared shitless. You feel pressure build behind your nose. "I'm just-"

Your sniffle cuts your sentence short. Your eyes begin to water.

Behind, you hear the two Matra shift uncomfortably. Gosh, are you really gonna cry in front of everyone? How embarrassing. You're even making the Matra feel awkward. You avoid his gaze, trying to blink away tears.

The Acting Grand Sage seems to have picked up on your discomfort as he waves the Matra away. He tried to be subtle about it, but you don't miss the considerate gesture, even with your tear-filled vision.

"There's goosebumps all over your arms," there's a faint rustling of fabric. "It's not surprising. The wind is picking up. It'll probably start raining soon."

He walks behind you, and you feel something drape over your head, blocking your sight.

It must be his cape. It's warm.

You hear him lean onto the railings, letting out a sigh. A silence fills the air between you two.

It's nice. Relaxing. Comforting.

No one will see if I cry now, right?

So, you do.

But you weren't crying out of fear. No, these are tears of relief.

And through it all- the sniffling, the sobbing, the snivelling, the man behind you never said a word. But he didn't need to.

His presence was enough. Enough for what? You don't know.

All you know is that everything is going to be alright.

You're safe here. With him.

Join the Taglist!

[blackphanto]

Chucky predictions

SPOILER WARNING FOR CHUCKY S3E5!

I wanna make Chucky theories so bad, but I can't think of any! This show is so crazy that I can't even predict or speculate on what could happen next. There are some people teasing on twitter though and all they've been doing is making me even more hyped for how this season is going to end. So here are some of my predictions based on everything that's been teased so far.

Jake will enter the spirit realm:

I don't think he's necessarily going to die, but he's so fixated on ending Chucky for good to the point where he refused to run away from it all like Devon suggested. And we've heard the doctor, the only way you get to the spirit realm is by dying, but what if you didn't need to die? I believe that thanks to all the supernatural shit occurring there, the White House will become some sort of passage between the two realms. Jake will cross it to try and destroy Charles' soul, but if he will fail or succeed is still debatable...

Caroline helps Chucky get young again:

If Jake fails in permanently killing Chucky, Caroline will come to the rescue. We know she'll be back, but what role will she play in this mess? When she'll return, all hell already would've broken loose and she'll just make it worse. Her sudden entrance at the White House will cause quite the emotional reunion for Lexi and her. Yet, Caroline didn't come alone. Armed with the Voodoo for Dummies book, sure, but she brought another friend, who's none other than the Good Guy Doll creator played by John Waters. He came with a new doll, a new vessel for Charles and with Caroline's newfound knowledge of Voodooism, she'll get Damaballa's blessings and give Chucky a new body, a new chance to not disappoint the almighty Iowa and if he plays his cards right, he might even become forever young.

Grant will survive:

I don't have any evidence to back this up, I just like him and think it's unfair that Lexy always has to say goodbye to someone she loves each season and I just don't want it to happen again. From a psychology standpoint it just desensitized her and would lead to her not getting attached to anyone else besides Jake & Devon next season, in fear of someone else always having to die because of her. And from a writing perspective it just gets repetitive, predictable and boring. So please Don Mancini don't kill him, also I love Jackson Kelly.

The past will haunt everyone:

Charles Lee Ray isn't the only ghost the Terror Trio will have to deal with in the newly supernatural possessed White House. We've seen the past of the Collins family haunt them time and time again, we've seen Henry talk about ghosts and fearing what they told him almost every single episode. Why would that stop at Joseph or Charles? Wouldn't it be horrible for our trio to be faced with the lives they lost thanks to a doll they couldn't stop? How would Jake react upon seeing his father again, disappointed at him for being gay. And Lexy, the poor girl, facing Junior, the boy she watched die, trying to save her... Not making at least one ghost of the past come back would be a wasted opportunity.

Tiffany will survive, but Jennifer's body might not:

Tiffany's possible death has been brought up in every interview Jennifer Tilly made following the comeback of Chucky season 3. At this point it even became a ‘will they, won't they’ situation. Does Mancini really have the guts to kill off a cult favorite character and actress he loves so much? Or will we just say goodbye to seeing Tilly on screen and welcome only her voice? I mean the trailer kinda made it clear for me that this isn't the end of Tiffany's story, but maybe that of Jennifer's body.

[zishuge]

Today I gave myself feels thinking about Fang Duobing, Di Feisheng, and Hulijing moving on and aging in a world without Li Lianhua. A world where Li Lianhua isn't there — but then again, he is there, in Lianhualou, and in the townspeople who flock to it, bearing gifts for the miracle doctor who once saved a life, fixed a roof, exposed a conman, comforted a child. Young Fang Duobing used to want to know every little detail about his hero, Li Xiangyi. Now Fang Duobing wants to know every detail about his beloved friend, Li Lianhua. The years pass and fewer people come. But if they remember him, Li Lianhua lives on.

(long post, half meta, half fic, bittersweet)

They travel together, with Hulijing, in Lianhualou. Fang Duobing has nothing better to do, so he takes up detective work again. Di Feisheng has nothing better to do, so he comes along. Everywhere they go, they look for Li Lianhua. And in their journeys, it seems like everywhere they go, someone is talking about Li Xiangyi. Li Xiangyi, who had always been something of a legend, but ever since his reappearance and subsequent (re)disappearance, has seemingly been elevated into something approaching godhood.

you should've seen him, people say, floating across the rooftops in red, cold and beautiful, like an avenging hero out of some novel. wasn't he dead? no — of course he wasn't, li xiangyi would never have been so easily killed. but it was bicha poison, i heard nobody could survive bicha poison. yes, he was definitely dead, and came back to life through dark magic. no, he'd been alive the whole time, just held captive by di feisheng. he tried to kill his shixiong ten years ago and failed, and came back to finish the job. no, his shixiong tried to kill the emperor and li xiangyi came to stop him. the emperor? impossible. yes — don't you know, li xiangyi is the emperor's long-lost son?

All of it only amuses Di Feisheng, but it irks Fang Duobing. The same Fang Duobing, who, when he was younger, would've hungered for every little detail about Li Xiangyi and begged to hear more, now finds it maddening to listen to these strangers talk about him as if they knew him. The world might have known Li Xiangyi, but it had never known Li Lianhua.

Li Lianhua, who could wield Shaoshi like it was a natural extension of his arm, but regularly cut his fingers clumsily slicing radishes and onions. Li Lianhua, who would invariably try to shrug off an attack of bicha poison, but yelped and jumped back from hot oil splatters in the kitchen like a child. Li Lianhua, who frowned when a passing carriage splashed mud onto his robes, but knelt carelessly into the dirt and grass to play with Hulijing.

None of them knew any of that.

But as Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng continue their travels, they begin to encounter other people as well. People who come running when they see Lianhualou in the distance tottering their way. People who come bearing gifts — a woman looking for the shenyi who had helped her with her back pain and also exposed the con artist who had tried to trick her daughter into marriage. A young man coming to thank the doctor who had given his father herbs for stress while uncovering the corrupt official who had falsely accused him of theft. An elderly couple looking for the young man who had helped them thatch their roof before a rainstorm and had given them some medicinal cream before he left. (One middle-aged man with a club, looking for the wangba quack doctor who had exposed his infidelity to his wife — he had left after one look at Di Feisheng, standing silently in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest and dao strapped across his back.) People who greet Hulijing like an old friend.

Fang Duobing listens eagerly to every story they tell him, and in return, he tells them about his brilliant, kind, exasperating friend. Di Feisheng rolls his eyes every time, but Fang Duobing notices he never walks away either. They don't talk about it. But it’s as if Li Lianhua returns, however briefly, during those visits; in those moments, Fang Duobing can almost see him standing there, bending down to pet Hulijing alongside these old friends as she grins her little doggy grin and wags her tail. She escorts their guests to the door, and sits in the doorway after they leave, looking out at the world as though waiting. He doesn't ask if Di Feisheng can see him too. They sit and share wine after these visits, and eat the fruit that the visitors bring, until Di Feisheng can stand the heavy silence no longer and pushes Fang Duobing outside to spar. Hulijing follows faithfully, as always.

(fang duobing had brought home a puppy, once. he can't remember where he found it, but he remembers that he had held it in his lap in his wheelchair, eager to show it to his uncle before taking it home to his mother. his uncle had glared, and told him that dogs were only useful to guard the house, and tianji manor already had guards, human ones, and that fang duobing would do better to focus on his swordplay rather than waste time on such useless and frivolous things. he had taken the puppy away and fang duobing had never seen it again. it wasn't until those blurry months as he rode across the countryside looking for li lianhua, hulijing trotting along ever so loyally at his side, that he realized this was just another way that shan gudao and li xiangyi were opposites.)

The years pass, and there are fewer and fewer people who come. One day Fang Duobing wakes up with the unbearable realization that he is now older than Li Lianhua had ever been, would ever be, and is unable to get out of bed for a good half a shichen. Di Feisheng leaves him be.

The years pass, and Di Feisheng grows older too. There are lines on his face, snowy white beginning to thread through his jet-black hair. Fang Duobing wants very much to tease him about it, but the words catch in his throat when he looks too closely at the signs of time on Di Feisheng's face. What a precious and altogether rare thing it is, to age.

The years pass, and Hulijing grows older too. Fang Duobing finds that more and more often, Hulijing can no longer keep up with him when he goes riding. He stops going riding. She gets cold more easily now too, and more and more often Fang Duobing wakes in the morning with Hulijing curled up under the covers next to him, her wet nose shoved into his armpit. He holds her close and thinks about Li Lianhua shivering in his arms.

--------------------

It's been nearly a year since their last visitor, but today there is an old man. He comes in the morning, bringing a basket of plums. A long time ago, he says, a young man who lived here saved my life. I had been poisoned, he says, by my son who wanted my money and my lands. The doctors said there was no cure. But then the young man came and performed a miracle. He saved my life. He saved my life.

Fang Duobing knows it was no miracle that saved him. He asks for the old man's hand and it is given readily, albeit bemusedly. He presses his fingers to the inside of the man's wrist, and is greeted with a whisper-faint, gentle thrum of yangzhouman — a soft hello from a much-beloved friend. You fool, he thinks dazedly, caught somewhere between overwhelmed that here is someone, inside whom a piece of Li Lianhua lives on, and so bitterly angry. What had it cost? Some hours, days, weeks? He doesn't let himself think of what another week might have afforded them in those wild final days, in their desperate search for a cure. Fang Duobing gives the old man back his hand and blinks back the sting of tears. He cannot talk about Li Lianhua today. He apologizes and tells him that the man he is looking for is traveling and won't be back for a few days, but that Fang-mou will pass on the message. Before he leaves, the man leans down to rub at Hulijing's ear. My old friend, he says, like me, you, too, are truly old now.

After the man leaves, Fang Duobing folds himself into a sit on the floor of Lianhualou and gathers Hulijing into his arms. Gently — her joints are stiff now, and he can't haul her around, can't roughhouse with her the way he used to. Di Feisheng comes down the stairs from where he had been listening; he stands behind Fang Duobing and places a warm, steady hand on his shoulder. At the edge of his vision, near the door, Fang Duobing can see the hazy hem of green robes. If he looks up, he wonders brokenly, what would he see? The face of a man forever frozen in youth? Or a face lined with age, snowy white beginning to thread through jet-black hair? He suddenly finds that he cannot bear to find out.

Fang Duobing knows. He knows that the myth and the outlandish rumors about proud, arrogant, beautiful Li Xiangyi will never die. But he also knows that one day, there will be no one else who comes to Lianhualou; no one left who remembers gentle, sly, infuriating Li Lianhua. One day, the old man will pass on and the piece of Li Lianhua that he carries with him will fade as well. And one day… Fang Duobing presses his forehead against the soft fur of Hulijing's neck where it has gone white and thin with age. He closes his eyes and breathes.

--------------------

Years and years and years later, Fang Duobing is awakened from where he has fallen into a light doze reading in his chair by a soft knock on the door. There is a woman standing outside, holding a small basket of pears. I think I remember this building, she says. I must've only been six years old, but I had run off and lost my parents. I fell down in the street and skinned my knees. A kind gege helped me and gave me a piece of candy. He said he would walk me home but I said I didn't know whether I should tell him where I lived. He laughed and asked if it would help if I knew where he lived. He pointed to the most fantastical and wild house I had ever seen. I think it was this place. Xiansheng, does he live here? Who was he? Do you know him?

Fang Duobing smiles and invites her inside. On the bed, the small white dog that Di Feisheng has named, ridiculously, Baigujing, raises her head and thumps her tail a few times in hello. Di Feisheng looks up from where he is writing a letter at the table. Fang Duobing leads the woman over and waves at her to sit down. He sits across from her, ignoring Di Feisheng's eyeroll, and offers her a piece of candy. He always keeps candy around. Fang Duobing smiles once more and says, if you'd like to know — there is so much I would like to tell you.

[spiderh0rse]

freeman's mind season two notes. e1-10.

s2e1

feeling pretty good there is the void,, UNTIL. gman.

keeps getting freaked out at Gman face closeup. Thinks his breath smells like paint

glad he's on Earth again. Hopes he's on Hawai'i

immediately tries to recruit a wingman

thinks a camera drone tried to blind him

doesn't recognize breen, thinks it's an infomercial

delighted to see vortigaunts cleaning. Thinks they're domesticated

seems to enjoy watching police violence

recaps the end of s1 for a minute.

now it's not his usual one but slur count: one.

thinks Gman may be a sexual predator

revises his idea of what this place is when he sees people all in the same outfit

insults the combine setup. Is prepared to beat up a cop unarmed

does NOT recognize Barney

GREAT SCOTT? pardon. That's Ross Scott

pretty quiet during the exposition

doesn't care if Barney gets fired from his undercover assignment

he trusts Kleiner, and that is about his entire list of trusted people!

ohhh freeman I've missed your weird noises

tosses the can into the trash can from a distance. Thinks he's been ordered to do that BECAUSE he's good at that sort of thing

familiar with ways he might try and steal food

tries to flirt with some lady on the street. Thinks desperate women love him

it's a TRIPOD.

needs a GUN. plans of hanging out until Barney actually tells him where Kleiner is

finds Barney introducing himself funny. How's HE supposed to recognize some random Black Mesa employee?

annoyed at the cop amount

thinks the issue here is that he didn't negotiate the deal with Gman

s2e2

considers just burning the building down. imitates the screams he thinks the victims will make

identifies the look of wisdom on some weary guy. wants answers from him

wants to Leave the moment the cops show up

follows some random guy into his house when invited. Asks for drugs

finds it best to just follow the flow of running people

just abandons problems as they arrive

gravity STILL loves him too much

this is the SECOND (maybe third) worst day of his life

SPLINTERS. RAAAAHHHHH.

immediately asks for morphine from alyx

surmises alyx killed four cops and then just disposed of their weapons

familiar with Get Smart

feels allowed to rant as much as he likes to because he GETS THINGS DONE

criticizes Alyx jumping over a rail instead of using the stairs. says it's bad for the knees. He'd know.

enthused at the idea of a drink.

doesn't seem to be Alyx's biggest fan

heartened by the description of trouble following him instead of being caused by him

his paranoia is actually pretty mild here but it nonetheless is here

fully unsurprised at Kleiner killing cats

would've rather gone back to science than run from cops his whole life

just DESPISES everyone here other than Kleiner here

not happy to put the HEV back on but does so at Kleiner's. Look.

"these hands were made for strangling. and theorems."

does NOT want the hev's voice back on

considers Kleiner a survivor, like him

wonders if he's in an alternate reality here.

does not mind plugging the teleporter back in at ALL. delighted to see what happens when the teleporter fails and kills alyx/teleports her out of existence

considers alyx surviving a bonus

deeply defensive over his doctorate.

plans on coming back to Kleiner's lab sooner or later

panicked as the teleporter sends him all over the place. REALLY does not want to go back to Xen

s2e3

WATERY NOISES

begs Kleiner to shut the teleporter down. Thinks this was done on purpose

runs away as soon as he's able to move

ACTUALLY CONSIDERS GETTING BREAKFAST. WOW.

Barney tells him to go somewhere and Gordon has no idea where anything is

Gordon would readily do the jackass-piece of shit exchange. Unfortunately Barney is normal.

REALLY wants Barney's gun and not this dinky old crowbar

BLAH

finds the crowbar useful for the express purpose of swatting camera drones

distressed at the number of cops in the trainyard. Maybe-jokes about this being a fascist state

he's just a goon in body armour holding a crowbar!

actually gives some combine a chance to back down

"oh wait. pigeons aren't cops."

considers that he may be a decoy to draw heat away from Kleiner's lab

wonders if he could freight-hop his way out of the city

consistently sounds a bit unsettled about having to kill cops. Keeps bringing more heat on HIM

he speaks violence fluently

upset about the HEV being orange and not urban camo

vaults a fence easily even in the HEV

insults vent design in this city

"CAN'T YOU SEE I'M IN PAIN?"

immediately overwhelmed by large amounts of noises and loses track of what's going on for a minute

HATES being the center of hostile attention

gives up on getting breakfast :(

s2e4

okay! Panic time! Wait no nevermind he's not panicking.

concludes his best chance of not dying comes from killing everyone.

delighted that the trains running on time means they'll run over cops

desperately hopes that the run over cops will buy him five minutes

kills the random guy's vortigaunt friend

concludes the random guy's vortigaunt friend was in fact his slave and this was the reason the guy got upset with Gordon killing them

human skull! Familiar with Hamlet

finds gunshots not directed at him weird

sings a bit of the Mr Rogers theme song :)

even in the worst neighborhoods he's lived in there weren't cop-slain corpses laying around

these cops keep him Guessing

declares himself Station Twelve to the rebel radios

insults the radios

happily declares himself a cop as he cozies into the gunners nest and shoots shit. Roleplays a cop. Accurately enough imo

guided missiles shot at him!

familiar with Robocop!

has never much cared about stopping people who're determined to get themselves killed

in order to keep people off his trail he'll have to make them DOUBLE dead next time

understands the relationship between explosions and water

thinks his suit MIGHT have saved his life there but isn't sure how much shock it absorbs

declares himself Captain Combustion

thinks the explosive barrels must be as dangerous as possible on purpose

thinks despite the well-funded nature of the cops here the explosive barrels are what they are to make the entire place deadly all the time

not enthused at the barnacle hordes

doesn't like the idea of a tongue bath unless he knows the involved parties

s2e5

anticipates a change in science fiction after this alien business

has seen E.T.

i am just. REALLY appreciative of his voice acting when Freeman picks stuff up. Immersive.

doesn't want to think about how the barnacles got down here and doesn't want to be here

doesn't understand many of the customs of this strange place

finds shooting while swimming difficult

[underwater panicking]!

fish in a barrel layout and HE'S the fish!

finds accuracy doesn't matter too much so long as you hit the target at least once

does not elaborate on this but supposedly was very good at his job for a lot of reasons

upset that he didn't absorb any elder god powers from the Nihilianth

does a bad Barney impression

finds it difficult to distinguish between incompetence and malice from time to time

gets tired of people explaining away possible murder attempts as accidents

Kleiner would not forgive Gordon for killing Barney unless he provided a good enough replacement

JUST BECAUSE HES BEEN SHOT BEFORE DOESNT MEAN HES ANY BETTER AT IT NOW

now really happy to be underground. Helicopter can't get him down here!

last time he tried to live underground forever it was stymied by getting hungry

OH throws UP! strangle strings will do that to you I guess

finds getting surprise-choked by two barnacles in a row even more traumatic than most events recently

sends an explosive barrel to the barnacles to act as his emissary. complains that its argument is a little loud, but aquiesces that he'd have said the same thing

just starts tossing tires to the barnacles

hell-goats! New nickname!

finds the barnacles so upsetting he doesn't even want to eat spaghetti anymore

finds his standards for shitty situations have dropped

s2e6

thinks Barney may have been piloting that helicopter after him

tries to trick the combine into firing where he isn't by yelling all loud as a decoy

doesn't KNOW Barney is in manning the helicopter but. Senses it. Y'know.

considers himself bulletproof other than the head

speculates about the trash collection here

freaks out an an unexpected voice even when levelly spoken and in front of him

asks the railroad guy if he has drugs. Specifically opioids. He wants stimulants so bad.

considers the guy's house cozy

not actually that hungry right now!

insults the manhacks. Calls them redneck technology

makes a surface level effort to convince some guy to follow him out of danger.

chain link shields up!

starts checking corners before turning them

he'd RATHER be THEORIZING. he's a street physicist now.

happy to shoot stuff that can't hurt him

street physics are most kinetic energy and collisions. Smashes some wood to demonstrate.

wouldn't expect to crawl into a ventilation shaft on purpose

gets SO mad at a manhack messing up his face

guesses manhacks are effective when the target can't move

thinks he's about half-deaf by now

"THEY'RE IN THE WALLS! Wait, no, that's aliens."

recites something told to him by a now-dead person insisting people WEREN'T coming down from the sky to kill him.

well. He has a machine gun!

s2e7

BLAHHH

can't keep up this optimism shit

lots of underwater noises and gurgling

gets on a thing that spins and promptly figures out he has absolutely no idea which way to spin to NOT get dizzy. Fucks it up and falls

really wants an actual hideout

too bad cameradrone

Ted? Some guy who wore sunglasses all the time, chainsmoked, and "did good work"

mimics the camera drone destruction whine and starts up an operator script

pissed that the pistol and machine guns have different ammo

he missed the first day of fugitive class :(

first lesson on being a fugitive. Don't take advice from cops on how to get away from a cop

not too sure how to describe Xen

silly noises :)

likes seeing boarded-off areas. Means no one goes down there but him

he could play killer hide and seek down here tbh. lots of cool hiding spots

MIKE AND DAVE!!! TACOS!!

Gordon guesses it's their lunch break

TACO TRUCK

gordon immediately starts ordering tacos from the Combine

not a huge fan of spice

theorizing about the combine intelligence network

"if this loops back I'm going to murder someone, but I guess I've already done that"

certain that the entire world is against him. May be pretty accurate with that

"a NERF BAT will kill you if its shoved down your esophagus"

doesn't feel like going into monkey mode right now

claims that most people that think the world is out to get them are just in the way of the world being out for everyone. Then claims he IS that important.

thinks being him is great

monkey mode it is! [Imitates monkey]

Gordon is familiar with TMNT, and Mousers even more specifically

ohhh and dimension x? Which version is he drawing from here I know dimension x showed up in 2012,,

bets the police know exactly where he is they just have NO idea how to reach him in this horribly designed place

s2e8

gordion knot of pipes? cut it apart!

thinks he can solve the gordion knot because his name is Gordon

criticizes the cutting of the gordion knot. fits him, his love of complicated situations

sets off the explosives in the prior room. cuts the knot, essentially. does not seem to realize what this means

underwater mumbling my beloved

compares cops to cats. They don't like getting wet.

convinced the city wouldn't care at all about maintaining the stuff Gordon broke

thinks the Combine may be able to build camera drones faster than he can destroy them

expects he might find a colony of gnomes. remember he is gnome agnostic

practically BEGS for the Combine to poke their heads off for him to shoot

would prefer gnomes to Combine (gnome emoji here)

expects the Combine need Gordon to exist so they can pin all ills on him

tries to fake being shot to throw the Combine off. No result.

knows he's not in Terminator because ai is still shit

expects gman sent him here expressly to destabilize him. Proxy war or something with him doing bullshit to the side

briefly calls himself expendable. Rapidly corrects this error.

thinks himself irreplaceable by virtue of his understanding of Kleiner's work

"yeah, we may not have food, or basic sanitation, but we have bullets. let's give it a spin."

NOT happy at the radioactive sluck.

aghast at headcrabs being weaponized. Finds it predictable with some thought but dislikes it.

starts rambling-screaming at the situation

calls a headcrab zombie a "stupid diva"

does not want to live here.

finds the whole matter of headcrab bombs nightmarish. calls himself Done and runs off

invites the railroad lass with him on the boat. flirtin with 'er

gives up the flirting when she makes no reaction to his advances

BAD SMELL

this radioactive zombie swamp is somehow the worst thing he can imagine

"tower of orthank"?

doesn't like women who try to get themselves killed.

s2e9

thinks he'll have to abandon his swamp boat

wonders if the Combine wanted to make sure no one wanted to live on earth

wishes dangerous aliens he can't see would stop making noises so he could ignore them

gamma rays keep you guessing :)

doesn't know the year

splinters in his teeth from ramming boards

sees Gman. IMMEDIATELY stops to talk to him. He is not in the building he walked into.

headcrab ATTACK. knocks him into the river

it's only hitting me in this sort of display but the Combine seem to know exactly where the entirety of the railroad is. Gordon's "they're just deliberately herding people into a meat grinder with the railroad" theory holds water

expects Gman signaled him to talk

familiar with Karate Kid!

beer! empty!

seems unsettled by gmans power. jokes a bit about it anyways

almost rolls the boat!

the camera drone is NOT a bass finder

surprised bulletbox floats

tosses a broken cameradrone into the river with a "nyah"

encounters a PHYSICS PUZZLE.

thinks propping up the ramp to jump it is stupid. Immediately onboard

finally works out that the lambda is a railroad signifier

tries to abandon the boat. Nope goop.

considers being able to test a hypothesis a LUXURY

guesses the cops know about the lambda, are monitoring the radio, have a mole, or all three!

wouldn't sell out his own species until introduced to The Torture Chair

watched Charlie Brown

s2e10

Already having buyer's remorse about the airboat.

Plots to abandon the boat once it's out of gas.

Considering his avenues of escape.

Feels that he won't have closure until he totals the boat.

Still wants a map.

Almost feels like he might have more options if he doesn't destroy everything. Almost.

Removes the boards from a barricade a short way back in the river, extends the ramp in this fashion.

As a captain, feels if his boat goes down, he wants everyone to go down with it.

Finds the matter of performing very simple tasks to be the opposite of his old job, working out the theory of very complex actions.

Expects to functionally be in exile in some shack in the countryside. Doesn't seem unhappy with the idea.

Thinks his defining trait as an employee is his inexplicable ability to survive anything.

Finds the railroading of the river inconvenient.

Roleplays as some unholy mixture of a boat captain and a rampaging driver on the highway. Runs over some Combine.

Speed is his middle name!

Working out that the Combine have been draining this river.

Really is very bad at using the boat.

Hates life-sized cardboard cutouts. Attacked some at a shoe store.

Reflexes slowing down. He's having trouble being on edge at all hours. Wants drugs.

Distantly hears Breen's transmission and thinks he's hearing god. Realizes in a minute that no, that's being broadcast.

Finds the computers hostile-looking. Bets it's Linux.

Finds Breen's advice about being careful and aware to be sage. Considers listening to more of Breen's "show."

"HOO-HOO-HEH-HEH"

Tries to get into a Combine vehicle. Doesn't seem too bothered by being unable to get in.

Wants one of those sticks with the mirrors on them.

Likes having grenades. :)

Compares the Combine to a partner whose personality has drifted. Then acts like the grenade is his faithful friend whom he is not breaking up with.

"The Greeks say moderation in all things. I'm not Greek!"

Growls at some crows.

If there's anything he's learned from the aliens, it's to not get electrocuted.

[lord-squiggletits]

Something else that makes me sympathetic to Pharma's situation is like. Idk if there's an actual term for this or if someone smarter and more academic wrote it about some real life context that actually matters.

But, so we've already established among Pharma stans that the circumstances at Delphi were blackmail/torture with no real way out that wouldn't involve Pharma being responsible for people getting killed (either killing patients for the deal or having everyone die bc he failed his end of the deal).

And I feel like while "he's still in the wrong because he killed people" is part of it, another sort of implicit part is the idea that Pharma should've been willing to take more personal risk, maybe even risk dying? I mean, Ratchet does ask "why didn't you just detonate it near the DJD" (to which Pharma responds that he did try to get Sonic and Boom to do it, but they refused) so like

Idk I feel like we do have this social notion of martyrs as a very romantic ideal, people you can praise for being so brave and strong and righteous that they ended their own lives for their cause, while you can also coo about how sad and tragic it is that dying is what it took for them to do the right thing. But at the same time I feel like in reality, having an expectation that people become martyrs is kind of a toxic social norm bc like. It's very easy to demand that others sacrifice their lives for some Ultimate Moral Good when you yourself aren't experiencing the same hardships as they are. And ultimately it is kind of fucked up to tell someone "the moral thing you should've done was risk your life/kill yourself" because asking someone to pay their life to do the right thing is no small request. And sure, the typical response would be to call them a "coward" for caring more about saving their own skin instead of doing the right thing... but again, death is a really scary thing and self-preservation is a really strong instinct, so it kind of feels like having this binary view of "you're either a Brave Hero who sacrifices your life for everyone else or a Dirty Coward who's too scared of dying to do what's right" is kind of fucked up?

I guess the best way to describe it is that if someone willingly gives up their life as a sacrifice to others, it can be a noble thing because it's a choice they made willingly, but if it becomes a Moral Standard that in order to be a Good Person you have to be unafraid of throwing your life away and if you aren't willing to die you're a Cowardly Bad Person, that's when it becomes toxic.

Idk, I guess how this ties back to Pharma is that he was never in a position where he expected to make these kinds of moral decisions/ultimatums. He's a doctor who doesn't even get into combat, his job is to heal and not to kill, he's behind the front lines in a hospital that's supposed to be a safe, neutral place for him to heal people. So in the face of suddenly having a "murder people on behalf of me, or I murder everyone you swore to protect" ultimatum thrust upon him, I understand why Pharma wasn't """"""""""brave enough"""""""""" to "do the right thing" (whatever that would've been in the case of Delphi). You could argue that maybe a frontliner soldier accepted the burden of possibly dying for their cause and they've become used to it as someone who lives that reality every single day, but I feel like for Pharma, who's a doctor and a protected non-combatant (from what we can tell), that sort of risking of his life/living with the fact his life could be snuffed out any day isn't something he would've been prepared for at all.

And for me personally, from an outsider's perspective, it strikes me as kind of unethical to go "oh well he should've just detonated the bomb himself even if it killed him" bc again, there's a difference between witnessing a moral conundrum as a bystander versus being the person living with it and being under time pressure where it's do-or-die. Just as part of my personal standards, I feel like death is such a huge consequence/burden of someone's actions (literally you are no longer alive, any potential you had left is cut short, you cease to exist on this plane) that it feels rather callous to go "Well you should've just been willing to die for your beliefs if you really cared that much!!!"

[abybweisse]

I like your idea about Druitt and Unny still in cahoots. It fits well with them both involved in what occurred at Weston. Redmond called on uncle Druitt so he knows the secrets of the Music Hall and the school. And of course none of it would've been possible w/o Unny, and there they both are on the Campania. I never did buy Undertaker's excuse for refusing to reap Druitt or let him be killed. Your idea makes much more sense. Toboso makes us laugh at Druitt so we won't suspect him 2 much, right?

⚠️ long post ⚠️

Undertaker and Druitt connections

I suspect that -- unless they are somehow related, and they might be -- Undertaker first became interested in what Druitt was up to when the viscount began selling off children and young women at auctions, if not sooner (and I'll get to that later in this reply).

If Undertaker was called upon to remove remains from any of the buyers, or from Druitt's estate, he'd want to know what they were doing to those victims/bodies. We know he's picked up remains from Phantomhive Manor on numerous occasions; Sebastian has the other servants pile up the remains from the circus troupe attack and cart them to some back or side gate for Undertaker to collect them. Most likely, this was done whenever there was a failed attack at the manor, even before our "Ciel" became earl and master. The Phantomhives, going back however far they go, would have been common targets to anyone who wanted to get rid of the queen's watchdog. And we know that before other servants were even hired by Sebastian and our earl, assassins and thieves were showing up on a nearly nightly basis. Somewhat regularly, in any case.

We now know quite a bit about how our earl ended up with his current servants, but we've learned very little about how he ended up with his various connections; we don't even know how he connected with Vincent's old, remaining network. I imagine that one of the first reconnections he made (besides Madam Red and Tanaka, of course) would be Undertaker. People would show up to the manor, Sebastian would kill them, and then what? Sebastian would have asked his young master how he wants to dispose of the bodies. At first, our earl might have suggested to bury them on the vast estate. But, as the numbers mounted, this would have taken more time and space, plus it could open them up for investigation, if remains were found (by others) that weren't proper burials in the family cemetery. Another option would be to dump them off the grounds, as far away as possible. This could still become a problem. Our earl would remember the creepy undertaker that popped up around the manor (and possibly also the estate grounds) from time to time, back when his predecessor was in charge. During the instruction both boys received about being earl and watchdog, Vincent might have already explained why he has Undertaker in his network... at least the professional reason, though definitely not the personal reason.

I don't know whether Druitt was ever in Vincent's circle, a member of the evil nobles. They probably attended Weston together, but we don't know if he's the Scarlet House prefect. Either way, Druitt might have actually become a subject for investigation before. There's even a scene during the curry arc that could be a hint to that. The jeweled lady that Druitt recalls might actually be Vincent in drag, at some event years ago, there to investigate Druitt or someone else in attendance.

We have no idea how long ago Druitt started trafficking humans, so perhaps it was related to that... and he just got away to do it again and again... much like we've seen him get away with the things he does while our earl is watchdog. Even when Druitt is arrested, he goes free. Probably bribery to corrupt officials. Some of the higher-up ones might be clients/buyers. Yana-san really drives home how much corruption and fraud and abuse there is in her Victorian England. Sadly, it's not too far from reality.

Doctors were largely detested during the era because of some shady practices that many engaged in. Practitioners would be hired to have people committed to asylums... or even to examine girls to see if they were still virgins, so their families could prostitute them out and charge more for their first assignations. Surgeons (for practice) and anatomists got their human dissection subjects through various means; some were acceptable and others were downright despicable. They prescribed dangerous substances as medicines; sometimes the "cures" really were worse than the conditions.

Though Druitt doesn't have a medical practice, he has a medical license. Before he even got into selling live humans, I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved with supplying and/or buying corpses for study. It would be interesting if Druitt cut out the grave robbers by going straight to undertakers for a supply, because he seems like the sort of person who would do a lot of studying on his own, particularly since he's an aristocrat with no intention of opening a public medical practice. Druitt's connections to Undertaker might go back quite a long way, maybe even back to Druitt's Weston years... when Undertaker would have likely re-entered Vincent's life. Who knows, but I'd be very interested to find out.

When Sebastian investigates all the people with events for the social season, narrowing down the ones that might line up with Jack the Ripper, we don't know where he gets all of his information. It's entirely possible that some of it comes from Undertaker, particularly about people like Druitt. Which supports the idea that Undertaker might already have a history of dealing with the remains of people who have passed through Druitt's doors.

Well, they definitely meet before the events of the Campania, since they already have some sort of dealings with each other, including the Aurora Society. Druitt could easily be the one who introduces Undertaker to Stoker. I very much doubt it would be the other way around, with Stoker making introductions between Undertaker and Druitt.

I'm sure there was more I wanted to get to here, but this reply has been sitting in draft for ages, and I've forgotten whatever else I'd wanted to say. 😬

But Druitt has got to supply more to Undertaker than simply laughter. Knowledge and/or experimentation that leads to medical technology would be very helpful for his current activities.

And we can't ignore the possibility they are also related. Particularly if Undertaker ends up being Cedric K. Rosewood, Rosenthal, Rosedale or any other last name that would make him sound right at home in Scarlet House....

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Yes I'm still using the gifset shut up -Danny Words: 2,811 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: ''Til Kingdom Come' -by Coldplay

LIX: I Wanna Go Home

"What are we looking at?"

"Ah, Señor Zhang, you know how you're always saying, 'Leo, you are the only true genius among demigods'?"

"I'm pretty sure I never said that."

"Well, turns out there are other true geniuses! Because one of them must have made that work of art down there."

When the eery-looking boy taps away in the Archimedes sphere, all Ara sees is her favorite person on Earth, and the closer they get to fighting Gaea, the more Ara wastes her time staring at him.

"It's a stone circle," Frank raises a brow. "Probably the foundation of an old shrine."

"No, it's more than that," Piper studies it carefully. "Look at the ridges and grooves carved around the rim."

"Like the teeth of a gear," Jason points out.

"And those concentric rings." Hazel adds. "The pattern reminds me of Pasiphaë's pendant: the symbol of the Labyrinth."

"Huh." Leo frowns. "Well, I hadn't thought of that. But think mechanical. Frank, Hazel... where did we see concentric circles like that before?"

"The laboratory under Rome—"

"The Archimedes lock on the door," Hazel nods. "It had rings within rings."

"You're telling me that's a massive stone lock? It's, like, fifty feet in diameter." Percy scoffs in disbelief.

"Leo might be right," Annabeth shrugs. "In ancient times, the temple of Asclepius was like the General Hospital of Greece. Everybody came here for the best healing. Aboveground, it was the size of a major city, but supposedly the real action happened belowground. That's where the high priests had their intensive-care super-magical-type compound, accessed by a secret passage."

"So, if that big round thing is the lock, how do we get the key?" Percy asks.

"Way ahead of you, Aquaman."

"Okay, do not call me Aquaman. That's even worse than water boy."

"You gotta give me something, man, you don't let me call you Nemo!"

"My name is Percy."

"Boys, focus," Ara presses.

Leo shifts his attention to Jason, Piper, and her. "You guys remember the giant Archimedes grabber arm I told you I was building?"

"I thought you were kidding," Jason frowns.

"Oh, my friend, I never kid about giant grabber arms!" Leo rubs his palms excitedly. "It's time to go fishing for prizes!"

While Leo and Jason open the entry to the secret palace, Piper pulls her away from the group. For a moment, Ara feels a wild desperation, because she isn't ready to say goodbye and others can see it.

"You okay? I'm getting big waves of 'Help me!' from you, and I was standing pretty far away."

Ara watches how Leo works from a distance. "He treats machines in a kind, gentle way—they need care as much as us... He'll be sorely missed in camp."

Piper tries to get a real answer. "Ara, what's the matter?"

"Take a wild guess," she turns to her with frustration. "Jason is at risk of dying too. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't need to think of Jason to understand it," Piper responds dejectedly. "I'm scared for Leo too—even if he pretends to be okay, he's dreading it as much as us... I can try and make him reconsider."

Ara gives her a dry smile. "And what about me? Are you going to try and charmspeak me too?"

Piper looks like she might cry, but her face sets determinately. "If that's what my General orders me to do."

"This is my order, McLean," Ara squares her shoulders. "We can't fail, so make sure we stick to the plan."

Piper hugs her. "Ara..."

"It's opening!" Leo calls to them. "Piper, Ara, get ready!"

"Idiot mode," Ara kills the flames on her shoulder, groaning as they walk through the empty corridor. "I would've never thought of that."

"I do the absurd thinking for you," Leo winks, looking just as beaten. "I don't know why Hazel was so worried, it was easy."

"Yeah, right," Jason scowls at his ruined T-shirt. 

"At least now we're seeing a doctor," Piper says. "He can fix us up."

"If he's a nice doctor—but maybe he's the father of apathetic medics," Ara jokes.

"Sometimes I wish you used your inner voice," Jason grumbles.

Piper knocks on the door gently. "Dr Asclepius?"

The guy behind the desk reminds Ara so much of her father—Paul, not the other idiot—that it softens her. He's got the hair, and smiles in the same playful yet calming manner her dad does, Ara almost expects him to start talking to Leo in Spanish.

"Hello!"

"Doctor." Piper smiles. "We'd be so grateful for your help. We need the physician's cure." Six months ago the girl had to lean on Ara to get her charmspeak working, now she's pouring it out of her effortlessly. 

Asclepius presses a hand to his chest. "Oh, my dear, I would be delighted to help."

"You would?" Piper pulls herself out of the shock promptly. "I mean, of course you would!"

"Come in! Come in!"

The tug of nostalgia grows stronger when they enter his office: it reminds her of the infirmary in the camp. It's crazy, she's been away for only two months, but it comes down on her just now, as she's reaching the end of her trip—being so close yet so far from home is pure torture.

"Please, sit!" There are only two chairs, so Leo and Ara remain standing behind Jason and Piper. "So, I can't tell you how nice it is to actually talk with patients. The last few thousand years, the paperwork has got out of control. Rush, rush, rush. Fill in forms. Deal with red tape. Not to mention the giant alabaster guardian who kills everyone in the waiting room. It takes all the fun out of medicine!"

"Yeah, Hygeia is kind of a downer," Leo replies.

"My real daughter Hygeia isn't like that, I assure you," Asclepius chuckles. "She's quite nice. At any rate, you did well reprogramming the statue. You have a surgeon's hands."

"Leo with a scalpel?" Jason gets goosebumps. "Don't encourage him."

The doctor laughs openly. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?" He scans Jason. "Hmm... Imperial gold sword wound, but that's healed nicely. No cancer, no heart problems. Watch that mole on your left foot, but I'm sure it's benign."

Jason's eyes widen. "How did you—"

"Oh, of course! You're a bit short-sighted! Simple fix." He draws out a case and scribbles something on a notepad before handing it to the boy. "Keep the prescription for future reference, but these lenses should work. Try them on."

"Wait," Leo smirks. "Jason is short-sighted?"

"I—I have had a little trouble seeing stuff from a distance lately, I thought I was just tired." He puts on the glasses and blinks a few times. "Wow. Yeah. That's better."

"You look very distinguished," Piper smiles.

"Your transformation to nerd has been completed," Ara pipes in.

Leo snickers. "I'd go for contacts—glowing orange ones with cat's-eye pupils. Those would be cool."

"Glasses are fine," Jason glares at them. "Thanks, uh, Dr Asclepius, but that's not why we came."

"No? Well, let's see then..." He turns to Piper. "You seem fine, my dear. Broken arm when you were six. Fell off a horse?"

"How could you possibly know that?" Piper breathes in awe.

"Vegetarian diet—No problem, just make sure you're getting enough iron and protein. Hmm... a little weak in the left shoulder. I assume you got hit with something heavy about a month ago?"

"A sandbag in Rome. That's amazing."

"Alternate ice and a hot pack if it bothers you," Asclepius looks up at the person behind her, which happens to be Ara. His smile falters like he's reading something nonsensical. "Who are you?"

"Arae Jackson..." she voices reluctantly.

"The daughter of Olympus! That explains it," the doctor chuckles but still looks slightly tense. "You'll be fine."

"Cool," Ara tries to push her sarcasm to its lowest level. "That'll help me sleep at night."

"You sleep? Even better!" The doctor moves to Leo. "And you... Oh, my—Oh, I see..." The god's happy demeanor deflates as if there's nothing left to do.

"What?" Jason demands. "What's wrong with Leo?"

"Hey, doc," Leo clears his throat. "We came for the physician's cure. Can you help us? I've got some Pylosian mint here and a very nice yellow daisy..."

"Hold it," Piper interrupts. "Is there something wrong with Leo? Because he's planning to do something crazy, and if that won't help him—"

"Seriously, guys," Leo presses. "I'm fine, except for the fact that Gaia's destroying the world tomorrow, so I'm a bit bummed out about it. Let's focus."

"So this daisy was picked by my father, Apollo?" Asclepius continues. Ara has to admire his determination to maintain Leo's dignity.

"Yep—He sends hugs and kisses."

"I do hope Dad comes through this war all right," he glances at Ara. "You should too. Now, the only missing ingredient is the heartbeat of the chained god."

"I have it," Piper says. "At least... I can summon the makhai."

"Excellent. Just a moment, dear—Spike, are you ready?" The doctor asks to his staff.

Leo can't help snorting. "Your snake's name is Spike?" The python spreads its deathly-looking crown with a hiss. "My bad," he squeaks. "Of course your name is Spike."

"He's a little grumpy," Asclepius explains. "People are always confusing my staff with the staff of Hermes, which has two snakes, obviously. Over the centuries, people have called Hermes's staff the symbol of medicine, when of course it should be my staff. Spike feels slighted. George and Martha get all the attention."

"Unacceptable," Ara retorts plainly.

"Pylosian mint—certainty of death," the god lists the ingredients on his desk. "The curse of Delos—anchoring that which cannot be anchored. Now the final ingredient: the heartbeat of the chained god—chaos, violence and fear of mortality—My dear, you may release the makhai."

Wind surrounds Piper before it slides across the desk, carrying screams with it, and landing directly into Spike's mouth. The python then swallows the rest of the ingredients.

"Won't the poison hurt him?" Jason asks with curiosity.

"No, no," Asclepius brushes it off. "Wait and see."

Spike regurgitates a glass tube containing a dark reddish liquid that looks like thick blood, it's fragile, thin, and unassumingly small. "Lovely," Ara gulps, feeling sick. "That's it?"

"The physician's cure." Asclepius picks up the vial and blinks in confusion. "Wait... why did I agree to make this?"

"Because we need it to save the world. It's very important. You're the only one who can help us." Piper says, reaching out for it.

"Of course," Asclepius smiles again. "I forgot. But you must be careful. Hades hates it when I raise people from the dead. The last time I gave someone this potion, the Lord of the Underworld complained to Zeus, and I was killed by a lightning bolt. BOOM!"

Ara makes a face. "I know how that feels..."

Leo tilts his head. "You look pretty good for a dead guy."

"Oh, I got better. That was part of the compromise. You see, when Zeus killed me, my father Apollo got very upset. He couldn't take out his anger on Zeus directly; the king of the gods was much too powerful. So Apollo took revenge on the makers of lightning bolts instead. He killed some of the Elder Cyclopes. For that, Zeus punished Apollo... quite severely. Finally, to make peace, Zeus agreed to make me a god of medicine, with the understanding that I wouldn't bring anyone else back to life. And yet here I am... giving you the cure."

"Because you realize how important this is," Piper insists when the god's eyes lose focus. "You're willing to make an exception."

"Yes... At any rate, the potion must be administered as soon as possible after death. It can be injected or poured into the mouth. And there is only enough for one person. Do you understand me?" He looks pointedly at Leo.

"We understand," Piper glances at the boy with concern. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Asclepius? Your guardian is out of commission. You'd be really helpful aboard the Argo II."

"The Argo... back when I was a demigod, I sailed on the original ship, you know," he smiles. "Ah, to be a carefree adventurer again!"

"Yeah..." Jason lowers his gaze and pouts. "Carefree."

"But, alas, I cannot. Zeus will already be quite angry with me for helping you. Besides, the guardian will reprogram itself soon. You should leave. Best wishes, demigods. And, if you see my father again, please... give him my regrets."

This is a haven she'll miss, but she must face the world no matter how much it stresses her out—it is what she asked for, after all. Ara doesn't want to leave, but the reason she wants to stay is ridiculous.

"Birdy?" Leo tugs her hand. "Time to go."

The girl clears her throat and nods, turning around quickly. "Gods, I miss my parents."

"So where are you putting that?" Percy asks. "It has to be close to you when you die, so where are you keeping it?"

"Festus," Ara and Leo reply.

"We've been working on something... Leo did, since we started building the ship," Ara glances at the boy, still grumpy about it. "The blueprints never made much sense because they were two machines combined."

Annabeth raises a brow. "You're trusting Festus will work perfectly on its first try?"

"All my machines work on their first try, Chase, don't insult me," Leo scoffs.

No one speaks against it, all they know is they've been talking to Nike and Apollo, and their plan is solid enough to give them a glimmer of hope. That is all they'll get while handling two prophecies at once.

"Okay, then!" Leo claps, bringing them out of their stupor. "Athens tomorrow morning, gang. Be ready to fight some giants."

"Yeah..." Frank heaves a sigh. "I know I'll sleep well."

***

Leo sets the cure in place. "That'll do."

He traces the outline of Festus's open panel with reverence and Ara's heart tightens at the scene. Leo spent months perfecting the ship, and now they'll have to say goodbye to it... It's meant to be, but that doesn't mean it hurts less.

"Stop staring like that," Leo mumbles. "You make me feel like a wounded animal."

Ara looks away. "I know we didn't have a blast here... but I love this spanking hot war machine."

Leo scans the room wistfully. "We had our first kiss here, remember?"

All she can do is nod. Leo stands and hugs her loosely, leaning his head on her shoulder. Ara takes a shaky breath. "Such clumsy and unromantic first kiss—"

"Shut up." Leo scolds her. "You don't get to decide what it was. It's my first kiss. Mine." He shakes his head and steps back slightly. "I've heard all of your stories—even the ones you probably don't want me to know, and they tell me that inside this immaculate Barbie, there is a human girl who doesn't care about perfection. Why do you torture yourself like this?"

"That Ara isn't good enough," she scowls. "I'm better this way."

Leo frowns. "Do you know how much I love you just the way you are?"

"Do you know how long it took me to become the Ara that you know?" She asks back. "Nothing comes naturally, Leo. I don't wake up and simply exist—it's a full-time job..." Her voice dies a little, her words reminding her of what Eros hissed at Nico.

"Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work—a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you—especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards."

Ara's voice quivers. "I know you love me, Leo... I don't think I've done a good job loving you, that's all."

The boy cradles her face so she looks at him. "You warned me of the risks, and I fell in love anyway. You didn't trick me into being here, and I'll never regret it."

"I'm sorry," she sulks. "I focused on being a leader and I pushed our relationship aside, I should've—"

"Look at me," he insists, holding her firmly. "I dare you to say we weren't happy."

Ara tears up. "I thought I had more than enough to get by and then... I met you. I laughed and loved so much—life was beautiful for a moment. I was so lucky."

Leo's hands are shaking, but he manages a crooked smile. "Honestly, I still can't believe my luck either. My girlfriend is the hottest girl to ever live—" He lowers his gaze a moment when his voice breaks, unable to hide his true feelings. "Gods, Ara..." he takes a shaky breath. "I used to be so lonely."

Festus interrupts and Leo responds without looking up. "Yeah, buddy, it's time." The dragon creaks again and the boy chuckles weakly. "Yes, she'll wait for us. Won't you, doll?"

Ara pouts and nods, Leo wipes the tears from her face tenderly. "I've been waiting on you my whole life, and I'd like to say there is no pressure, but..."

Leo smirks. "I love a challenge."

Ara grins through the tears, then glances at the cure in Festus's panel. "So this is really happening, huh?"

"Too late to change plans," the boy nods, also staring at the vial.

"You can sleep in my cabin tonight."

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Bufford hollers.

They burst out laughing. "Don't worry, son," Leo tells the small table as he closes the access panel. He then holds Ara's hand and pulls her out of the engine room. "We'll save that part for when I get back."

Next Chapter –>

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