#Twig I am so so so sorry I sat on this for so long

[blastoqueen]

Sunrise.

Chapter 6

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: Noa x Mae (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)

Content warnings: None

Comments: English is not my first language. This is my last chapter before going back to Med School :(

“How are Noa… and you?” Anaya asked, a little scared to make the female angry or uncomfortable, he knew it was a sensible topic and that the more-than-just-a-friendship thing between them was long time dead.

“Fine” Soona said “He is my friend… like you”

The curiosity was killing Anaya, so he pushed the limits a little bit.

“I know you… were… too close” the male avoided eye contact.

His friend just stood there, not making any movements or showing any emotions.

“Can I be… honest with you, Anaya?”

“Yes! Of course”

Soona inhaled.

“I hoped Noa would see me as… something more… than just his friend” even though her words were sad, her face only showed serenity “He took me… to see the world… once we were… free from Proximus. However… I knew he didn’t… love me that much”

“Oh no, no, no, no, Soona” the male said, he reached to his friend and hugged her tight “He loves you… very much. I do too”

The smaller ape laughed a little, hugging her friend back. When they let go, she continued.

“But you know… what I mean” Anaya looked at the floor, feeling sad for her “And then Mae came back… I didn’t… trust her. And when she… left again I begged… Noa to let her go. He didn’t, but I learned to… forgive. Mae is good and she… is my friend”

He wanted to tell her about the night Mae and Noa were out to see the lighting dancers, but he promised not to tell anyone, so he stayed silent. All he could do was take Soona’s hand in his and act like a true friend.

-----------

“Is this another secret spot you wanted to show me?” Mae said. She and the ape were doing a light climbing in a destroyed three-story building covered in leaves.

“No. I want to teach you how to be strong” Noa said, grabbing a branch and pushing himself up.

“I am strong” Mae said, panting.

“When you came to the village you were a twig”

“Sorry for being held captive in a quarantine bunker”

“No excuses”

They were only halfway through when Mae stopped, hugging a big branch with both arms, closing her eyes and exhaling.

“Mae?” the male came closer to the human, hanging only from one arm and feet.

He put his other hand on top of Mae´s head, gently caressing her hair.

“What is wrong?”

“I just… need a minute”

“I´m bringing you to the village”

“No! No, I can. I just need to rest a little bit”

“Mae”

“I can do it”

The Echo reached another branch, but quickly slipped, Noa held her by the waist, while all her limbs hung loose.

The ape took her to the ground and Mae sat immediately.

“Sorry, but the sun and the height…”

“It's okey”

“Tomorrow we can try again”

“Sure”

Noa was a little devastated, he felt anger at himself. He wanted to pretend Mae was the same as him, or maybe that she could be like him, but they were so different in many aspects. He used to think maybe she was weak even among her own, but he had seen her killed Trevathan…

Maybe it was time to accept the reality. They were different.

Why was he trying to make them both seem equal?

“So that it wouldn’t be so weird to have these feelings”

“Let´s go to the village. And then you… can teach me how to read” Noa said.

Mae looked up and made a strange face, the ape was taken back at that.

“I… no”

No?

“Oh. I just thought… you could teach me some things from your… people” he felt shy, embarrassed, suddenly, his hands became awkward.

“I can´t teach you more things” Mae murmured “Sorry”

“Is that… forbidden?”

“For me, yeah, it is”

“For you?” Noa sat besides her “Is someone forbidding you?”

“No, Noa. I am forbidding myself… from teaching you”

He was getting more confused every time, maybe the girl was really tired…

Right when he was about to offer they return to the village, the Echo spoke.

“I can´t teach the apes. It´s dangerous”

“What?”

Mae refused to look him in the eyes.

“I can not believe you” Noa sighed, he got up and stared at the human “Dangerous? Why would it be dangerous?”

“It is, Noa!” Mae said exasperated, she stood up and almost fall back, Noa resisted the urge to catch her “You are already… evolving. Remember what Proximus said? Those weapons in the bunker would have help the apes to evolve and we don´t want that! Weapons and guns are not the only way your kind can evolve, Noa, knowledge can do that too”

“So you will not share it. Because you are scared that we become… better than you humans. Is that so, Mae?”

“Yes” her face showed security.

Noa walked towards the human and stood in front of her. They were almost the same heigh, both pair of eyes watching each other intensely.

“You are so fake” the ape chuckle “Every time I think you had change… you just prove me wrong. You pretend and lie and steal. Are all humans… like you, Mae? Or are you just a rotten apple among them?”

“Shut up! You stupid animal!” Mae yelled furious, pushing the ape with both hands, only moving him a little.

“How does it feel, Mae? Watching me… evolve”

“You will never know how it feels to be completely human” the human started to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks, anger in her eyes.

“I don’t want to be human” Noa said “And I don’t need you to help me... evolve. I fixed the electric spear… without help and without you, remember?”

“Your time is over, Noa. I delivered the key, got that? The book that could make humans speak again. It´s only a matter of time before the humans reunite and be strong again, it will be our planet again”

“The things with us, princess, is that we don’t claim the planet. We… live here, but it is not ours!”

“You wouldn’t understand”

“No? Am I too dumb, Mae?”

“You didn’t see the world with us in it”

“And you did? How old are you, Mae? Because… I am sure that you never saw the world… either”

“You are being too... cruel” Noa could see the pain in her eyes, the puffy face and red cheeks. The tiredness.

Did he cross the line?

“Let´s go to the village” Noa said, lowering his voice but keeping the cold tone in it.

“I´ll go by myself. I know were it is” Mae started to walk when the ape grabbed her arm. Why did he keep doing that?

“No. We are going together”

“After all that… what makes you think I want your company?”

“I don’t care if you want it or not. I am not… leaving you”

“Whatever” she said with disdain, pushing him away from her.

They started walking putting some distance between them. The ape could hear Mae´s sobs.

Were they going to be able to forgive each other for the words said today?

"Would I ever forgive myself for making her cry?"

[certifiedwhore4slashers]

Manipulative

pairing: coriolanus snow x f!reader, past oc x f!reader.

summary: he’s fallen way too deep, and he knows that.

a/n: i am in no way romanticizing nor defending his actions, he sucks as a person, this is for funsies, keep that in mind. remember he’s literally responsible for mass murders of children. also this idea is cliche ik ik. but, if you want more I will do more with original ideas.

reader has somewhat long hair, BUT no other descriptions of the reader. and I don’t usually do that. just for this post:)

warnings: yandere themes, toxicity, manipulative behavior(manipulation) obsession, possessiveness, no fluff, implied/referenced murder, slight blood, narcissistic tendencies, delusion, unhealed trauma, implied stalking, mild violence.

The meadow was where you’d often go. Ever since the games, it was a stress reliever, humming some songs or even just listening to the birds chirp.

After Coriolanus was sent to be a peacekeeper, You were sent home. District 12 was your home. You sat down on the cold rock. You were more of an creative artist than musician. Sometimes you wrote songs, and sometimes you wrote poems or just stories.

But you didn’t feel like doing anything today, just admiring the breeze in front of you. You were fairly zoned out when you hear a twig snap, and turn around.

You sigh of relief.”Sorry. Still have those instincts from the games.” You rushed over, not doing much. Still in disbelief he really was there.

You didn’t expect him to be here. But here he was. “It leaves quite the impression, He chuckled. It was a long embrace, and you say,”You found me. Quite surprised.”

“You figured I would, He teased. “Not this fast, and really it was hope, You tease right back, lips on his, it was passionate and sweet, ideal for a reunion.

“The sun’s hot, come in the shade, You offer. He had some ice, now melted and offered it.”Here. For you.” “Thank you, You reply.

You were very thirsty. The moment the water hit your tongue you were in heaven. “This must be the only cold thing in November, he joked.

You laugh in response.”So, Coriolanus Snow, What are you doing in the Meadow?” You were half joking. You never were fully serious. At least until it came to your feelings for him.

“Spending some time with my girl, He replies. The word My, a possessive tone, You notice. But brush it off.

“It’s unbelievable, You admit.”Truly. But I was surprised they brought me back. I swore It was all me.” “But it wasn’t, he points out. You look at him.”Clearly they didn’t believe me.”

His lips were on yours again, long and passionate. You two hadn’t seen each other since the games ended.

“Well, It was hard to believe for me too, He admits.”Tell me what happened after.” It was difficult to recall everything. The games were a nightmare. Especially the Arena. And Mayfair.

As the two of you share the water, You couldn’t help but wonder as he told stories, exchanging them, if something was wrong.

“Poor Jessup, You say sympathetically.”He didn’t deserve that. It was you, though, wasn’t it? The one who killed Bobbin?”

“I had to, Coriolanus replied.”He tried to kill me.” “I’m not saying what you did was wrong, but I suppose killing is for survival in the Arena, You reply. Snow only nodded.

“I heard the others brag, You say.”So I know. I thought the worst happened. You know, that you were dead.”

Heading back up beside him, You still couldn’t believe he was here. Whatever relationship you had, seemed to grow.

“What have you been up to? He asks, curiously.”It’s been a while.” “It has, you laugh.”And truly, not much. A few performances here and then. At the Hob, Maude Ivory’s an amazing singer like Lucy Gray.”

For a mere moment, You were in complete bliss. And that night was a normal evening for the Covey. Your parents were killed, well, your adoptive parents. They took you in, then Maude Ivory came along, your younger sister.

You became a part of the Covey. Until of course, their murders. But you had her, at least. “You want one? A peacekeeper asks, referring to liquor.”You might need it for your performance.”

“Sure, You grin, taking a swig, not making a reaction to the bitterness of it.”You’re right. I might need it.” Lucy Gray was a beautiful singer, but tonight, let you perform.

“Are you sure? I’m not the songbird, You tease. “I’m sure, and Maude Ivory wanted you to, She sweetly says. Your cousin was always the songbird.

“Besides, I think he’d like to hear you sing, Lucy Gray smirked. You knew who she was referring to. Truly the one who knew of your relationship, but by accident.

You wore a yellow dress, not too short but not too long either, and sunflowers in your hair. You wanted to have a good impression.

You tease her,”I think he’d like to hear you.” But you went up there, guitar in hand. A talent that you and Lucy Gray both had. It was the genes, you swore.

But you amazed the crowd as you sang. You were no Songbird. But you had some talent. And the whole time your eyes were on him.

It made him feel more special, in a way. Like the only person could make you feel this happy was him. Him. You were his, at least in his eyes.

But you did a wonderful performance. You mostly did instruments and stood in the background. You didn’t sing much.

Even though you were aware he was there, you went on, even with butterflies in your stomach. It was later that evening that things went downhill.

You said goodbye, even to Coriolanus, saying,”I shouldn’t be out so late anyway. But I promise, straight tomorrow. I’m sure you have peacekeeper things to do, anyway.”

He smiles.”It’s alright. You must be tired from that performance.” You laugh, then nod, quickly kissing him, then moving along.

You didn’t notice that he followed you. He was quite literally, obsessed. Especially after hearing your sweet voice. Since finding your home in the Seam, it wasn’t hard to follow you, and pretend he was there for something else.

Sometimes, he’d meet you there. Other times, didn’t even know he was there watching. He’d call it protectiveness. But it was really a sense of possessiveness over you.

That’s what it really was.

He heard your voice in your room, you sang to yourself. You sang a love song. That wasn’t hard to understand.

He had a sense of jealousy. It was clear the lyrics wasn’t about him. A past one, maybe. It wasn’t Billy Taupe. He had Lucy Gray. So who could you mentioned?

He was bloodthirsty. Or at least, had a taste for violence. He’d never say it or admit it. It was like he was a rebel. And he hated rebels.

But that didn’t stop him from feeling this way. As you danced and sang a little. Coriolanus defended his behavior, he was being protective of you. That nobody would hurt you.

He had fallen way too deep. And he was aware. You might feel the same about him, just as equally obsessed as he was. But that night, he wasn’t looking for trouble. Not much, anyway.

Someone stood beside him, admiring your singing. “Peacekeeper, huh? The male laughed. Coriolanus turns.”Yeah. Punishment. Not a choice.”

“She’s always been a singer, the male explained.”didn’t have much faith.” He wanted to know how the male knew that.

“How do you know? Coriolanus asked, curiously. “She wrote that song about me, the male bragged and seemed proud.”One of these days she’ll get back together with me.”

You never mentioned your ex lover much. Only that he hurt you, and that he was still infatuated. You were right about that.

“She isn’t interested, Coriolanus says, coldly. His fists clenched, along with his jaw, both from the rage he was feeling.

Maybe it was his narcissistic tendencies that were showing. A feeling of shame. A feeling that, he was superior than the male standing in front of him. He’d do so much better.

And with that, he swung. He could’ve shot him. But it was the easy way. And he didn’t deserve the easy way. His blood thirst took over a little, and like Bobbin, didn’t know how far his strength would go.

He stands back, his knuckles bleeding and blood on his uniform he’d have to explain later. Maybe it was a mistake coming to visit you. Your singing had stopped.

He pants. What had he done? Standing over the body, Coriolanus realized what he truly had done. And what could he do? He didn’t want a career as a peacekeeper; but his future would be damaged even further. He had to do something.

The Lake.

It brought him good memories. Swimming alongside you and the covey. But he’d have to hide the body somewhere.

It took a lot of his strength; but didn’t wear him out to drag him to the lake. It wouldn’t be too hard hiding evidence. His body would eventually disappear and Coriolanus doubted anybody cared about him. You didn’t anymore.

And he just watched. After the blood washed off, He walked away. He left the Seam. He'd come back. But You'd be aware of it.

Morning came, and peacekeepers came knocking at your door. The whole morning was a mess. When you did eventually meet up with Coriolanus, you decided on telling him about it.

“Did you know? She asked.”I’m assuming every peacekeeper knew. The guy I used to go out with was murdered. Found in the lake.”

“We were informed today, but I wasn’t the one who found it, He lies. He did not like lying, but he had to. He held a tight grip on you.

And he wasn’t letting you go.

[omgrachwrites]

The Night We Met (Chapter Two)

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle x Potter!Reader

Summary: Over the summer you connected with the boy who is quite literally your twin's mortal enemy. Things start to fall apart in the darkness of the autumn.

Warnings: fluff, swearing, angst, everyone lives au, takes place in 6th year, James being the best dad ever

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to come out! But thank you all so much for the support for this fic, I love you all! xxx

Chapter Two

The guilt you felt in your stomach was so unbearable that you ended up leaving the pub early, making excuses to your friends and ignoring Harry’s suspicious looks. It wasn’t until much later in the evening that your dad knocked on your door and when you let him in he sat himself on the edge of your bed.

“Y/N, what’s wrong darling?”

You looked at James with tears in your eyes, “dad,” you sniffled, “Mattheo is hurt and it’s all my fault.”

James sighed as he wrapped his arms around you, “it’s not your fault sweetheart. I know that he was here last night, you know, he could have stayed.”

You shook your head as tears fell down your cheeks, “I didn’t want to put him or anyone in any danger, I need to see if he’s okay.”

“I’ll take you.”

You scoffed at your dad’s words and took one look at his face and you realised that he was being deadly serious, he wasn’t joking, “are you insane?! What if he’s there?”

James shrugged, like the notion of his enemy wanting to kill him didn’t phase him at all, “then we’ll be careful, but I am not letting you go alone, not there.”

You let out a watery laugh as you swiped your hand over your eyes, “I love you, dad.”

“I love you too sweetie.”

You were driving through the lower part of the village when James spoke up, “wait, isn’t that him?”

Your eyes followed where your dad was pointing and you felt a jolt, your heart dropped and it wasn’t at the sight of Mattheo’s beautiful broken face, it was the sight of Pansy Parkinson’s hands all over him. You saw her smile as her fingers threaded through his hair and your heart was at the bottom of your stomach when you watched him smile back.

James made to get out of the car but you stopped him with a hand on his wrist, “dad, please don’t.”

James sighed as he glanced back at your face and pressed a kiss against your forehead, “should we just get some ice cream and go home?”

You shook your head, “I’d rather just go home actually, I’m sorry that I made you drive all the way out here for nothing, dad.”

James shook his head, “you didn’t make me do anything, sweetheart. I was happy to do it,” he glanced at Mattheo once more before biting his lip ad starting up the car again, “you know that he’s not good enough for you right?”

You smiled at your dad as he pulled the car away and you took one last look at Mattheo from the window.

When you were upset, James wanted to spend as much time with you as possible but you really just wanted to be alone. It took some convincing but James finally allowed you to take a walk by yourself to clear your head. You knew why he was so protective but it irritated you sometimes, of course you would never tell him that.

You blinked tears out of your eyes as you stared at the little stream that rushed through the clearing in the woods. A twig snapping made you jump and you instinctively clutched at your wand and drew it, ready to defend yourself if it came to that. You relaxed when he came into view, running a hand through his hair.

“Y/N,” Mattheo sighed as he came to sit next to you on the cool grass, “what are you doing here? It’s so late.”

You looked up at the brown eyes that regarded you with so much warmth, he certainly didn’t have his father’s eyes, that was for sure. They were so different to the cold eyes that beheld you at the start of summer.

“I’m so sorry,” you finally whispered, allowing your tears to fall.

Mattheo sighed as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and kissed the top of your head, you could smell cigarette smoke as you clutched at his shirt, “maybe it’s for the best, Y/N.”

You sniffled and pulled back to look at his handsome face, “what do you mean?”

Mattheo scoffed as he took his arm from your shoulders and turned away from you, “don’t play coy with me, it’s insulting. I know whatever is going on between us has an expiry date. I mean it’s obvious, you and your brother are the golden children of Hogwarts, the heroes, there can never be a place for me and you to be truly together. We need to face the facts, Y/N we’re no good. You’re destined to have a great long life and I’m destined for the Dark Arts.”

It hurt you to hear him speak like this, so blatant and cruel, “it doesn’t have to be that way between us.”

“Y/N,” he wiped your tears away with his thumbs, “it was always supposed to be this way, it was fun and it provided us with a good distraction. This was doomed from the start, Y/N.”

Your resolve crumbled as you stared into his eyes and you realised there was no point in fighting for him if he wasn’t going to fight for you, “maybe we shouldn’t have even started this Theo,” you sniffled and pulled away from him.

“Let me walk you back?” he offered.

“No,” you whispered, “no, I actually just want to be left alone.”

As soon as you walked through the front door, James was waiting for you, “it’s over,” you wiped your eyes with the back of your hand, “I’m sorry for putting everyone in danger.”

James shook his head and pulled you into a hug, “you’ve got nothing to apologise for, I just want you to be happy.”

You forced a smile at your dad and kissed his cheek, “night, dad.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

The last few days of summer went by in a blur and soon you were saying goodbye to your parents as you left for school. You knew that Harry was nervous about going back to Hogwarts after what had happened at the Ministry. You knew he would get through it though, he always did.

“Are you going to be trying out for the Quidditch team this year, Y/N?” Hermione grinned as she looked up at you from the book that she was reading.

You laughed and mockingly glanced over at your brother who was in deep conversation with Ron, “as long as my brother does the right thing and puts me on the team,” you laughed before shaking your head “I would never expect him to just put me on the team, I’m not too sure this year, I was thinking about trying out but maybe I’ll leave it,” you shrugged.

Hermione nodded with a smile before she regarded you with warm brown eyes, “have you been okay? It’s just recently, you’ve seemed a little sad and distracted.”

You bit your lip, Hermione was your best friend but you just couldn’t bring yourself to tell her the full story, not yet anyway, you shrugged and gave her the cliff notes version, “I was seeing someone and it didn’t work out, we were just too different I guess.”

Hermione nodded and didn’t press further, instead she looked over at Harry who was beginning to rise from his seat, “Harry? Where are you going?”

“Um,” he mumbled as he looked at you with wide eyes and you had to hold a laugh in, it looked like he hadn’t bet on getting caught, “I’ve just got to check something,” he quickly stuffed something into his pocket and you narrowed your eyes. He left the compartment before anyone could question him further.

“What’s going on?” you asked Ron, “what is he hiding?”

Ron frowned as he looked over at you, “it’s nothing, you know that he’d never keep anything important from you.”

Did you know that? It seemed as though you weren’t the only one keeping secrets over the summer. By the time the train was pulling into Hogsmeade Station, Harry still wasn’t back and your friends had somehow convinced you to meet up with him back at the castle.

As you were walking up to the carriages that pulled themselves, you heard a voice call out to you, “oi, Potter! Where’s your loony brother?”

You whirled around and found yourself face to face with Mattheo, there was a sly sneer on his face and his eyes were hard and cold, “fuck you, Riddle.” He was going to play this game? Fine. “What the fuck is your problem?” you snarled beneath your breath so the others wouldn’t hear you.

“I- “his eyes darkened and his face hardened. He shook his head and stormed past you, knocking his shoulder against yours as he did so.

“Merlin, he’s a creep,” Ron muttered as he and Hermione caught up with you, “are you okay?”

You smiled up at the tall boy, “yeah Ron, I’m fine. Thank you.” What the hell did you even see in Mattheo?

The sorting ceremony was over and you were enjoying the glorious feast when the doors flew open. Snape stormed in, his cloak billowing behind him, Harry came in after him and your heart jolted as Hermione gasped and Ron muttered something beneath his breath. Your twin’s face was swollen and bloody, you had an idea who had done this to him. You glanced over your shoulder to glare over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy had a sneer on his face as his eyes followed Harry and Mattheo grinned as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

“What happened to your face?” Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head, aware of all the nosy students staring at him, “not now, later,” he tried to smile, presumably trying not to split his lip open again before he looked at you, “does my face look normal?”

“Hmm,” you squinted at him and tilted your head, “yeah, apart from your massive nose.”

Harry laughed before wincing in pain, “you’re a prick, Y/N.”

You laughed as you drained the rest of your pumpkin juice, you couldn’t wait to get to bed so you were very thankful when Dumbledore dismissed everyone. You couldn’t help but notice Pansy walk off with Malfoy, not even giving Mattheo a backwards glance.

“Scared her off already have you?” you remarked, sidling up to Mattheo.

He frowned at you as he walked up the stairs, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he hissed shaking his head, “I didn’t have anything to do with what happened to your brother by the way,” he nodded as Harry walked past with his eyes fixed on the marauders map.

You sighed as you folded your arms, glancing up at Mattheo’s fading bruises, “I’m sorry that he hurt you, I didn’t think he actually would.”

Mattheo scoffed, “you knew what would happen, you just didn’t care.”

“Of course I cared.”

Mattheo shook his head, “I honestly can’t be arsed talking about this let’s just treat each other like we usually would, like this summer never happened.”

“What, like we hate each other?”

“No,” he replied, “like we don’t even know each other. Because we don’t, not really, you were just some pretty girl that I enjoyed kissing over the summer, that’s all.”

Your mouth opened but no sound came out as you watched him walk in the direction of the dungeons.

“What was that about?” Hermione asked, making you jump and look at her guiltily.

“Oh you know, just same old shit,” you laughed and Hermione nodded but she didn’t look terribly convinced. You would have to be careful or you would be giving yourself away.

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Taglist; @primscat @thelifeofsecretpenguins @ehwhatever26 @siriuslycaptainofthedawntreader @nevillescomslut @hannahnikohl @5-seconds-of-animals @sanjanapm @abbiesxox @kaverichauhan @cat-loves-music @elijahslover @torresbarnes @ikyourwonderingwhyinameditthis @scream4melove @

[mrsmiagreer]

Favorite Redacted quotes but the list gets longer everytime I find a new one

“And the energizer bunny…Takes a tumble” -Milo

“Is this why you put up with my memes and shit? Because i gotta big dick and a great ass??” - Guy

“WHAT ECHO?!” — ALL OF REDACTED aka echo

“Do you love me?” — Imp!Damien

“Keep his name out of your FUCKING mouth” -Sam

“Laying in comfortable silence, hands roaming lazily betwixt our supine bodies, tracing gentle patterns across supple skin…Yes that was all about my eyes😂” — Guy

“This isn’t like a dog or something. Like normal wolves are big. Shifter wolves are even bigger��and i’m on the bigger end of that too” -David

“Is David being a total groomzilla about your side? Oop— Heard that-” Asher

“But I bet I’d lay down for it” — Vincent

“Make it two” —Sam

“Great deal on a large sausage�� —Guy

“Will you marry me, Angel?” —David

“….Isn’t that right??” “Heyyy no tickling!!” — Gavin and Caelum

“No not just yes…say the words…say the whole thing” —Vincent

“Ohh— You are getting close! Hi! Hi baby….I love youuu” —Guy

“We are NOT matching. I am wearing my work clothes, YOU’RE wearing contraband” — David

“someone please get the gentleman a door prize”— Blake

“I was thinking a little less nature documentary and little more battle bots you know like i want you to just fucking SNAP me like a twig😭” -Guy

“No! You can’t tell me I taste good >:(” — Lasko

“Who are you and what have you done with my lover??” — Guy

“I know baby I know” — Milo

“Staaapppp you’re being rude… Yes RUDE you heard me!” —Guy

“…..do it— hmmmMmMmMmm okay okay….That had a little less finesse than i’m used to” —Milo

“You know what wordplay reminds me of? Tounge twisters!! And you know what tongue twisters remind me of? Tongue kissing!! Let’s explore that topic shall we?” —Guy

“The goal is healin me, you can’t be hittin me at the same time” —Milo

“Show me that wagon ya draggin sexy uehh” -Guy

“Who’s that bitch we hate?” — Asher

“Any hole is a goal” — Guy

“Just move your ass…..hmm i didn’t mean to move it quite like that but you’ll get no complaints outta me” —David

“My mouth is good for a lot more than just…talkin” —Milo

“It’s our bedroom….It’s our bed” —Geordi

“Hey Baaaaabyy” —Ollie

“I’ve sat with these feelings long enough to know how to manage them I promise” —Blake

“Call me that one more time and you won’t be able to walk tomorrow” —David

“I cant be another mistake…because it’ll break me” —Blake

“I’m sure seeing him is like….like those healing classes. A nice diversion😊” —President Moore

“Milo…play nice” — Imp!Asher

“You don’t have to order anyone to do it…Just take volunteers” — Imp!Milo

“I just set my fucking curtains on fire” -Damien

“Who taught you how to do healing magic?? A construction worker with a jackhammer?!” —Milo

“You’re taking me so fucking good” —Milo

“I’m trying to get off of you…I don’t wanna crush you” —David

“Awe yeah i often walk into work with shotgun shells in my fucking brief case” —Milo

“I cant read your mind baby” — Vincent

“Welcome home my love. How was your day?” -Gavin

“Park it on me Sweetheart” — Milo

“That does not feel like searching for a key Lovely” —Vincent

“Do i need to set this stuff down or are you gonna behave?” —Vincent

“Yeah, no thinking about work today. Or we’ll come over there and kick your ass” —Milo

“Hey…sorry i’m late” —Blake

“Do I look like i care??” —Blake

“I’m a grown ass man” —Milo

“I DON’T whimper…” —Damien

“You know what we do to…Bad Boyss around here—💀💀💀” —Guy

“Did I really just get drive by kink shamed??!” —Asher

“Awweee poor baby” —Asher

“Keep it in your pants you two. I already mopped this morning😒” —David

“…boop” —Sam

“I don’t want this for you baby” —Milo

“Boot Licker” —Milo

“I’ll always find you” —Avior

“Wexler, Greer is causing problems at the west entrance” — That One Guard😭

“That wasn’t rhetorical. Answer me” —Imp!Damien

“I love you more than human words can convey” —Gavin

“Yes baby” —Gavin

“Ruth Holland are you here? Hello? Hello?” —Milo

“Fuck, bounce on my fucking dick” — Guy

“Moan. They moaned. You moaned.” — Geordi

“Pfftttt hahaha- Okay— WuHwuhWwaA—” — Guy

“This isn’t happening!!” — Ivan

“I don’t like you, and I’m not going to” — Alexis

“Hold still i’ll grab you one of mine” — Milo

“Bad. Worse. Better.” — Vincent

“Go kick that ass….champ? Oh God-” — Lasko

“No can do baby” -Huxley

“I’m just fucking with you” — Sam Collins

“I needa stop saying fuck. Fuck. Sorry. And i needa stop saying sorry. fuck. sorry. FUCK i mean FUCK so— oh fuck😭 Oh my god i am such an idiot” — Lasko

“I wanna touch” — Stranger/Caller/John..?

“Fuck! Fuck me—” — Lasko Moore

“Can I cum on you?” — Milo Greer

“I am not gonna have ants runnin round my house cause of you😭” — Sam Collins

“It is not funny, you FUCK” — Milo Greer

“I’ll spank your ass brat. Not like it’d be the first time. Or the last.” — Milo Greer

“You’ll be safe” — Blake

“Well of course it’s gaudy. I made it” — Gavin

“Shit Darlin. You really weren’t gonna say anything about this?” — Sam Collins

“It’s all good” — Huxley

“I hate to make a guy lose his fuckin’ noodles” — Milo Greer

“Where do you want these fangs baby?” — Sam Collins

“Do you have any idea just how much energy is coming off of you right now?” — Fool!Gavin

“Sorry” —Fool!James

“I gotta go faster before i start…fucking…crying or something😭” — Asher

“Moan for me baby” — Milo Rebane

“I’m still so hard omg…I think I can cum again” —Asher

“Because we’re going on a hike, baby” — Damien

“You want my body, you want my cooperation, then you let me have this. you let me have them” — Blake

“Blink twice if you need help buddy” — Asher Talbot

(I will be updating this list when i find/remember new ones😊)

[jojomiwbvb6]

Hedonist - Part 1

Author's Note: Part 1 in maybe a 3 part series? Original writing, some fluffiness.

Warnings: references to smut, marijuana usage

“Hello everybody,” our monotone college professor groans, setting his coffee thermos down on the desk and his bag falling from his shoulder, haphazardly to the floor. He turns to the class with a bored face. “I trust you all have read your fundamentals on the subject we will be going over today?”

Lots of droned voices echoed in the room, spacious but only full of 20 or less students in our 10 am class, full of ‘yes’s’ and ‘uh-huh’s’. 

“Alright, good. Because today you’ll be needing to know your P’s and Q’s for this subject,” he drawled. “We will be discussing how to compress and noise gate in your mixes using Logic Pro.”

Whoops and tones of unsureness echoed through the room.

“As an announcement before we begin, I would like to announce that we–” the Professor was cut off by a loud thud and a bang as the door swung open and smacked the concrete wall next to it. In the doorway you stood, as if in some scene of a soap family comedy, awkwardly perched and cringing at yourself as everyone stared at you.

Other students cringed, feeling second-hand embarrassment for you; while others just snickered and whispered to their friends that you were a dumbass. 

“I’m sorry I’m late,” you managed to say under your breath as you walked to a random seat in the third isle. You felt eyes on you from all directions as the class went silent, waiting for you to finally sit down so the class can begin. 

“And which one are you?” The professor asks, glaring at you, but trying to hide it. 

“Um, Y/N,” you croak. You hear a snicker or two from nearby, but you didn’t care enough to bother with them. 

“Okay…” He stares at a sheet of paper, dragging his pen back and forth as he read. “Ah. There you are. Y/N. Okay, people, attendance is all straight now. As I was saying, there are a few new faces among us this period.”

You looked around, noticing your previous classmates from classes before and new ones that you haven’t seen. It all depended on student’s schedules and the degree they were taking. As you looked, you noticed a couple new girls. One with tattoos and one who looked like she could be someone’s middle aged mother. There was a boy fresh out of high school, built like a twig. In the back corner of the room, two rows from you, your eyes landed on a man with long, brown, luscious hair, and tattoos of beautiful work that could go on for miles. He was looking down at his journal. When he looked up, he tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear and your breath caught hard in your throat when he looked forward, not noticing you. He was so…

“Y/N?” The teacher spoke to you, snapping you out of your gaze. 

“I’m sorry, what?” You squeaked, embarrassed that you had been gawking at the new kid, and you hoped that you weren’t staring that hard and that nobody noticed.

A tone of disapproval twinged in the professor’s voice.

“Y/N. I expect full attention spans this month,” He eyeballed you in your desk with a raised eyebrow. “And that goes for everyone. Now, Y/N, the question was…”

You answered the question correctly, and as time went on, you and the class took notes. Once finished with the lecture and notes, you were all dismissed for a break.

You wandered out to the hallway and decided to get a Coke from the vending machine. You thought about that mysterious, beautiful man sitting so close to you in class. Who was he? Why was he so fine? 

Grabbing your drink from the bottom of the machine, your mind is blank as you walk back to the classroom. Your professor is working on his laptop at his desk, not minding you at all when you walk past back towards your seat. You look up, butterflies awakening in your stomach as you try to sneak a peek at that new guy to see if he’s in his seat. He isn’t, and you slightly slunk to your desk in disappointment and sat down, opening your coke and sipping it. 

Break is almost up and students start to come back in. They come in groups in intervals, but after a second of silence, just one comes back in. It’s him, the new guy. He looks at his feet as he comes in, holding a tea in his hand. As he walks down his aisle, he looks up, glancing around habitually. His eyes land on you and you hold your breath without realizing it. Other students are coming back into the room and the professor sits up, getting ready to start up class again.

The new guy just blinks, but locks eyes with you for a second or two before sitting down and you look away so you don’t look too long. 

The professor clears his throat, standing from his desk. 

“Alright,” he announces, letting everyone get situated into their desks and their journals ready. “You all know what materials you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance, and you may begin your projects whenever you’re ready.”

You looked over at the new kid again, and to your surprise, he was already looking at you. His eyes fluttered to the front of the room quickly. Your breath shuddered. Wow, he is… nice looking.

The professor finished his instructions, letting us sit in our respective seats and work. 

You felt your face burn as if you were being watched. You fought back a little blush, knowing that you were being looked at just as you had been looking. You smirked to yourself in your desk at the thought.

You heard rustling, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him stand and walk to the professor. You couldn’t understand what was being said, but you could tell he had a tenor voice. It was like hearing the devil speak, tempting you to eat his fruit from the tree. You saw him nod as if his question was answered to his satisfaction.

He walked back towards the desk, and you reverted your eyes back to your MacBook to avoid any evidence that you were watching. You then guilitly stole a glance up at him as he sat back down, but he already caught you. He glanced deeply at you for a second as he was sitting back down. He looked away as you did.

An hour more into the class, stealing glances to find one of you already looking happened more than it should have. You smiled at him politely a few times so it didn’t look like you were a weirdo, playing some of them off as ‘accidents’. When you began catching him, he began to have a small smirk playing on his face. This livened your body like nothing else, your mind going berzerk and your stomach fluttering wildly.

You didn’t even know this man! What if he was some weirdo or a crackhead? A serial killer?! Hey, Y/N, what about rational thinking? Naw! Let’s drool!

Half an hour goes by, you taking a break from sneaking glances as you concentrated and tried not to look weird. With your headphones in concentrating on the sounds you were correcting for the assignment, you didn’t hear the little “hey” and the awkward throat-clearing sound next to you.

You felt a finger tap your arm in an unsure way. Slightly startled, you turned to look at who was poking and why they were poking. Your breath hitched, embarrassingly and audibly so, when you looked into the new kid’s warm brown eyes and small smug smile playing on his face. You popped a headphone off an ear and paused your audio clip, hanging on a cliffhanger of just waiting to hear what this dude’s voice sounded like, hoping it would be anything like the face to match. 

Oh, it was. Silky smooth words rolled off his tongue, even if they were normal. You had to mentally slap yourself to really understand what he said, so you didn’t process blah blah blah while you eargasmed instead. 

“Hey, um, sorry, angel. I forgot to pack my MIDI cable before I left the house,” he referred to the board sitting next to his Mac, lifeless without its hookup. “I see you’re not currently using yours, would you be okay with me using it for the rest of class?” 

You nodded slowly. You felt like you looked like a fat cow with a gaping mouth, even if you looked totally normal. You dug in your bag and found what he requested and you handed it to him. 

He shot you a wide smile and you felt like your brains would fall all over the floor. “Thank you. You’re an angel.”

Oh my god. You turned away, closing your eyes and squeezing your thighs together. You regained your focus and resumed your assignment. 

Another 10 minute break was announced, but you wanted to get your assignment done and over with so you didn’t have to worry about anything when class was dismissed. You didn’t look at the new kid.

A note slid onto the corner of your desk, and when you looked up, you noticed the new kid had walked past down your aisle instead of his. You noticed that as he walked out the door, he caught your glance with a little smile playing on his mouth. 

Your heart now pounded in your chest. Do I open this? Should I?

You snatched it and breathed shallowly, swallowing hard. You slowly unfolded it, worried about what it was going to say. 

In neat handwriting, it said “Noah Sebastian / 223-6636 / text me if you need anything”.

On god, you about passed out. Your mind began to race. You told yourself to calm down–maybe this was just if you needed homework help; nothing too crazy! Right? Right. 

The daring part of you tore open your notebook before he got back. You tore off a section, and scribbled “(Y/N) / (Y/P/N) / I might :)” Folding it, your heart pounded out of your ribcage when you stood, walked to his desk, and tucked it under his laptop just enough for him to see and returned to your desk casually.

At this rate, you thought you might need to get off when you got home.

The new kid–Noah–returned to his seat to work, not looking at you but you at him for a moment. He had a blank look on his face, revealing no sign that he left a note. You watched carefully to see if he had noticed the note, and he did. You looked away quickly, afraid and a little embarrassed by your immediate play. 

He unfolded the paper slowly, smirk building into his cheek lines. You bit your lip, looking again. You watched as he saved his number into his phone quickly. He didn’t text you, but looked up to sneak a glance at you– but you were looking too long.

He narrowed his eyes, but you could tell he wasn’t mad. Noah’s eyes sparkled when he looked you up and down, letting you drink in the fact that he was eyeballing you and you were letting him. The smirk he already had became very apparent now and he let you see it. There was no douchebag in that smirk like every other frat boy who ever tried to speak to you.

“Okay, people. Class is over. Go home, enjoy your life. I’ll see you this Friday. Now go away so I can teach more brats before I go home.” Your teacher chided through tired eyes.

You and Noah stole one more short glance before packing up your things and leaving the room. You walked out, not looking again or even speaking to him out of shyness.

When you exited the building, you didn’t see Noah perched against the brick wall as he smoked a joint secretively. Or tried to, if you didn’t smell it first. “Hey, Y/N,” he said casually.

You looked around, not recognizing who or where the voice was. You notice Noah, sunglasses perched on his nose and he smiled at you. Ugh, wow.

He offered you a hit off the joint and you accepted. He watched you take a hit and smiled proudly. “And she likes to smoke,” he chided to himself. You offered him a smile at his words, liking his acknowledgement. You inhaled deep, exhaling to the side. “Taking it like a champ, too,” he nodded as he watched, another smirk playing on his face.

His words made her stomach hot. “You should see when I really smoke,” she said, making light conversation, not trying to show how he just teased her during their first time talking.

“Oh yeah?” he dared. “How much do you smoke? Really, like don’t pussy out on me. Give me all your details. I bet you can’t dab.”

“Bitch,” you chided at him playfully. “I can dab. I dabbed so hard I didn’t breathe for almost a minute.”

“Fuckin’ riot,” he said. “We gotta smoke.”

“Aren’t we?”

They giggled together.

“Naw, angel. This is just a quickie.”

Fucking hell, he did it again.

“So…” you began, trying to pretend that you were completely fine and not squirming in your pants. “When did you start here? Why haven’t I seen you?”

“Oh, I do online courses sometimes. Decided taking this class in person would be better. I’m on the road a lot.”

“‘On the road’? What do you mean?” You asked curiously.

“I’m in a band called Bad Omens,” he says to me. “I tour. I sing. Pretty cool shit, if I say so myself.”

“That’s amazing, I’m hoping to do some work with bands myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

There was a moment of silence between you both as he took a hit. Breathing out the smoke, he nodded and said quietly, “Awesome…” as if he were ticking off a checklist.

When the joint burned down to the filter and you both made a little less small talk, you said your goodbyes for the day and you hoped you would see him on Friday’s class.

[ruewrote]

𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦.

PAIRING: jacob custos x fem!reader WARNINGS: jacob's bear trap injury, strong language GENRE: angst / fluff SONG INSPIRATION: start a riot by BANNERS WORD COUNT: 1k

navigation | ask | the quarry masterlist

out of all the horror movies that you'd watch about vampires, zombies and werewolves you never thought you'd ever be in one of your own.

especially not in the summer camp that you'd grown to love over the years.

now desperately trying to find your fellow work friends, hoping that they'd gotten to safety. you silently prayed that you would too as you made your way through the thick forest to the main lodge.

the emergency fire axe felt heavy in your hand, your skin covered in dried mud and blooming bruises. fuck this night, fuck everything.

every little sound terrifying you, not realizing how loud everything used to be until now. whether that be the crunch of twigs underneath your boots or the whoosh of the wind.

"ah fuck! ah shit!" someone whimpered in pain, moving closer as you readied the axe, moving through the trees to find jacob and an old guy with a sniper rifle with his back to you.

"look if you could just--" jacob begged, but soon stopped when you knocked the hunter out with the back of your axe.

"holy shit!" your breath staggered as you dropped to your knees, inspecting the bear trap that had clamped itself around jacobs ankle, surprised that he was even conscious. oh right , adrenaline.

"oh my god, am i happy to see you right now!" he shouts, but is quickly cut off with your hand tightly covering his mouth.

"you've got to be quiet. something is out here with us, i’m not quite sure what, but i've also got to try and pry this open. whatever you do, you've got to be silent. we can't attract more attention to ourselves, okay?" you whisper, earning a timid nod from him.

removing your hand you get to work, glad to have accidentally watched that documentary a while back you were able to press the two spring levers, making it fall open.

you were quick to grab him before he lost his balance, helping him stand, wrapping his arm around your shoulders for support and yours firmly wrapped around his waist. making a slight mental note to ask why he was practically naked later.

helping him back to the lodge for some sort of first aid. the two of you walking in tandem, your grip on him tightening as he wobbled trying to hold back his groans. you reached up for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. jacob giving you a tight but appreciative smile in return.

your legs ache when you finally reach the building, carefully sitting jacob down on the bench in the kitchen, grabbing the first aid kit out of the cupboard, a fresh glass of water and the paper towels off of the rack.

"i’m not even going to sugarcoat this, this is gonna hurt like a bitch. but i promise i'm gonna try to be as careful as i can, okay?" you uttered and he nodded.

you began to unbuckle your belt, unlooping it before holding it out to him, jacob grabbed a hold of it confused, "to bite down on, worst case,"

not caring if it was dirty or not he bit down on it, letting out a sigh you picked up the glass of water, pouring it around the wound, using a piece of the tissue to swipe away the dirt. briefly looking up to see his hands squeeze the wood underneath him.

wincing for him, you opened a disinfectant wipe wasting no time to swipe it around his injury, making him let out a whine. stopping for a second to place your hand over his.

causing him to look down at you with tears in his eyes, your heart breaking for him. "i know, i'm so sorry. all i gotta do is wrap it up. it shouldn't hurt too bad,"

and so you did, your belt now back to holding up your shorts as you looked through the pantry for any sort of food. making sure that jacob stayed sat down even though he wanted to help.

"a-ha!" you announced, grabbing the unopened box of cereal bars, returning to jacob. "how long do you think they've been in there?" he joked.

"after tonight i think the last thing we have to worry about is expiration dates, but of course i checked and they're okay, actually relatively new so we're good."

handing him one then another for yourself, shoving the rest in your backpack. retrieving the oversized hoodie offering it to him.

"quick question, where are your clothes?"

"me and emma went swimming in the lake for old times sake, until we heard abi scream. well at least i did, emma kinda disappeared after that." his words coming out huffed as he pulled the clothing over his head.

you looked down and started playing with your hands, trying to hide the hurt on your face. of course he was with her! what were you expecting? the whole summer you had been crushing on him, having to stay quiet about it because of her.

"oh. well i'm sure she's okay, she's...strong ya know?" you offered him a small smile.

"thank you by the way," he started, your eyebrows furrowed. "with saving me back there and you patching me up. i swear i was about to die!"

he playfully knocked his shoulder into yours, looking at him concerned, "don't joke like that. i-i don't think i could handle that... losing you i mean." a frown now replaced your smile from just thinking about it.

"hey, hey. i'm not going anywhere, well not if i have a say in it anyways." he leans into you, making you look back up at him.

the way his eyes flickered from your eyes to your lips, made your breath hitch as he leaned closer, lips almost touching when you heard a girl's scream.

"emma?" jacob jumps up and limps out of the lodge, leaving you sitting there alone feeling your heartache and the tears sting in your eyes.

who were you kidding yourself? he'd always pick her.

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[gamblingcaffeineaddict]

A/N: ayyyy I’m back with part two of my previous fic i spend all my days trying to forget her face. Dialogue might get confusing, sorry 😭😭

she’s so hard to erase, i don’t think she can be replaced

warning for angst and a bittersweet ending. you die at the end. please read part 1 for context!

The moon bathed the alchemy commission in its silver light as the doctor sat alone on its worn down docks. Waves gently crashed onto the pillars supporting the harbor below. How did I even get here? They thought.

Their feet took them to the deserted commission after a heart wrenching encounter with a ghost of their past. Specifically speaking, a woman resembling someone long gone.

Jingliu… The doctor looked up into the starry sky to the full moon hanging above. Even centuries later, they felt a pang in their chest. I can’t help but think of you every time I gaze at a full moon like this.

The strange woman from earlier… even if it was Jingliu, she didn’t seem to recognize them. She spoke no words and her facial expression didn’t change. In fact, there was no sign of familiarity at all. She didn’t even chase after [Name] as they walked away hurriedly with tears threatening to fall from their eyes.

The doctor regrets that they never actually became close with Jingliu. At the time, keeping their distance seemed right and logical, but now the pain of loss has subsided. All that’s left is wistful regret and longing. If they had been closer, would Jingliu have remembered them? [Name] didn’t realize they were crying again until they felt warm tears slide down their cheeks.

A snap of a twig cuts the silence, causing [Name]’s head to whip around at the sudden sound. A Mara-struck soldier has creeped up behind them. Their blade was held above their head to make a fatal blow. Before the doctor could react, they heard the all too familiar whistling of a blade, and the monster was cut in two. The monster crumbled to dust, revealing a blindfolded woman with her sword in hand.

Speechless, [Name] sat there with their eyes wide and lips slightly agape. Of all the people to save them, it had to be her.

“…Jingliu.” They spoke softly. There was no denying it now, it had to be her. Why else would she be here saving them right now? Hope flared in [Name]’s chest that Jingliu could remember them, even if it was just the slightest bit. But their hopes were quickly crushed the moment she spoke.

“So you know who I am,” Jingliu responded in a monotone voice. She still gripped tightly onto her sword, a sign that she was still on her guard.

I guess that was to be expected. The doctor smiled sadly. After all, I am but a mere stranger to her.

“You could say that.” [Name] was half expecting Jingliu to hold her sword against their throat and demand answers, but instead she sheathes her sword and simply sits beside them on the dock a few inches away.

“It’s been centuries since I last set foot openly on the Luofu,” Jingliu says. “Most people do not remember me, or do not dare utter my name. You say it as if you knew me personally. You don’t shy away from the taboo surrounding me.”

The doctor lets out a dry laugh and looks into the distance. “Of course not. I did know you personally for a good few hundred years. Although we weren’t close, I know you aren’t as bad as people label you to be.”

Jingliu remains silent. [Name] feels her eyes linger on their melancholic expression through the black fabric over her gaze.

“When I bumped into you earlier, I felt a strange sadness tug at my heart.”

[Name] suddenly turns towards her. Sadness? So something might be left after all…

“Is there anything else you feel?” The doctor poked.

“…” Jingliu pauses briefly. “There is… regret, though I am not sure why.”

Regret? But what did she have to regret with me? It piqued the doctor’s interest even more. “Can you remember more? Anything at all? You shouldn’t have anything to regret with me.”

Now it’s Jingliu’s turn to let out a dry laugh. “How can you be so sure? You said so yourself that we weren’t close. How do you know I wasn’t hiding something from you?”

As she said those words, a memory flashed in her mind, hitting her like lightning.

The memory was overall blurry, but Jingliu knew where she was. She was transported to a warm day near the training grounds of the Cloud Knights. The sky is blue and cloudless, with the ocsssional starskiff sailing through the sky. The sun is warm and the breeze is gentle on her skin. She could immediately tell that this memory took place during a simpler time in her life.

Jingliu was resting under a tree, leisurely chatting away with someone beside her. Instinctively, she knew their name. [Name].

[Name] was happily chatting about something that happened earlier that day. Their smile was captivating to Jingliu. It warmed her heart and felt more radiant than the sun hanging high in the sky. Their laughter was melodic and made her chest flutter.

She felt at ease with [Name]. There was no “Sword Champion,” no “Master,” no “Transcendent Flash,” but simply “Jingliu.” With [Name], Jingliu could relax from her duties and breathe easy for a while; It felt different than when she was with the High Cloud Quintet.

A thought came to her on that warm day. It flashed in her mind for a mere second, but it made her realize something. Jingliu simply thought, “I wonder what it would be like to see their smile everyday for the rest of my life.” Then it clicked.

Am I…in love with [Name]?

The realization filled her with excitement. Her heart felt like it would burst with butterflies. But that also filled her with a dreadful uneasiness.

For once, her goals and desires clashed with each other. To grow stronger to rival the heavens, or to stay for her love on the Xianzhou? Her heart argued one side, and her rationality took the other.

Ultimately, Jingliu decided that this crush of hers cannot get in the way of her goal. She made up her mind to cast her silly feelings aside, but that didn’t stop her from longing for their affections every single day until she became mara-struck. Then… she forgot everything about [Name].

Ah.

No wonder she regrets.

Jingliu regrets even more now. She regrets forgetting [Name] entirely.

Jingliu clenched the side of her head in pain as the memory ended. She felt like she was suffocating under the tides of these old, forgotten emotions overwhelming her at once.

“Jingliu?! Are you okay?!” [Name] reached out their hand but stopped short of coming into contact with her. The same feelings that kept their distance from the swordswoman long ago made them hesitate.

When Jingliu’s breathing resumed to normal and her painful headache subsided, she looked up at [Name]. Because she recovered her memories, the Mara struck and her blindfold dissipated. [Name] could clearly see into her pained crimson eyes for the first time in centuries. Jingliu spoke in a quiet voice, “…how is it possible that we weren’t close?”

“We always kept our relationship professional.” [Name] averted Jingliu’s gaze, looking back to the calm moonlit sea in front of them.

“But… I remember talking with you. I remember falling in love with you.”

Time seemed to stop once again as those words fell from Jingliu’s lips. There was no way, absolutely no way, that all this time she liked [Name] back. No, she loved them back the same way they have for all these lonely years.

So all that pain [Name] shouldered out of thinking Jingliu wouldn’t ever spare a glance at them like that, was for naught? Maybe it was foolish of them to blot the idea out right away instead of even confessing first. [Name] could feel their heart starting to bleed from this old, self-inflicted wound they’ve made onto themselves.

But a part of what [Name] thought about Jingliu not prioritizing romance must be true, or else she would’ve confessed her feelings at some point.

“…I’m sorry that I claim to love you but have also forgotten you.”

Jingliu’s apology brings [Name] out of their thoughts. She wasn’t ever the person to coward away, so she looked straight into [Name]’s eyes. But vulnerability and sincere remorse was present in her voice. [Name] shook their head. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I understand. After all, I kept my distance from you purposefully, because I didn’t think you’d feel the same way.”

Jingliu’s eyes widened. “The same way? Then you mean you loved me too?”

“Very much,” [Name] placed their hand on top of Jingliu’s. “I have loved you for all these years, even after you were long gone.”

“I think about you every night when I look at the moon. I think about you when I watch Jing Yuan train his apprentice, because I used to watch you train him in the same way. I think about you when I tend to patients who’ve hurt themselves in battle. I never forgot you for a moment.”

It feels like a stab to Jingliu’s heart to know that [Name] always thought of her. They both loved each other yet… she just forgot everything. It fills her with guilt. She also thinks that maybe she shouldn’t have simply wished for [Name] to make a move first.

“Our circumstances are very different now,” [Name] continued. “Even if we do love each other still, we can’t be together. I’m sure you know that too.”

“It won’t be long until I’m Mara-struck myself. I’ve been living for a long time now,” they smiled with sad acceptance. “It’s better for us if we both moved on.”

Silence. Jingliu knows in her heart that it’s the cruel truth. Truly, they were both scared of the consequences of their feelings, and they paid the price with guilt and years of painful longing.

“Before we say goodbye, allow me one last thing.”

Jingliu gently cupped [Name]’s cheek and pulled them for a soft, tender kiss. It felt as if all of her unspoken emotions were finally being shared after ages of being hidden away, tucked into the deepest corners of her heart. [Name] returned her sentiment by kissing her back with the same passion. They’ve waited all this time for such a simple, fleeting act.

They pulled away reluctantly, still feeling the warmth of each other’s lips. They stayed close in tranquil silence, basking in the last few moments they had with each other.

“Goodbye, my love.”

The Transcendent Flash was gone as swiftly as she came. There was no trace of her ever being there besides the relief in the heart of the doctor who now sat alone at the docks.

There wasn’t a need to really hold on much longer. The build up of memories started taking its toll on [Name], and now that their final wish has been fulfilled, they can rest.

It is said that the doctor lived out the rest of their years happy and light of burden. They succumbed to the Mara peacefully without losing the rest of their sanity to becoming a monster.

One day, they hope to reunite with their lover in the stars when her goal too, is fulfilled.

title is from “forget her” by girl in red.

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

WIP Monday Because I Said So

The other night in the Catnip Crew discord, in a bestie's playthrough, Rolan ended up having not an Elixir of Battlemage's Power thrown at him but Elixir of the Colossus. That serves as inspiration for my first time in a long time plus size reader fic...

Elixir…where are you? Over here? Over there?

You thought frantically as Gale cast Chain Lightning, destroying the second of Lorroakan’s myrmidons.

“Great job, Gale!” You shouted, hand still desperately trying to find an Elixir of Battlemage’s Power for Rolan, the object of your very much still secret affection.

GOT IT!

You threw the bottle at Rolan, and it landed perfectly.

“What the—”

Uh oh.

You then stared in horror as the bottle was not, in fact, an Elixir of Battlemage’s Power.

I gave Rolan Elixir of the Colossus, so now he’s huge.

Literally very big.

I wonder if his—

“Hey!” Shadowheart growled at you, preparing to fire the Blood of Lathander. “Focus, will you!”

Right.

Focus.

Focus on freeing Rolan.

Focus on Dame Aylin kicking this guy’s ass.

Do not focus on Rolan being fucking gigantic.

I want to climb him like a tree.

NO.

After Dame Aylin snapped him like a dry twig and your comrades departed through the portal, you stood with Rolan, a sheepish grin on your face. “I am so sorry about the elixir. I honestly thought it was Battlemage’s Power.”

Rolan sighed. “It’s alright. I know you were only trying to help. However, it makes what I…must say more difficult.” He pulled at his collar and gestured so awkwardly but so adorably to the book throne. “I think that might be the only chair I can fit in tonight. Perhaps. It would be easier…I…”

Oh no. I’ve ruined what’s supposed to be a wonderful rest of his day because I’m an idiot. “I really am sorry.” You whispered, staring at the floor. You blinked back a few tears but could not stop more from falling.

“My dear, please don’t cry.” He was now on his knees in front of you, reaching for your face. “Allow me…” Barely touching your blushing cheek, he wiped away a tear. “As you said, it was an honest mistake. Come here.” Rolan sat on the floor and patted his lap. “Come here, allow me to…”

[titanicfreija]

last solstice bit

Targe

Zavala considered the cottage and fireplace within, but decided against it. Instead, he built the fire just out of sight of the graves. Something felt rude about being too close.

The comms pinged at him, and he allowed the link. "I asked for privacy," he said, hoping it was someone that didn't know. If they did, he would have to be firm, and he wasn't in the mood.

Caiatl's voice carried a note of apology when she said, "I know." More solidly, she said, "I would ask to join you."

The Commander considered it.

"I understand the telling of stories of past heroics to be part of this tradition," she said. "I would like to hear yours about your Targe."

The loss of his Light, she treated as a disability to work with, and he had. She had been treading delicately around the loss of his Ghost because she knew she could not understand.

So to hear the request surprised him until he remembered last year. It rarely came up, but the way she talked about Ghosts and Guardians changed since she befriended the one. 'Your Targe'. He was sure she'd similarly call him Targe's, were he alive.

"You may," he sighed.

"Thank you."

He waited for a while, sure she was still there. "Caiatl."

"Zavala."

"Thank you."

She didn't respond immediately, and eventually managed, "It is my honor to celebrate your belated Ghost with you."

~

"I considered asking to meet your Targe. I am sorry I did not." The giant woman sat on the massive rock nearby as Zavala constructed the small pyre.

"I considered offering an introduction," Zavala replied. "I am also sorry I didn't. You would have liked him." A smile stole the corner of his mouth. "You would team up to chide me for worrying, or avoiding paperwork. He would side against me often. Always into the right course of action, as much as he could determine it to be."

He glanced back to see Caiatl sitting at half-attention, helmet still on. Respecting the ritual.

To his surprise, he heard more feet touch down nearby, and he looked to see Ikora. "Caiatl had the manners to ask for an invitation," he teased.

"Are you asking me to leave?" she replied, placing a hand on his shoulder before she ventured into the trees to gather her own firewood. "I also want to celebrate Targe."

The bittersweet joy stung his heart and stole the corners of his lips. "I thank you," he said honestly.

Fire felt different without the Light. Zavala had always been a Striker, and yet the distance never felt so long. It took a few moments of white smoke to eventually take, the environment being wet even without rain. He didn't realize his memory of this place was so gray; possibly aged, possibly clouded by pain. The dead grass and twigs stubbornly singed and ashed without a flame, until Zavala worried he would have to ask for help.

Finally, the pyre took true light, orange flame flickering as it grew.

He turned back to the stone hosting his audience, surprised to see Saladin appearing close by and stepping forth with a bundle of sticks and herbs tied together. They briefly exchanged a glance and a nod. Zavala almost missed him passing another to Caiatl, who didn't know the tradition yet.

He didn't have a speech prepared. He didn't expect an audience. He didn't know why not; why he would think he would be the only one with stories of Targe, or that Saladin wouldn't come to pay respects. It felt silly now, and disrespectful of everything Targe did that wasn't resurrecting him. He could hear his memory of Safiya telling so many of Targe's advocacy and appeals. Those were certainly some of his heroic moments to share.

He watched the fire burn for a minute as he collected thoughts. He would begin at the beginning, he supposed....

"I remember meeting Targe. He found me in a crashed ship, and told me that I was destined for greatness...."

[billycorn]

All Our Days

@sincerely-sofie I am sorry for this one. I know it is not the vibes, but I offer it nonetheless

Kip sat on the beach, watching the sun dip below the horizon. It's orange and golden rays bounced off the water, turning the ocean into a sea of fire.

Fire.

Tears sprung to his eyes, but Kip fought them back, and smiled. "Hey, Twig. Sorry it's been so long since I visited. I've been really busy with guild work. I've helped a lot people. I think you'd be really proud."

Laughing to himself, Kip gave up on withholding his tears. Instead, they flowed freely down his cheeks. He looked to the sky and smiled despite the ache in his chest. "I really miss you."

"Kip, who are you talking to?"

His head swivelling, Kip found Marill watching him, concern in the little boy's eyes.

Clearing his throat, Kip wiped away the tears. "Nobody." Kip couldn't help but notice that Azurill was missing, it was strange, seeing the pair split apart. "Where's Azurill?"

"He's playing with some friends." Marill toddled over and sat beside Kip.

"Feeling a little lonely?"

Marill nodded. "I'm not used to being alone."

Smiling, Kip gently rubbed Marill's back. "It's no fun being alone, is it?"

Marill cautiously glanced up at Kip, the boy wanting to ask something, but not sure if he should.

Turning his gaze back on the sunset, Kip sighed heavily. "Exploring with Twig was the best! She always had my back, and she would pack extra snacks." Kip paused, throwing his head back and laughing heartily. "And she told the worst jokes!"

"You really miss her."

Kip nodded slowly. "Remember when Drowzee took Azurill? You were really scared, huh?"

Marill frowned. "I don't want to feel like that ever again."

"I feel like that all the time."

Kip meant to keep speaking, but couldn't get the words out. Memories came rushing back; memories of their first expedition, of Fogbound Lake and the Dark Future, memories of Temporal Tower and everything that came after it. He hadn't been sleeping well since then. Most nights he would awake in a cold sweat, with no memory of a nightmare, just a sense of loss and an echoing truth; 'You are not the Hero of this story.' He would roll over, find her bed empty, and lose her all over again.

Tears sprung back to Kip's eyes. "I feel like that all the time, so I try to remember, when we started as an exploration team, I would get nervous and struggle to sleep sometimes. I never said anything, but Twig knew and on those nights she would sing a lullaby. Long ago, before we met, I dreamed about you. The peace you'd bring. The songs we'd sing. The way you'd make things new. Then one day, you arrived. I heard your angel cry. Helpless, small, and perfect, Welcome to your life. And on that day, I made a vow. Whispered and True. No matter what, no matter how, I made this promise to you. I will cling, I will clutch, I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away. I won't leave, I won't go, I will stay with you all our days."

Marill looked at Kip, confused. "She lied?"

Kip nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah, she's a jerk."

"Who's a jerk?"

Convinced he was hearing things, Kip laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Sometimes I can still hear her singing it."

"Stop telling everyone I'm dead!"

His mouth forming a thin smile, Kip turned slowly and there, right there, was Twig.

His lips quivering, Kip barreled into Twig, knocking her flat. "You kept your promise."

Laughing through her tears, Twig squeezed Kip in a mighty hug. "I'll always find my way home."

Here's a link to the lullaby if anyone wants to listen to it.

[eunoiaastralwings]

The Loss of True Familiarity

-ˋˏ ༻❁ characters erestor x lúthriel (my oc)

-ˋˏ ༻❁ fandom tolkien- the lord the rings/the hobbit

-ˋˏ ༻❁ summary Lú misses Dior and earns for comfort. – here you are @batsyforyou sorry for the angst.

Lúthriel sat on the outside steps towards her room – watching Elrond’s twins play amongst themselves in the yard not too far away from where she was sat.

Her eyes watched them play and tease – Elladan teasing Elrohir on how easily he was able to beat him in their latest round, due to Elrohir’s clumsiness – but Lúthriel’s mind was far away; their voices and sounds of the birds in her garden alone with the light breeze were drowned out as remembered a familiar scene. . . 

“Hi clumsy.”

The teasing voice of her twin reached her ears followed by his laughter.

“Not funny, Dior!”

Lúthriel grunted at him as she tried pull away the pieces of leaves and twigs off her black, silvery tinted hair from the light. 

Once again, she had lost concentration within her magic – where she was intended draw the leaves and twigs into the hair, it suddenly snapped and it came flying towards, knowing her off her feet in the process too.

There had been too many occurrences so far and hence she had received the name ‘clumsy’ from her own twin. 

It was all too funny for Dior to watch the number of times Lúthriel had caused havoc with her powers – going as far as hanging their father upside down on a tree because of her vines and even once accidentally hitting their grandfather in the head with a branch.

“What? Are you going to hang me upside down from a tree as well? – or whack me in the head with a branch?”

Dior laughed as he helped Lúthriel back on her feet.

“Or would it be the time you brought the forest inside-”

“Do not tempt me to do all those things to you!”

Lúthriel glared – her two different colored eyes sharp as her face scowled. Then– sighed and looked down at her hands, wondering when she would finally learn to control her magic and emotions. 

She hated having strong emotions that triggered her magic freely.

“Stop worrying, Lú. . .”

Dior said – he covered her hands with his hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“You will learn – I have seen how massively you have progressed so far and I am so proud of you, twin. . . ”

Lúthriel rolled her eyes with a little laugh as she raised an eyebrow.

“And yet– I still have you calling me clumsy.”

“Well, of course, I will – I am the only one allowed to do so!”

He laughed – ending with a gentle smile, holding a little seriousness too.

“You worry too much, that is the problem. Look at you – you are far different from the first time I called you clumsy.”

Dior smirked – teasing his twin to a never end as he remembered her of the times she skip along the forest singing, forgetting she harnessed magic that followed freely among her fingertips – which got herself into many accidents, tripping over new roots or plants she accidentally created – including inside their home. It was funny – but now a familiar– sight to see flowers and all sorts of plants that symbolize her emotions growing on the walls of their home.

“So will you stop calling me clumsy once I learn to control my magic?”

Lúthriel crossed her armed – as they began walking homewards, both silently understanding it was enough training for one day.

“Never, Clumsy!”

Lúthriel’s eyes gathered tears that the memory and she released a shaky breath. Seeing her great nephew’s twins brought back too many memories for her – all them containing one person in parties, the twin she lost a long time ago – it was her unhealing wound.

“Lúthriel, you have missed today’s counsel, dearest.”

Erestor said – himself climbing up the steps towards where she sat.

He failed to see the tears in her eyes until he came closed. With his eyes scowling he slowly crouched in front of his lover – his forehead beginning to crease at the sight.

The wilting flowers beside her were enough proof that the emotion that reached her heart.

Erestor’s eyes closely followed her gaze towards the twins that carelessly tossed their swords at what they called trained. 

Did not take long for Erestor to figure out what was plaguing his beloved and slowly he turned back to her.

“You should-”

“I remember a time like this one. . .”

But Lúthriel had begun speaking before he could finish – it was something that greatly annoyed, if it were anyone else that is. But Lúthriel had her reasons for cutting him off – her valuing thoughts and enchanting voice were enough to melt that annoyance away.

It was not like Lúthriel cut him off to say anything meaningless – he considered each of her thoughts and words utterly valuable, no matter how clumsy she sometimes seemed to him at times. 

Erestor did not speak – he waited, patiently, for her to continue, still crouched on the steps in front of her. He learned it was always best to let her speak her mind – rather than caging it away like she had been for the longest time, it was dangerous – especially considering she was part maia and her magic relied strongly on emotions she carried.

Forcing her emotions down and bottling them up was never good – he learnt that many times, painfully so. . .and how she would be sick with her mind. . .madly. . .

“My powers. . .I could easily lose my control over them and. . .my twin would tease me endlessly for it. Dior was always there. . .trying to make me feel better at every little mishap. He knew I needed to be distracted from it, otherwise, I would worry too much. . .”

Erestor’s eyes quickly snapped down to her half-star necklace as she spoke of her long lost twin - remembering how she had comforted Elrond when losing Elros, she was the only one who knew how it felt for him.

“Twins have a special bond, you know. . .”

It was then her tears spilled - and she bit down on her bottom lip trying to keep her sobs in as she ripped her gaze away from Elladan and Elrohir.

Erestor still did not speak - but his hand carefully reached forward and cupped the side of her face, gently wiping away her tears.

“We would be able to feel each other’s emotions. . .we would know when the other is feeling sad or unhappy. . .”

Lúthriel looked up at Erestor, her eyes overflowing with tears - one that looked like a tidal wave, the other looking like a drowning forest. . .

“I actually. . .felt him dying. . .”

She sobbed and Erestor’s eyes softened, his heart aching at her words and quickly he pulled her trembling body close to him - resting her head on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her.

Lúthriel sobbed into his shoulder - wetting his robes with her tears, but Erestor could not care less at that moment.

“I felt him die. . .”

She repeated.

“Lúthriel. . .”

Erestor did not know what to say - he gritted his teeth, feeling angry at himself for not being able to deliver and comfort her with words. It did not matter for the amount of knowledge he held - he failed in giving. Elrond, being his friend, had taught him to then give her comfort through his actions, but even then he was struggling to do so.

“I lost a part of myself. . .when I felt him die. . .”

Lúthriel sobbed, her hands fisting his robes as she held on to her lover desperately. Erestor never had the chance to meet Dior, but had a burning anger inside of him because of the fact Dior had chosen to be a mortal - when Lúthriel had no such choice. . .

But he must have had his reasons to do so. . .

However - when he could forgive him for that. . .he could never forgive Dior for seeing Lúthriel as a traitor before his dying moments for having different beliefs, leaving her forever scarred with every thing he had told her before he had died. . .words he could not take back. . .ever. . .

“He was my twin!”

“I know. . .”

It was all Erestor could say as he pulled her closer to him.

He cursed all known magic for giving her powers that prevented her from reaching mortality - even though deep down it had hurt him knowing he would possibly have never met her, if she had chosen to do so. . .

But it would mean she would be suffering every day like this. . .Erestor wanted that for her. . .

Perhaps that was why he freely let her roam around the library, leaving books in the wrong places and allowing her to tease him for his scowls and empty threats and insults so she would laugh more freely than cry in his arms like this. 

Erestor let out a deep sigh - he had come to scold her for missing the counsel this morning, but now knowing where her thoughts had been, he could not find himself to do so.

Then - easily, he slid arm over her back and under her knees to lift her up.

Normally Lúthriel wouldn’t approve of him for doing so - even though she secretly liked it - it was only embarrassing for her, especially if someone were to see it. But right now she did not have the energy to do so and was rather desperate to be comforted by her lover.

It was unlikely for Erestor to stay away from his library for long periods of hours, but right now his lover needed him and he was willing to spend the rest of the evening with Lúthriel cuddled to his side as they took turns in reading - until the flowers outside would stop wilting and return to their original beauty. . .

[museywrites]

Xiantober 2023 - Day 7: Biker!Xian

Word Count: 957 Pairing: Wangxian Tags: Biker Wei Ying, Bunny keeper Lan Zhan

The rev of his bike gave Wei Ying the greatest feeling in the world. It stood for so much. For an escape, for speed, for freedom. There was nothing he loved more than hitting the long winding roads leading out of the city in the middle of the night, enjoying the way the wind whipped around him. 

A way to just get away from his life, from his problems. 

Tonight was one such night. Riding through the dark, barely lit streets that he knew like the back of his hand. It was liberating. It was home. 

He had gotten in trouble at work again, and he just wanted to get away. So, as soon as he had the chance, he hopped on his bike and drove out of the city. Was he going a little too fast? 

Yes. 

Was he prepared for someone to be counting in the middle of the street in the middle of nowhere? 

No. 

So when his headlight reflected off of the pure white and pale blue of someone’s clothes in the middle of the street, Wei Ying had to slam on the breaks, his bike swerving off of the road and into the bushes. With the impact, Wei Ying flew over the handlebars and straight into a thick, dense pile of underbrush. 

The man from the road stood quickly, holding something small in his hands ands he hurried over. “Are you okay?!” 

“Am I okay?! What the hell were you doing in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night?!” Wei Ying sat up, completely covered in twigs and leaves. He had lucked out, that was for sure. He could have ended up with broken bones or worse. Thankfully he just had a sore shoulder. 

“I am so sorry. My rabbit got out of his hutch and I was chasing him. I had just managed to grab him when you showed up.” The man explained, carefully lifting the small white bundle of fluff in his arms.

Wei Ying wanted to scold him, but he couldn’t really blame him. He himself would have done the same if he had a pet. So instead, he just sighed and pulled his helmet off, letting his messy hair fall into place as he finally looked up at the man. 

Gorgeous dark hair, shimmering golden eyes, perfect, jade skin. He was stunning. 

“Are you certain you’re alright?” He asked once more when Wei Ying didn’t answer, holding his rabbit a little closer. 

He sighed before nodding and rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah… I’m fine…” He forced himself up and shifted over to grab his bike, making sure the vehicle was okay and undamaged. “It was partially my fault anyways, I shouldn’t have been speeding.” His shoulders sagged in relief when he saw his motorcycle was unharmed. 

“Still, please allow me to make it up to you. My home is not far from here, you can come for a cup of tea? I’m sure that accident rattled your nerves, and you can make sure you have no injuries.” 

Wei Ying was about to decline, but something told him he should agree, so he did. 

The man, Lan Zhan, as Wei Ying learned his name to be, led him back to his home not far from the road. It was a cozy little thing surrounded by woods with a large fenced-in area that was for a few fuzz balls. 

Lan Zhan explained that he had moved out here after inheriting the home from his late mother, and the large yard that came with it was perfect for raising rabbits, which he was quite fond of. Wei Ying had never been overly fond of the little fuzz balls, but after seeing the way Lan Zhan interacted with them, he decided they were quite cute. 

Or maybe it was Lan Zhan, but he wasn’t going to admit that yet. 

He was served tea and Lan Zhan insisted he removed his jacket so he could check for any injuries, and Wei Ying couldn’t deny that those strong, careful fingers gliding over his arms and back felt nice. 

Though the lingering touches were gone far too soon as Lan Zhan deemed him clear of any physical, external injuries. 

The pair sat for several hours, talking about everything and anything as the time ticked by without either noticing. They lost themselves in each other’s company, learning about one another as if that was the only thing that mattered. 

Wei Ying had been reluctant to leave that night, but he promised to visit soon. 

And he did.

Every weekend he would drive his motorcycle to that cozy house in the middle of nowhere and sit with Lan Zhan for hours. 

Every weekend turned to every other day, and every other day turned into Wei Ying staying there more often than not. 

When Lan Zhan was comfortable enough, Wei Ying took him for a drive on his bike and he loved the way Lan Zhan took to the feeling of the wind in his hair, though he very quietly reminded Wei Ying to be careful. 

Eventually, Wei Ying’s riding became minimal. He no longer needed an escape from the hellish life of the city as he moved in with Lan Zhan, spending most days curled up against Lan Zhan’s broad chest or working as a free-lance coder from the cozy comfort of their middle-of-nowhere home. 

They still took rides occasionally, but they were much less stress-relief and more for the joy of the moment. 

Wei Ying knew he would be forever grateful for that late night ride through those winding roads where he nearly crashed into the most gorgeous man in the world. 

They still laugh about it to this day. 

[somecrocanadian]

Genocidal Therapy

So this is one I posted on AO3 a while a go but I am really proud of it and would like to share it again.

Eren sat in the Paths realm, a blue glow illuminating his face. He wasn’t sure if he was dead or not, Mikasa had taken his head off of his titans form and his body went up in steam. But he was still conscious in the Paths. He had wandered around a bit trying to find Yimir but she was nowhere to be found. Did he free her too? He wasn’t sure, he wasn’t really sure of anything anymore.

He glanced into the Coordinate and saw memories, but not future ones or past ones, current ones. The current one of his friends and comrades gathered underneath a tree where they had buried his severed head.

“I’m sorry… Thank you, Eren,” Reiner whispered.

“You really were a suicidal maniac, Eren,” Jean muttered, “Thanks man.”

Eren could have sworn he saw a tear rolling down horse-faces cheek.

“You didn’t have to do all of this for us, brat,” Captain Levi said from his wheelchair.

Eren twinged with guilt, it was his fault that Levi was in that wheelchair and missing an eye and 2 fingers. He was at fault for a lot of things.

“Eren,” Mikasa said no louder than a whisper, her voice full of so many emotions.

Eren started to really pay attention to this memory and he let it flood over him, the colours became brighter, he could almost feel the light breeze on his skin.

But he had looked in the Coordinate for too long, other memories were starting to play over this one. There was one of a family sitting down for dinner, and another of a little boy running through a forest, and another of a dad and daughter running from something hand in hand, and another of an old man and a nurse in a hospital.

He squeezed his eyes shut, he couldn’t process all of the scenes flashing in front of him in quick succession, but he could still hear them. The clatering of plates, twigs crunching beneath small feet, screaming, lots and lots of screaming. He put his hands over his ears and willed the memories to stop, but they didn’t. The sounds wouldn’t go away; howling wind, a strange wheezing noise, muffled coughs, a crying baby, rumbling - oh the rumbling, gentle laughter, screaming, a door creaking open, a crying child, screaming - always more screaming. 

The memories were now threatening to play behind his eyelids. He didn’t want to see it again. 

He couldn’t see it again. 

Never again.

Eren pulled his knees up to his chest bracing himself for what he was going to inevitably see. He saw the beginnings of a massive steam cloud forming. All he could hear was the stomping, screams, and a muffled voice.

The memory began to shake as the titans became visible in the steam. 

Eren closed his eyes harder, “No, not again,” he mumbled, “Please, not again.” He knew it was helpless, nobody could help him, nobody could even hear him, he didn’t deserve it.

The memory began to shake even more. No, the memory wasn’t shaking, Eren was. Why was he shaking? The muffled voice got louder and he began to understand some of the words; “-up! Come on! Snap out of it!” But the voice was so unfamiliar, it had an unusual accent.

“That’s it! Focus on my voice,” It called over the screams of the memory forming before him.

Eren felt a pressure at his shoulder release then something grabbed his wrists - no, someone. This wasn’t a memory, it was happening right now. To him. 

Eren’s eyes shot open and he saw a set of brown eyes staring right back.

“Are you alright?” The stranger asked, concern consuming his features.

Eren ripped his hands out of the strangers and shot backwards landing on his rear.

“It’s alright, I’m not gonna hurt you,” The man said standing up from his crouched position but keeping his distance.

Eren was panting; “W-who are you? How did you get here?” were thoughts he meant to keep in his head but accidentally said them out loud.

“I’m the Doctor. As for how I got here, that’s a bit of a story. I was trying to find a way to get back to my friend stuck in a parallel universe but I ended up here instead, not entirely sure how though. All I know is that I need to let my ship rest for a little bit before I try and leave.”

Eren was dumbfounded at this Doctor’s long winded answer and confused by it. However he didn’t let those feelings show, instead he stood up and made his eyes hollow, something he had mastered fairly recently, and put on an unwavering mask.

There was an awkward silence until the Doctor spoke again, “And what’s your name?”

“Eren Yeager,” He said, standing up and brushing off his pants, his voice cold as ice.

“It’s nice to meet you, Eren Yeager,” The Doctor said in a happy tone, reaching out his hand and taking a step towards Eren. Eren instinctively stepped back and dropped into a fighting stance, his years in the military weren’t for nothing.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” The Doctor said, gently putting his hands out beside him. He lowered his voice a bit but was still kind.

“Are you Eldian?” Eren asked, his voice empty, devoid of all emotion.

“No, can’t say that I am,” The Doctor responded, voice low and serious.

“Then it’s impossible for you to be here.”

“But evidently I am. Where is ‘here’ exactly?” He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, voice picking up a more joyful tone.

Eren paused for a moment, not entirely sure what to make of the Doctor, he should have recognized him the moment he said his name but he didn’t. The Doctor was strange, that was for sure. He just stood there watching Eren, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his brown suit pants, waiting patiently for an answer. 

“You’re in the Paths, a place that connects all Eldian minds. Only those who are a titan shifter can enter this place,” Eren said, although he wasn’t sure if the last part was really true, he really had no idea how the Paths worked.

“Fascinating,” The Doctor said, “So that must mean you are a titan shifter. Mind telling me what that is?”

Eren was flabbergasted, but he didn’t let it show.

“You don’t know what a titan is?”

“Nope,” He said popping the ‘p’

“It doesn’t matter, they’re all gone.”

“They can’t be all gone if you're here as one of them.”

Eren snapped, “You’re a doctor, go find someone who’s sick and bother them.”

The Doctor paused for a moment, his brain swirling with question upon question for this Eren Yeager. There was no way this kid would answer any of them when he was on the defensive.

“My name is the Doctor,” He said, keeping his voice calm, “I’m not a doctor though, I’m just a traveler.”

“If you were just a traveler there is still no way for you to end up here,” Eren said, his voice rising but still cold as ice. He was trying to intimidate the Doctor but he was unfazed. He doubted that Captain Levi’s glare would phase the Doctor.

“I’m no ordinary traveler.”

“There is no way you could be a traveler if you don’t know what an Eldian is.”

“How do I explain this?” The Doctor thought out loud, scratching the back of his neck, “I’m not from your world. Your universe, I should say.”

“You expect me to believe that? I’m not a child.”

“Sorry, it’s hard to explain. You know your planet right?” Eren reluctantly nodded, he heard a lot of those theories from Armin before, well, everything; “And from your planet you see the stars. Around those stars are other planets and other living things. That’s your universe. My universe is the same thing but there have been different events through the history of it when compared to the history of yours. Each universe lives in its own bubble, its own dimension, and it should be impossible to cross between them, on a normal day anyway. You with me?”

Eren nodded again, all of those times he had listened to Hange ramble about titans certainly helped him out here. Eren's face darkened, only for a second but he couldn’t think about Hange, or any of his friends, without feeling guilty.

“Good, right. So, that brings us to this place, the Paths. It’s still a part of your universe, but it’s different. To me it feels like a smaller bubble got stuck on a bigger one.”

“So the Paths got stuck on my universe?” Eren said.

“Bingo! But since this universe wasn’t fully formed it has different properties from a typical universe, like this sand. And the walls of the bubble aren’t that strong making it easier to break through! Now it makes sense!” The Doctor shouted, smacking the side of his head, “I can be so thick sometimes,” He muttered.

Eren took a moment to process everything the Doctor had just said, he didn’t seem to be lying and everything the Doctor said seemed to make logical sense even if he didn’t understand half of what it meant.

“So this means that there aren’t Eldians or Marleyians in your universe,” Eren said, it wasn’t really a question but the Doctor nodded anyway, “So you really have no idea what’s going on in this universe.”

“No, just like you have no idea what’s going on in my universe.”

Eren relaxed a little, but was still wary of the man in front of him. He still wasn’t sure what the Doctor was capable of.

Eren suddenly noticed something in the corner of his eye, it was a blue box that read ‘police box’ and probably some other stuff that he could read from this distance.

“Is that your ship?” Eren asked.

“Yes, that’s my TARDIS. I know she doesn’t look like much but she’s been my trusty ship for years. Always takes me where I need to be.”

Not looking like much was an understatement, the ‘ship’ was a small wooden box, it wouldn’t even be able to cross the sea to Marley. 

Even just thinking the words ‘sea’ and ‘Marley’ brought back so many memories for Eren, none of them were pleasant. He did his best to block them out but in doing so his face betrayed him. Guilt was all Eren could feel, guilt and regret. He had done so much damage, no one was unscathed from the horrors of the rumbling and all of the steps he had to take to get there. How many lives did he have on his hands? How many families had he torn a part? Eren shook his head, now wasn’t the time.

Eren looked at the Doctor once more and saw an unfamiliar look in his face, one that did not cross peoples faces often when talking about him or with him; he wore a slight frown and had a twinge of curiosity in his eyes. But there was something else in his eyes, compassion maybe, Eren wasn’t sure. No matter what that unknown emotion was, the Doctor's eyes looked old, very old, impossibly old.

“Some say that the eyes are the window to the soul,” The Doctor said, “People's eyes always tell their story no matter how hard they try to hide it. Yours tell quite the story.”

Eren narrowed his eyes trying to peer into the Doctor's soul and find his story, but the longer he looked the more emotions he found. Eren’s eyes that were once so full of drive and hatred and pain were now dead and empty but if they were stared into long enough there was a great story waiting to be told. But behind the Doctor's eyes there were a lot of great stories and lots of them surpassed Erens. The Doctor’s eyes should have held overwhelming emotions but the only two emotions that lingered behind every story was loss and pain. There was a lot of loss and pain hidden in the Doctor’s eyes.

“Yours do to,” Eren responded after a few moments, “Yours tell a lot of stories.”

“I suppose they would,” The Doctor mumbled, rubbing his chin. The Doctor was more focused on Eren than what Eren was saying to him, he seemed to have gone through a lot, and fairly recently by the looks of it. He wanted to talk to Eren about it but he had no idea what had happened or even what his world looked like. He had a basic idea though, he was on track to Earth in another dimension so whatever planet Eren was from it had to be pretty close to Earth. There is no way for humans from Eren’s time period to have found a way into this ‘Paths’. Maybe the Doctor was wrong, he couldn’t always guess the correct time period based on clothing alone but access to a bubble universe isn’t something that humans come across until a few more centuries into the future. 

“How did you end up here?”

“Why should I tell you?” Eren snapped back, giving the Doctor a death glare once more.

“Oi, no need to be so rude. I’m just trying to figure out how you got here so maybe I can find a way out.”

Eren paused, the Doctor looked sincere but Eren had a hard time reading him. But a little information wouldn’t hurt, it would help him leave faster; “I died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss. Wait, that came out wrong. Sorry, it’s not everyday you meet a dead person, typically because the dead can’t talk.”

Eren was just confused as to how one man could go from shocked, to sympathetic, to confused, to accusatory in one statement; he wasn’t really taking in what the Doctor had said, other than that he rambled too much. Eren just kept a scowl on his face, hoping to scare the Doctor away just as Captain Levi could scare people away with his.

“How do you know you’re dead?”

“What sort of question is that?”

“I’ve met people who thought they were dead and the memories of people who were dead and people who thought they were born dead. How do you know you’re dead?”

Eren just glared, he did not want to answer anymore questions, he just wanted to be left alone. But there was some part of him that wanted the company, he didn’t deserve what he wanted. Not after everything he did.

“My head was cut off,” He mumbled.

“Really? How’d that happen? Was it a guillotine?” 

“No,” He said before he could stop himself, “It was Mikasa.”

“Why’d she do that for?”

“To stop me.”

“To stop you from what?”

Eren glanced away but he could still feel the Doctors gaze on him. It wasn’t a harsh gaze, it was one of curiosity. That didn’t make it any easier for Eren to admit what he had done, he’d been avoiding admitting it to himself for a long time; “To stop the rumbling,” he said, barely louder than a whisper. He expected the Doctor to finally realize who he was, to call him a monster, and strangle him. And Eren would have let him. When he heard the rustle of the Doctor's coat he braced for the worst; but nothing came. When he mustered the courage to look at him again he found him seated facing the coordinate.

The Doctor wasn’t really good with human emotions and human feelings; he wasn't very good when humans didn’t understand the concept of life beyond their own planet. Or when humans had to grieve for those they lost. He supposed he had just gotten used to the wonder and loss that came with each. But he knew guilt and regret like no other being in the universe.

“I’m not great with the whole comforting thing. But, believe me, I understand.”

That last bit was said with such seriousness, Eren wouldn’t dare question it. The statement felt so… distant. It made him feel lost too. Like there was something beneath both their surfaces that they didn’t want to face again. To see again. To even think about again. But Eren knew better than most that you cannot escape memories. 

Eren slowly sat down next to the Doctor, keeping a respectable distance from him. He put his arms out behind him and leaned back on his hands, staring up to the branches of the coordinate. He couldn’t look into it, not yet.

Sitting like this reminded him of all of the years he spent listening to Armin's fantastical stories of what laid behind the walls. Stories he wouldn’t get to hear anymore. When they were in the army, even after the most grueling of days, Armin would still fantasize about the sea. And once they learned that there were people beyond the walls that hated them Armin would still dream about rivers of fire and plains of ice. There was something about the Doctor that reminded him about Armin too. Why did everything about this man seem to remind him of his past life? The way he could ramble like Hange. They way he could feel the Doctor's gaze like how he felt Captain Levi’s. The same feeling of wonder Armin had. That love sick look in his eyes like Mikasa. Wait. He thought, Is that how she feels right now? 

“You’re friend,” Eren said, “Why are you looking for him?”

“There’s something important I didn’t get the chance to tell her, and I can’t keep burning up stars to try and connect with her either.”

“What was her name?”

“Rose. Her name was Rose.”

Eren wracked his brain to think of anyone by the name Rose but the only person that came to mind was Yimr’s daughter.

“Say,” The Doctor said, turning to look at him, “You don’t have a place on your Earth called Dårlig Ulv-Stranden? It translates to Bad Wolf Bay.”

Eren closed his eyes, recalling every sign that he, or any of his titans, ever passed during the Rumbling.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Ever heard of Torchwood?”

“No,” He would have recognized a word like that.

The Doctor sighed, “That means she’s not in your world then.”

“Good,” Eren said before he could stop himself. He thought the Doctor would take this as his opportunity to leave, but he just turned back to the coordinate.

The Doctor pondered his thoughts for a while. Rose isn’t here, she’s in some other dimension. She’s safe. She’s with Jackie and Pete. She’s safe. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She’s safe. She has to be safe. How can I get to her? This was the last possible gateway. Is there something else? Some way else? … there isn’t. She’s safe. Think about that. No more Cybermen or Daleks. No more me. She’s safe. Safer than she has ever been. There’s no more me to put her in danger. I just used ‘no more’ way too much. I said I’d never use it again after- NO! Need a new train of thought. I had Rose and-what’s his name… Eren!-Eren had… Mikasa!

“So,” The Doctor started, “Who was Mikasa?”

“She… She was a close friend. My adopted sister since we were 8,” She was a lot more. Eren thought. He figured the Doctor wouldn’t really care, he himself didn’t care, at least he tried not to care.

“She sounds nice,” The Doctor said, “Why did she kill you?”

“I told you, to stop the rumbling,” Eren said, anger rising in his voice.

“That’s what you told me, but I’m not from this universe, I have no idea what that is. All I can gather is that you were at the helm of it and it didn’t seem like a very good decision.”

“It was the only choice!” Eren snapped and turned to look at the Doctor. He didn’t notice the Doctor turning towards him earlier, but the sympathy in the Doctor's eyes was enough, “I didn’t have a choice,” he whispered, “Our world was so fucked up. They were going to feed me to Historia when she gave birth, leaving her with 13 years left to live. Marley was going to wipe us out at the first chance they got… I didn’t want my friends to die too. The rumbling was the only way that I could guarantee that they would all live long, happy lives. But I killed so many people… the screaming won’t stop. Every time I close my eyes, it’s all I see; The steam, the titans, the sea, everything getting trampled. I can’t stop it…”

The Doctor looked at Eren, his eyes full of sympathy and sorrow for the young man beside him.

“Believe me, I understand,” The Doctor said as gently as he could.

Eren scoffed and turned away.

“In my universe there was a war, the Last Great Time War. It was fought between my people, the Time Lords, and the Daleks, the universe's most advanced species. It didn’t take long for this war to spread all across time and space. I did my best to stay out of it but I was manipulated so much by the high council to face the Daleks before it even began. By the time I officially joined the war I had a pretty high Dalek kill count. The war eventually got so far out of hand, dozens of species had gone extinct, planets no forget plantes, entire solar systems were wiped out, and no one gained the upper hand. It was either the universe or the war. I… I ended it, both sides were too stubborn to give up, or to even consider negotiations. I killed them all, all of the Time Lords, all of the Daleks, all of the innocent life on both planets, gone. Not even the planets remained. I wasn’t supposed to remain, I just regenerated instead. And everytime I close my eyes all I see is what I’ve lost. My planet burning and the screams of my people fill my dreams… I can’t stop it either. It's been a good few years since it ended, but the memory… The memory is just as vivid.”

Eren was stunned into silence, this man understands me. He thought, and so he asked; “Did you try to save them?”

“Oh, countless times. I have a time machine and I couldn’t save them… I couldn’t stop the war,” The Doctor, his voice eerily quiet, “Did you try to save everyone?”

“When I saw my future memories I knew I wouldn’t be able to… I couldn’t save them all, I had to pick who to save… I picked my friends. Why was it up to me to choose who gets to live and who gets to die? How do I know if I made the right choice?” 

“Sometimes you have to make the choice that you will regret the least. It’s never fair when you have to kill thousands to save millions… You don’t feel like you’re saving anyone.”

The pair lulled into a comfortable silence, both processing what the other had said. Neither of their lives were fair, they both had to make impossible decisions. Neither of them were happy. Both of them were broken.

“How did you cope?” Eren asked.

“At first I ran, I’ve always run away from my problems. But you can’t outrun guilt, I try to every time, but it never works. But I suppose, you have to accept what you’ve done.”

“How?”

“Well, you can’t change what you’ve done and you did help people… that’s a start.”

“But I killed so many…”

“I know… It’s not easy,” The Doctor paused for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Then he thought; What would Rose say? “You said you did it for your friends, what were they like?”

“They were… They were family. When wall Maria fell it was just me, Armin, and Mikasa. Then when we turned 12 we enlisted in the training corps and met-”

“Hold on, you were 12 when you enlisted? Isn’t that a bit young?”

“They lowered the age when the wall fell so they could get more soldiers to reclaim the wall. We still didn’t see any actual titan combat before we turned 15.”

“You were still just a child.”

“Seeing your mom eaten in front of you makes you grow up pretty quickly.”

“I’m so sorry, no one should grow up like that.”

Eren paused for a moment, he could feel the Doctor looking at him, he could feel the sincerity in his stare, in his voice.

“No one has ever said that to me before…” He meant to think but whispered it out loud. 

The Doctor heard it but made no comment, it just proved to him how sad Eren’s world truly was. The Doctor looked away from Eren and into the Coordinate in front of them; “So you were saying how you met your friends.”

“After the three of us enlisted we made quick friends with Sasha and Connie, Potato-girl and baldy,” Eren chuckled to himself and stared vaguely at the Coordinate as the young faces of Sasha and Connie appeared. The Doctor saw them too, “Then there was Jean and Marco, Horseface and I didn’t really get along, not until Marco died in our first battle,” The Doctor watched the Coordinate as Jean and Marco’s faces appeared as well, then bits of Eren’s first battle began to play, in short bursts, “There were others too but most of them are dead now and a few of them betrayed us, “A few more faces flashed in the Coordinate and the Doctor had to wonder if they were dead or alive. He wanted to hope for the best but listening to Eren and seeing the few short memories from the Coordinate made it hard to be optimistic.

“But those who are left can now live long and happy lives. I made sure of that before I died.” 

The Coordinate changed again to show the older versions of the people Eren had been talking about. The Doctor could see the difference in age but they all still looked so young, they couldn’t be older than 20. But their eyes looked so broken, and Sasha looked like she was dead. Actually, a lot of them looked deceased. 

“There was a war,” The Doctor uttered. That’s the only reason why so many young people could be dead; “And, if I’m putting the pieces together correctly, you ended it with the Rumbling.” 

Eren only nodded, but the Doctor could tell he was thinking, the scenes in the Coordinate proved as much. The faces were gone from the Coordinate, they were replaced with scenes of steam and red muscled titans. They were jumbled up at first, then they started to play in some semblance of order. There was a lot of stomping and people running away, the Doctor watched as buildings were crushed along with their inhabitants. He saw families cry over buried bodies only to be crushed by another giant foot. These were the titans. The scene changed into a view of the titans heads with more titans emerging from the steam behind them. Then, something unexpected came from the steam; a big, boney structure appeared. No, big was the wrong word, it was huge, gigantic, humongous! It was unlike anything the Doctor had seen before.

"What is that?" He asked, turning towards Eren, "Eren, are you alright?"

Eren was squeezing his eyes shut and had his hands over his ears. The Doctor quickly got up and knelt down beside Eren.

"Eren, can you hear me?"

Eren sort of nodded; "I can hear them. It won't stop," Erens voice was so distant and broken, the Doctor couldn't believe this was the same young man he had spoken with earlier. He looked back towards the Coordinate and saw hordes of people getting trampled. They must be screaming.

"Okay, listen to me. You are controlling this, Eren, which means you can change it. You're showing me the rumbling but why did you do it? You got that? Show me why you did it."

Eren didn't change his body language, but instead of trying to push the rumbling away he skipped to the end of it right to the moment when she smiled. He had barely seen her smile the past few months, that's why he did it, so that she can smile and be happy. So that they could all be happy.

The Doctor watched the Coordinate with his hand on Erens shoulder; he watched as there was a cut in the memory playing before. It changed to focus on Mikasa, her eyes were full of tears but she was still smiling. The memory morphed into a younger Mikasa with an even brighter smile. 

"That's it!" The Doctor said, a smile spreading across his face.

Eren slowly opened his eyes and looked into the Coordinate and a small smile spread across his face. It was a smile the Doctor was familiar with as it crossed his face often, a smile filled with loss and regret.

"I have control," Eren muttered.

"That you do have. It will take a while to master it but you can control it. Remember that."

"I will," He said absentmindedly, he was too busy controlling the Coordinate to really care about advice.

"Well," The Doctor said, patting Eren on the shoulder, "I should be off."

The Doctor got up and began to walk towards his TARDIS, it took Eren a few moments to realize the Doctor had left his side and he sprung up to follow him.

"Wait!"

The Doctor turned around with one hand on the door to his Police Box.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Well, my ship is good to go and my work here is done."

Eren couldn't argue with that but he didn't want to go back to being alone; "Could you come and visit some time?"

The Doctor saw the desperation in Eren's eyes; "I promise." The Doctor opened the door to his ship, letting the door creak on its hinges. 

Eren took a step back from the box as the light on top of it began to flash. The box started to make a wheezing noise and it started to fade away until there was a gust of wind and the Doctor was gone.

Eren looked towards the Coordinate, there was a memory he wanted to see. It would take him a while to figure this whole thing out. Good thing he wasn't one for giving up.

[guardian-angel12]

What if you’re wrong? (Fanficlet)

"I am Groot." Groot said, squirming in his chair.

"Tinkle in the cup. We're not looking. What's there to see?" Rocket told him without turning from his gazing out the window into space. "What's a twig? Everybody's seen a twig before"

"I am Groot!" Groot's voice was increasingly panicked.

"Tree, pour what's in the cup out into space and go in the cup again," Thor said, turning to the wriggling sapling.

"You speak Groot?" Rocket asked, turning around in his captain's chair.

"Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective."

"I didn't know the language existed outside of the flora colossus species." Tess said.

"Knowledge was a very valued thing in my childhood, something many civilizations have deemed a lesser need."

"I am Groot," Groot said, now bored that he was no longer panicked about needing to pee.

"You'll know when we're close.” Thor answered. “Nidavellir's force harnesses the blazing power of a neutron star." He stepped away from the window and sat down wearily on a step, his head hung low. "It's the birthplace of my hammer. It's truly awesome." Rocket spun back around, hearing the flatness of his voice and met eyes with Tess as she noticed the same.

She bit her lip and then walked over to Thor, Rocket watched for a few long moments before turning back around.

"Not once have I heard you debate this mission," she said softly, sitting down beside him. "Can I ask what's driving you?"

He looked up slowly to her. "I swore to Thanos he'd pay for what he's done, and I mean to fulfill that promise."

She was quiet, understanding what had happened. "Who was it? Who did he kill?"

"My best friend. And then... my brother."

Her legs quivered and it felt like something squeezed her heart into her throat. "When he retrieved the space stone?"

"Yes. My brother tried to fight him... a foolish attempt but, he did it for me."

"I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on his. "I don't blame you, for wanting revenge, if someone killed my brother I... I don't think I'd come back from that."

He nodded. "Well, he's been dead before, but this time I think it really might be true."

"What about your parents?"

"Both dead."

"Siblings..?"

"My sister took my eye, and my home, then died."

Tess stopped herself from exhaling. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Absolutely." He brushed off her concern with a breathy laugh she knew was fake. "Rage and vengeance, anger, loss, regret. They're all tremendous motivators, really clear the mind, so I'm good to go."

She watched him carefully. "I understand, the regret, the anger... but they don't really help in the long run. I went down that path, of vengeance. If it weren't for my brother I'd be dead right now."

"I have to do this."

"I know, but... my father told me that when you think too much, you go too much on what's right in front of you instead of look inside before you act, you get killed. He said you need to be focused, controlled, and let the rage be your fire underneath."

Thor thought for a moment and nodded slowly. "Your father sounds like a wise man, I should like to meet him."

She swallowed and looked down. "He was."

Thor’s intense blue eye watched her, then he asked softly, "What happened to him?"

Her voice was breathy, even after all these years of feeling like she was getting to be able to talk about it normally, and not break down when she had to remember that day. "He was killed saving my brother. By a celestial."

His eye flickered, then went back up to hers. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "It was a long time ago, but it's still so fresh."

"I definitely understand all that. And your mother?"

"I don't know her. My father... he wasn't my blood father, he saved my life and raised me afterwards, but neither of my brothers were by blood either."

He nodded in understanding. "Family is more than blood."

As Tess studied him, she realized more and more how alike they were. Both had lost so much, both had been beaten and broken by the world and now as she sat with him, she didn't feel so alone.

"I've known Thanos' kind before," she said quietly. "But this is him, with almost every infinity stone. Are you sure you can do this?"

"I've fought many an enemy who would have defeated me, all failed. Thanos will be no different because fate wills it so."

"And if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong then... what more could I lose?"

She swallowed, looking down. She could lose people still, Rocket and Groot here with her, Peter, Gamora, Mantis and Drax. Kraglin. She could lose the world and handle it better than him.

She met eyes with Rocket across the pod, and knew in that moment he was thinking the same thing.

[wednesdaymunson]

Marked for Death

This is a request from @winchestergirl87-blog. I'm so sorry that I'm just now finishing this. Life happened, brain stopped working lol. I hope you like this. I tried to make it a one shot, but for some reason it's hard for me to do those lol.

Kas!Eddie x Fem!Slayer!Reader

Summary: Something strange is afoot in the town of Eerie, IN. Missing towns people, murders, and creepy creatures. Reader and BFF Oliver can't figure out what's going on. Things calm down and a hot rocker dude pulls into town, stopping by the family store.

Warnings: murder, alcohol, some fluff, death, abuse. I think that's about it. This is pretty tame so far.

A/n: This is set 37 years after what happened in Hawkins. One of Kas' powers is being able to read minds through touching hands, and he's able to walk in the sunlight because his guitar pick is enchanted. Traditional vampire rules, must be invited in, heightened senses. I also created a playlist to help me write this.

Everything around is so desolate. You ran to your grandma's house…you think. It looks like your grandma's house but everything is drab. There's a bunch of vine-like things sprawling everywhere and particles floating in the air. You cautiously walk around the house. The chime of a grandfather clock sounds and you quickly turn around to face a grotesque monster. You couldn't place him, he appeared to be a humanoid, but not something you've ever seen before. The clock chimes again so loud waking you up.

Your eyes snapped open, your chest visibly rising and falling. You quickly sat up, you could still hear the echo of the chime faintly in your ears. You frantically looked around your room making sure nothing was out of place. You fell back into your bed and pulled the covers over your head and let out a deep sigh.

"Y/N, it was just a dream..a weird one, but you're fine." You say out loud.

You peeked your head out from under the covers. There was a beam of sunlight breaking through the side of the curtain. By the looks of it and the sounds outside it had to be at least 11:30 am. You had been out late chasing leads on a possible demon. There had been a slew of murders in your town and from the information you got from the coroner, these weren't committed by a person. Part of you feels like they may be linked to the random disappearances of some of the locals.

You had come across something in a tree trunk that looked like a festering wound. You snapped a shot of it to send to your roommate. As you kept investigating you heard some twigs snap. You quickly turned around and saw some humanoid beast — it didn't resemble the one from your dream, but scary nonetheless.

"🎶 I am human and I need to be loved. Just like everyone else does🎶"

"Fuuuuck!" You breathed.

You forgot to turn your ringer off before you left the house. You quickly found yourself in the line of sight of the monster…. 'Can this thing even see me??' You thought. It made a few clicking sounds before unfurling its head to reveal a horrifying mouth, letting out a loud screech. You were already about faced running back towards your car. Once you reached it, you took a second to look back. It didn't seem like it followed you, but you quickly got in and left.

You finally dragged yourself out of bed and grabbed your robe. You slouched down the long hallway where pictures and paintings of family and ancestors donned the walls. You were from a long line of slayers. Your family, along with others, have been fighting monsters for centuries all across the world, making sure to keep balance. It wasn't a whole family affair, some retired, some died while on a case, and others simply wanted no part and distanced themselves. Slayer life could be lonely at times, but you were lucky enough to have your best friend along for the ride.

You and Oliver met freshman year of high school and bonded over all things horror. He was one of the smartest kids in school, but he never liked being there and didn't see the point in it. He eventually dropped out junior year. He was a jack of all trades, but to say he was a master of none would be a bold face lie. Anything he put his mind to, he could conquer. When he found out that you joined the family business and knew you needed help, he was in, no questions asked.

"Good morning, sunshine. I made coffee and got us bagels. I've been doing research on what could possibly be behind all this shit that's going on here in Eerie and I can't fucking figure it out. I may have to reach out to some of the surrounding covens and The Dead Rouges." Oliver explained without looking up from his laptop.

"Ollie.. How long have you been up?" Your brows furrowed.

"Y/N, bold of you to assume I actually slept. I tried, but I couldn't. I've been researching all night and doing some coding. I also finished a few theses, so the bills are paid for the month, and we have enough money for groceries and necessities." Oliver peered over his screen.

"Oh! Look at my hard-working man! Bringing home the bacon while he lets his beautiful girl pursue her dreams." You joked

"Y/N, you know I don't have an issue with paying for things. You're my best friend, and we're in this til the end, but you have to have a backup plan after you're done with this. You should really think about hiring one or two people to run the store while you're out there saving the world." Oliver sighed.

"Ollie, you and I both know I'm not making it to retirement. I'm pretty sure I'll join the 27 club." You let out a sad chuckle.

"You're not leaving me here by myself! You're going to be old and gray when you die!" He exclaimed.

"How can I be of service to you, Lord Vecna?" Kas asked grimly.

Years had passed since Eddie was left in the upside-down with one foot in the grave. There is where Vecna found him and made him a vampire, creating him a new identity, Kas the Bloody Handed. He grew into the name, but there was still a bit of Eddie left tucked away.He is now the lieutenant in Vecna's army.

"Hmm? Ah, yes. There is this girl…a slayer. She's been meddling into my plans. I've decided to pull back and recalculate, until she's out of the way. Kas, I need you to get rid of our little pest." Explained Vecna.

"Yeah? What are we talking about?"

"Be creative if you want. I just want her life force to cease."

"Understood."

Since the disappearances and killings stopped, there wasn't much to investigate locally, and it was pretty quiet in other regions. You took up what Oliver suggested and hired two people to help run the store, Lydia and Harvey. They were knowledgeable in several music genres, alternative fashion, and even some of the other types of products in the shop. Because you had a lot of down time, you started to let your guard down and had a routine going. Kas was tracking your every move.

It was a slow Saturday night like always, and you had 30 minutes to kill. You decided to take a smoke break out front. You stepped outside and felt the warm summer breeze blow against your face. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath in.

"Nice night, isn't it?" You heard a voice.

You quickly opened your eyes to see a guy who seemed to be stuck in the 80s, possibly early 90s. He had chocolate brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair.. He sported a gorgeous smile that revealed dimples. He was carrying a guitar case on his back. You also noticed his obsidian guitar pick pendant around his neck. If you had to guess, he was definitely a musician —one of your top three types that made your brain turn to mush with all logical thinking gone out the window.

"Oh, yeah! I love nights like this. I used to take this weather for granted until I worked a few summers down south." You smiled nervously.

He returned the smile. Even though he kept close tabs on you, he hadn't been close enough to really get a good look at you. He could tell you were conventionally attractive from afar, but now that he was up close, he was awestruck. He was almost at a loss for words, but he knew what he was here to do.

"I saw this place on my way into town. I figured I'd stop in to take a look after I got settled in. I'm Kas, by the way." He gave a toothy grin as he extended his hand.

"Y/N, nice to meet you." You took his ring clad hand to shake.

Kas was able to read your thoughts as soon as he took your hand in his. 'Ugh, this guy is so hot! Like, is he even real?! Girl, calm down!'

If Kas could blush, he would have. He didn't have great luck with girls when he was Eddie. Once he became a vampire, finding love was no longer important. He came to terms that he would roam the upside-down and all conquered worlds alone until the end of time. He didn't let your thoughts cloud his mind. He was here to kill you and nothing more.

You noticed his touch was like ice as you quickly pulled back.

"Sorry, sometimes my hands tend to get cold due to being anemic." He explained with a nervous smile.

"Oh, no worries. Would you like to come in and take a look around? I have plenty of music, band merch, and tons of miscellaneous items."

Kas smiled to himself, thinking this was going to be easy. He didn't have to ask to be invited in, and you believed the anemic excuse. You were practically serving yourself on a silver platter for him.

"Sooo you’re giving off a 80’s metal head vibe." Your eyebrow raised.

"Well, you got that right."He chuckled.

"Awesome! Not sure if you're a collector or not, but I have something you may like. I only bring this out for the right people, but no one has cared to take it off my hands. Stay right here!" You run to the back to rummage through a closet.

You came back and laid out a shirt on the counter for Kas.

"Vintage 1985 Metallica 'Ride The Lightning' tour shirt. Tour dates on the back."

Kas turned the shirt over and found the date for Indiana. A smile came to his face as the memories came flooding back.

"This.. this was a great show." He whispered.

"Oh? Kas, you don't look a day over 23. There's no way you're in your 50s. If so, I need your skin care routine." You joked.

Kas didn't realize he said that out loud. He had to think quickly.

"Oh! Haha, no. I meant it in a second-hand experience way. My uncle Wayne went to this show, and he would tell me every chance he got about how amazing it was." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How much do you want for it?" He asked.

"Hmm…just take it. The price I'm asking for, no one wants to pay, and it'll just keep on collecting dust. Maybe you can give it to your uncle." You smiled.

"Thanks! I..I would, but unfortunately, he passed a few years ago. I'm actually on my way to Hawkins to visit his grave and see a few friends. I thought I'd stop here for a few days to veg out beforehand."

"Oh…I just assumed.. I'm sorry for your loss. Hawkins? I've never heard of that town."

" S' okay, he went peacefully. Oh.. it's a real small town west of here. You blink and you'll miss it type of place." He explained.

"Ah, okay. Well, Kas, it's getting late and I need to close up. You're more than welcome to stop by tomorrow if you want to look around some more."

"Oh! I'm sorry for keeping you! I didn't realize it was getting late. Yeah, I'll definitely come back to look around." He winked.

"See ya, Y/N." Kas walked out the door, got in his van, and headed back to the motel."

He got distracted by the shirt and the kind gesture from you. He completely forgot what he came to do. He was really wanting to make this quick, but another day in Eerie wouldn't hurt.

When he got settled into bed, the memories of Hawkins came rushing back. He hated the town, but he missed Wayne, his friends, and Corroded Coffin. Unfortunately, Wayne did actually pass away, heart attack on the job. Everyone he knew moved away and went into hiding, and every so often, Kas would visit them unbeknownst to them. He wanted to make sure they were okay. They were all doing fine, living lowkey lives. Hawkins didn't exist anymore, just a shell of its former self.

Then you ran across his mind. When he closed his eyes, a vivid picture of your face popped up. He could still hear your voice. Out of all your features, he was fixated on your lips. The thought of kissing them quickly ran across his mind. He let out a hiss as his fangs protruded.

'Kas! You're here on business! Pull yourself together! She's nothing to you, just another body to add.'

'Body.. her body. I wonder…'

Kas grabbed a book from his bag to help get his mind off you. It helped, several pages in, his lids got heavy, and he fell asleep. Of course, you were the first thing on his mind when he woke up.

When you got home Oliver was in the living room finishing up a movie. He had asked you how your day was and you went into full detail about your run in with Kas.

"Ollie, he's soooo gorgeous! There's just something about him that I can't quite put my finger on, but I don't get a bad vibe at all!" You squealed with excitement.

"So he's originally from a town called Hawkins that neither of us have ever heard of? Where does he live now?" Oliver asked.

"Umm, I didn't ask?" You grimaced.

"Well, be careful, Y/N." he sighed.

"I'm always careful, Ollie." You smirked.

It was noon the next day. The store was a madhouse. You forgot that the store was holding its annual sale. Really good deals and discounts and some customers would even barter with rare items you were looking for. You had to call Oliver to help out where he could.

You found yourself leaning over the glass counter as your anxiety started to kick in. The door chimed for the millionth time that day. You heard his voice. It was calm and centering. You looked up to meet his gaze.

"Hey, Y/N, it's really crazy in here. You alright?" Kas asked.

"Oh, hey! Umm yes…no. I forgot today was our big sale, but this has been the busiest it's ever been…a bit overwhelming for me right now." You explained with worry in your voice.

"Hmm, have you had lunch? Do you need a break? I can kidnap you if you want? Just say the word." Kas lowered his voice as he leaned in close to you.

"Who's your new friend?" Oliver asked, emerging from the sea of customers.

"Ollie, this is Kas. Kas, this is my roommate and best friend Oliver."

"Nice to meet you, Kas." Oliver gave a slight smile.

"Hey Ollie, I'm going to take lunch. You got this, yeah? "

"Yeah, sure thing, Y/N. Oliver sighed.

You grabbed Kas’ arm and practically dragged him out the door.

“Where to now? What are you hungry for, sweetheart?” Kas inquired.

“Sweetheart,huh?” You giggled.

“Sorry, just a slip of the tongue. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“Not at all.” You gave a toothy smile with warm cheeks.

“There’s a Burger Barn down the road. They have the best chili cheese fries and cherry limeade."

"Then Burger Barn it is! Hop in sweetheart. You can be the navigator." Kas winked.

"Dude, I get you aren't hungry, but I can't believe you ate at the motel's café and lived!"

"Haha, it was edible. I'll be okay." Kas chuckled.

Truth was, he was starting to get hungry. He hadn't fed since the night before last. He was starting to regret not killing you last night. He would be back in the upside-down and full as a tick. He started to wonder what you would taste like.

"Earth to Kas! Hey, buddy, snap outta it!" You clapped your hands in front of his face.

"Sorry.” He shook his head.

“You good, Kas?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You ready to get back to work?”

“Nope, but alas I have to go back. The store needs me." You pouted.

"Thank you, Kas. I really appreciate your kind gesture in the store."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

"Hey, Kas… I know you're not here for long, and we barely know each other, but…would you like to come over later and…maybe.. watch a movie or listen to some music?" You looked down, pulling at the loose hem on your shirt.

Kas tilted your chin up with his forefinger and thumb to meet your eyes.

"I would actually like that. I'll tell you my whole life story and you can tell me yours. I'm sure you have some interesting things to tell me. " He grinned.

'She's so fucking gorgeous…. If only this was a different time..' Kas thought to himself.

"C'mon doll, let's get you back."

You gave Kas your address and number when he dropped you off. The crowd of customers had dwindled to a few people. You helped recover the store while Oliver was headed out to meet some friends. At 7, you left Harvey and Lydia to close. You thanked them and told them you'd see them tomorrow.

It was 8:30 when you heard a knock at the door. You practically ran to open it to greet Kas. You welcomed him in, gave him a small house tour.

"Would you like a beer or something else to drink?" You offered.

"A beer is fine." Kas nodded.

You grabbed a few beers and headed to the living room, both choosing a seat at opposite ends of the couch. Kas had asked you to introduce him to some new music so you put on a Spotify playlist for him. You shared a few random facts with every song. He listened to and watched you intently, noticing how your face came to life and your eyes lit up.

"You're really into music, like into it, into it. You should pursue whatever you just did professionally." Kas smiled.

"Well, I wanted to create and write my own music magazine when I was in high school. I wrote about some of the local high school bands I knew and even did interviews with some. Unfortunately, the family business called, so here we are." You sighed.

"So the store is a family thing, yeah?"

"Hhmm? Oh! Yes, the store has been in my family for generations. It started as a general store, but my parents turned it into a music store in the 80s and then added the rest throughout the years." You explained nervously.

Kas could hear your heartbeat palpitating. He would have known that you were lying regardless if he already knew or not that you were a slayer.

"Well, I'm sure you could still do that. You still have time. You have a whole life ahead of you."

The words escaped his mouth before his brain had time to process what he said. He felt a bit of guilt after he realized. This was a new feeling for him as Kas as he didn't know what to think of it.

As the night went on, you found yourself sharing one of the saddest times in your life where you lost your grandma and your mother close together. Your grandmother was in her mid-90s, but she was just as vibrant as ever when she passed. Your mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors didn't give her much time to live. She stuck around for 7 years after the diagnosis, she said she didn't want to come back for unfinished business. They passed within 3 months of each other, and it was just a dark time for you. Luckily, you had Oliver to help you.

Kas shared Eddie's story of how he ended up living with Wayne. His father was a career criminal. He could never understand what his mom saw in his dad. He remembers the day that his father beat his mom into a coma in a drunken rage. His mother was trying to protect him from his father's abusive words that would sometimes become physical. He recalled times his father handed out corporal punishments for the most miniscule issues. His mother never woke from her coma, and by that point, Wayne was already in the process of becoming Eddie's guardian.

"Sorry, didn't mean to trauma dump on you and bring this night down." He apologized.

"You didn't bring anything down. Everyone needs someone to talk to. I just happen to be a great listener." You smiled.

"Thank you, Y/N. That means a lot to me."

There was silence. You both somehow migrated to the middle of the couch throughout the night. Your fingers found each other, yours gliding over his. Your thoughts were coming in like someone was changing stations on a radio. Kas' eyes met yours, and in that moment, he felt a calmness wash over him, and all he wanted to do was kiss you.

He brushed your heated cheek with his finger — his cold touch sent a shiver down your spine, making your body shudder. As Kas went to pull back his hand, you grabbed him by the wrist and placed his hand on your cheek.

"I like when you touch me. Please don't stop." You begged.

Kas swallowed hard.

"O..okay.."

For the first time in years, he was unsure of himself. He needed to kill you, but his need to taste you was greater. He leaned closer to your face — he was also solving math problems in his head in order for him to stay under control. Your lips crashed into each other, parted, inviting the other in. Kas pressed his body into yours while caressing the back of your neck, the other running up and down your thigh. Your whole body was buzzing with excitement.

Kas moved from your mouth to your neck. He gently kissed down the side, and you let out a breathy moan. Kas' eyes shot open, pupils dilated as soon as his fangs protruded. He quickly picked up where he left off in his head. When his fangs retracted right after, he sat back up and dared not to look you in the eyes.

"Kas, are you okay?"

"Y/N, thank you for inviting me over. I had a great time, but I need to leave."

He quickly got up from the couch and practically ran out the door to his van, not giving you a chance to call for him. You got up as soon as you could and ran to the door just to see the image of his tail lights getting smaller as he drove down the road.

When Kas got back to his room, he took a look in the mirror. Where deep chocolate brown eyes once were, pools of black and shimmering crimson took their place. He cursed at his reflection and then sent his fist into the mirror, sending a few shards onto the floor. He didn't want to feel this way. He should have ended you the first night at the shop. You didn't even notice he was there until he spoke, it would have been quick and easy. Kas quickly grabbed his belongings and left to Hawkins to put some miles in between you and him. Once he got there, he entered a gate to the upside-down and gathered himself. The next time he saw you, it would be your last day alive.

"Y/N! Wake up!" Oliver yelled, shaking you out of your sleep.

"What the fuck, Ollie? The house better be on fire." You mumbled.

You got up and met Oliver in the study. He paced back and forth. There was a folder on the desk.

"Open it."

"You woke me up for a folder?? This couldn't have waited until the morning, Oliver?"

"Y/N, I really need you to open this. I wouldn't wake you up for nothing."

"Alright, Ollie. You owe me breakfast if this is something that could have waited."

You opened the folder to find a missing person flyer from 1986. The person looked exactly like Kas, but the name read Edward Munson.

"Ollie,...wha.. what is this?"

"Y/N. I'm not sure. After you told me about Kas and Hawkins, I asked The Dead Rouges to see what they could find when I couldn't find much in the Black Hellfire archives. This is what they gave me. Something weird happened in March of 1986 in that town. There's names of friends listed there. Hawkins is a ghost town. It's not even listed on current maps anymore." He explained.

"This has to be like a family member, like his uncle Wayne."

"Look at the bottom, Y/N."

'Please contact Wayne Munson,' you read.

"This is definitely him, Y/N. I'm not sure how, but it is. Dead Rouges are still trying to get information on what happened in Hawkins and trying to locate his friends. Unfortunately, Wayne Munson passed away in 1995, so we can't ask him anything."

"This doesn't make sense."

"In our line of work, does anything really ever make sense?" Oliver chuckled nervously.

Your phone rang. You were hoping it was Kas, but when you picked up, it was a lieutenant that was at your store. A puzzled look came across your face, then panic set in. You hung up quickly and grabbed your keys.

"Ollie, I need you to drive to the store. Something bad happened." You tossed him the keys.

Oliver nodded and quickly did as he was told.

When you arrived at the store, there were flashing lights and cops everywhere. They had marked off the entrance of the store along with the sidewalk and a few parking spaces. You were greeted by Lieutenant Riley as you made your way to the crime tape.

"Ms. Y/L/N, I'm sorry to meet you under these conditions. There's no other way to put this, but there are two deceased people in the store. There's a lot of blood throughout it. This may have been a robbery that took a turn for the worst."

"Umm, are.. are they my employees? They should have closed up hours ago." You were fighting the lump in your throat and choking back tears.

"They're actually bringing them out now. Please come with me to identify the bodies, and we'll notify the next of kin." Lt. Riley motioned to the sidewalk.

The medical examiner was waiting for you while you were escorted to the sidewalk.

"Are you ready?" Asked Lt. Riley.

You sighed and nodded. They unzipped the body bags to reveal Lydia and Harvey. You weren't unfamiliar with death, but seeing their faces left you gasping for air. When you finally caught it, you let out a soul crushing wail. You hadn't known them for long, but you knew they were good people who had loved ones, they had a life outside this store. You mindlessly walked and pushed past the crime scene tape into the middle of the parking lot where you sat down and sobbed. This left Oliver to identify the bodies.

Oliver noticed that their throats were ripped to shreds. He didn't buy the robbery that went awry. The police will probably keep this under wraps like they always do. Luckily, you had a connection on the inside.

Oliver helped you up and got you to the car. It wasn't a long ride home, but it felt like years to get there. You and Oliver had a glass of bourbon to take the edge off.

"Y/N, I'm sorry. Are you going to be okay?"

"Honestly…no. They didn't deserve that. Did you notice? "

Oliver nodded.

"That was definitely a vampire attack, like one that hasn't fed for a while. I need to reach out to some other slayers and see if they're experiencing any activity."

"Already ahead of you. I also sent out the info we know to Dead Rouges, all the covens in a 100-mile radius. I even reached out to your dad."

"Ollie, we have a better chance catching bigfoot than hearing from that man."

"Yeah, well, we need to use all of our resources. Let's get to bed and start on this with a fresh mind tomorrow."

You give Oliver a nod in agreement.

"Hey, Ollie…can I sleep with you?"

"Of course." He gave a sad smile.

"C'mon, I'll let you have the right side."

That night sleep came to you quickly, but it wasn't restful. You tossed and turned while you dreamt of saving Lydia and Harvey. You couldn't see who attacked them, but you failed every way imaginable trying to save them. Once you accepted failure, you woke up in a cold sweat.

"What did you see?" A groggy Oliver asked.

You could tell you didn't let him get any sleep.

"I'm sorry, Ollie."

You paused for a moment.

"I couldn't save them, I tried every which way. I couldn't see who attacked them. I failed them." Your voice trembled.

Oliver pulled you closer to him.

"Shhh..let's not do that. You're a slayer…The Slayer. You fight now and mourn after. We have help, and I have someone reviewing all the recordings from the store surveillance."

"What would I do without you?" You sniffled.

"Oh, make very poor decisions, love. Now let's get some sort of rest. We have to be at our best for Lydia and Harvey. I feel like there's a whole can of worms we're about to open."

As soon as you closed your eyes, you drifted back to sleep. It was the most peaceful sleep you had in ages.

When you awoke, all the events of yesterday replayed in your head. You wanted to kick, scream, and cry. You forced yourself out of bed and did your morning routine before meeting Oliver in the kitchen.

Once you got to the kitchen, a strange, large man rose from the kitchen table. Oliver turned around and gave you a smile to assure you everything was okay.

"Y/N, this is Kane. I had him review the surveillance. He has some news for us."

"Good morn.." You glanced at the clock '1:30 pm'.

"Erm good afternoon, Kane. So tell us what you found please."

"I think it's best to show you." Kane suggested.

He opened his laptop and played the recording for you and Oliver.

"At first, I couldn't figure it out. The video just shows them acknowledging the door being opened, and then you see them both being attacked." Kane explained.

They looked like they were fighting the invisible man, being pulled around the store, blood splattering everywhere.

"I eventually saw a blur at the halfway mark. I ended up slowing this down. So let me click here right before with the slowed version."

As the frames played one by one, you finally saw who was behind this. You were shocked when Kas showed up on screen. You didn't want to believe it, but then everything else made sense. How could you have been so blind to not know?

"I'm sorry, Y/N." Oliver whispered as he hugged you.

"Friend?" Kane asked.

"Not anymore." You stormed off to your room.

Oliver took over operations while you stewed in your room.

You went from crying to raging and screaming to sitting in silence. This went on until you finally passed out, but before you did, you heard three loud chimes.

You found yourself in complete darkness.

'Hmm, looks like The Bloody Handed didn't complete his mission.' Vecna's disembodied voice rang in the darkness.

'Who are you?! What the fuck is going on?! Who the fuck is The Bloody Handed?!' You demanded.

Suddenly, Vecna appeared.

You recognized him immediately.

'You! You were in my dream!'

As soon as you take your fighting stance, you see the vine-like things from your dream emerge from Vecna. They quickly grab you around your wrist and ankle, suspending you in the air.

'What the fuck?! Put me down you fucking monstrous tumor!' You yelled, struggling to get loose.

Another one of those things covered your mouth.

'My, such a filthy mouth for such a beautiful girl. I didn't think your beauty would have been a distraction for my lieutenant…Kas The Bloody Handed. Obviously, he spent some time with you as well, or we wouldn't be here right now. Your town would have been taken over by the upside-down.'

Your eyes widen. You tried to fight harder to break free. Another one of Vecna's tentacles wrapped around your neck, slowly squeezing.

'As much as I want to kill you myself and have Kas witness what he couldn't finish, I cannot relieve him of his duty. Though I sense he no longer wants to be tasked with this, I'll have to remind him of who he is. And when that time comes, he will spill your blood, and I will experience great pleasure at that sight. '

'Sweet dreams, Slayer.'

Vecna released you, and your body dropped. As soon as you hit the floor, you woke up gasping for air in Oliver's arms.

"Y/N, what the hell happened? After Kane left, I heard you talking to someone, so I came in and saw you floating in the air like you were in a trance. What are these marks in your body? You okay??" Asked Oliver with brows knitted.

You quickly get up and examine yourself in the mirror. There are marks where Vecna held you and around your neck.

"This isn't just a can of worms, Ollie. I think we may have gotten ourselves into some serious shit." You turned towards Oliver.

"I'm with you to the end, Y/N."

Divider- @silkholland

[filopay]

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Prompt from:@oc-tober2023

[ I am not following the same order ]

CW: A little creepy chase, something stinks of death, all in the fashion of halloween I suppose (I am very bad at summarising CWs, I’m so sorry.)

~Saviour

You woke up with a start.

Something that months of running for your life did to you, is being attentive to any kind of noise around you - even when you sleep.

You did not dare make any hasty movements, if whatever is making those noises is human or animal, it might not see you, if it's not… you don't know what else to do but run.

The trees rustled ahead, it was dark. You realised, you were alone. She did not return. Why did she not return?!

A sudden stomp right next to your shelter made you snap out of the sudden panic. It was close, right next to you behind the twigs and leaves built to hide you beneath. 

You held your breath. Another step, slower this time, as if it was searching. You heard it moan and creak like bending a bark. Not human!

The Underfolk can see you. It can see through the leaves and twigs, you knew you should run, but something was rooting you to the spot. You couldn't move.

You heard it bend forward, its close, confused by the barrier it cannot see. Clumsy hands started to pat around your shelter. It won't hold. What are you doing! Why can't you move!

Your heart beat rapidly, you think you forgot to breathe entirely. Another stomp and it blocks the entrance now. You stare at the cold and dark legs, like the pitch black night itself, it looked boney and … dead.

Just then, its smell reached you. Rotten and foul, you had to stop yourself from gagging by slapping a hand over your mouth to not make a sound. It's no use, it can see you anyway - your mind tried to tell you as you stared at its legs to see the exact moment, it lost its patience. You need to run! Why won't your legs move! It will break through easily.

Then, a sudden tickle runs up your arms and legs, as you look down you see the shadow of something crawling up your limbs. A bug!

Suddenly your legs work! You sprint to your feet, break through the roof of your shelter and without further ado, turn and run. You hear the creature scream surprised, a voiceless, breathless shout. They no longer have a voice.

You don't wait to hear what it tried to say.

Stomp, stomp, stomp. 

It was quicker than you, you knew that from experience. Your mother always slowed it down with the power of her god. You had no god. Only your legs.

So you ran around trees, stumbled through the darkness, over hatches and moss. Your breath was cold but your hands were warm when you held onto the cold bark of a big tree. The Underfolk was on you in a second, so you slid behind the tree, knowing from experience that it can't see its surroundings very well.

It somehow always sees you however. 

You heard its gaze snap towards you in an instant, a painful crack of its stiffened neck. Then it ran and that fast, you slid down the tree, closing your eyes, waiting for the impact. It didn't take long and you felt the shattering of the creature hitting the tree. It wailed, a quiet scream - then you heard it stumble disoriented, boney legs slipping over wet leaves.

Then it shuffled away and you heard it run back into the forest. Only then you allowed yourself to breathe. It was gone for now, but it found you once, it can find you again. Your mind instantly shifts back to your mother still out there.

What if it finds her?

You sat there for a moment longer, knowing its not wise, but you needed a moment to calm down. The leaves of the trees above rustled with the wind and you felt a small breeze pass you by. Then suddenly a tickle up your arm. Looking down, you saw a small beetle, it was crawling up towards your hand and this time you lift it up and look at it with relief.

"Thank you for waking me out of my stupor." You say to the little thing, "You are my saviour. Without you I would have probably been dead or well, sick with the Rot by now. So, thank you."

You gently place your hand down onto the forest floor so it could scurry away, but somehow, it remained. 

"You don't want to leave?" You can't help a little smile, everyone always leaves you behind, how stupid to expect a bug to stick around. "I'm sure you have better places to be than stick with me."

You try again, placing your hand onto the ground, but the very moment your hand touches the ground, a bright light pops up in front of you and you have to shield your eyes.

It is not by my choice, just to make that clear.

An ethereal voice spoke to you and slowly you lower your arm from your face. There in front of you, was a bright light, floating and blinding. 

Bramble chose to help you.

"Bramble?" You did not know who or what was speaking to you, but it sounded annoyed.

The Rose Chafer in your hand calls himself Bramble, because he likes it so much. Why he likes you, I cannot understand.

You blink, looking down at the back of your hand, where the small green shimmering beetle was still crawling merryly over your hand, wiggling its antenna.

He misses the warmth of the sun. He said you are as warm as its shine. The voice scoffed, but you could not hear any real malice behind it. 

"You know what he says?" You pull the small beetle closer to you, trying to inspect it, and see its tiny antenna wiggle in delight as you do.

"What did he say now?" You wonder, fascinated by the little thing.

You hear the voice mumble something under its breath, you only catch single words like 'humans', 'annoying', 'ungrateful'.

When you look up towards the light, you see it shift from left to right, almost like it was pacing.

He says I should help you and listen to your concerns, despite him knowing that I do not converse with humans.

You blink, looking closer at the shining light, floating in front of you.

Are you talking to a god?

[ 1.059 words ]

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