#ah your welcome! its no biggie!

[how-masterful]

Remastered

Dhawan!Master X Reader

Chapter 8: The Snowmen

Summary: Christmas. 1892. You decided long ago that you and the Master were finished. Broken up. Done . But dark forces are brewing, and winter is on its way. Can saving the world from evil snowmen be the thing that finally gets you and the Master back together?

Notes: Good gods, I make a promise to not rewrite an entire episode again, and guess what I go and do! Many apologies that this didn’t go up in December, somehow I managed to forget just how busy things could get during the holidays. But better late than never! This fic is a biggie, clocking in at just under 16.5k words. So, grab a snack, a hot drink perhaps, but definitely get comfy. I hope you all enjoy, and i look forward to all the new fic’s i’ll be posting this year. Stay tuned! (ps, I hope this is a suitable bed time story @plethora-of-imagines​!)

Warnings: Cannon Typical Violence, Mild Language

The Rose and Crown was bustling with life. The merriment, and fervent drunkenness, was palpable within the London tavern, the regulars happily knocking back tankard after tankard. It always was this time of year, the bitter cold being drowned by the warmth of alcohol, a saving grace for those who had to work a hard day's graft. Sweeping through the days end crowd you slid the empty mugs onto the metal serving platter, patting the back of a familiar friend, and saving a drink from being knocked to the floor from an exuberant mid-storytelling gesture. You smiled, giving a small wave of ‘you’re welcome’, before disappearing out the back door. 

The pot wash was a small trek away now, considering the landlord had yet to find somebody to fix the broken side door- which you presumed to mean he couldn’t find anybody cheap enough to finish the job. He was a nice man, probably, when wasn’t underpaying you, staring at your chest, or getting drunk off his own stock. You could tell he was meant for better things, things not involving women or alcohol. That was the Victorian way. Not much different to the 21st century.

As you let the door latch shut, you turned to head across the back courtyard, when the sudden rush of wind bristled behind your back. Spinning around, you raised an eyebrow at the far corner. Where once had stood a propped up broom and an empty barrel, now stood a large snowman. A bulbous head sat upon a tall, wide body, its eyes a deep and narrowed black, its mouth a small slit in the snow- filled with razor sharp teeth, much like fangs. Instantly, you dropped the serving platter, sitting it down upon the pile of crates behind the back door. 

The courtyard had seemed to become chillier, your fingers grappling to pull the red shawl across your front, tucking the ends into the ribbon of your dirtied apron. The snowman seemed normal, upon inspection, your arms folding across your chest as you leaned in to take a look. You studied the creation carefully- any normal person would say it was the handiwork of an excited child, happy to receive the first snow of the season. But this felt… different. The way the eyes seemed to watch you, the way the teeth seemed to multiply the deeper you looked into its snarling grin. 

Something about this snowman felt… off. Otherworldly. Evil.

“I doubt he pays his barmaids to make snowmen on the job.”

A familiar voice called from the alleyway, leading back towards the street. At the sound you rolled your eyes, taking a deep sigh, your shoulders pushing back instinctively as the figure emerged from the shadows and into the courtyard.

“Not in this economy, anyway.”

“Ah, no wonder I had a gut feeling of otherworldly evil. It was just you.”

The Master smirked, his boots leaving heavy footprints in the snow.

“Aw, bless. You’re still so kind to me.”

“It wasn’t a compliment. Any reason why you’re skulking about and making snowmen outside my pub?”

You gestured towards the strange snowman, and the Master sent you a strange expression, stepping deeper into the courtyard.

“Am I not allowed to take a walk in my own city? And I've got much better things to do with my time than sit around building stupid snowmen.”

You rolled your eyes once more, giving a small, huffing sigh.

“Well, it wasn’t here earlier. And nobody else is strange enough to be wandering around in this cold.”

The time lord gave a similar sigh, before pulling a pair of glasses out of his top pocket and perching them on the bridge of his nose. The Master narrowed his eyes towards you, looking you up and down, as if inspecting you. In return, you did the same. He’d abandoned the creepers and cuffed pants for a pair of chelsea boots and long trousers, marrying his costume of gentlemanly standing with a woollen waistcoat and a familiar long, deep purple coat- this time lined with a woollen lining, a matching scarf slung around his neck, paired with a top hat perched atop his hair, now curled and refined instead of flailing madly. He’d even taken a razor to his jaw, his face now smooth and beardless. You hated to admit it, but he looked incredibly handsome. You shook the thought away- you shouldn’t be thinking that anymore.

The Master stepped closer to the snowman, and you followed suit, inspecting the mound of sculpted snow closely. He reached out and snatched a lump out of the side, crushing the small snowball within his grasp.

“Maybe the snow got bored of sitting on the floor, and turned itself into something more remarkable. Maybe, the snow remembered how to make a snowman. Maybe, it remembered how to have fun once in a while.”

You scoffed quietly by his side.

“There’s no need to be so condescending,” you said sharply, copying his gesture with the snow. You inspected the ice crystals closely.

“It was never your best quality.”

The Master turned to face you, one hand falling to his hip.

“If I recall, you were quite fond of it.” He jabbed, pulling away from the snowman.

“Not when it’s directed at me, it’s not.”

“And why is that?”

“Because i’m-” You stopped yourself in your tracks, biting your lip at the words that almost fell from your tongue. The Master waited expectantly, the familiar look of superiority plastered across his face when you couldn’t finish your argument. With a satisfied hum he removed the glasses from his face before sliding them back into his breast pocket. He shoved his hands in his pockets before turning on his heels, the Master heading back towards the shadows.

“Pretty girls that can carry trays are easy to come by, so I suggest you get back to work unless you want to end up even further below the poverty line.”

He called over his shoulder. You scowled, pressing your lips tightly together before following him out of the courtyard and into the alleyway.

“You looked better with a beard.” You lied, your anger searching for any insult that could dig at his vanity. The Master gave no reaction, a growl emerging from your throat.

“I’d say don’t catch your death, but that’d be preferable. Bare faces don’t do well in the cold.”

The Master paused and turned around once more, the twinkle in his eye still infuriatingly beautiful.

“Very cute, but I'm not the one who has to rely on candles and gropey factory workers tipping well to keep warm.” He replied, turning back to face you before he reached the corner.

“I’ve got a TARDIS for that. Thanks for the tip though, the sentiment’s touching- but you know you don’t have to follow the whole ‘In sickness and in health’ thing anymore, don’t you?”

You grit your teeth together, a small tug building in your stomach as you saw him walk away, whistling a small tune to himself as he disappeared into the night.

You pondered for a second, the cogs within your head turning rapidly within the machinery of your mind. The Master didn’t do anything for no reason, especially since he’d taken to staying on earth, which you still didn’t understand why. No, there had to be another reason why he’d decided to step out into the night. The first full snow, beyond the light dustings of powder that had covered certain parts of the city. This was a full blown, stereotypical, Victorian Christmas. And something about it was troubling the Master. You had to find out why.

With a forceful tug, your apron slipped down the front of your dress, soon trampled into the melting mush of snow at the edge of the courtyard. You made haste in traversing the alleyway and sprinting out into the open, the roads covered in the sludge left by the traffic of carriage wheels and horse hooves. A dark carriage was rolling down the main street, its driver hooded and cloaked, the windows hidden by the roller curtain, the damask a deep shade of maroon. Nobody else in London town would be so macabre without being in mourning- that had to be the Masters carriage. 

Breaking into a further sprint, you dodged past couples on clandestine strolls, drunkards stumbling through the street, and established gentlemen who could risk a nightly stroll without the risk of murder or societal impropriety. No doubt your mad dash would become gossip, the girl with the red dress chasing after a vehicle and doing something rather reprehensible- but you couldn’t care less. 

The carriage turned, its momentum slowing to allow the weight, and you took that moment to leap. Your boot hooked onto the metal latch of the back of the carriage, the ornate metalwork acting as handlebars as you yanked yourself upwards. There you lay on the roof, on your belly, fingers grappling to reach the small latch that opened the roof compartment. You lay for a while, listening in to the conversation inside. From the metal scratching you could tell he was communicating with somebody from a distance away, most likely a hypnotised nobody to do his dirty work. They were much easier to come by these days.

“The snow’s evolving fast, that snowman built itself in a single second. They’re also spreading closer to the river. I want more eyes out there. Especially around Blanc street.”

Blanc street? You raised an eyebrow. That was the street the Rose and Crown was on.

“Yes Master. Did you find what you were looking for?”

Ah, so this drone wasn’t exactly mindless. Maybe the Master had gotten lonely. Good. 

Inside the cabin, the Master paused.

“Yes,” he said after a while. “I did. She’s still alive. Still the same as ever. Still…”

There was a long silence. The goon on the other side coughed quietly.

“Still what, Master?”

The timelord course corrected, huffing dramatically. He always did that when he didn’t want to admit the truth.

“Still so nosy.” He replied. “She was all over that snowman, she could sense something was off about it too. Presumptuous, if you ask me. Personally I think she’s just looking for trouble. Sometimes I question why I even married her.”

That was it. With a powerful push, you shoved the pin from the top of the latch, the square gap opening wide as the lid swung downwards on its hinges. You followed suit, rocking forwards and allowing your head to fall through the gap, your upside down face meeting with the Master's shocked expression. You furrowed your brow, tone exasperated and curt.

“Because I said yes!” You snapped, and the Master's face immediately soured.

Slamming his knuckles against the front of the carriage, he scrunched his nose in annoyance.

“Pull over! Right, get in here-” He barked at the driver, a quiet ‘yes, Master’ echoing through the roof. The Master's hands suddenly reached forward, latching hold of your shoulders.

“Oi!” You shouted in reply, the momentum sending you tumbling down into the carriage. You felt your tailbone collide with the bottom of the carriage, your legs flying to land on the opposing bench, your dress ruffles falling to expose your lower thighs, your head ending up sat in the Masters lap. You both paused, staring at each other, the tangible pull of memory freezing you both in place. Any other time, any other you, his hands would begin to cart through your hair. But now was not one of those times. You shuffled awkwardly out of his lap, trying to manoeuvre yourself away from his clutches, and also trying to salvage any dignity you could muster. You brushed down your dress, sitting uncomfortably across from the Master and folding your arms indignantly. The time lord frowned, tapping his fingers upon his knees.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The Master snapped.

“What on earth possessed you to jump on the top of my carriage?”

“Because I missed you SO much.” You mocked, smiling sarcastically.

“And because you stormed off without telling me what you know about the snow.”

“Oh, really-” The Master scoffed, rubbing his hands over his face. The carriage pulled over into a small precinct, no unlike the courtyard flanking the Rose and Crown. The horses rode to a stop, kicking at the snow with a snuffle, fresh snowflakes landing upon their noses. The driver sat, almost frozen, small layers of snow building upon his shoulders before melting from his body heat.

“I knew the only reason you came snooping around the pub was because you were curious about something.” You said, pointing towards the ceiling, and the small metallic speaker that poked through the top of the cab. “And your little chat with whoever, confirmed that.”

Leaning forward, you mimicked the Master's pose.

“Something is going on with the snow, and you think it's alien. And, considering you’re keeping a low profile instead of trying to form a rocky alliance with the culprit I KNOW you already have in mind-”

The Master scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“You think it’s dangerous. And not in a good way.”

The Master threw his hands up in the air, reaching towards the cabin door with a scowl.

“I’m not doing this. I’m not getting into this with you-”

Storming out of the cabin and into the cold, the Master's feet split the fresh layer of snow. He charged forwards, standing in the middle of the empty street and letting out a low groan, his hands falling to his hips.

“Hey-” You called after him, almost jumping out of the carriage.

“I have a right to know-”

“No, you don’t!”

The Master spun around, practically launching himself across the snow in your direction, his finger pointed towards your chest.

“I don’t owe you anything! You don’t get anything from me anymore! You gave up the right to know anything the moment you left the TARDIS-”

“Because you wouldn’t tell me anything in the first place!”

You replied, the heat of anger warming your cheeks.

“You, Master, it was you that shut me out first. You dropped the ball, with your whole ‘time lord superiority’ and your secrets. Do you think it was an easy decision for me?”

“Well, it certainly seemed like it!” He argued back, teeth bared like an animal.

“And, Y/N, if I recall, I wasn’t the one that said I didn’t want to be married anymore-”

“I wasn’t the one that made it impossible to be married!”

The pair of you stood eye to eye, faces almost touching, shoulders shaking with rage. This palpable divide, the pain of yearning, it felt like a pair of handcuffs around your necks- keeping you tethered together through an inescapable pain. The Master yanked away his stare first, slamming the door of the cab shut before returning to your confrontational exterior.

“Right. Here’s what's going to happen. I’m going to take away the last hour of your memory-”

“You what-”

“Just shut up and listen!” He ordered. “I’m going to take it away. You, me, the snow, it’s all going to go away. You’re going to go back to your job, and everything that's happened between us tonight will feel like just a dream. That way you don’t have to worry about anything. And you’ll stay out of all of this.”

You instinctively pulled away from the timelord, looking him up and down with disbelief. He had no reason to do that, no reason to take it all away from you. But why only an hour? This was a man capable of using hypnosis to reset a person's brain completely, his ability so advanced he could practically erase them from the minds of everybody they’d ever known. He’d built an entire satellite system designed to paint himself as an angel in every single human's mind- so why would he be so merciful?

“Then you can tell me now, can’t you?”

The Master raised his eyebrow in confusion.

“What?”

“You can tell me everything you know now, and I'll forget it all. You always worked better after you rambled your whole plan. That way we’re both happy.”

You looked at him hopefully, your curiosity desperate to know what he knew. The Master thought for a moment, before letting his whole body sink into a defeated sigh.

“Is that the only thing keeping you from running?”

“Why would I run away?”

“I just told you I'm going to wipe your memory.”

“And I've just discovered evil snow exists. If you’re desperate for a chase, I'll run after you tell me. I bet I'll get at least five streets down before I get a stitch and you catch me. Never any good at sprinting and all.”

For the first time that night, the Master truly smiled. A real smile, not one of sarcastic superiority.

“Fine.” He relented, bending down to inspect the snow between his fingers once more.

“From what I can gather, the snow emits a low level telepathic field, basically a fishing net for thought-”

A sudden chill crossed over the back of your neck, the same distant whooshing of winter air emerging from the end of the back alley. You stepped away from the Master to inspect the cobbled alleyway, your eyes widening at the sight of the same snowman looming ominously at the end of the street.

“The snowman…” You said to yourself, watching the mouth of the creature begin to widen, more and more teeth emerging in the gap.

“-catching the thoughts and reflecting it back at the people stuck inside. But this stuff is acting strangely, carrying over a previous shape-”

“Master!” You yelled, grabbing hold of his shoulder and yanking him to your side, pointing towards the snowman.

“The snowman!”

The Master rubbed his hands together at the sight, instantly stepping forwards to inspect the new arrival. Your hand on his arm kept him from getting closer, his curiosity reaching its absolute peak.

“Ah! How grand.” He called excitedly, looking the grinning snowman up and down.

“Were you thinking about the snowman?”

“Yes!” You replied hastily. A second snowman suddenly shot up from the ground, the loud whoosh sending the pair of you stepping backwards in shock.

“Then I suggest you stop!” The Master finished, before grabbing hold of your arm and yanking you away.

 The pair of you turned to run, hoping to make a grand escape in the Masters carriage, when a further two snowmen appeared at the other end of the alleyway. You were boxed in, more and more snow creatures shooting like rockets out of the earth, their grins opening wide as a blizzard of snow emerged from their mouths. The snow was blinding, knocking the pair of you back into the middle of the alleyway, your arms flying upwards to shield your faces from the onslaught.

“Y/N, stop thinking about the snowmen!”

“I can’t!” You cried.

 The thought was stuck at the forefront of your brain, their deep black eyes and piercing grins plastered across the inside of your mind's eye. At this, the snowmen seemed to grow taller, their rumbling growls increasing the ferocity of the snow. The Master grabbed hold of your arms, pulling you down to the floor of the alleyway, your fingers grasping his jacket material as his hands reached to grasp hold of your face.

“Y/N, the snowmen are feeding off your thoughts, you’re trapped in their telepathic field, their fishing net-”

“I don’t understand!” You shouted, something primal in your gut screaming for help. You’d faced down daleks and cybermen and not even blinked, but now you were admitting your fear at the hands of demonic snowmen. The Master leaned in closer, his forehead almost meeting your own.

“The more you think of them, the more they appear, but you can change them-”

“How?!”

“Think of them melting. C’mon, Love, picture them melted!”

You scrunched your eyes shut, and began to visualise. You forced every part of your brain into action, fighting hard to imagine the snowmen around you as nothing more than sad little puddles. You pictures the scene in your mind- the Master and you crouched in the middle of the alley, the snowmen around you disappearing into a mound of sludge and cold water. The Master closed his eyes too, picturing a similar thought, and the frozen growls around you were squozen into a pathetic roar. You gasped as a powerful burst of rain crashed onto you from both sides, your hair and clothes now sopping wet as the snowmen disintegrated into nothingness, melting into the cobbles. The Master laughed, his hands automatically pulling you towards his chest, his fingers stroking down the back of your hair as you launched yourself into his arms.

“Well done, good girl, well done.” He said comfortingly into your hair, your nose breathing the scent of his aftershave in deep. It took a few seconds for him to realise what he was doing, the Master pushing your shoulders away to arms length, his face looking as if he was performing a million mental calculations at once. 

“Ehem,” he attempted, nodding curtly. “Good job. You got rid of the problem you created.”

“Is that going to happen again?” You asked as he moved to stand, brushing off his knees and taking the top hat from his head, pulling a face at the wet patch on its side.

“Maybe, the snow is spreading.” The Master explained, placing it back on his head.

“If it does, now you know what to do about it.”

You leant against the brick wall, shivering from the bite of cold that clung to the cold water, sending goosebumps across your skin. Crossing your arms over your chest, you looked up at the Master with a disappointed frown.

“Unless I forget.” You said, the Master's face falling in reply.

Soon he’d dragged you to your feet and bustled you into the carriage, pushing you to sit on the leather seat, his hands braced on each side of the door.

“Go home, get warm, go to bed. Don’t go investigating the snow, stay out of trouble.”

He said, or more likely commanded. You nodded at his words, knowing full well you weren't going to follow them.

“Thank you.” You said softly. “For saving me… and for not scrubbing my brain.”

The Master smiled slightly, glancing down at the floor.

“Don’t get used to it. I think it's better for both our sanities if we stay out of each others lives, all things considered. If I can't wipe your mind, try your best to do it yourself.”

Before he managed to pull away, you placed your own hand on the frame of the door.

“What are you going to do? Shouldn’t people be warned about the snow?” You asked. The Master smirked, the villainous bravado returning to his face once again.

“You and I both know that's not how I work. I suggest buying a raincoat”

“How am I supposed to do that on the barmaids wage you so detest?”

The Master scrunched his nose challengingly, before gesturing to the falling snow.

“Put it on your Christmas list.”

The door slammed with a metallic crunch, the Master's hand pressing itself against the glass. You looked closely at his hand as he muttered something to the driver about taking you home, your eyes falling upon his ring finger, pressed against the surface. You felt your heart lurch at the indentation on his finger, the small area of skin that used to hold his wedding band now exposed to the cold air. With two knocks to the side of the carriage the horses began to move, the Master walking away from the cabin and heading down the same alleyway the snowmen had appeared on, merging with the shadows as easily as the snow merged with the earth.

No. You couldn't let him escape so easily. Not after all that. You leant against the far wall of the carriage, giving the door a harsh push. The door swung open on its hinges, a small victory, and with a graceful leap you landed in a pile of wet sludge. Ignoring the wet that had started to soak into your boots, you made haste in catching up with the Master. His purposeful strides had struck deep into previously undisturbed snow, the journey winding through side streets and alleyways as you followed him towards the park. Hiding behind a tree, you watched the Master shove his hands into his pockets and casually stroll through the park gate. He was whistling to himself, pursing his lips and whistling out the chorus of Last Christmas. The Master had always seemingly been a fan of the 80’s, you thought. Not that anybody in the 19th century, beyond yourself of course, would be able to share in his enthusiasm. 

Dashing over to another tree, you watched him turn his head from side to side, inspecting his surroundings for any onlookers. Once he’d decided the coast was clear, you watched in surprise as he leapt into the air, his hands clasping onto something metallic, sending a small clang into the wind. With a seasoned pull he yanked downwards, his feet dangling above the snow as he leant upon what seemed to be the bottom rung of a ladder. You blinked in surprise, watching the feet of the ladder sink into the snow. The Timelord took one last look over each shoulder, and after he was satisfied, the Masters shoes began to easily climb their way up. It took only a few steps before the Master had somehow disappeared from view, and with the sound of two ringing taps, the ladder began to ascend once more into invisibility, still to the unbroken tune of Last Christmas.

 Without hesitation you raced towards the ascending ladder. You had to grasp hold of it now that he’d engaged with it. Surely he’d booby trapped it, attached some sort of safety mechanism. No doubt if some stranger had decided to climb up, they’d receive an electric shock, or searing burns across their palms, or possibly something much more macabre. You had no clue what the Master's mind had been able to create in his spiteful isolation. A part of you, as crazy as it was, deeply yearned to find out. You took a running leap towards the continuously rising ladder, hand outstretched. If you could just grasp hold of the bottom rung, you could yank down the ladder and follow him. 

It was getting closer and closer, you were within a jump's reach. With gusto you leapt straight into the air, practically an olympian- and proceeded to skim the bottom rung with your fingertips, before crashing back to the ground with an embarrassing puff of snow.

 You groaned, the impact cold against your back, your pride bruised as much as your behind was. From here you could see into the sky, the clouds sprinkling a dusting of snow into the atmosphere, the moon shining through the naked branches of dormant trees. Despite being right under where it had descended, there was no ladder above you. You cocked your head to the side, narrowing your eyes. The Master had seemingly ascended and disappeared from any sort of view. You couldn’t allow yourself to be defeated so easily, not after he’d gone to all that unneeded effort to save you earlier. The Master had the power to travel anywhere he wanted, anywhere he could possibly desire- yet he’d decided to stay in the same city he’d abandoned you in. If you couldn’t pick his brain and figure out why, you at least deserved to know where he’d set up shop.

Picking yourself up from the ground, you dusted off your skirt, which had only just begun to dry from the onslaught of melting snowmen. You focused your approach, stepping back from the spot and turning over your shoulder, just as the Master had. You bent your knees, preparing a run up, breathing the icy air into your lungs. You pushed off, kicking up a cloud of snow behind you, and swiftly leapt into the skies. 

Clang. Your fingers connected with a bar of cold metal, your hands wrapping tightly around the bottom of the ladder. No shock, no poison, no searing burns. The Master hadn’t trapped the ladder at all. You smiled, victorious at last. 

You glanced up towards the sky, your eyes widening as you saw the rest of the ladder appear against the darkness, your core sufficiently engaging as you yanked the ladder back down towards the earth. You climbed up each rung as fast as you could, eyes unbroken from the heavens, and as you ascended the ladder you smiled in disbelief. Below you, Londoners were once again roaming the streets. You called out to them, waving down at the man and woman who were walking their dog down the street. The dog began to yap, tugging on its lead, yet the owners paid no mind. Beside you, a stray cat lounged and mewed within the spindling branches of the tree, unbothered by your rapid ascent. 

“Oh, hello lovely.” You mused, fingers softly scratching between the cats ears, the small creature mewing in delight before slinking further up the branch. 

You followed its trail as it nimbly manoeuvred the thinning branches, your eyes falling upon the sudden appearance of a looming staircase, spiralling up high into the layer of clouds above, connected to the metal platform beneath your feet. Your hand connected with the hand rail, curved and coiled in intricate fashion, and your foot moved to step upon the first stair. The cat yowled, your attention once more pulled back to the ladder. It was still dangling downwards, feet piercing the snow. You put your hand on your hip, squinting your eyes as you questioned why it had not shot up like it had for the Master. He’d pulled down the ladder, climbed up, then you heard- oh! You ran towards the ladder and tapped it twice with your foot, watching as it disturbed the blanket of snow and began to rise back to where it belonged.

“Thanks.” You said to the cat, that licked its paw in reply. You never forgot to speak to the stray cats you encountered, the stories of the Cheetah Planet instilling a respect inside you for any possible kittlings you could encounter.

 Once more, you crossed invisibly towards the grand staircase, clapping hold of the bannister and placing your foot upon the bottom step. The whole structure felt like it was brimming with energy, the towering spiral almost buzzing under your feet as you carefully made your way into the skies. No matter how many steps you ascended, the usual stitch or lack of breath never reached your body. You didn’t even struggle with the change in atmosphere, it was as if you were clambering up in your own pocket of oxygen. 

The stairs took little effort, and soon you found yourself heading straight through the cloud layer. The air was cool, the soft water vapour tickling your nose as the end of the bannister came into sight. You paused, feet lodged upon the last step, and you eyed the floor curiously. Or, what you presumed to be the floor. Instead of a platform, you saw the vapour continued to sprawl across the ground, a blanket of cloud waiting at your feet. Perhaps this was where the Master would play his last trick, letting you believe you’d made it to the top, and send you plummeting back down to the earth. The most effective way to deal with intruders. And door to door salesmen.

Dubiously, you placed the toe of your boot onto the layer of cloud. Instinctively, you pulled back when your foot connected with something hard. Taking a breath, you stepped once more, this time allowing your whole foot to connect with the somehow solid cloud. First one foot, then another, and when you were finally satisfied, you allowed your hand to let go of the curved end of the handrail.

 Suddenly, all around you, the world began to glimmer. It was like a switch had been flipped, one by one the black night began to twinkle with stars, the horizon shimming with shapes and constellations, unblemished by any sort of light pollution. A small laugh escaped your throat as you stepped further onto the cloud, your arms reaching out as you span in a circle. You felt like a princess, albeit in your pauper gown, spinning around atop of a cloud. Like something out of a fairy tale.

 It was mid spin that you suddenly noticed the looming structure, and you stopped dead in your tracks. Your stomach began to flip and knot, your hands falling to your sides as you stared at the building with a yearning ache in your chest. There it was, standing proudly out of place atop of the cloud, atop of Victorian London. That Outback shack, that hut with its overhanging porch and boarded up walls, The Master's TARDIS. It hummed and shimmered in the low light, staring back at you with all its disguised majesty.

 Hesitantly, you stepped closer, each step bridging you closer to the front door. Part of you wondered if he’d be able to see you through the windows- maybe he’d turned them function, rather than decorational. Perhaps you’d see him, sitting inside by the console like a Scrooge, nursing a cup of tea and sitting with a book. Maybe he was angrily messing with the console, or the TCE, or any other piece of tech he could rip apart and put back together again. Part of you hoped he had a giant investigation board, completed with red string and shoddy camera pictures of blurry snowmen. While another part of you hoped he’d popped out to the shop via the back door. But you knew there was no back door to the TARDIS. That was what made your proximity feel so darn painful.

 Soon you found yourself stood at the front door, staring down at the wood and fighting the anxiety fuelled breaths your body was yearning you take. All it would take was one knock. Maybe two, possibly three, never four. Just some sort of sign. Some sort of attempt to get his attention. 

You shuffled your feet awkwardly, considering all the dreadful possibilities. He could make good of his promise to wipe your mind, maybe this time for good. He could stick an arm out and shrink you, like he’d done once with a poor bunch of carol singers. Hell, he could even kick you off the cloud himself for bothering him. Or… he could invite you in. Maybe make you a cup of tea, show you his string board of the investigation, let you warm up by the fire. Maybe he’d let you back in again. Maybe you’d never have to leave again. It took every ounce of will in your body to raise your hand, to simply press it against the door of that beloved Time and Space machine. Just to feel the familiar, comforting hum of its walls. 

You let your hand rest against the wood, working up the courage to make that fateful knock- but the TARDIS herself had seemingly decided you were taking far too long. At the touch of your hand, the TARDIS began to buzz and whirr with excitement, like a dog barking the moment it heard the postman approach the drive. 

“Shit!” You whispered to yourself, yanking your hand away and turning on your heels.

 You jumped down off the porch and ran across the cloud as fast as you could, charging towards the bannister and fleeing towards the spiral staircase once again. You felt your shawl fall from your shoulders, but the anxiety in your chest was too pervasive to care. You plunged through the cloud layer, racing down the staircase as fast as your boots would allow. The TARDIS door swung open behind you, and the Master stepped out onto the porch, his jacket and hat abandoned and glasses once more perched upon the end of his nose. 

“Who’s there?” He called into the night, narrowing his eyes and scoping out the surroundings, TCE gripped in his grasp.

“Show yourself.” He called louder this time. No reply came from the cloud. 

The Master sighed, staring over at the horizon, when a shock of red against the perfect white ground caught his attention. He stepped closer to the start of the staircase, crouching down to the ground and grasping at the red cloth. The Master peered at the fabric, humming in thought, when the memory suddenly appeared at the forefront of his mind. You had been wearing the exact same shawl when he’d seen you earlier. Poking his head through the cloud, the Master stared at the small figure in a red dress sprinting through the park gates. A smile had unknowingly found its way to the Master's mouth, the time lord pushing himself up from the ground. He huffed out of his nose, before turning back and retreating back through the TARDIS doors, the red shawl still clutched tightly between his fingers.

The next morning the sun dared to gleam through the windows of the Rose and Crown guest room, the rays of sun dancing across your face and pulling you from slumber. Your vision settled on the brown leather bag upon the chair at the end of your bed, your whole body filled with a new sense of purpose. You clambered out of bed, eagerly throwing on your dress from the night before, your brows furrowing as you searched your small wardrobe for the red shawl you were sure you’d thrown off the night earlier. You sighed, opting for a brown woollen one instead, shoving the last of your things into the brown bag and practically skipping down the stairs.

“What’s all this about?” The landlord called, wiping down the surface of the bar and watching you, puzzled. 

“It’s Christmas Eve,” you replied. “ I'm off. Elsie gets back this afternoon, I’m sure you’ll survive.”

Before the landlord could protest, or leer, or do anything at all, you blew a kiss and headed out the front door to the waiting cab. You slipped a small bag of coins to the cab driver, who took hold of your bag and opened the door to the cabin. You hiked up your dress, your eyes falling to the bare cobble street. Just the night before, the streets had been bathed in a blanket of snow. Now… nothing. It was as if the city itself was following the Masters instructions, trying to make you forget of the night's events. But you were determined otherwise.

“Funny,” you muttered to yourself as you stepped into the cabin, taking your bag back and pulling down the roller blinds.

“Must have all thawed in the night.”

Later that afternoon, the Master was once more disturbed. This time not by the TARDIS herself, but by the small sound of scratching against the wooden door. The Master growled to himself, placing the book that had been open on his lap firmly on the table beside his chair. He pulled the glasses from the end of his nose, abandoning them atop of the book, and headed towards the front door of the TARDIS with annoyance. How hard was it to get through one stupid book without any intrusion? The Master sighed as he yanked open the front door, staring down at the porch to see a cat staring back up at him. 

“What do you want now?”

The Master grumbled, the kittlings eyes glowing a golden yellow as it slinked into the TARDIS between his feet. The Master lent against the doorframe, the small black cat purring as it trotted over the carpet towards the Masters living quarters.

“You know, you’re supposed to be out hunting. You can’t keep coming here for your food. It’s Victorian London, Shadow. Mice are everywhere. ”

The cat gave a muffled purr of protest. The Master sighed.

“I suppose it is payment, you’re right. Fine,” He ran his hand through his hair. 

“Don’t make yourself too comfy.”

Trotting her way across the faded floral rug, the kittling leapt up onto the Masters chair, turning in a circle before sitting down like a mimicry of the Sphinx. The Master headed towards the small kitchenette, setting the kettle to boil once more and pulling a mug from the cupboard. It had chipped upon the golden rim, the comical slogan ‘I went to the Catrigan Nova and all I got was this stupid mug’ faded from several turns in the dishwasher. His hand paused as he looked at the mug right beside it. A black and white UNIT office mug, likely slipped into a bag on a previous arrest. That was your mug. It hadn’t been used in some time.

“Although, after that little stunt you pulled last night, I should be planning on skinning you. Why did you let her up here?”

The kittling gave what could be a shrug, licking at her paws idly. The Master pulled a bag of treats out of the lower cabinet, the kettle whistling as it finished its boil.

“And don’t play coy, I found her shawl at the top of the steps. I know you let her up the staircase. What’s the point of having a guard cat that doesn’t guard?”

The Master carried both his fresh tea and the bag of treats towards the living area, rolling his eyes at the display.

“Oi, no, get lost. That's my chair.”

His rantings were cut short by the sight of the envelope tied to the kittlings back with a ribbon. A perfect, white, crisp envelope, with the Masters name scrawled across in deep black cursive ink. 

“What’s that?” He asked. The kittling purred, stretching once more upon the soft armchair as the Master untied the ribbon around the envelope, letting the square of white paper fall from its back.

“When did she give you this?”

Yet another purr. The Master swallowed. 

“Thanks. Here, take some of these and get lost.” 

The kittling happily snatched the entire bag of treats from the Master's grasp, the Time lord shouting in protest as the small cat hopped down from the chair and scarpered its way back out of the door. The TARDIS shut the door behind the small cat, and the Master placed his tea on the side, trading the mug for his glasses. He placed them back on the end of his nose before ripping open the envelope and unfolding the letter within.

“Master,

I hope you’re not surprised by me completely ignoring what you told me to do. I promise I did consider leaving things be. Consider being the word of the day. But the trouble with the snow has reached a point where I can’t risk it getting any worse. Francesca Latimer has been having bad dreams. Specifically about her old governess. She drowned in the pond in front of the house nearly a year ago, only to be found days later after the ice thawed. While I'm sure this is gossip you probably heard but didn’t care about- Frannie’s been dreaming about her. She dreams she’ll appear on Christmas eve to punish her, dragging herself out of the pond. I wanted to chalk this up to childhood theatrics, but I think she’s right. The pond is still frozen, even after last night's thaw. And I felt something. I swear, when I touched that pond, something felt strange. It’s the same feeling I had when we saw that snowman outside the pub last night. Like you said- the snow can feed off of thoughts. The more you think, the more it appears. I can’t explain it, but my gut knows something isn’t right. Please, Master. I know we aren't on the best of terms, but this is important to me. Something is going to happen tonight. And I need your help. 

I hope this letter gets to you. Kittling mail is never fully reliable. Please come to the Latimer’s house as fast as you can. After this, I promise you’ll never have to deal with me again.

Y/N 

(Ps, when you get here, ask for the Governess Miss Montague. I’ll explain later.)”

The Master looked up from the letter, staring over at the corner of the room. Your shawl was thrown over your untouched chair, the pillow still plumped just how you liked it, your unfinished pile of books still sat upon the side table. The Master walked over to the chair, delicately placing the letter upon the stack of books, brushing the thin layer of dust from the top of the chair with his finger.

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” He murmured, glancing over his shoulder at the large investigation board he’d assembled on the wall, all about the snow. He walked back over to his chair, picking up the abandoned book and looking down at the cover. He looked back to the board, then back down to the book. At that moment, an idea built in his head.

“Always dressing for the occasion, aren't I?” He said, a smile on his face as he headed towards the TARDIS wardrobe, his unfinished copy of the Hound of the Baskervilles thrown idly back onto the chair.

“Come now, you two!” You called, clapping your hands as the Latimer children raced past each other towards the bathroom.

“I want shiny bright teeth and squeaky clean faces. And what do we never forget to clean?”

“Behind our ears!” They called in reply, giggling as they fought over the space in the sink.

“Indeed, and do we remember why?”

“Because secrets get hidden behind there.” Digby replied, rolling his eyes. 

“But that’s not true, is it Miss Montague?”

You gasped dramatically at the young boy, folding your arms.

“It very much is, Digby. Secrets have a nasty habit of catching themselves on all the dirt behind your ears. I clean behind mine morning and night. That's why I know you missed me twice every Saturday since I’ve been gone.”

Frannie giggled at her brother's blush, your smile stately yet smug as you clapped your hands once more.

“Two minutes precisely while brushing those teeth, you two. Then off we pop to bed.”

You headed out of the bathroom, expertly scooping up an abandoned teddy bear, likely Frannies, and placing him upon the lid of the toy chest at the end of her bed. You reached for the windows, fluffing the drapes and getting ready to close them for the night. You glanced at the clock, pressing your lips together in disappointment. It was almost nine. The Master had yet to show up. You supposed you shouldn’t have hoped he would. After all, you weren’t exactly together anymore. But after the events of last night, you weren't as confident in your decision as you were when you initially made it. 

Returning to the drapes, you stared out of the window and gasped. The Master was there, down in the courtyard, crouched over the pond and inspecting it curiously. He was wearing his top hat once again- you hated to admit just how much you liked that look on him. Tapping against the glass, the Master glanced up from the pond at the sound, the TCE in hand. You could see his furrowed brow ease into a much gentler expression through the spotlight of the window lamp, the timelord standing up fully and stepping onto the lip of the pond. You waved gently, your heart racing. Miraculously, the Master waved back, the same level of awkwardness in his fingertips as your own. 

You gestured with your head towards the house, and when his furrowed brow returned, you signalled for him to come in with your hands. You nibbled on your bottom lip nervously as he turned around, likely muttering an excuse to himself that he could use to leave. You expected a cross, or a line across the throat, or a simple shake of the head. Any reason for him to not come in and help, simply satiating his own morbid curiosity. But when he turned around and gestured five with his hand, you felt your stomach flip and spin with joy. You smiled, closing the curtains and turning back to the children as they clambered into bed, dusting down your dress as you sat down.

“Am I going to have the nightmare again tonight?” Frannie asked softly. You smiled, shaking your head as you grasped hold of her rescued teddy bear, placing it in her lap.

“Absolutely not. Because I’m going to tell you a story.”

“Is this another ‘absolutely true’ story?” Digby questioned, grinning cheekily.

“Like the fact you travelled through time?”

“Of course,” You replied. “Accounting for my excellent time keeping and knowledge of the world.”

“And that you’ve been to space?” Frannie continued.

“Because I’d already been everywhere on earth.” You grinned, tucking the children into their beds.

“No, this story is about a man called the Master. He lives on a cloud, in the sky, and he’s my very special friend.”

“What’s he the Master of?” Digby asked. You chuckled to yourself.

“If you ask him, he’s the Master of everything. And he has this special power where if you look into his eyes, he can make you do whatever he says. He could make you tidy your room, or do your homework-”

“Or cluck like a chicken?” Frannie smiled. “I’ve seen somebody do that before. He was a hypnotist on stage.”

“Exactly.” You continued. “But he made a promise to me, long ago, that if I needed any help from monsters, he would come.”

“But monsters aren’t real.” Digby argued. You raised an eyebrow.

“What did I say about my stories, Digby? They are all very, very true.”

“But what about my nightmares?” Frannie asked sadly. You took her hand and nodded.

“Like I said, he made me a promise. And I think a little girl having nightmares on Christmas eve is very monstrous indeed. So, I asked him to help.”

Your eye was suddenly caught by the bellowing of the candle flame, the floorboards in the hallway squeaking as if under the strain of footsteps.

“In fact I think he’s right here. Come meet my young friends, Master!” You called, the door to the bedroom creaking open.

You waited with a hopeful smile, your heart fluttering, when all of a sudden a shrieking voice came into the room.

“THE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN VERY NAUGHTY!”

The Ice Governess screamed, her face cracking, teeth of ice bared. 

“Oh, shit!” You screamed, the children squealing in fear as you instinctively pulled them behind you, spreading your arms wide.

“Get back, get away from her!” You yelled, Frannie desperately shoving her face into your arm.

“NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY CHILDREN!”

She shrieked, Digby clinging onto your dress for dear life.

“What are we going to do?!” He cried in fear. You turned your eye towards the door, the Ice Governess creeping closer and closer.

“RUN! NOW!” you ordered, the children dropping their teddy bears in fear as you pulled them across the landing and into the children's play room, the floor full of toys and tables full of drawings. You locked the door behind you, rushing over to Frannie’s side and grasping her face in your hands.

“Frannie, listen to me, you have to picture her melting!”

“What?”

“In your head! Picture her melting into water, think it in your head!”

“Miss Montague!” Digby cried, just as the Governess slammed through the locked door and came slinking into the room.

“NAUGHTY CHILDREN MUST BE PUNISHED!” she hissed, swiping at the children with her claws as you pushed them further behind your back.

“What about your friend! The hypnotist man!”

Digby asked, clutching your arm in terror as you backed away from the Ice woman.

“I don’t know!”

“The man on the cloud! Your special friend!”

“Where’s the Master?!” Frannie joined in, shrinking behind your back and sobbing.

All of a sudden, thunderous footsteps came up the stairs, the blur of a figure in the doorway clouded by the Ice Governesses towering stature. There came a familiar, violent ZAP sound, and before your eyes the now cracking Ice Governess gave an agonised roar before exploding into a mass of powdered ice. You shielded your face as best you could, the children cowering in shock. Blinking away the shattered ice, you turned your head to stare in awe. 

Standing in the doorway in all his glory was the Master, TCE raised with pride in his hand, a familiar smug smile on his face.

Even though he was now top hatless- it was very good to see him.

“Miss me?” He asked charmingly, and you rolled your eyes.

“Always just in the nick of time, never before.” You teased, brushing the shards of ice from your dress.

“Where’s the fun in that? And I did say five minutes, technically I'm early.”

“Are you Miss Montague's special friend?” Digby asked hesitantly. 

“Are you the Master?”

“Special friend?” The Master asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Your face flushed a deep red.

“Oh, Miss Montague, what have you been telling these dear children?”

���Are you really able to look into people's eyes and tell them what to do?” Digby continued, staring at the TCE in the Master's hands. The Master was truly smirking now, turning to look in Digby's eyes. 

“Oh yes, I could. I could make you do anything I’d like if you look too close.”

Digby gasped and turned away, all while Frannie stepped closer to the Master.

“Is she really gone?” She asked timidly. “Where is she? Is she going to come back?”

The Master shrugged, reading the TCE as it whirred quietly. You peered over her shoulder, trying to see the readings yourself.

“Not likely, she’s currently draining through your carpet. I’d get it checked for mould after.”

“Why did she explode?” You asked, your hand on Frannie’s shoulder.

“New setting I need to worry about? Tissue expansion?”

The Master smirked, standing to meet your gaze.

“It just doesn’t do water. I still can’t figure out why. That’s a good idea, though, but I really wouldn’t Google it. Oh, and you’re welcome, by the way.”

You shuffled awkwardly, nodding at the Master's words.

“I wanted to get all my questions out before I thanked you. But I am really grateful, y’know. Even though I did know you’d help.”

Suddenly, the Master's face fell. He leant in closer, glaring at you with a forced fury.

“No, you didn’t. In case you’re forgetting, love, I'm not the Doctor. I don’t go around helping children and saving Christmas and granting bloody wishes. That’s not what I do. And, need I remind you, I was already investigating the snow. So you just got lucky that I happened to be here, TCE at the ready-”

The Master glanced downwards, ready to slide the device into his pocket, when he suddenly caught a shimmer of gold. Upon his ring finger once more sat his wedding band, just where it used to be. 

He twisted the ring gently, the rage instantly melting from his face.

“Oh…” He whispered to himself. 

You followed his eyes, your attention pulled from the children who’d begun to stare out of the window, the edges of the glass beginning to seal with frost. Outside, a dusting of snow began to fall, the green grass disappearing under a blanket of white. They gasped as tall snowmen began to slowly grow out of the freshly fallen snow, all the while you’d stepped even closer to the Master.

“Is everything ok?” You asked quietly, looking down at his ring. You took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“Oh…” You also said. The Master nodded strangely, tilting his head.

“I um, didn’t know I’d put it on.” He said, looking up and truly meeting your eyes for the first time that evening, all bravado set aside.

“Oh… ok…” You replied.

“I think my mind just went… y’know.”

“Yeah.”

“Force of habit.”

“Absolutely.”

“Miss Montague! Master!”

The children cried in unison, pulling themselves from the window and tugging at both of your arms.

“She’s coming back!” Digby yelled.

“She’s going to punish me!” Frannie sobbed.

“Master, what do we do?!” You asked, all the while the Master was frantically trying to mess around with the settings on the TCE. Slowly, the mass beneath the carpet began to grow larger, the painful crunch of ice echoing through the dark and chilly room, the figure shifting and twitching as the Ice Governess began to build herself back up.

“Well, she’s learned to resist melting, so that’s interesting.”

“How’s she done that?!”

“It’s not really a she, more of a thing, really.” The Master corrected, clapping a hand on the shoulder of each child.

“She’s not going to punish you, Frannie, that’s ridiculous. She’s not a Governess, she’s a monster. So really, she’s going to eat you.”

You gaped at the creature, the governess shrugging off the remains of the carpet and swiping violently towards your face.

“Run!” You yelled, grasping the hands of Frannie and Digby’s hands and pulling them down the stairs. The Master followed, slamming the playroom door behind him and heading behind you down the stairs. On the bottom floor of the house, the maid was running in a frenzy, screaming about snowmen in the garden and a strange man at the door. Captain Latimer had stormed out of his study, eyebrows furrowed and furious as he waited at the bottom of the stairs.

“Miss Montague, what on earth do you think you’re doing? Would you care to explain why the children are out of bed at such an hour- who the devil are you?!”

You turned around to see the Master stomping down the steps, sliding past you and bracing hold of the bannister. He stared deep into Captain Latimer's eyes, his gaze piercing deep into the man's mind, his voice loud and clear. Captain Later froze in place, transfixed at the Masters gaze. He couldn't pull away even if he wanted to.

“I am the Master, and you will obey me. Take your screaming maid and your children into the parlour, lock the doors and keep an eye on the snowmen outside. Under no circumstances are any of you to leave that room until I say so. Oh, and you’ll stop relying on my wife to parent your children when you can’t be bothered to, and you’ll put more effort into your children. Understood?”

The blush returned to your face once more as the Captain followed his orders, the Master's hypnotic suggestion the only thing he now knew. Digby clapped his hands together as you ushered the children into the room, staring at the Master with mesmerised eyes.

“Did you use your hypnosis powers on my father?”

“Yes, Digby, he did.” You answered, not trusting the answer the Master was about to give.

“And did he call you his wife?” Frannie asked, causing your blush to further deepen and your heart to race at lightning speed.

“Yes, he did that too. But you need to listen to what he said. Don’t leave that room, not even for a second. Those snowmen outside are very dangerous, and I don’t want either of you to be hurt by them or the Ice lady. Promise me?”

The Latimer children nodded quickly, Digby turning to look at the Master once again, who was anticipating the return of the distantly screaming Ice Governess.

“Can you make him cluck like a chicken too?”

“Not the time!” You interjected, Once again not trusting the Master’s answer, even with his confused expression. Once everybody was inside, the Master gripped the top of your arm.

“Stay here with them.”

He ordered, before letting go once more. The Master headed back into the hallway, and you were hot on his heels. You watched as the Master pressed a button on the TCE, aiming it at the top of the stairs as the Ice Governess came thundering down them. A shuddering wall of red energy blasted into existence, creating a barrier between the Ice Governess and the bottom of the staircase, the frozen creature slamming itself against the wall and hissing.

“MISS ME!?” It shrieked, staring down at the Master.

“How long will that hold?” You asked, and the Master turned around in shock.

“Oi, do I have to hypnotise you too? I told you to stay inside.”

“Oh, well I didn’t listen.”

“You really enjoy disobeying me, don’t you dear?”

You smiled fondly, the gap between the pair of you closing faster and faster.

“Yeah, I do. It’s one of the things that make you love me.”

“Oh, is it really?”

“Afraid so, Master.”

“Who said I love you?”

The gap between you both was non existent. You met each others eyes, your own heart pounding at lightning speed, your breath caught in your throat as stared the Master down, each of you daring the other to move first. The Masters lips parted, and you instantly took your chance, colliding your lips together as your hands reached to grasp hold of his face. The Master sank into the kiss with no restraint, quickly taking charge as his hands reached to grasp hold of your corseted waist. He pushed his lips against your own, your noses slotting next to each other to close the distance even further. All the while, the Ice Governess shrieked and slammed her face into the wall, the breath escaping from your lungs as you poured every part of your soul into the Master's touch. But soon you needed air, your lips breaking from one another but your touch remaining strong. You stared at the Master, and the Timelord returned the gaze, the silence between you thick and unbearable as your foreheads stayed pushed together.

“I keep my ring on a chain and wear it everyday.” You blurted, your cheeks burning hot. The Master smiled, chuckling softly as he brushed the hair from your face. He always did that. You loved him doing that.

“Of course you did.” He teased, “You always were so sentimental, love.”

“I just couldn’t, I don’t know why-”

“I know.” The Master said, rather softly. “I-”

Suddenly, the front door bell rang once again, the ringing invasive and persistent. The Master scowled, his hands pulling themselves from your waist as he clenched his hands into fists, his fingers still curled around the TCE in his grasp. He always hated being interrupted. This time was no different. He stormed towards the doorway, shoulders pushing back, his chin raised high. This time you hung back, watching from a distance, the Ice lady still screaming from her spot at the top of the stairs. 

The Master swung the door open, his glare palpable as a stranger stood in the doorway. A stranger to you, perhaps, but the Master seemed to know him well. Well enough for the tension to feel worthy of cutting with a sword, let alone a knife.

“Release the Ice woman to us.” The stranger said, his face solemn and eyes full of determination.

“You have five minutes.”

The stranger turned away with no further word, and the Master slammed the door shut with a furious heave.

“Who was that?” You asked hurriedly, following the Master as he headed towards the bottom of the stairs.

“Doctor Simeon. A very old enemy of the Doctor. And now, a very new enemy of mine. I don’t think he’s keen to be business partners anymore.”

“Why, what did you do?”

The Master smiled weakly, scratching at the back of his neck.

“I may have, possibly… turned up at his house, killed all his staff, and ransacked his personal files while insulting him to his face.”

“Wonderful.”

“All while dressed up as Sherlock Holmes.”

“I’m sure- what? Why?”

“What?”

“Why did you dress up as Sherlock Holmes?”

“Because I was investigating! We’d already had a bit of a disagreement earlier, I needed a suitable disguise.”

“But Sherlock Holmes? Really?”

The Master threw his hands in the air, exasperated. You could hardly contain your smirk.

“Who else? It’s the nineteenth century, for god’s sake. I couldn’t exactly go as Batman or Scooby bloody Doo, could I?”

The Master turned back to the bottom of the staircase, glancing up at the Ice Governess. She was still shrieking, slamming herself into the energy wall, hissing and baring her fangs. You blinked away all previous confusion, following the Master’s gaze.

“Right. All that aside, explain him to me- he wants the ice woman?”

“No, the snow wants the ice woman. He’s just the one working with the snow. And we need to keep her away from them or else.”

“I’m hoping you have a plan.”

The Master rolled his eyes, snatching an umbrella from the umbrella stand and lightly hitting you on the head with it. You gaped with confusion, your hands instinctively reaching out to take the umbrella from the Master's hands, turning your attention back to the Ice Governess.

“If the snow gets ahold of her, it’s goodbye to you lot. She’s the perfect blueprint for the snow in human form, human DNA mixed with Ice. You can’t exactly take over the earth with hunks of wet mush, can you? Imagine the carnage during a heat wave. But a humanoid figure, made of ice, that won’t melt? Oh, you could work such magic.`”

“She can’t stay here, then.” You argued. “Not with the children in the house, we’ll all be massacred.”

“As long as she’s out, but away from the snow, nobody’s getting massacred. I need you to stay in the parlour, watch the snow and for once, do as you’re told.”

The Master said, raising the TCE to the shimmering red wall. The wall disappeared into nothingness, shuddering out of existence. You stepped up to join the Masters side just as he pointed the TCE behind him once more, the shimmering wall reappearing at the very bottom of the stairs. The Masters double take was almost comical, his eyes rolling deeply into his head as he stared at you expectantly.

“Seriously?!” He asked, but you didn’t have time to reply. The ice lady swung at your head, causing you to duck beneath her arm, and the Master's hand clasped hold of your own in an ironclad grip.

“MISS ME?!” The Ice Governess screamed, the Master charging up the stairs and dragging you along with him.

“Why don’t you ever listen?” He yelled, almost tripping over the top step.

“Because you always tell me to do stuff I don’t want to do!” You replied, almost tripping over the same step right afterwards.  The Master stopped on the landing, staring at you incredulously as he dropped your hand.

“Oh great, we’re back together two seconds and there’s already a row.”

“We’re what?!” You asked, startled, the Ice Governess close behind.

“MISS ME?!” She hissed again, swiping up the stairs.

“Ok, why does she keep doing that?”

“Mirroring, it’s random mimicry- we need to get on the roof!”

“THIS WAY!”

You grasped the Master's hand once again, dragging him up a second flight of stairs towards the third floor, the Master flailing behind as he resisted the tug of your arm. You pivoted on the landing, pointing wildly at the distant reading nook beneath the large stained glass window.

“That window!”

“Give!” He gestured to the umbrella, which you had no idea you were still holding onto. You threw it in his direction and the Master grabbed it with ease. He headed straight towards the window, clunkily clambering his way through the open glass and planting his feet on the small area of flat roofing between the two gables. You attempted to follow, climbing onto the bench and leaning through the open pane of glass, when you felt your dress bunch up at the side and snag upon the hinges. You tried to pull yourself free, yanking against the resistance, all to no avail. You let out a panicked whine, and the Master spun around in confusion.

“Oi, c’mon, what are you doing?”

“My bustle is stuck!” You replied, yanking harder on the side of the window and sending the Master a panicked expression. 

“Oh, for crying out loud!” The Master rolled his eyes, running over to the window and throwing his arms around your waist and yanking backwards. With two yanks you were pulled free, gravity snatching command of your body as you tumbled forwards on top of the Masters chest, the Timelord ending up flat on his back on top of the snow coated roof.

You gaped down at him, the familiar heat of your blush returning.

“Y’know, things would go so much smoother if you took that dress off.” The Master suggested, his hand resting on the small of your back. You gasped, pulling away and sending him a curious expression.

“And risk me catching my death for your amusement?”

“I’d find it more attractive than amusing, honestly.”

“Right, hold on, I'm so confused.” Raising yourself to stand, you pushed off from the Masters chest. The Timelord stood up, watching as you brushed down your dress and snatched the umbrella from his grasp.

“First you tell me the only reason you’re here is because I got lucky, then you call me your wife again, then you tell me to stay away, then you kiss me and start flirting again.”

“Now?!” The Master yelled, eyes wide.

“You want to discuss all this right now?!”

“Because this is another test, I can feel it! You’re testing me!” You yelled back, gesturing wildly with the umbrella.

“Am I really!?”

“Yes! You’re always playing mind games. This is a test!”

“MISS ME?!” The Ice Governess was once more at the window, growling and snarling with her razor sharp icicle teeth.

“Master, now would be a great time for that plan!”

“Why would I tell you if it’s a test?”

You stared at him in disbelief, eyes widening.

“What?!”

The Master shrugged, folding his arms across his chest.

“If you think this is a test, it’s a test. You think I've got a plan, tell me what it is.”

“What’ll happen if I fail?”

“Well, it’ll kill you, and I'll end up wasting another body.”

“Not good then.”

“Understatement of the century, love. C’mon, do I have a plan?”

The Ice Governess had begun to disappear through the window into a cloud of ice shards, rematerializing herself from the ground up on the roof top, rebuilding herself shard by shard. You looked back towards the Master who was waiting expectantly. You put your mind into action. There had to be clues, you could figure out exactly what he was testing you on. Your chest was pounding as you thought hard, the Masters watching eyes heavy as you slowly began to piece everything together.

“Less than thirty seconds, love. I suggest you hurry or we’ll be dead where we stand.”

Stand. That was it! Where you stand! The lightbulb had officially gone off in your brain.

“If we wanted to escape we’d have gone either down the building or through the back door.”

“Interesting-”

“And if we wanted to hide, we’d be on the other side of the roof.”

“Keep going-”

“But we decided to climb here. Small space, not much room for a run up. But we brought THIS!”

You gestured with the umbrella once again, the Master grinning with devious pride as you swung the umbrella into the sky, the handle hooking itself firmly onto the bottom rung of the ladder. With a grunt you yanked the ladder down to plant its feet on the top of the building, the metal legs sinking into the snow as you brandished the ladder with pride. The Ice Governess had almost completely reassembled herself, the gust of frozen wind floating dangerously through the air.

“Call for a TARDIS?”

The Master hummed triumphantly. 

“Never doubted you for a second.”

“After you.”

“No, after you, I insist.”

You grasped hold of the ladder, laughing at the Master's ever growing grin.

“After you, I’m wearing a dress!”

“Why do you think I’m insisting you first?”

“Master, get up that ladder before I hit you with this umbrella.”

The Master chuckled, grasping hold of the rungs of the ladder and beginning the ascending climb. You watched him creep up higher and higher, tilting your head and smiling as you watched from beneath.

“Those pants do wonders for your ass, Master.”

The Masters ascent paused upon the ladder, his head turning over his shoulder to face you with a scandalised expression.

“Miss Montague, a little professionalism!”

“Never.” You stuck out your tongue in return. The Ice Governess had assumed her full form once again, letting out a beastly howl as she began to shuffle across the roof. With an elegant hop you stood upon the bottom rung of the ladder, clearing your throat and smiling sweetly.

“Termination of life comes with termination of employment, I'm afraid. Check your contract.” You mused, the Ice Governess snarling.

“In other words, get your own job. Cheerio!”

The umbrella tapped twice against the ladder, and you began to ascend up into the skies, the feet of the ladder disturbing the snow once again. The Ice Governess swiped furiously at your feet, growling into the air as you followed the ladder to the very top of the metal platform. The Master's hands were there to catch you, yanking you from the top of the top of the ladder and dragging you towards the base of the grand, spiralling staircase.

“Wait, you can move the cloud?” 

You asked, peering over the railing and watching the Ice Governess squirm. The Master shook his head, pulling you further towards the stairs and hooking the umbrella upon the closest railing.

“Don’t be ridiculous, nobody can move clouds. Anyone who says they can is a liar.”

“But what about the Cyber rain? Missy did it.”

The Master turned his head, visible debate on his face.

“They were Cyber clouds. Totally different. Real clouds? Not a chance. But the wind? Ever so slightly.”

The metal platform suddenly began to jolt, and you grabbed hold of the railing to steady yourself. In the few moments you’d taken your eyes off the Ice Governess, she’d managed to climb onto the ladder and begin scaling each rung. You looked at the Master in fear, the timelord nodding in agreement with something totally unknown.

“Good, she’s following us! Up we go!”

“Why is that a good thing?!” You called after him, the Master already scaling the steps like a madman.

“There’s no snow where we’re going!”

The two of you launched into a full sprint, keeping a tight grip on the bannister to stop yourself from tripping up on either the steps, your dress, or the Masters feet ahead of you. The Ice Governess was almost to the top of her own ladder, the view of London below becoming more and more incredible with each step you took. It was like the city was alive, glowing under the light of street lamps and fires, the denizens keeping as warm as they could on such a cold Christmas eve. You could see the pub from this high, not like anyone below would be able to see you.

“So, how long have you been a governess?” The Master asked, pulling you from your thoughts.

“Oh, not long. A few months?” You replied.

“But you moonlight as a barmaid in a shitty pub?”

“You want to have this chat now?” You asked, mirroring the Master's early sentiment. The Master paused on the stairs, turning his body to face you.

“We can’t chat if we’ve been massacred, can we?”

“You said there’d be no massacre!”

“It was a rare bit of positive optimism on my part, hope you don’t mind.”

You swiftly returned to your ascent, suddenly noticing you’d scaled about 100 steps in a few seconds. You gaped at the skyline, everything around you looking like a miniature model, something the Master would happily display upon one of his many shelves. How could you have possibly gotten so high so quickly?

“I’m barely out of breath!” You called.

“Good, glad to know you’re keeping fit.”

“But how are we so high? We were barely off the ground!”

“Magic staircase.” The Master replied, making you groan.

“Hey, I could’ve said it’s taller on the inside, count your blessings.”

“What exactly is it we’re standing on?” You asked, stepping onto the cloud with far more ease than you did the first time.

 The Master crouched down, sticking his head through the layer of cloud before pulling himself back up again. He pulled the TCE from his pocket with ease, aiming it at the mouth of the staircase. You peered over his shoulder as the layer of cloud began to converge, collecting itself over the beginning of the staircase, forming a protective layer and sealing the entrance to the stairs shut.

“The same technology that kept her on the stairs. Super dense water vapour, that’ll keep her out for a while.”

The Master stood, slipping the TCE back inside his pocket and cracking his knuckles. The TARDIS loomed in the distance, gleaming even with her dirty exterior, a monument on the top of the cloud layer. The Master shoved his hands in his pockets, stepping up the porch steps and pushing open the door to the shack, wandering inside the TARDIS without a care in the world. But you held back, looking through the open doorway, the red glow of the central console looming through the dark of the porch.

 You waited, standing in conflict, your heart pounding a hole in your chest as your gut attempted to dig itself into the centre of the earth. After all this time, a part of you didn’t want to see the inside of the old girl. You didn’t want to know if he’d erased all signs of you. You didn’t want to know if he’d tried to move on.

The Master reemerged from the inside, staring at you curiously. He stood in the doorway, a barrier to the internal glow of the ship. He studied your expression carefully, watching the internal conflict play out with every single microexpression upon the face he’d memorised so well.

“You said if I walked out that door I'd never step foot inside again.” 

Your words broke the silence. The Master nodded, swallowing the lump that had attempted to take refuge within his throat.

“I did. If I recall, I was pretty angry at the time.”

“So was I. You were a bit of a-”

“Short fuse, yeah.” The Master finished. 

You gave a small laugh, a faint sound that bled into the wind. You stood in a deafening silence for what felt like eternity, until the Master softly jutted his head to the side.

“C’mon.” He said quietly. He was inviting you inside. Finally.

You took no time in crossing over towards the porch, the Master stepping inside the TARDIS, allowing you to follow. You stepped over the threshold, feeling the wave of warmth hit your skin, like the heat when you step off an aeroplane. It was tropical compared to outside, the console room still as eclectically cluttered as ever. The piles of previous interests, the posters, the mementos, the projects, the plans. The TARDIS was exactly the same as the day you’d left it. The walls of the ship began to hum, the engines whining and whirring, chirping a welcome. She was obviously glad you were back. She was proclaiming you were home.

“You should’ve heard her last night.” The Master said, leaning against the hexagonal console unit, the square time rotor buzzing with lights.

“I thought she’d blown an engine.”

“You haven’t changed a thing.” You replied. The Master nodded, following your gaze as you admired the walls around you. You spotted a large investigation board in the corner, a small smile crossing your lips. You knew he’d have one of those. Even if it didn’t have-

“I thought the red thread would be a bit much.” The Master said, finishing your thought. You turned to face the Time lord. He’d pushed himself from the console and was now standing in front of you, studying your eyes once more.

“It would’ve been fun.” You replied.

“I would’ve insisted. If I'd been here when you’d put it up.”

“You can be here now, if you want.”

The Master's reply caught you off guard. You felt your lips part, your tongue trying to find the words your brain was currently mixing into an incomprehensible soup. You fought to string together a sentence that could encompass everything you felt, every question you had, every thought that was crossing your mind. Something that would explain everything.

“Why did you stay?” Was the sentence that won.

“You had the TARDIS. You could have left me here, gone off back into the universe, gone back to harassing the Doctor and causing chaos. But you didn’t. You built yourself a magic staircase and a movable cloud, and you stayed. Why?”

The Master pressed his lips into a thin line, and you could tell his mind was attempting the same brew. You could always tell when the Master was thinking and masking his thoughts at the same time, his eyes would squint ever so slightly, his lips would part like he was waiting to announce whatever plan he’d concocted. Instead of a grand plan, a small, earnest smile spread itself across the Master's face. 

“Because I couldn’t leave.” He said in return.

“But you could.”

“No, I couldn’t. I really tried. I left for a day. Right after you’d left, I tried to take myself away. I went and watched a planet burn, some insignificant micro nation. I tried to enjoy their armageddon, I really did. But I couldn’t.”

“Why?” You asked softly. The Master tilted his head, his look practically begging you to figure out the obvious, his mouth unwilling to articulate the thought he was so desperate not to share. You stepped closer, realisation washing over you.

“Because… I wasn’t there?”

“What fun is performing with no audience? Spreading chaos, with nobody there to help?” The Master asked. You already knew the answer.

“I came back, hoping you’d see the error of your judgement and want to come back here, work it all out. But… I might have underestimated your stubbornness.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“Or, maybe I was a little too… cruel. Then, things started happening. Alien, evil things and you know me, never one to let a good bit of chaos go. It was pretty tempting, ending the world at the turn of the twentieth century. But once again, I couldn’t enjoy myself.”

“And because you were bored, you decided to… try and save Earth?”

The Master shook his head awkwardly.

“I like to call it… preserving certain important timelines. I am a Timelord, after all.”

“Hold on.” You said, the small smile upon your face slowly growing into a full grin.

“Preserving timelines? You’ve never cared about the laws of time, that’s your whole thing. Who’s timeline could you possibly care that much about?”

The Masters' all knowing gaze returned, and you felt the knot in your stomach explode into a colony of butterflies. You stepped even closer, your hand reaching to cup the Masters cheek. His skin was warm against your palm. The touch sent a surge of electricity though your skin.

“Master?..” You asked softly. 

“Did you turn down destroying the Earth because It would mean I didn’t exist anymore?”

The Master's lips pressed into a thin line, his stare able to see a thousand yards in front. You could feel the heat burning in his cheeks, every ounce of him squirming with uncomfortable realisation, his shoulders almost reaching his ears.

“That… may or may not have been a factor.” He lied through his teeth.

“You old romantic.”

You laughed softly, reaching to grasp the other side of his face and pull him into a kiss. This kiss was much softer, every word the pair of you had been desperate to say spreading across your lips. The Masters tension disappeared with every second, your foreheads pushing together as you felt your heart finally steady into an easy rhythm. His hands had snaked around your waist, pulling you closer, refusing to let you go. You could sense the warmth he held within his body pass into your own, everything slotting into place exactly where it should be. Everybody slotting into place exactly where they should. When he finally pulled away from your lips, the Master refused to stop. Pressing small, chaste kisses to the side of your mouth, your eyes fluttering shut. Everything felt right again, like the itch you’d been struggling to scratch had been satiated. Like you were home again.

“Travel with me.” The Master whispered between pecks.

“Run away with me. Stay with me.”

Softly, you nodded against his touch, returning his soft kisses with one of your own.

“Yes.” You replied. The Master sighed in content, pulling his face from your own and pressing a kiss to your forehead. 

“I still have your shawl, by the way.” He admitted. You gave a short giggle.

“Thankyou for keeping it safe for me. Next time I have to sneak around, I’ll make sure not to lose any of my disguise.”

“Don’t worry, I think I left my Deerstalker in Doctor Simeon’s office.”

You smiled, watching him excitedly pull away from your person, circling around to the console and fiddling with the buttons and levers, the TARDIS chirping and lighting up with jubilation. 

“Oh love, we’re going to have so much fun. You’ll see. So many places to go!”

You felt yourself fiddling with the chain under your dress, your fingers scratching at the chain that hung loosely around your neck. You pulled it from under your collar, the ring shimmering in the TARDIS light, your heart feeling like it could burst with joy out of your chest. You’d kept it with you for so long, unwilling to part with the most beautiful piece of jewellery you’d ever seen. Reaching for the lobster clasp, you pulled the chain from your neck, the Masters exuberant ramblings a distant sound as you admired the glittering wedding ring. You needed to ask him to put it back on. You needed to do it correctly.

Suddenly, you felt yourself jolting backwards, the ring flying from your grasp and clattering onto the floor. You let out a shocked yelp, the freezing touch of clawed hands wrapped under your shoulders, dragging you back towards the door and out of the TARDIS.

“MISS ME?!” the voice behind you squawked, your eyes widening with fear.

The Master's head shot up from the console, his eyes equally widening in horror as he saw the Ice Governess begin to drag you back towards the edge of the cloud.

“NO!” he shouted, launching himself towards the door, his TCE raised and aimed at the snarling creature of ice.

“Master!” You cried, hand reaching towards the Timelord.

“Get off of me!”

“Let her go!”

The Ice Governess hissed, yanking you harder, your fingers desperately trying to pry her claws from their spot digging into your shoulder.

“The snow learns, I should have realised-” The Master hurriedly uttered. “She’d learnt to resist water vapour after being trapped on the stairs. Let her go!”

“Get off!” You pleaded, your face contorted in fear as you saw the Ice Governess teetering near the edge of the cloud.

“Let her go. Let her go now! NOW!”

“Master!” You cried, mouth parting in a terrified scream.

“NO, Y/N-” the Master yelled, his hand outstretched. If he could just grab hold of you, if he could just pull you back- but the ground disappeared from beneath your feet before he could reach. You felt the wind rushing past your ears as you tumbled to the ground, the distant call of the Master screaming your name. Everything seemed to slow down, the London skyline consuming you as you fell faster and faster, your life flashing before your eyes. Every happy thought, every fear, every nightmare, every dream- every part of you flickered across the forefront of your mind, arm still stretched to the heavens as you collided with the snow covered earth, the world around you disappearing with the wheeze of the TARDIS as the abyss swallowed you whole.

It was a low light that surrounded you the first time you woke again. The soft touch of a palm on your forehead, the gentle caress of a thumb on the back of your hands. Your eyes blinked open, the pain in your head a throbbing percussion, your sense of time thrown to the wayside. But the Master was there, waiting for you, smiling gently as you slowly became acclimated to the familiar sight of the Latimer parlour.

“How’s your head?” The Master asked. 

You turned your head to see Frannie and Digby hugging the maid with a tight grip. You shook your head with a smile.

“Not in front of the children, Master.” You replied, every word as painful as they were cathartic.

“Am I going to die?” You asked. The Master laughed softly.

“Such a mood killer. I was going to keep it light with innuendo and small talk.”

“You never talk small.” You wheezed. The Master grinned.

“See, you still have all your memories. I think you’ll be just fine.”

“How do you know?”

Reaching into his top pocket, the Master produced something shimmering, even in the dark of the parlour. On close inspection you could see it was your ring, having slipped off of the chain after hitting the floor.

“Because I haven’t put this back on your finger. And I'm very persistent when I want things to be done.”

The Master took hold of your hand, ready to slip the ring onto your finger, when your other hand stopped him from doing so.

“You haven’t asked me.” You whispered. “You need to ask me before you put that on.”

The Master huffed lightly out of his nose, leaning in closer and holding up the ring.

“Y/N, will you marry me… again?”

You blinked softly, staring longingly at the ring.

“Are you going to stop the world from ending?” You replied, the Master raising an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that response.

“Preserving the timelines… and all that?”

The Master nodded, finally understanding.

“Maybe. If I do, will you say yes?”

You took the ring from the Masters fingers, clutching the small band between your trembling fingers and holding it longingly within your palm.

“Go save the world, help children, grant Christmas wishes.” You ordered, the Master chuckling at his own words from earlier.

“If you win, I’ll still be here to give you an answer when you get back.”

The Master leaned in closer still, your noses almost touching.

“Is that a promise?”

He asked. You smiled, lifting your finger to draw two crosses over the Masters chest.

“Cross your hearts.”

“You’re supposed to cross your own, Love.” The Master said. You shook your head the best you could.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Master.” You replied, before your eyes fluttered shut once again, the feeling of the Masters lips on your forehead the last sensation in your mind.

The Master returned once more that evening. The cuts and bruises upon his body had managed to heal, leaving behind traces of crimson and memories intangible. He’d worked as fast as he could, defeating the evil with everything he had. He’d returned to the Latimer household just before midnight. But by then you were almost gone. Whatever he’d done to keep you stable had done all it could, and now you were in your final moments.

 The children were crying, the same tears that had melted the snow minutes before. The Master walked towards the Captain, meeting his eyes and taking control.

“You’re going to stand up, and you’re going to comfort your children. You’ll be the father they need right now. When you go to bed, you’ll wake tomorrow and not remember a thing. But you’ll be there when they need you.” He commanded, the Captain blinking as if waking up from the strangest of dreams. 

The Master stepped over the old carpet to stand by your bedside, crouching down to rest his chin on his arms, looking over at the Latimer children who were tearfully looking right back.

“Is she?...” Digby daren’t finish his question. The Master sighed.

“Almost.” 

Frannie let out a small sob, her fathers arms surrounding her as best they could. Which, thanks to the Master, was the best they’d ever been. In their eyes, he saw utter heartbreak. Two children, who’s cries had unknowingly saved the day, sobbing over the one human the Master could bring himself to care for. Pushing aside every piece of hatred he had for humans, and crying, he knew what he had to do.

“Tell me about her.” The Master said. “Tell me about Miss Montague.”

Digby wiped his eyes with his sleeve, looking at the Master with a sniffle.

“She was kind. She always told us stories… totally true ones.”

“What stories did she tell you?” He replied. Digby smiled weakly.

“That she’d been to space.” Frannie mumbled against her fathers chest.

“She said she’d been to every country in the world.”

“And that she lived in a time machine that could take her anywhere she liked, and that she’d fought monsters and robots and met aliens. But I know that it wasn’t true.”

The Master chuckled, smiling at the young boy. How foolish. How human. How wonderfully presumptuous.

“Oh, but it is.” He replied. “Every story’s true. Your governess is really a time traveller. She’s really my wife, and we live in a ship called the TARDIS. And guess what?”

“What?” The two children asked. The Master's smile widened.

“I’m an alien.”

“No way.” Digby whispered in disbelief. The Master nodded, chuckling.

“Yes way, Digby. I’m from a distant planet in the stars. I have two hearts, and I'm nearly 2000 years old.”

“But you don’t look old.” Frannie said. The Master smirked.

“I’ve got a good Doctor.” He said, a joke only he would understand.

“She told you about my ability to hypnotise people, but I also have a power that keeps me alive. It’s a power that means every time I get hurt, I can fix it. See?” The master pointed to the ghost of a cut on his forehead. All that was left was a dribble of dried blood. The wound was completely healed.

“But sometimes, I get hurt pretty badly. Or I get really, really old. Then I have to change my entire body. I may act a little differently, but I’m still me. It’s called regeneration.”

“Is Miss Montague an alien?” Digby asked softly. The Master chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, Digby. Just me.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Frannie asked, sitting up in the Captain's arms.

The Master stood over your bedside, your chest rising and falling in only the faintest rhythm. He pushed the hair from your face, tucking it behind your ear and brushing down the side of your face. He turned once more to look at the Latimer children, raising his right hand lightly in the air.

“Because, humans, I'm about to do something incredible. And nobody will ever believe you.”

Ever so slowly, the Master began to wiggle his fingertips, his eyes fluttering shut as he concentrated hard. The children watched in wonder as the Master's hand began to be engulfed in a glittering, golden glow, the ethereal shimmer floating into the air and travelling down the Timelords arm. He gave a small grunt as the regeneration energy began to shimmer through his other hand, the energy coursing through his body like the warm kiss of the sun, the heat touching every part of his body as he focused desperately on what he needed to do. The Master leant down towards your face, his glowing hands taking soft purchase of your cheeks, the once silent room alight with the hum of regeneration. 

“You better have a good answer for me after this.”

Gently, the Masters lips connected with your own, his nose slotting beside your own as he focussed on what he wanted. He felt the beat of your heart within his mind, his desire stitching you back together, his will making you whole. He was the Master, and even if you weren't going to obey him, the powers of regeneration certainly were.

 He couldn’t remember what number body he was on. He’d been through that many, stealing some and mutilating others.  He’d abused his regenerative capabilities to a degree that would make even Rassilon impressed. But now, he needed them to be accurate more than ever. He kissed until he had no air left in his lungs, pulling away from your body with hope etched across his expression.

 He waited, the single moment feeling like a lifetime, his gaze not turning away from you for a second.

The clock in the parlour struck the final knell of 12. It was Christmas morning.

Your eyes flew open with a start.

You gasped for air, the world knitting itself back together through your eyelashes, the exhale of relief that escaped the Master enough to blow over the strongest of structures. Your fingers reached to clutch the Master's hands, the ring laying perfectly upon your chest.

“I saved the world. It’s a bloody Christmas miracle” The Master whispered above you.

“It felt pretty strange, though. After Missy and tonight, I don’t think I want to do it again.”

You laughed quietly, your sense of self returning once more, the sensation of the Masters lips still lingering on your own. Lingering with the sensation of hope. Of life. Something the Master didn’t usually excel in. But he often worked in mysterious ways.

“And I saved you. Not to rush your reincarnation, but I still don’t have an answer…”

The Master lifted the ring from your chest, holding it between his fingers. You chuckled softly, raising your hand to meet it.

“Yes.” You replied. “Yes, yes, yes.”

The Master grinned victoriously, sliding the ring upon your finger. Back where it belonged.

“I feel like I could run a marathon.”

You admitted, smirking deviously as the Master leaned in closer.

“Or, do something else.”

The Master gave a side glance to Frannie and Digby, who were still staring at the Master in amazement. The maid had fainted once more, and Captain Latimer was still under the Master's spell, whether he knew it or not. The Master turned back towards you with a raised eyebrow.

“Miss Montague, not in front of the children.” He chastised. 

You gave a small giggle. It was music to the Masters ears.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

OKAY STRAIGHT UP THIS FEELS TOO SOON, WATCHING TWO IN A DAY FEELS LIKE SO MUCH WITH THIS BUT HEY LETS KEEP ON SCHEDULE AND MAKE UP FOR MISSING LAST WEEK TO MYSELF

TIME FOR LMK SES 4 EP 7

First of all last ep was whack still trying to analyze what the heck was going on with Mk being crafted from Monkey Kings stone or something, like did I MENTION THE WONDERING IF SOMEONE MADE HIM AS A BACKUP IN CASE SWK GOES WHACK AGAIN? BECAUSE?? HECK MAN THAT’D BE CRAZY I’M JUST SITTING HERE LETS GO

okay iNHALES

here we go

THE DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN THAT HAPPENS IMMEDEATELYGBDFMSDF

PITIFUL CREATURES

OKAY

HELLO SMILEY INK MK HOWS IT BOPPIN

WHATS THE MATTER GUY

HELPGNSDFKMAOIEFM

“y… yeah actually that’s exactly what i want! :D “

;-;

well heck then ig

no more monster of the week adventures ;-;

“You’re not my friend, YOU’RE NOT ME”

HECK I’M HAVING A MOMENT OVER THIS IG

OH THE STAFF YESSSS

BEST FRIEND? HELP???GHL;SDFSD

OH THIS IS FUN

WHERE YOU GOING GUY?

UP ALL INSIDE OF MY HEAD

HORRIFYING THIS IS GREAT

I’M LOVING THIS

THIS IS AWESOME ACTUALLY SO SORRY YOU’RE GOING THROUGH THIS MK BUT THIS IS GREAT

I’M JUST MK, NOODLE DILIVERY GUY, WITH THE- POWERS FO THE MONKEY NO BIGGIE GBSDLFJASDFJ

OKAY INK MK BEATING UP REGULAR MK WOW THAT WAS A PUNCH

DANG

WILDIN

okay like at this point iv’e stopped having thoughts and am Just kinda watching heck HGSALK;JFASDF

AH YES BACK TO THE CREW

WHATS UP MY BELOVEDS

MEI’S ON A MISSION HERE HGSLDKFJSDF

I miss Ao lei ;-;

TANGEY GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME

GRAVE DIGGING HELP

MA’AM

TANG?????

BUDDY????

OH TANG BUDDY

AW

SANDY

HECK

THIS IS GOOD

SANDY IS SUCH A MISSING PUZZLE PIECE CALIMMING EVERYBOYD DOWN

AIR

MONKEY KING

MISS YOU

ma’am i love yo you’re great

MONKEY KING???

DO WE GET??

oh bruh

that

HECK?? A CRACK IN THE SKY???

HECK??

OH MK INK FIGHT FIGHT FIHGT FIGHT

STUFF MK DOESN’T WANT OT THINK ABOUT HUH THAT’S FAIR

OFC I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT

MAYBE

PLS WHY

YEAH

HECK

JUST WANTS TO BE MK

HECK MAN I’M JUST SITTING HERE

OH THE LBD VOICE MOMENT

THIS INK THING SNATCHING THE STAFF

OH WOW FIRE PUNCH THERE

WE HELP PEOPLE, I MEAN I HELP PEOPLE

OH THE SCROLL FR SLAPPIN

THIS IS GONNA HAUTN MY NIGHTMARESNGLSMKFMWEOMF

OH WHAT A MIS-MATCH OF ALL THE STUFF MK’S FOUGHT AND THEN INK MONKEY HEAD THIS IS

I LITERALLY JUST GOTTA SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO THEM TALK IT/FIGHT IT OUT HECKGN;SLFKS

WHOAH HEY

HEY I SAW THAT

MONKEY FR

RIGHT THERE

OH THAT’S NEAT

SO WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE MONKEY MK IN THIS HUH

aw man is he yellow? :T LOOK IT LOOKS WEIRD OKAY WHERE’S THE MONKEY NOSEG;LKSMFWF

i can’t believe i get a single glimpse of the design and I’m nitpicking it SORRY I’M JUST GOING HTROUGH IT AND AND GRASPING AT STRAWS TO FEEL NORMALGL;DSMDS

SCREAMS

I JUST SAT THROUGH ALL OF THAT MONKEY KING SIR MATE MAN WE SAW HIM FOR A SECOND I DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD HECK OKAY MONKEY MK FR I FEEL LIKE I NEEED TO GBAC K AND TO THROUGH ALL THAT FRAME BY FRAME HANG ON

THE STOP

HECK

CRACKS IN IT

WILDIN LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON

YEAH BOIIIII THAT’S WHAT I’M TLAINGABOTU JHECKIGN  

KID

MONKEEEYYYY

HECK

THERE HE IS

I DIDN’T THINK HE’D SHOW UP OH MY GOSH ITS HIM

MONKEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYY

HECK WHATS HAPPENIGN

HOW’D WUKONG GET OUT OF THE CURSE TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON

OH WOW THAT’ S A LOT OF PWOER

BUT ITS FINE

HECKIN

I AM

HECK MAN MK JUST SO RELIEVED TO SEE HIM

WOW THAT’S A GIANT

HECKING

THINK MONSTER

YEAHAHHHH

CREW BACK

WB WB

WELCOME BACK

I LIKE THE ENERGY

HELPGNL;SDKFMDS

CURSE GIANT

OH BOY WUKONG LIKE WDYM THIS GUY HEY BRING THE MONKEYS BACK

AW

OH WOW

CIRCLET

SHUT UP BACK OFF

CIRCLET

MONKEY KING GO BRRRRRR

DARN RIGHT

OH THIS IS GREAT

HECK

HOW’S THIS GOING TO END I’M SCREAMIGN

I’M SO AFRAID OF THAT CIRCLET RIGHT THERE

NO

THIS CURSE THING FR PULLING ABSOLUTELY NO PUNCHES

THE FLASHES OF THE CIRCLET DUDE HECK

A H ???

OH MY GODS???

I’M GONNA CRY????

THE AO LEI??

WALKING PAST??

HAND ON HIS SHOULDER??

AND THEN IT’S MEI

TALKIGN

YEAH HECK

OH MY GODS THIS FR

YEAH

YEAH I’MA CRY FR

FAKING IT TILL WE MAKING IT SO YOU BETTER BE TAKIN IT S O N

TH

HECK

HECK DUDE

THIS IS KILLING ME

THE

LOOK

L O O K

ITS THE CREW

IN THEIR NEXT LIFE

AND THE HANDS ON MONKEY KINGS SHOUDLERS

THIS IS KILLING ME FR

GET EM BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

OH MAN COLOURFUL MOMENT

OH B R U H

HARBENGOR OF CHAOS??

HELLO??

STOP TALKIGN

SO TRUE

GET EM

WELP THERE HE IS

THERE HE ISSSSSSSSSS

MONKEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

OH THAT’S BEAUTIFUL

THEN PROVE US WRONG

THAT

Y’KNOW

WHAT

THAT DOLOGUE IS SO GOOD

AND PIGSY “TAHT’S MY BOY!”

THIS IS GREAT

OH BOY

NO

KILL HIM

BITES

GRRGGRGGRR SUS MAN

GET EM

GET RID OF HIM

SUS LION

EAT THIS SUCKAH

HE’S JUST STANDING THERE I PAUSED IT I WANT HIM GONE PLEASE DONT’ BE EVIL I THINK YOU’RE AT LEAST GONNA CALL MK A MONSTER OR OSMETHING HECK

YEAH STANIDNG PROTECTIVELY

ME

SNAP

HECK BACK OFF NOOOOO

MONKEEEYYYYYY

MONKEY KING

DID HE JUST SNATCH MONKEY KING

HE JUST SNATCHED HECKING MNKEY KING

YEAH HEY JERKFACE BRING THE MONKEY BACKJ

HECK YOU GUYS I DIDNT’ THINK WE’D GET ANY MONKEY KING CLIPS BUT WE DID

HECK JUST

THE WAY HE APPROACHED MK WITH THE LIEK “YOU SEEM TO BE DOING FINE RIGHT?” JUST

HECK

DUDE

WORRIED BUT NERVOUS FEARFUL LAUGHIGN YOU’RE FINE RIGHT?

THAT JSUT HECK MAN

HECK

DUDE

WHAT THE CRAP

AND THIS IS ONLY EP 7???

THIS FEELS LIKE AN EP TEN

OH MY HECK HECKGLFSDFM

OKAY THAT WAS A LOT

I LIKED THE DIOLOGUE BETWEEN MK AND INK MK

HECK

THE

A LOT OF THAT WOULD BE HIS THOGUHTS

AND THEN THE INK MK BEING OKAY AND JUST “then prove us wrong” BECAUSE MK

HECK

EHCK I’M HAVING THOUGHTS ABOTU THAT EBING MK’S INTERNAL DIOLOGUE TO HIMSELF ITS FINE

THE WHOLE JTTW CREW MAKING AN APPERANCE, THE AO LEI BIT REALLY GOT ME HE’S SO WONDERFUL AND SWISHY AND LIVES IN MEI PROBABLY HECKIGN REINCARNATION STUFF AND I’M IN PIECES AND I ADORE HIM AND HER AND THEM AND EVERYONE AND JUST HECK THIS REALLY DOES MAKE THE SAMADHI FIRE BIT HIT JUST AS HARD AS I THOUGHT IT DID WITH WUKONG LOOKING UP AND MEI YELLING AND FEELING LIKE THAT’S AO LEI YELLIGN CAUSE THEIR DRAGONS LOOK SIMIALR AND THAT’S TENCICALLY HIM IN THE NEXT LIFE AND ALL THIS HECKING STUFF I’M FINE Y’ALL I’M ALL GOOD THERE WSA SO MUCH THAT HAPPENED IN THIS ONE

THE CIRCLET BIT

YOU GUYS THE CIRCLET THAT BETTER NOT SHOW UP AGAIN I SWEAR

THEY FR WENT THROUGH ALL THAT TO GET THEIR FRIENDS AND MONKEY KIGN OUT AND THEN HE JUST GETS SUCKED RIGHT BACK INTO IT BY HECKIGN AZUE PIECE OF CRAP SQUARE UP YOU BRAIDED JADED LOSER I’LL FIGHT YOU MYSELF

THE FACT DESTINY CONTINUES TO BE A THING THROUGHOUT ALL THIS AND THE LIKE DEFYING DESTINY AND THE ECHOS OF LBD AND THE FEARS OF HSI FRIENDS THINKING HE’S A MONSTER AND WILL TURN ON HIM AND SEEING THE FRIENS SQUARE OF AGAINST INK HIM WOULD MAKE IMAGING THAT SO MUCH EASIER AND THE FLICKING INBETWEEN HIMSELF AND MONKEY HIMSELF AND WUKONG STAYING CLOSE TO MK AND SHEILDING HIM AND HTE MONKEY MK (heck I’m gonna make a couple monkey edits right away to at least give him an one his face looks so empty hgslk;fjsadf) AND THE SLOW MO BIT WHEN HE’S DIVING AND HOW HECKING BEAUTIFUL THAT LOOKS I DESPERATELY NEED TIO USE THIS IN AN AMV OF SOME KIND HECK AND HTEN HE’S BACK TO FLICKERING THEN HECKING AZURE *STABS HIM STABS HIM STABS HIM STABS HIM* WUKONG IMMEDEATLEY SHEILDING MK AND THE CREW FROM THIS GUY, THE LIP CURLED DISGUISTED LOOK ON AZURES FACE SHUT UP DUDE SHOVE UR FACE IN THE DIRT, WUKONG LOOKING BACK PANCKED I AM NOT OKAY, MK FLICKERING AND THEN MEI TAKING MONKEY KINGS PLACE SHEILDING MK IMMEDEATELY BECAUSE THEY ALL KNOW THIS DUDE’S SKETCHY AS HECK BUT MK STILL DOESN’T KNOW WHATS GOING ON AND HECK HECK EHCKE HECK ARE THEY OUT OF THE SCROLL NOW? IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE OUT OF THE SCROLL, MONKEY KINGS STILL IN THERE THE BRUH WANTS TO KEEP HIM TRAPPED AND TAKE HIM SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING DOESN’T HE AAAAAAA STABS HIM STABS HIM STABS HIM, SQUARE UP LION FACE, FACE MY WRATH YOU BLUE GUMBALL- OKAY

OKAY

WE’RE GOOD WE’RE FINEEEEEEE I’M GONNA LOSE MY MIND NEXT WEEK HUH, THIS IS EP 7 THERE’S THREE MORE LEFT HECK, OKAY OKAY, WATCHING IT WITH MY BROS AND LOSING IT WITH THEM IG, I’M HAVING A MOMENT WE COOL WE CHILL TTYL KNOX OUT

[tparker48]

Request for ptardens

"You sure your dad's fine with us being in here"

"Of course im sure, he lets us in here when we were kids didn't he"

"Yeah but but we're 20 now. We can't just-"

"It'll be fine. Now keep it down, our shows on" jared turned on the tv as the football game turned on. Making sure to turn it down halfway as the they kept an eye on the door. They say there for an hour as the opposing team had the ball. Each blocking the opposing team from intercepting as they tried to make an opening. It was a tight spot to be in as the quarter back peddled backwards. Not seeing a single player open as among them all. But there was one that was open as they slipped through their opponents grasp. Giving them the opening they needed. But as the quarterback began to throw the ball, Jared's dad walked in as the door swung open.

"Thought i'd catch you two in here. Jared, didn't I tell you to make sure the lawn was done before the sun gets high. Half the grass out there still needs shaving!"

"Come dad lighten up a little, we were just taking a slight break. Its no biggy"

"It is if you don't want to start paying rent. You live here, you gotta work for it" his dad scorned. Jared only mumbled in response as he got up.

"I'll be back, just..tell me what I miss from the game"

"You got it, you'll be done in no time" lois fist bumped jared as him and his dad left the room to head to the lawn. As the door closed, Louis would turn his back towards the tv as the he observed the score once more. Watching the players go at it as they chased the ball up and down the field. But he started to feel drowsy as his eyes began to blink constantly. His head began to slip between his hands and his body began to het heavier. "Man, been sitting for so long, I can't keep my vision straight" he gazed at the window as he looked at jared and his dad. His dad would be barking orders at him as jared mowed lawn.

"Well there not going anywhere soon" he yawned "might as well take this time to get some rest" louis laid in the center of the bed as he stared at the ceiling. His vision starting to het more heavier as his eyes began to droop. After a few seconds, he took in a deep breath before letting his body take over. His mind beginning to feel lighter as everything went dark. His mind would be racing as flashes of light zoomed past his eyes. His body seemed lighter the deeper he went, the sound of the T.V seeming to fade into the noise before everything went silent.

When he came to, he noticed that something felt off. The T.V would sound the same, but there was a sudden boom to it. "Nah, back already? That was fast" he yawned "hey, do you think you turn that down. The TV's too loud" he asked, but no one responded back. Curious on why they didn't, he peaked an eye open as he looked forward "hey, are you guy even..listening?" He gazed at the T.V as it stood in its position ahead of the bed. It was the size of a building at height he was. Looking at the bed, the it stretched almost a mile as he the edges seemed longer. "What hell happened to me?" He pondered. But he soon felt the world thud as he looked through the door. As it creaked open, as a large figure entered the room. It was Jared's dad as he stood in the frame. Looking over at the mattress before looking at the the TV.

"Louis, you in here? You left the tv on"

"Im down here!" He yelled from the bed. But wasn't picked up by him as he moved to the bed.

"He must have left when we got started. He's usually here when Jared is. Heh, i guess not when it comes to chores. But ah well, hee probably went home. But now that the rooms empty.." Unfastening his belt "i can get comfortable"

"What's he doing?"

"Time for these to come off" with a gesture, he pulled the belt from his pants as he tossed it to the side. The loose jeans coming off with it as they dropped to the floor. He shook his waist as the wind welcomed his thighs. Motivating him to walk around the room as he went to change. "Hmm, no fresh pairs of underwear. Ah! Jared, i told him its his turn for laundry duty" shaking his head, but soon gave a stressed sigh "well then, guess I gotta go nude til they get done" gliding his briefs off, he dropped them to the floor as sweat still stained the center. His upper half would be covered by his shirt, but his lower half would be fully exposed as bare muscle casted overhead.

"Oh come man, why do you have to do that now!" Louis covered a hand over his eyes as Jared's dad finished undressing. But he soon had to look back up at him as the sudden view of his ass came towards the bud "woah woah woah! Don't sit down!" He yelled as turned to run. But didn't get far as the large mass crashed to the floor. Everything went dark as felt himself hit the bed. But his back would be against the large crack as he feel the surrounding muscle burrow into the bed. Sinking him deeper as the muscle pulsed and rocked over head. "Sir!" He muffled.

"Aaah, after some work, the cool feeling when your skin touches the bed never felt more satisfying" he sat down more into the cushion but could see to get comfortable as something protruded at his rear "hmm, maybe too satisfying" he shifted more as he rotated his body around. His glutes spreading out more in each turn as the surface of the bed heated up. It was a simple adjustment to jared's dad, but it was a chaos for Louis. With each rotation, his body would spun bettween the mounds of muscle. The walls knocks into him as their sponged surfaced bopped him deeper between the them. The space between would begin to cramped, the asshairs would begin to tangle around limbs, and the outside surface started to darken.

"Dang it! Stop it already" Louis gritted in tight space, his body laid side ways as his head turned to the light underneath. The shuffling still going on as the area lit up before darkening constantly. But the light would seem to glow less and less the deeper he got. The muscles would begun to overlap, the he felts a moving wall begin to press at his shoulder as weight getting to put pressure. It was only then would Jared's dad stop as he leaned into the bed.

"That's better, nothing a little shimmy can't fix. Gotta say, this bed really feels more comfy. Hmm..kinda think of it, it doesn't seem quite right. There's something im missing.."

"Check...your ass" Louis muffed as the stair at the dampened light in between. His arm wouldn't budge as it stuck out of the blubbery surface. But he something could move his inner arm. He wanted to turn and see why, but the glutes held his head unless he wanted a face filled with muscled walls still coated in sweat. So he felt around dark space, feeling around it as felt the bushes of of hair. The seemed to be moving as they moved away from his hand. Feeling around more, he felt around around the base as he felt what seemed to be folds. He pinched around it as it pulled back in reaction. "Naah, i know what that is" he began to move his hand his hand back, but something him. The more he pulled, his arm would be pulled back with the same amount of force. "Come. On!" His pull would turn to jerks as move around the space. Hitting the sensitive surface between as the area suddenly compressed. His face would be enveloped by muscle as his yells absorbed into them. He did his best to free himself. But their grip was like a vice.

"Lousy bed springs, really got to get them reply. And this cushion's still doesn't feel right. It feels warm, yet cold. Aah, That's what im missing. A little bit of the old charm" sitting himself up, he clenched his body as he felt something bubble inside. I traveled through the cavern of his intestines before he felt his rectum begin to swell. A gurgle would follow it as it rumbled his body. Louis knowing what was coming next, but couldn't get out from underneath to escape. With a squeeze, Jared's dad pushed inward as a bubble squeezed out his ass. Forming in air pocket in the center of his crack before it popped. Clapping the glutes together as heated the bed.

"There it is, just how I like. Nice and warm. Speaking of warm. How the yard looking" Jared's dad would flipped on his belly as he stared at the window. Peaking through the blinds as he gazed at the yard . it was almost finished, but a patch of tall grass would stick out from the corner. "Now where'd he run off to?" The door would suddenly open as Jared walked in.

"Hey dad, the lawn mower ram out of gas before I could finish. Do have anymore in gara-OH!"

"Definitely I teach you how to knock boy. Im unwinding in here"

"Why would be bare like that?! I thought Louis was in here!"

"Well he left. Now close the door!"

"Sorry! Geez that's not what I wanted to see" Jared says closing the door.

"Let it be a reminder. Think of my ass next time you forget to do laundry! Even as an adult he's a handful. Got me all riled up" he scratched his ass as he lifted up one cheek. Lightening the pressure off of Louis as he took the opportunity to crawl out. But as he stuck a hand out to climb to the outside, the cheeks slapped back together as he slapped at the thick muscle to get hus attention. "I need a nap. All this stress is giving me a headache" he reached for the covers s he rotated his body on his side and pulled them over himself. Covering it over his ass as Louis let out one last muffle.

"Sir!" Louis muffled from under the fabric, but only received another blast as the area inside heated up. Jared's dad putting his all into it as he forced it out. Making it hiss in processed as his rectum deflated.

"Mmm, never get tired of that" he mumbled before shutting his eyes.

[i-simp-for-gintoki]

Gojo, Yuji, Megumi reacting to their s/o being injured and not noticing

“Uh How About Gojo , Yuji , Megumi React With S/O that have High Pain Tolerance Like They Don't Realize That They Have Really Bad Injury Until Someone Point It Out To Them?” -anon

I dont have megumi on my character list but i’ll still try to write him!

 Also look at me using warnings cause my friend yelled at me for not using them before 

But was there really a reason to use them before??

Warning: mentions of blood and injuries, its really not that descriptive tho

Gojo Satoru:

He knew you were strong and knew that you were more than capable of taking care of yourself

Which was really nice for him because he doesn’t need his mind filled with pointless worrying

But every now and then you guys see a curse that gives a bit of a challenge (not for him tho) and end up receiving a few injuries

“Guess whos back?” you called out

Walking to the front door to greet you, gojo’s smile faltered a bit as he laid eyes on you

There was just a giant piece of metal stabbed into the back of your shoulder

“Welcome back. I see your going for a new look. Have to say im not the biggest fan” he says putting his shoes on

Raising a brow you question his wording and where he’s going

“We are going to go and see Shoko”

“Huh? Why”

Gojo points to your shoulder and you let out a surprised noise as you finally see the problem

“When did that get there?!” you yell 

How you didn’t notice this before was beyond Gojo

“This explains why Ichiji was freaking out so much then” you say going to remove it but gojo stops you

“You might not feel it but lets have a professional help you okay?” 

“But whyyy” “becausssseee” he says using the same tone as you

“It’s smarter” 

“Woah, Satoru using his brain? Maybe im not the one who should be getting checked out”

He chuckles as he opens the door for you. “Mean. Now lets go”

Sighing you nodded your head and both went off to see Shoko

Itadori Yuji:

Gojo had sent you two to clear out a building of curses

It was relatively easy

There was one or two curses that gojo failed to mention but you both still exorcised it

Meeting back up with you on the first floor his happy smile immediately dropped

“What happened?!” he yells running over to you

“Huh? Oh one of the curses ripped my school jacket, no biggie” you shrug and look down at your stomach

The white shirt you wore underneath the uniform was completely red and shredded

“Ah”

“Don’t ‘ah’ me! Thats really bad!” he says sitting you down

He pulls out some emergency aid and does his best to patch you up

“Did you seriously not notice??”

“Not at all, i just have a high pain tolerance”

“I think this is more than having a ‘high pain tolerance’, theres something missing up there”

“RUDE”

“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT”

“No hugs and kisses for a day” “No fair! Er-enough about that for now, we gotta let Gojo-sensei properly patch you up”

“Honestly, Yuji. I’m fine”

“No you’re not!”

Fushiguro Megumi:

Similar to Yuji, you guys had just finished a mission and were meeting back up

Seeing your state his blank look turned more surprised

Head bleeding and one shoulder clearly out of place, that didn’t stop you from smiling brightly

“That was pretty easy right Megumi? Since we did this under an hour Gojo-sensei owes us ice cream”

He deadpans 

“Are you serious?” he asks making you nod your head

“Of course! I want my f/f icecream!” “No not about that, are you just going to ignore your injuries?”

“Injuries?” he sighs and walks over to bandage your head

“You’re heads bleeding and im pretty sure your shoulder is dislocated” “Oh wow” “how did you not notice??” 

You pause and look like your genuinely in thought

“Maybe it was the adrenaline?” “Theres adrenaline and theres being completely unaware that your seriously injured” he says wrapping your head a bit tighter than necessary

“Should i just pop it back in?” you ask gesturing to your shoulder  “i’d rather you let a pro do it”

 “like gojo sensei?” “I wouldn’t trust him with this…”

“You wanna do it? I probably wont even flinch” 

He denies your request since he doesn’t want to make it worse

“Aww, Megumi you do care about me” “what makes you say i dont? Of course i care! Especially if your injured” he says with tinted cheeks

You laugh and give a quick kiss on the cheek much to his annoyance

“Lets go get that icecream” “injuries first”

 “how boring”

[organic-guacamole]

episode 209 spoilers below

I'm so late today but here it is

I love EJ, he's finally learning to be happy. I'm so proud.

Ms Jenn = every boomer during zoom calls, like jeez yes we can hear you stop shouting at me.

LOVE THE SUBTLE JOKE ABOUT QUARANTINE "these dark times" "you mean spring break?"

ah yes, remember when we thought covid was just gonna give us a longer spring break? good times

SEBLOS

damn the passive aggressiveness from Carlos and the absolutely over it tone from seb✋

CASWELL COUSINS!!!!! THEY'RE THE BEST!!!!

we needed more if this kind of goofiness for the first part of season 2 that only such an iconic duo can provide.

old old movies-

is it even that old, or is Nini being a gen alpha rn-

i choose to imagine EJ being scared of the movie and hiding in Ashlyn's shoulder while she keeps a straight face and then EJ pretending to be tough afterwards

aww redlyn are soulmates.... yknow, if gingers had souls

(please ignore me)

y'all saw how EJ's face *lit up* when Gina logged on? how dare you tell me he doesn't like her

ofc she's no damsel in distress, she's Gina porter, she's amazing.

so do we think she'd be the type to just glare at suspicious people? or bark at them

do they not know that Rini broke up? or is Ms Jenn just wanting Nini to suffer through her heartbreak to make her a better actress....

speaking of, why is Nini in the call? she's not in the show anymore. Unless she is, even after the rose and the song got cut, which would be so unfair to all those that auditioned properly before she even came back but whatever, she's the main character I get it 🙄

big red is a hero honestly, Nini better thank him for changing the subject like that

I can't-

i won't work you over the break-

this woman would 100% work her kids 24/7 if it was legal and idk how to feel about it.

YES GINA USE THAT CHARM

QUEEN

FRENCH QUEEN

SHE LEARNT FROM THE BEST (antoine obvi)

smh the airport lady, eavesdropping on Gina's call.

The way she was so happy to answer EJ's call, "eej"

I love them your honour.

EJ WITH PAINTED NAILS YES PLEASE

great now we need to see Gina, Ashlyn and EJ having a complete spa day and EJ getting really into it and Gina and Ashlyn take pictures of him when he's laying down in a robe with a mask and cucumbers on his eyes.

finally we get to see Gina's side of portwell

the way she considered it as flirting, this is the sign she asked for in episode 6 come onnnnn

no is Asher/jack really doing tiktok dances in an airport-

Ricky is me. I am burrito.

oh Lynne, sweetie, I'm sorry but the blonde hair is not it

is that even the same lady or-

THE BEAN

THE CHICAGO BEAN

THE BIG OLD METAL BEAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY 😭

jetlag is my go to excuse for anything... I haven't travelled in 2 years.

"welcome to the Lynne and Mike gossip show. where we talk about our depressed son that we both neglect in certain ways! And now a word from our sponsor, Nord VPN..."

SO MANY CANDLES

WHAT DEMON IS LYNNE TRYING TO SUMMON IN HIS ROOM-

is Nina becoming social media obsessed EJ from season 1? AND SHE LIED ABOUT HAVING SONGS TOO PLEASE WHY ARW THEY RECYCLING THE SAME PLOT-

Gina smiling at the picture of her family on Instagram makes me so happy, idek why.

EJ's nails are so pretty, we needed to see it more (unless he had it on for the rest of the episode and I just.... didn't notice🧍🏽‍♀️)

oh not the tiktok kid✋

yes ma'am end this strange mans whole tiktok career

sir take a hint and leave

GINA NO DONT SAY YOUR LAST NAME HE COULD BE A HUMAN TRAFFICKER

Ricky, walking in style✨

weird kid, ok then Lynne, can't you see he's this close to the edge?

not all your fault baby Ricky, Nini sucks a bit more

RICKY YOU DIDN'T COME DOWN HARD ON THE SONG-

YOU ASKED WHAT IT WAS ABOUT AND SHE SHUT YOU DOWN-

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF

ok but the deleting comment thing was very bad

still don't know if I like Jack honestly

hmmm so Nini's calling herself Nini instead of Nina in her little egg seat, while trying to write a song without inspiration.... Nini, honey, Ricky was your muse, he inspired you to write all those songs, even if it wasn't good for the relationship.

that doesn't mean you gotta get back with him, or that you can't write a song that not about him butttt it'll take some time

the rainbow sticker in her box and her rainbow shirt-

anyways wbk she's not totally straight

Jack are you a criminal?

quick, Gina, check his ankle for a tracker

THE YES AND PRACTICE STRIKES AGAIN

the way Gina wasn't into it in episode 6 but she's used the technique twice now

stole her grandma's Pomeranian-

Jack where the hell did you pull that out from-

the fake crying killed me, that looks like so much fun though

anyone wanna raid a first class lounge with me?

wait so is jack not gonna go in with her?

wouldn't he go in too? help look for the credit card? SO CONFUSED

the first class lounge guy was so into the drama though, watch his face when they start arguing 😭

sorry to break this to you Kourtney, but you haven't even blocked the second act yet soooo...

take that as you will

I love how all of them are totally dissing the dance off

that's the most realistic part of this show tbh

shouldn't Nini have asked how she knew....since the start? why is the fact that her best friend has knowledge of a North high secret now dawning on her...

Howie is sweet honestly, at least he's trying to help. but I stand with Kourtney, don't take him back just because he sang an amazing song, and is giving you a heads up on what's gonna happen...

KOURTNEY IS ME TRYING TO LEAVE AN ONLINE CLASS

I hate school

ooo Nini's writing a song about bad internet connection 🤩🤩🤩

I never lie, except when I do-

son that is the creepiest thing you could say to a stranger that you've been "helping"

2 truths and a lie👀

he's an Ariana fan 100%

called it.

OLDER BROTHER-

WHAT-

free spirit? damn so brother porter was in that horse movie

so has she been kissed or not?????????

I feel like she's moved more than 15 times though so possibly

but then if she's moved so much, and before east high she never opened up to anyone, she's never been kissed then?? damn

same though Gina so let's be besties please

heartbreak president is a great song title idea, give Nini a call rn

but wait

is the no strings attached feeling thing about her telling Ricky she liked him? she thought she was moving away so she thought it'd be no strings attached???

guys I think I figured it out insert the "I've connected two dots" meme

THE DUKE SWEATSHIRT

IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S

OMG I LOVE I LOVE

NOT THAT I KNOW OF???

ma'am did you just kill me

yes you did

Lynne and Ricky have such a weird relationship

YES IT DID SUCK

TODD SUCKS

LYNNE SUCKS

yeah I get that you wanted Ricky to like Todd BUT THAT WASN'T THE TIME

right so we already know that Ricky was so desperate to keep Nini cuz he didn't want to be like his parents, and now Lynne's talking about this-

Richard needs a long hug

yes Lynne, it is your fault. thank you for finally admitting it.

YES DYE YOUR HAIR

BLOND HIGHLIGHTS RICKY WILL RISE AGAIN

"sometimes the best, last thing you can do for someone you love, is let them go."

gotta admit I teared up at that point

not me thinking big red was calling ms Jenn cupcake for a hot second-

Carlos please omg, you're at the "beach" and they're leaving for the pool?

also, why not just do the call from the hotel room please omg

"don't ask me"

"Carlos"

OMG WHAT HAPPENED

big red wants the tea

O M G

SEB IS JEALOUS

JEALOUS SEBBY IS MY FAVOURITE THING IDC

I'm surprised ms Jenn knew how to give Nini permission to screenshare tbh

So lily's been stalking the East high kids and spending time editing this video while she's supposedly in an immersion trip.... right

EJ and Ashlyn's picture is so chaotic, what even is happening there

"slacking off" bestie its spring break, obviously they're confident enough that they'll get it done in time so why not focus on your own musical.

jealous seb = sassy seb

please what if those guys Carlos is posing with are his cousins or something and that's why he's so confused about Seb

6 YEAR OLD EJ I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM

Nini saying she's obsessed with her ex, that's not weird at all 👍

I can just tell Matt had a blast harassing Julia with those puppets.

Jack please dont be like that, "yet"

chances are you'll never see eachother again 🥰

(honestly sometimes I really miss those friends I made on trips and stuff when we'd spend the day or week together, only to never see them again....those were the good days though)

Ashlyn and Nini should write more songs..... something better than this one at least

Nini: "im good"

cue the Tia Mowry (please I can't spell) crying gif

oh I forgot Ricky was in the show for a hot second

1. where did Gina get to film this without people being around

2. did she just... randomly change her clothes???

ok but the transition between Carlos and EJ

*chefs kiss*

now everyone shut up, EJ's singing

oh i think I'm pregnant

HIS MUSCLES

YES KOURTNEY

I love how big red and Kourtney went from being "the best friends™" to the couple in season 1, to kinda close themselves and having their own plots

sebby makes me so happy

props to biggies editing skills honestly

PORTWELL BEING SIDE TO SIDE I CANT

AND SEBLOS OMG

big red lives for the drama

"wow" so true Ricky

no he is not cute, stop it

"holding" ok that's kinda cute

yeah EJ's a lucky guy😌

jokes aside, it's not that hard to exchange numbers-

keep in touch if you want

ok I really like Jack now

if he comes back in season 3, maybe have him be LGBTQ+ ?

like the only out characters they have rn are Seb and Carlos and they're like the sterotypes, yk?

I'd love to see jack kinda break the mold

Ricky's breaking my heart

that song just hurts

the only thing

now I don't hate Lynne????????

HOW DARE THEY WRITE IN A PROPER REDEMPTION ARC FOR HER

UGH IM SUPPOSED TO HATE HER FOREVER

I mean I don't live her now but she's good

but honestly

"mom can I show you something"

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL

THE PICTURE AND EVERYTHING OMG

I'm sobbing please help

Gina saying she's just waiting for the right guy and then EJ coming to the airport to pick her up late at night without her asking, offering to bring her back in the morning so she won't have to Uber, bringing her a granola bar (WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE FORGOT TO PACK) and without expecting anything in return???

ms ma'am you've got a keeper right there

her smile at the end was so heartwarming I really can't.

this episode was great.

it felt really short but I liked it, great character development for Ricky, Lynne and Gina.

Cant wait for next episode to see more of EJ being the ideal boyfriend /hj

[mymelodyheart]

Miles Between Us Chapter 13 ~The Reunion~

WARNING: VERY EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT

Previously in Obstacle Course ...

"Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp! Don't ye dare leave me!" He shouted. "We love each other, remember? I was a prick for leaving ye on yer own when ye came to Scotland to be with me. I promise ye this will never happen again. And whatever problem we have together, we can fix this. Ye understand me?" He fell on his knees, grateful for the pain shooting up his thighs because his heart was breaking into thousand pieces. "I ken I could be a selfless arse, but I'm working on being a better person for ye ...for us. I love ye with all my heart, Sassenach, and I cannae imagine life without ye."

"What do I need to do to make ye, believe me, Sassenach? Ye ken, I'll do anything to prove to ye how much I love ye. Does he ken the things I do? Like ...like what song makes ye smile? I can sing it for ye if that's what it would take." When the silence lingered, Jamie puffed out a silent curse. "Christ ... I'll do it. I'll sing that damn song. Just so ye ken, I meant every word I said." 

Then he stood up from his kneeling position and gave Rick Astley a run for his money. 

If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.

If you wish to read this from the beginning:

AO3 link

Tumblr link

  The full moon illuminated Jamie's and Claire's path as they made their way to the cottage into the cold night. It seemed they were the only two people in the world, walking in comfortable silence, lost in their own respective thoughts, and the only sounds to be heard were their footfalls and the dance of the trees. Inhaling deeply, Jamie pulled Claire into the warmth of his body, gently kissing the crown of her head, and in turn, her arm slid familiarly under his jacket to settle around his waist. For the first time in five days, every cell in his body was alive and buzzing, and it felt amazing to hold and have her close again.

Earlier, after the excitement and stramash outside Christie's apartment building had settled, they'd gone back in search of Quentin. It hadn't taken them long to spot him where he'd leaned on the wall outside the pub working his phone, most probably trying to call Claire. Though Quentin had looked like he could go for a few more round of drinks, to his relief, he hadn't put up much of an argument when Claire had firmly suggested it was time to call it a day. They'd escorted him back to his lodgings, making sure he had everything before heading for home.

It had been a surreal day, and Jamie knew it was far from over. He'd sensed Claire wanted to talk, and who could blame her? They had a lot of things to discuss, but his depraved mind had other ideas. His alcohol-fueled bravado from earlier had long waned to be replaced with an urgency that pulsed heat below his belly. But he swiftly reminded himself to be an attentive boyfriend first and clear the air between them. 

After what he'd put himself and Claire through the last few days, he was done being a prisoner of the past and mistrusting the future. Here, at this moment with her, he was whole, and just having her beside him was healing invisible wounds all over his body. He needed her, but her needs came first even though her sweet scent and the sound of her soft sighs were piercing holes in his self-restraint. At nearly midnight, the air was icy cold, and yet, there was a fine layer of perspiration on his skin brought about by the anticipation of being finally alone with her.

When they eventually reached the cottage, Jamie had a hard time giving up her body's warmth to retrieve his keys, so he turned her to face him and locked her in an embrace. Savouring the feel of her, he wondered how the hell he'd managed to keep his distance; moreover, allow her to go to Inverness with Tom. 

"Home sweet home," Claire murmured, breaking his thoughts. She made a move to pull away, but he grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to her icy fingers instead. "I think I need a drink," she said, shivering, "It's been quite an eventful night, don't you think?"

Jamie shook himself and nodded. "Aye. It's been a riot." He finally let go of her, quickly fishing for his keys in his pocket and unlocking the door, letting her pass first. They were welcomed by two happy, hyper animals who circumvented him to get to Claire. Ah, wee traitors!

He shut the door and watched with amusement as Claire immediately fell on her knees, her arm going around Rollo's neck while her free hand scratched Adso's back ear. Jamie grinned when both nudged closer and let out chesty whimpering sounds as they were treated to Claire's lovefest.

His eyes landed on her unpacked bags on the floor. She must have left the cottage as soon as she'd arrived. "How'd ye know where to find me earlier? Ye never called," he remarked, divesting his jacket and dropping it onto the chair.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I didn't. When Tom dropped me here, I realised I forgot to hand in some documents for Mary. I kind of figured you might be out with uncle Lamb. So I thought before calling you I'd walk over to Tom's to drop the papers for Mary and well, ..." she shrugged, her eyes twinkling. "I was about to phone you, and who did I find outside Tom's apartment building? My boyfriend serenading Mary Hawkins, no less."

Almost completely sober by now, his head dropped to hide his embarrassment, his pained groan barely subdued in his throat at the reminder of the recent event. "Oh, Christ!"

She stood up, walked over to him and encircled her arms around his neck, forcing him to glance at her smiling face. "I thought you were adorable." She kissed his chin. "And I think Mary was chuffed to bits hearing your love declarations. She'll never leave the Highlands now, what with Tom as her new love interest and you serenading her in front of an audience. She probably thinks she's heaven's gift to Broch Mordha and vice versa." 

Her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck made it difficult to concentrate on what she was saying. "Ye should be righteously pissed at me for thinking ye were with Tom. And even if ye were in his apartment, I shouldnae have jumped to conclusions."

She contemplated his words. "We all get our jealous moments," she said quietly. "Well, I certainly do ...at least."

"Ye? Jealous? I only have eyes for ye, Sassenach. Ye have nothing to be jealous about." Then the image of Geneva's kiss came to mind, and his throat tightened. With everything that had happened today, he'd already forgotten about it ...until now. He knew only too well how the truth had its way of coming out, and he couldn't just dismiss it as an afterthought even though it didn't mean a thing. He needed to tell her before she finds out from someone else.

"Geneva," she whispered as if reading his mind. "I heard ..."

"Ye heard what?" She's already heard about the kiss? There was no stopping the weight of dread from settling in his belly. "Whatever stories ye heard about her and me, there's a perfect explanation for it, Sassenach. I can assure ye."

She didn't seem to notice his sudden discomfort nor heard the words he'd just said, her gaze too busy following the movements of her hands as they travelled down to his shoulders and over his chest. "While you were in Lallybroch, Willie came to check up on me once in a while to see how I was fairing. I thought it was rather sweet of him to do that." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, he mentioned something about Geneva fancying you, and that didn't sit well because I know she's your therapist, and Jenny preferred her for you." Her eyes suddenly dimmed. "Oh, God! Why am I even telling you this? It's so primary school."

"Sassenach ..." He brushed his lips to her forehead. "It's not ..."

She visibly shook herself. "No, let me finish. I know it's silly, but I couldn't help feeling the way I did. It was torturous knowing you were suffering, and I could do nought about it. I feared that night when you left, I may have made things worse by pushing you to talk about the past." True to her words, her expression was troubled as she chewed her bottom lip. "You see ...I want to be the one who can make things better for you, but I also recognise there are things about your condition that are beyond my understanding no matter how much I try to help or learn about it." She took a deep breath. "Geneva's your therapist, and she knows what she's doing. Sooo ...I have to put aside my petty jealousy and let Geneva do her work. But it doesn't mean I have to like her or the whole situation. So for the sake of ..."

"No, Sassenach. Stop right there." He dropped his mouth to prevent her from saying more, punctuating his words with a kiss. Their breaths collided, his fingers gripping her shoulders hard and digging into her skin. "Ye have every right not to like the situation. Because I dinnnae like it either." He searched her face, but her eyelids were at half-mast, and her gaze seemingly focused on his lips. He tipped her chin up. "I willnae be returning to therapy. So ye dinnae have to worry about her."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wot? But why?" She stopped and looked at him suspiciously. "Wait. If this is your way of making me stop seeing Tom, sorry mate, not going to happen. This is work. And I'm not stopping you from going to therapy just because it's Geneva either."

"Woman, will ye let me finish?" He took a few cleansing breaths. "I'll wager ye a pound to a penny that ye willnae allow me to attend the therapy when ye hear what she did." 

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Why? What did she do?"

"She kissed me."

She stiffened and took a step back. "Wot?" Her expression of softness she had just moments ago made way for disbelief. 

He tried to rid the sudden tangle in his throat. "She stopped by today. She said something about wanting to talk about my progress. I told her I was busy. Then she threw herself at me and kissed me. It's nae biggie." 

"Nae biggie?!" Her eyes flashed, and her mouth open and closed. And then opened again. "Where did she kiss you? Lips or cheek?" 

Her question caught him like a surprise right hook. On any other occasion, he would have probably been amused with her display of jealousy, but the way she was looking at him now, was causing his heart to pound painfully against his ribs. "O-on the lips, but I ...ah ...immediately pushed her away. I swear to God, I did nothing to inspire it." 

She rolled her head as if preparing for a fight, and when her eyes landed on the bottle of tequila he and her uncle had been drinking earlier, she made a beeline for it. "On the lips, huh? Did you like it?" She poured herself a healthy measure in one of the used glasses without offering him one and downed it in one go.

Christ! "No!" 

"Any tongue involved?"

"Of course not!"

"You sure?" She slammed the glass down on the table, making him flinch.

What the bloody hell? The questions she was throwing at him was making him squirm on his feet, and for the first time, Jamie realised how similar Claire and Quentin were when trying to extract an answer. Both would undoubtedly make great interrogators if ever they'd decided on a career change. "What kind of question is that? The kiss happened so fast, taking me by surprise. I didnae have time to think. She might have tried to put her tongue down my throat, but I stopped her."

"And where did this happen?"

"What do ye mean? I already told ye she stopped by. I was here ...at home." 

"I mean, did it happen inside or outside the cottage?" 

Jesus! "Outside." 

"Outside," she repeated, more to herself. 

"Aye, outside. She wanted to come in, but I told her I had things to do and was expecting a visitor ...yer uncle, that is. Anyway, that aside, I didnae think it was a good idea to allow her to come inside, knowing that she's my therapist and fancied her chances with me."

"Hmmm ...so when she threw herself at you, you pushed her away, is that right?" 

"Aye." 

"Where did her hands go?" 

Confusion seeped into his already muddled head. Is this some kind of trick question to catch me of any wrongdoing? "What do ye mean?" 

"Geneva's hands. Did it go around your waist, neck or what?" 

"Oh, um ...around my neck." 

"And what about your hands?" 

Huh? "What about them?"

"Where were your hands when she kissed you?"

"They were by my side. The only time I touched her was to push her away from me. Ask yer uncle. He saw the whole thing. I didnae even know he was there." 

"And he didn't sock you?"

"Why would he?" he almost shouted. "I didnae do a thing. It was Geneva who initiated it!"

"Fine."

"Fine?" he gasped in confusion.

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned around and took off her jacket. That's it? What the hell just happened? I gave her the truth, and that's supposed to be good, right? Or am I missing something? He followed her strained movement, and he helplessly watched her grabbed her laptop bag and rummaged through it, the silence pulsing around them bordering on awkwardness. This was definitely not how he'd envisioned their reunion, he thought miserably. 

"Sassenach," he began, choosing his words carefully. "I can tell ye're upset about the kiss. Ye ken ye've no reason to be, aye?"

She shook her head, refusing to look at him. "No," she agreed, relief washing over him. "I've no reason to." She pulled out sheets of paper from her bag, looked at them and haphazardly stuffed them back in again, seemingly going through the motion of keeping her hands busy. 

"Then why are ye cranky all of a sudden?"

She let go of her bag and grabbed the bottle of tequila, sloshing over the rim of the glass as she poured another shot. "I'm not." She grimaced as she threw back the liquid.

"Ye are." When she poured another drink, he frowned at her. "Go easy on that tequila, Sassenach."

Her head spun halfway round in his direction, reminding him of that wee girl in the film, The Exorcist. Her mouth dropped open, and she glared at him.

He forced himself to remain patient. Claire was visibly upset about something, and now he wasn't sure anymore if it had to do with Geneva's kiss. "Sometimes, I associate alcohol with bad judgments and choices," he began calmly. "My own, especially. But ye've helped me make a lot of good ones in the past, and ...I just want to do the same for ye. Talk to me, Sassenach. What's really bothering ye?"

She huffed and balled her fingers into tight fists. "Fine! Do you want to know the truth? I want to start a fight."

"A fight?" He reined in his frustration of not being able to understand and took a step closer to her. "Why would ye wanna do that?"

A deep scarlet soared from her neck to her cheeks as she threw her hands in the air. "The last few days were trying, alright? It wasn't only you who was having a rough time with it. God, I've been worried sick about you. I've been trying to keep it together ever since you left, wondering if I'll ever get to see you before I return to London. And then ...and then," she hiccupped, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a sob. "One bloody thing led to another. First, I got into a fight with your sister because of some stupid newspaper clipping she had in her possession. Then, not long after that, in the middle of what was supposed to be an important meeting with Tom, my boss dumps the responsibility of babysitting Mary onto my lap, and I had no idea how I was going to manage that with my uncle on his way. Then I got to Inverness, hoping to get at least some work done with Mary to finish her book so I could finally leave London for good and start a new life here with you. And you know what?" 

Jamie stood immobile. He longed to soothe her, but he wasn't sure if she wanted to be touched yet, so he waited even though he was slowly dying inside to hold her in his arms.

Her inhale became stuttered, and her eyes darkened with defeat. "I was grasping at straws to keep Mary to sit still long enough to extract a measly one thousand seven hundred words worth of work when I know she could do more in a day. But that's all I got for my efforts because she was too busy galavanting in Inverness with Tom. And speaking of Tom, I still haven't managed to make him sign the contract for his book and when my boss asked me why I couldn't even give him an answer and gave him some lame excuse. The only good thing that came out of Tom is, he convinced Mary to come here. If Tom hadn't been with me, I'd still be in Inverness with Mary. And now ...now I find out Geneva tried to kiss you while I was away. God, I want to scratch her eyes out. But I can't do that, can I? Because she isn't here. So I asked you those dumb questions to find a fault and start a fight because I wanted to vent after the last few days I've had. But even that, I can't do because you've done nothing wrong." She let out a groan of exasperation. "How sad is that?"

Suddenly, it all made sense to Jamie. Claire always put others' needs before hers with no thought for herself. He had to take better care of her. It had been easy to rest all his hopes and fears on her shoulders, and because of it, she was a massive part of his motivation to want more out of his future and be a better man for them. But if they were going to be together, his condition shouldn't always be her fight, and her burdens should be lighter with him by her side and not more. This lass had given him hope, and he's not going to rest until he gave her the same. Until she, too, knew her needs were just as important as everyone else's.

The boyfriend in him wanted to wipe the look of upset in her eyes. Confront the people that pushed her to act out in a way so unlike her usual self. Demand answers to find out what else was troubling her. He sensed, however, that questioning was the last thing she needed. So doing his best to be the protector this time, he opened his arms, relieved when she quietly walked into them. She laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he held her, resting his chin on her crown.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke haltingly. "I'm so sorry, Jamie. I didn't mean to pick a fight. It's just that ...." Her fingers tugged at the edge of his jeans, and he shut his eyes. He could hear the slight slur in her words, making him realise she'd drank tequila on an empty stomach. "The last few days have been mad, and I -I ...oh, hell, never mind. I'm just acting pathetic."

Jamie frowned against her head. "Sassenach, look at me." He drew slightly away and held the sides of her face in her hands, the unshed tears in her eyes crushing him to the core of his being. "First of all, ye have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, Tom, Mary, yer boss, my sister, including myself, owe ye an apology. And ye're no' pathetic and dinnae ever say that about yersel', ever again. Ye do far too much for others, including me, and it's about time ye did something for ye. The rest of the world can wait, and other people getting their act together is no' yer responsibility."

She blew out a breath, bright amber eyes holding his steady.

"As for Geneva, ye have nothing to worry about her. There was never anything between us. I'll talk to my sister and let her know what her friend has done. If Jenny refuses to do anything about it, I will make a formal complaint about Geneva's behaviour to the clinic's head myself. And perhaps, propose a new or my old therapist be reinstated."

"Jamie, I can't be responsible ..." 

"Ssshh, Sassenach. Ye're no' responsible for Geneva. She overstepped the boundaries, so it's only right she takes responsibility for her own actions." He pressed their foreheads together and looked her in the eyes. "I chose to be with ye as ye did with me, and I cannae have anyone disrespecting that, no' even Jenny. We're together, and we're supposed to be stronger as a unit. I need to step up my game and be there for ye as ye've been for me. For so long, I was so fixated on my own condition, I ceased seeing other people's difficulties." He pulled back and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Then I met ye, my feisty wee, Sassenach ...for the second time as a grown-up ...and ye taught me all about selflessness and courage. I want ye to know ye're important ...more important than what I want or what Mary Hawkins wants or what yer boss wants. And the things that hurt ye, they're no less painful than what I go through. Things are gonnae change from now on, and it can't be just all about me. I'm so sorry for abandoning ye and for not being there when ye needed me most."

The worst of the troubled look in her expression faded and was replaced by a wobbly smile. "There's nothing to forgive. We were both trying our best to deal with circumstances that were beyond our control."

He smoothed her hair back, picking up the locks and twining his fingers through them. "No, ye were doing all the heavy lifting. Every moment ye spent with me was a trial of fortitude ye were too stubborn not to meet. It would have been easy for ye to give up on me, but ye didnae. Ye always thought I was enough despite my shortcomings. Ye taught me second chances, and because of that, I dinnae want to believe anymore I deserve no' to have ye." He took a deep breath. "I thought my realisation came too late when I thought ye were with Tom, and I was willing to go at any lengths to win ye back and make ye see what we have is worth fighting for. After what I did out there tonight, I ken I'll be teased for the rest of my life for singing like a fool at the village square, but it's all worth it because I get another chance with ye."

"Another chance with me? I never left you, Jamie. I may have been miffed and hurt, but I've always been yours." 

He shook his head, more at the error of his ways. "Deep down, I ken that but the mere thought of Tom with ye, all reason and logic seem to fly out the window. In the future, I promise to keep those thoughts at bay. It's no' good for my sanity." He smiled at her. "Shall we kiss and make up?"

Laughing, tears spilt from her eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

The urgency that had been building up inside him went off like a gunshot. He drew her in closer. "Christ, I love you, Sassenach and always will." His mouth descended over hers, impressing his vow with a thorough tasting of her lips, savouring the earthy, semi-sweet taste of tequila on her tongue. His thumbs traced her cheekbones and jawline, and when she swayed closer, and the softness of her breasts flattened against his chest, he let out an animalistic groan.

His heart started to pound, every muscle south of his belt tightening. It was as though he'd been in a dry spell for five years instead of five days. His mouth went dry, his palms itched with the need to touch her naked skin, and his body was on fire as the pent-up desire from the past few days burst in a torrent of heat. He was ravenous for her taste and for her hand to encircle his hardness, and he indulged in her eager response that was opposite her usual shyness during lovemaking.

Restless fingers tangled into his hair, clasping his head in place as she kissed him back and met his demand with urgency. When her hips impatiently pressed against him, her scent invading his senses, his cock grew uncomfortably heavy.

He dragged his mouth from hers, twisting her hair in his fist. "Jesus, if ye dinnae take it down a notch, I'll burst in my pants like a schoolboy."

She blinked as if coming from a long sleep, her lips wet and puffy from his kisses and cheeks bright pink. She gave him a slow smile that promised unspoken pleasures, sending his heart up to his mouth. "Not my fault," she hummed, going up on her toes to teasingly brush her mouth over his. "You made me wait this long." Maintaining eye contact, she took a step back and stripped off her clothes, revealing her matching red bra and panty. "So enough talk, Jamie. I can't wait much more. I want you now," she whispered huskily.

Her words did it. His lust-filled brain only gave him a split second to process what she'd just said before the need to be inside her dismissed everything else. That urge he'd felt to make up for lost time raced out of control. He could only see Claire with her dazed eyes, parted lips and loads of naked skin.

He seized her hips, walking her backwards and crowding her against the dining table, pushing the chairs aside to make space. Her breath rose and fell in a choppy rhythm as his mouth dipped for a desperate kiss.

Her mouth moved in perfect unison with his, wee sounds vibrating up her throat, ending where their lips frantically worked together. Lust pumping in his veins, he roughly settled her sweet bottom on the table and gingerly hooked his fingers into the lacey band of her knickers, shoving it down her legs. When she began tugging at the waistband of his jeans, he groaned into her mouth, knowing she needed him just as bad.

"I planned to make slow love to ye tonight. But now I cannae ...because I cannae wait to have ye." His hand slipped between their bodies, and he palmed her between her thighs. Ah, sweet Jesus! Sliding a finger deep into the wet heat of her entrance, he tested and teased, revelling the way her fingernails dug onto the skin of his shoulders in response, his head spinning at the feel of her moistness. "Christ, ye look so needy, ye're giving me nae choice but to take ye right here ...like a wild beast."

"Oh, shoosh, Jamie. Quit talking about it now. You want it just as bad." She began to undo his belt buckle, nipping at his neck as she yanked and shoved. When he was finally freed, he nearly fainted at the relief of no longer being restrained to his jeans. The relief was fleeting, though, when her smooth hands encircled his throbbing cock, her tight grip moving up and down, twisting at the base, preparing him when the only thing he needed was to be inside her. Ah, Christ, but it feels so good. Far too good ...

He couldn't take it anymore. He knew he wouldn't last long. "Enough!" he gritted. 

She gave him a look like he'd just taken her favourite toy. She unhooked her bra in retaliation and pushed her breasts up like an offering. His breath caught in his throat, stunned by the vision, her eyes, a translucent gold gleaming with arousal, beckoning him to take his fill.

He parted her legs and fisted his cock before rubbing its tip at her entrance. "I've missed ye so much. I might not last long, but I want this to be good for ye," he whispered hoarsely. "I may be a bit rough," He dipped his head, forcing her back to arch like a bow as he bestowed kisses on her breasts. "Are ye alright with that?" 

She nodded, feeling her shudder with anticipation and need. 

"Is that what ye want?" 

"Yes," she whispered. "Take me however you want." 

He whipped off his top and lowered his hand to her buttock, coasting his palm over the firm, rounded flesh and squeezing it tight. "Wrap yer legs around me."

Claire's legs wrapped around his middle and her arms around his neck. Her thighs glid around his waist with such exquisite perfection that he had to bite the tender flesh on the side of her neck to stop from shouting. The friction of his cock sliding between her legs where he'd touched with his fingers was too much. Almost propelling him past his breaking point. Too impatient to take the time to savour, he gripped himself and pushed deep into her entrance.

Watching her teeth bite onto her bottom lip as if to stop a scream from escaping, he groaned out loud as he pushed inch by inch, his focus whittling down to Claire and the heat enveloping his cock. Everything ceased to exist. He pulled out slightly before thrusting again, their mutual moans resounding on the walls of the cottage.

He shifted closer, needing to feel and touch all of her as possible. Keeping their lips locked, he seized her hips and started to move to the ancient dance of mating. There were no words to express the rough, grinding pace of what he did to her. It only bloomed more intense when she began matching his moves, widening her thighs and rolling her hips like she couldn't get enough.

"Oh sweet Lord, ye feel too good," he muttered against her mouth, hips pounding furiously. "How did I stay away from this?" 

She gripped the back of his neck. "I missed this too," she gasped. "Please don't stop." 

"I'm not hurting ye, am I? Tell me if I'm too rough." 

"No ...no, don't be gentle. I need you to take me hard." 

A tide surged inside him, mounting and building like a storm. Jamie roughly raised her hips to reposition her, dragging her arse to the edge of the table, her sweet moans telling him she'd like that. Unable to think past how she wanted it harder, there was no easing down now. He could only yank her leg higher and demand she keep up, ramming into her rough and fast. Her sighs and breath came out like hot rushes of air, thighs squeezing around him and starting to tremble. When her internal walls clenched around his cock, it warned him of her imminent climax, making his balls drew up so tight they ached. He dragged her flush to his body and buried his face in her neck, grunting with every deep thrust and muttering her name while his own release clamoured in his belly. 

"Jamie!" she screamed, convulsing against him. He immediately silenced her cries with a deep kiss, but she flung her head back and squirmed, tightening up where their bodies joined, pulsing and throbbing. "Oh my God."

He couldn't wait any longer. Hooking his arms under her legs, he pumped his hardness in jerky hauls, faster and faster until his visions blurred. The whimpering noises she made launched him higher, signalling his own peak, and he soared towards it, his climax made more intense from the knowledge that it was Claire who got him there. He thrust into her one final time and thrust deep, growling her name into her hair and squashing her to his chest as he'd borne the full force of what they'd done.

"Oh, Christ, Sassenach." 

Her hands ran up and down his back as she continued to take huge gulps of air. He knew he was crushing her, but he wasn't ready to let go. He wanted to remain buried inside her, holding her like this. With her heels digging into his arse and her arms around his neck. They fitted perfectly, her softness cradling his boneless heap, making him hard as steel again. Some part of his brain must have still been functioning because he jerked and reached out for her bra to cover her when his doorbell rang. Christ! Forcing his body to move with marginal success, he yanked her up and pulled up his jeans.

Claire slid off the table and grabbed her clothes. "Who could that be?"

"That better not be yer uncle or ..." Jamie trailed off, muttering curses under his breath, annoyed at the disturbance as he was just revving up for part two of their lovemaking. When he opened the door, a sense of deja vu hit him when he saw Mrs Fitz standing there with what seemed like a plate of a lemon meringue pie. What the fuck?

"Mrs Fitz!"

The older woman didn't bother to hide her curiosity this time as her eyes tried to peer past his shoulders. "Heard ye have company, lad, and I havenae seen Miss Claire the last couple of days."

He was about to say "none of her business" when Claire came up behind him, dressed back in her jeans and top. "Mrs Fitz, how are you? Is everything alright?"

Jamie stepped back and observed how Mrs Fitz's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. He figured instantly, his neighbour must have seen that kiss from Geneva earlier and that she'd probably thought the worse of him after hearing Claire's passionate screams. Right there and then, he decided, this time, he definitely needed to soundproof his home from eavesdropping neighbours.

"Ach, I saw light in yer windows," Mrs Fitz beamed, ignoring Jamie's glare. "Ye see, I've made too many pies and thought ye might like one. I remember ye enjoying this when ye stayed with yer friend over at my place this past Christmas."

"Oh, how lovely," Claire gushed, taking the plate from Mrs Fitz. "Thank you so much. Just what Jamie and I need right now ..." She blushed profusely, contemplating her words. "...after a long day."

Mrs Fitz clapped her hands. "I thought that!" 

Seeing how thrilled Claire was looking at the desert, Jamie tamped down the urge to say something sarcastic and just scowled at her.

Mrs Fitz must have read his thoughts as this time it was her turn to crimson, a probable sign of her guilt for being nosey. Suddenly at a loss for words, she rubbed her palms at her sides. "Weel, ye both enjoy it. I must get going as it's rather late. Good night, both of ye." With that, she whirled around and disappeared into the night.

He shut the door and sighed, and followed Claire to the kitchen. 

"Lovely lady," Claire remarked, sniffing the pie before placing it on the counter.

He turned her around and kissed her slowly, groaning when she opened her mouth for him without hesitation. "Ye're lovelier," he said against her lips. "But I'm not done with ye yet."

She grinned. "Pie first?"

Realising he'd never be able to compete with Mrs Fitz's homemade pie, he laughed out loud. "Absolutely ...why not?"

Dear Readers,

Well, here you go, their reunion! I hope you've enjoyed this lust-filled chapter. I must admit, though, when I was editing the sex part, I deliberately drank Bloody Mary to lose a bit of inhibition and make the scene a bit grittier. I hope it worked, but if it's too dirty for you, I say tough! 😆 Just kidding!

Anyway, thank you for commenting and showing your appreciation for my writing and your well wishes. I don't always reply back but be assured, your feedback is very much appreciated and anticipated. 

And before I forget, it's not long now before this arc finishes. There will be an arc three, and I will let you know more on my next update.

Signing off now and wishing you a fabulous weekend. Stay safe and always take care! X

[pascalscenarios]

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE (Ricky Hauk x Reader)

Just The Way You Are

Scenarios Series

Ricky Hauk x Reader

Summary: Ricky feels as if he needs to change to keep up with your lavish life

Warning: Mentions of an abusive parent, social classes

Words: 1982

Author Note: Based on a scenario from my twitter. Ricky Hauk is so cute ugh! Enjoy! - K 

You first met Ricky when your car broke down on the side of the road. You managed to get to a payphone and look up in the yellow pages to see if you could get a tow truck down to where you were located. The first number you found was for Al’s Service Station.

After calling and waiting for 20 minutes, Ricky had come with a tow truck, wearing a mechanic jumpsuit and a red baseball cap worn backward.

“Hey, I’m Ricky” He greeted you quickly, then went straight to hooking up your car.

You give him a sweet smile introducing yourself.

“Thank you for coming- I don’t know what happened. One minute I was driving, next thing, my started smoking and stopped running”

“Don’t sweat it. I’ll take a look when we get back to the shop”

You thought Ricky was SO cute. He had gorgeous brown eyes that you ever saw.

On the car ride to the shop, you tried your best to make conversation with him. He didn’t say much. He was quiet and reserved. A man of few words.

You and Ricky had different upbringings. You have a perfect life. You came from a wealthy family and live in an affluent part of town. You could have anything you wanted. Ricky on the other hand had an abusive father growing up who is no longer in his life. He and his younger brother Joey were raised by a single mother and they struggled financially. They lived off paycheck to paycheck. Unlike you, Ricky couldn’t have the things he wished or dreamed for.

Ricky was hesitant around you. He knew how rich people were. One wrong move, or if you ended up saying something they found offensive, its cuffs slapped around his wrist.

He was already in a shitty mood and didn’t feel like talking. He got his two-week notice from Al that he was being laid off and his mom was still pretty ticked off at him thinking about the possibility of college, leaving her and his younger brother joey behind to fend for themselves. He didn’t need any more tension in his life.

Getting to the shop, he got to work on figuring out what was wrong with your fancy convertible. He popped open the hood of your car, looking around and fidgeting with different parts.

“Sometimes wrong with the engine. It’s gonna take an hour or two to fix. You might wanna call someone to come pick you up and come back later” he states.

“I’ll just wait, no biggie” you shrug.

He cocked his eyebrow at you. Were you serious? Why would someone like you willingly want to stay in a run-down part of town he thought. “You sure? We got a phone by the register-” he motions towards the desk

“I’m sure. I don’t mind waiting” you smile.

“Alright, suit yourself” turns his back towards you, crunches his face in confusion. He thought you were strange for deliberating staying.

You could have called someone to pick you up, but the truth is, you waited to stay to get to know Ricky and you weren’t in a rush to get home.

...

Ricky started to warm up to you after a while, making conversation with you as he worked on your car. You were sweet and you seemed different from the normal rich people he dealt with and he liked that. You treated him as an equal, not as someone who was below you.

After talking about anything and everything random things, you left him to focus on fixing your car. You probably irritated him. You wandered around the shop, exploring the different parts, tools, and old materials stashed around the garage.

Under a pile of greasy rags, you noticed a black leathered book. You opened it up to find writing inside. They were poems. Beautiful yet heart-wrenching poems. You were amazed by each one as you continued to flip the pages.

“Alright, your cars- hey!” Ricky quickly pulls out the rag from his back pocket, whipping the grease from his hands, and walking towards you.

He takes the books from your hand, closing it shut.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean- did you write those?”

He signs looking down at the book.

“Yeah… I did”

“They’re amazing! Do you like poetry?”

He nods. “Yeah, I love it.”

“I love writing! I’m majoring in journalism at Redding. My parents don’t see a future in it though. They want me to have a ‘real career’, whatever that means” you roll your eyes.

“Poems and writings are more of a hobby…I was thinking about taking a writing course down at Redding University. I went to go check a class out but I don’t know… thinking about it.”

“If you love and are passionate about writing and poetry, go for it. That’s what my grandma used to say. You’ve got a gift, Ricky.” You smile.

He changes the subject ”Uh your cars done- we should start it up, see if it’s running” he tosses the book on the side on top of an old crate and walks with you over his car.

You slide into your car, putting the key into the ignition, the engine roaring again.

“Ah! Thank you so much!” You get out of the car and hug him tightly. He was taken back by your hug, but he smiled and wrapped his arms around you.

“Here,” You said handing him money.

“Thanks,” he stuffed it in his pocket.

“It was nice meeting you, Ricky” you smile.

“Drive safe, if you have any trouble, just come by” …

“Ricky!” You shout coming back a couple of days later. He was laying on a creeper and rolled himself out from underneath the car he was working on. “Hey!” he sits upright, grabbing a towel from his pocket and wiping his hands. He gets up walking towards you.

“You alright? Your cars not giving you any trouble is it?” He says, continuing to wipe his hands.

“No, I came to see you actually.” You start blushing slightly.

“Me? Can you see me?” he points to himself in disbelief.

“Yeah, I wanted to bring you this” you hand him a book. “As a thank you”

He stuffs the towel back in his pocket, taking the blue canvas-covered book from your hands.

He brings it to flip through the pages, noticing they were filled with poems.

“It’s a book of poems. I’ve had it since I was little, but I wanted you to have it”

“What?- No I can take this-”

“It’s inspired me a lot, maybe it will spark something in you”

“Look this is nice in all, but I-”

“Don’t argue with me and just take the book!” you laughed.

He smiled “Alright, alright…” he chuckled. “Thank you”

“Bye” you waved towards him walking back to your car.

“Wait! Before I go-” he is getting a little shy now. “Do you maybe you want to hang out sometimes? We could go catch a movie or something do else- or if you don’t wanna hang out that's fin-”

“Are you asking me out?” you cocked his eyebrow at him

“Y-yeah…if that's okay”

A giddy smile appeared on your face, you took the pen from the front pocket of this jumpsuit, taking his greasy stained hand, and scribbled your number down.

“You better call me, or I'm just going to have to come back here and find you” you laugh.

And since then, you and Ricky have been inseparable ever since.

…

You and Ricky were friends at first, but eventually the more the two of you started spending time together, you both started falling for each other.

You had brought him home to meet your friends and family. They were disapproving of you dating a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but you didn't care what they thought about the two of you. Under the tough and hard exterior that protected him from outsiders, he was sweet, loving and protective towards his family, thoughtful, hard-working, and intelligent.

After meeting your friends and family, Ricky realized who he was and where he came from wasn’t going to be good enough for you… or in this case your friends and family. He was so out of his element and stuck out like a sore thumb in your world, and everyone noticed. And it wasn’t just the fact he was underdressed, but the fact they have accomplished so much, and here he was financially unstable, not going to school, and jobless. He needed to change if he wanted to keep up with you and the people in your life.

You didn’t even have to try with his family. Just like Ricky, his mother and brother had to warm up to you first. His mother wasn’t sure of your intentions, but once she saw how you two were together, you gained her trust and she welcomed you with open arms. Joey liked you from the moment you told him that you loved macaroni and cheese.

After Ricky had met your friends and family, you saw a change in him. You had no idea what was going on. He was like a whole different person, acting like the snobby people you grew up with.

You brought him to another family event. He was dressed up fancy, which he looked very handsome but it wasn’t him, that wasn’t your Ricky and introduced himself as Richard?

The whole night you watched him not lie about himself and laugh at jokes you knew he didn’t find funny.

This wasn’t your Ricky.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Yeah sure, excuse us” he smiles at your parents' friends.

You walk outside to the garden and turn to face him.

“What the hell is going on?” you question.

“What do you mean?”

“For the past several weeks, you haven't been acting like yourself. That’s not you in there. I don't know who the hell is standing in front of me, because surely this isn’t my Ricky. Where’s the guy I fell in love with? A mechanic who loves and has a passion for poetry…”

He noticed how upset you were. Tears forming in your eyes. He thought this would make you happy.

He sighs. He couldn’t keep up his charade. “I just..” he pauses. “After meeting your friends and family…I realized I’m not good enough for you. I don’t belong in your world. I’m from the opposite side of town, I’m from a single-parent and low-income household. All these people see right through me...they see me as nothing- I just thought if I changed-“

“Ricky” You cup his face in your hands. Your thumbs stroking his cheeks.

“You don’t ever have to change who you are for me! I see you! I know who you are, I know your heart. I don’t care about your past or where you come from. Who you are as a person means way more to me than your upbringing and how much money you have. I love me just the way you are.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course...With every fiber in me...I love you” You kiss him softly.

You both pull away, your foreheads resting against each other. “Let’s get out of here, please,” he says.

“Where do you wanna go?” you asked.

“God anywhere but here” he laughed. “How about dinner near your place, the one you took me to on our first date,” you asked. “I feel like eating a greasy burger, fries, and a milkshake.”

He laughed, “alright”

“Okay, we better hurry up before my parents try to stop us” you chuckle.

“They’re going to kill me...they don’t like you being out on my side of town so late,” He says, taking your hand as you quickly exit, using the side gate.

“They can get over it and besides I’ll be okay because I'll be with you.”

MT // @wifeofdindjarin @icanbeyourjedi @sara-alonso@greeneyedblondie44 @hb8301​  @alberta-sunrise @spacenerdpascal @ryleyrooroo @reader-s-cantina

[justsomefluff]

Can we have a reaction for Ateez finding their s/o sleeping in random places, like the kitchen floor or a cabinet, under the bed? Please and thank you!

A/N: This is so funny to me because I relate so heavy no lie.

Hongjoong:

Okay, so basically

You fall asleep on the couch, waiting for Joong to get home so you could go to dinner together

At some point during your little nap, you fall off of the couch and onto the floor

The only real problem with this is that you are right underneath the lamp

So, the only logical solution to this new problem is to roll under the coffee table

Which you do, and then just fall asleep again, no biggie

When Joongie finally gets home he calls for you like always

Totally expects you to come running, excited for dinner

But, alas, you do not

So, he spends about an hour looking for you all over the place

Kinda starting to freak out

Ends up standing in the living room and pounding your number into his phone

After the first ring, he hears your phone going off in the same room

and then a very loud thud followed by some less than polite vocabulary

He looks down at you, wiggling your way out from underneath the table and stretching for your phone

You notice him, and it’s kinda awkward for a second

you kind of feel like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t be

“Hey” 

“hey…”

Then Hongjoong is laughing

like full falling over in tears laughter

Like how dare you judge me for sleeping where I am safe from the light

After he finds his composure, he just tells you to get up so you can get food

And you do, and he doesn’t mention it again

Not in words anyway

But if ever he can’t find you, he always checks under the coffee table first

Seonghwa:

(PRETTY BABYYYYY)

Okay so Seonghwa was gonna be home in about 2 minutes based on his text

So, you decide to try and scare him

Knowing he typically goes to the kitchen first, you situate yourself in a cupboard

There’s literally a pan handle up your ass, but it’s worth it for the prank

Seonghwa’s 2 minutes quickly turn into a half hour

You’ve fallen asleep by then since you had been sitting still for too long

When your boyfriend finally gets home, he’s already shouting apologies into the front hall

“THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC”

just his excuse to complain no lie

As predicted, he goes straight into the kitchen, still ranting about his day

fully expects you to join him at some point

Did not expect that you would be crawling out from the cabinet though

You heard him yelling once he got into the kitchen and you were like “I guess it’s too late now”

You push the cupboard door open… straight into his shins

“AH OW WTF”

he jumps about 10 feet

so I guess the prank kind of worked??

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

you just kinda shrug, still a little groggy and sore from being in such a weird position

“were you asleep?”

you nod and yawn and then all of a sudden he’s soft

Scoops you up and plops you on the couch for cuddles

Will definitely make you answer his burning questions later but he’s feeling all snuggly now so it can wait

Yunho:

(Barefaced Yunho im in tears)

When Yunho comes home after work, having stopped and picked up ice cream because he felt he deserved it (AND HE DOES)

Struts around the house with the ice cream balanced on one hand

Hoping to find you and make you laugh

Cannot. Find. You. Arm. Getting. Tired.

Finally puts his arm down, totally defeated

Wanders through the different rooms before he catches a glimpse of your socked foot peeking out from behind the couch

Leans over and sees you fully tucked in, blankets and pillows everywhere

Knocked OUT

He gingerly steps over the couch… jk he tripped

Falls on you

You scream because 1) scary 2) ow

He’s stuttering apologies but also laughing his booty off

Asks what you are doing back there in the first place

“wanted to make a fort but got sleepy”

“FORT FORT FORT”

demands that you get up and help him finish making it

“I’LL GET THE SNACKS”

eventually, he returns with basically the entire fridge

then you set up a movie and snack together and its so cute but then you both end up passing out anyway because the fort is just the comfiest

Yeosang:

ok one thing I will say about Yeosang is I feel like he can pretty much fall asleep anywhere too so he’s not gonna judge you

how you ended up falling asleep on the bathroom counter may remain a mystery forever

you vaguely remember climbing up on it to get a better look at a zit or some other blemish you wanted to get rid of, but after that who knows

Yeosang rushes into the house after work

literally screaming that he’s gonna pee his pants

Runs into the bathroom and slams the door

Scares you and you almost slip off the counter and onto the tile floor

“GET OUT I NEED TO PEE”

you’re barely awake and he’s screaming at you

so confusing but you just kind of waddle out the door and fall into bed

you wait for him to finish and he comes out with a smile

“I’m better now”

“you woke me up you dramatic idiot”

“what do you mean? I didn’t wake you up, you were in the bathr- OHhhh”

You just kinda pout at him and he comes and sits next to you

strokes your hair for a little bit

You’re almost asleep and he can tell

“LETS EAT”

“KANG YEOSANG I SWEAR TO GOD”

and then you’re chasing him around

he is fearing for his absolute life

like he’s gonna suffer the wrath of a thousand suns for waking you up twice

boy better PRAY

San:

In the morning, San had woken you up and coaxed you out of bed with the promise of coffee

he did not tell you that he did not yet go and get the coffee

So, when he skips out the door to pick up your drinks, you literally just drop to the floor in front of the welcome mat

Like I’m sleeping and I don’t care where I just need it

And it was actually a pretty good morning nap until San almost knocks your nose off your face when he swings the door open

At first, he’s kinda worried like… “you good”

And you just scold him for almost killing you with the door

“Not my fault you chose to sleep on the floor. I got your coffee”

Thrusts it into your face

the only thing more bitter than your face is the drink

“you almost killed your sweet sweet baby aren’t you sorry?”

“it’s you’re fault in the first place”

and I mean he’s kinda right but he’s the reason you’re tired

waking you up early with lies… coffee wasn’t even ready yet

so you have a good natured squabble about your sleeping habits and San’s door-opening habits before coming to an agreement

You can only sleep in front of the door when he’s already home

And he can swing the door open with as much dramatic flare as he wants… as long as he can see you are clearly not within range

a perfect compromise imo

Mingi:

Mingi is such a dork okay

when he finds you curled up in front of the oven he starts laughing really loud

shakes you awake because he just has to know what you think you’re doing

You explain, patiently, that you are waiting for your brownies to finish, and that the oven is really warm

Mingi will just nod in agreement and be like “of course, of course. you’re so smart, jagiya”

Gets up and leaves you there for a minute but then returns

He has more pillows and an extra blanket

He also brought your laptop so you could watch a movie

He pulls you into his lap after he sits himself on top of some pillows

Covers both of you in the blankets and then makes you hold the computer on your lap

You fall asleep again within 10 minutes, and although he’s getting sleepy he’s like

Someone has to make sure the house doesn’t burn down

Mingi should not be in charge of this and we all know it

But what can he do?

So he watches the movie for a while before the timer on the oven finally goes off

You snap awake so quickly that Mingi jumps a little

“MY BROWNIES ARE DONE”

and then you eat brownies and cuddle some more

But Mingi is not allowed to have as many brownies as you because you did all the work in the first place so TAKE THAT

Wooyoung:

(hIS SMiLe)

When Wooyoung gets out of the shower after a long day and finds you… not in bed where you should be

He pouts…like a lot

Wanders around for a while

Almost gives up when he catches a glimpse of the hoodie (his hoodie) that you’re wearing

Opens the closet door…was kinda scared not gonna lie lmao

Then he’s LOUD

laughing at you like a crazy person

Screaming at you through his laughter

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY ARENT YOU IN BED? HOW ARE YOU SLEEPING HERE?”

“WOOYOUNG TAKE IT DOWN LIKE 18 OCTAVES, KID”

whispers, “sorry”

asks you again what you were doing 

you just kind of look at him because, to be honest, you don’t really know either

just experimenting with some new bedding, I s’pose

He drags you out of the closet by your heels and forces you into bed where he cuddles you close

you can still feel his chest vibrating from all of the giggling

He never gets over this

every time he finds you sleeping in a new spot, he’s like “FIRST THE CLOSET NOW THIS”

Jongho:

Jongho gets protective when he finds you sleeping in weird places

He doesn’t want you to wake up stiff from being in awkward positions and everything

So when he finds you dead asleep on top of the kitchen table, he is less than surprised

Like he knows you’re a whole ass meal but seriously?

But also lifts you and walks you over to the couch

Sets you down and then just stares at you like a creeper until you wake up

When you do, he’s scolding you straight away

“You’ll hurt your back”

“what if you fell”

“MY GOD WE EAT THERE”

And then you’re laughing because even he knows he’s being dramatic and he always is when you do things like this

“thank you for moving me to the couch, Jongho”

he huffs but he’s like “you’re welcome”

Always tries to make you promise not to sleep in such strange places anymore

“What you do in practice, you’ll do in the game”

“What does that even mean”

“One day we will go out to dinner and then you’ll probably just get on the table and sleep or something”

So dramatic, but he really loves you and everything he says is just out of worry

But every time he scolds you, you both end up laughing at each other 

And he secretly has a folder on his phone titled “where is y/n sleeping today?”

[silver-wield]

On Edge

As the city of Edge expanded out and around them, Cloud and Tifa spend their days building up both Seventh Heaven and Strife Delivery Service. It was hard work and an occasional thankless task, but they persisted because it was also a labour of love.

After Barret left on his quest to find purpose in his life, leaving Marlene in their care, things quietened down for the longest time, until Cloud brought home a young boy called Denzel he'd found wandering around the ruins of Aerith's church. He'd contracted Geostigma, a fatal and highly contagious disease, but that didn't stop Tifa from welcoming him into their home.

A few nights after Denzel's arrival during a slow point in service, Tifa overheard a few locals talking about a shady network, a black market, that seemed to appear from nowhere. The person pulling the strings had everyone at their beck and call and no one could explain how. Standing at the far end of the bar, pretending to rinse a glass out, Tifa's eyes widened as she heard a name she thought she'd never hear again. Don Corneo? She glanced at the two barflies from the corner of her eye. Labourers, the pair, they came in at the end of every week to celebrate a job well done. Reliable sorts, so she knew she could trust what they said. Wonder if Cloud knows? She looked at the clock. He'll be back soon. With a nod to herself that it could wait until she saw him in person, Tifa turned back to serve her customers with a warm smile and cold drinks.

~*~*~

“Hey, Cloud! You're back!” Denzel beamed up at him, as Cloud came through the doors.

Tifa came out from behind the bar carrying four plates. “Just in time for dinner,” she said to him. “Everybody wash up first.” She looked from Cloud to Denzel and then Marlene, who nodded. As Cloud passed her, she added, “There's something we need to talk about, but not with the kids around.”

Cloud paused and frowned. “Okay...”

Head tilting as she watched him go, Tifa also frowned. He sounded worried. Does he know about Corneo already? Maybe I shouldn't bring it up. I'm sure Cloud can handle it. Deciding not to poke a hornet's nest when she didn't need to, Tifa put the dinner down and went to grab cutlery.

Dinner passed in a haze of pleasant chatter about everyone's day. Denzel asked Cloud as many questions about work as he could think of, but often his one word answers weren't enough so Tifa filled in the blanks. Marlene showed Cloud her arithmetic book and bragged about becoming an accounts clerk for the bar.

“You've got a patient teacher,” he said to her, looking at Tifa.

“Only sometimes,” she replied in a teasing tone.

Cloud ducked his head a little and said, “Hoo boy.”

After dinner, Denzel felt well enough to play outside for a while, so he and Marlene went out with strict instructions to return before the street lights came on.

Cloud gathered up the empty plates and took them over to the sink where Tifa already had the water running. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Lost in thought, it took a moment for Tifa to hear his question. Then, she glanced up at him. “Hmm? Oh, it's nothing now.”

Cloud's brow creased as he began to pout. “Right...” He put the plates in the sink and turned away. “Guess I'll be in the office.”

Is he upset? “Cloud?” Tifa put her hand on his upper arm, stopping him from leaving. “Is something wrong?”

Cloud shook his head. “No. It's just I thought you wanted to talk and now you don't. It's fine.”

It doesn't sound fine. Sighing, Tifa took a step closer to him and laid her forehead against his back. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”

Cloud placed his hand over Tifa's. “It's fine. I'm not upset.” He fell silent for a long moment, then drew in a deeper breath before saying, “If something's wrong you can rely on me. You're not in this alone.”

Tifa smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. “I know.”

“Then, tell me what's the matter?”

Chuckling, she realised some wires crossed in their conversation. We can work on that. Moving around to face him, Tifa said, “It wasn't anything the matter with me. I heard Don Corneo's still alive and I was going to ask you about it, but then I thought what if you were already handling it?” She bowed her head, adding, “I didn't want to assume you hadn't heard. You're out in the world more than I am.” Waiting in silence to see what Cloud would say, Tifa was surprised when he put both hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him. “Huh? You're smiling?”

“Doesn't matter,” he replied, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. “I hadn't heard about Corneo,” he continued, speaking in a low voice, “but I can deal him if you want.”

Would he eventually bother them? Tifa wasn't sure. He only came after Avalanche because Shinra posted a reward. If the rumours were true, only the Turks and a few loyal administrative staff remained. Reeve reappropriated much of the company and turned it into the WRO: the World Regenesis Organisation, dedicated to protecting and preserving the planet and its people. But what about the regular people down on the ground? The WRO's focus is rebuilding. Should we really leave a threat like Corneo running around without check? “I don't know,” she murmured. “What do you think?”

“You're always saying we should get to know the neighbours.”

Tifa giggled. “That's not exactly what I had in mind when I said that, but it works.” She looked at him and smiled. “Want some help?”

Cloud nodded. “Sure, why not?”

~*~*~

It wasn't hard to run Corneo to ground in a newer part of Edge than where Cloud and Tifa lived. His tastes were just as overblown and ridiculous as Tifa remembered. “How did he even find all these materials?” she wondered, as Cloud rang a doorbell.

“I can guess, but you won't like it,” he replied, scowling.

Tifa shuddered. “Reeve would be impressed with his procurement skills, but not his methods.”

“Hmm.”

The door opened and a man with a scar running down his face poked his head out. “What?”

“Here to see Corneo,” Cloud said, placing one hand on the hilt of his sword. “We don't have an appointment.”

“Get lost.” As the door began to close, Cloud drew his sword and jammed it into the gap.

“Ah! Get lost!”

“Tifa.”

“On it.” Tifa grabbed the door with both hands and pulled. The man lost his grip and it swung fully open.

“Like I said,” Cloud repeated, taking a step forward, “we're here to see Corneo.” He continued to advance, forcing the bigger man to back up until both he and Tifa made it inside.

“We're old acquaintances,” Tifa said from behind Cloud.

“Yeah, do whatever,” the man replied, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Thank you very much!” Tifa passed Cloud, then beckoned him after checking the coast was clear. “Corneo spent all his money on trappings, huh? No lackeys anywhere.”

“Hmm...” Cloud's eyes darted around, keeping a look out for sudden attacks.

They made it all the way to Corneo's inner sanctum without seeing another person.

“Guess you were right,” Cloud said to Tifa, as he pushed open the double doors and walked into Corneo's office.

“Then, how is controlling everyone?” Tifa shook her head. “It doesn't make sense.”

“Maybe—watch out!” Cloud grabbed Tifa's wrist and tugged her to safety as a hidden goon leapt from the shadows brandishing a knife.

“Surprise!” Several more appeared.

Pulling her behind him, Cloud drew his sword. “Good to go?”

“Always!”

After making short work of Corneo's thugs, Cloud and Tifa moved past the office and into the back room.

Tifa sighed and shook her head. “I must be seeing things. This looks just like his room at Wall Market.”

“With a couple new additions,” Cloud replied, crossing to the far wall and examining a collection of photos lining it. “Asshole.” He ripped one down and shoved it in his pocket.

“Cloud?” Who's the photo of?

“No biggie.” He looked around. “Where's Corneo?”

“That scumbag. Did he escape like last time?” Tifa balled her fists.

The sound of a toilet flushing came from behind another door.

Cloud glanced at Tifa, seeming to deliberate something, then shook his head. “We'll wait 'till he comes out.”

Tifa's eyes crinkled at the corners as she ducked her head and smothered a laugh. “Thanks.”

By the time Corneo emerged from the bathroom, Tifa had taken a seat at Corneo's desk with Cloud leaning against it beside her. Both smothered their surprise as a thin, pasty man wearing a faded red velvet dressing gown appeared. Most shocking about the change in his appearance was the wheelchair.

“Guess he didn't weasel out it totally after all,” Cloud commented. “You look like shit.”

Corneo stopped and looked up. “Oho, my little Avalanche kittens. Come for a visit, have you? Well, I expected you sooner, but I heard you'd gotten caught up in your little business venture.” Corneo continued wheeling himself around the room until he reached his bed. “Little help? I take it you've incapacitated my men?” When Cloud took a step in his direction, Corneo sneered. “Not you, her.” He pointed at Tifa.

Cloud blocked the way with his sword as Tifa got up from the chair. “Forget it.”

“Oh, I wasn't going to help,” she said, as she placed a hand on his arm and gently urged him to lower his sword. “I was going to kick him and see if he's faking.” She gave Corneo a bright and very false smile.

“Be still my beating heart!” Corneo put both hands to his chest. “How could you think I'd lie about something this serious?”

“Because you're a snake,” Cloud replied. “What are you up to in Edge?” he added, coming straight to the point.

“Up to? Me? Why nothing.” Corneo smiled. “I'm just a businessman seeking new opportunities in the new metropolis.”

Tifa could feel the lies permeating the room. “And what kind of opportunities would those be?”

“What's it to you? I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just going about my day. You're the ones who ruined me so I have to start over, remember?” A vicious look crossed his face as he fidgeted in the wheelchair.

Crossing her arms, Tifa said, “You brought that on yourself, and you'll bring worse if you don't behave.”

Corneo got a saucy look in his eye. “Oh, will you punish me?” he asked, voice dropping an octave.

Tifa repressed a shudder. “Sure,” she said in a bland voice. “Cloud, you still have that bat with all the nails in it, right? That'd make a perfect paddle.”

Corneo's shudder was clearly one of pleasure. “Promises, promises.”

Cloud bared his teeth at Corneo and took a step forward. “Now look—”

“All right, all right.” Corneo put his hands up in surrender. “I'll behave. Wouldn't want your boyfriend getting jealous, am I right?”

Tifa nodded, as Cloud said, “Right.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He'd never admitted he was her boyfriend before. It made her feel strangely shy. She noticed his cheeks turning red as he glared at Corneo, so she ducked her head and tried to focus on the task at hand.

“Oh, you two are cute. Once I build a new coliseum you'll compete, huh? Really bring in the crowds, especially when they hear former champion Cloud has a new lady on his arm.”

“Not new,” Cloud snapped.

What's this? Tifa looked at Cloud again and this time he seemed embarrassed. Who is Corneo talking about?

“We don't have time for your bullshit. Stay out of trouble or I'll finish the job the Turks started.” Cloud was already sheathing his sword and turning to go.

Tifa took one last look at Corneo and followed.

~*~*~

Back at Seventh Heaven, Tifa trailed Cloud into his office and noted his desk needed tidying again. She frowned at the medical text book littered with notes. Is he looking for a cure for Denzel? Her gaze softened as it tracked to him. “Cloud?”

“I wasn't with anyone else in Wall Market,” he said, keeping his back to her. “They misunderstood. They thought that Aerith and I...”

So, it was Aerith with him. “Aerith fought in the coliseum?”

Cloud nodded as he turned around. “We needed money for that dress she wore to the audition.”

She'd never asked about the series of events that led to Cloud appearing in Corneo's dungeon in a gothic style dress. She hadn't ever pictured him like that, so it was a huge surprise when she realised it was him under all the makeup and trappings. Why did he come, anyway? “I know we said we'd drop it,” she began in a hesitant voice, taking a step towards him, “but, you never told me why you went through all that.”

Cloud glanced at her, then ducked his head and smiled. “How else was I supposed to rescue you?”

“Rescue me?” Maybe she suspected that was the reason. She hadn't really thought it through at the time. She'd been so focused on getting info out of Corneo that Cloud's purpose sneaking in eluded her. “Is that why you came?”

“Of course it was.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You think I'd go through that much for anyone else?” He dug his hand in his pocket and withdrew the picture he'd swiped from Corneo's earlier. “Souvenir.”

Tifa stepped closer and looked at the picture. “He took photos?” She looked into Cloud's face with dismay. “Then, that wall...”

“Is how he controls people,” Cloud finished with a nod. “Monsters like that always have an angle.”

“Shouldn't we do something?” She took the photo from him and replaced it with her hand.

“Corneo's the type to step in his own shit. He'll slip up sooner or later.” He squeezed Tifa's hand and  shrugged.

“I guess so. It just feels wrong to let him run around all over town when things are just starting to settle down.” She sighed, posture sinking.

“Hey,” Cloud wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “if you let it get to you, then he's already won. You think I'll let that happen?”

That's right. Cloud will take care of things. Corneo won't ruin what we're working so hard to rebuild. “Mm, thanks.” She leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “I always know I can rely on you.” She peered at the photo in her hand. “So, how did you end up in a dress?”

Cloud chuckled shortly. “Aerith and Andrea Rhodea's doing.”

That was enough information for her to make a guess at how things went. She'd gone through similar at the Gold Saucer. “Thought you didn't dance?”

“I only dance with you,” he replied, kissing the top of her head.

She giggled, feeling her cheeks heating at the memory. He'd come so close to kissing her during their performance, it still sent tingles through her whenever she thought of it. “Shame we can't get Andrea to come take over from Corneo; he'd be the better choice,” she said, trying to deflect from how flustered she'd become. Her eyes drifted towards the cot Cloud set up in the office for those late hours when he returned and didn't want to risk waking her. It's the middle of the day. The kids could come home at any time. We really shouldn't. She snuggled closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Tifa?” Cloud tucked her hair behind her ear as he whispered her name. “Wanna dance?”

Tifa giggled again and answered with a shy nod.

[skeletonwoman]

J is for Judgement

This is a part 2! Comes after a part 1, and a part 1.5!!

You smile at Dick when he darkens the pet stores doorway.

“Hey baby, hey baby,” he greets and you snort, coming around the counter to give him a hug. You’ve never been much of a hugger, but hell, he’s just the cuddliest.

Also he smells like a tasty man.

Pulling apart, he leans against your counter, an attempt at being casual and you hide a smirk.

“So, bestie,” he begins and you waver in place. Luckily the space is empty apart from the two of you. “I’ve got a thing tonight, if you’re interested in coming.”

“Going out on the town with my bestie?” You begin, about to rain him in stupid compliments.

“Ah- not, the town…” He cuts in and you hum, wrinkling your brow. “Dami is throwing the dog a birthday party,” his tone drags the words as if it’s a chore, even though it sounds like tonight might be the best of your life, “and it’s just a small gathering, family and close friends. I was wondering…”

He gives you a sneaky look.

“Yeeees?” you sing-song back and he licks his lips, trying to hide smile.

“If you were interested…” His mouth drags the words out and you feel like you’re vibrating from the inside out.

“Innnnn?”

“Coming with me to the party tonight?”

“Yeah!” You shout, throwing your fists in the air and bouncing around in a circle before pulling up in front of him, dropping your excitement and blanking your face. “Yeah, sounds cool, no biggie, if you want, no prob, Bob.”

Dick beams at you, still leant against the counter. “They’re going to love you.”

“You bet your ass they will, Richie!” Your bravado has his expression softening with affection, even as your stomach flips with a sudden and crushing panic. Hiding this, you catch his hand in one of yours and swing them. “I am excited to meet Barbaraaaa.”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes and grinning, before pushing off the counter and dragging you about the store.

“Help me get the damn dog a present, it can be from both of us, obviously,” he says, before muttering. “Dogs birthday party, Jason didn’t get a birthday party last year but the dog does?”

You don’t tell Dick about the guy today. You know he notes the scrawled number on your hand and he smiles a little, but when you don’t mention it, he doesn’t ask.

As you’re walking home, Dick having promised to pick you up later, you stare at your phone.

Debating.

Screw it.

Me: Hi, this is Y/N from the pet store, I didn’t get your name today

You wait ten seconds before shoving your phone into your pocket out of anxiety and instead focussing on tonights hellscape.

You have to make these people love you. You have to!

Ignoring the silence and stillness of your pocketed phone, you instead focus on reviewing what you know about Dicks family.

Surprisingly- little.

Honestly? You barely know anything about them.

Except:

               He has two dads, Alfred and Bruce

               He has four brothers, Jay, Tim, Duke and Damian

               He has two sisters, Steph and Cass.

               He has one not sister, Barbara, also his unrequited love

               He doesn’t have favourites between any of them.

Luckily, as you start up your stoop and your chest starts to heave, your phone vibrates in your pocket.

Unknown Number: I’m Jason

You wait. For something, anything.

After two minutes, you’ve entered your apartment and, phone still in hand, made your way to your closet.

After ten, you’ve set the phone back on your bed and are deciding between a red bodysuit and a yellow crop top.

After twenty, you’re in the shower and anxiously shaving your legs even though you’ve decided to wear long pants.

At the thirty minute mark, out of the shower with your hair wrapped but before you apply moisturiser, you pick up the phone and give in.

Me: What do you do, Jason?

Putting it back down, without much expectation, you pick up the moisturiser once more but pause when the device beeps again.

Jason: I’m a freelancer, mixed martial artist.

Jason: Do you like lunch? Or breakfast food.

You try to grin too wide at the messages. He seems a little… unsure, maybe. You’re into it.

Me: I love lunch, and breakfast- for lunch or breakfast. What do you think about dinner?

You nab your red bodysuit and slip yourself into it, then fight on your favourite pair of pink corduroy pants. Gazing at yourself in the mirror, you frown, look at your closet, frown harder.

No.

“You’re hot.” You growl to your mirror self. “I am hot. And I am loveable and tonight is going to be great and tomorrow you can go out with Jason and kiss that gorgeous face.”

His visage pops up before you, scarred and unusual.

You hope his scars are more innocent than- well, than other scars in this city.

Maybe he got them in the womb, or terrible acne that forms perfect lines.

Oh boy.

Jason: I usually work nights, late, and I’d hate to cut our night short because I need to get to work

Your lips purse.

Oh shit!

Dickard: I’m coming up, you better look hot

Shoving away your awful, awful, just awful realization, you look back up at yourself in the mirror and grimace. Throwing on a light coat of lipstick and a layer of mascara, finishing off the makeup you’d been wandering through while texting with-

No.

Leaping up, you grab your jacket- that guys jacket-

Oh hell, you’re so dumb.

Pushing out every thought to do with night time activities and vigilantes and, worse, villain criminals, you throw on the jacket, put your phone and wallet in the pockets, slip on some shoes and snatch your keys.

“Shit,” you murmur, spinning around and nabbing your perfume from the table and spritzing yourself and the jacket. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Bounding for the door, you wrench it open just as Dick raises his hand to knock. You stare at each other, for a moment, while you pant.

“Running late?”

Shoving Dick backwards into the hall, you lock up behind yourself and turn back to him with a cheesy smile. “Show me your Daddy, Dicky.”

His expression goes blank and you hiss out a breath.

“No. No! Don’t-”

“I think maybe-”

“Oh shut up,” you growl and he laughs, throwing an arm over your shoulders and leading you out of the building. “Y’know, I’ve don’t know that much about your family. Like I know the cast, obviously but you’ve literally never told me where you live, and you’ve never-”

Dick grimaces, and you can tell he’s unsure and maybe embarrassed.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll figure it out, I doubt they know much about me, anyway!” You laugh, your throat tight and panicked and he offers a weak smile and a quick squeeze.

  “Oh, f*ck me, Dick.” You stare at the gates.

The Gates.

Not to heaven, or arkham, or anywhere so pedestrian, oh no.

“F*cking Wayne Manor, Grayson? As in Dick Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne?”

Dick shrinks in his seat, driving up the lane, since the gates had opened automatically, for him.

“I’m going to kick your god damn ass, Grayson, I’m going to end you, you’re the worst, literally the worst,” the car stops, “you’re so f*cking dead, you dumb bitch, I can’t believe you’ve done this,” your door opens, “and I’m just so excited to meet your family, Dick! Hahaha!”

You take the hand proffered through the car door and rise to come face to face with- shit- Tim Drake.

Recognisable, famous Tim Drake.

“Hi! Dicks brother Tim! He’s so proud of you,” you greet and Tims lips twitch upwards at the sides, though his slightly warm, slightly protocol expression changes little beyond that.

“Welcome, Y/N, Dick’s mentioned you a lot and we’re all so excited to finally meet you. In the flesh.”

You try not to frown at his weird phrasing, only for it to get worse.

“Oh. Did Jason leave his jacket in your car again, Dick?” Tim asks, his gaze moving from the jacket on your shoulders to Dick, who is sidling up beside you.

Jacket. Jay. Jason. Phone number. Freelancer. Night time work.

Shit, shit, shit, please be a coincidence, please be a coincidence. F*cking Dick, f*cking shit, damn, heck.

You smile absently at the pair.

“Oh, no, this one is apparently very similar to Jasons but Y/N has assured me she found it in her building,” Dick assures him, and you look between the two, gauging their reactions.

Tim grimaces, and Dick frowns at him.

A vigilante gave you this jacket. You just got the phone number of a possible vigilante named Jason. Dicks brother Jay is named Jason and he’s got a jacket like this.

Please.

Hell.

You spot others emerging behind Tim, from the gigantic Wayne Manor doors.

Dick’s eyes dart to them and he slings a comforting arm over your shoulders.

“Let’s get in and out of the cold, hey Tim? C’mon, lead the way.” His voice is jovial but he holds you back a second as Tim sends him a look then starts toward the doors. His face tilts toward yours, a soft whisper coming through your hair to your ear. “I’m so sorry, I should have said something sooner, it’s a- it’s hard to explain, you know I’m adopted, we’re all pretty adopted around here and it’s such a difficult situation and its not like I have the greatest relationship with Bruce and- I’m sorry, Y/N, I should have said something sooner.”

The apology brushes over you and you tilt slightly against him, your forehead setting against his shoulder and he presses a kiss onto the top of your head.

“Thanks, kiddo.”

“We’re two years apart, you galumphing oaf.” You growl back, just as you step through the doors and come face to face with a group of people staring at the pair of you.

Your eyes lock on a beautiful red haired woman, her face stark for a long moment as she takes in the pair of you before everything on her face is hidden with a blink of an eye.

Oh crap.

You step out of Dicks grasp, pointedly, and offer a weak smile to the red haired girl. Barbara.

Shit, hell.

Everyone stares at the movement and it takes you a second before you see him.

“Is that Jasons jacket?” A kid asks loudly, Damian, hopefully, but your eyes don’t stray from the man at the back.

Jason from the pet shop.

“Relax everyone,” Dick laughs, his eyes moving from you to Jason and the pair of you stare at the obvious expression on his face. Dicks voice trails off. “It’s not Jasons…”

“Jesus and the Joker,” you gripe, your eyes darting from Barbara to Jason to Dick.

“So this is your jacket?” Dick asks, gesturing to the beat up brown coat on your shoulders. “How’d she get it? How’d you get it?”

Jasons head twitches in a shake, eyes locked on yours and you squint at him.

“No! Jason. Don’t make her lie. How’d this happen? Why’s she still got it?” He glances at the staring group and sighs. “She got it like a week ago.”

“Three days.”

You grit your teeth, glaring at Jason.

“Shall we, everyone, head into the living room? Alfred, dinner?”

Your eyes dart to Bruce Wayne, his voice and face clearly recognisable from several television segments, and you watch as the group silently and with thick tension move single file through a door. Beside Bruce, another man, Alfred, you guess, steps up close to him and murmurs something before Bruce nods.

Beside you, Dick tangles your fingers.

“Hey, best friend?”

Your eyes slide up to his and he offers you a pathetic smile.

“Dick,” you say softly, as the others exit, leaving the pair of you a moment. “Cards on the table, a group of those people who run around at night visited me and then that night you were out with Jay one of them visited again and he gave me his jacket and then he took it back but then he gave it back and then Jason came into the pet shop today before you did and I got his number and I texted him and I realized that hot guy Jason from the store was some kind of vigilante guy because of what he said and now I get here and they’re the same person and your brother Jason is the Red Hood? And he’s running around with other vigilantes who have hair the same as these people we’ve just walked into and please call me crazy, Dick, that I’m a big ol’ loon, please?”

You don’t mess with the f*cked system in Gotham and you certainly don’t get involved with someone involved with the f*cked system.

“I’m Nightwing.” Dick says in a rush. “And kinda Batman.”

Your nose wrinkles as you try not to burst into tears.

Just… One thing after another.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dick pulls you into his chest and you don’t resist. He’s Nightwing but he’s still your Dickie, your platonic soulmate. “I was going to tell you soon, but I know how you feel about all of it and I didn’t want you to hate me or my family before you met them.”

“Dick!” Someone yells obnoxiously before being loudly hushed.

“I didn’t know about this Jason thing, I wish he’d have spoken to me, this is my fault for mentioning you to them.”

You hug him tight before pulling back and shaking out your hair. Pasting on a smile, you beam at your best friend.

“It’s a party, Dick, for a dog, I think we should focus on that for now and hope I haven’t ruined any chance to make Barbara like me.” You laugh half-heartedly, before taking his hand and stepping purposefully toward the doors everyone else waits behind.

Heck this was a heck one like just definitely took a while and quite stressful to write idk what was going on

[cruecifymesixx]

Love and Leather /part twenty four/

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: anyways, that’s what I picture our girl Vanity to look like in my head at least, no one else really fit the look. Enjoy! Feedback keeps me going!

Warnings: language

Taglist: @brideofdraculana, @xstarryeyes, @aryssav, @miserablecunt, @dangerous-like-a-loaded-pistol, @inthebackofmycarlaytheirbodies, @fandomshit6000, @anntheboneless, @electradestiny, @tiranni, @venus-calum, @justjodeye, @supernaturalvikingwhore, @are-we-real, @hi-my-name-is-riley, @extremesadnerding, @thatbandchick39, @awkwrdcait, @countrygirlswonderland, @dillightfulpickle, @baiabouk, @awesomealmostdopestudent, @madsthegroupie, @martabastic, @romanticvengeance, @tashy-bear, @krazykatkay456, @terror-triplet, @shouttatthedevill, @beachystars, @slutforsixx, @rodriguez025, @kickstart-myheart-sixx, @s-outhie, @anxious-diabetic, @awkwardblackgirls, @motlycrue, @brooklyn-antiques, @shamelessobsessions, @jerseytaint, @lilytalebi, @criminalyetminimal, @motley-queen, @trapt-in-a-dream, @lunamadhatter99, @broke-n-bitchy @thanks2pete, @slowandangry, @lovesick-heart0, @keepcalm-and-beyou, @miriampraez, @teenwolflover28, @lilyhw1, @swoopygorl, @motherloovebone, @random-internet-user-4471, @yxzzie420, @falcon-arrows, @talranocchia2001, @wheresmyvodkabitch, @supersoldierballerina, @badbitch27onacopioussofa, @ggorehorror, @marshbev, @primal-screamer

May ‘85

“Wake up!” I jolted up from my seated position as I wiped my drool from the metal counter, “Oh, c’mon! You know I don’t work late shifts!” I whined out at Ryan. Ryan was a barely twenty something dude that worked the over night shift at the diner. Not many hours,so its a side job i’m assuming. I yawned, looking up at the clock on the wall seeing it was only three in the morning.

“How do you do this every night?” I asked, him sliding me over a cup of coffee, “a lot of this-“ he said holding up his own mug, “and usually it’s busier on a Friday night.” He added on, I nodded while taking a sip. I stood up from the stool and stretched.

“You and I should hang out sometime.” He suggested, causing me to look up at him. “That’s a hard no.” I turned him down, “No, Seriously! We could go catch a movie or go to dinner.” He continued, causing a sharp head shake from me. “Are you asking me out on a date?” I questioned his motives, but he just shrugged.” Well...I think you’re beautiful, and you seem cool.” I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.

“Thanks, but no thanks. Plus, we work together. I don’t really do the whole ‘dating my coworkers’ thing. ” I told him, and he nodded, “Well...not really...I see you like what? Two times a week? It doesn’t count.” Ryan replied, making a smirk appear across my face, “It always counts. You couldn’t handle me anyways.” I found myself starting to flirt with him, harmless flirting never hurt anyone, right?

“And what makes you think that?” He asked, propping his elbow up on the counter. I smiled, putting my hand on his arm, letting my nails graze across his skin, “Because I know better than to date nice boys like you.” I told him, a smirk playing on his lips as he sucked in his bottom lip between his teeth.

“I’m only nice when I want to be.” He teased. I took my attention away from him when the bell above the door chimed, “Hi, welcome to-“

“Vanity Blackwood, you fine ass chick.” Tommy stumbled in drunk, my eyes going wide. One by one, the boys followed him in with their entertainment for the night.

“You fucking know Motley Crue?! Ryan said vivaciously, his mouth hung open. “No, never met them a day in my life.” I joked, trying to suppress the nerves with a small smile.

“Ah! Come here!” Tommy spoke loudly, pulling me into a tight hug, as my feet left the ground from his over the top hug. “You should have came to the show!” He said loudly, energetic as ever. As the smell of booze hit my face, I let an apologetic smile go Tommy’s way. “Working, T-bone.” I told him, my eyes glancing over to Nikki, “Oh fuck! This is awkward, just fuck and make up like usual.” Tommy slurred his words, pulling Nikki into his side. His dark eyes fixated on me as he studied my face. His low, unsober gaze trailed down my body picking up on every single movement I made. I felt my throat tighten, feeling uneasy as he examined me. I couldn’t fucking breathe when he looked at me like that.

It’s been over two months since the last time him and I spoke. I’m so tired of this back and forth with him, its draining. “Don’t be rude, say hi.” Tommy said, failing his attempt at a whisper as he nudged Nikki’s arm.

“You know, Ryan...how about you take all their orders, and I’ll go on break.” I said, turning my attention to him, handing him the check pad. “What? No, we can split it.” He said, confused almost.

I smiled, letting my flirtatious side be used to the best of my advantage once again. “Take their orders, and maybe I’ll consider that date of yours.” I told him, “Date?” Nikki finally spoke up, “Dude, fuck yeah! You should totally wine and dine her!” Tommy said, putting his hand up for a high five to Ryan, he obliged and gave him one.

“Guess you’re gonna have to explain how you know them over dinner.” Ryan playfully teased as I rolled my eyes, “What can I get you guys?” He asked them as I quickly went to the back.

I found myself barreled over against the wall, clutching my chest. Every second that’s past, i’ve found it harder to breathe. I didn’t expect to see Nikki. No, I expected to eventually. Not at 3’ in the fucking morning at my job, though. “Pull it together, damnit.” I said to myself as I tried taking slow, deep inhales through my nose.

How could I have given him this much power over me? I don’t think he even knows it, or cares for that matter. I feel jittery when I’m around him. I can’t sit still, let alone catch my damn breath, Nikki Sixx being the only man able to get me worked up like this, even after all this damn time.

“You good?” Ryan came in through the swinging door, handing the night cook the meal ticket.

“Yeah I’m fine.” I said with a reassuring nod, “Good, cause Vince is asking for you. He’s shorter when he’s not on stage.” I chuckled at his comment, “C’mon!” He said pulling on my hand, leading me out the door and to their table.

“Sweetheart, come sit.” Vince motioned to me, as he gently grabbed my hand away from Ryan. The booth was full so I sat on his lap, his arm wrapped around my waist. His hand slid down to my ass over the period of a few moments, but me being too overwhelmed by the entire situation, I let it slide.

“I never did get a chance to say thank you for helping me.” I looked into his blue eyes, “it’s no biggie.” I lightly mumbled with a shrug, running my nails through my hair.

“No, no I’m serious, I don’t know how I can repay you. I’ll give you anything you want, you name it.” I shook my head, “Vince, really it’s fine, I was just being a friend.” I reassured him, running my hand over his untamed mess of sweaty blonde hair.

“How did you meet them?” Ryan asked as he pulled up a chair to the table, I shrugged. “Just did.” I told him, my eyes quickly darting over to Nikki who was chatting up the girl he was more than likely gonna fuck, and pass to Tommy when he was done.

“Dude, she was our fucking waiter here!” Tommy yelled out, pure excitement in his voice. God, I wish I had even one fourth of that mans’ energy. “And then she started partying with us! And then she started fucking sleazeball Sixx over here!” Tommy shouted out, pushing on Nikki’s shoulder. I groaned, wishing that he could just zip it once in awhile.

“Oh?” Ryan said, a smirk on his face, “Didn’t take you for the partying and sleeping with rockstars type of girl.” He joked with me, my head instantly shaking.

“Not anymore. The partying part is still true, but...” I stopped, nervously laughing. “Tommy’s right, Nikki is a sleazeball.” I said, the boys instantly stopped talking and stared at me. Nikki let out a huff of hot air, then continued to try and talk to the girl,

“Someone’s jealous.” The girl spoke up, a smirk plastered across her daring & bold red lips. “Shut up.” Nikki warned his female companion of the night.

“I’m sorry? Who are you?” I asked politely, a smile on my face. “I’m-“ I quickly cut her off. “Actually, scratch that. Doesn’t really matter who you are. You won’t be here tomorrow night, and frankly, he’s not gonna remember you the second his dick leaves from in between your thighs. This will all be a figment of what you can remember by tomorrow, so enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Whoa.” Tommy and Vince whispered in unison, Mick having an amused smile on his lips.

“Is that true?” The girls eyes gleamed with hope as she looked at Nikki. He scratched the back of his head, trying to think of what to say. “Don’t worry about her beautiful, she’s just being a cunt as usual.” Nikki spoke softly to her, his eyes darting to me as he called me names.

“I’m...I’m gonna see if the food is ready.” Ryan spoke up, “yeah man, good idea.” Mick replied, waving him off.

“C’mon Sixx! I know you better than that, you probably can’t even remember her name right now! How many lines did you do tonight? Oh wait, I forgot. We’re not doing that anymore .” I spat out, my smile turning to a deep glare. Nikki rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Of course I remember her name.” Nikki spoke, but he wasn’t too sure of himself.

I waited for a response, then noticed Tommy nonchalantly whisper into his ear, “Josie...her name is Josie.” I let out a bitter laugh. “She still won’t be here tomorrow.” I added, “You don’t know that. maybe she’ll take your place, and be better than you.” Nikki said, pure ignorance oozing out of his mouth.

“Please, we both know you won’t find anyone that will put up with your shit like I do.” I snapped at him while removing myself from Vince’s grasp.

“Good luck, girl.” I gave a smile to her before walking away from the table and going outside for a quick smoke.

Nikki’s POV

I turned my head to the side as I watched Vanity leave the table, “She’s a bitch.” Josie chimed in, her eyes rolling. I brought my attention back to her and slung my arm around her shoulder. “Uh, no she isn’t.” Tommy, like always, jumped to her defense. “Just fuck her, why don’t you? She has you wrapped around her finger.” I jumped down Tommy’s throat, much to his liking. “You cheat on Heather with every girl, why not add Vanity to the list? Hm?” I growled, Tommy ignoring my comments.

“Where’d Vanity go?” I looked up at this pretentious fuck of a waiter, as he was passing our food out from the tray. “Who gives a shit?” I grumbled out as I stuffed my face with food, earning a scoff from him in return.

“So you’re the Nikki guy the girls are always talking about? Makes sense.” He shrugged when I looked up at him, sending sharp daggers through his way.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I say while quickly standing him and getting in his face, our noses almost touching. He put his hands up, with a conceited smile on his face.

“Ah nothing man, it’s nothing. Just didn’t think you were the guy Vanity, Lucia and Tonya were always gossiping about.” He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “They’re like little school girls talking about their crushes.” He added on.

“Seems fitting.” Vince blurted out as he sipped on some coffee, “What did they say about us? Or him?” Tommy questioned, my curiosity getting the best of me as well.

“Oh, uhm...” He began looking up, trying to remember. “Just that they partied with a group of guys a lot. Tommy was always brought up.” Ryan boasted as Tommy threw up the devil horns, “Ladies love me.” He added on.

“I think they mentioned how much of an asshole you are though, and how she shouldn’t be dealing with it, cause she deserves better.” My jaw clenched, my fists clenching. “Those your words or theirs?” I asked him, he smirked as he slapped my arm. “Maybe a mixture of both.” I was about to knock this guy the fuck out when I saw the back door open up again ,Vanity walking inside.” Don’t you fucking talk to her.” I quietly warned him as I sat back in the booth.

Josie starting going on and on about something, but I had completely zoned out. How dare this fucking pretty boy get into my fucking face and talk about my girl. I mean, she’s not my fucking girl. But fuck, she belongs to me. Everyone knows that. I’ve already made that pretty fucking clear to her.

I should apologize to her, but apologizing has never been a strong suit of mine. I know I’m a huge fucking dick to her and I also know she doesn’t deserve it, and honestly me pushing her away is my fault, I’ve always been good at that.

I glanced over at her, noticing she was reading a magazine. Maybe I should try talking to her before we leave. If she doesn’t blow up on me in the process, it’d be a damned miracle.

“I want to leave.” Josie snapped me out of my thoughts as she grabbed my dick through my pants. I smirked, looking down at her hand, “We will soon babe.” I mumbled to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek while looking at Vanity.

Tommy’s POV

Fuck! I forgot to call Heather! She’s probably freaking out! Damnit, I’m such an idiot.

“Hey man, I gotta get out.” I told Vince, a groan escaping his lips as scooted out of the booth.

I walked over to Vanity who was sitting at the counter doing a crossword in a magazine. I walked up and slapped my hand on the counter, making her jump. “Fuck! Don’t be a dick.” She said while closing her magazine, making me laugh.

“I need a phone, can I use it?” I asked her as she rolled her eyes while grabbing the phone, handing it to me. I quickly punched in the numbers and waited for an answer. But to no avail, Heather never picked up.

“Heather didn’t answer.” I said, Vanity noticing the gloominess in my voice. “Shes probably sleeping, T-bone, I bet she’ll call in the morning.” Van said sweetly as she ruffled up my hair.

“I’m sorry about Nikki, I don’t know why he’s such an ass to you. He never shuts the fuck up about you, but yet he treats you like that.” I told her, as she shrugged softly. “Don’t apologize for him, he’s a grown ass man that needs to figure shit out on his own...no matter how long it takes him.” She said, her gaze slowly moving to him. I turned around, witnessing him getting overly cozy with that chick. Too much for in public.

“You got a thing for him, don’t you?” I asked her as I watched her cheeks turn to a crimson shade. “Shut up!” She said, but then continued, “I don’t want to have a thing for him. It just fucking happened, it won’t go away, and I hate myself for it.” She explained, “Shouldn’t deny love, girl.” She rolled her eyes, “I don’t love him, I mean yeah I love him but I don’t love love him, y’know?” She added with a dramatic sigh, making me laugh.

“We’re going on tour again, we leave Uh...Sunday actually.” I explained to her, “How long this time?” She asked, as she wiped the remnants of stage makeup from my cheek, “A year, we start here and then make our way across the country and then we end some where in the U.K.” I told her,

“London is beautiful.” She said, “Daddy took me on a few business trips when I was younger. Been to Paris too.” She elaborated, I nodded and gave her a smile.

“You’ll send me postcards like the tour you did with Ozzy?” She asked, “Every new city and country, babe!” Her eyes lighted up, Vince and Mick walked up.

“Let’s go T-bone, Nikkis out in the limo waiting.” Mick explained. I nodded slowly, looking up at Vanity with a soft smile.

“We’ll see you in a year!” I leaned over the counter and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Be safe, for the love of god!” She shouted at me, making me chuckle,

“That wouldn’t be very heavy metal of us, now would it?” I asked while throwing up the devil horns, walking out of the diner with the guys.

[lildevyl]

S͏̛͘a̢͠y ͢͢G̵̡̛o̵͟o̴d̢҉B̸y͏̢͡e

TW:  Creepy Pasta from the beginning of the fanfic, mention of murder, mention of blood, mention of possession, mention of hauntings, being haunted, stabbing, mention of and/or viewer of suicide like action, Zalgo Text, AntiSepticeye.

Summary:  A fan put together compilation of AntiSepticeye from the beginning all the way to his debut on “Say Goodbye” on Chase Brody’s Channel Bro Average! Enjoy!

Links at the end of the one shot!

I've been lying down for hours now.  It's 5:35 AM and there's not much I can do. You know what the worst part about my situation is?  I'm in the same room with my parents.  They keep looking at me, and I can't help but look back and try not to cry or scream.  Their eyes are focused on me and their mouths are wide open.  There's the strong scent of blood and I feel so paralyzed with fear.

Here's the thing.  The second I make any hint that I'm not asleep anymore.  I'm completely fucked.  I will die and there's nobody around to save me.  I've been trying to think of a way out but the only idea I have is to rush for the door and run outside to scream for help.  Hoping that any my neighbors will hear me.  It's risky.  But if I stay here.  I will surely die.  He's waiting for me to wake up and see his "masterpiece."

You're probably wondering what's going on.  I do get ahead of myself sometimes.

About three hours ago, I heard screaming from the other side of the house.  I got up and went to check on the noise before realizing I had to use the bathroom.  Instead of doing the smart thing and investigating.  I used the bathroom first.  I could've gotten myself killed right then from my stupid actions.  But I actually did my business and took a peek outside the bathroom door.  There was blood on the carpet.  I got very scared and ran back to my room.  Just hiding under the sheets like the pussy that I was.  I tried to convince myself to go back to sleep. That it was just some really vivid nightmare or something like that.

But I heard my bedroom door open.  Like the terrified child I was.  I peeked from under my blankets to see what was going on.  I could see something dragging my dead parents into the room.  It wasn't human for what I could make out.  It was hairless, with no eyes and no clothing.  It walked like a caveman, with its back slouched as it dragged my parents.  But this thing was much smarter than any caveman.  It was aware of what it was doing.

It propped my Dad up on the edge of my bed, and made him face me.  It then sat my Mother down in the chair and positioned her towards me as well.  It started rubbing its hands upon the walls.  Staining them with blood and then drew a circle with the devil's pentagram in it.  This thing had made what it would probably call a "masterpiece."  To finish it off.  It scribbled a message onto the wall that I could not read in the darkness.

It then positioned itself under my bed, waiting to strike.  Waiting for me to make move that I'm awake.

The scariest thing?  Is now, that my eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I can actually read the message on the wall.  I don't want to look at it, because it's terrifying to think about.  But I feel I need to see, before I'm killed.

So, I peek at the creature's masterpiece.

"I know you're awake."

=========================================================

And now, YouTube Comments with Chase Brody

Malecifent Smith:  "Show us the dead bodies you hide behind the current."

Chase smiles and grabs the mic.  In a very terrifying voice, "You're not allowed to see the dead bodies.  No one's allowed to see the dead bodies."

MrPunshierforlife:  "Chase do like to eat orphans?"

Chase gets close to his mic and the same terrifying voice, "Only the really young ones.  Heeheeheehahahahaha!"

Abbandoneer:  "After seeing a healthy dose of your crazy videos. I've decided to describe."

"Awesome!  Good job dude!"  Chase gets closer to his mic and deepens his voice.  "Welcome to the dark side."  Chase leaves and then comes back with a bowl of ice cream.  "We have cookies and ice cream!"

Bubblefreak:  "Want to know how to build up suspense."

Chase looks to the side and slowly turns toward the camera with an evil grin. Editing it so that creepy music and lights were in the scene.  "Hahahaha!"  In a high pitched laugh.  "Gotcha!  Yeah, that was cheap jump scare."  Chase softly chuckles.

Nyym90:  "Chase?  What is your worst nightmare?"

"Honestly.  My worst nightmare is, well a long time ago when I first got the internet.  My friends and I decided to look up some B Rated horror movies.  I don't remember the name of the movie.  But there was this one movie where the guy in the movie was being haunted.  No one believed him.  They all thought that it was just stress or that he was finally losing his mind.  He went to see a professional.  And it kept getting worse.

By the end of the movie like a camera or something turned on.  Filming him.  And all he was doing was carving pumpkins for Halloween.  The camera glitched and then he put the knife to his throat and slit it.  And then demon took over. To me, that is my absolute worst fear.  Just something happening you know something is happening and absolutely no one is believing you and then you have like, no control over the situation.  Then something like getting stabbed or something like that.  Yeah."

Chase then shudders on camera.  He just got a cold chill, going down his spine.

NerdShroom:  "Dear, BroAverage.  Why do you call yourself Chase when your real name is Sean?"

"It's because we have split personalities." "No, we don't!" "Yes, we do!" "No, we don't!" "Yes, we do!" "Shut up and quit telling them that!"

Staring back at the camera with a very serious look.  "You try getting some damn sleep with that going on inside your own head!"

Orfeas Molonis:  "Who's Sean?"

"Just some crazy guy I keep locked in the basement."  Chase turns to the side with no one there.  "Get back in the basement!"  Turns back to the camera.  "I don't even have a basement.  Hahahahahaha!"  Does the Anti like laugh at the end.

=======================================================

(Halloween)

Wapoosh!

"Top of the mornin' to ya laddies!  My name is Chase Brody and welcome to Carving Pumpkins!  I think it's a cool tradition to do one every year.  But yeah, Happy Halloween!  Happy Birthday to the pumpkins!  I got a bigger pumpkin this year.  Last year got a little one and it was really hard to make a face on it.  So, I got a bigger one.  And as you can see."  Chase made a gesture with his arms of his surroundings.  

"That I'm doing this in my room.  Last year I did in my kitchen and it just sounded awful down there.  So, I brought the table up here. I have no idea what I'm going to do for this design.  Probably something simple. But I'm excited!  I love doing these seasonal videos.  Um, okay I'm going to need a marker of some kind." 

Looking around Chase spots a marker he can use on his whiteboard that he used to write HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  He quickly brings it over the table.  "Okay, now I need to start drawing a face on this guy.  Oh, Happy Halloween!  Did I say at the start?  Probably."

Chase starts drawing a face on the pumpkin giving a bit of commentary as he went.  Then quickly grabs a wipe, and wipes off the eyes and redoes them.  Then he shows his template to the camera with a huge smile on his face.

"Also you need a bag."  Chase goes over and grabs a bright green bag from his left side.  "To put all shit into.  No!  Don't throw yourself into it!  I know you think you might be a piece of shit but you're not!  You're beautiful!"

Then he picks up the two knives that he has on the table.  "I got two knives here. Biggie and smally."  Then continues to attempt an Australian accent.  "That's not a knife this is a knife!"

Chase takes the bigger of the two knives and is about to cut into the top of the pumpkin.  "Right this is going to get really dangerous."

H͟͞͠è̡͢͡͞e̵͜͢͝h̶̵̛e̸̡̛̕e̸̴͢ḩ̴͢é̷e̢͡h̸̛̀͢e̡͠͝é͏͘͢h̵̨̧̨e͘͜e̡͝͡!̵͟͜

"What the fuck was that?"  Chase wondered confused.  He gets up and out of camera view goes to check it out.  "Hello?"

The camera glitches and then it's nothing but black and green static and Anti makes a brief appearance on the right side of the camera.  Where Chase grabbed the green bag from earlier.

Chase comes back and sits down.  "That was weird.  No one was there.  Alright," Chase grabs a hold of the bigger knife and prepares to carve into the pumpkin.

"What you want gonna do is cut into.  I'm sorry buddy.  I'm going to have give you a name.  Um, Gerald!  I'm sorry Gerald.  But what you want gonna do is cut into the top of Gerald's head.  Oh god!  This is very dangerous.  Do not use a knife like this at home unless you're a trained professional."  Chase stated holding the knife like he's about to stab something.  "So, technically, I shouldn't be either.  Just be very careful when you're doing this though."

Chase continues to cut around the top of Gerald's head until there's a nice pop sound.  "You hear that?  You want a nice pop sound when it comes off.  That's how you know that you did it right.  A smell that.  Ah, it stinks!  Well, of course, it stinks Chase!  You have fully opened pumpkin in your room!"  Chase grabs the bag and scraps and cuts off the end pieces of the top into the trash bag and then puts the lid back on the table.

"Oooh, the smell of this isn't making me feel well,"  Chase started putting a hand to his stomach.  The camera glitched again, and when it came back to normal. "Oh, my god!  My nose is bleeding!"  Chase quickly left the room to fix his nosebleed.  The camera glitched again and Anti makes another appearance but this time right where Chase once sat.  Then disappeared.

Chase comes back into the room double checking that his nose is fine.  "That was weird.  I've never gotten random nose bleeds like that before.  It seems to stop now.  What a coincidental time of that happening on Halloween."  Chase just laughs it off mostly trying to defuse the situation for his viewers at home.

"Okay now, where did I put that spoon?"  Looking around Chase finds the spoon he's looking for on the floor and picks it up.

"Okay, now what you will need to do is, scoop up all the insides of the pumpkin. You're going to have to scrape and scrape until your arm gets raw.  Can you hear that?"  The camera mic picks up the scraping of the inside of the pumpkin.  "I don't know if you can hear that.  This the part about carving pumpkins that I hate.  There's so much cleaning!  I hate cleaning!"  Chase continues to do this for a few more minutes.  "Ah, now me arm’s getting tired.  It looks even nastier!" Hold the pumpkin up for the camera to see the inside.

The camera glitches for a minute showing his shadow on the bedroom door and then disappears.  "Oh god.  Now, my eye is twitching."  Chase says while grabbing his green trash bag.  "Okay, um?  How am I going to do this?  I have not thought any of this through.  Okay yeah, that's going to look good for the viewers.  Looks like I'm doing my own pumpkin."  Chase puts the bag into between his legs and turns Gerald over in his lap and starts shaking him up and down.

Chase then puts Gerald back on the table and scoops out the rest of the insides.

 "So, there we go, pumpkins all c̕ļean͠ed o̧ut͟.  So now that he's all cleaned out we're going to cut out his eyeball holes.  So, I'm going to use the smaller knife."  Showing the knife to the camera.  "Because it's more interact.  But be careful, I can cut ch'ya!  So, please be careful."

Chase starts to go to cut the first eye hole out.  "Don't be scared now Gerald. What did I tell ya before?  It's like getting a hacksaw to your face!"  Sad music starts to play.  "I'm sorry buddy.  I didn't mean to go overboard.  But you know how I get around sharp objects.  It's hard to turn the knife."

Chase struggles in trying to get the knife to cooperate.  "Alright, I think it's coming along."  Then the eye fell out onto the table.  "And just like his eyeball came out."  Chase then puts the eye part in the trash bag and goes to do the same with the other one.

"Stop resisting Gerald!  It's time t͘o̶̡ ̸̀d͟͞͞i͘e̷!̶̡"  The camera glitched there.  "Why did I called you Gerald?  Shoulda called you something like Pete.  Pete the pumpkin. But no I like Gerald."  When Chase finished cutting the eye, he pretends to sneeze and pokes the eye out the pumpkin.  "Two eyes out!"  Chase puts the other eye in the bag.  Then sounds of stomping around his apartment started.

"I swear to god I'm hearing something."  Chase goes up and checks out what could be making all that noise.  The camera glitches again, and Anti makes another appearance this time much more solid and little longer as well.  He seems to be showing us something.  His eyes were completely blacked out. Chase comes back after a few minutes.

"Maybe it's just the neighbors' kids I'm hearing.  Sounds like stomping or banging.  Maybe I'm just being paranoid because it's Halloween."  Chase then goes to look for the spoon so he can continue to get Gerald ready for tonight.  "Make sure you get all the stringy stuff behind the eyes because you don't want any danglers.  You don't want him to look all rotten and decayed.  If you want that just leave outside on the porch for a few days.  Then he'll just do that on his own."

Chase then shows Gerald to the camera with clean eyes.  "Alright now comes the mouth.  That's going to be hard.  I don't want to sharp jagged teeth that's not scary!  Even though that's what I did last year."  Chase then goes to cut the mouth out.  Every now then he gives a little commentary, but not often.  He needs to concentrate to get this right.

"Okay, that last one?  Last one!  Okay, did it work?  Are your teeth going to come out?  Yeeah boy!  It worked yeah!"  Chase then grabs a wipe and wipes off the marker of where he drew the lines for the mouth.  He then puts all the pieces he cut out into the bag.

"Does your head still fit on?"  Chase then goes and puts the top of Gerald's head on.  "Yeah!  He's a fully formed pumpkin!"

Chase then takes the top off and grabs the smaller knife.  "Now what you're gonna have to do is some fine -"

The camera glitches green for a split second.  Chase slowly put Gerald down and looks into the camera with a blank stare on his face.  He slowly and shakingly brings the knife up to his throat and cuts across.  Anti makes an appearance a couple of times before Chase falls flat on top of Gerald.  The camera glitches again as if the footage is corrupted.  Then it goes black.

"Help me!"

H̶̡́̕͝a̵̡̢̨͞h̸͘a̕͠h̡̀a̢̛͢h̴̨̧͠͡a̴͞͡h҉͡a̶̶͟h̀a͜͝҉̵h̢͢͡a͢҉h͢҉̶á̛͘!̧̨!̴͘͘҉!̷̵̵̕!̵̀̕͞!͢͟͡͡͠!͏̴̢

Anti takes over Chase.  The screen is completely black and Anti has his trademark neck wound, reaching out of the camera.  Reaching for us.  And laughing in our face.

"H̶ee͘h̕eeh̨eeeh́e͝e!̴  H̕iś b̴o̸d̴y͡͝͏ ̧̕̕wa͏s̀ ̸̀҉wèa̴̧͡k̶͡!͏̕   Y̸o͜u a͢ĺl͞ śái̛d͜ m̧y name kept me̶ alive.  H͠a͢hahaH̸a̢͢h҉̛͝a̷͘h͘a͞.  I͘ ̴͡à̛̀m͠ ̷̨her͏e̛ ҉n͝o̢͡ẁ̵. ́́́In̶s͝i͟d̡e̢ y̛̕o̵͢u̵͠͞!̵҉!̧͞    I҉͘t̛͏̧ 's͘͠ ͏͝a̷͝ll̕ ̡y̨o҉u͟r͟͠ fa͏̕u̢͞l̷t̴̷.̷  T͡oo lo͝n҉g.͞  Yo̴͝͠u l̛ì͟͞s̨t̵e͠ǹ ̴̨͜t̢o ͏me͢.̧  Y̸o͏͝u͠ ̕͢a͝ll̶̢͠ ͏͜m̨̛a̛͘dé͠ ͡͏t̶̢͝hí̶̕s̶͟ ͜͞há̕p̧p̷̨e̸̶͝n͜͝e̴̡͡d̨͡͞.̴͝   H͞a͟h̀a͏ha̛haha͞.  Y̧ou͘ còu̡ld̸ '̢v͏e͏ s҉top͢ped̨ m̛e̷, but yo̧u ͢jus̡t̶ w͝a̵tc̡hed.͝"  Anti eyes went from static green to completely black in a blink of an eye.  Then back to normal.  "A̡s̛ ̴̧t͘h̶̵í̡͏s̷ ̵̷́h͏́a̸̡͡p͠҉̕p̶ȩ͝n͞e͝͝d̛͟. N͠ow ̡hę'̕s ͡go̶n͜e.  F̶̛̀O̷̢҉R͢͡E̴̴͟V̧̀E͟R̕͠͝!"

The screen turns black and we all hear.

Ş̶À̧̨͟Ý̴̧͡ ̴̢̧͢͞G̵̢̕͢Ó̸̢O̕͜Ḑ̨̡͟͠B͠҉̵͝Y̷̸͝E̡̕!̷̧͞҉

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Links:

Creepypasta Reading: I Know You’re Awake, Scary Bedtime Stories with Jack  

YouTube Comments with JackSepticeye: Video #5

YouTube Comments with JackSepticeye: Video #6

YouTube Comments with JackSepticeye:  Video #7

YouTube Comments with JackSepticeye:  Video #10

YouTube Comments with JackSepticeye:  Video #47

Say GoodBye

Tagging:  @septic-dr-schneep, @egopocalypse, @huffletrax, @d-structive, @dolphintreasureart, @dezzydynamite, @julywinters, @epicfangirl01, @starlightxnightmare, @starlightstarfight, @littlepinkchan, @a-humble-narcissus, @weirdmixofweirdness, @burnbrightfadefast, @jackjames-exe, @spicydanhowell, @thefirsttobreak, @run-stray-wolf, @thevampireauthoress, @isa-ghost, @kisstheashes, 

[rainywritingsx]

Torn • BNHA x OC • Chapter 2

Whoooo chapter 2 is done! I'm sorry that the story is moving a bit slow, the fun stuff will happen, please have patience ^_^. If you like this chapter, please leave a like or reblog and if you have any feedback feel free to comment or send it in my inbox if you’re shy, I don’t mind at all as long as you’re being respectful ^^. I think that’s it for now, have fun reading!

xxx rainbow

you can find chapter 1 here

words: 2252

warnings: none

"Welcome at UA High! Feel free to take a look in every class and ask any questions you may have to our teachers. There's no such thing as a dumb question, so don't worry!" The principal, whose name I thought was Nezu, said, his voice filled with excitement. As the pace of my heartbeat quickened, I entered the building. It was huge! There were so many windows and the colours were also lovely.

I gasped quietly upon seeing a few students from class 1-A. If I remembered their names right from watching the sports festival (secretly of course since I'd get killed if my family saw me watching it), they were Uraraka Ochaco and Iida Tenya. Both were standing near one of the classes. A sweet smile grew on Uraraka's face when her gaze fell on me. I was almost surprised at the fact that she smiled at me, but then I remembered that heroes of course didn't know who I was. My parents did everything they could to hide my identity to the 'good people'.

"Welcome! My name is Uraraka, nice to meet you!" She said sweetly, her hair bouncing slightly, matching her cheerful mood. I smiled and greeted her back.

"Nice to meet you too! You can just call me Janie. I would like to say that you were awesome at the sports festival. I know you lost the match but you still did a wonderful job! That Bakugou guy was just really strong, but don't worry." She smiled even brighter when I said this. I could've sworn this girl was the actual sun.

"Thank you! I'll do better next time!" She said, her voice filled with determination. I nodded before turning to her friend, smiling at him politely.

"You were also wonderful at the sports festival. Your quirk is so fascinating! And your whole family is absolutely wonderful, I really respect you all." Iida nodded proudly and saluted me.

"It is my duty to keep up the pride of the Iida family. I'm glad that I'm doing a good job. I'll continue to do my best!" I giggled and nodded. I liked this guy, he was pretty cool.

"So, do you have any questions about UA?" I shook my head.

"Uhm, I don't think so. I don't think I'll attend UA anyway..." I trailed off. Uraraka frowned and tilted her head in confusion.

"Why? It's so cool here! As long as you do your best I'm sure you'd be able to get in." She said, trying to encourage me.

"Ah no... it's Uhm.. my quirk isn't really that special, you know.... a-and I'm not from here." I said before I could even think about it. I mean... it was true in a way. My mom's side of the family was Korean/Japanese and my dad's side of the family was Turkish. I didn't really speak Turkish that well but my Korean was alright.

Uraraka gasped softly as I said this. "You're not from here? That's so cool! And I'm sure your quirk is fine! There's this kid in our class named Mineta. His quirk is uh... let's just say it's quite interesting. But he still managed to get in!" I smiled softly, my heart feeling touched that she tried so hard to encourage me. If only I could actually attend this school...

"I'm sure our other friends think so too! I mean the more the merrier right? That's exactly why this whole thing is organised. Right Iida?"

"That is indeed correct. UA high is in need of more worthy students for a safer future. Definitely with All Might's retirement it is necessary." It was only now that I noticed that Iida was standing in an almost military manner. This guy was very self-disciplined... I mean I guess I could understand that. If my family consisted of such great heroes I'd do my best to keep their reputation that way as well.

UA really seemed like an awesome school... I'd be able to learn so much there and so many well-known heroes worked here as teachers, it was almost like a dream.

But I couldn't do that. My parents wouldn't approve of it and I wouldn't even get accepted anyway.

Why did I think about this so much?

"You can always decide not to go if they let you in. "Please just try the entrance exam, I promise you won't regret it." Uraraka said sweetly as she handed me a flyer with more information. "I really hope to see you again soon." I smiled politely and nodded, saying that I hoped for the same. I doubted it though...

I ended up looking at some other places, gasping softly when I saw Bakugou Katsuki, the guy who won the Sports Festival. Despite his.... anger issues, I still thought he was pretty cool. He was definitely smart, from what I had seen and obviously UA didn't let random people in their school, let alone their best class.

Exactly why I wouldn't be accepted.

I wouldn't consider myself on the level of class 1-A to be honest. Yes I had some physical skills. However, my quirk had its limits. I couldn't make water out of thin air, I actually needed it physically in order to use it. I'd never know at what kind of place  the entrance exam would be held so I'd be at a disadvantage there. Therefore I'd need to completely rely on my physical abilities. I also wasn't trained enough to control other fluids as of right now. I could control water and things like drinks, soup etc, but anything else was still too difficult for me.

And second, how would I even be able to keep this a secret from my parents? The villain school and hero school did have classes at different times considering the fact that those two despised each other but I'd have to find an excuse to be away at those times. And I was a horrible liar. A little white lie was fine but lying about where I always went... I wasn't sure if I could do that.

I stopped walking when the smell of food entered my nose. It smelled heavenly, oh my.... I wished the food at my school had this lovely aroma. I could just get something small like a cupcake and then leave, right? No biggie. The lunch room sure wouldn't be that far anyway, that would be convenient. I smiled when I noticed some signs, showing where people could get some food. That was nice, I'd probably get lost without them.

When I entered the cafeteria the same happy mood that I felt in the other parts of the school was here, except it was more lively. Children were having some meals with their parents, excitedly talking about what they had seen here today, students were helping with the food and some teachers were conversing with parents who had questions regarding the school.

My eyes slowly wandered off to the amazing foods that were placed here. It was an open buffet, a bit small but it all looked great. If only I could stay longer and have an actual meal... I'll just get a cute cupcake instead and eat it on the way home, that was nice too.

The cupcakes were adorable, they all had different colours and the frosting was as white as snow. It had cute sprinkles on it and in the middle was the UA logo. It looked too pretty to eat but at the same time it really made me want to eat so many of them. Of course I wouldn't do that though, I had some self-control.

I grabbed a pink cupcake and then turned around to leave. However, my feet stopped upon hearing someone gasping. Before I could even think about what was going on I was controlling boiling hot tomato soup, keeping it in the air. I looked at the situation and my eyes widened when I saw a little girl, eyes squeezed shut as her hands rested on her short black hair, ready to have it all over her.

"Melody!" A woman's voice, who I assumed was her mother's, called before she ran over to her daughter. She stopped when she noticed me, holding the liquid in the air. I carefully made sure to let it go back into the big pan that it was in earlier. I'd lie if I said that doing that wasn't nerve wracking. If I wasn't concentrating enough it would still hurt the girl and the mother as well.

"Thank you so much." The woman spoke, her voice shaky as she smiled at me thankfully. I blushed and was about to say it was all good when more voices spoke up, praising me for what I did. I gasped and looked around, realising more people had seen this, even some UA teachers.

"I-it's fine! I-my body moved before I could think... I'm glad your daughter is okay, though." I said and looked over at the little girl, who was looking up at me with her adorable brown doe eyes. I crouched down so I was at the same height as her before speaking gently.

"Make sure to be careful next time alright? You really could've gotten hurt." The little girl smiled at me and nodded.

"Woah, so cool! Did you guys see what she did?" I looked up and noticed a blond haired guy talking to some people, including Uraraka and Iida. Many of them seemed to reply enthusiastically as well, except for who I thought was Bakugou. He just scoffed and looked away, making me chuckle softly. Uraraka looked over at me and seemed to recognise me

"Oh it's you from earlier!" She said before walking up to me. "Janie, right?" I smiled and nodded.

"What you did was so heroic! That's another reason you should come here." She said as she excitedly bounced up and down, making me laugh softly.

"That's sweet of you to say, but-"

"Uraraka is right!" Iida said, making me stop talking. "What you did was truly heroic. It shows more than any exam can. You have the heart of hero. None of us went there to help at this moment but you." I mean that sounded nice and all, but was it really true? Maybe it was just a reflex. Sure I was different than my family, but to say I was a hero...

"I know you want to come here, I can see it in your eyes." Uraraka said, causing me to gulp. I really was an open book, huh?

"Just please think about it. You have a week to sign in for the exam, and even after that you can say you don't want to join the class. I'm sure you can do it!" This girl was just too lovely to say no to...

"Alright... I'll think about it. I really need to go now, though." She squealed and nodded.

"That's great! Hopefully I'll see you soon again then!" I nodded and said goodbye to both, before turning to leave the school. Suddenly I walked into something big and buff, making me release an "oof" sound as I stumbled backwards. Luckily, I managed to find my balance again so I didn't fall on my butt. That would've been embarrassing..

"Oh, my apologies, young lady! I didn't mean to startle you!" My eyes widened when I realised who that voice belonged to.

Holy crap.

It was none other than All Might himself.

"What you did there was truly heroic. Not many people do things like that in such a short timespan, let alone children who aren't even planning on becoming a hero. I'm surprised you aren't a student here already!" I blushed and looked down, playing with the purple ends of my hair.

"I mean... it-it just happened, I didn't even realise I was doing it honestly... I don't think it was that heroic, sir."

"Well, don't you know that that's how many great heroes start? Their bodies act before they even have time to think." That was true... I had heard many stories like that from many famous pro heroes. Some stories like that were even from the villain side, except the events didn't take a good turn..

"And there's no need to call me sir, feel comfortable with me! I'm All Might after all." I smiled and nodded, feeling more at ease now. I didn't know what it was but... it was like he had this fatherly aura around him. I was sure he'd make a great father if he didn't have a family of his own yet.

"Thank you so much for the kind words All Might. I truly appreciate it. However, I should really go now, I'm very sorry." He laughed loudly and nodded.

"Of course! No need to apologise for that, I understand! Your parents must be worried but I'm sure they'll be proud once they hear your wonderful story!!" I wish they did... but it was a nice idea to think about. At least All Might was genuinely proud of what I did.

"Thank you so much s-I mean All Might. Have a nice day!"

"Goodbye! Hopefully I'll see you at the entrance exams!"

After all, I might consider actually doing it... trying won't hurt anyone right? Perhaps I wouldn't even be let in.

I still had time to think about it anyway, which was nice. We'd see what would happen after this.

[helltore-a]

            welcome to the first episode of THE BLOGCHELOR starring me !  

      this has been in production for MONTHS and i am here to deliver for mutuals and non - mutuals alike ,  this is  FREE TO JOIN FOR ALL .  i will be doing this fortnightly or monthly  (  depending on my schedule )  with at least 5 BLOGS reviewed for however way they will take my perspective to improve and grow for the better.  feel free to take it or leave it. 

      THE RATING WORKS ON THE RANGE OF 5 / 5:  with 1 as has so much room for potential and improvement ,  3 as passable and your blog works as functionally and practically as it should ,  and 5 as with flying colors that your blog works but with good extras.  READ FULL CRITERIA DESCRIPTION HERE.

01.  @msscre​ .  fandomless oc by pax.

ACCESSIBILITY  /    NAVIGABILITY.     ★★★★★ With this kind of theme having maximum number of 4 links ,  I like how the first thing your blog immediately showed me is the links because the boxes and font color just pops out. You did what you can with limited url slots and the navigation page for everything makes it easier for everyone to browse through since they’re all redirected pages.   ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   In my opinion ,  it’s better to have a good balance and choice of usage between redirected pages and custom pages. Too much use of custom pages for the aesthetic can be annoying for a potential partner browsing your blog because most people just want to read your content and not to be kept redirected to different pages ,  especially if they’re incoherent with no uniform choice of design.  Worst combo to send your potential partners away since they can also feel lazy not to read your content.  Yes ,  people do that and it’s not their fault since the human brain has limited attention span.  Too much redirected pages works if you want simple ,  straightforward navigation but it wouldn’t hurt to add a little flair sometimes.  This flair can be from the custom page and redirected page mix usage or from how your content is formatted too.

VISUAL IMPACT  /   AESTHETICS.      ★★★★  Absolutely love the consistency in your theme color palette !  Neutrals and red as highlights is a good duo.  Everyone is entitled to their own tastes of their representation and interpretation of their muses ,  though might I suggest that the color of your highlights be a little lighter ?  The theme and fonts are neutrals and dark ,  so it will help the eyes adjust and find the emphasised content you’re aiming to be read if your highlights are light or medium light so not to deviate with the theme’s aesthetic. However ,  I don’t feel your font for the header though ...  seems a bit off for me but it’s just a difference between preferences ,  no biggie. ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   It’s always good to have a good choice of what font goes with what.  In my case I use a lot of font sizes and properties to complement the theme with the format or the actual font used.  Usually I do cursive and straight combination ,  not one over other overpowering each other.  Google Fonts with html codes and stuff is your best friend. 

SUBSTANCE  /         INFORMATIVE.    ★★★★  Good info on the biography and verses since they have whatever pumps the blog alive.  I don’t know if it’s in your intentions but a PERSONALITY section is good too in supporting your psychological evaluation stats page since mostly ,  numbers don’t really make sense to humans.  They’re more of the qualitative type ,  makes it easier for them to understand if you link those numbers to words of brief description of your muse’s behavior and attitude.  This is especially crucial for OCs to have as one of my preferences so I’ll know if our muses can clash for fun or just clash without sense ...  you can gauge what an interaction can be just by reading the other’s personality section and see how it helps with the plotting and relationship dynamic.

READABILITY  /        LEGIBILITY.          ★★★★  The colour of the highlights is what I’ve said earlier but overall ,  the font colors are good since I can read them.

BRANDING  /        WOW FACTOR.       ★★★★★ The mysteriousness with the PERSONALITY section gone can be a pro and con sometimes and since I read your about page ,  there’s suspense in how you came up with her name because it’s really thought - evoking.  I associate your muse with a greek figure and it gives me something to think about especially as it can help me pinpoint a plot for us ,  if ever.  I also appreciate the stats page like they’re very unique with some stats I’ve never seen before so it makes up for the substance as well.  There’s visual - spatial intelligence ,  etc. which makes your muse unique due to that analysis.  Little details matter.

02.  @jollynephilim .  supernatural’s  jack kline by dipper.

ACCESSIBILITY  /    NAVIGABILITY.     ★★★★ Might enhance a bit with positioning since some of the links are scattered on top of the side header  WHO IS IN CONTROL  which makes it hard for me to ignore in a visual - wise focus.  You can also experiment by using other symbols or images since the links are eye - catching due to animation. 

VISUAL IMPACT  /  AESTHETICS.      ★★★  I’ve been very familiar with this kind of theme since I am guilty of being tempted to use the same ,  although this one has become mainstream so I am very used to seeing the same formula over and over again.  Something new might be good or an innovation of the original theme though it doesn’t mean you should sell your soul to photoshop or html masters.  The background edit is well - appreciated since it blends with the dark color palette you chose.  You can make your theme a little bit refined with the bars by changing their gray rose  ( ?? )  background to something  continuous  since the way I view it on my browser ,  I can see where the background picture of the bars started and ended.   ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   Being continuous and blending are two elements useful in visually enhancing one’s blog.  It shows unity and consistency.  Be careful in integrating too much of the links or headers in the background because it can get to the point that it’s annoying to find or read through bleeding colours of the theme and other factors.  

SUBSTANCE  /         INFORMATIVE.    ★★★  Love the profile ,  brief and concise.  Can do something more with adding a few rare info that will make your Jack stand out from others ...  Nevertheless ,  I like how informed I am with the  BACKGROUND  since for someone who hadn’t caught up with Supernatural ,  it works.

READABILITY  /        LEGIBILITY.         ★★★★★ Readable.  However the highlight color concerns me since it doesn’t complement the background color palette because the blue sticks out ,  but other than that ,  it works.

BRANDING  /        WOW FACTOR.       ★★★  Add a bit more on the info and finding a selling point on a  BRAND  that will classify your Jack as their own.  Like putting out something new that will make your muse distinguishable from other duplicates.  Additionally ,  I’ve seen your threads or opens and they are very intriguing since they give rise to questionable exploration of sensitive topics ,  which is good since it’s a different approach to Jack’s character.

03.  @kidhnter​​ .  supernatural’s claire novak by heather.

ACCESSIBILITY  /    NAVIGABILITY.     ★★★★ Everything is accessible except the ask box.  Hopefully you can fix the codes for that.

VISUAL IMPACT  / AESTHETICS.      ★★★★ I’ve been guilty in trying the same formula in themes ,  but you get a star instead of three for bonus in using a complementary color palette.  However it gives me the signal that it’s playing too safe so you might like to consider using dark or light shades of one font color if one color is your drift.  The black starry header sticks out for me ,  and you can edit it to even or level out the gradient since it seems cut off in the middle in my view.  Being continuous and consist are qualities in keeping an aesthetic alive.

SUBSTANCE  /         INFORMATIVE.    ★★★  Fun facts or trivias are really appreciated since I use the same formula depending on which muse I have ,  so I really like that cute bit.  But I can’t give an overall review since your page is still incomplete which is totally understandable. ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   One of my biggest pet peeves that turn me off is when people have blogs but don’t have much in their pages.  I understand that they haven’t found the time to complete them because real life comes first ,  but at least give me a little information especially if I don’t know your muse and I’m not too interested to look them up in my search bar ,  sorry.  I’d rather read someone’s writing that’s not copy pasted from wikia than actually reading on wikia because it gives me an insight on how this person writes.  Do they focus on content and details ?  Do they write in purple prose or straightforward ?  Things like that are analysed whenever I read someone’s about pages.  Usually before I release a blog out in the wild ,  I complete my pages as soon as possible with deliberate planning because I don’t want to advertise an  EMPTY  blog.

READABILITY  /        LEGIBILITY.         ★★★★★ Very readable since everything is organised and categorised through the theme’s menu and aesthetic appeal plus function.

BRANDING  /        WOW FACTOR.       ★★★★★   Gold and black makes a statement ,  take advantage of that color scheme and remember the starry background of your bars.  I love the BIKER BARBIE bit because it has its charismatic appeal and different format on how usually people do that.  BIKER BARBIE  brand is iconic for claire and I can see where you’re coming from ,  but from an analytic perspective ,  it’s also a clash of character for claire but harmoniously it works out.  Good job ,  makes it easy for me and very distinguishable to remember your brand that makes me think that Ah ,  this is the BIKER BARBIE claire.

04.  @crackedfaith .  supernatural’s castiel by vix.

ACCESSIBILITY  /    NAVIGABILITY.     ★★★★★ Very thought out due to the number of links and the flow of the story of your blog through the order of the links. ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   Content is not the only thing you should plan writing for.  The moment you have the blog is the same moment you’ve already started writing your interpretation which is seen in the way you presented your blog through graphic edits ,  links , pages ,  etc.   Content is not the only thing that tells your character’s story ,  your blog does too and that’s why it’s important to pay attention to details.

VISUAL IMPACT  / AESTHETICS.      ★★★★  This theme sure as hell takes your time coding so I really appreciate and love how you made it your own.  I feel ,  because I used the same theme in different occasion and it’s a pain to code but totally worth it.  I love the colours very much ... They give an outer - worldly vibe but at the same time ,  very much Castiel. ➤ GENERAL ADVICE FOR EVERYONE :   Visual impact and aesthetics may affect your branding and people’s impression of you and your muse ,  but it does not define you.  Always remember that.  It does give identity though so like I said ,  pay attention to even the tiniest details because you never know who reads your blog.  Visual impact and aesthetics also affect readability levels ,  take note of that one since overly coded and overly aesthetic blogs can repel writers who can’t read shit due to lots of glitters on the blog and all other many stuff going on that they can’t understand.  

SUBSTANCE  /         INFORMATIVE.    ★★★  Since you haven’t completed your about and verses pages ,  I cannot say it works but I appreciate that the guidelines are already set.  Very ,  very critical piece to put in the blog because it is what dictates if you will write or will you not write with others.   

READABILITY  /        LEGIBILITY.         ★★★  Don’t know if you can change the font but as much as if you can ,  do it.  The main chubby font works on the container but it doesn’t work on the sidebar.  I had to squint my eyes to make out the words because of the heavily color gray.  Try using lighter shades for font color and other styles as well.  Google Fonts is your best friend.

BRANDING  /        WOW FACTOR.       ★★★★★ Very iconic.  GRACE/LESS tagline is such a catch for me ,  it’s really great.  The background also has an impact on me because it reminds me of the cosmos ,  of the time of The Fall scene ,  and I love how you incorporated the sense of falling in your graphics.

05.  @sanguinebite .  van helsing’s verona by demi.

ACCESSIBILITY  /    NAVIGABILITY.   ★★★★★ On the side and easily seen.  Clean cut ,  just pops out next to sidebar. 

VISUAL IMPACT  / AESTHETICS.    ★★★★  Can do a bit more with the font used on the sidebar and its format.  I love Times New Roman and its use in this theme.  Maybe try experimenting with shades of black and gray and consider giving other colors a chance for highlights so people can see what you’re emphasising through bold ,  italic properties.  Other than that ,  overall theme is a choice that works.  The cursor is cute and the edit on the sidebar photo looks cool ,  so extra points for those two.

SUBSTANCE  /         INFORMATIVE.    ★★ Kind of empty ,  but the rules are established so that’s appreciated.  It helps that I know your muse but what if other people don’t know ?  I suggest doing a temporary info scribbles on the pages or just a simple TBA / WIP. 

READABILITY  /        LEGIBILITY.         ★★★★ Readable ,  I don’t have to squint so much so that’s a good thing.  It depends on the device used about the font size ,  but try making the font size a bit bigger for the body since it’s too small for me.

BRANDING  /        WOW FACTOR.       ★★★  Older than Rome itself holds great potential to immortality vibes of branding material ,  it’s a good tagline I like.  Maybe you can link your muse to a roman figure and create a brand from there.  Qualities also help you think about a good brand as well as your muse’s history.  Who or what reminds you of your muse ?  What can you take from there and make it your own ?

[odanurr87]

Watching Voltron Season 7

This summarizes my feelings on the season quite nicely.

I’m trying something different this time around. Instead of reviewing the season as a whole -something I might do later anyway- I decided to provide written commentary on each and every episode as I watched it. The quality of the comments will vary and you probably shouldn’t take them all too seriously (especially if you really liked this season). If it looks like I’m giving Season 7 a hard time, it’s probably because I am, but know it comes from a place of love (maybe). Having said that, I have to warn you that: a) I’ve not provided context for all of my comments, you’ll just have to figure out what I’m talking about at times (fairly easy, particularly if you’re watching the episode at the same time); and b) there are lots and lots of spoilers!

So, sit back, relax, and let’s watch Season 7 of Voltron: Legendary Defender, shall we?

Episode 1: A Little Adventure

Keith and Shiro’s story should’ve been shown earlier than S7. It might’ve helped me like Keith a little more. It’s a great flashback, but it feels a little rushed.

The humor is not really funny and it doesn’t gel well with the more solemn story of Shiro lying in a coma fighting for his life.

Pidge decides to check his comms at a completely random moment.

Okay, the “literal bait” bit was funny.

Episode 2: The Road Home

They let Lance decide passenger arrangements?

Mice-selfies!

The passsenger arrangements was a funny bit. Thankfully, it didn’t overstay its welcome.

Did everyone have to explore the Blade facility? Nobody thought of staying with the lions just in case?

“We’re under attack.” Read above.

The wolf is deciding the arrangements now. I’m okay with that.

You can’t defeat a few fighters without forming Voltron? Wouldn’t that be more energy-taxing than firing lasers?

“We run.” Why didn’t you do that in the first place?!

Hunk. My man!

Episode 3: The Way Forward

Why are we back to goofy Lance?

“We’re destined for greatness.” Yeah, right. Wouldn’t be surprised if one of you kicks the bucket before the end of the episode.

Baddie is terrible at interrogation. Your prisoners have just answered your question.

Coran’s antics are not funny.

Bayards can teleport, huh? Would’ve been nice to use that trick in the cell.

Yup, they’re dead.

Eh, three-year time lapse. No biggie.

Episode 4: The Feud!

This isn’t funny or interesting, just boring. Sorry, I’m skipping this one.

Okay, that closing music is the best thing of this episode. Of course, bear in mind I skipped to the ending.

Episode 5: The Ruins

Seinfeld? Why are we wasting time like this?

Remember what happened the last time we deviated from our voyage?

Hunk gets it.

Yes, abandon the lions… again.

That reveal was way too fast. The guy’s story was more interesting than this.

Isn’t Lance supposed to have a broadsword?

So you had the Voltron team escape the force field so they’d be incapacitated by Macidus... again. What was the point?

I was kinda hoping Keith would say, “It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Episode 6: The Journey Within

I’m still not sure how going to Earth is gonna help them replace the Castle of Lions.

Their Paladin armour protected them but the lions are frozen? I’m thinking too much.

Hunk’s already softening the blow for the Paladins getting replaced?

Well, this is riveting stuff. And I’d still have this episode over all the previous ones.

I doubt people would react this way but who knows. Keith is back to being an asshole. Just as I was warming up to him.

Well, I guess we couldn’t have an episode without something trying to kill the Paladins.

That speech feels a little out of place now, Keith. Just a tiny bit.

Guess they have energy now?

New configuration. I dig it.

And about damn time too.

I was expecting more from an episode with this title.

Episodes 7 & 8: The Last Stand, Parts 1 & 2

Okay, I may be nitpicking, but couldn’t we have left the flashback for the reunion?

Sanda seems reasonable, for now anyway.

This episode is picking up the slack from the previous ones. Nice.

It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.

Okay, if I were a guy at this briefing, I’d have a hard time believing any of this.

I see good points on both sides here. Compromise: why not inform a few governments and start from there, similarly to what they did on Stargate SG-1. Broadcasting this to the whole wide world without a plan seems terribly irresponsible.

Voltron’s own Area 51. Cool!

Are these guys going to be the new Paladins? I sure hope not.

In all this time you didn’t even contact a single government? Are there even governments in this world? It’s not about emotion, it’s about resources, dammit!

If getting kicked out of the garrison was your biggest concern, I say go for it.

“The cat’s out of the bag now.” My thoughts exactly.

Whoa, I guess it’s true what they say, everyone wants to rule the world.

I’m pretty sure what you wanted to say was that there are mass riots and widespread panic out there, right?

I’m sure glad everyone else in the world has that nice and shiny particle barrier.

Oops, guess they didn’t.

Why the f*** is Sanda so stubborn?! We tried it your way and everyone died. Surely we can’t do any worse than that?

Every other place that didn’t have your shiny new tech got wasted, no kidding.

Sam really wants to rule the world, doesn’t he?

Yes, he does, he’s just gonna wait for the lions to show up. Doesn’t take a genius.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but, so far, the best episode of this season hasn’t featured the Paladins or Voltron.

Meet Veronica, the new Black Paladin.

Why reveal your presence like that?

Query. They designed weapons that are effective against Galra ships but not against Galra troops? Seems like an oversight.

Don’t worry, they’re not about to kill a badass character off like that.

Told you so.

Okay, I’m slightly more willing to read about what happened on Earth while the Paladins were away in comic book form. Slightly.

Oh, Lance’s sister. Hot.

I’m not sure that… Well, what do you know, it worked.

The next episode, Keith, the next episode.

Episode 9: Know Your Enemy

How exactly are you blocking- You know what? Forget it.

And that’s how the Paladins were killed! Kidding.

Introducing New Keith 1.0.

That door seems like a weak point.

Confirmed: Pidge can fly.

New Keith 1.0 is jealous of Keith 2.0. The plot thickens.

I had completely forgotten about Adam. Way to go killing him off like that. Couldn’t you have featured him in a couple more episodes at least? As it stands, he was entirely superfluous.

New Keith 1.0 is even more of an asshole than Keith 1.0. Someone punch him for me, please.

Sanda has been unusually quiet. I don’t like that.

Space Battleship Yama- I mean, Atlas!

Seriously, handing over the lions at this point would be dumb beyond measure. It merely leaves you at the mercy of the Galra who’ll backstab you at the earliest opportunity. Why are we even discussing this? Are we really going to make Sanda a baddie now?

“We need intelligence and we just don’t have it.” She’s absolutely right, just not in the way she thinks.

What was that? New Keith 1.0 went from being a jerk to a more or less decent guy in less than an episode? What’s going on here?

Hunk couldn’t rescue his parents. I’m surprised this show was that bold.

Episode 10: Heart of the Lion

I don’t understand any of what just went down. So an Earth power source makes an Earth prosthetic go berserk but an Altean one won’t? Are there evil power sources in this universe now?

Also, that arm’s missing a half. Just saying.

Admiral Sanda’s back to her senses. Good.

Yes, call your brother an idiot for showing concern. That’ll show him!

A tiny nitpick: why not use the wolf to teleport around?

Confirmed: New Keith 1.0 is no longer a jerk.

Teamwork!

Allurance moment. I ship it.

That scene with Pidge and Keith.

Zai-what?

Damn, Sanda’s all about the problems, isn’t she? How about a solution every once in a while?

How did they do that again?

It’s a bit of a gamble but it’s better than sitting around and doing nothing.

That Tenzin moment!

Lance 1.0 would’ve boasted about it. Just saying.

Um, why is Red not responding?

Great visuals, great music, great scene.

Drama! To be continued… or maybe not.

Those troops are terrible shots.

Cut it with your sword, cut it with your sword!

Or that works too. Were we holding back Red just for the sake of drama?

That was… awfully fast of the Galra.

Oh, no, don’t you tell me that... For f***’s sake, that was idiotic! You’re helping the guy who has built planet killers instead of the people trying to take them down?!

No formation sequence and music? This doesn’t bode well.

Can energy beams be bended like- Ah, forget it.

Personally, I would’ve cut off the episode at the blast, maybe even the season. Kills all suspense otherwise.

Episode 11: Trial by Fire

This marks the second time the lions get captured this season.

“We made a deal!” Famous last words. My eyes are rolling.

The bad guys are leaving. I wonder why? #sarcasm

The main villain lied to you? No way! This must be a mistake! Also #sarcasm

To kill everyone I presume.

Bingo.

We only now remember we have a crystal than can act as a power source?

Magic.

Um, why is everyone looking at Shiro like that? Just roll with it.

Now, if the Atlas were destroyed right now, that would be funny! I have a wicked sense of humor.

“Take them out.” A little late for that.

Ah, the redeeming arc begins! I foresee someone dying.

The ship “gained abilities”? I’m just gonna say it: magic.

Just kill her. I mean, she’s gonna die anyway. It’s that kind of arc.

Told you so.

Episodes 12 & 13: Lions’ Pride, Parts 1 & 2

Voltron formation music is back but with less punch.

Voltron’s finally kicking ass!

Why are we surprised that Sendak is going to destroy Earth?

I don’t mean to be rude, but that’s a (relatively) stationary cannon, and they probably don’t have enough mirrors up in space to track all of Voltron’s movements. Voltron shouldn’t have any problem dodging those blasts.

So Sendak’s willing to destroy his own ships to get Voltron? I’m game! Let’s rush from cruiser to cruiser! At least they’ll provide temporary cover.

They’re letting the Paladins move around the mirrors untouched?

Why not reflect the beams back at the cannons? Just a thought.

“Commander, they’re deflecting the beams.” Um, send someone to take the lions out? It’s not like you’re short on ships.

Why not simply blow up the crystal? You did bring explosives with you, didn’t you?

“Victory or death.” Why not simply transfer command to another ship?

I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see you on the hull of that ship, Shiro.

MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

That was a surprisingly smooth landing, all things considered.

Death it is.

Another Allurance moment.

Okay, why is this Part 1 again? Looks like everything was rounded up nicely.

Looks like I spoke too soon.

You’re overdoing it.

Ah, for the love of... Another mega-robot?!

I’m with Allura, this season should’ve ended in the previous episode or at episode 10.

I don’t know what the Komar is. I skimmed through previous seasons.

What happened to “we can recharge Voltron ourselves”?

Really? Somehow this robot is more powerful than anything we’ve ever seen? My eyes are rolling again.

Magic returns to save the day.

You’ve got to be kidding me, you built a ship that can somehow turn into a giant robot and you didn’t know?!

Okay, no, stop, this is beyond ridiculous now.

Weren’t there civilians around?

I seem to recall saying you were overdoing it. We’re way past that point now.

Why not return to Earth as soon as you’ve pushed that thing into space? I forgot, drama.

If they die, I’ll take everything back.

Lions still there so they didn’t.

Nice speech. Not feeling it though.

I’m saying it right now, Season 8 should jump forward in time several years.

Acxa! I had forgotten all about you. Seriously, when did we drop you?

Lotor’s been a very naughty boy. So much for time skip. It really was the way to go after this season.

[beheadingofmakai]

“Exorcist” Is A Strong Word

<- Previous Chapter

5:31 AM was not a nice hour to be up and about for Vinn Ingram, but there simply was no other choice. Sure, the cold winds that blow through Mint Hill Street were a very convincing argument to buy a scarf the moment today was over, the uphill walk made paying a taxi very, very attractive even though it was a short walk, and the deadly combination of both made our new Exorcist miss his bed sheets with the agony of a lover who left his sweetheart behind to go to the war, but alas, this was a necessary evil if he ever was to see his workplace at all. At the Seventh Office of the Mythic Affairs Bureau, work hours begin at 7:00 AM, which is a whole one hour and twenty nine minutes our daring star could’ve spent tucked in bed dreaming about sunshine and puppies, but if the last two days were any indication, this was a bad idea, and that bad idea has a name: Bastian Ashfield, his partner.

“Mother fu... Arc damned cold wind... Uphill walk in the middle of... This better be worth it...” muttered the displeased Vinn to himself, making his walk under the purple early morning skies. Two days ago, Bastian raided his apartment and snatched him away to a sudden necromancy case, and yesterday, Bastian once more got him by the cuffs and got him working with a truant demon after an exorcism. These last two days, he’d been roped into all this work without being able to even see his office or meet his other colleagues. For a top scorer like Vinn, this was like a rusty, jagged spoon to the heart, as it was vastly unprofessional from him to not even greet his other seniors at the office just because this hydromancing asshole of a tyrant decided to start paying him house visits. Well, no more! Today, Vinn left far earlier than he was supposed to, as he wasn’t gonna risk a third day of impromptu plate-juggling. Maybe now, finally, he was gonna be able to do things right.

But Arc damn the wind is cold.

“I should almost be... Oh! That over there is the office, isn’t it?”. Vinn perked up and broke into a calm jog, and indeed it was. A four story building, solid and made of brick, with a large sign that read the “7th Office” in bold black letters. It didn’t indicate what it was the office of, just that it was the 7th. Magic and the supernatural is a well kept secret, after all, so whoever stumbled in there by accident would just be told a lie about this being a real estate firm or maybe an engineering firm. At long last, Vinn was going to be able to meet people that hopefully weren’t condescending jerks!

As Vinn approached the building, the door swung open, and what strode out froze Vinn in his tracks. A very tall woman, at least two heads taller than Vinn, with long dark green hair and a somewhat dark complexion, but the prodigious height and the curious colors of the dame weren’t what paralyzed Vinn, it was the long, curved, thick black horns that protruded from her head that did, peeking through holes in her large brimmed hat. 

“Hm? Hey there, I haven’t seen you around before” the mountain spoke. “For consultations and filing reports, head to the left desk, and for general questions, the help desk is on the right. We’ll help you in however way we can.”

“...Oh!” finally reacted Vinn, taking his eyes off the horns, hoping he didn’t offend. “Oh, thank you, but I work here, actually, it’s good to meet you, I started two days ago, my name is Vinn Ingram.” Upon hearing this, the woman brought a hand to her mouth in surprise, and immediately smiled gracefully, lifting her hat just slightly so she could take a better look at him with her piercing crimson eyes.

“Ah! You’re one of the graduates! How silly of me, my apologies, I assumed you were a new client. I haven’t seen you around, but, well, I suppose the same can be said for others, hmhm. Well met, Vinn Ingram.” -- the woman bowed with dignity and poise found only on professionals -- “I am Fatima Allanach, Exorcist here at the Seventh. Have been for years now. A pleasure to meet you. I would love to chat with you more, but I need to go out for something rather pressing right now. Which division are you on? I’d love to drop by later to properly meet you when time isn’t a pressing concern.”

“Oh, no no, don’t let me hold you back, the pleasure is all mine!” hastily replied the novice. “I’m in the 3rd Division.”

“The 3rd... That’s... I see, so you must be an intel support, then? Well, have fun with Nicholas, he’s kind of a stick in the mud before 9:30, but he’s very good at what he does. You’ll learn much. Well, farewell, until later.”

With a graceful half-bow and a smile, the large woman in the trench coat walked away, her horns disappearing from sight as soon as she headed to the streets. Can’t be seen with those by civilians, after all. Vinn couldn’t help but wonder what she meant by “intel support”. He was very much a fully fledged Exorcist, and his partner was Bastian, not some “Nicholas”. Well, whatever, he thought, maybe she was just confused and in a hurry. They’d meet later, so no biggie.

Finally at the 3rd floor, Vinn looked up which office was the 3rd Division’s in his briefing e-mail. It was more than a bit daunting when his worst suspicions were confirmed and that large, imposing cast iron door was, indeed, his office. With someone like Bastian on their payroll, however, the iron door made complete sense, unfortunately. “Well, whatever, let’s get to it.”

The already small room behind the iron door was made even smaller by the sheer amount of chaos within. Paperwork everywhere, pizza boxes, the scent of coffee and mana leftovers mixing into what can only be described as a terrorist attack on the senses, and one very bitter-looking blonde man sitting at the very end of the room, surrounded by cabinets, coffee mugs, and his computer, mashing away at that keyboard like it owed him money. 

“Uh, he--”

“And why the hell are you here this early again, Bastian! Can I just not have my own little world of-- Huh?”

“Um.”

“Oh.”

The red haired man and the blonde bitterness extract given a human form looked at each other awkwardly for a second, before the latter finally threw a brick and smashed the silence. “...Who, who the hell ar-- Who might you be? This is the 3rd Division, I think you got the wrong door, pal.”

“Uh, hey there, no, I work here. Effective as of two days ago, but it’s my first time showing up due to... Exceptional reasons, I guess. I’m Vinn Ingram, assigned here as of August 4th, a pleasure to meet you, Mister...?”

“No Vinn works here, dude, just go to your office.”

“Um, sir? I do work here, it says as much in this e-mail, I’ve been working for two days now on field.” 

“No you don’t.”

“Sir...”

“Dude, come on, I know everyone in this office and-- Hold that phone, what did you say your name was again?”

“V-Vinn Ingram, partner of--”

Whatever came after his last name fell upon deaf ears and was drowned by the loud tik and tak of the keyboard’s cry for help as the blonde man’s fingers struck it with surgical precision. A few seconds of awkward keyboard sounds later, the man’s face seemed to be right out of the cover of a cheap gas station horror novel. “Bastian’s partner? That Vinn?”

“That’d be me, yeah.”

“What the fuck, you haven’t quit yet?”

“E-excuse me?”

        Of incense, ink stains, and the murky menace lurking beneath it all:                                        – Chapter 3: Neon War Paint –

“Oh, um, ahem, h-hey, welcome, Vinn, welcome! I just, mm, never really expected anyone partnered with Bastian to last more than one assignment with him. Or less than one, really. I hope you’ll understand, he’s kind of, mm, not a very nice person.”

“Oh, trust me, I could gather that much. But yeah, I’m here, alive and willing still, somehow.”

Molotov cocktails burst green with envy at the explosive laughter the man by the computer just showcased with peerless cacklesmanship. “By the Arc, man, you really went and... I’m Nicholas Dunbar, Seventh Office 3rd Division information agent, assistant, and secretary, an actual honor to meet anyone who somehow survived Bastian.”

Vinn could only sigh, half laughing and half crying internally. “Vinn Ingram, once again, now assigned to this office as that oaf’s partner, the pleasure is mine. So, um, Nicholas, is Bastian just... Like that? In general?”

“He very much is like that in general.” replied the intel agent as he prepared some coffee on the worn, jury rigged coffee maker that had what was very clearly a band aid somewhere on its base. “See, the thing is, you’re the fourth partner that’s been assigned to him, and the only to survive the ordeal without quitting the job or requesting a transfer after... Well, not after, during the first day.”

“And I can see why. I’m here this early because he kept going to my place and roping me into more stuff, telling me he has to test me on this and test me on that, what a prick.” Vinn recounted as he tried to navigate this disaster room of pizza boxes and stray paperwork, making a futile attempt to find his desk.

“Yeah, you’re actually the only one I’ve met, haha. I kinda just assumed you’d be roadkill as well, no offense. You aren’t the top scorer of the Mythic Law Enforcement Academy for nothing, after all. Man, Bastian is real good at this job, one of the best, I dare say, but his people skills just haven’t been the same anymore...”

This last statement perked the novice Exorcist. “Mm? What do you mean with ‘anymore’?” The inquiry clearly changed something in the atmosphere, as Nicholas simply looked down and then at the coffee maker, gripping it by the handle and serving two piping hot mugfuls of coffee, offering one to Vinn.

“I can’t really tell you, man. I hope you understand. It’s kinda personal to him, and I’m not about the snitch life.”

“Ah, no no, sorry, didn’t mean to put you in the spot. Thanks for the coffee.”

“Say, since you’re here early, I might as well tour you through the Seventh, what do you say? Introduce you to the people, show you where stuff is, the works.” offered the intel agent, sipping his coffee, his voice certainly softer than before. This wasn’t an offer Vinn was going to turn down.

“I’d very much like that!”

                                                         ——-

The Seventh was a sturdy, spacious building. That cramped little hellroom that was the 3rd Division was not indicative of just how impressive and accommodating the rest of it was. Air conditioning, ample hallways, and effective use of space made it easy to navigate through and easy to fit all the relevant facilities. It certainly was a whole different beast from the antiquated brick fortress that it seemed to be from the outside. Nicholas and Vinn made small talk as they passed by the various other offices, most of them empty due to how early it was, heading to the Infirmary in the first floor.

“The Infirmary is open practically all the time, and it’s the first place you go to after an assignment, and the last place you go to before clocking out and leaving for the day.” Nicholas explained as he ringed the bell. “Cordiality is nice, but it doesn’t mean much in general in the Seventh, since we are all about getting the job done first and foremost. However, if there’s anyone you gotta be good with, that’s the Infirmary crew, because these people keep us alive. I think you’ll agree with me when I say you’d rather be on good terms with the people in charge of keeping you alive, yeah?”

“Hah, no argument there. I planned to come here first thing after finding the 3rd Division.” Vinn replied, adjusting his vest as Nicholas opened the door. “Hold on, don’t we have to wait for them to give us the ok?”

“I mean, by protocol, yeah, but as long as you ring the bell, Aria doesn’t really mind if you come in, Mister Stiff.” laughed the intel agent. “Can’t blame ya, though. You are the top scorer of this year’s promotion, so I assumed you’d be kinda stiff, but man, trust me, real work is a lot more... Earthly, if you will. Don’t take all those regulations and strict protocols to heart. As long as you do your job, no one minds.”

Vinn shrugged his shoulders as if saying “I guess”, which only prompted another chuckle from Nicholas. Inside the Infirmary, a woman with two large white wings and a long lab coat checked a clipboard and wrote on a little notebook propped on a desk. “Hey, mornin’, doc!” greeted Nicholas, prompting her to turn around with a pleasant smile and kind eyes.

“Hey, Nick, good day! Hm? Who’s the kid?” the doctor enthusiastically replied as she set down her clipboard. “Oh, one of the fresh meat, huh? Hey, I’m the patch up artist around these parts, name’s Aria, a pleasure.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Aria, I’m Vinn Ingram, ‘fresh meat’ at the 3rd Division. We’ll be seeing each other.”

“Oh, so you are a new intel agent? You’re lucky, Nick is awesome at his job, just, be sure not to catch him before 9:30, he’s kinda--”

“Oh no no, he’s not mine, Aria.” interrupted Nicholas, a wry grin plastered on his face. “Take a wild freakin’ guess who he is partnered with.”

Aria tilted her head in confusion, looked at him real good, the ol’ tip to toe scan with the eyes, and she realized, given his build, that he was no pen pusher. Those strong limbs were for working out in the field. “Wait, Bastian’s!? No way, but it’s the 6th! Any partner of his should have transferred already! Holy moly, you are some next level shit, aren’t you?”

Nicholas laughed out loud while Vinn simply sighed and pinched his nose. “Yeah, I guess I am fecal matter of the next degree. Man, he really is infamous for this, isn’t he?” The two of them laughed, but before Aria replied, she caught the Nicholas’ eyes, insolence brewing behind them.

“Oh... You wanna do that, huh...? Ok... Hey, Vinn, I applaud your manners for not pointing out my wings.” said Aria. “People usually get impressed by them and sometimes, it get uncomfortable, so hey, nice. But, at the same time, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed, since I am proud of them, as an Angel and all.”

Those last words perked Vinn up. “An Angel, you say...?”

“Yup! Ain’t the Seventh impressive? We practically have a demon in Bastian, so we make up for that with an actual Angel in our Infirmary. Not something many offices can claim, yeah?”

It’s true that those impressive, white feathered wings were the definition of majestic in any dictionary you could find, but Vinn didn’t seem impressed at all. “She’s not an Angel, though.” he declared.

“Oh?” Aria smirked. “I am, though. What proof do you have that I am not an Angel? Are you saying these wings are fake?”

“It’s true that you have not moved your wings at all, so they could be a prop, but no, they are the real deal. However, ‘wings’ does not equate to ‘Angel’. No offense intended, but the palms of your hands are very rugged, and your musculature in general suggests heavy physical work, instead of the more magically inclined personality of Angels. Speaking of your hands, you did a pretty good job trimming them, but I can tell those talons grow up to be very strong, sharp, and destructive. You’re not an Angel, Miss Aria, you’re a Harpy.”

The rapid fire analysis left both Nicholas and Aria dumbfounded for all of five silent seconds before they both broke into laughter. “Oh, wow! This kid is the real shit, ain’t he? Damn, when was the last time, anyone saw through this little prank, Nicholas?”

“Wasn’t it Fatima many years ago? Haha, damn, anyways, that was impressive, I’d expect no less from top scorer of this year’s promotion. Nice job, Vinn.”

The young man was getting a bit flustered with all this praise and attention, but thankfully, before he had to say anything, the bell rang again, and the door swung open, a tall, muscular, blonde man wearing sunglasses walking in shortly after.

“Heyo, doc, I’m sorry I didn’t come before, I came t’ greet ya! Name’s... Oh, Ingram?”

“...Hold on, you’re Daryl. Hello.”

“Oh, you two know each other?” Nicholas inquired, resting against a nearby counter top.

“Yeah!” the large blonde lad replied. “We both graduated this year. Ingram’s the top of the class, so I remember him. Didn’t know ya were here, dude.”

“Likewise. I wouldn’t have expected to meet you so soon after graduation. Good to see you. Which division are you on?” Vinn cordially conversed. 

“2nd, the boss woman told me to go greet people already, got kinda mad that I hadn’t yet, so here I am. Heyo doc, and heyo other dude I don’t know, here’s to some good ass work and all that.”

“Nicholas, good to meet you, though I am just the tech dude at the 3rd, it’s this lady you oughta pay your respects to. She’s a nice Angel doctor that’ll keep you in this world, no matter how banged up you get.” the intel agent explained, a chuckle already charging up behind his lips.

“Wait, an Angel!?” yelled the shocked Daryl.

“Oh, don’t say that so loud, I get kinda conscious... But yes, I am Doctor Aria, pleased to meet you. I hope you’ll trust my--!”

In a move that shut everyone in the room, Daryl approached Aria and outright kissed her, holding her chin up to better feel her tongue with his. When it was all said and done, Daryl simply took a contemplative hand to his chin. “Ya ain’t no Angel. You’re a Harpy. See, Angels have soft tongues, and kissing them feels like warm honey bathin’ yer tongue, an indescribable feelin’, really. But yer tongue was thick, rough, and strong. It wasn’t warm honey, it was more like a powerful adversary, a tongue to remember, ‘cause it ain’t easy. I like Harpy kisses far more than Angel kisses, there’s that roughness to them that makes them--”

The sound of her palm meeting his face echoed in the Infirmary.

“How dare you...!?” the doctor exclaimed, slapping him across the face.

“Ooph, yeah, see, Angels don’t slap like that, that’s a Harpy’s strong hand, alriOOPH.”

“What the fuck are you doing, dumbaaaaaaass?!”

The sound of his spine singing a melody of pain and regret echoed in the infirmary as his body was lifted off the ground by a single righteous uppercut.

“Yep, just on time, if you’re in the 2nd, then your partner is...”

“W-woah what the hell!?”

With just a single punch, the large blonde man was downed. Behind him, a brawny, tough-looking woman stood with the River Styx in her eyes, shooting ballistic missiles at the battered young man with her glare.

“I take my eyes off you for one second and you’re already doing dumb shit again! I am so sorry, Aria, this one’s on me, I’ll buy you all your drinks next time we go out drinking, ok? Please forgive this good for nothing piece of shit!” the big woman apologized as she stomped on the downed idiot.

“F-Fiona, don’t worry about it! It’s fine, it’s fine, don’t kill him in the Infirmary, please, that’s a lot of paperwork to deal with!”

Lifting him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the imposing woman desperately apologized. “I’ll educate this dipshit, even if it kills me, or if it kills him! I’ll go now, see y...ou? Hey, who’s this kid, Nick? New techie for the the 3rd?”

“Naw, he’s Bastian’s.”

“Cut the bullshit.”

“I am not dumb enough to lie to you, Fi.”

Fiona’s eyes widened. “You’re legit his partner? Woah, some big fat balls of brass, you must have! Well, kid, introductions will have to wait ‘till later, I have a shithead to lecture. Try not to get killed. Let’s go, you imbecile.”

“M-my spine... Let me get it checked first...” begged Daryl like a beefy, floppy sack of wounded potatoes with all the dignity of a headless chicken.

“Oh, sleep it off, ya wuss, let’s go.”

As fast as she came, this tornado of a woman left, leaving Vinn speechless. “Is she... Is she always like that? Who was that? Did that really just happen?”

“That’s Fiona, and yeah, that’s her modus operandi. Leaving the door open is also part of her, but she’s a lovable tower of muscle and alcohol.” explained the doctor, going back to her clipboard. “Be a dear and close it, will you?”

As Vinn approached the door left open by the human cyclone, he spotted her outside, still carrying Daryl, being lecture by a tall, thin man who had an aura of authority and resignation to him. Before him, however, Fiona couldn’t stop bowing apologetically.

“Well, that’s our Fiona, 2nd Division Exorcist. Watch in awe as she is lectured by the Chief because her cropped tank top, ‘perfume’ that smells like 6 AM tequila, and habit of carrying coworkers like veggies at market spit in the soup of Officewear Regulations. Heh, this is a daily show by now.” Nicholas elaborated, as if watching a movie while eating pop corn. “You know about Oni, Vinn?”

“Oh! She’s an oni? That explains the strength and the pungent stench of alcohol.”

“Nope, she’s married to one, and he’s helping her with her drinking habits.”

“...Classy. So, that’s the Chief, huh? I’d better go say hi to him now.”

“Woah there, buddy, I’d suggest not. He’s lecturing her right now, but he’s a very busy man, especially in the mornings. Leave him for the afternoon.”

“Is he a hardass or something?”

“Not... Quite, just trust me on this one. Let’s go back to our office, Dani should be here by now.”

“If you say so. Bye, Miss Aria, have a good day.”

“Mmhm. Have a good one, you two, I hope you survive, Vinn.” the doctor expressed with no ill will whatsoever, waving a friendly hand goodbye.

                                                        ——-

The more one looked at the office, the more it seemed that the door frame was a portal to a different dimension. How could this pigsty possibly be in the same physical plane, let alone building, than the neat everything else? There was a difference now, however: A lone girl sat by another desk.

“It’s weird not seeing you here first thing in the morning, Nick. I was wondering where you went.” she greeted.

“Yeah, was just showing the newbie around. Lookin’ good, Dani.” Nicholas chimed back with Vinn on tow, who politely nodded as if to greet her.

“Oh? New tech g--”

“Bastian’s partner...” Vinn clarified for what felt like the tenth time this morning.

“What!? Bast--”

“Please.” Vinn begged for what felt like the tenth time this morning. It was getting tedious.

“Oh, pfff, yeah, I guess you’ve already gotten your fair share of dumbfounded responses. Sorry about that! I’m Danielle, just call me Dani, though.” the girl responded before moving away from her desk without standing up, traversing through the pizza boxes and paperwork in a motorized wheelchair, controlled by a little controller on the right hand rest. Of note, her left hand and leg were prosthetic. Accompanied with the soft sound of her wheelchair’s motor’s vibration, Dani approached Vinn and offered her right hand, which he shook. “I’m the communications expert here, and since you’ll be working with us now, you’ll need one of these.” Her prosthetic hand held a firm grip on the bag while her regular hand rummaged in it, the sounds of junk and crumpling plastic raising many questions as to what was actually inside the otherwise trendy looking little bag. With an expression of eureka, she seemed to have finally found the desired item, which he proudly offered to the novice Exorcist: A tin can.

“A... Tin can? Wait, now that you mention it, Bastian had one just like this two days ago...” Vinn pondered, as he examined the item in vain.

“Ah! You were there when the Siren was sent in!? That jerk didn’t mention you at all in his reports! I will have some words with him, the nerve!” Dani fumed as she kicked her feet in frustration, nothing new when regarding Bastian and his old tricks. “Anyways, yes, that right there is a prim and proper tin can, but it may save your life.”

“There’s really nothing special about it, though... I don’t sense anything.”

“Eyup, it’s not until I do this--” With a touch of he right hand’s finger, the can suddenly pulsated, Vinn’s head throbbing as a sharp note drowned everything else in the room, only the can’s ‘heartbeat’ audible to him, until a few seconds later, his senses returned to normal, his head ringing like a struck bell no more. “--llo? Hello? Earth to Vinn?”

“Ugh... Yeah, I hear you... What was that? My head felt like it was going to explode for a second.” Vinn replied, clutching his thankfully unexploded head.

“Yeah, happens the first time. I’ve linked the tin can with you. Now, what this does is...” Danielle moved towards her desk again and held a similar, worn out tin can. “Put that against your ear.” Vinn complied, and once he did, Dani put her own tin can against her mouth, softly whispering words that shouldn’t have been audible to anyone, yet were clear as the skies to Vinn. “And now, we can communicate easily!”

“Woah! That’s... I’ve never seen anything like this! So basically, these are like cellphones now?”

“Better than cellphones!” she declared, chest puffed out. “Cellphones can be traced, need time to make a call, need the other party to notice and accept the call, and if you’re underground? Yeah, not happening. Tin cans are the future of communication! Well, among us, anyways. This is Communications Magic, my area of expertise. Keep that tin can on you at all times, and we’ll be able to talk shit about Bastian at all times, seamlessly and with no interruption.”

“Now that sounds like a good time.”

“Well, I’m sure glad you two seem to have kicked it off well!” Nicholas finally interjected. “Now, you did say something worrying, though: You’ve actually been working the last two days, but Bastian neglected to mention you in his reports, which makes my job difficult. Plus, I don’t have your reports, either.”

“A-ah, well, I wasn’t exactly--”

“Exactly allowed near the office, I know, haha, don’t worry, I’m not going to put you on the spot, all this means is that I will grab Bastian by the neck and have him rewrite his reports. His lack of mentioning you meant to me that you had quit, which is... A pattern, really, so don’t worry, you get a few more days to write your reports, but the sooner you have them for me, the better.”

“Ah, that’s why you reacted that way...” Vinn said, recalling Nicholas’ exasperation earlier. “Well, I hope you don’t have a hard time getting him to re-do those... I already know that he’s--”

“A damn hardass, a jerk, and a piece of shit to work with?” a voice behind Vinn chimed in.

“Yeah! That’s exactly what I was gonna sWhere did you come from and how long have you been there?”

“Aww, I’m glad to know that I have a cute widdle pwartner who wuvs me so much!”

As Vinn turned around, he met face to face with the plastic, hostile grin of Bastian Ashfield, a tall, solidly built man with his wavy ponytail resting on his left shoulder as always. “So can I join your shit-talking power hour? I am like a trebuchet full of excrement, ready to sling the highest quality turds, so? We good? Can I join you fine gents in--Hrg!”

That dull sound just now was a piece of scrap metal hitting Bastian square in the forehead. “You big jerk! You were keeping Vinn out of the office for the last two days and you neglected to even mention him in your reports! As both a person and an Exorcist, you are terrible!”

“Oi, who the hell throws junk metal at people!? At least make it something like a plastic bottle, or a--Argh!”

And that dull sound just now was a broken clock hitting Bastian on the side of his face.

“Don’t talk back!”

“Yes ma’am! Please don’t give me a concussion, ma’am!”

“Denied!”

“Alright, hold it, hold it, please! I’ll stop! Quit chucking assorted reclaimed metals at me!”

“...Are these two like this all the time?” Vinn whispered to Nicholas.

“Just when Bastian’s a dick.” 

“...”

“...”

“...”

“So yeah, all the time.”

“I see.”

                                                       ——-

“...Well, now that we are all here, I suppose a formal welcoming is due... But first... You clever little rascal. You left home really early, just to avoid me, huh?”

Vinn simply glared at Bastian. “I knew you’d try it a third day. Get off my back, already. I humored your two ‘tests’, and not even knowing what my workplace looks like for three days in a row is not exactly professional.”

“...Tests? Vinn, what did this oaf make you do?” Dani inquired, already reaching for the next piece of junk in her little bag.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything terribly cruel. You’ll see in my report later, but basically, the necromancer of two days ago and a case with a stray demon yesterday. Both ended up well, so-- Hey, speaking of, where’s the necromancer?” Vinn asked, having just remembered the rather high profile criminal they brought in.

“Well, I’m not at liberty to say just yet, but let’s just say you’ll know soon enough.”

“Bastian, could you please treat him like a member of our division already?” sighed the girl.

“Oh, no no, Bastian is not being Bastian for once, he really isn’t at liberty to say.” Nicholas interrupted. “All information on the case -- the necromancer herself, the undead horde, and the fact that a Siren was dispatched -- is all confidential. In fact, we should not discuss it at all. He could actually get questioned by the Blackvests if his lips are too loose.”

“Ah, so it is actually confidential... I was curious myself, too, to be honest. It’s the first actual necromancer in forever, isn’t it?” Dani asked as she drank some of her freshly brewed coffee.

“First I’ve seen in active service, and in general.” replied the seasoned Exorcist. “Sure, you get punks who reanimate rats and dogs here and there, and then we have to go in and put the feral critters out of their mindless misery. But one that has actually reanimated humans? And didn’t even bother thralling them? Just letting the do as they please? That’s very weird, no matter how you spin it. Anyways, I am not lying when I say you’ll know soon enough.” Bastian readjusted himself and reached into one of the many seemingly empty pizza boxes, producing a cold slice and chomping on it. “Let’s go back to the man of the hour, now. Vinn, you’ll have to forgive me, but it was absolutely necessary that I test you in the ways I did. You aren’t an idiot, you could see that Exorcists don’t have the best reputation around, and deservedly so.”

The atmosphere in the room changed. 

“...Yeah. People feared me. People expected me to throw my weight around. People doubted me whenever I showed any cordiality or kindness. Exorcists really are not liked, huh? This is all very different from the Academy.” Vinn recounted, a disappointed sigh escaping him.

“That’s true, because a lot of Exorcists reign through fear, throw their weight around, and only smile when they want something out of you, or worse, when they already have what they need to blackmail you. The Academy is a bubble, Vinn.” Dani explained, her tone serious. “The Academy will make you believe your duty is just and your methods righteous, but in the real world, you can’t just go in blasting everything and coercing the weak into obeying or paying the price”

“Our duty as Exorcists, and related support parties, is to mete out justice in the Mythic affairs, whether that justice needs to clash against a Mythic or against a Human. We are supposed to be the entity that upholds justice, but a lot of Exorcists, well, they just smoke Mythics. We are supposed to stand up for Humans as much as we are for Mythics, but that’s not how it goes in practice.” Nicholas sadly continued.

“And that’s why I needed to test you.” said Bastian as he propped his legs on his desk. “I told you before, but you need to be able to hold your own in a fight, have the brains to figure out solutions to your problems, and have the heart to actually stand up for Mythics. I -- we -- have no use for yet another kid who slings death around to try and be the big strong Exorcist.”

Despite the shoddy appearance of the office, with the ocean of pizza boxes scattered everywhere and sundry junk adorning every corner, the files were where they needed to be, Nicholas’ computer was impeccable, and whatever actually mattered, was there. Messy as it was, it was the office of those who truly cared about their job, and about those said job entailed. Downing some coffee, Vinn took a deep breath.

“...Crude as they may be, I understand the reason behind your methods. I can’t say I’m mad, since it gave me a reality check I’d rather have now instead of later. It’s only... Fair, really.”

“Well,” Bastian replied, “Whether you are mad or not doesn’t really matter to me, what does matter is that you pass the tests. I was gonna tell you as much earlier today, but you eluded me like a slippery eel, which, I hate to admit, is also a good thing, so yeah, welcome to the 7th Office 3rd Division. I’ll work you to the sinews.”

“That’s just his way of being nice. Please do be patient with him, he’s an idiot, after aaAAAH! Damn! Ow ow ow!” Nicholas snarked before his hot coffee came to life and splashed his face, burning him.

“Maybe don’t insult an Hydromancer while holding a nice, fat cup of hot coffee, dumbass.” laughed Bastian.

“Pfff, well, you kinda walked right into that one, Nick, hehe. Still! It’s good to have some new blood in here, so by all means, welcome! I hope you have a good time! Don’t mind the office’s sorry state, we get our job done.” Dani cheerfully informed.

“Yeah, especially since all the pizza boxes are her doing in the first place, our cute little piglet.” taunted Nick, wiping the coffee off his face.

“He didn’t need to know that!”

“...You already put the order for today’s batch, didn’t you?”

“...I cannot confirm or deny that, Bastian.”

“Haha!”

It was a lively little office with just three people in it, four now, but Vinn could tell there was something different here, something he didn’t find in his time in the Academy, nor out in the field during these last two days.

There was a lot of heart and joy here.

There was anxiety, there were nerves, there was a lot of expectation, from both his partner and himself, but ll of those things, he already knew he was gonna feel. What he didn’t know, however, was how much he was going to crave to be part of this little world, where contact was easy and everyone seemed to get along like this.

And just like there’s a shadow by every light cast, so was there a woe that made his heart throb with a pang of concern: Were his people back home ever going to be able to partake in this?

If anything, this only steeled his resolve further. He left the comfortable wilderness for a reason against the protests of everyone that cared for him for this, after all.

“There’s no way I’m going back empty handed now.” he though to himself, after seeing that the human world is capable of compassion.

                                                      ——-

Just as the playful banter was beginning to calm down, someone knocked on the big iron door.

“It’s open, come in!” Nick yelled from the back of the office, already submerged in his files and keyboard once again.

“Please excuse me.”

As the door opened, Vinn perked up as he saw that pair of familiar horns, black like lacquered wood, curved with dignity, protruding through the holes of the wide brimmed hat. It was the tall woman from the morning. The dame simply giggled at his surprise, an elegant hand covering her lips.

“Now, why the surprise? I did say I’d come welcome you properly, no? Have you eased into your job with Nicholas yet? He’s a harsh instructor, but you’ve much to learn from someone with his diligence and experience.” she greeted bemusedly.

“Oh, no no, I’m not here as an info agent, I’m an Exorcist, partner with--”

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t Fat Fatima!” the brick that broke cordiality boisterously interrupted. “What do you and your five chins want? Don’t remember having any reason to expect a visit from you.”

“Bastian? What the h--!” tried to reproach Vinn, but he couldn’t finish his sentence. Just seconds ago, a gallant lady stood by the door, with a welcoming voice, a friendly disposition, and a kind smile. The very picture of manners and helpfulness. Where, oh, did she go? And when was she replaced by a twin with death in her eyes and wicked claws protruded, ready to slash a jugular or six? 

“Feh, Bastian... I didn’t come to talk to the wondrous sack of shit that pretends he’s people. Mind going back to your stupid magazines? Me and Nick’s new kid want to do some formal introductions, not that you’d know what those are.” snarled the dame, showing what were very clearly fangs.

“Nick’s got no new kid, shithead. If you mean that kid over there, he’s my new partner.”

“Oh, spare me, I’d think you’d at least give my intelligence some credit. Think of some more convincing lies if you wish to mess with me, Bastian.”

“Uh, hey, Fatima... Yeah, he’s not mine. Vinn’s an Exorcist, and Bastian’s partner.”

“What!? So he’s actually got a new partner!?” This reaction seemed to be popular. “Wait, so does that mean... Oh, uh...” The horned woman seemed to be troubled and wracked with guilt out of the sudden. “...Vinn, was it? I profusely apologize for the trouble I’ve no doubt caused you.”

Vinn didn’t really understand where this came from, and tilted his head just slightly in confusion, trying to think what this person he did not know before this morning could possibly mean by that. “I really have no idea what you’re apologizing for, Miss Fatima, you’ve done nothing but show courtesy to me.”

“Oi oi, so I’m just Bastian and ‘a damn hardass, a jerk, and a piece of shit to work with’, but she’s Miss Fatima? I’m glad to see where your loyalties lie, Vinn.” whined Bastian, a mocking hand to his own chest, as if deeply offended, nay, hurt.

“You said those things, I just confirmed them, geez.”

“Ah, allow me to elaborate...” interjected the horned lady. “First of all, I am the 1st Division Exorcist, Fatima Allanach, a pleasure to meet you, Vinn...?”

“Ingram. Vinn Ingram.”

She smiled graciously. “...As to what I did, well, I am the reason the Siren showed up two days ago.”

“Oh, you bitch! I should’ve figured you, of all people, would just call for them to mobilize all those delicious tax patros to give me a hard time! You could’ve killed me in the crossfire!”

“Oh, put a sock on it, Bastian.” -- all the grace she showed to Vinn was replaced by a vulgar hostility when addressing the hydromancer -- “Both of us know you wouldn’t die from a little Siren... Although I can’t say the same for your new partner. Had I know you had someone else there, I would’ve relented, and for that, I’m sorry. I just never... Thought you’d take another partner after Roderick, you know?”

The rooms atmosphere changed as Fatima’s voice softened with those last words. Even though this was the time for one of those patented Bastian Rude Retorts, he simply produced a cigarette, fiddled with it a bit, and then put it back in the pack. “Neither did I. But, well, here we are. And you, Fatima... It’s fine if you want to give me hell, but putting everything aside for a moment, even if its called for, never use the Sirens. Don’t confuse power for a basis of trust. Those things... Are executioners wearing their own coffins. Don’t forget it.”

“...That’s rich coming from you, Bastian.” Her sharp tongue was unsheathed once anew, albeit with a different, far more bitter fervor. “You don’t get to tell me whether I use a tool or not. Sirens are strong, and they can take care of practically any Mythic situation, small or large scale. It’s foolishness not to use an advantage when we have it.”

“Those things are not an advantage, Fatima. They are indiscriminate, they know only to kill and maim, how can you not see this!? We are Exorcists, it is our duty to--”

“--To utterly obliterate those bastards until they understand their place! How many more Humans must die to their savagery before you get this!? How many more Rodericks do we need in the graveyard before you stop spouting such naive drivel, Bastian?! Had a Siren been there with you that day, Roderick would still--”

“Shows how much you know! We’d both be death, and our assailants as well, leaving us with two less Exorcists and no leads whatsoever! Incredible! Great job! I can see why you are the 1st Division Exorcist clearly, with such a clear head absolutely not full of garbage on top of those shoulders!”

“You have no way of knowing that! When will you see the world for what it is already, you utter--”

“Everybody shut up!”

Nicholas’ voice boomed, drowning any whining in the small office, finally putting a stop to the bedlam.

“Don’t yank the chain, Nick, I need to make her understand--”

“Whatever, do that on your free time! You two schedule a nice, steamy, hot date outside of work hours, meet at a restaurant, order a fine beef steak dinner, and then beat the shit out of each other with it, I don’t care, but don’t go doing this in the office!”

Bastian and Fatima simply looked to the floor, or the ceiling, or anywhere that wasn’t Nicholas’ general direction, like scolded children caught trying to look inside the pot before dinner.

“Geez...” sighed the info agent, settling on his chair again. “Every time, you two...”

As if on cue, the office’s phone rang, Danielle dutifully picking it up.

“...Miss Fatima, did you mean that?” Vinn asked, a certain edge midst his cordiality.

“Hm? Did I mean what, exactly?”

“‘To utterly obliterate those bastards’, do you see Mythics that way?”

“...Oh, please don’t tell me you do share this brute’s view on the matter, Vinn? We are not called ‘Mediators’ or ‘Caretakers’, we are Exorcists. We exorcise, we hunt, we exterminate, that’s quite literally the job description. Things are this way for a reason.”

“And what would that reason be, Miss Fatima?” inquired Vinn without missing a beat, standing up. “What about being a human makes me inherently superior, more ‘people’ than a Mythic? We are not dealing with wild beasts, we are dealing with intelligent, sentient creatures who know love, hate, joy, and sorrow just as we do, who have a culture, traditions, and needs. You yourself are a Mythic, I fail to see the logic in--”

“Oh, the young man will watch his words.” Fatima replied with the same hostility she employs with Bastian, finally dropping her softer tone. “What I am doesn’t mean I should see things one way. It’s because I am a beast that I know exactly how terrible we can be.”

“That’s like saying we should destroy all slides in children's’ parks because one time, a kid scrapped his knee.”

“And only a fool would compare Mythics and slides horizontally.”

Vinn’s face was a mask of utter hatred and disdain for the horned Exorcist. “Miss Fatima, I think it’s about time you le--”

“What!? Y-yes, I’ll tell them immediately!” the communications expert yelled as she slammed the phone back on its base. “G-guys! You too, Miss Fatima! We’ve got a big situation down by Manduco #83493!”

“Dani, calm down. What’s the situation?” Bastian calmly asked, sitting back down and quickly picking up his flasks and other utensils. 

“The mass kidnapping from two months ago is happening again! It’s most likely the same perpetrator. It’s going on right now, a laborer that works at that warehouse forgot something, so even though it’s supposed to be closed off today, he went and found a lot of people just... Moving around, as if thralled. The first three divisions are to go there immediately.”

“Thanks, sweetie, that’s all we need. Well, let’s get going, we can’t lose a second.”

“I’ll go get my partner, let’s not waste any time.” Fatima said before disappearing into the hallway.

                                                     ——-

The dark blue car blazed a trail through the asphalt, going as fast as the worn out engine could manage, a bright red van and a dark green motorcycle tailing them. Inside the car, the grim-looking Vinn double checked his handcuffs and other pieces of equipment, a silence and grimace that didn’t escape the driver’s notice.

“Vinn, you good?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s the fakest ‘yeah’ I’ve had the honor of hearing. Look alive, this is a real bad situation. We need all six of us with our heads in the game.”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“...”

Bastian could only sigh.

“Oi, Vinn, don’t let what Fatima said get to you. It’s a kick in the dick, but that’s how many Exorcists are. She’s particularly partisan about it, yeah, but it’s better if you get used to it, hopefully manage it better than I do.”

Vinn only responded with a half-hearted chuckle and a few seconds of silence before reviving the dialogue. “I could understand it if it were anyone else, really, but Miss Fatima specifically is... Inconceivably weird. She was very cordial and kind before then, and is a Mythic, to boot, yet, she wants to kill her own kind so viciously? It goes beyond duty-bound hatred, that was just genuine hatred, how could you feel that way towards your own people?”

The usual brashness of the seasoned Exorcist was nowhere to be found, the sounds of the worn out motor filling in for dialogue for a few streetlights before Bastian found the strength to continue talking. “It’s... Complicated. Don’t hate her, please, she’s got her own problems.” Vinn almost fell out of the car upon hearing this. This had to be the first time he heard Bastian talk about someone so softly. He suspected they had a past from the previous conversation, but this only really confirmed it, especially if it was about someone he was just having a flat out shouting contest with moments ago. The dense mood was already suffocating enough, and they had a job to do right now, anyways, it was a good time to change topics.

“...So, these mass kidnappings... Damn, what a creepy name. Two months ago was the first one, right? How come they are deploying Mythic Law Enforcement for it now?”

“Well, last time, authorities had no idea magic was involved, but after investigating the area believed to have been where it took place, based on witness accounts of seeing the victims heading that way, heavy amounts of mana residue were found, suggesting that it was no mere mass kidnapping... Not that mass kidnappings are commonplace, anyway. So, it’s now a MAB affair.”

“Ah! Take this left, it should be there... Yeah, lots of cop cars. They must be barring civilian entry to the area. That’s a relief, at least.”

Bastian took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel harder. “Well, ideally, I wanted to ease you into the job with easier cases, help you get to know Stroln as a city, with its Mythic underground world and all, but destiny calls, I suppose. This isn’t me underestimating you, but try to stick with me at all times. I have a stinkin’ feelin’ that this might get nasty.”

“...Got it.”

                                                     ——-

In front of the six Exorcists, the massive warehouse stood with its service door open, the lock smashed to junk by its foot. The structure was clearly from Pre-Amnesiac times, but well maintained and still in regular usage.

“...I don’t like this. It stinks.” said Fiona, 2nd Division Exorcist, assessing the situation. “This is no abandoned joint, the lock was smashed too neatly, and you’d have to be a fool to have such a flagrant vulnerability to your million patros business screamin’ to be exploited like this. What do you guys think?”

“Fully agreed.” Bastian commented. “We oughta have words with the owner or parent company of this place after we’re done here. As Fiona said, this is simply too suspicious. The lock really just looks like its there so they can file a police report on unlawful entry and claim innocence. It’s unlikely for any magic criminal to be so nuanced as to break a little lock, they’d usually go for a bigger door, especially if it’s a mass kidnapping.”

“Correct. They probably didn’t even use this service door.” Fatima added. “They probably opened the big cargo gate over there to get all the people inside, nice and neatly, and then simply smashed this lock to make it seem like they aren’t working with the owners of this place. This whole thing stinks.”

Behind the seasoned trio, the novice partners observed in awe how quickly their would-be mentors were piecing together the puzzle in front of them before even stepping in the building. The duties of an Exorcist include the subjugation of magic-wielding and supernatural criminals, negotiation with such individuals, and all around keeping this secret magical world hidden, but an important part of being an Exorcist is to play the role of detective as well. An Exorcist is, after all, the do-all end-all authority in the world of Mythic Law Enforcement, having powers and duties far beyond their mundane equivalents.

“They look and act like washed up garbage after a cruiser accident on the coast, but seein’ them like this really reminds you they are veteran Exorcists, don’t it?” Daryl commented, breaking the silence between the novices. 

“The way your worded that was really weird, but I know exactly what you mean.” Vinn responded. However, standing beside Daryl and Vinn was a third person who had not opened her mouth, simply looking at the experienced Exorcists work their craft and plan out how to advance. Vinn and Daryl both recognized her, and it is precisely because of that that the latter knew they shouldn’t bother trying to include her in the conversation, and why the former, who had zero social awareness back in the Academy, made the mistake of taking the initiative.

“...So, Nadja, I didn’t know you were assigned to the 7th as well.”

“...”

“Miss Fatima’s your partner, huh? Must be good working with her.”

“Interested in her looks, I gather?”

Vinn lifted his arms as if surrendering. “What? No, I mean how professional she is and all that. Anyhow, I don’t think we’ve ever talked, I’m V--”

“Vinn Ingram. Top scorer of our year.”

“Yup, the one.”

“...”

“...”

“...Pppffff, that went swimmingly, ya smooth operator.” chuckled Daryl.

“Oh, can it, at least I don’t go kissing girls randomly to determine their species.”

“Yeah, you don’t, and that’s really sad.”

“Hrrg...”

“Alright, coffee break over, kiddos, here’s the plan.” Fiona called suddenly, the novices perking up and giving her their attention. The anxiety of their first real operation, not to mention a rare cooperative operation between different Divisions, was beginning to well up in their guts. “Alright, so, the people are most likely still inside. Bringing a large amount of people here unnoticed, while not easy, is doable, but shipping them all together from here to wherever their destination is is another story. They are most likely waiting for a large transport, a bus or a series of van, maybe a large truck, we don’t know, and they are holding fort inside for now. We don’t know how many men it takes to keep all these people in there, but expect heavy resistance. We’ll go together, but if we need to split for whatever reason, stick to your partner. Questions? I hope not, because we ha--”

“A question.”

“Shoot, Nadja.”

“What level of lethality are we allowed?”

“Ideally, just enough to disable them. We have questions, they have answers. That means you shouldn’t use those things attached to your ankles.”

Nadja’s build was lithe, graceful, like a panther, and that made the large, black devices on each ankle stand out all the more. What looked like the point of a silver stake protruded downwards from the end of the device.

“Understood.”

Bastian spoke up now. “Alright, if that’s it, let’s head in. Keep chit chat to a minimum, and if you must talk, do it as silently as possible.”

                                                    ——-

Nary a footstep could be heard from the six trained individuals, moving like the shadow of a ghost across the large industrial complex-slash-warehouse. Something was clearly wrong with this place, as the air was stagnant, there were no signs of struggling whatsoever, and every door and window inside, in stark contrast with the service door, was neatly unlocked and undamaged, giving fuel to the veterans’ speculation, much to their dismay. They didn’t have to navigate much until the first shadow of adversity loomed close, by the internal courtyard. It was one at first, and then two, and then three, and then seemingly an endless amount of them, silhouettes walking as if entranced by a wicked siren’s song.

“...! Halt! I see many of them, and they are... You gotta be kidding me... Bastian, look at what they are wearing.” Fatima whispered, pointing towards a little window to their side that led to the courtyard.

If concern had a shape, it was Bastian’s face. “...Large pig masks and red robes. This is bad. Really bad.” Bastian mused, a bead of sweat running down his brow.

“Hm? Hey, hey, uncle, what’s wrong? Didja get cold feet over some costumes? What’s wrOW OW OW!” inquired Daring Daryl with the delicacy of an hydraulic press, as Fiona used one hand to cover his mouth and the other to give him an excruciatingly painful shoulder death grip.

“You beefy sack of crap!” Fiona chastised in whispers. “Flappin’ yer gums when you don’t know shit will only get you a Fiona Massage from now on! The grotesque pig mask and red robes are synonymous with a top wanted criminal, the Hog Priest! This is bigger than we could’ve imagined. Stay on your toes, everyone.”

“The Hog Priest has evaded capture several times, and there’s reports of them being sighted in multiple places at once... I suppose this explains it, though. It’s a legion of them.” pointed out Nadja.

The courtyard had a strange, purplish fog blanketing it, and in it, the pig-masked people wandered aimlessly, sometimes bumping into each other, sometimes tripping and picking themselves up clumsily, and in general, simply drifting along. Some stood still, vacant, some jogged slightly before calming down and clutching their chest, and all in all, it was a miserable spectacle.

“...Something’s wrong.” Fiona warned while putting on a pair of fingerless gloves, akin to those used by MMA fighters.

“Hm? Whatcha mean? They are just bobbin’ and... Oh.”

Daryl’s trap was shut tight once he realized little by little, they had all been stopping, and now, they all stood still, looking directly into the little window where they had been observing the courtyard from. No, not directly into the window, it was directly into their very eyes.

A suffocating, paralyzing, complete silence lasted all of two seconds before the window was smashed, a small canister almost hitting Fatima in the head being the culprit, from which an ominous gas shot from little pressurized holes.

“...Tear gas! Get out!”

In a frenzy, they jumped out of the window, out the gas’ range and right into a courtyard full of pig-headed foes that held pipes, shovels, and all manners of improvised weaponry, looking straight at them.

Not five seconds passed before an alarm siren loudly gave our Exorcists a warm, deafening welcome, sending all of the robed villains into a frenzy.

“Curses! Here they come! Defend yourselves and try to find a way out of here!” Fatima yelled, assuming a defensive stance and blocking a shovel strike with her bare hand.

As soon as the horde began its restless assault, the sinister purple fog that permeated the courtyard intensified, obstructing sight and puzzling the senses with its oddly calming fragrance. It was every man and woman for themselves, Bastian utilizing water to block the weapons and to push his assailants to the ground with immense pressure, Fiona disarming them with expert martial prowess, and Fatima simply utilizing a retractable baton to parry and disarm those who would attempt to harm her. In stark contrast, the novices were expending far more effort in the fight, visibly struggling, not for lack of strength or skill, but rather, because they simply didn’t know how to engage a foe without destroying them. Killing the enemy is easy, but when your duty is to subdue the enemy without killing them or doing enough harm that you’ll ruin their life from there on is an art all of itself, an art that the Mythic Law Enforcement Academy wasn’t keen on teaching. The lacking curriculum was showing all of its weaknesses. That, and a sinister whisper that was invading their mind, which made itself more and more apparent, numbing their reactions, misleading their movements.

“W-what in the world is this...? It’s like there’s a compelling whisper inside of my head... Someone warm and kind, someone I trust, telling me to drop my guard when they attack or to soften my body whenever I try to disable one...!” Nadja said as she unsuccessfully tried to take a shovel away from a masked minion, who simply shrugged her off and shoved her right to the floor.

“Is it the fog? No... It couldn’t be, the fog is welcoming, it’s familiar, a scent of my childhood, it couldn’t...” Vinn lamented, seemingly giving himself up to an incoming lead pipe strike before Daryl pushed him out of the way.

“Oi, you damn idiots! Where’s yer Domunus Tecum!” Daryl chastised, holding off the criminals with his huge frame.

“Domunus Tecum...” “Domunus Tecum!”

The second of the Six Spell of Self Defense, the spell of protection and shielding, a prayer for resilience. No sooner the two novices put their barriers up, their minds cleared and their bodies could move as they wanted them to. The whisper was still in their heads, but it wasn’t compelling and absolute as it was before.

“Just what is this voice? I’m not the only one that can hear it, right?” the exasperated Vinn asked as he used his many handcuffs and his colorful, unorthodox fighting style to subdue attackers.

“Bad news is what it is. Keep your Domunus up and strong, don’t stop pouring mana into it, or that whisper will claim your mind.” Fiona warned, fighting the good fight.

“C-chief! Hold the presses! These guys...!” Daryl screamed suddenly, a robed figure captured tightly in arms, unmasked. “Chief Fiona, these people are brainwashed civilians! Look!”

The face of the woman in Daryl’s grasp was catatonic, to say the least. A vacant expression and half-lidded eyes that looked nowhere, drool and tear lines telling a story that thousands of words couldn’t hope to match. “Oi, we gotta disable them without harmin’ them! They are just meat shields!”

“Shit...! That means there’s one mastermind out there, and they are just exhausting us! Fatima, do you think--”

As if his mind was being read, Bastian couldn’t finish what he was saying before Fatima was right by his side. “--you could use your poison to--”

“Neutralize them? Yeah, if I control the dosage, I can make it so I can knock them out with a sting each, enough to paralyze their muscles and yet not leave any lasting damage. I’ll need some help keeping them off me while I do this to each one of them individually, though.”

“I gotcha!” Fiona proudly declared, rolling to where they were, dodging several shovel strikes. “Daryl and I can keep ‘em corralled while your girl defends you directly, and Bastian and his boy can go for the brains.”

“I agree to this plan, but, poison? What do you have in mind? Do you have enough for all these people?” Vinn wondered, joining them.

“Oh, don’t worry about her, after all...”

With a wild smirk, Fatima leaped high into the air, her arms growing green fur, and a wicked scorpion tail, massive and heavy, protruding from her back, just under two pairs of feathered wings. Where there once was her elegant face now lies a lion’s roaring maw. She was much bigger than before, her impact on the ground sending several masked minions off balance.

“...She’s a Manticore. And a fat one at that, so she oughta have a lot of calories to turn to venom.” Bastian explained.

“STOP CALLING ME FAT, JACKASS.” the massive Manticore Fatima roared, deft swipes of her scorpion tail knocking out minion after minion, barb oozing with venom.

“We’ve got this area, you two! Get going! Whoever’s behind the fog, the whispers, and this mess is no doubt in that building over there. It’s the only structure to have a clear path to the streets in case they need to escape, and where they can survey all of this area!” explained the bruiser Fiona, joining Daryl in trying to corral the remaining minions with their superior physical strength.

“Yeah, we’ll get this over in a second. Let’s roll, Vinn!”

                                                   ——-

Two pairs of footsteps echoed in the smaller building, dark and permeated with the fog. Bastian and Vinn both had their Domunus barrier on at full strength, the incessant whispers of the once-compelling voice never going silent.

“This keeps getting worse and worse...” lamented Bastian, double checking how much water he had left in his flasks. “Vinn, do not let up your barrier. It could mean death.”

“What is this whispering, anyways? I’ve never felt anything like it, and I don’t think I’ve read on this before.”

“It could be a curse, but there’s not been enough time to set up one of this nature with such an intensity, so what I think is... Vinn, are you familiar with Mindreaders?”

“Of course, those who can read minds and such. It’s theorized that, Pre-Amnesia, Mindreading was highly illegal and dangerous, given how many surviving records there are that explain, in great detail, how to defend against it. It’s considered useless now, since everyone worth a lick of salt in the arcane arts learns how to counter it.”

“Textbook answer, as usual.” -- Bastian chuckled -- “Well, what I think we’re up against right now, and I hope I’m wrong, is a Mindscreamer.”

“A what?”

“Mindscreamer. It’s the opposite of a Mindreader. Instead of being able to read your thoughts, Mindscreamers practically broadcast their thoughts into others by force. Whatever they think, you ‘hear’ inside your head. They can also make it so their thoughts are subliminal and subconscious in your brain, controlling your behavior to a degree. It’s a really damn frightening power.’

“What...?” Vinn couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and yet, the constant whispering in his brain since the courtyard brawl began proved that these were no lies. “I’ve never heard of Mindscreamers before, what kind of wicked art is this? You’d think it’d be more popular, with how powerful it sounds.”

“That’s the thing: You can’t learn how to Mindscream. Mindscreamers are born, it’s not a skill, it’s genetic and exclusive to certain individuals, but we don’t know much about it. In a way, that means that, yeah, we don’t really have to worry about it falling in the hands of just about any thug, but... It also means we are up against someone very special, and that knows what they are doing. Take this fog, for instance.”

“I noticed... This fog smells like incense, like chamomile, specifically, but it’s actually haunted. It’s Incense Magic, and this is tailored to numb the senses and lower your mental defenses.”

“Clever boy. Indeed, the incense lowers one’s mental barriers, which makes you susceptible to the Mindscreaming. Whoever is doing this is competent, do not drop your guard. This is how they kidnapped all of these people almost effortlessly: They simply made them come ‘of their own free will’ with Mindscreaming... Sick bastards.”

The Exorcist duo kicked open a door in front of them at the end of a long hallway, and inside, an immensely dense cloud of magic incense blocked their sight. The air was stagnant, almost putrid, and there were things in this room. Piercing glares that couldn’t be seen but could perfectly be felt stabbed the two Exorcists as soon as they entered the room. Before long, a couple of pig-masked minions, brainwashed civilians, no doubt, slowly became discernible in the dense purple fog, with bright, neon-like markings making them stand out in the fog. They moved with far more coordination than the courtyard fodder, shuffling around, circling, keeping their distance, never moving too close, but never straying too far from the surrounded agents. Bastian lashed at a cluster with a tendril of holy water, missing the mark completely as they swiftly moved out of the way.

“...The Mindscreamer is in this room. They are being controlled too well, too skillfully. These aren’t like the puppets we fought on the first fl--!”

The subtle whisper of cold steel sliding through flesh cut the older Exorcist off as a knife plunged deep in his torso from the left, a masked minion without any neon markings having made it past his watchful eye as his focus was on the neon marked masks, a pained grunt and a hammer of pressurized water impacting against his assailant punctuating his sentence instead. “Mother fu... Clever bastards...”

“Bastian, are you ok!? Damn, they are using neon marked and non-marked masks! While we focus on the barely visible neon, they come at us with the plain ones. What a cheap tactic...”

“Cheap it may be, but it’s working! Focus on defending!”

Even with In Te Fallitur, the first spell of detection and true sight active, the sheer magic density of the incense made it difficult to see nonetheless, their vision improving just slightly. Assault after assault, the duo was sustaining more and more injuries at the hands of this well utilized assassin horde. Whenever a neon mask moved, two plain masks slid in the gaps of their perception, getting closer and closer, until they could hurt either Exorcist. Their attacks didn’t pack much power against the protected Exorcists, individually, but as the damage piled on, it was clear this was a battle of attrition they were not going to win by any means, especially considering that their enemies were but brainwashed civilians they couldn’t bring themselves to hurt seriously. 

“Haa... Haa... Bastian, can you make an intense flash of light somehow? With a flashbang or some small spell?”

“...Sounds like you have an idea... I can, but what do you want to do with it?”

“There’s really no time to explain!” Vinn barked as he parried an incoming knife just in time with a pair of handcuffs. “Just play it cool and shoot it right above that big group over there!”

“Vague ideas are better than no ideas at all, and we can’t keep this up for much longer... Alright, Aureola Oblito!”

As the spark that would soon become an explosion of intense light approached its point of contact, the ceiling above the horde’s densest point, the nimble Vinn Ingram lunged towards its center like a wolf in blood-starved hunt, shoving past the henchmen and women, and defending against pipes and knives. When he finally reached it, he yelled at Bastian, which he considered the signal, and looked down immediately.

“Praemium!”

Upon command, the little spark went supernova, a blinding light engulfing the room immediately, with every meat puppet in the room covering their eyes as if blinded, and yet, the light was rapidly devoured by the fog after its initial explosion. As the light faded, however, a man’s loud scream of pain echoed at the end of the room. It wasn’t Vinn’s or Bastian’s, it was the man who wore a plain pig’s mask in the middle of the horde, a knife sticking out of his arm, courtesy of Vinn.

“...How did you know?” the pig-headed man inquired, and he was immediately sent barreling backwards by a kick straight to the head, also courtesy of Vinn.

“You looked down to avoid the light. All of these people are brainwashed and not conscious, thus, blinding them wouldn’t do a thing to them. We’ve been striking them for a while now, and they show no sign or reaction of pain. You just made them act as if they were blinded, and joined in the act, but you yourself looked down so as to not be blinded, while the rest didn’t. Good try, though.”

“Quickly, stop flapping your gums and actually catch him!” Bastian screamed as he made his way through the now far less coordinated horde.

Vinn complied, but as he approached him, the Hog Priest lashed out with a large dagger, rolling backwards after Vinn stepped back to avoid being lacerated. Before Vinn could make his way to him, however, the Priest and another exact look alike became entangled in a strange dance, with many more plain masked minions joining in, and then, they all ran in different directions.

“...! Shit, clever bastard! There’s no way to tell which one’s the real one!”

“Don’t lose your cool, Vinn! The third one to the right is heading towards that staircase, which likely leads to a room adjacent to the streets, while the one to the far left is going towards a door, likely with the same idea in mind! The others are running randomly, but those two make sense in their retreat! It’s either of them, go after the right one, I’ll get the left one, go!”

“You may be a nasty customer, but damn, you pull your weight, Bastian! Good thinking! Catch him!”

                                                  ——-

Vinn chased the figure that might be the real Hog Priest ceaselessly, door after door, hallway after hallway, until the figure stopped in the middle of a large storage room with no windows, no doors, no exits. Cornered at last, the Hog Priest simply turned around and faced the Exorcist, the eyes of the disgusting, realistic pig’s head mask meeting Vinn’s green own. 

“It’s dead end for you, piggy. Undo the incense and the mind control, and turn yourself in nice and easy. Without your horde, you are out of luck.”

“Hmhm... Haha! Very nice, you... What a cruel mistress luck is, having me do this with you, of all people...” the muffled voice from behind the mask praised, a distinctly softer, different voice from the one before, which didn’t escape Vinn’s attention. “Now, you might be thinking, ‘did I get the right guy?’, and I have good news and bad news for you!” -- the Priest struck a cutesy and quirky pose while saying this, pointing at Vinn -- “Which do you want first?”

“P-pardon...?”

“I said! Which! Do you want! First! Good news or bad news!”

“...Good news?”

The exaggerated Priest lifted his arms in mock excitement, clapping and cheering excitedly with chants of “Woo! Exorcist! Exorcist!” before finally assuming a new pose. “Alright, so, the good news! The good news are that you have indeed caught the Hog Priest, congratulations!”

“...But your vo--”

“--ice is not the same you heard before, right? Yeah, about that... Here’s more good news: There’s two of us! So no matter which one of us you followed, and you followed both of us, there were only winning picks!”

Vinn immediately produced two pairs of handcuffs. “So, two of you, huh...? Well, that’s twice the questions we get to ask then, those are pretty good news.”

“Sadly, I also am obligated to tell you the bad news.” the Priest sadly informed, sticking an hand inside of his robes and producing a baseball bat covered in various, strange runes, pointing it at Vinn. “The bad news is that you die here.” she announced with an arctic voice unlike her variety show host demeanor of seconds before, taking a step forward and sending thunderbolts down Vinn’s spine. It was not the first time he’d been face to face with mortal danger, it was not the first time his life has been at risk, it was not the first time he was faced with a strong opponent. But, it was the first time in Vinn’s life that his body and mind screamed for him to get out of there fast, a primal, visceral flight response that didn’t even pretend to bother with the ‘fight’ half.

The bat came faster than a bullet from above, Vinn managing to block it only by reaction, leaving him wide open to kick to the gut which knocked the air out of him, and a subsequent palm strike to the chin that sent him barreling backwards against the wall. The Exorcist, in a panic, produced his standard issue handgun, pointing it at the Priest.

“You should’ve keep me close. Hands up, Hog Priest.”

“...That’s not even a Shootist Gun, that’s just a regular one. You... You are not taking this seriously, are you?”

Vinn took aim at his enemy’s leg and let loose a round, hoping to incapacitate him, but a simple swipe of the bat deflected the bullet right out of its path, the battered projectile hitting the wall next to Vinn’s head, missing him by a hair. “What the...!?”

“You really are a novice, huh. Should’ve kept to patrols and such, instead of getting roped into this hell. Then again, you yourself willing dropped into the wolf’s maw the moment you decided to become an Exorcist. Is the paycheck of a murderer really that tempting?”

“Not all of us are murderers! We’re trying to change it, we’re trying to heal this rotten system from within, which is more than can be said of mass kidnappers like you, so don’t you try and lecture me about moral codes!”

“Ah, yeah, in the eyes someone that doesn’t know what’s going on, of course it’s gonna look like we are the bad guys. ‘Changing it from within’, that’s some prime, class-A bullshit. You can’t possibly believe that. You’re smart enough to know you are but one good seed among a fetid, infected crop. You won’t fix the harvest by yourself.”

The Priest lowered his bat and pointed towards the door. “Leave.”

“...Huh?”

“You are outmatched. Leave through that door, exit the warehouse through the office sector, and desert the Mythic Affairs Bureau. Never again take on the mantle of the Exorcist, do something else. It’s for your own good. Do this, and I will not take your life. I will even guarantee you safe passage until you are out of Stroln.”

Vinn struggled to pick himself up after the brief but intense beating he sustained, putting his evidently useless handgun away. “...Why are you giving me a way out? What do you mean by a ‘good seed’?”

The disgusting pig in front of him tapped the “ear” of his mask. “A little bird told me that you do sincerely care for Mythics. You helped out a demon yesterday, helped him find a job that allows him to feed on human emotions without harming anyone when you simply could’ve smoked him. You’re a good person in a bad guy’s job, so I’m willing to compromise... No, I want to let you live. We need more people like you in the world.”

The disappointment in the hog’s fake eye was palpable when Vinn took a fighting stance instead.

“...Last chance, Exorcist. I’ll hold back no more.”

“How about you fuck off. I’m not gonna get lectured on morality by someone who brainwashes a bunch of people for a mass kidnapping. I’m through trying to reason with you. I’m done playing sweet. Let’s go for real.”

With a sigh and a head scratch, the hog picked up his bat and assumed a combat stance again. “I really wish we could’ve done this differently, but if you insist... I’ll give you a proper burial, at least.”

“Domunus Tecum!” the Exorcist chanted, renewing his protective spell, but he was not done. “Hostem Repellas Longius!” As he chanted this spell, a faint, red light covered Vinn’s body. Hostem Repellas Longius, the third of the Six Spells of Self-Defense, the spell of hostility, offense, and righteous violence. Simple as they may be, the strength of the Six Spells does indeed lie in simplicity, and with every brick you put on top of a good base, you get closer to making a wall. With attack and defense ready, Vinn put away one pair of handcuffs, holding only one with his left hand.

No more words were shared between the two, and they clashed fiercely in the middle of the spacious storage room, handcuffs meeting bat, the colliding steel singing a frantic sonata to which these individuals who couldn’t be more conflicted danced vigorously. Overhead strike, left swipe, shin kick, neck shot, eye gouge, they tried it all, and none could land. Vinn certainly seemed much different than before, and in a moment of carelessness, the Exorcist managed to grab the bat by the head.

“...! What’s with this grip!? Let go!” the Priest wined, struggling to get the bat back.

“Sure, here you go.”

Vinn’s hand glowed a dim silver and suddenly began vibrating at extreme intensities, the sheer force from the vibrations hurting the Priest’s arm, making her lose her balance from the pain. Using this opening, Vinn threw the bat away and lunged with his hand, grabbing the Priest by the shoulder, gripping hard for just a second before a skillful twirl of the Priest’s arm allowed him to set himself free.

“What was that...? You didn’t have enough time to do any of that weird vibration stuff to me.”

“It’s over, Priest. Don’t use your left arm and just surrender.”

The Priest simply laughed. “That bat thing was surprising, but you didn’t do anything to me. Now I know to watch out for it. I don’t feel bad at all, in fact, it’s like my left shoulder feels even better than before! Sucks to be y--!”

As the Priest picked the discarded bat back up with his left arm, an explosion of blood gushed from his shoulder, the sheer force of it shredding even the red robe and exposing his flesh, the Priest tumbling to the side and falling to the concrete ground, clutching his bloody mess of a shoulder as he screamed in agonizing pain. “W-what the fuck did you do to me!? Aaaargh!”

“You got confident without even knowing my style of magecraft, and now you’re paying the price. It’s simple in theory: Flux Magic. I know how to control the eb, flow, and movement of mana particles.”

“Haha, what...?” laughed the Priest, still in pain. “That’s... Fucking crazy... So that vibration was just you making a mass of mana vibrate at immense speed... You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“And your shoulder just now was me injecting you with an immense amount of mana, more than your body could possibly handle. Hence, when you moved the afflicted part, it burst like that. You were feeling well because you literally had an injection of energy given to you.”

“Clever bastard, first I see of anyone applying such an otherwise ignored principle of magic emission, Flux, in this creative a way. Hats off to you, friend. I suppose I gotta show my hand now.”

“Wait, if you move with that wound--”

Vinn’s warning fell upon deaf ears as the Priest, left shoulder oozing blood, dashed right against Vinn to renew his assault. Handcuffs parried the bat, but it was nothing more than a feint, Vinn’s stomach catching a knee that made him double in pain. As he tried to get his bearings, the bat’s runes glowed an eerie teal, the weapon bludgeoning Vinn in the side, sending him tumbling.

“Alright, let’s see what we get... Become The Body Of His Innermost Shackles! Terror Ink!”

From within the robes of the Priest, a turbulent torrent of ink exploded forth, covering the bat and transmogrifying it into what looked like a bizarre, serrated hoop weapon. Upon seeing it, Vinn was left speechless.

“Why... Why do you have that...!? That’s impossible!”

One didn’t have to look at the face behind the mask to know that the Priest’s expression was currently a smug grin. “So this is what you fear the most, huh...? Weird weapon. I can’t begin to imagine what its wielder must have done to terrify you so. This is Rorschach Magic, the Terror Ink. Anything inscribed with the right runes and provided with the ink can turn into the biggest fear of whatever it strikes. In this case, this weird... Hoola hoop thingy... Whatever it is. Well, let’s test it, shall we?”

The Hog Priest’s assault was renewed again, slashing and swiping with the bizarre ring-like weapon, one of the ends of the ‘ring’ detaching and flailing wildly as if seeking Vinn with a mind of its own. “Oh! It detaches! So it’s like a bladed whip, too!”

“Put that away! You have no idea what you’re playing with!”

“Nah, I’m good, now please die quietly, or at least making a funny noise!”

The weapon was extremely confusing. It moved with a mind of its own, one end reattaching and the other detaching at seemingly random swings, clearly not the Priest’s doing, wounding Vinn with each tricky, impossible twirl of the notched edges. Vinn, catching him by surprise, leaned forward instead of retreating anymore, as his back would hit the wall any second now, and clinched the Priest, trying to knock his weapon away, his superior positioning allowing him to elbow the Priest right on the wounded shoulder.

“Hraaa!”

“You’re done!”

But as Vinn went for another deadly grip, on the exposed parts of the Priest’s robe, thanks to the earlier bloody burst and the tugging their clinch had brought to their clothes, he saw something that he simply couldn’t comprehend.

Just below the left shoulder blade, there it was, a tattoo that he was sure was the circular object wreathed in something spiky he briefly saw on the girl yesterday. Seeing this, he immediately shoved the Priest and made some distance.

“Ooph! What...? You’ll really regret giving me space to move ag-- Huh?”

“You... Are the girl from yesterday, aren’t you? The one who helped me with Mathanac!”

“...”

“Why are you doing this? It’s you, isn’t it? I recognize the tattoo. You are the same height, too, now that I think about it.”

“...Aha, shit.”

With his free hand, nay, her free hand, the Priest removed the large pig mask and tossed it aside. Behind it was a beautiful girl with striking magenta eyes and shoulder length white hair, her right lock dyed black. A tragically familiar face, with a pained, regretful smile.

Just yesterday, they were hanging out in the streets of Stroln, trying to find Mathanac a job.

“Hey there, Mister Exorcist. Cat’s out of the bag, it seems!”

“Why are you doing this...?” the anguished Vinn inquired.

“Hey now, it’s not like we are lifelong friends or nothin’, don’t get all dramatic on me. This is just... Who I am, really. One half of the Hog Priest, protector of Mythics, and seeker of clarity.”

“What does that even mean? Why kidnap so much people?”

“Mister Exorcist... Vinn. Look, please, just walk away. Pretend this never happened. It’s impossible for you to believe me right now, I understand, but you gotta trust me, we are doing this for the common good. It sure as hell doesn’t look like it now, but this is all for the good not just of Stroln, but of the world. We need these people, and we’re not gonna hurt them or anything! I promise!”

“How can I possibly believe that when every moment since I stepped in here has been a fight to just stay alive?!”

“If Exorcists were the kind of people that you could explain things to, we wouldn’t need to do this! You are decent, Vinn, but you are the exception! Exorcists are a rotten bunch! There’s simply no more time, we need to--”

In the middle of her impassioned speech, an alarm went off on the bulky wristwatch the girl was wearing. 

“...Tsk. Vinn, this is my last warning.” she murmured, with softness and honesty, not a hint of hostility to her voice. “You really are a good guy. I could tell from how much effort you put into helping Mathanac yesterday, and with how much respect you treated him. Please, walk away. Retire from the Exorcists, and leave Stroln. It’s going to get ugly, and we need people like you in the coming world, people that will receive Mythics with arms wide open. If we meet again in these conditions, know that I will not show you a shred of mercy.”

“...The coming world? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Good bye, Vinn. And for both our sakes, let’s not meet again until the next world arrives.”

The wicked weapon in her hand suddenly turned black, and then seemed to melt. As the ink peeled from it, its true shape as a baseball bat returned. Pulling a little detonator from the robe’s pocket, the girl smeared some of the neon paint the other masks had across her face and smiled farewell as she pressed it, an explosion nearby blasting a hole in the wall.

                                                 ——-

                                                                            Meanwhile, in another room,                                                                            in another part of the building...

“Isn’t the view up here just divine, Bastian Ashfield?”

“Yeah, I gotta give it to you, man. You’ve gone and given me the perfect scenario, not gonna lie.”

“Oh? Is that so? Would you mind elaborating?”

“I ain’t much of a nature landscape fan, but urban stuff? Cities? My jam. Love ‘em. I also love interrogating domestic terrorists. In some minutes, I’ll be making you spit blood, curses, and answers while enjoying the beauty of Stroln in the afternoon, and that? That’s priceless. If I had a nice, bodacious babe to praise me while I’m kneeing you in the throat, it’d be my second birthday, not gonna lie.”

“Haha! Confidence is really good. Exorcist scum really dream big, don’t they?”

“Damn right we do, and I dream the biggest of them all. So, are we done flirting?”

“Very much so, Ashfield.”

The banter was followed with silent sizing up, not one of the two men moving an inch as they stood on top of the main building’s rooftop. It had been an arduous, lengthy pursuit, but it all came to this. Face to face at last with the wanted criminal, Hog Priest, the Hydromancer was already grinning like a madman. He truly had been waiting for a chance to unwind, you see.

Without warning, a sharp, potent tendril of pressurized water lunged directly towards the Priest like a lance, only to be met with an invisible wall, mana sparks and the sound of magical diffusion concluding with a mass of useless water falling helplessly to the floor. Stretching his arms, the Priest let out a chuckle, hundreds of incense sticks popping out of his robes all over his body.

“What...?”

“Vervain incense, Ashfield.” the Priest explained mockingly. “Very strong magic retardant. For once in your life, splashing water around won’t save you.”

“Incense Magic... Never thought I’d come across someone wacky enough to weaponize it for combat. Still, defense seems to be your only strong point, so I just need to punch through and I’ll be gold.”

“And how do you figure you’ll do that?”

“Well, I could do this, for starters.”

Just as suddenly as the first tendril, two massive jets of water erupted behind Bastian, propelling him with immense speed towards the Hog Priest, getting close enough to use a pressurized water slash that came a hair short of beheading the porcine foe thanks to his reflexes, managing to duck just in time with only the mask’s top being sliced off.

“Woah, man! What happened to that ‘interrogation’? Dead men tell no tales!”

“You can survive long enough without a piece of your face, no biggie.” calmly explained Bastian. “...That incense only protects you against long range magic, huh? Makes sense. The farther magic is from its caster, the less magic emission remains in it. That incense of yours has a heavy enough disruption that spells with little emission remaining in them will not be able to penetrate it, but the emission of my holy water is strong enough to pierce through it if I am close enough... You knew this, however.”

“Astute observation, mister miscreant. How do you figure the last part, though?”

The Exorcist smirked. “You have a pistol hanging by a holster on your right hip under those robes. You intended to keep me away by using it, rendering me helpless to hurt you from afar. And it could have worked, had you actually stopped flapping your gums and actually focused on the fight. You’re not much of a fighter, are you?”

Impressed, the Priest couldn’t help but lift his arms in not-so-mocking surrender. “...Guilty as charged. I’m not a fighter, no. My partner handles the direct combat end of the business, truth be told.”

A vinyl scratch inside Bastian’s head brought him to a full stop. “Wait, partner? Hold on, so the decoy that Vinn went after--”

As shock overcame Bastian, the crafty hog quickly reached for the gun on his hip, but Bastian, seasoned fighter as he is, immediately closed the distance again with two water propulsion jets.

“You got too cocky, shithead!” Bastian boasted, as his arm ascended to direct the water Priestwards, a splatter of crimson blood and the horrifying sound of ripping flesh polluting the air as a scream of agony echoed in the skies above the rooftop.

“...Did I, now, dear Ashfield?”

“W-what the shit...?”

With a loud thud, Bastian hit the floor harshly after being sent flying, a gash on his chest oozing blood. On the other side of the rooftop, the still-standing Priest had two massive spikes protruding from his chest, red with the blood of the Hydromancer they just downed. Removing his robe and torn mask, the Priest revealed short black hair, a scar on the right side of his face, and amber eyes. He looked like he was in his late 30s, with a mostly skinny, not-quite-lanky frame. Most notoriously, he was fully clad in stitched-together leather, crudely put together and of different animals by the looks of it. His jacket, shirt, pants, and even boots, all made of patchwork leather. The spikes slowly retracted back into his chest, seamlessly disappearing into his body, staining his shirt with the blood that was on the horns.

“You jumped the gun, friend, pun absolutely intended. You didn’t even consider I might have a way to deal with you up close.”

The blood oozing from Bastian’s chest slowly stopped, and it seemed to being drawn back into his chest by an unnatural force. “Oh!” the Priest exclaimed. “Your command of Hydromancy never ceases to amaze, Ashfield! Pulling your own blood back inside you with it! I guess it takes grit like this in order to live in the way you have.”

“S-stop talkin’ as if you know shit about me... What the hell was that...? I sense... Necromancy?” panted the wounded Exorcist, still on the floor, unable to move much. That statement made the man’s face shine with joy.

“You have a good eye, Ashfield. This is failed Necromancy... A poor man’s version, a mere counterfeit. Like every other Necromancer out there, I’ll never be a full fledged master of the death. However, I have no interest in that, and just this much control is good enough for me. My specialty is leather, allowing me to temporarily revive and reform any animal from leather, just for a short while, but hey, that’s all I need. Bringing back people is way out of my scope and ability, haha. What you experienced just now were the horns of a bull whose hide I have stitched on this shirt.” With a jolly stride and a confident gait, he approached the felled Hydromancer to deliver the last blow. “It was great playing with you, Ashfield, but you are a big pain in the ass, so I gotta put you out now, see ya!” From his right sleeve, a tiger’s foot materialized, razor sharp claws at the ready, and... Nothing. Nothing happened afterwards, as a spike seemed to have pierced the leather-clad man right through his chest. “...Ah... Haha, curses... You’re right, I’m not much of a fighter...” Bastian simply smirked again.

“Thanks for getting close enough to let me use my own blood on your shirt like that. Love ya.” Bastian had used the blood he had splattered on his assailant to pierce him from point blank range, incapacitating both men. It was pointless to even try to attack each other at this point, as the counter would kill the other.

“Pretty fancy necromancy you got there, friend. Leagues more creative than your run-of-the-mill shithead kid who revives a rat or a feral dog... Asperges Me, Domine.” commented Bastian as he put his hand on wound, controlling the blood so it stays inside while using a healing spell to close the wound.

“Me? Fancy? Don’t lie to yourself, Ashfield. Your Hydromancy is far more interesting. I don’t know how you get away with it, but surely more people have noticed it’s a facsimile, right?” the necromancer retorted, producing a needle from his utility belt and injecting himself in the arm.

“...!”

The Priest missed naught a beat in savoring the shock on Bastian’s face. “Heh, I knew it. You tricky scamp, of course I’d notice. I have plenty of experience and knowledge on spellweaving theory. You, sir, are no Hydromancer.”

“I command water, that’s Hydromancy, so you’re not really making a lot of sense here, amigo.”

“Oh, way too late to try and play it cool, friend. The cat is already out of the bag. Hydromancy is a traditional art of the Shaman school of magic. You befriend a spirit of water, make a pact with them, and with the spirit as a proxy, you gain control over the element of water. You, sir, have no such contract. Hydromancers are rare because it wouldn’t make sense to limit yourself to a single element. If you can make a pact with a water spirit, you surely can do the same with the other elements.”

“There’s plenty of ways to control water, Sir Pig.”

“Yup, and you are employing none of them. A way to bypass the pact with a spirit is to master control of remote mana particle emission, but that would only allow you to project water at short range, and without much potency. There’s far more practical uses of such power, and you make no use of them, meaning you have no such mastery. I can prove you haven’t made a single contract with a spirit of water as well, because you utilize holy water in your Hydromancy. Imbuing water with foreign energies, such as the holy energies of the Arc, is an insult to the spirits, and it would weaken your water, if not sever your pact with the spirit outright. Your water is most assuredly very powerful.”

“...”

“Just what are you, Bastian Ashfield? How come you can use water in the way you do? Could this be, perhaps, some sort of divi--”

“Shut the hell up!”

His wound finally closed, Bastian haphazardly stood up, ready to continue the fight. With a resigned, if not bemused sigh, the incense master stood up as well. “Mm, the drugs kicked in. Alright, let’s go, Hydroboy. Hit me with the best fake water you can muster, haha.”

“Man, props to you, you really get under my skin!”

As round two began, tendrils of water clashed with powerful tiger claws, pressurized jets of water were deflected by a tortoise shell, and a crocodile’s head was stopped from biting Bastian’s carotid artery just barely thanks to water spikes produced at the last second. The two men were evenly matched, and just as their dance was reaching its utmost violence, the large wristwatch on the man’s right wrist rang off an alarm. 

“...Time flies when you’re having a blast. Well, Ashfield, it was a pleasure to meet you, but I must take my leave. This has gone long enough.” 

Producing a small detonator from his pocket, the man pressed it without any hesitation or explanation -- apparently learning something about not flapping your gums in front of the enemy and just doing what you need to do --  and jumped off the railings of the rooftop, a series of explosion engulfing other parts of the warehouse complex.

“Shit, wait! You!” Bastian yelled as he approached the railings. Looking down, he saw the man safely running down the side of the building. That is, manifesting two long and thick ostrich legs from his back that stepped with such strength that their feet dug into the concrete of the building, safety being able to descend that way. “Bastard! He had it all planned...! I gotta get down there!”

“Adieu, my dear Ashfield! The name’s Balthazar Wharwood! Forget me not! Haha!”

                                                ——-

“Fatima, Daryl, help me shield the civilians from the debris! Nadja, go and assess the situation behind the building those two went to, it’s possible they might need your help with their escape if they haven’t captured them yet!”

With a collective “roger!”, everyone got to their task as assigned by Fiona, Nadja’s agile strides quickly getting her inside of the building. 

“I gotta say, Chief! Yer pretty cool when ya ain’t drunk off your ass!” excitedly proclaimed Daryl as he helped carry the no-longer hostile, but very much disabled civilians out of the dangerous warehouse.

“If that’s your idea of a compliment, my idea of gratitude will be to knock your lights out with a flawless right hook once we are out of here!” Fiona barked back.

“Keep your heads in the game, please! I cannot carry all of them safely without you to help me, even with this Manticore body!” pleaded Fatima as she carried as many people as she could on her back, safeguarding them with her wings.

Every couple of seconds, a new bomb went off, ever increasing the threat to the people in the premises. With just their limited numbers, they were saving as many people as they could.

                                                ——-

As Vinn finally reached the first floor, he made a beeline for the door that leads to the street, coming face to face with Nadja, who came from another hallway. 

“Are you alright, Ingram?”

“I’ve been worse, but no time to chit chat, she’s getting away!”

“She? The Hog Priest is a woman?”

“I’ll explain later, but if you see a girl with magenta eyes and white hair, she’s our mark.”

“Acknowledged.”

As the novice duo went into the street, there, in the distance, was the girl in the red robes with the baseball bat, alongside a tall, skinny man clad fully in leather. “...That must be the other Hog Priest next to her.”

“Hog Priest is two people? What a day. I’ll take the man, you go for the girl, since you were fighting her recently, you know what tricks to expect from her.”

They both nodded and dashed with all their might towards the Hog Priest duo, but just as they were reaching them, a line of machine gun fire threatened to fill them with holes, the two Exorcists backing away at the nick of time. 

“Ah, just on time, Sir Gatling Knight!” Balthazar greeted with joy, grabbing the white haired girl by the hand and running away towards a black van that awaited them nearby. The girl herself had no words, and just looked at Vinn in the eye one last time, bitterness and disappointment in those magenta eyes, before facing the truck and never looking back.

“Darn! What was that...!? Ingram, back away.”

“Don’t worry, Wharwood...” a muffled, sinister, if uninterested voice finally replied. “I’ll keep them away from you while you run with your tail between your legs.”

From their left side, a tall man clad from tip to toe in riot gear with several ornate engravings, a ballistic helmet with a visor that hid his face, and a cape on each shoulder that draped over the entirety of each arm approached them, a heavy machine gun trained at them casually with just one hand.

“I’ve no orders to kill you, but I can make an exception if you insist on pursuing them.” he announced not as a threat, but as a promise, the green machine gun disappearing behind the green cape, vanishing just like that.

“Move aside. We’ve no time to waste with you while they are escaping...!” Nadja commanded as she rushed not towards the van, but at the man himself. “You can give us answers, too!”

“Wait, Nadja! Don’t!”

But Vinn’s warning came too late. In just the flash of an eye, Nadja lunged at the man with a stake, which he shot out her hand with a pistol he produced out of thin air behind the green cape, making her recoil from the shock. As she fell, from his other hand came a shotgun, which he pressed against her gut and shot, the blood she spewed staining his visor and riot chestpiece.

“G-guah...!”

“N-Nadja!”

“Worthless. You, boy. Don’t make waste more ammo. The van is gone, anyways. You have no more reason to oppose me.” The armored man then simply threw the wounded Nadja at Vinn, turned around, and walked towards a manhole without the cover, presumably where he came from.

“Who are you? Why are you helping them?” Vinn asked as he tried to stabilize the wounded Nadja.

“...I’m the Gatling Knight, and why I help them is none of your business, but mark my words, on my honor as a Knight, if you oppose them, then you are bound to face me again, and if that happens, I’ll shoot you down where you stand. The first time you see me is a warning. The second time is your funeral. Be smart and don’t recklessly pursue your funeral. Now, tend to that fool. Her Domunus Tecum is flawless. If treated, she might survive.”

“...”

“Hoh, that’s a hateful glare, if I’ve ever seen one. Consider this, kid: You attack me now, you will meet the asphalt just as she did. You are exhausted from fighting Sacrifice, so you’re not at your 100%. I take you down now, and both of you die. You take her back, she might just make it. Your call. I can spare a few bullets, if you truly wish to force my hand.”

Cursing under his breath, Vinn had no choice but to carry Nadja back to where the other Exorcists were, as it was pointless to stay here, what with the Priests having escaped and his colleague nearing death with every passing second.

To call this operation successful would be a joke, Vinn though to himself.

“...And what did he mean by ‘Sacrifice’...?”

                                               ——-

                                                                                                 August 7th                                                                                                   12:01 PM                                                                                           7th Office’s Infirmary

“...And that’s what happened on my end.” said Vinn, concluding his report.

“I see, we both had a dog of a day, it seems. Damn pigs...” the bed-bound Bastian said with a half-laugh. “...Never imagined the Hog Priest, well, Priests would show up like this and cause this much trouble mere days after you started. You must really be cursed to end with me as your partner and those two wackos as your first foes, bwahaha.”

The younger Exorcist couldn’t help but laugh. “Man, the Academy really didn’t prepare me for this, I want a freaking refund. How are you holding up?”

“Doc says I gotta chill for the rest of today and tomorrow, and I should be golden. Oh, dunno if you heard, but after yesterday, all six of us have been given today and tomorrow as days off to recover properly. Which sucks, because it’s two days I gotta spend cooped up in here. Well, at least the good doc will keep me company, right?”

“I’ll just make it easy on myself and juice you up with so many painkillers that you’ll simply sleep the two days away, honestly.” doctor Aria casually commented from the other side of the Infirmary, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

“Aww, come on, Aria, you don’t gotta be that way.” jokingly commented Bastian. Vinn was somewhat surprised at how well these two seemed to get along. Bastian getting along with anyone was kind of a surprise. “So, yeah, go and take it easy, and... Discard that long face, boyo.”

“...Hm?”

“Oh, don’t HMM me, Vinn Ingram.” the Hydromancer chided. “I know your goody-two-shoes stiff little ass is probably all depressed because of how they got away yesterday. But, the fact is, the operation was successful.”

“...Was it really?”

“It was. We all survived, for starters. Nadja is in critical state, but Aria here is the best Arc damned doctor I’ve met in my life, and that I’ll possibly meet in my life, plus, Nadja’s Domunus was apparently strong enough that a point blank shotgun blast didn’t shred her organs to pieces. That should’ve killed her immediately, and yet, here she is. She’ll recover, I guarantee it. The rest of us were just battered and wounded to varying degrees, but we pulled through. The civilians? No casualties whatsoever. The bombs were a distraction, and none of them were placed anywhere where there were civilians. Fatima, Fiona, and Daryl made sure to evacuate all of them and search several times for more of them. All the missing people have been accounted for. We rescued them, Vinn.”

“...I didn’t consider it this way...”

“Look, man, I know seeing them escape is a kick in the dick, I know, but consider the rest of everything. We’ll get another shot at them, but had anyone died, there’s no coming back from that one. Not all of them are gonna go all flowers and sunshine, and hell, look at you, you are practically unscathed. Compare and contrast with my dumb ass that got saddled in bed. It’s fine, man. You’ll go crazy if you consider anything short of perfection a failure, man.”

“...Haha.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing, it’s just so freaking weird to hear you be so nice and supportive, Bastian, that’s all, haha.”

“Yeah, and it’ll cost you 5000 patros. I expect them by the end of the month.”

“Hahaha, but really, thank, it helps a lot to hear that” Vinn said with a smile.

“Oi oi, don’t go smiling at me now, save those for nice girls, like the doc here. Hey doc, can I get a smile?”

Aria, without looking at him, just flipped him her middle finger.

“Bwahahaha, yeah, love you too, doc. Alright, Vinn, go enjoy your day off. Trust me, you’ll learn to treasure them.”

“Alright, I’ll just drop by the office to say hi to Nick and Dani and then go home.”

“Good idea. Oh, and Vinn?”

“Yeah?”

“A bit late, but welcome to the 3rd Division. We are going to get revenge on those sumbitches when round two comes, yeah?”

“You fuckin’ bet we will.”

It might not have been ideal, it might have been perilous, but what Bastian said was true, the operation was, ultimately, a success. A mass kidnapping prevented is indeed good news to numerous families, no one can deny that. The day was saved, and while the root of the problem is still alive, it would be foolish to not enjoy this little moment of peace, or so Vinn thought at least. Whatever little moments of peace he might have from now on, he must make the most of them, for he understands that this is merely the calm before the storm.

The girl’s words echoed in his head, particularly the “coming world” she mentioned. Stroln was slowly but surely being submerged in conflict, and with it, the casualties that inevitably come from the crossfire. More than anything, Vinn wanted to prevent that.

The future looked uncertain and bleak for Vinn, but at the same time, he witnessed firsthand how capable the 7th Office was.

As the door closed behind him, Vinn walked away from the Office, ready to rest his body and prepare his spirit for the trials that he knew were coming, and that he knew Bastian and him and the rest of the 7th would deal with. 

The world he wants rides on this, too, after all.

“...What a nice day for a nap.”

       Of incense, ink stains, and the murky menace lurking beneath it all:                                       – Chapter 3: Neon War Paint –                                                             End

                                                                           To be continued in Chapter 4