#and he tried but also he was stuck in a place where his strength kind of contradicted the future he wanted

[lavenderjewels]

(JJK 236 spoilers/leaks)

now that there’s been a main character sacrifice this means nobara can come back!

[clownwritesfanfic]

Drift Away - Five Hargreeves x Fem! Reader

Summary: When Five gets stuck in the subway station all alone, he decides to stay in a comfortable timeline while he tries to figure out how to get back to his family, however, he didn’t plan on falling in love with the lonely woman who lives there.

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word count: 7,984

Warnings: death, slightly canon compliant but not really, implied sex, slight nudity, author pretends to know wtf they’re talking about when it comes to cottagecore living

Disclaimers: Can you tell I love the subway concept but hate how it was executed? I refuse to believe Five would ever stop trying to go home. Also no Fivela in this because that whole mess is one I don’t want to clean up. Reader dresses feminine. Plus size, poc, and trans fem friendly. If you see something that goes against that, please feel free to say something. Five’s body is 24.

———————————————————————

It had been a little over six years now. Six years of being stuck in a confusing maze of timelines and once again, Five was all alone.

At least in the first apocalypse, he found comfort in Delores. But down here, his only company was the rats.

Five was desperate. He wanted to go home, to see his family again, try and stop yet another apocalypse. He wasn’t going to give up, that wasn’t the kind of person he was.

But this place was driving him crazy. He could focus in here. He wanted a shower, clean clothes, a regular source of clean water and good food. He remembered a timeline he visited that looked peaceful, a place he could relax and feel safe to figure out a way back.

He picked himself up off the ground. His body aching and joints creaking. He may have a twenty-four year old’s body, but it sure felt like his body finally caught up to his age.

Five groaned as he stretched, feeling his sore muscles pull and his vertebrae clicking into place. Damn that felt good.

When the train came to a stop at his station and the doors slowly opened, he stepped on board and collapsed on the nearest seat. He was so hungry and dehydrated that he barely had any energy. He hoped it wouldn’t be long before he could get to the timeline he wanted.

It took about twenty minutes for Five to get to the right timeline, and another seven to exit the station. He was so exhausted that the stairs nearly made him pass out. He knew exactly where he was headed and he couldn’t wait to get there.

When he saw the little cottage far in the distance, he felt a burst of energy. He had been dragging himself along for thirty minutes and the knowledge of having good food and fresh water helped him find the strength to continue.

The gate to the property was open, its latch broken. Five made his way to the greenhouse as it was the closest thing and he knew there were strawberries inside from his last visit.

He opened the door, a burst of warm humid air hit him immediately as he stepped inside leaving the door ajar. He made a beeline for the plants and started picking and eating as many ripe strawberries as he could. They were so sweet and the juice ran down his chin.

He was busy stuffing his face when he heard the familiar cock of a gun causing him to freeze in place.

He slowly turned around, one hand frozen in place holding a strawberry near his face, his mouth full of the fruit. The first thing he noticed was the twin barrels of a shotgun a few feet away pointed directly at his head.

Then his eyes moved down to see whoever was holding the gun, was wearing a beautiful dress that stopped right above the person’s knees.

“What are you doing here?” A stern voice spoke out. The gun was obscuring their face but he could make out the long hair that framed it.

“I’m not going to ask again.” They readjusted the gun as a warning when he took too long to answer.

Five dropped the strawberries he was holding and held his hands up. He roughly swallowed what was in his mouth and tried to speak.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean any harm. I’ve been lost for a long time and I’m starving. I didn’t know anyone lived here.” He explained in a soft voice, trying not to startle the owner.

The gun faltered slightly before it was lowered slightly. A pair of eyes stared back at him with an unreadable look.

The person sighed and finally lowered the gun fully, the click of the safety being turned on being heard through the quiet greenhouse.

Five was able to see them fully now, a woman was stood blocking the entrance, and she looked beautiful.

“Come on, you look rough. I got some proper food inside and some clean clothes.” You gestured for him to follow you as you stepped out of the greenhouse.

Five eagerly followed you out, excited to finally eat something proper and get clean. You closed the door behind him and started towards the cottage a few feet away.

A few chickens roamed around the property, most running out of the way as you two walked but there was one or two you had to nudge out of the way with the barrel of the shotgun. You did it with such care and gentleness that you must’ve had to do it many times before.

You opened the wooden door to the cottage and held it open, gesturing for him to go in first. He thanked you as he passed you and took in his surroundings.

The inside was cute. It was small but not cramped, more…cozy. Plenty of room for two people to be comfortable.

You closed the door behind you and propped the shot gun against the wall. You startled Five, causing him to jump a bit when you accidentally clapped your hands together when brushing them off against each other.

“I’m sure you’d like to take a bath quickly. But everything’s pretty old school around here so it will take me a while to get enough water and warm it up. But I’ve got some soup simmering right now.” You put your hands on your hips as you looked him up and down.

“Thank you. Anything is perfect.” Five knew he looked (and smelled) bad. He hasn’t been able to do anything properly for six years and he was grateful for whatever you could provide.

You nodded, feeling weird having a man around after being alone for so long. You gestured for him to take a seat at the dining table as you walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, ladling some of the soup into it. You placed the bowl down in front of him and grabbed some slices of sourdough bread you had made fresh that day and placed it in front of him as well as a spoon.

Five was nearly drooling at the steaming bowl of soup in front of him along with the fresh bread. You chuckled silently to yourself when you noticed his expression.

“It’s potato and leek and the bread is sourdough, made it today. I’m going to go get a bath ready for you, help yourself to seconds if you’d like, there’s plenty left.” You patted his shoulder before you left towards the bathroom.

“Thank you.” He called as you left and dug in. He moaned as the creamy and smooth soup slid down his throat so easily and warmed him up from the inside. He was quick to dip a piece of the bread into the soup and scarfing it down. He hasn’t had a proper meal in years so he couldn’t control himself.

It was about twenty five minutes later when he wandered into the bathroom. He had helped himself to seconds like you said and he also washed his dishes. He didn’t want to be any more of a burden than he already felt.

The bathroom was small. There was a big long metal tub sat on the side of the room, a wooden shelving unit with potted plants on the top few shelves and some different soaps on the lower shelves with in reach of the tub. On the opposite side of the small room was a metal basin full of charcoal that was glowing orange.

There was a window a few feet above the tub that was slightly open for ventilation, there was a door that lead to the outside that was wide open. As Five was busy observing his surroundings, you walked in from the open door. A pole was over your shoulders, two big metal buckets full of water on either side.

“Oh…hello…” You were startled at the sight of him but you couldn’t let it stop you cause the buckets were starting to feel heavier by the minute. You bent down at the knees and slid the pole off your shoulders, causing the buckets to hit the ground with a thump making some water splash out onto the concrete floor.

“I..uh…the soup was really good, thank you.” Five shuffled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. He was impressed by your strength, and watching you do it in a dress was just the cherry on top. He was used to seeing strong women due to his time in the Commission, but none of them looked as soft and feminine as you did. It was clear you were a tough individual and he liked it.

“No problem.” You lifted the buckets up and set them in the pile of lit charcoal and used a stick to move the charcoal around so it surrounded the buckets. “Sorry, I don’t have running water. I’ve gotten used taking cold baths, usually only heating it in the winter but I thought you’d appreciate a warm bath more.” You brushed your hands off and placed them on your hips.

“You don’t have to go through all this trouble for me.” Five felt awkward, he’d never had anyone care about him this much and he was slowly starting to realize how much he craved a simple life like this.

You waved him off with a scoff. “Just gaining some good karma points.” You joked. You reached in the cabinet that the container of charcoal was sat on top of and grabbed some big fluffy towels out and set them on the middle shelf near the tub.

As you checked on the temperature of the water, you explained to Five that all the soap and shampoo was homemade. Despite living in the middle of no where near a forest, you had a neighbour that you regularly trade with. She was an older lady that grew Beehive Ginger, a plant that produced a natural liquid shampoo. You were able to make your own bars of soap pretty easily with the lye you also made. You mostly had everything you needed out here but it didn’t help to build connections with those near by.

As you picked up one of the buckets, holding the bottom with a cloth you picked up earlier and poured it into the bath, Five was thinking to himself how much he wanted a life like this, he hoped he could when he got back to his family and figured out how to stop the Cleanse, but it was tempting to stay here with you.

You poured the second bucket into the tub, it didn’t fill it completely but it was full enough, it would’ve cooled down by the time she was able to grab more water and heat it up anyway and Five was grateful for any amount of water. You scooped up some of the smouldering coals with the bucket and dumped them into the water.

Five gave you a weird look and you let out a breathy laugh. “It will keep the water warm longer. The water put it out and cooled it enough where it won’t burn you, plus, charcoal ash is good for your skin. Helps bring out toxins and such.”

Five nodded and thanked you again. You left to go grab him some extra clothes you said you had lying around and he finally took the opportunity to strip out of his dirty clothing. He wasn’t sure where to put the clothes so he left them in a pile on the floor. When he was fully nude he climbed into the tub and sat down. He groaned when the warm water raised around him. It reached just above his belly button and he took a moment to just sit there and enjoy the warmth. Not wanting the water to get cold, he grabbed a small pitcher that was on one of the shelves next to the various soaps. He scooped up some water and poured it over his head, relishing in the warmth and how it felt as some of the dirt washed right off.

You walked into the bathroom, a folded up shirt, jeans, and a pair of briefs in your arms. You paused when you realized he was in the tub already, you couldn’t blame him, you’d want to clean off as soon as possible if you looked as bad as he did. The tub was high enough where you couldn’t see anything below his shoulders from where you stood.

“Sorry.” You laughed awkwardly. “I’m used to not having to knock. Here, got you some clean clothes. They should fit.” You placed them down on a stool nearby and noticed you hadn’t closed the door to the outside and walked over and latched it shut. “Sorry to get rid of the view but sometimes the goats get too curious and sneak their way in and that usually brings in the chickens.” You laughed.

Five smiled with a huff. “Thank you, again.”

“Stop it. No more of that.” You huffed. “I’ll be around. Just shout if you need something.” You smiled and gathered up his dirty clothing and left.

——————————————————————

An hour or so later, you had his original clothes all washed and hung up outside to dry in the sun.

You were sat at the dining room table, drinking some tea thinking about everything that’s happened so far.

Five entered the dining room and smiled. He opened his mouth to say something before you cut him off. “If you try and thank me one more time I’m going to kick you out.” You semi joked.

He silently laughed and shook his head. “Noted.” He pulled out a chair and sat adjacent to you. “I was actually going to say, I didn’t know how to empty the bath so I just left it.”

You waved your hand. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it later. Tea?” You gestured to the kettle sitting on the stove.

“I’m more of a coffee guy.” He sheepishly admitted.

“Oh, I’ve got some of that.” You stood up and grabbed the container of instant coffee and poured some into a mug and poured the hot water from the kettle into it and stirred it around. You placed the mug in front of him and sat back in your seat. You made it so quickly it was as if you’ve done it many times before. “Sorry it’s only instant. Coffee is kinda hard to get out here so we’d have to go to the nearest town for it which is about two hours away.”

“I’m grateful to be having any coffee at all. I haven’t had any for twelve years.” He picked up his mug and took a sip. It was the perfect strength, slightly bitter but it wasn’t the worst he’s ever had.

“Oh! I forgot to ask if you want cream or sugar with that.” You sounded concerned but didn’t really make a move to get up.

“Oh no, that’s alright. I take it black. This is great.” Five reassured.

“How are the clothes? They comfortable?” You asked as you sipped your tea.

“Great, yeah. They fit perfectly.” A little too perfectly to be honest.

“That’s good. I cleaned your other clothes, they’re outside right now hanging up.”

You both let a comfortable silence go through for a few minutes before you gasped. “Oh my god…I just realized I never asked for your name.” You laughed.

He smiled after taking a sip of his coffee. “It’s…Five.” He hesitated, not sure on if he should tell you his real name but deciding it was the least he could do.

“Five? Like the number?” You questioned.

“It’s…a long story.” He sheepishly replied.

“I got nothing but time…but I won’t make you talk about something you don’t want to.” He was grateful for that. “I’m Y/N by the way.”

He repeated your name. He liked the sound of it. “Do you live alone? I find it odd that a woman who I’ve only seen wear a dress so far has men’s clothes.”

“I….I had a husband.” You looked away.

“Oh..I’m sorry. I didn’t see a ring so I just assumed…” he trailed off when you grabbed the thin chain around your neck and pulled it out from the top of your dress. A simple metal ring hanging off the edge.

“Hard to do any work around here when you’re worrying about keeping a ring on your finger. Plus I’ve never been one for wearing rings. He made it himself out of some scrap metal he had lying around.” You explained as you played with the ring. “We got married officially down at the courthouse. No wedding though. We were never much for big events like that and we didn’t really have anyone to invite anyway.” Tears pricked at your eyes as you thought back to it all.

“If I may ask, what happened?” Five straightened up in his chair, feeling sorry for you.

“He went out one day to check the traps we have out in the woods…never came back. I went looking for him for months but I never found him. He wasn’t the kind of man to just leave. He loved it here. So I assumed something got him.” You sniffed and wiped your eyes. “Sorry…”

“No no it’s alright. That sounds awful. I’m sorry that happened.” He reached out and laid a hand on yours that was on the table. It was out of character for him, usually he wasn’t good at comforting others, but he felt like he needed to. Something drew him to you.

You smiled weakly. “It’s been three years. You learn to cope and move on quickly. Especially with this kind of life. You don’t get to mope around, there’s always stuff to do here so you have to work through it.”

“It must’ve been hard, having to do everything yourself after having someone else to split the chores with.”

“It was. But you get used to it. You sorta look like him too. The long hair and eyes, they’re just like his.” You smiled. “Anyway…enough about me. You can stay as long as you’d like. I’ve only got one bedroom but the couch is surprisingly comfortable. I’ve taken many naps on it. Sorry I can’t offer you something better.”

Five smiled. “Anything is better than what I’ve been sleeping on for the past six years.”

——————————————————————

Five originally planned on staying for a few days. But a few days turned into a few weeks, which then turned into a few months.

He hadn’t given up on finding a way home but he got a little…distracted. He helped you out around the house and small farm you had. You taught him how to do a lot of the more labour intensive tasks and over time you two grew closer.

You were in the greenhouse, collecting some of the strawberries to make jam later when Five appeared in the doorway, a watering can in his hand. He was wearing a green knitted sweater that used to be your husband’s favourite. He paused for a second to admire you and smiled to himself and busied himself with watering the plants.

You glanced over and smirked to yourself and picked one of the smaller strawberries and threw it at him. He tried to hold back a smile at your antics when he got hit with another strawberry, and then another, and another. Finally, he turned to you.

“You’re not going to have enough to make jam if you keep throwing them at me.” He smiled gently at you.

“Ah, they’re just the shitty ones I would’ve fed to the chickens. I think I have enough now anyway.” You took a few steps towards him before you stepped on the handle of a trowel that was left on the ground. It caused you to slip and you dropped the basket of strawberries in shock, you prepared to catch yourself when Five caught you just in time.

You both made eye contact. You felt a shiver go down your spine at seeing eyes that looked so similar to your late husbands. You felt yourself get lost in them the longer you looked and Five felt the same.

The last person he ever loved was Delores, and she wasn’t even real but he loved her all the same. But you made him feel the same way, only a thousand times more. He had started to fall for you over the months of being alone together.

He glanced down at your parted lips, silently asking for permission. You sucked in a small breath and looked down at his. He slowly leaned in, tilting his head slightly before closing his eyes and softly kissing you. When you parted you looked at each other again before Five whispered.

“Was that weird?”

“No…but that’s what makes it weird.” You replied.

At that, Five cupped the back of your neck and pulled you closer, bringing your lips back to his. This time the kiss was more passionate and loving. You held onto his shoulders, gripping his sweater.

You slowly dragged your kisses down his jaw right to a specific spot on his neck and harshly sucked. Five threw his head back and moaned lightly. He hadn’t been given a hickey before but it felt so good. After a few seconds you pulled away and admired the bruise starting to form.

You pulled away from him and walked towards the greenhouse door. He looked at you in confusion, wondering if he did something wrong or if you were just toying with him when you turned around to look at him and leaned against the doorframe.

“You coming?” You smirked with a look in your eyes.

He grinned and stalked towards you with a predatory look on his face. You giggled and took off towards the house with him chasing behind you.

——————————————————————

Five had been with you for six months now. He has since graduated from sleeping on the couch to sharing your bed.

He has been everything you could ask for. Attentive, loving, patient, caring, hard working, etc. He was perfect in your eyes.

You were once again in the greenhouse. It was your favourite place after all. You were sat on a crate, using some shears to tidy up some flowers for the small bouquet you were putting together.

Five walked in carrying two rabbits. “Oh wow look at that. Two this time.” You smiled.

“All because of your traps.” He winked and kneeled in front of you.

“Such a flatterer.” You smirked as you put down the shears and placed the last flower with the rest. “What are you hiding?” You inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” He asked, trying hard to hide his smile.

“I know you. You got that look.”

“What look?”

“That guilty ‘I have a secret’ look!” You laughed.

“I have no such look.” He bit his lip holding back his smile.

“Whatever.” You rolled your eyes with a grin.

“Ok ok you’re twisting my arm.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls something out. “Here.” He holds it out to you.

You gently take it from him and notice it’s a bracelet made of metal. It’s beautifully twisted together making a unique piece of art. “Oh…Five, this is beautiful. Where did you get this?”

“I made it. Used the scrap metal I found lying around.” He looked up at you.

“I love it.” You looked up from admiring the bracelet into his eyes.

“I aim to please.” He looked at you full of love and smiled.

You grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. He placed a hand on your waist and leaned in to the kiss. He was always such a good kisser. It was passionate and full of love and want and always left you breathless.

You both slowly pulled away, leaning your foreheads together as you caught your breath.

“I love you, Five.” you whispered as you softly scratched his scalp.

“I love you too. So much.” He replied, his thumb rubbing your waist.

As much as you’d love to keep the moment going, he slowly pulled away and stood up. “I’m going to go look for more scrap metal, we’re getting low and one of the traps needs to be fixed. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“Oh, okay. Be careful.” You smiled at him as he stood in the doorway.

“I will, love.” He replied softly before turning around and leaving.

Your smile fell as soon as he was gone. Now was as good a time as any.

——————————————————————

Despite finding peace and happiness with you, Five never stopped trying to find a way back home. His family was important to him and even though you were apart of it now, he still wanted to get back to his siblings.

He told you all about his family, his powers, how he got trapped in the future, his true age, everything that lead him to that point in time with you. The only thing he left out, was the subway. It was quite a distance away from your little piece of heaven and he didn’t want you to get stuck by accident like he did.

It was the one secret he kept from you, but what he didn’t know was that you had one of your own.

You had been feeling suspicious for a while about where he was getting all the metal. It was woods and foliage for miles so you had no clue where he was getting it all.

You weren’t stupid, you knew how much his family meant to him and you saw how it effected him being away from them for so long yet again. There would be days where he wasn’t himself, he was visibly depressed and his mind was occupied with the thoughts of his family. He would reassure you that he loved his life with you and didn’t regret a single thing, but being apart from them was hard.

But you were selfish. As much as you would love to meet his family, you refused to lose the one man that made you happy, again.

You waited for Five to get a head start before you went after him. You had to be careful, you knew he was a trained assassin and a former CIA agent, one little mistake and he’d catch you and you didn’t have an excuse thought up if he did. Luckily, you had some training yourself. Not at the level of Five’s but good enough where you were able to sneak up on him a few times before.

You followed a few yards behind him, staying close by but far enough behind where you won’t lose sight of him.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Five reached the entrance to the subway station. He looked around as a precaution before descending the stairs. Luckily, you had ducked down before he could spot you, you rose from your spot as you watched him go down the stairs.

You walked over and looked down from the top of the stairs and sighed heavily.

——————————————————————

A few months later, you were outside feeding the chickens when Five walked outside, he had the messenger bag he always used when going out slung around him.

He hadn’t needed to go to the subway station since the time you secretly followed him but a lot of things needed repairs recently so he had to find some more metal soon.

He walked up behind you and wrapped his arms around you and kissed your cheek. “I’m going out now. Be back soon, okay?” He said softly as he rested his head on your shoulder.

Five has become more touchy and cuddly recently and you’re not too sure why but you’re not exactly complaining.

“I can come with you. I don’t have much else to do right now that’s urgent. Just lemme finish up here.” You replied, throwing the rest of the seed to the birds.

“No no, it’s okay, love. You stay here. It’s safer here than out there.” He tried persuade you.

You huffed and turned around in his arms. “Five, I’ve survived out here on my own for three years before you showed up. I think I can handle it.”

“I know, but please? Just stay here. It gives me peace of mind knowing you’re here safe.” He looked down at you with pleading eyes.

You sighed exasperatedly. “Fine. But don’t be too long or I’m coming after you.”

“I won’t, love. See you soon.” He kissed you before taking off.

Five felt guilty. He had found a notebook that had the answers to find his way back home. He had held on to it for so long but he had no clue how to bring it up to you. He loved you, and he loved his life with you so much. But he also wanted to save his family, and as much as he’d love to bring them here, he knew most of them would refuse to drop their new lives to start over completely. Plus your cottage and garden kept both of you living comfortably and he had no idea what this timelines world was like outside of the small bubble you stayed in.

He was going to scavenge for metal but he was also hoping to study the notebook a little more. He had covered the subway walls in equations while he tried to think of all the possibilities of getting his family safe while also being able to stay with you. He knew you wouldn’t want to leave your timeline, especially since the one he was trying to get back to was turning to shit quite quickly.

Five had walked this path so many times that he was walking on auto pilot while looking down at the notebook and thinking. He had made it to the station and was about to take the first step down when he bumped into something solid.

He looked up and saw a bunch of wooden planks and chains blocking the entrance.

“What the hell?” He muttered to himself.

“I knew you’d come here.” He turned around when he heard your voice. You were stood a few feet away looking disappointed.

“Y/N? What are you doing here? I told you to stay back.”

“I know. But I wasn’t going to let you go down there again.” You crossed your arms.

“You did this?” He gestured to the shoddily put together barrier. “How do you even know about this place?”

“I followed you last time. I knew you were hiding something. Plus I was curious as to where all the metal was coming from. So…what’s that?” You nodded towards the notebook he was still holding.

“You have no right to keep me out of there.” He ignored the question and walked towards you.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want. You’re not going down there again.” You stood your ground.

“Oh yeah? And where else would I get the materials we need?” He was starting to get pissed off.

“Fuck all that! I don’t give a shit about that! What are you doing down there that’s so fucking important?” You yelled, getting frustrated with him diving the question.

“Trying to find a way back home! To my family!” He raised his voice back, throwing his arms up.

“This is your home now, Five. You’re happy here. We both are.”

“This is NOT my home. Without my siblings here, it will NEVER be home. With or without you here.”

That hit you hard. You felt a pang in your chest at hearing that.

“So that’s it? You’re just going to leave as soon as you can? You just can’t WAIT to get away from me huh?”

“Don’t be stupid.” He huffed.

“Stupid?! You won’t even tell me what the fuck is in that notebook or where you go it!” You waved your arms around.

“It’s the answer I’ve been looking for on how to get back to my timeline. Now, take this shit down so I can finish my equations.” He sighed.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. You’re staying here.” You stared at him while he glared at you.

Five got close to you, getting up in your face. “What the fuck is your problem? What makes you think I won’t just blink down there and leave right n-“

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!” You screamed as tears finally started falling down your face.

This startled Five, causing him to back up. It took him a second before he spoke up again.

“What do you mean ‘again’?” He questioned.

You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head, hugging yourself.

“Y/N…” Five warned as he took a step towards you.

You hung your head as your tears kept falling. “I knew about timelines long before you showed up.” You sniffed and lifted your head, looking off to the side. “My husband…he…he found this place years ago. He went on the subway and came back telling me all about it. He was so captivated by it that he kept coming back, taking it to different timelines. I went with him once but we ended up somewhere awful. I never wanted him to go down there again. I didn’t trust it. But of course he was too stubborn and didn’t listen. He went out one day and…never came back. I waited for years. I came out here every day for about two of those years, just waiting for him to walk back up. I wanted to close it off but kept it open just incase he came back. Then you showed up…and I…I thought that you…were him. You looked and sounded the exact same. Even had the same name. But I knew you couldn’t have been him from the way you acted when we first met. But when I gave you his clothes to wear…all I saw was him.” You wiped your tears away.

Five was silent for a while. Trying to process everything you just dumped on him. “So…I was a replacement, for the version that you lost.” He clenched his jaw.

“No!” You looked at him with surprise. “No I swear you weren’t a replacement. Even if he was a version of you and you had a lot in common, you’re also different. There are things you do, things you say, that are so different from him. I never saw you as a replacement. I never saw you as him. I just saw someone so familiar that I felt so comfortable with. You made me fall in love all over again with a whole new person.” You tried to explain quickly.

Five sighed and looked away, scratching the back of his neck. “I need to get home.”

You sucked in a breath. “Five, please. Please don’t leave me alone out here again. I’ll…I’ll do better! I will do whatever you want as long as you just stay here. Please.” You felt tears stinging your eyes again as you reached out and held onto him.

“Y/N…” He sighed. He brought his arms around you and held you close. “I love you. I really do. But I don’t belong here. I’d love to stay with you. I really do. But your Five is out there somewhere. Stuck just like I was. He belongs here with you. I need to be with my family. I’m sorry.”

You sobbed into his chest as you tightened your grip on him.

“I’ll find your Five. I promise. I’ll find him and I’ll bring him back to you. You’re strong, you can take care of yourself while I look for him.” He reassured as he nuzzled into your hair.

“How do you know he’s even still alive?” You whimpered into his chest.

“He’s a Five. We’re stubborn, and if he loved you as much as I do then I know he’s fighting to get back to you.”

You both stood there, the air cold as you held each other. Your sobs mixing in with the sound of the wind. After a couple of minutes, your tears died down and you slowly pulled away from Five. He looked down at you, evidence of his own silent tears on his face.

You reached up and wiped the tears off his face. “I love you, Five. Just as much as I loved mine.”

He caught one of your wrists. “I know.” He whispered before kissing your palm. You both looked into each others watery eyes before stealing one last kiss.

When you pulled away, you leaned your forehead against his, one last time. “Do you promise you’ll find him?”

“I promise.”

With that, you backed away from him and held your hands close to your chest, one of them playing with the bracelet he made you all that time ago. You watched him look at you one more time, smiling, before suddenly he was gone in a flash.

You felt yourself fall to your knees as your curled in on yourself as you sobbed.

——————————————————————

Five had managed to arrive safely in his timeline. He was going to keep his promise to you, but first he needed to see his family.

His heart was still heavy at the thought of leaving you behind but he tried not to let it show. He didn’t want his siblings to pry too much when the wound was still open.

He walked up to the familiar house and sighed before knocking on the door. It opened to reveal Lila.

“Hey there you are. Finally.” She looked him up and down. “What the hell are you wearing?” She questioned.

“I can’t be comfortable?” He countered.

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’ve only ever seen you in suits or a school boy uniform. It’s weird seeing you in casual clothes.” He rolled his eyes at her statement. He certainly didn’t miss her quips. Lila stepped back and opened the door more to let Five in.

As soon as he stepped inside he saw Diego with Grace on his hip. “Heyyyy you made it, Cinco! Come on in, take your shoes off first though.”

Five softly smiled at the sight of his family safe and sound.

——————————————————————

Five found himself back in the subway station pretty quickly. The Cleanse had yet to be stopped and everything was escalating so fast but he knew he had a promise to keep. He hated leaving his family again with no explanation but he refused to let you down.

He was prepared to spend another six years down there all alone just for you. Luckily, he had only spent a few hours searching different timelines when he came across a deli.

He had followed what he swore was an another version of him down there. He hoped it was the one he was looking for.

However, he was shocked to find the entire place was full of doppelgängers. “Hey! Over here.” The Five in the suit that he followed called him over to a booth.

“What is this place?” He sat down across from himself.

“It’s a gas station. What the hell’s it look like? It’s a deli.” His counterpart replied sarcastically, sipping some coffee.

Another Five chuckled in the booth behind him while yet another copy of himself placed down a mug of coffee and two pastrami sandwiches on the table.

“Little light on the sauerkraut don’t you think?” Five joked.

“Yeah, it says it on the menu and I keep telling him but…he never listens.” He shook his head.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Theoretically it is.” He picks up the mug of coffee.

“Oh, you’re not gonna like that.” The other Five points out.

He looks down at the coffee with a frown.

“So! I take it your figured out the subway system by now.” The Five takes a bite of his sandwich.

“Alternate versions of the same moment in time?”

“That is correct. You’d be surprised how long it took some of the Five’s to figure that out.” Five mumbles with a mouth full. It made him think back to you and how you always scolded him if he talked with his mouth full. He hoped you were alright.

Five swallowed and continued. “We’re all you. From alternate timelines, most of us have given up trying to fix the problem.”

He looked at his counterpart, confused. “What problem?”

“The broken timeline, man. There’s only supposed to be one.” Five sipped his coffee.

He thought for a moment. “I don’t get it.”

“Look around, Five.” He sighed. “Does this seem right to you?”

He looked to the side. “Well, no-“

“You think Einstein was thinking of this when he was figuring out relativity? Not a chance. This shit would’ve made his head explode.” He took another sip of his coffee.

“Ok so, what shattered the original timeline?” Five questions.

“Not what…who. And I’ll give you three guesses to figure it out.” A ding is heard through the deli.

“We did!” Another Five from behind the counter shouts.

The Five across from him looks exasperated. “Why you always gotta wreck shit, Brisket Five? Why?”

“By we he means…the family, my siblings?”

“The morons, yeah.”

“I’m familiar with them, yeah.”

“One perfect timeline and the moment we come into existence; boom! Shattered. Into an infinite number of alternate timelines in an infinite loop of time. As we try and save the world- how many times…was it again?” Five leaned over and asked the Five in the booth behind him.

“One hundred and forty five thousand four hundred and twelve.” The Five lowered his newspaper to look at the other two.

“That’s a lot. He’s like Rain Man, that one. He loves num- oh by the way. Look at the artwork.”

He turned and looked at all the framed photos littering the walls.

“All the different ways we made our universe go kaboom. Gold star for consistency, am I right?” He joked.

“We need to fix this.”

“Oh trust me, we tried. That’s why one of us created the commission. By the way that’s why there’s no paradox psychosis here. Uses the same technology that Five did for the panic room. He wanted to undo all the broken timelines, get back to the one and only. But that always fails because…?” He prompted.

“The family is the problem. We’re doomed to save or destroy the world over and over again and infinitum.” He sighed.

“Bingo.” A Five sat at a table holding a coffee chimed in.

“Bingo.” The Five across from him repeated with his mouth full.

“I need to get back to my family. Stop this from ever happening.” He stood up.

“Well…good luck with that. Guess you don’t want your brisket to-go?” The Five reached for his plate and slid it towards him.

He was about halfway to the door when he remembered his promise and turned around. “One last thing. I spent a year in a different timeline with a woman. Her name is Y/N, she said she lost her husband because of the subway and that he’s another Five.”

“Y/N, huh? Only a few of us have met someone with that name, but chances are you’re looking for that one over there.” He pointed to another Five who looked the worst out of all of them. He was hunched over a table in the far corner, head in his arms. “Used to talk non stop about his wife named Y/N and how he had to get home to her. Poor bastard got stuck and went crazy trying to find his way back.”

That’s all Five needed to hear. He walked over to the Five and shook his shoulder. The Five grumbled but lifted his head.

“Hey, I know how to get you back to your timeline. Your wife misses you a lot. She’s waiting for you right now.”

“Y/N?!” He straightened up.

“Yeah. C’mon. She needs you.” He helped the Five stand and lead him out of the deli.

——————————————————————

On the subway ride back to your timeline, your Five was pacing back and forth.

“Sit down. You’re gonna fall on your ass when the train stops.” Five tried to calm him down.

“I haven’t seen her in years. She told me to stop coming down here but I just couldn’t fucking listen and I ended up leaving her all alone.” He brushed his hand through his messy and dirty hair.

“Hey. She’s strong. She was doing just fine by herself when I met her. I promise she’s okay. She’ll be happy to see you again.” He sighed. He really wishes it could be him, but now that he knew his family was destined to destroy the world no matter how hard they try to stop it, he had to go back and be with them.

When the train stopped in the right timeline, he guided the other Five out. “Ah shit.” He muttered when he got to the stairs and saw it was still blocked off. “Forgot she did that.” He grabbed the other Five and blinked them to the surface. He shivered at the cold air. It must have been a few months since he left considering there was now snow on the ground.

“This way. I’m not sure how long it’s been for her so let’s not keep the lady waiting.” The disheveled Five followed close behind him, growing anxious at the familiar scenery. His heart started beating hard in his chest when he saw the cottage in the distance.

As they got closer, they could both see you exiting the greenhouse, a basket in your hands.

“Oh my god…” The Five whispered. He stood still in shock at seeing you again. You looked just as beautiful as he remembered. “Y/N!” He called out.

You looked around at the sound of your name being called. You had been hallucinating hearing your name in Five’s voice since he left so you were in complete shock when you looked over and saw your original Five a few yards away.

You dropped the basket, its contents spilling onto the snowy ground, and beelined for your husband, jumping right over the fence.

He ran towards you, quickly closing the distance before colliding in a desperate hug. Tears were pouring down both of your faces as you squeezed each other right. Scared that either one of you might disappear.

You looked up from his shoulder and through blurry vision you could see the Five you spent a year with standing in the distance. You smiled at him and mouth a “thank you” to him.

He smiled sadly back at you and nodded. You closed your eyes and nuzzled deep into your husbands neck. When you opened them again, Five had disappeared from view. You frowned, a part of you will always love and miss him, but you had your true Five back now. You could only hope he found someone that made him happy.

You pulled back from the hug and looked your Five in the eyes and smiled through the tears. “Welcome home, honey.”

——————————————————————

As Five stood hand in hand with his family as the Durango slowly consumed him, he thought back to you.

He had no idea what timeline was the right one, but he could only hope, that even if it was a slim chance, that your timeline was the correct one.

As you laid in bed, cuddled up to your husband, you didn’t feel a thing as your timeline disappeared.

——————————————————————

On the twelfth hour, of the eighth day of August, 2024, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

Y/N would say, it was just a normal day as she watered the marigolds in her garden.

[kaymarie-bell]

Diasomnia Spoilers, Chapter 8 (JP)

part 1

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After Idia finishes his explanation of the plan, he makes our Magic Stones able to switch our clothes (like a character customization screen / magical girls lmfao) and we use Silver’s UM to start moving around. The first dream we see is Epel’s

Epel's dream:

In his dream, Epel has a buff body but the same face (also his steps sound like a giant walking lmfao.)

We go to talk to him, but he picks a fight with Sebek. In Epel’s dream he’s taller than both Sebek and Jack (😭). We have to convince him that this dream isn’t really what he wants in order to wake him up. He kinda loses it once we mention Vil.

We get blot clones of Vil and Rook that are trying to convince him to stay inside the dream, telling him how much Leona praises him as the best rookie in the magift team and how he embodies the strength and beauty of Pomefiore.

Grim snaps and reminds him of his wish to defeat Neige as the “poisoned apple” after the VDC.

Epel finally wakes up and accepts his true appearance. We fight against the fake Vil and Rook. Epel uses his UM to win. After that, Idia (in tablet form) explains the situation him.

Idia gives him the invitation he prepared, and we leave a fake copy of Epel’s body in the dream (the buff one 😭) to keep Malleus from finding out too soon.

We then move on to Rook’s dream:

Just as the new SSR showed: we are in a dream where Rook is still a Savanaclaw student. He is not a first year. He recognizes Epel and wonders if Leona asked to see him because of magift.

We try the “Vil would be mad if he saw you looking like that” strategy on Rook, however he doesn’t understand why it would concern him since Vil is an RSA student (‼️)

Vil is also Neige’s best friend (‼️‼️‼️)

Rook begins his fanboy rant about Vil and Neige’s “friendship.” He always imagined them as besties, and he keeps talking about their interviews and how they behave with each other. Sebek snaps at him and gets him to shut up for a bit, Rook is apologetic for getting too excited since he doesn’t have anyone to talk about this topic in Savanaclaw (😭)

Ortho wants us to go into Rook’s room to get more information about this version of him to wake him up. Rook tries to stop us but we manage to get inside.

His room is decorated floor to ceiling with Neige’s merch on the left and Vil’s on the right (😭😭😭😭)

Sebek voice: what kind of rituals are you performing here?

Rook has been keeping his room a secret for all of his three years at NRC. He says he can’t let us go now…without looking at his oshis’ DVD collection first (😭😭😭😭😭😭😭)

5 hours later. Everyone is tired, and Silver even fell asleep for the first time since we got stuck in these dreams.

Epel tries to make him remember the VDC, but in this Rook’s memory Neige sang Minna de Yahoo! alongside Vil. He tells us goodnight and we leave his room.

The group starts to wonder if this dream means that Rook would’ve preferred to not be friends with Vil, but Epel is against that idea. He thinks that Rook is still thinking about Vil’s overblot, and maybe he believes that if Vil and Neige weren’t rivals then Vil wouldn’t have gone through all that.

Our plan to make Rook wake up involves going to the Coliseum / VDC stage and sing Absolutely Beautiful (new rhythmic!)

We get a flashback of how we rehearsed the song. Epel guided us and assigned our places. Epel -> Vil / Ortho -> Jamil / Sebek -> Epel / Silver and Grim -> Adeuce combo / Yuu -> Kalim / Idia -> Audience and judge.

Idia is happy to take this role, since he is very strict about idol performances (😭) he also offered to get everything ready

Epel: ✨Really? Thank you, Idia-san! ✨

Idia: Ugh! It’s too dazzling! For a moment I thought I’d been reincarnated into an idol training game-

Idia: Pomefiore is frightening….

Idia: I mean, doesn’t this kinda make me a manager or a boys' idol group P?

Idia: “Idia Manager”….”Shroud P”…..Hah! It doesn’t sound too bad~

note: in the type of idol games Idia is talking about, the P stands for “Producer” (time to Ensemble our Stars)

Rook begins to wake up, but blot clones of Vil and Neige appear. They begin to sing Minna de Yahoo! and Rook gets distracted again. Epel starts to scream at him

Epel: Look closely! The real Vil-san looks more wicked, and his eyebrows are so angled! His eyes are so sharp that his stare will make your heart skip a beat!

Epel: Your Roi de Poison! Our Queen! He is far more Poisonous and Beautiful [than the fake]!

Rook: Poisonous…Beautiful…?

Epel: Don’t you dare give out the words Vil-san wanted the most that day to those fakes! You’re a worse traitor now than when you voted for the Royal Sword Academy! (ouch)

Epel: Come on, wake up! ROOK HUNTEEEER!

Rook: One vote for RSA…traitor…ugh!

Rook: Ugh!….that’s right…in this world…the most beautiful thing in this world is…ARGH!

Rook wakes up, but the fakes are still trying to distract him. ( shoutout to Vil’s VA, this Vil speaks in a more…princely? manner. Definitely not Our Vil)

Rook knows this is a dream, but he still feels guilty about pointing his arrow at them

(Groovy spoiler for Rook's new SSR)

Fake Vil voice: Neige get behind me!

✨MAGICAL GIRL TRANSFORMATION✨

We defeat the blot clones, and Rook and Epel have their reunion

Meanwhile Sebek and Idia:

Sebek: I can’t believe it…you’re not only making me fight, but also dance.

Idia: Hehe. I managed to get a good recording of the magnificent Sebek-shi waving his arms and feet in such a clumsy manner.

Sebek: You-! Turn that off! If you show this to anyone, I will not let you get away with it!

Rook notices Idia and is moved by him “guiding the underclassmen as a Dorm Leader” (😭)

Idia is like “eh? Not really…I’m more of a P or a manager…”

Rook asks him to explain what happened at Lilia’s farewell party. Idia shows him the video too. Rook joins our party, receives the invitation, and leaves a clone behind. We move onto the next dream.

[spider-jaysart]

(Click for better quality)

Beast world was very fun and Cat!Damian was the best part about it to me loll and now that I've created a Puppy!Jon to go along with him, I'm thinking these boys deserve an au dedicated to them both and the series!

It would all be just an au of everyone naturally living as their beast world selves, like that's just who they are, and everyone else in the universe besides them would also have natural animal forms of their own too and humans don't exist. It would be called "Beastverse/Beast world au Earth 68"

And I've got some Damijon headcanons for it!! (And also about some other stuff too!)

When Damian and Jon first met, that's when the phrase fighting cats and dogs definitely became much more true to it's words lolll, and it was wild lmaoo

In the beginning of their team up, Damian would meow around Jon all the time whenever they interacted, just so that he could speak with him less and give him a hard time understanding him, making Jon think that's all he can actually ever say. And meanwhile Jon would be the one speaking in English, but still trying to talk to Damian anyways loll (which was annoying to Damian loll). After some very much later adventures though, he then finally decided to reveal to Jon he can speak in English by suddenly talking in it during a moment where he was trying to comfort him and then Jon was kind of upset, like "Wait...YOU ACTUALLY KNEW HOW TO TALK THE WHOLE TIME??" And Damian was like "-tt- Of course I did, I just didn't want to talk to YOU." Lmaooo

Whenever the boys play, they can match eachothers playful sides a little too well and start jumping all over the place a little too crazy loll. Someone has to sometimes keep a close eye on them both because of this or fun messes will happen

Damian has a habit of scratching up anyone who messes with Jon

Damian as a cat really hates the rain, so Jon, knowing this, will protect him with his jacket and immediately lift him up in his arms to keep cozy until they got home or somewhere else dry

Jon loves Damian's meows and especially his purrs because they keep him calm and he just loves hearing them from Damian

Sometimes their tails get stuck together in a knot because Jon was wagging his too much again near Damian's, causing it to wrap around his tightly too quickly and get caught. They almost ended up completely dragging the other with them a few times without realizing at all because of this loll

Damian didn't like sharing his toys at all and would tell Jon to leave them alone or else, since they're special gifts from Talia. He would also used to insult Jon's own at first, seeing them as not so great compared to his, but later saw the fun in them when trying them himself and just couldn't stop. He then tried denying it by finally showing off his expensive ones and letting Jon play with them, and meanwhile he sneakily went back to playing with Jon's lolll. Now they share and no fights are made about it

A supervillian tried pitting them both against eachother one time in a battle against their will with physical control over them, saying cats and dogs are just species that will never mix together well no matter what. They fought, but did their best in whatever way they could to not actually hurt one another. The supervillian just became only bored and upset with this very quickly and then switched on mind control on them both. Damian had already deactivated the devices on himself just in time though during the fight before that, but Jon didn't, so he became aggressive and ended up hurting Damian kind of badly without holding back his abilities and strength. Damian ofc defended himself as much as he could against the attacks, but was overpowered in the end. Just as Jon was about to finish him off brutally as the raging dog he was now, he came back to his true senses when hearing Damian's poor meows falling deep into his ears superhearing and then when he realized in front of himself what he had done to him so far now, he just felt SO terrible. Jon became angered and ended up fighting the control on his own, finally setting himself free and then went to Damian's side to give him comfort and apologize. Jon then ended up chasing after the guy who was responsible for all of this, using his dog ways, like biting him in the butt and whatever else as well as deserved payback. Bro was terrified for his life. When Damian and Jon went back home after having that guy finally taken care of, Jon still couldn't stop apologizing about it all to Damian (even though Damian kept telling him to stop lol), served him the biggest bowl of his favorite treats, got him chocolate milk as a special, and gave him tons of doggy kisses and tight hugs, while keeping them both wrapped up sitting in a cozy blanket that Damian loves using

Damian, who does it with his own, teaches Jon how to keep his claws looking good and takes care of them for him sometimes

Whenever Damian is ignoring Jon's puppy eyes, then Jon will double it up with a combo of sad whimpers, which ends up helping him still get his way in the end for sure loll. Damian can also play this game too just by using his kitty eyes on Jon whenever they're disagreeing on things they want and they most times overpower Jon, making him fall completely weak for it lol, since that's not something he will usually see Damian do

Due to him being a cat, Damian hates cucumbers and smacks them away in instant fear whenever he sees them. When Jon learned this, he would try pranking him with them, but then one day Damian smacked it so hard that it hit Jon right on the head and knocked him out. Damian became concerned but then after finding out he was pranking him everytime, he was like "Well, it was certainly deserved for being so idiotic." To Jon when he finally woke up lmaoo

Damian thinks it's adorable whenever Jon is reacting excitedly with his dog side and can't help but pet him, give him plenty of belly rubs everytime, and other kinds of affection in those moments

Jon also loves petting Damian, but most times Damian will try to stop him from doing it. Jon just does it anyways though despite that lol, and no matter how much he fights it, Damian usually ends up leaning into the comforting touch without realizing it, loving the wonderful feel of it while letting out purrs, and then he suddenly wakes back up to reality in embarrassment and swats Jon's paws away while yelling at him lolll, meanwhile Jon just laughs because seeing cat reactions like that of Damian's is so cute to him. Overtime though, Damian later grows more comfortable with it in the future and let's Jon pet him anytime, especially whenever he's laying down and resting his head on his lap or when they're cuddling eachother

Whenever Damian is clinging onto Jon from the back while being flyed around, sometimes his nails will really poke Jon or create little holes in his hoodie. Jon is one of the only ones who never say anything about it though, since his skin is steel and can handle it

Sometimes whenever Damian gets mad and starts arguing with Jon, Jon will just simply take out the laser toy he carries with himself and turn it on near his boyfriend, which immediately throws Damian off from whatever he was saying and sends him into cat mode, keeping him very distracted and focused on catching the red dot instead lmaooo. After playing around with it and later coming back to reality, he's still upset about whatever the earlier situation was but is finally in a more calmed down mood to speak about it

The same can also be done with Jon, but with his favorite ball, which Damian always keeps in his belt just in case for him for whenever lolll. He snuck it into his belt during his first visit to the Kent house, feeling it would be useful for future missions and also just playing around with Jonno lol

When they became closer in their still growing friendship, Jon started carrying homemade treats for Damian in his pockets, which he made himself as a gift. He surprised Damian with them after seeing how stressed and tired he seemed while working on something and then he ended up devouring them in seconds like candy loll and was back into a better mood. Jon makes them all the time now after seeing how much he enjoys them and Damian always goes up to him for them whenever he's hungry, just usually putting his hand out and asking for them, knowing he has them on him lolll

Damian also began to keep treats in his belt for Jon as well after this. And he'll give it playfully, like for example: "Who wants a treat? Are there any good boys here who want it?" While waving it around and then Jon is just hopping around happily like "I do! I want it!" And then Damian's like "Oh, wait a minute...I only see one very good boy here actually and he's right here in front of me." With a smile while petting Jon and finally letting him have it

Bruce is actually a full on bat in this universe instead of his wolf form from canon. Talia and Ra's are both cats, but not normal ones. They have a bit of mixed mutation in their genes, which is bird related, so Talia and him both have very large, beautiful green golden wings because of this and they can also defend themselves with it very well, especially as a shield and to blow others out of the way with very strong created waves of wind. Because of this, Damian is a mixed animal but still looks like his canon cat self, except he has small, dark bat wings with lovely green and golden feathers attached to the bottom of it and they will grow so much more to his parents large size as he gets older. He also has very great hearing like his Father and has a habit of eating insects sometimes from his bat side

Starfire is a lion and instead of a fox, Dick is a cool bird beast with blue colors to match his Nightwing design. He used to have the Robin colors as a kid, but his feathers changed overtime and then completely once he was fully grown up and had decided to take up the Nightwing mantle. Mar'i and Jake are also a mix of both animal species because of this

When Damian grows up, he wraps up Jon in his wings a lot during cuddles, just like how Talia would used to always do to him back when he was still a kid and loved being surrounded by it while in her arms. Jon loves it, feeling very protected and warm in it, and also thinks Damian's unique wings are beautiful

[plutoslvr]

Okay so in my last Kevin post, I mentioned I have analysis' on how Kevin isn't a coward and how his trauma still affects him and you guys wanted to read it so here!

Why Kevin Day Isn’t a Coward: 

Essentially this comes down to 3 specific points in the fandom and even in the books since people are very adamant about the whole coward thing. The two things that people (in book and fandom-wise) use to argue that Kevin is a coward are: 

Kevin is still afraid/ doesn’t stand up to Riko 

That he left Jean behind in the nest.

Starting off with the first point. Kevin is still afraid and doesn’t stand up to Riko for the majority of the books. Firstly, we need to understand that Kevin has been abused from an extremely young age in the Nest and was conditioned into thinking that kind of behaviour was normal. And by that I mean specifically Riko’s abuse but before that, it was Coach Moriyama that abused both of them. 

He was stuck in the Nest for over a decade where his only role was “property” the entire time. That was all he would ever be to them and additionally to that, he wasn’t even allowed to be better than Riko. His entire life from the very start has been about exy but it was only after his mothers death where it became life or death. 

During tfc when Neil finds out how Kevin’s hand really broke Wymack says “But the day Kevin stops playing forever is the day he dies. He has nothing else. He wasn't raised to have anything else. Do you understand? We cannot lose to the Ravens this year. Kevin won't survive it."

He wasn’t raised to have anything else, exy is quite literally his everything, and without it, he has nothing and nobody. In this same scene, Wymack says, “Kevin doesn't talk about his time at Evermore, but I could tell it wasn't the first time Riko or Moriyama laid a hand on him. It was just the first time Kevin was smart enough to pack his bags and walk away.”

We never find out in detail what exactly happened to Kevin in the Nest but in TRK when Neil goes there we can see how deluded and obsessed Riko is with Kevin.

Neil moved up alongside him and regretted it almost immediately. Postcards of faraway cities both foreign and domestic were taped to the walls. Beneath each one were scraps of paper. Kevin's now-familiar scrawl listed dates and explanations for the travels. Most of them were games. Some indicated photo shoots and interviews. Books lined the shelves built into the headboard and Neil knew from skimming the spines they were Kevin's. Kevin was majoring in history for reasons Neil couldn't understand; these dry titles were the sorts of things he would find fascinating. It gave Neil chills to see his space preserved like this. It was like Kevin had gone out on an errand, not that he'd transferred to another team entirely.

Riko is so sure that Kevin is going to come back to him because he’s instituted such fear into him, he doesn’t think Kevin has the strength to stand up to him. Which he does, but people don’t seem to realise you can’t undo over a decade's worth of trauma overnight. 

Anyway, during Neil’s time in the Nest, he’s treated very similarly to how Kevin would be considering he was in his place but also not as harsh because they had to send Neil back to the Foxes inevitably.

"I am going to love hurting you," Riko said, "like I loved hurting Kevin."

What follows this is Riko tying Neil down and torturing him with a switchblade. By the time Neil leaves the Nest he doesn’t remember anything from the experience- he was so traumatised by it that he doesn’t remember it at all. (It also kinda sucks how Neil gets more sympathy for being in the nest for 2 weeks than Kev did for being there for over a decade.)

Putting this into perspective, Kevin went through that for so much longer and doesn’t get nearly enough of the same sympathy Neil did. Neil returned and Kevin got punched for letting him go even though he tried persuading Neil not to. Kevin has always had Neil’s best interest at heart. 

Kevin shook his head and bulled on when Neil started to argue. "The master wants to salvage you. He's going to sign you to the Raven lineup in spring. So long as you keep quiet and keep your head down he won't tell the main family he's found you." "I'm not a Raven," Neil said. "I never will be." "Then run," Kevin insisted, low and frantic. "It's the only way you'll survive."

Kevin was willing to sacrifice the only chance he had to prove his autonomy to the Moriyamas if it meant Neil would be safe. Without Neil, they wouldn’t have enough players to qualify and they wouldn’t be able to play at all. (Again: “But the day Kevin stops playing forever is the day he dies. He has nothing else. He wasn't raised to have anything else. Do you understand? We cannot lose to the Ravens this year. Kevin won't survive it.")

Not to mention the whole “Kevin was silent for an endless minute, then said, "You should be Court." It was barely a whisper, but it cut Neil to the bone. It was a resentful goodbye to the bright future Kevin had wanted for Neil. Kevin recruited Neil because he believed in Neil's potential. He brought him to the Foxes intending to make a star athlete out of him. Despite his condescending attitude and his dismissals of Neil's best efforts Kevin honestly expected Neil to make the national team after graduation.

And even after that, he promised to teach Neil, because at the end of the day, Neil was still Neil and he never gave up on him once.

And Neil understood that being on the run for 8 years was more preferable to the Nest. 

“But all Neil had to do was look at Kevin to know he would have hated that life 

too.”

Sorry I kinda went off track there anyway we can also see how much Riko’s presence still affects Kevin especially in scenes like the Kathy Ferdinand show. 

“Any animosity Neil felt toward Kevin for forcing him onto this show evaporated. He couldn't be angry when Riko was here, not when Riko was to Kevin what Neil's father was to him. Petty anger had nothing on this full-fledged terror.”

Obviously, we all know what a dickhead Neil’s dad was to him so Neil comparing the fear of his father being similar to Kevin’s fear of Riko is so important because it just puts into perspective how afraid Kevin is here face-to-face with his abuser the first time since said abuser permanently disabled him.

But what I don’t think is that Kevin has been standing upto Riko since the start because right after this when they were backstage, Kevin physically stopped Riko from hurting Neil even if it meant getting hurt by Riko again.

A black look twisted Riko's expression into something ugly and unrecognizable. He reached for Neil, but Kevin caught his arm to stop him. Riko slammed his elbow back into Kevin's face without missing a beat.

This scene is probably the best to describe how downright afraid Kevin is of Riko but there are others when Kevin has multiple panic attacks at just the thought of Riko or being in the same vicinity as him and rightfully so! Riko abused him, manipulated him and then took away the only thing he had. And Kevin was just forced to think this was okay. 

And a lot of characters and fans see his fear as cowardice instead of a normal trauma response. This is also because Neil tends to speak out more against Riko than Kevin (You know I get it…) but unlike Neil, Kevin has had direct repercussions towards him for the “mistake” of talking back to Riko which of course makes him hesitant. 

He knows the Moriyamas could drag him back at any moment and he's terrified of that happening.

Which leads to the second bit of “Kevin doesn’t stand up to Riko.” when many times, he has.

The most prominent example is in TRK, just after the foxes lost their first match to the ravens.

“You have fallen so far, Kevin. You should have stayed down and saved us the trouble of forcing you back to your knees." "I'm satisfied," Kevin said. It was the last response any of the Foxes expected from him. They forgot about Riko in favor of gaping at Kevin. "Not with their score or performance, but with their spirit. I was right. There's more than enough here for me to work with."

Kevin chose the foxes over the ravens- over Riko. He doesn’t allow their loss to become something Riko can use against him but instead something to affirm his current standing with them. This is also the first game Andrew played without his meds meaning he’s crashed by the end of it.

Kevin distracted the Ravens from Andrew's unsteadiness by facing them.

Kevin willingly turned to talk to his ex-abuser and his team if it meant Andrew wouldn’t be under fire. Most people only see Kevin and Andrew as Andrew protecting Kevin but Kevin protected Andrew just as much.

And of course we have the whole tattoo removal and the last exy match against the foxes but I need everyone to understand that those are so so so important. Kevin spent the entire series save the last quarter of the last book viewing himself as Riko’s property. Riko refers to him as such and even without Riko near him, his control is still strong over Kevin.

So Kevin removing his tattoo and replacing it with something with a higher hierarchical structure than Riko’s status as king is so detrimental, it’s a turning point for him because he’s viewing himself as his own person now. And Kevin scoring the winning goal brings us full circle because the last time he did that with Riko, he ended up disabled and shunned.

This brings me to my second point about Kevin running away from the nest. Alot of people see Kevin escpaing from the nest and leaving behind Jean as an act of cowardice. This bit gets a bit complicated because in no way shape or form am I trying to compare trauma’s or anything like that.

But to continue on. The ravens had a very strict policy that we got to see during Neil's experience one of which being that no matter how injured they were, they were still expected to show up to practice. The more mistakes they made the more punishment they'd find themselves in. Not showing was practically a death wish.

Now Kevin having his hand fucking broken would mean thay either he doesn't practise and get punished or practise with his fucked up hand and further damage it. If he stayed I wholeheartedly believe he would've died.

He ran away to save his life and that will never be cowardice not once. He didn't go to Wymack immediately when he found out because he knew what kind of target he'd paint on Wymacks back.

"He was trying to protect him," Neil said. "If Coach knew Kevin was his son, he'd have tried to take him from Edgar Allan." Nicky grimaced. "They'd have never let Kevin go." 

He only left when he had no other option. He had nothing left, the one thing he did have was taken away from him, he had no purpose and for once Riko didn't care enough about him to pay attention. And he used that to run.

Leaving Jean behind was something he always regretted, but it was a game of survival. Jean was a gift to the Moriyamas, he was also property to them and couldn't leave. And if the roles were reversed I strongly believe Jean would've done the same thing.

Also Kevin finds a place for him layer with the trojans because he knew that being a fox wouldn't be good for him.

"He isn't safe with us," Kevin said. "I won't give him false hope."

Staying in the nest would've been suicide for Kevin. He's one of the biggest victims in the series but nobody talks about it enough I fear and there's so much to learn about him via context clues etc.

And the saddest thing in my opinion is that Kevin knew was it was like to be loved, he was raised by his mother for a few years before going to the Moriyamas. 

ANYWAY to conclude, I suck at essays and I hope I've worded everything well and what I'm trying to say gets across. Kevin is not a coward, never has been a coward and never will be. He's survived through such a damaging and abusive environment only to get moved to a separate environment where everyone just ridicules his defense tactics and he has no real sense of support. 

His reasons for what he does always stems from the fact the he doesn't want to go back to being under Riko and Coach Moriyamas "care" and that he's afraid. And most of the time it's things he can't shake from the nest.

Like when he pushes the foxes its so they're always at their best and so none of them get hurt or punished for mistakes. He pushed himself the hardest because he doesn't want to directly affect his teammates. 

Or the celebrity persona he was forced to develop.

Or how he makes sure everyone is staying healthy and that they don't force themselves to play when sick or injured because he knows what it's like to be forced to play like that day after day. 

AND IVE GONE OFF COURSE AGAIN yeah I kinda mashed together both analysis' of how Kevin's trauma from the nest affects him and how he's not a coward into one thing AND THIS IS SUPER LONG so if ur still here thank you very much for reading I really hope this makes sense

[coldresolve]

Moneymakers, pt.lii // Aftermath of Blood

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His first half-conscious impression is that of choking. An internal pressure down the front of his neck, down into his chest, like there’s an obstruction in his airways.

Choking, but also not, somehow - his lungs are moving regardless. He doesn’t have the strength to lift his hand to his mouth. He bites down on something, body screaming as he weakly arches his back, and then he tries to speak, but can’t. No groan, no whisper, not even the sound of air leaving his throat.

A hushed voice above him, the low-light blur of a silhouette when he manages to pry apart eyelids that feel stuck to each other. “Relax, kid, you’re good. You’re getting all the air you need, just try and relax.”

His eyes struggle to focus on the face, finding a gentle expression set in dark skin, and a casual, raised brow.

“Ready to breathe on your own, are you? See if you can squeeze my hand.”

His limbs buzz, whir, like wind spinning around his skin. The hand wrapped in his own is barely noticeable. It takes conscious effort he only barely possesses to make all fingers bend simultaneously.

Shaun grimaces a little, still keeping his voice low. “Normally I’d require a bit more than that, but you’re uncomfortable, aren’t you?”

Renee can see the edge of something blue at the bottom of his vision, something that stays in place when he shifts his head. His teeth dig into it, but it’s hard enough to withstand the bite despite his jaw’s ache at the effort. Fingers making a loose fist in the covers.

Maybe he blacks out, maybe time just passes. Shaun takes hold of the object in front of Renee’s mouth, his other hand firm on his shoulder, and tells him to try to cough. For a few seconds, Renee thinks he might’ve forgotten how to do that, and his uneven gaze seeks the other, silently begging for clues.

Finally, as if by chance, his diaphragm contracts, and he discovers he can make it do that on his own. Shutting his eyes tight, he pours all feeble effort into coughing.

What follows is the bizarre, oddly relieving feeling of the pressure leaving his throat from the bottom up in one, rapid movement. Even after the tube clears his teeth, he can’t stop coughing, a weak effort by his body to make sure his airways are clear – it finally makes a sound, then, hoarse and ragged. Fills his chest with pain, and his stomach with the sense of seams being pulled taught. Wheezing air in between attacks with every fiber of his being, grunting involuntarily against agony. A hand tilts him sideways by the shoulder, while another supports the back of his neck through it. Words of reassurance he can’t make out. The smell of his own sweat, laced with something chemical.

Eventually, it fades into heaving, which fades into deep, rapid breathing. A sense of warmth flows through his body, relieving the pain. His vision blurs and blurs.

The heavy dark brings him back down.

💵

“He’s sleeping every few hours.”

“I noticed.”

“And you don’t find that alarming?”

“It’s a reprieve, I suppose.”

“It’s a symptom, Kit.”

“That, too.”

“You know where this kind of thing ends if y—”

“Yes, I know. I’ve considered it, I’m aware. It crossed my mind.”

“So you just don’t care, is that it?”

Silence.

“I figured I was wise in keeping my nose out of your business, but the more I glean from this, the more I’ve realized I can’t ignore my moral repulsion.”

“What happened to loyalty?”

“It was tied to whatever false front slipped when you talked to my wife yesterday.”

Silence.

“I think I’ve made up my mind, Kit. I won’t stick a knife in your back when you leave. I’ll stick it in the front if you come back.”

Silence.

“Understood.”

Silence.

“You manipulated her too, you know.”

💵

The room has a different atmosphere. Different ambient sounds. Different smell, as if the brighter light against Renee’s closed lids somehow changed anything. Less biting, more pleasant.

The bed has been raised to prop up his back, not enough that he’s outright sitting, but he finds he’s lying more comfortably. His eyes flicker open, missing against brightness, walls that spin around him for several long moments.

Renee flexes his hands, although one doesn’t quite respond. He looks down at it. The cast for his elbow is back, from upper arm to thumb, joined by a splint around two fingers. Shifting its heavy weight reveals gauze following a curve down the side of his ribcage, and two red tubes sticking out of his stomach, joining with a mess of other wires. Under the covers, all he wears is a pair of boxers, but he’s pretty sure they’re not his own. He lets his head dump back down.

It's curious, there’s almost no pain this time around. Just a warmth, a pricking, senseless feeling all over, an iridescent sheen to the world, a barrier. A thick cloud in his head that makes his thoughts slow, then indiscernible after a certain point. Floating in warm mud, maybe.

Shaun approaches the bedside, half-leaning against it and offering a smile that’s blurred in his vision. “How are you feeling?”

Renee squints up at him. “’m high.”

Shaun nods, raising a brow. “Very.”

Swallowing thick, Renee’s eyes drift across the rest of the room. Off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, Davin dispassionately approaches to watch them. So does Conrad from a bed next to his, just a pair of eyes sticking out from the blanket covering his thin frame, idly watching beneath a mess of curls. Renee manages to move his tongue around, and it’s only then he realizes how dry his mouth is. Dry enough to burn if he wasn’t numb. His voice is so rough, he barely gets vowels out. “Do you h-have… water?”

Shaun smiles politely, backing up toward the door. “’Course. Sit tight.”

The sight of Davin should fill Renee with loathing, and he recognizes it on a distant, clinical sort of level, but the weight of that emotion is lost in the mud.

“You lost a kidney,” the man greets him.

When Renee blinks, even that feels sluggish, delayed. “… kidney,” he repeats.

Davin nods. “You know what a kidney is, don’t you?”

Renee nods a little. Frowns. “Why…?”

“A third of it blew out your back, I’m guessing, and the rest was so frayed it wouldn’t have healed on it’s own. Shaun had to cut out a small chunk of your liver, too. Minimal muscle damage, that’s the good news.” Davin sniffs. “There’s a second incision in your back where we fixated four of your ribs; one was poking at your lung but somehow didn’t penetrate. That’s just the notable stuff. I’ll give you the rest of the list, if you want it.”

Renee grimaces, in lieu of having enough energy to shake his head.

“You realize you got lucky, right? From now on, you’re living on borrowed time.”

Reentering with a glass of water in his hand, Shaun shoots him a look. “Let him gather his bearings, Kit.”

Davin snorts, casting his gaze down. “We’re a bit past courtesy,” he says under his breath.

Renee can’t lift the glass on his own, but he’s too exhausted to feel humiliated when Shaun brings it to his lips for him. Swallowing down the cold liquid finally triggers pain strong enough to break through the drugs, a rawness in his throat, as if the muscles involved are shredded. Still, he drinks hungrily, the nails of his good hand close to scratching at Shaun’s to pull the glass closer.

“Nice and easy, kid.”

The effort leaves him winded at first, panting hoarsely once the glass is finally empty. He sinks back against the pillow, head spinning.

It doesn’t suddenly crash back into his head, but instead flickers in his memory one drop at a time, moments here and there, out of order and hard to distinguish. Parts of it, whole sections, are gone entirely.

A trace of that feeling comes back – the one that’s marred the totality of his existence for what feels like an eternity. Maybe it’s triggered by physical cold water hitting his gut. It’s similar to panic - energizing, in a strange way, although it probably won’t last. With some effort, Renee hauls his upper body forward, pushing with his good arm until he’s sitting on his own. It dawns how wrecked he is – bar being drugged enough to see the world in far too many colors, moving in any significant way sucks the air out of his lungs, and even sitting like this, he can barely keep his balance.

Shaun’s hand is on his shoulder. “Try to rel—"

“I’m fuckin’ fine,” Renee bites out.

Just sore as hell. It doesn’t feel like he’s missing an organ, but then again, he’s not sure what that’s supposed to feel like. There’s mainly pain in his back, side and core, all mostly on his right side. The cast already has him curling an arm around it. He drops his head, letting his body adjust to the new position, breathing through it.

Davin clears his throat. “Fine enough to talk?”

Renee lets out a rough laugh. “Not to you.”

“I’d like to think I’m owed some clarity.”

Baring his teeth, Renee looks up at him, breath ragged in his throat. “Owed… You fucking started this.”

The way Shaun stiffens in his periphery isn’t lost on Renee, and Davin notices it, too. His jaw works for a moment before he turns his head towards him, inhaling deep through his nose. “Leave the room.”

Shaun grits his teeth. “If you’re going to—”

“He’s safe,” Davin says. “Leave the room.”

Shaun draws in a deep breath as his gaze travels the room, from Renee to Conrad and back to Davin. He looks on the verge of speaking, but instead sets his jaw, shaking his head. He brings the empty glass with him when he walks out.

Davin waits until the door has clicked shut before he takes a deep breath, shifting from one leg to the other. “I thought about double tapping you in the parking garage,” he mutters. “Took quite a bit of effort to view you as anything other than a loose end. Now I’ve compromised my own safety to save your miserable life. Don’t make me regret that decision.”

Renee sits tense, eyes locked on his lap. He can barely get the words, or the unsettling ease with which Davin says them, to make sense in his head, much less sink in fast enough to respond. Numb, shaking hands tighten and release, that’s all that happens.

Way too casually, Davin uncoils his arms and walks over to the side of Conrad’s bed, taking a seat on the foot of the mattress. He doesn’t seem to mind the way Conrad first coils his legs up further, then stiffly crawls up against the wall to increase the distance between them.

“Honesty for honesty, hm?” Brushing a chunk of hair behind one ear, Davin folds his hands, giving Renee an imperative look. “Mind explaining why your face has made national headlines?”

Even Renee’s hands stop fidgeting after that, reduced to subtle trembling as his fingers slack. He closes his eyes. “I don’t really… want to talk about it.”

“Too bad,” Davin says, matter-of fact. “News have been talking about an informant. Who was that?”

Renee frowns. “Inf…?”

A shock of cold water. His gaze snaps up, before he tries to reel his reaction back in, teeth gritted against the pressure threatening to loom in his chest. “He’s okay, right? He’s…? Is he… has he said anything?”

Davin eyes him for a moment, pursing his lips. “No, he hasn’t,” he mutters. “What’s his name?”

Renee shakes his head. “I don’t want—”

“News already described him as your source, if that’s what you’re worried about. The rest, I’ll find out eventually, you should know that by now. Cat’s out of the fucking bag, Renee. I’d like you to tell me who that guy is and what you told him.”

Renee winces, curling slightly over himself. Why would they release his details like that? Fucking drama-hungry—

“How did he find out?”

Ducking his head, he runs his working hand over his hair, grabbing his neck tight. Compressing his torso only agitates his injuries, but he can’t keep still in the overwhelming feeling of dread. He’s not ready to consider how fucked Laz’s life is going to be - or his own, or everything – after this. His voice is barely above a whisper. “God fuckin-… what was I even…?”

“Focus, Renee.”

“I stabbed him.”

Davin doesn’t sound the least bit taken aback by the confession. “I know,” is all he says. “What did you tell him?”

Letting out a terse breath, Renee looks up, although his shoulders slump. “I don’t fucking know, dude, I don’t—I wasn’t paying attention to…”

“Walk me through the conversation, if you have to.”

Renee shakes his head, teeth bared. “It doesn’t fuckin’ matter anymore.”

“Oh, yes it does.”

“Why?”

Davin snorts, raising a brow. “Did you tell him about me?”

Through the fog in his head, Renee remarks how bizarrely funny it is, the timing of Davin flashing his actual priorities every single time it might be relevant. He lets out a tense laugh. “I fuckin’ hope I did.”

Davin doesn’t react outward, but he’s silent for a bit, eyes locked with his. But contrary to the layered threats Renee expected, when he finally breaks from the staring contest, he smiles politely, tilting his head to the side. “Were you guys dating?”

Renee blinks, then lets out a bitter snort. “It’s not…”

“You seemed awfully concerned a minute ago.”

“What the fuck do you care?”

The slight curl to the corner of Davin’s mouth disappears, as he looks down at his hands. Something about the rapid shifts in atmosphere makes Renee indulge the silence, if nothing out of confusion – he can’t quite keep up. There’s a somber note to Davin’s voice when he speaks. “There’s something you should know,” he says.

The tone isn’t alarming, but a tiny movement in Renee’s periphery makes him glance at Conrad. Teeth locked, body pressed against the wall, as if he’s been trying to make himself as small as possible for the past five minutes. Renee catches him mid-wince, but he looks away the moment their eyes meet, brow creased in silent apprehension.

Renee swallows, frowning. “Wh…?”

Davin absentmindedly taps his thigh. “Police department did a briefing this morning. Officially confirmed you’re a suspect in Conrad’s case, but they did also give a recap of the events leading up to the chase. And I know they have incentive to embellish the truth, but…” He clicks his tongue. “There’s some things they have no reason to lie about, I suppose. They had EMS waiting near that building in case of an emergency. That cop you shot – Carla something – she was picked up by an ambulance and taken to the nearest trauma center. About an hour later, the news reported her death.”

The temperature in the room seems to instantly drop. Renee’s mouth opens, he’s staring at Davin with wide eyes. Not sure what to think, or if he’s even able to comprehend what was just said.

Davin’s jaw works. He leans back before he continues. “A couple paramedics stayed behind to tend to the informant, but he died on scene. You killed two people yesterday, Renee.”

On the other bed, Conrad has clasped a hand over his mouth, but even that doesn’t muffle the awful little sound he makes. It makes Renee turn his head again, distantly confused, but the guy’s eyes are shut tight now. He looks like he might be sick.

Brows furrowed, a slight curl to his upper lip, Renee gives a minute shake to his head. “Wh—I don’t… Are you talking about Laz?”

Davin nods. “Unless they forgot to mention a thirdperson you tried to kill, then yes, Laz the informant is dead.”

Breathing veering more superficial, Renee shakes his head again, blinking rapidly. “What… do you mean?”

“There’s not a whole lot of ways I could phrase it, Renee. You killed him.”

“I didn’t try to… It’s not…” He lets out a hard breath. “I didn’t hit his heart. You don’t die from, from—”

“I don’t know the specifics, but he’s dead. News have been circling footage of a body bag. I’ll show it to you, if you want to see it.”

It’s unnatural, the sensation washing over Renee, as if he can physically feel the blood draining from his head from the top down. His scalp, forehead, eyes and ears, mouth, jaw. Down and down. “You c-… There’s no way. There’s no way. He’s not—”

His throat closes, and he rocks forward,

Disjointed fragments of images, stuck in a loop, like an endless attempt to process the same piece of information over and over and over again. The sound he made when the blade punched into him, the look of shock in his eyes. The fact that he didn’t push Renee away, but instead drew him closer. Those can’t have been his last moments. They can’t, it’s not possible.

It hurts to think, physically hurts. Head, chest, stomach, agony. It’s paralyzing. Makes his body seize up, makes his breathing sound strangled to his own ears. Several moments pass, in which he can’t see anything. Or he can, but he can’t.

Can’t think for an eternity. Feels like he’s being deafeningly loud somehow, but when he finally manages to gather enough wherewithal to pay attention to his surroundings again, it’s silent. Conrad has ducked his face between his knees, shielding his head with his arms. Davin is just looking at him with an impassionate, but still vaguely curious expression.

Something like a whine escapes Renee’s throat. “You’re fucking with me. You fucking lying bastard, there’s no way—”

He’s halted in his tracks when Davin sighs, pulls out his phone and begins searching for something.

Renee holds up a finger, sneering. “Don’t fucking do that, don’t – I don’t care – I don’t give a fuck what they’re saying, do you hear me?”

With a hand on his thigh, Davin pushes himself to his feet, rolling his shoulders as he approaches the bedside. Renee feels himself recoiling, shaking as he , eyes fixed on the phone in the other’s hand. “I’m not gonna let you show me whatever the fuck—”

As soon as Davin is close enough, Renee kicks at him. He partially sees it coming when Davin catches his leg by the ankle, but what he doesn’t expect is for the man to lean his whole body into yanking backwards, pulling enough of Renee’s body from the bed to send him toppling over the edge.

Wires dislodge in the fall, coiling around his limbs, and IVs are ripped from his skin. The half-scream Renee lets out is painfully coarse and abruptly silenced when the floor knocks the air out of his lungs. He lands on his bad side, curling over his wounds before the pain even has a chance to flare, rolling over on his stomach. Above, the piercing blare of alarms from the machines that no longer detect his pulse.

He hasn’t even heaved in a breath before Davin’s knee is on his back, and a hand pulls his head sideways and presses his cheek into the floor. Vision sailing, he lets out a frantic grunt, struggling to will his lungs to inflate. “Ng—gh—”

“Stop it.” Conrad’s voice, a weak hiss.

Davin snorts. “I fucking hate denial.”

When he brings the phone down in front of his face, Renee instinctually shuts his eyes, wheezing through his teeth. The force on his head increases, as Davin leans his upper weight on the hold.

“Fucking look at it, Renee. You think I’m lying? I’ve never lied to you. Not once.”

Spit flies from his teeth as he bucks, half-conscious from agony, and pushes at Davin’s arm with his good hand - now streaked with blood from the ripped-out IV, plaster barely holding on by a corner. His eyes still find the screen, news B-roll taken outside of Lazarus’ apartment building. Yellow barrier tape – POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS – flutters between light posts, dozens and dozens of people in uniforms, some of whom stand in groups talking, others walking to and fro. Center frame, a gurney is rolled down the tiled path from the front door to the parking lot.

“See that, mh? About the size of your dealer?”

The top of the gurney is covered in a white sheet, but the wind has knocked a corner up to reveal the black tarp-like plastic underneath.

Renee can’t process anything. He lets out a broken sound, another, another. Doesn’t quite know or understand what they are. Hitching, rough from his chest, bits of words and outcries, fragmented by sobs that won’t stop coming, mostly unheard by his own ears. Long after Davin gets up and lets him lie there, Renee’s eyes are fixed on the spot in the air where the white sheet was. His whole body shakes. He doesn’t feel human.

He doesn’t even feel like an animal anymore.

Previous / Masterlist / Next

[justauthoring]

hiii megumi fluff where reader is gojos lil sister 🥹

headcanon that megumi likes shy, sweet girls :) also, obviously this isn't general -- reader looks like gojo.

sometimes, megumi forgot you were gojo's younger sister.

the two of you were so completely different.

where gojo was sarcastic, you were kind. where he was teasing, you were gentle. megumi knes gojo cared, in his own way, but it was never hard to tell with you -- you were always just there, smiling with a warm gaze, reaching out for him.

he'd grown up beside you, went from thinking you were just some annoying girl with bright blue eyes and stark white hair that was too loud and too happy for him to thinking you were the sun above the clouds and every good thing in his life. he was in love with you, that he knew even if he'd struggled to come to terms with the realization.

in everyway you were infectious and megumi had fallen ill for you when he simply old enough to understand what crushes really were.

because you'd always been there. the second gojo had saved him from the zen'in clan and brought him and his sister home, there you were. you'd shied away from him at first while gojo had tried to coax you out, telling you they were gonna be living with you both from now on; only for you to shy awya from his hand and promptly lock yourself in your room.

a week later and you were practically clinging off of his arm. no matter how much he'd tried to pretend he hadn't liked it, he had, and no amount of him shrugging you off or glaring at you made you leave. even gojo had been shocked by your clinginess to megumi but he'd simply thought it was cute that his adorable little sister had made her first friend.

if gojo knew how close you two were now... megumi was sure he wouldn't feel the same.

"gumi," you whine, tugging on his arm to pull your attention on him and away from his thoughts. he blinks at the jeer, body jerking slightly from your sheer strength before he slowly tilts his head, letting his eyes fall on you.

you beam having his attention at you, rosy cheeks and sparkling gaze; "c'mon."

and he pauses, confused; "wha--"

"you said we'd train together, remember?"

like you needed training -- megumi wanted to snort. you didn't just look like gojo, your power was almost as powerful as his and megumi had constantly found himself amazed by the sheer pure natural talent you'd been born with.

and yet, somehow, you never seemed to recognize your own strength.

"we trained all morning," megumi reminds, quirking a brow down at you. "you should rest."

pouting, you tug at his arm; "i'm so close to nailing this new move, gumi. c'mon, don't you wanna help me?"

you knew megumi too well because the second those words leave your lips and your head tilts with that pretty little pout of yours, megumi is all but putty in your hands. he struggled to deny your wishes on a good day, but he could never deny you in the end run.

"just for an hour, okay?" he calls, glancing down at you. "i don't need you passing out again and gojo-sensei lecturing me to take better care of you."

giggling, you shake your head; "you're the best, gumi!" and without another word, you lean up to the tips of your toes, pressing a kiss against megumi's cheek that has him freezing in place at the touch. your lips are warm, slightly wet, and when you pull back from the chaste kiss, megumi swears he can still feel the kiss.

but you don't pull away completely. still leaning on your toes so you're slightly taller, you meet megumi's eyes briefly, the air turning thick in a way that has megumi choking on his breath. he watches you, watches the way your eyes flicker down before back up to his own, and then, suddenly, you're pressing your lips against his own.

it feels exactly how he'd imagined it, but megumi curses the way he's too shocked to return the kiss -- hands stuck to his sides in complete and utter shock as he feels those same warm, wet and soft lips that had once been on his cheek on his lips instead.

and when you pull back, you're grinning ear to ear; "thought i'd give you a proper thank you gift."

and megumi can't say anything. he's sure he's red in the face, can feel it in how warm he is, and he wants to say something but doesn't know what and is sure he'd make a bigger fool of himself if he tried.

but, you're unphased, taking megumi's larger hand into your own and squeezing.

"c'mon gumi," you cheer, "i feel like the today is the day!"

[a-cartoon-lover]

Mr. Puzzles x reader who was a friend/neighbor in his childhood

A/N: Hi! This is my first x reader fanfic! Maybe there are some mistranslations, and it's based on my dream, also wanted to write down it before forget it all so it's kinda messy. Hope you'll enjoy!

___________________________________

"Where... is this place...?"

Before you realized it, you were standing at the entrance of what seemed to be an amusement park.

Your memory was in disarray. You were sure you had been lying in bed, falling into a deep sleep at home.

Yet, here you were, standing in front of a massive arched entrance.

"Welcome to Puzzle Park!"

A voice suddenly rang out beside your ear. Startled, you turned around to see a man standing there.

He gazed at you with shining eyes and a wide smile.

It seemed he was the manager of this park. The man stepped closer and extended his right hand toward you.

"You're the luckiest person in the world, no doubt about it. And why? Because, of course... you're the very first guest of my Puzzle Park, Mr. Puzzles' Puzzle Park!"

He spoke with pride. You felt a wave of suspicion toward this strange man. What was he talking about? Where was this place? And why were you here?

As these questions flooded your mind without answers, Mr. Puzzles seemed to notice your unease and gave you a gentle smile.

There was no malice in his smile; he simply appeared to be welcoming you. But at the same time, something about it felt unsettling.

"Puzzle... Park?"

You took a step back in confusion. Where was this place, and why were you here? You wanted to know the answers, but the words got stuck in your throat.

"Yes, Puzzle Park! And you have been chosen!"

He placed a hand on your shoulder, still smiling.

As if being dragged, you tried to shake off his hand, but your strength failed. Your body wouldn’t listen, and you were swept along by his pace.

Inside the park, everything was colorful, like a dream. Yet somewhere within, a sense of discomfort and fear tightened your chest.

"And the best part is, you get a personal tour from me! You're really lucky!"

Mr. Puzzles continued speaking enthusiastically.

"So, where should we start the tour—oh! Do you like carousels? Or maybe shooting games? Or perhaps—"

"I’m sorry, but... I have to go. And, I was just about to leave, so—"

You managed to squeeze out the words, resisting as much as you could to interrupt him. But he continued, seemingly ignoring you, his voice still cheerful.

"Ah, don’t be like that—there’s also go-karts and a mirror house!"

Hearing his words, your fear intensified.

Why was he so insistent? Why was he so fixated on you?

Questions swirled in your mind, but no answers surfaced—only more confusion.

"Perhaps you could let someone else take my place—"

"N-No, at least... at least visit the arcade!?"

His voice suddenly took on a desperate tone.

"I’m still working on it... could you at least give me your thoughts? The arcade is right next to the exit! Just a quick stop, okay???"

He grabbed your shoulders, and the strength of his grip was impossible to resist. Fear paralyzed you, and you had no choice but to nod.

His desperation hinted at something deeper. Part of you wanted to know the reason behind it, but another part was afraid to find out.

With mixed feelings, you had no choice but to follow him.

"...Only the arcade," you muttered.

To your surprise, he didn’t follow you, and you headed toward the arcade corner alone. The space was vast, lined with old game machines.

Among them, one purple machine caught your eye.

You didn’t know what kind of game it was, but for some reason, you felt drawn to it, and found yourself walking toward it naturally.

As soon as you touched the machine, you couldn’t pull away. It felt as though a powerful magnet was pulling you in, your body being absorbed into the machine.

In your hazy consciousness, the machine's form gradually shifted into that of Mr. Puzzles.

Before you knew it, your hands were wrapped around his head. The scene around you transformed into what seemed like a dim, underground space.

He stared at you with an intense gaze. Fear gripped you, rendering you motionless. He gently placed his hands on your cheeks, gazing at you lovingly.

"You'll stay with me, forever..."

His distorted voice echoed in your ears. Your body started to feel numb, and your mind began to cloud. His voice seeped into your consciousness, overwhelming you.

You couldn’t move a single finger, as if you were paralyzed.

He pulled you closer, embracing you softly. His embrace felt filled with affection, and his expression softened.

But there was still something ominous lurking beneath the surface.

___________________________________

Thank you for reading! Also there's bonus. After captchered, dream was still continue so here it is. It's suggestive maybe!

Bonus:

When you opened your eyes again, you were in a dimly lit castle-like space. There was no one else around—just Mr. Puzzles and you. You were lying in his lap as he gently stroked your head.

"What does he want…" You thought, but the body remained frozen.

Smiling with satisfaction, he stopped stroking, for some reason, placed his index finger in your mouth, making you suck it to the base. Had no idea what he was trying to do, but you sensed he was checking something.

---

"Does he think I'm a cat?" You wondered to yourself. As that thought crossed your mind, he began taking selfies with you while petting your head. His expression was full of smugness, as if he was completely sure you were under his control.

And all you could do was stay there, next to him, with no escape in sight.

[writer-and-lover]

Jumping the Gun

Kinktober Day 7: Stuck in a wall | Virginity. Sex club, BDSM club, restraints, clear consent, overstimulation and sex toys.

You were not the smartest person in the club, you were sure. And your friends, you decided, where dickheads for suggesting this. You’d asked your friends for a way to lose your virginity. Surely, there was some sort of club signal for wanting to get laid or something. Or a specific drink that would get rid of your innate ability to overthink and send you out into somebody’s open arms and warm bed. But no, your friends had gone with the worst possible solution.

The club they had chosen was not a simple one you could find around the corner. No, this one was specifically a sex one. A BDSM club that they loved to frequent and they swore up and down that it would help you finally lose your virginity. And the idiot you were, you agreed to it happily. When you’d first walked to the place, you’d been amazed. Star-eyed. Everything was so new, so casual and yet so intimate. You weren’t sure how much you could look at, so you tried your best to keep your gaze down. One of your friends guided you along, as the others scattered to do their respective things. He explained all the amazing activities to be done in this sort of club. It almost felt like a depraved fairy-tale, the way told them with so much magic. And poor little old you, you were so easily convinced.

And so you ended up here, half way in a hole in the wall.

Of course, you’d been reassured over and over again that it’d be safe for you. Everyone was checked to be clean (you’d been asked to bring recent medical proof of being clean, too) and you’d be supervised. Plus, you had your safeword in case anything suddenly became way too much for you. And so you’d cluelessly agreed to it. Guided through the hole, your hands cuffed to the corners of the box you’d been put in. Right in front of you, a small TV showed you how your lower body looked, from your feet to your butt. Your legs had also been cuffed at the ankles, allowing for a small range of movement but preventing you from kicking out at all. Your shaggy tail had been left alone, thanks to your weak request. It drooped down now, curled up between your legs in nervousness and slight fear. You’d been stripped before-hand, so anyone who walked by could see everything. You felt so so vulnerable and alone in this dark box. You looked away from the screen.

It felt like you’d been panting and squirming for hours before you feel the first touch. It makes you squeak. Body tense. A rough, growl-like laugh in your ear. The box had speakers? A hand squeezes the base of your tail, sending a harsh jolt through you. It wasn’t exactly painful. It felt good, electric pleasure running up your spine and sending you shaking. You stare up at the screen, looking at the absolutely massive clawed hand grabbing at your tail. It was weirdly smooth, an blue-tinted black that contrasted with the man’s white suit. His body would’ve covered the camera if it hadn’t been for the weird angle it was placed at. He’s huge, maybe double your size. There’s a long cape covering his back, the same colour of his skin. The next touch surprises you, a gentle graze of his claws along your hip bone. You shiver. His hands feel cold, and kind of humid.

His hands move, squeezing at your waist in a bruising grip. His thumbs rest against the small of your back, tips of his claws sinking slightly into your spine. He seems to be feeling out the strength of your body. His large hands drag down your skin, his left one pulling your thighs apart as the right one cups at your sex. You flinch hard and he steadies your body with a mean hand on your side. You let out a cry at the touches, so overly sensitive from the lack of stimulation for so many years. He rubs harshly against the underside of your sex, ignoring your weak cries and muffled moans. A soft, blunt force presses against your hole, making you tense up. What you think is lube drips down the toy over your taint, and covers your thighs. It’s most likely one of the offered sex toys. You doubt he’d shove his claws into you. You hope he won’t shove his claws into you. You open your eyes, struggling, and stare at the screen. Looking at the small looking dildo press against your hole. The toy presses more and more insistently against you, until your hole opens up against the insistence. It feels- good. It makes your eyes roll into the back of your head as you come. It’s so sudden, the sudden orgasm that just having this small dildo penetrate you is giving you. Your body goes limp, and the man takes advantage of it. He leans down, and you can see him more clearly. He’s got a mutation quirk. An Orca quirk. No wonder he was so huge. He opens his mouth and lets out a long, broad tongue lap at your skin. The wet muscle drags down towards your entrance, where the dildo is being move slowly forward and backwards. The dildo stops, and you feel the blunt edge of the tongue push in alongside it. You scream, trying and failing to kick out despite the cuffs keeping your legs in place. Closing your thighs does nothing but annoy the man, and make him digs his claws into the soft fat of your thighs to keep them apart. You sob, damn near writhing in place. It goes on for a while, the new mind-numbing pleasure that makes you come over and over again. The dildos change, getting bigger in size and pulling more intense orgasm out of you.

Then suddenly the newest dildo is pulled out, and something warm and tapered presses against your hole.

You tremble at the feeling. It’s hot, nearly burning. And it feels big despite the pointed tip of it. You pant into the silence of the box, gently pulling at your cuffs. You’re so scared, but… you don’t want to safeword out. This man has made you feel so good, so far. This is just that one step further. The last step.

“Relax, pup.”

It’s the only warning you get. The feeling of his cock slowly and gently forcing you open melts your mind. Your mouth drops open, eyes wide open but rolled to the back of your head. Each gentle push makes you grunt softly, incapable of anything more. It feels unending, the burning hot pressure forcing it’s way inside you. And looking at the screen, you sob. It’s nowhere near half-way in. But he doesn’t seem satisfied in stopping now. Each shallow thrust pushes more and more of his spongy cock inside of you, driving you more and more mindless. You don’t know how long you lay there, legs shaking with effort. But you feel the material of his slacks brush against your skin, and you keen.

“Shh, nearly there.”

A small hum echoes through your body, making you stiffen. You- you can’t move. Can’t push back or away from this stranger’s cock. And yet, you’re not worried at all. Maybe it’s the intense pleasure of feeling his cock reach the deepest parts of yourself, parts you never thought you had. Or maybe he’s just got a special power about him. With a sharp snap of his hips, he sheathes himself completely in you. And you come. His cock presses into every single sweet spot inside of you. You feel spent, more like a fleshlight than a human being at this point. He starts thrusting now, clawed hands back at the dip of your hips. They squeeze you with a bruising hold. Pulling you back and forth on his cock, as much as the cuffs around your wrists and ankles allow him to. The drag drives you insane, slow paced and gentle. You beg, sobbing for more, more. Maybe he can’t hear you, despite the speakers you know they keep outside. Or maybe he’s just ignoring you, relishing in the warm, tight hole that could finally fit him in. Because he keeps the same insanity-inducing pace. His thrusts turn sloppy, pace picking up slightly as he begins chasing his impeding orgasm. It makes you howl, tail smacking hard against his arm. He grabs it, scratching at the base just to feel you come again with the loudest scream you’d ever let out in your life. And he sinks in fully to the hilt, filling you up with warm, thick seed.

You’re floating. Mind completely gone. You can feel the loss of pressure, the empty feeling when he pulls out. But you don’t have the energy to react. To beg him to stay. His come drips down your thighs, covering them in a disgusting manner. Some of it splatters to the floor.

He slips a small business card through the gap in the wall to your side of the box and disappears.

[xuchiya]

"stuck in this fairytale" || choi san || series || tenth part

| genre: prince! san. fluff. angst. adventure | mentions: cursing. | here's the first part

back to masterlist | chapter 11

Jongho sat alone in his room, the one Wooyoung had given him when he arrived, unable to shake off the memories that haunted him. This was where he first met you—more like you tackled him— and this was also the place where he lost you, a fact that weighed heavily on his heart. The memory played in his mind on repeat, an endless loop of guilt and regret. He tightened his grip on the book in his hand, as if it might somehow tether him, keep him from being consumed by the depths of his own remorse.

He blamed himself. He’d had the power to act, to protect you, yet he’d done nothing. Still, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to resent you. Sacrifice was in your nature. You’d always been known for it.

“I’m sorry, bookie…” Jongho’s voice trembled with emotion as he held the worn book, Dragon Mountain, close to his chest. With a heavy sigh, he opened the book and began flipping through its familiar pages, curious as to why this one hit him in the head in the first place. 

Eventually, he stopped at an illustration he’d often lingered over: a striking figure of a woman with flowing, fiery red hair, a crown resting regally upon her head, and a wreath of flames swirling around her. The name below the picture read simply, Brigid. He traced the letters with a gentle finger, his gaze lingering on the character’s face. At first, the woman looked like a figure out of Greek mythology, powerful and godlike. But the longer he looked, the more he saw subtle details that reminded him of you. The arch of her brows, the determined set of her mouth, even the glint of warmth tempered with strength in her eyes—it all whispered of you.

As he stared at the illustration, a wave of memories washed over him, transporting him back to the days when he had first come to know you. You had never been a campus celebrity or someone who stood in the spotlight, but you left an undeniable impact on everyone you met. To those who truly knew you, you were unforgettable.

A freshman at KQ University majoring in computer science. He’s been part of the student council, immersed in his responsibilities when he noticed you, looking lost but determined. Before he had a chance to offer help— it was you who approached him but in a different matter— you’d hurried over to him, grabbing his arm just in time to pull him out of harm’s way as one of the string lights hanging above came crashing down where he’d been standing.

The moment left him stunned, but you only brushed it off with a simple, “You’re not hurt, are you?” He nodded slowly, still processing what had just happened, while you let out a relieved sigh, you were about to speak when Wooyoung appeared behind you, tackling you with his usual playful energy. Jongho could still remember how you laughed as Wooyoung’s arm draped around your shoulder, pinching his side in response to his antics.

“Ah! Jongho-yah! So you met my childhood friend!” Wooyoung had grinned, pulling you close. “I finally convinced her to join us here at KQ University. Meet our very own fierce, loving, and feisty girl.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes at his playful description, but extended your hand to Jongho with a warm smile. From that day on, you became friends. Not because you had saved him, but because you saw him—really saw him—for who he was. You saw beyond the labels and expectations, beyond his status as the son of a well-known sports car brand, Dragons. To you, he wasn’t a title or a legacy. He was simply Jongho.

And that made Jongho breathe. That made Jongho smile for the first time without having to put up with a fake one. And Jongho had grown close to you, treasuring every laugh, every shared moment. He admired your ability to balance strength and kindness, to bring light into every room you entered. But now, as he sat alone with the weight of your absence pressing down on him, he felt hollow. The memories of you, of your laughter and your fierce loyalty, were all he had left.

In his heart, Jongho knew that he’d have given anything to change that day. To be the one to step forward, to shield you. But you had acted first, your nature as protective as ever. And so he was left here, gripping that book as if it could somehow bring you back or lessen the ache of your loss, haunted by the echoes of what he should have done.

“Mourning is for the dead. She’s not.” A voice brought him out of his trace of memories. He blinks, looking up from where it came from. There stood—clad in a formal prince outfit— was his senior and the prince of the story, from what Wooyoung filled him in, Choi San.

“I– I was not! I was…” He sighs, looking back to the book, a sad look in his eyes, “It’s my fault.” 

San, who was on his way to his library office when he came across his room, the door was ajar and the first thing he saw was Jongho's hunched body by the bed. Deep in thought and a blank dull look on his face.  San was absolutely shocked to discover a new member that came in when Wooyoung introduced him to who he is over dinner time. San and his father were able to lean forward at the same time in discovering ‘Choi Jongho’, someone with the same last name as them. It has become a tradition to know the relation of parents to whoever has the last name related to the royalties. When the King questioned about his family line, Jongho had simply explained about his family line by owning a carriage.

It’s like the explanation in an old time explanation of his modern life. Wooyoung explained to him to speak in their time as no one recognized who he was, unlike Jongho recognized everyone. 

San sighed softly as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his tailored dress pants, stepping fully into Jongho’s room. Without saying a word, he crossed the quiet space and settled beside Jongho on the edge of the bed. The silence was thick, almost reverent, until San finally broke it, his voice gentle. “Do you want to know what she said to me when she first arrived here?” 

Jongho looked up, a deep frown knitting his brows. “What?” he murmured, a hint of curiosity breaking through his sadness.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of San’s lips as he cast his gaze downward, recalling the vivid memory. He could still hear the echo of your laughter, bright and genuine. Ignoring the quickened beat of his heart, he let the memory wash over him.

“She told me…” San began, chuckling quietly, “she told me, ‘What the hell are you wearing?’ right there in the library. And then she burst out laughing. Loudly, too. I’m sure everyone within earshot heard her.”

Jongho’s eyes softened as he imagined it, a small smile breaking through his somber expression. He could picture you standing there, laughing at San’s formal attire, teasing him in that light-hearted way that only you could. Despite the ache in his chest, he found himself chuckling under his breath. “Sounds like her…” he murmured, the warmth in his voice undeniable.

San nodded, his smile widening as he continued. “Even in a strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she just… looked over the horizon, like nothing could weigh her down. She’s always been that way. Positive. Strong-willed.” He paused, looking off to the side as he marveled at the memory. “It amazes me sometimes—she was just so sure of herself.”

Jongho nodded, a fond look in his eyes as he remembered more moments with you. “She’s always been kind to everyone, even… animals,” he said, chuckling at the memory that surfaced. “One time, at the zoo, she even managed to befriend an eagle. It just landed on her shoulder out of nowhere and sat there. She looked at it like it was an old friend.”

San raised his brows, intrigued. “An eagle?”

“Yeah,” Jongho said, nodding. “The keepers were trying to get it off her shoulder, but it wouldn’t budge. It stayed there, like it had some kind of bond with her.”

San fell silent, and his expression grew thoughtful. The mention of the eagle triggered a memory. Just eight days after you’d disappeared, he had gone back to the riverside himself, desperate to search every corner for any sign of you. The search, however, had turned up nothing, just as Seonghwa’s had. He remembered the journey back to the Choi Kingdom afterward, when an eagle had soared above them, its piercing cry echoing through the sky. It had circled overhead for what felt like hours. Eagles weren’t known to fly near the kingdom; they preferred the isolated mountains. The sight had left him with questions he couldn’t quite answer.

“Why? Did the eagle leave?” San asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Jongho shook his head, “No. It stayed until she was the who placed him back in his nest.”

Something about the story tugged at San’s heart, a quiet familiarity lingering with the mention of the eagle. He knew someone who kept an eagle, a memory that felt close, almost within reach.

“Does it … have a name?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jongho watched San carefully, sensing his growing interest. “Yes,” he replied, “Its name is Aven.”

The name jolted San from his thoughts, his eyes widening slightly. Jongho noticed his reaction, concern etched on his face. “San-hyung, is something wrong?”

San shook his head, his expression softening as he turned back to Jongho. “No… not really.” He gave Jongho’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “She must be taken care of one of the townspeople of JeoKang kingdom, so she'll be fine. We’re still looking for her.”

Jongho’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but a quiet sigh escaped him. “I know. She’s tough. Some people even call her a dragon.”

San’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “A dragon?”

Jongho nodded, his voice steady with admiration. “Yeah. People say she has the spirit of a dragon—untouchable, unbreakable. It’s like she has this invisible armor that shields her, that nothing can penetrate. And when she feels strongly about something, it’s like she breathes fire. Her words, her passion… she doesn’t hold back. But even with that fierce spirit, she’s one of the most protective people I know.”

San nodded absentmindedly, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he absorbed Jongho’s words. “She really does sound like a dragon,” he murmured, as if hearing the description of you had brought you back into the room, even if only for a moment.

As he stood to leave, he made his way to the door, but paused when he heard Jongho’s voice.

“San-hyung…”

San turned, amused by the nickname. “Yes, Jongho?”

Jongho gave him a small, knowing smile. “She likes you, you know.”

San’s eyes widened, a rush of warmth spreading across his face. He stammered, struggling to form a response, his usual composure faltering. “I—I… I’ll believe it when she’s the one to say it,” he managed to reply, clearing his throat as he turned back to the door, his cheeks tinged with a hint of red.

With one last glance over his shoulder, he stepped out, closing the door quietly behind him. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, exhaling a deep, shaky breath as he placed a hand over his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heart. A faint smile ghosted across his lips as he made his way back to his library office, the thought of your smile and the possibility of your feelings lingering in his mind.

The rich scent of honey and herbs wafted through the room as you cradled a steaming cup of tea. Across from you, your mother settled into her chair, her gaze warm yet contemplative. The little girl beside her—Hyunjin, as she was introduced to you—kicked her legs in delight as she munched on the bread you had given her earlier. Watching your mother smooth Hyunjin's hair and gaze at her with such tender care pulled at your heart, reminding you of countless moments from your own childhood. Memories surfaced of your mother comforting you, teaching you, and showing you an unwavering love, which seemed now to have extended itself to Hyunjin.

“So … what really happened here?” you asked softly, savoring the honeyed tea as you awaited her answer.

Your mother’s gaze met yours, serious but gentle. “Jeong Yunho and Kang Yeosang were half-brothers,” she began. There was a weight in her words, a gravity that seemed to reach beyond the bounds of a simple family story. She held your gaze as she continued, “Even with only half of the same blood, they were meant to rule.”

“Meant to rule… but also to be part of this curse,” you murmured, following her lead.

Your mother’s face softened, but her sigh carried the weight of years of sorrow and mystery. She turned her gaze out the window, eyes distant as if recalling a memory she had long tried to bury. “They were symbols of hope and kindness. Whenever they helped us, we felt a spark—a reminder of the goodness they brought into this world.”

You tilted your head, curiosity piqued. “But what happened to them? What exactly was this curse?”

She shook her head, her brows knitting together. “I don’t know, my darling. The night before their coronation, we were all ready to celebrate. But instead of festivities, we only received word from the palace speaker about their sudden disappearance. No one knew where they went, and no one dared to ask.” Her voice held a sadness mixed with regret, as if she wished she could have done something to prevent it.

You felt a strange sense of unease stirring within you, knitting your brows together as your mind traced back to the celebration in the Kim Kingdom. You thought of the strange, flickering sparks that had danced in your hands, the feeling that something was watching, waiting. Pieces of memory and intuition fell into place, forming a half-completed puzzle in your mind.

“When was their celebration?” you asked, voice barely above a whisper, a hunch taking root in the back of your mind.

“Three months ago. Why do you ask?” she replied, a hint of concern crossing her face.

Your heartbeat quickened as the timing became clear. It had been about two and a half months since you’d arrived in this universe, just before the Kim Kingdom’s celebration and the appearance of the curses. Now, only Wooyoung and San kingdoms remained untouched by the strange wave of misfortune sweeping through these lands.

“What about the Jung Kingdom? When is their anniversary?” you pressed.

Her gaze flicked to a makeshift calendar pinned on the wall, eyebrows drawn in thought. “I’m not certain… but I believe the kingdoms celebrate with about three months’ difference between them. My friend mentioned that the Jung Kingdom was the first to celebrate, followed by the JeoKang, then the Kim Kingdom—”

A realization struck like lightning. “San!” you exclaimed, standing up so suddenly that a sharp pain shot through your leg, making you wince. Your mother’s brows drew together in a frown as she urged you to sit down, her eyes laced with concern.

“I don’t know what’s on your mind, but you must stay focused,” she cautioned. “You’re here for a reason. Find it and don’t let anything deter you.”

Her words anchored you as you sank back into your chair, feeling the weight of her advice settle in. A growing determination flickered within you, strengthening your resolve. You were piecing together a story that seemed set on a tragic course, yet you knew now that you could change its path.

You are starting to think that this story you are trying to navigate to its happy ending has its fixed plot yet an unidentified ending. 

“Just because we’re in a different universe doesn’t mean you have privileges. Think about living but with more control of what you can do.” You nodded, smiling, “Just one more thing,” you murmured, and she raised a curious brow. “Could I borrow a lamp?”

That afternoon, after your mother’s insistence on caution and Hyunjin’s pleas to accompany you, you set out alone. Her worried gaze lingered on you as she pressed the small lantern into your hand, her fingers grazing your cheek with a gentle touch.

“Please be careful. You could have just let this pass first so you can heal your leg.” You look down at your casted leg but you sigh, looking back up at her, “I don’t have much time mom. I don’t know if I have two weeks or less before the Choi Kingdom faces their curse wave— it could be worse than that but let’s not hope for it.”

She sighs knowing that you were right as much as she wants you to be scolded, she only gave you the lamp that you were requesting. Her hand hovers on your cheeks, a smile on your lips as she leans in and places a sweet kiss on your forehead, leaning her forehead to yours, “Come back home, okay?”

Your throat tightened, but you smiled and nodded, whispering, “I always come back home.”

After a few teary departures, you made your way to the palace. The trees swayed gently in the wind, shadows played across the forest path as you climbed the stairs to the palace doors, feeling a chill roll over you as you crossed the threshold, you huffed glaring at the stairs before you pushed the door open. 

The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the soft creak of the ancient door as it closed behind you. You made your way towards the throne. The two thrones, like always, were covered in vines, dried or new. You sigh, brushing a dried leaf, only for the vines to writhe and retract, curling defensively around the throne as though it were a living creature. Your eyes widen as you let go, looking at the vines, you only now realize how they were moving so slowly up close like snakes circling its prey. 

“Woah …”you whispered, tracing the vines with your gaze, saw that much of the vines were everywhere, the floor, the walls and up to the ceiling, following some of them and it leads you to a broken floor to ceiling window that leads outside— a garden park of the palace.

Outside, the remnants of grandeur lay in ruins. The bushes dried, rusty chair set ups and water of the fountain had either dried out or were full of moss. You walk down the rocky path, the rocks crashing underneath your foot. Yet in the midst of decay stood a statue, tall and proud—carved likenesses of the two brothers, Yunho and Yeosang. Their expressions were solemn yet kind, and as you looked up at them, an eerie silence settled over the garden.

“Where have you both disappeared?”you whispered to the statue, feeling the weight of their absence. At that moment, an eagle’s piercing cry shattered the stillness. You looked up, startled, to see the bird perched atop Yunho’s stone head, blinking down at you.

As crazy as it sounds and in a moment of desperation, you cupped your hands around your mouth and called,  “Do you know where the brothers are?” It only looks at you, blinking. You knew you won’t gain anything but you were expecting at least a lead but of course, not everything is laid out for you.

Sighing, your hands fell on your side as you made your way to sit on the bench. You look around, at least trying to find something that will help you find another clue. You lean back on the bench, sighing as you look up on the statue, “Just tell me where you guys are. We don’t have ti— AHH!” The bench you were sitting on suddenly tilted backwards and you were greeted with darkness but you can feel your back and yourself sliding downwards in a speed.

You were screeching until you suddenly halted into a stop. You cough when you realize you were now laying down on your back and dirt dust everywhere, you slowly pushed yourself up as you swat your hand in the air, coughing until everything was clear yet it was dark. 

You look around, barely seeing anything, sighing as you know what you have to use. You look down to your hand, “Don’t fail me now.” With a flick of your wrist, a small amount of flame ignited. You chuckle in disbelief as you rose your hand up to your face, “Well at least you’re still here.”

The dim light revealed rough walls and a narrow corridor, seemingly untouched by time. As you turned, preparing to move forward, a face appeared mere inches away from yours, startling you into a scream. You stumbled back, pain flaring in your injured leg.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”  came a gentle voice, filled with both apology and surprise. You look up in shock. You were either seeing things because of the dark or because of your desperation to find the brothers or the answer of their disappearance.

Through the dim light, you took in the figure before you. In front of you, clad in the same outfit as the rest of the cousins— but this one covered in dirt, is Jeong Yunho. You take in his appearance and it seems like he did go missing for a long time as his feet were no longer covered in shoes and bare instead, clothes torn and covered in different dust and the dishevelled look on him. 

“Prince Yunho?!” Even with his appearance, he still bows to you formally. “As you call.” 

“How… How long have you been here?” You tried to stand, but the pain pulsed through your body, forcing you back down. Heart pounding, you looked up at Yunho, his face framed by the dim light. He noticed the strain in your expression and lowered himself to your level, a gentle insistence in his eyes. “Please, stay seated.”

His gaze softened, a flicker of hope breaking through the weariness etched on his face. “I don’t know exactly, my lady. Ever since that night, daylight hasn’t reached me again.”

Settling yourself more comfortably, you extended a hand between the two of you, as if bridging the gap of lost time. “The night of your coronation anniversary?”

Yunho shook his head with a sad, almost nostalgic chuckle. “No, not quite. That was a misunderstanding. The kingdom celebrated its anniversary, not our coronation. But over time, people began to think of them as one and the same.”

The air grew heavier as silence settled around you both, layered with the weight of shared understanding, secrets unspoken yet felt. You took a steadying breath, finally daring to voice what lingered between you. “Were you… cursed?”

His eyes widened, a momentary spark of shock and recognition passing over them as he processed your question. “How did you…?” he began, before trailing off, his voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s… complicated,” you admitted, feeling the strange familiarity of the moment. “I may not be from here, but I am here to help. To save you… all of you.”

A glimmer of fragile hope illuminated Yunho’s face, his eyes brightening with a feeling he had long forgotten. It was as if, after all this time, the shadows that had ensnared him were finally loosening their grip. Memories of his brother’s distant, desperate calls flooded his mind—the last trace of family he had clung to, and his one worry left in the dark, still haunting him. But now, as you sat here, he felt a warmth flooding him, the promise of deliverance finally within reach. He looked at you, his voice a soft murmur of gratitude. “Thank you…”

With a gentle smile, you extended your hand, offering the simplest of introductions to solidify your shared resolve. “I’m Brigid.”

Yunho took your hand, his fingers wrapping around yours with surprising warmth. For the first time since he’d been trapped, something beyond despair welled up within him—a new dawn, rising slowly but surely.

One week later…

Jongho jolted awake to the lively sounds of bustling footsteps and voices just outside his door. Still groggy, he rubbed his eyes and shuffled to the doorway, squinting in surprise at the sight of maids rushing back and forth, carrying gowns, trays, and elaborate decorations. He barely had a moment to register the commotion before stumbling back, almost colliding with San, who appeared suddenly, flanked by Hongjoong and Wooyoung.

“Ah…” Jongho muttered, confused, as San nudged him back into his room. Hongjoong’s critical gaze swept over him, eyes narrowed with appraisal as he circled him like a hawk assessing its prey. Shifting awkwardly, Jongho asked, “Uh… Is something going on here?”

Wooyoung squealed with excitement, darting to Jongho’s wardrobe. He threw open the closet doors, rummaging through clothes with impressive speed—some landing on the bed, others strewn across the floor. San, calmer but clearly amused, simply shrugged and said, “It’s the kingdom’s anniversary. You’re expected to join the ball tonight. It’s a big event.”

“Ball? Anniversary?” Jongho echoed, furrowing his brows. “Wait, no one told me about this.”

Without missing a beat, Wooyoung approached, reaching to smooth Jongho’s hair. Jongho instinctively leaned back, bumping into the doorframe, only to feel Hongjoong’s hands firmly grip his shoulders as he expertly measured Jongho’s torso. 

“Our kingdom celebrates this every year,” San explained, watching as Jongho gradually accepted the preparations. “It’s a tribute to our founders, honoring their sacrifices and dedication. A tradition to remind us of who we are.”

Jongho looked at San, his intrigue growing. “And the ball… it’s part of this, too?”

San nodded, a hint of nostalgia in his expression. “Yes. The ball is a symbol of unity and strength, with dances to show honor. Offering one’s hand to a woman signifies a promise to protect and cherish her heart.”

A mix of admiration and nerves stirred in Jongho as he glanced at his friends. “You’ll be there too, right?” he asked, eyes flicking to Wooyoung.

Wooyoung’s usual brightness dimmed, his gaze softening as a bittersweet smile crossed his face. “Yes… This time, I won’t leave.”

He turned away, and his fingers absentmindedly brushed his collar as his thoughts drifted. He remembered the last time he’d seen you, a memory laced with anguish. You had clung to him, crying, as he lay gravely injured. Since then, he had scoured every corner of the land, calling on the winds for guidance, each attempt ending in frustration and heartache. When the Kim family had allowed you to embark on that ill-fated journey, he’d confronted them, fury simmering beneath his composed exterior. Hongjoong’s words still haunted him: *“Predicting the future doesn’t mean avoiding it. Sometimes, we have to face it, no matter the cost.”*

Hongjoong, too, had been shaken when he learned of your disappearance, an unexpected pang of sorrow piercing his heart despite knowing you only as “the savior.” Even Noella had been taken aback, realizing that while they could foresee certain events, some paths remained hidden in the mist—part of a larger, elusive fate.

A quiet voice interrupted Wooyoung’s thoughts. “Woo…”

He glanced in the mirror, meeting San’s concerned gaze. Wooyoung’s distance from everyone, even from San—his closest cousin and confidant—had not gone unnoticed. San understood; he knew the ache of a missing friend, a piece of one’s life suddenly gone.

“You should be with your father by now, welcoming the guests,” Wooyoung said, his voice unintentionally cold, though he didn’t mean it. A trace of bitterness lingered—San had been part of the mission that had taken you from them.

San sighed, nodding slowly. “Woo, I’m sorry. I promised I’d protect her, to make up for my past mistakes… I really did try.” He looked away, guilt casting a shadow over his face. “Head Guard Seonghwa’s made some progress—he’s on his way to Yunho and Yeosang’s kingdom tonight, following a lead.”

Wooyoung’s tense posture softened, and he turned to face San fully. “I hope… I hope they bring us good news.”

The weight of unspoken words settled between them, and Wooyoung felt his own exhaustion seeping through. His eyes softened as he looked at San. “San, I’m… sorry too.”

San, recognizing Wooyoung’s vulnerability, stepped closer and pulled him into a brotherly embrace. “You’re not alone, Woo. I’m here, Jongho’s here, and we’re not going anywhere.”

Wooyoung let out a small, choked laugh, feeling a bit of the heaviness lift as he thought of Jongho, who had recently stumbled into their world and was adjusting with endearing reluctance. San ruffled his hair playfully, breaking the somber mood, and made for the door. Wooyoung shot him an annoyed look, batting San’s hand away.

“Yah! Do you know how long it took me to get my hair perfect?” he protested, turning back to the mirror to fix it.

San smirked, his playful jab lightening the room’s atmosphere. Just before leaving, he poked his head back in with a mischievous grin. “Better hurry up! Your mother’s here, and she expects you to help greet the guests.”

Wooyoung’s eyes widened, spinning around in shock. “Wait—she’s what?!”

After what felt like an endless journey through the dim, damp tunnels, you finally emerged into the late afternoon light. Yunho blinked, shielding his eyes as the sunlight washed over him. It was as though he had been reborn, stepping from a shadowed past into a world that seemed painfully bright. For a moment, he simply stood there, taking in the warmth, savoring the air with deep breaths, as if he were inhaling hope itself.

But his relief was short-lived. His gaze fell upon the once-vibrant palace grounds, now overtaken by silence and decay. The gardens he remembered as lush and colorful were now choked with weeds and vines, abandoned and forgotten. His heart sank, his shoulders drooping as the reality of his kingdom’s abandonment struck him like a physical blow. He whispered, almost to himself, "Everyone… left."

You glanced over at him, feeling the weight of his despair settle in your chest. Words felt useless in the face of such loss, yet you reached out, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “True loyalty remains,” you said gently. “Sometimes, even when all hope seems gone, that loyalty endures. And those with kindness can still revive it.”

Yunho looked at you, your words reaching past his sorrow. A small, grateful smile softened his expression. “Thank you, Brigid,” he murmured, the name holding a new depth as he regarded you with a trust and fondness that hadn’t been there before.

Just then, a familiar cry pierced the air. Yunho’s head snapped up, his face lighting up with a joy that was startling in its intensity. He extended his arm, and an eagle swooped down, landing gracefully on his forearm. Yunho chuckled, stroking the bird’s proud feathers with a tender hand. “Aven,” he said, relief and affection flooding his voice.

You smiled at the sight, noting the uncanny resemblance between the two. Aven’s feathers—faded blond and brown, like sun-kissed earth—seemed to mirror Yunho’s own windswept hair. “He must have been searching for you all this time,” you murmured, marveling at the loyalty between them.

With a warm laugh, Yunho lifted his arm, letting Aven take flight once more. The bird circled above, as if signaling there was still work to be done. Yunho’s face grew serious, the joy fading as he looked back at you. “He knows there’s one more person to find.” His eyes met yours, determination flickering like fire. “Will you help me find my brother?”

You hesitated, caught between relief and the daunting journey ahead. Part of you longed to return, to bring back the fragments of hope you had gathered. But something deeper bound you to this place—a feeling that this mission was far from complete and that both kingdoms, perhaps even more lives, hung in the balance.

Steeling yourself, you met his gaze. “Yunho, I don’t often ask for favors in return for my sake, but I’ll need your assistance. And it’s not only for me. This search affects you, your brother, and the fate of your kingdom.”

A flicker of understanding crossed Yunho’s face, and he nodded, accepting the weight of your words and the sudden weight of his invisible crown. “Anything, Miss Brigid. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

With a deep breath, you pressed on. “Once we find your brother, I need answers. I need to know the truth about Brigid and the curse that haunts your people.” His expression shifted, a mixture of surprise and reluctance. Few dared to speak openly of the goddess or the curse, words whispered only in shadowed corners and distant memories. But he sensed your resolve and, with a nod, accepted the responsibility of revealing the buried past.

Side by side, you moved toward the palace, each step a deeper descent into the kingdom’s forgotten secrets. The once-grand hallways were draped in vines, twisting over marble columns and intricate carvings. Green tendrils clung to the walls like unnatural veins, as though the palace itself were bound and suffocated by its own sorrow.

When you brushed one of the vines, it recoiled with a sharp hiss, startling both you and Yunho. “This isn’t normal, is it?” you asked, watching as the vine writhed like a living creature.

Yunho shook his head, his expression wary. “These vines… they’re like cursed sentinels. They sense intruders and cling to whatever life they find.” The vines seemed to shift and sway as you followed them, leading you deeper into the forgotten parts of the palace, places even Yunho rarely ventured.

The air grew colder, and an unsettling stillness wrapped around you as shadows deepened. Finally, the vines guided you to a hidden chamber, one untouched by time but heavily guarded by thick, twisting roots. At its center, wrapped in a monstrous snarl of vines and shadow, lay Yunho’s brother, Yeosang, imprisoned and barely recognizable.

Yunho’s breath caught in his throat, a strangled cry escaping him as he stumbled forward. “Yeosang…” he whispered, desperation and fear cracking his voice. 

You placed a steadying hand on Yunho’s shoulder. “We’ll find a way to release him. But first, we must understand what binds him here.”

“Yeo!” Yunho’s voice echoed, his shout piercing the eerie silence of the garden. The ground trembled, and the twisted vines around you seemed to awaken with a hiss, vibrating with a sinister life of their own. Both you and Yunho stepped back instinctively as the vines, now alive and hostile, wriggled and coiled, their barbed edges glinting like sharp fangs in the faint light. They were no ordinary plants; they guarded something—someone—with a fierce, unnatural protectiveness. Your gaze darted to Yeosang’s unconscious body, entangled and held captive within the thick, snakelike tendrils. Though he lay still, his chest rose and fell in a faint rhythm; he was alive.

Suddenly, you felt a vine wrap around your ankle, squeezing tighter against your injury. You gasped, clawing and pulling at it, but the more you struggled, the tighter it constricted. “Miss Brigid!” Yunho’s voice drew your attention. You looked over to see him, arms and legs bound by more vines, his face contorted in pain as he fought against their relentless grip.

“Yunho…” you gasped, panic rising as more vines slithered around your legs, winding their way up slowly, each movement deliberate, as though savoring your terror. The thorned tendrils crawled across your torso, tightening across your ribs, climbing toward your neck. Your breathing grew shallow as your hands, trembling, attempted to pry them loose.

“Yunho… Is this Yeosang’s curse?” you managed to ask, straining to keep your voice steady amidst your fear.

Yunho struggled to respond, his voice muffled by the vines encasing him. “From what I’ve seen… yes, it must be! But I don’t know how it works!” His answer sparked a desperate search through your mind, grasping for any memory, any detail from books you’d read about Prince Yeosang. But the histories were vague, shedding light only on his gentle nature, his love for peace, and his connection to the garden—the very place that now seemed to be his prison.

“Yeosangie … He is always a kind prince to everyone.” Yunho muffles as he struggles within the hold of the vines, his voice tinged with sorrow. His face softened in memory, and for a brief moment, you saw the look of a brother missing his sibling’s laughter and light-hearted innocence. “The garden … that his place. His solace.” 

The words hung in the air, lingering like a clue. You turned them over in your mind—kindness, the garden, a place of solace. And then it clicked. The curse wasn’t harming Yeosang; it was protecting him, preserving him in twisted vines of his own making, his kindness turned into a trap to keep him safe yet hidden from the world.

“Kill them with kindness… “ You whisper. You look at the vines as they are starting to tighten, “Yunho … “ He was trapped underneath the garden of his brother because he was the hope. The sun shines but it never reaches the townspeople because all hope was lost because that was Yunho’s curse. He was the hope of people and by hiding him from the darkness, hope cannot be found until someone kind finds his way. 

Hope is the last one to find. Just like Pandora's box. It all started clicking together as you chuckle airly as it felt all too well and good to finally solve. 

“Kill them with kindness they say …” Desperate, you closed your eyes, focusing inward, summoning the warmth that lay dormant in you. You rotated your wrists, a small flame flickering to life in your hands. The light immediately drew a reaction—the vines hissed and shrank back, loosening just enough to let you wriggle free.

And with the light, the vines all hisses away from you, letting you go in the process. With a painful thud, you hit the ground, looking up at the glowing flame in your hand, “Argh!”

You stood up, patting your butt, “Geez … Okay Yunho .. this might sting!”  You raise your fist, the flames dance across your knuckles, you smirk your eyebrows arching in surprise, “Good to know you are still with me.”

With a swift punch, you drove the fire into the thickest part of the vines. They screeched, the flames burning through their dark coils, and they immediately released Yunho, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground.

His heart pounded as he took in your appearance. A fist of fire in a blue dress and fiery hair. He had never seen it coming true in his life, it was just an image in his dreams and now, “Brigid …” Yunho’s eyes widened as he took in your power, but before he could fully process it, the vines twisted into a frenzy, reacting to the flames with an even fiercer rage. They writhed and snapped, lashing out at anything within reach, their movements erratic and frenzied as they sought to defend their hold on Yeosang. 

“I’ll explain later,” you shouted over the chaotic noise. “But I figured it out—Yeosang’s curse is a twisted kindness, one that traps him in this garden for his own protection… And you, Yunho—you’re the kingdom’s hope. That’s why the darkness was drawn here, to hide you away.”

“Pandora’s box …” Yunho mumbles as it becomes clear to him too. He was a man full of hope and dreams to his kingdom yet when the time he was buried under the depths of the garden, it felt like a part of him had vanished, making him weak and fragile until light— you came.

“We just have to finish this and see if we can deal with more of your curses.” You focused on keeping the flames steady, the heat radiating from your hands as you burned through the thick vines that coiled around Yunho's brother. But as you burned away one tangle, another would rise up from the darkness, snapping viciously. It was a relentless fight, and even with the flames, the vines seemed almost endless, replenishing themselves with every inch you gained.

Pain flared up your leg, making you falter, “Shit …” Yunho looked at you but you brushed him off as you fought, a thick vine crept silently along the ground, slithering behind you, its barbed surface gleaming in the dim light. You were too focused on the vines in front of you to notice it as it reared back, preparing to strike. But Yunho’s sharp gaze caught it just in time.

“Watch out!” he shouted, darting forward with a speed that surprised you.

In one swift motion, Yunho grabbed your shoulder, pulling you out of harm’s way, and held you close to his chest as he thrust his sword forward— to which you do not know where it came from but it did— intercepting the vine just before it could strike, its thorned edge narrowly missing your side. The vine hissed in fury as it met the steel of Yunho’s blade, twisting wildly as it tried to pull back. But Yunho held firm, gritting his teeth as he forced the sword deeper, severing the vine in one powerful motion. 

“They’re faster than they look,” he warned, his gaze intense as he positioned himself protectively in front of you.

A surge of vines lunged toward him, their thorned edges aimed directly at him. Yunho swung his blade with precision, slicing through each tendril as they came, his movements fluid yet fierce. He fought with a desperate strength, each strike filled with a sense of duty, as if protecting you was his only mission. But the vines were relentless, and for every one he cut down, two more seemed to replace it, their thorny coils trying to wrap around him, restricting his movements.

Seeing him struggle, you summoned your flames once again, directing a burst of heat toward the vines attacking him. The fire danced along the vines, burning them away from Yunho’s path. He gave you a quick nod of gratitude before pressing forward, slicing through another wave of snapping tendrils.

Suddenly, a larger vine burst from the shadows, its thick, snake-like body heading straight toward you with blinding speed. Yunho’s eyes widened, and he lunged, catching the vine mid-air with his sword. But this one was stronger, and the force of the impact knocked him back a step. The vine coiled around his blade, trying to wrest it from his grip.

Struggling against the vine’s strength, Yunho gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he pushed back, determination blazing in his eyes. “I’m not letting them take you,” he muttered, driving his blade deeper into the vine as he twisted it free with a powerful shove.

The vine recoiled, thrashing as it retreated, but not before lashing out in one last attempt. In a final burst of strength, it snapped toward you, the barbed end hurtling in your direction. Without a moment’s hesitation, Yunho stepped in, shielding you with his own body as the vine’s thorns sliced across his shoulder, leaving a shallow but painful cut.

Ignoring the pain, he pushed you behind him, raising his sword defensively. “Stay close to me,” he commanded, his voice low but fierce.

With Yunho guarding your back, you focused on your flames, pouring every ounce of your energy into the fire, illuminating the entire chamber with an intense glow. The vines hissed and recoiled, unable to withstand the flames’ heat. You directed the fire toward the thick, coiled mass that held Yeosang, watching as the flames burned away the final layer of vines.

Finally, with one last searing blaze, the vines shriveled and fell away, leaving Yeosang’s unconscious form free at last. His pale face was covered in dirt and faint scratches, but he was breathing.

You both moved quickly, Yunho helping to lift his brother while keeping an eye on any remaining vines. His shoulder was still bleeding, but he waved off your concern, his focus solely on getting his brother to safety.

As you left the chamber, a sense of triumph and relief settled over you. Yunho glanced at you, a faint smile breaking through the exhaustion on his face.

“He’s okay,” he said, his voice soft but filled with sincerity. You sigh in relief, your flames disappearing as you knelt beside Yunho as you took in Yeosang’s feature. Aside from your friends and Seniors in your university— Yeosang is a stranger to you. Yet his statue, perfect tan skin and his plump lips made him still look so handsome despite being confined in the vines for more than many months now. You look out of the window to see the sun had already set.

“Yunho, I may know someone that can help you both for tonight.”

Standing with a small smile on your lips as your mother gasps quietly on her spot before moving towards the living room, “Come in! I’ll prepare the living room!” As you enter her home, Yunho carries an unconscious Yeosang inside, guiding them as Yunho settles him on the soft cushions of the sofa. You watched her work, feeling a sense of comfort in the familiarity of her presence. 

You watch to the side whilst your mother speaks to Yunho as he helps your mother clean Yeosang up.

“They’re okay…” You look at Hyunjin as her mouth was gape open, gazing at the two princes whilst squeezing her doll. Your eyes trailed on the doll then remembering the images, the stained mirror back in the palace. 

“Hyunjin…” you murmured, kneeling beside her. “Do I… look like her?” The question felt strange, as if pulled from a memory you didn’t quite own.

Hyunjin giggled, her innocent eyes sparkling. “She is you.”

“Brigid …” Your eyes travel to your mother, she looks worn out after taking care of the two princes. You smile at her, placing a hand on Hyunjin’s head as you and your mother move towards the outside of the house. 

Later, as the house settled into quiet, your mother joined you outside. The night air was brisk, and the stars seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light. She placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. “You did well, honey,” she murmured, a note of pride in her voice.

The night had grown colder, the wind had picked up the pace as it blew harsher coldness. You sigh, removing your coat to place it on your mother, it was just a thin coat you got from Lucy.  “Prince Yeosang is okay, dehydrated and malnourished but he will be fine as for Prince Yunho, he is doing well, slightly shaken up but he will be fine.” You nodded as you looked around. Silence covers you both like a blanket but your mother has spoken again.

“Did you find out about their curse?” You nodded, “Prince Yeosang wasn’t cursed but his kindness is what held him captive and Yunho had been trapped in his own misery.” Your mother nodded as she smiled at you.

You leaned on your mother, “How can I break their curse and set them free?” Your mother sighs, placing a comforting hand on top of your head, soothing you down.

“That is for them to know and you to find out honey.” You sigh deeply, looking up at the night sky. 

“It’s hard to keep going when you don’t have a clue…” Your mother’s face softened, taking in the weight of your words. She didn’t know everything happening around you, only that this place had changed in unexpected ways over the years.

“I know,” she said, “but what I do know…” She gently grasped your shoulders, turning you to face her as her comforting gaze met yours. “I know my daughter wouldn’t give up so easily, no matter the challenges, even if she gets hurt…” Her eyes flicked down to your injured ankle, prompting a small chuckle from you before she continued. “Or lost…”

“Or pressured,” she added, “she always finds her way back to her own path.” Tears welled in your eyes as you smiled, and you pulled her into a tight hug, taking in the familiar warmth and scent of her embrace. Suddenly, Hyunjin came running out of the house, panic flashing in her eyes.

“Mommy! Prince Yunho and Prince Yeosang are acting strange!” You exchanged a quick glance with your mother before both of you dashed inside.

You froze, heart pounding, as you took in the scene around you. Dark, twisting vines had invaded the house, snaking up from the floorboards and crawling across the walls, relentless and alive. They slithered in through the windows, curling around furniture and creeping up the wooden beams, consuming every inch of the space they touched. They were just like the ones you’d seen before, but this time, they seemed angrier, more menacing—alive with a dark energy that made the air heavy and hard to breathe.

In the center of it all, Yunho stood motionless, ensnared by the thickest of the vines. His arms were pinned to his sides, and one thick tendril coiled around his face, covering his eyes, leaving him helpless and vulnerable. His usually calm, reassuring presence was now ghostly, as if he were barely there at all, swallowed by the curse that had wrapped itself around him.

“Yunho…” you called out, voice trembling. You took a tentative step forward, but a loud hiss from the vines echoed through the room, sharp and angry, halting you in your tracks. Instinctively, you threw your arm out in front of your mother, trying to protect her as best as you could from whatever dark magic was at play. She gasped, clutching your arm tightly.

“The curse… it’s active,” you whispered, each word heavy with dread. An icy fear curled around your heart as the realization set in. The wave you’d been dreading about—the one that would mark the Choi Kingdom’s celebration—had begun. A week had slipped by, and now the curse was moving, bringing with it a darkness that threatened to engulf everything.

You barely heard your mother calling out to you; her voice sounded faint, as if coming from a distance. A ringing filled your ears, drowning out her words and every other sound in the room. Fear sank into your bones, leaving you rooted to the spot. Shadows seemed to grow and dance at the edges of your vision, and a series of whispers, low and insidious, began echoing in your mind.

The whispers told you of failure, of helplessness, feeding into every doubt that had ever lingered within you. They spoke of the princes’ fates, of the doom that awaited them—all because of you. A hollow ache filled your chest as the shadows convinced you that you had failed them all, that you would never be enough to save them. You couldn’t even save Yunho, who now stood before you, trapped and silent.

The light in your eyes dimmed as the weight of these thoughts pressed down on you, making it hard to breathe. Everything blurred, colors fading into shadow. But then, through the haze, you caught a flicker of movement.

Yeosang was watching you, his gaze piercing through the darkness as he stepped toward you. There was something steady, unwavering, in his eyes—an intensity that broke through the fear clouding your mind.

“Wake up…” His voice was soft, yet it cut through the whispers, grounding you back into the moment. His hand reached out, and you felt a sudden, forceful tug, as if he were pulling you from the depths of a dark ocean.

The world spun as you were yanked backward, and then you felt yourself falling. You hit the dirt outside, the cold earth grounding you as the ringing in your ears finally ceased. Blinking rapidly, you became aware of Hyunjin’s distressed cries somewhere nearby. The sharp pang of reality jolted you fully awake, and you looked around, dazed and disoriented.

Your mother knelt beside you, concern etched across her face as she helped you sit up. “Honey? Oh my!” Her hands clutched your shoulders, and the warmth of her touch anchored you, steadying your racing heart.

You reached out instinctively, grasping her arm, grounding yourself in her familiar presence. As you did, a looming shadow fell over you. Startled, you turned to find yourself ranking your eyes upwards, standing just a few feet away, watching you with a serious, unreadable expression.

“M-Mingi?” you stammered.

taglist: @passerbyforfun . @seongwars . @candied-czennie . @ffenjoyerdazme

[ticklishshenanigansau]

LaughterLand - Chapter 13: Upside-down

(story by Mod Secret, art by Mod Yosh)

Sans blinked rapidly as sunlight flooded his vision. His sockets were starting to grow sore and tired from the many times he had burst into tears through hysterical laughter today. Now, with the natural light surrounding his eyes, he had to take a moment to rub them out and adjust to his new surroundings.

Once his vision cleared, Sans got a good look around. There were trees everywhere, it seemed to be another part of the forest where the trees were much taller, they had more branches with lighter leaves about them. Something about these trees was peculiar, instead of reaching up to the sky, the branches seemed to be reaching downwards. Sans lightly shook his head. There was a sudden pressure that was building up and steadily flowing into his sockets, and no matter how much Sans jostled his skull around he couldn’t shake it away.

Trying his best to ignore it, he tried to look for any kind of landmark off in the distance, something that would help him discover where he was. That’s when he saw it, directly above him. What was supposed to be clear blue sky was instead deep green grass everywhere. It didn’t make any sense. He tried to take a step forward when he suddenly realized that both of his ankles were tightly restricted within the tangle of a couple of branches. It wasn’t until the bottom part of his shirt fell up over his skull, exposing his ribcage, that he finally realized … he was hanging upside-down in a tree, and miles off of the ground.

As he forced his shirt back down, he let out a horrified gasp at the sight of the ground below. Specifically just how far away he was from it. As if being held upside-down wasn’t dizzying enough, Sans could feel pangs of unbridled terror coursing through his bones as his body helplessly swayed through the air. He held his breath, forcing himself to keep still as he tried to calm down.

Looking up at his ankles, he noticed how the twisting branch that held them in place was perfectly wrapped around both of them. Almost as if he had perfectly teleported himself to fit between the ankle-shaped openings in the branch’s path. As nonsensical as it was, he knew better than to expect anything to make sense in this crazy place.

As terrifying as it was to be up so high, he knew he had to test the strength of the branches in order to see how freely he could move. He experimentally wiggled his toes, breathing a small sigh of relief when the branch didn’t move. He gave his right ankle an abrupt tug, followed shortly by the left. He was surprised to see the branch still holding tightly to his feet without any give at all. After a few more useless tugs, he was brave enough to give his body a fully fledged jolt. The branch didn’t move an inch, his feet stayed perfectly in place.

While Sans was grateful that the branch’s hold was strong enough to keep him from falling, it also meant he was very much stuck there. The thought made Sans start to worry again, LaughterLand was not a good place to get himself stuck in ANY position. He knew it was only a matter of time before the next creature arrived to tickle the daylights out of him again, and he was starting to feel horribly vulnerable with his feet stuck in place like that.  

"Nyeh … what happened?"

The sound of his brother's voice made Sans jump, not that it mattered since the tree still wasn't budging. He hurriedly looked around for where the voice had come from, still trying to pay no mind to the magic flowing to his head.

It didn't take long, Sans found Papyrus in the same exact position as himself. Hanging upside-down in the tree right next to him, just a few more feet above him. If Sans were able to sit up on top of the branch he could reach Papyrus with ease, but for the moment he was just grateful to see Papyrus at all.

“Papyrus!” Sans gasped. “Bro! Oh man, thank Asgore!”

“What the.… Sans?” It took Papyrus a moment to realize his predicament, but after immediately seeing the state his brother was in, he was able to figure it out a lot faster.

“Whoa!! How long have we been up here?!” Papyrus jolted at the sight of the ground below.

Sans glanced up to see if Papyrus’s feet were just as tangled up as his own. As his brother swayed back and forth, Sans could see both of his ankles were stuck within the gaps of a tree branch, much like himself. But where the busy entanglement of his own branch was sturdy and perfectly wrapped around to keep his feet in place, Papyrus’s didn’t look to be that thick. In fact it looked like both his ankles were trapped within a single branch that just barely split apart to form a gap. Sans couldn’t help but gasp as he noticed Papyrus’s movement starting to cause the branch to slightly bend.

“Pap, hold it!” he called out. “Don’t make a move!” Papyrus held himself still, finally glancing up at his feet. “That branch isn’t going to hold if you move around like that,” Sans explained. “Just keep still, okay? I’ll figure a way out of this.”

Sans noticed that Papyrus was no longer laughing. Figuring that the fresh air and being away from the closed space where the spell was completely engulfing them was just the cure he needed. A faint orange color still tinted his cheeks and there were plenty of tear-stains on his battle body, telling him that Papyrus was still recovering over the ordeal. Sans realized right then just how close he came to losing Papyrus over a stupid argument. He silently swore to himself right then and there that he would no longer fight with Papyrus, and that he would get them out of this place.

Sans turned to his left to see the thick trunk of the tree that was holding him. He tried to reach for it, hoping to somehow climb up the trunk to turn his body right-side-up again. But no matter how hard he swung himself, it was just barely out of the reach of his fingertips. He groaned in frustration as his shirt came back down over his eyes again. He hurriedly tried to pull it back down, not wanting to risk exposure to his spine, ribs, and especially not his sweet spot.

“When did you get your powers back, Sans?” Papyrus asked after a long sigh. “And why on earth did you teleport us here … like this?” he gestured his hands towards his ankles to prove a point.

“Honestly, bro … I don’t even know if they ARE back yet.” Sans grunted as he kept trying to swing over to the trunk while struggling to keep his shirt down. “I didn’t even know I COULD teleport us upside-down, let alone into a tree.”

“Okay, well … can’t you just teleport us down?” Papyrus asked, being mindful to keep himself still.

Sans paused, he tried to feel for the spark of power in his Soul, but just like before in the cave, it was gone. Still he closed his eyes and tried to feel for it, concentrating on any kind of powerful feeling his mind could come up with. But no matter how hard he focused, the power wouldn’t come. No spark, no magic, no teleporting out of this.

“I can’t…,” Sans replied blankly. He felt so defeated, especially after having pulled them out of that horrible situation back at the mansion. “I don’t know what it is, Pap … it’s this place. I feel like it’s messing with us.”

Sans looked over to see Papyrus shutting his eyes as well, obviously trying to concentrate on his own magic. He snapped his fingers a number of times, trying to summon a bone-construct. But nothing materialized, not one special attack. Papyrus already looked so tired from the spell draining all of that laughter out of him, as he opened his eyes to find nothing, Sans noted that he looked absolutely exhausted.

“Ohhh, that’s just great.” Papyrus let his arms hang down, looking utterly defeated. “Now what are we supposed to do?”

“Hang on, bro. I got this.” Sans continued to swing himself back and forth, still trying and failing to reach the tree trunk. “My branch is pretty sturdy, I’ll get us out of this.”

Papyrus groaned loudly as he crossed his arms. He had not yet forgotten about the heated argument the two of them had shared back at the mansion, and was still very hurt by it. Watching Sans helplessly flail through the air filled him with exasperation. He was not in the mood to endure another one of his brother’s ridiculous plans.

As Sans missed the trunk for what felt like the hundredth time, he let out a deep exhausted sigh. As usual, this was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He glanced back up at Papyrus, who wore a sore expression on his face. He was turned away from Sans with his arms crossed over his chest. Sans figured he was still upset about being trapped in a tree, unaware of his brother’s growing resentment.

“Well…,” Sans sighed. “I was hoping to climb up this thing to get myself loose. But … I guess I’ll have to … branch out my ideas a little, huh?”

He knew that now was probably not the best time to be making jokes — honestly it never was with Papyrus — but it was the only thing he could think of to help ease the situation. Papyrus was not amused, not even sparing Sans a dirty look.

“Aw come on, bro….” Sans grinned cheekily. “You can’t just … leaf me hanging like this.”

Papyrus let out a quiet “Hmph!” as he turned his back towards his brother. Sans was slightly taken aback by this reaction. Papyrus never liked his puns, but he would at least acknowledge how awful his brother’s sense of humor was and react accordingly, that’s what always made it so fun.

“Papyrus…?” Sans tempted. “What’s with the bite? I miss your … bark.” Even he couldn’t help but chuckle at his own ridiculous pun.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Papyrus finally replied in a snarky manner. “I must be too DELUSIONAL to enjoy your childish sense of humor.”

Sans froze, remembering the hurtful comment that had come out of him during their argument. He had to admit, it sounded much harsher coming from Papyrus’s perspective.

“Well, if you can’t reach the tree,” Papyrus continued bitterly. “Maybe you should do what I do and ‘just make friends with it’, then everything will be better!”

“Aw, come on Pap,” Sans implored. “You’re seriously mad at me over that dumb argument back there?” Papyrus didn’t respond, but instead turned away from him, still bitterly sulking. “Papyrus, we don’t have time for this, we have to find a way out of here before something even worse happens.”

Sans tried again to reach the trunk, but it was hopeless. Nothing he could do would make him shift any closer to the taunting tree trunk, and it was clear that Papyrus was too angry with him to help out. It was all so infuriating.

He eventually stopped to take a breath, remembering his promise to make peace with his brother. Obviously, Papyrus was still upset about the things that were said back at the mansion, Sans was too in his own way. But he knew that there was just no way that either of them was going to get out of this without working together. Being stuck in a tree with no way to get loose, he figured it was a good time to try and apologize without being under the influence of magic.

“Look Pap,” Sans finally said after a long sigh. “I’m sorry, I honestly am. I know things got kinda crazy back there, I really didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

Papyrus’s expression started to soften, Sans could see it in his sockets. At least he was starting to get through to him.

“I just got frustrated because of you throwing the potion too early, and … I don’t know….” He turned away slightly to really think about how to explain himself. “I guess I just kind of felt like … you haven’t really been listening to me this whole time.”

He looked back at Papyrus, surprised to see his brother starting to tense up and cringe. A worried expression spread across Sans’s face. Had he said the wrong thing? He had sincerely thought that he was getting through to him.

“Pap … it’s okay,” Sans tried to explain. “What I meant was … like … the way you were always trying to make friends with things, I mean … it just kinda felt like you weren’t taking me seriously, y’know? That kind of thing.”

Papyrus gritted his teeth as he sharply twisted away from Sans, his fingers starting to dig into the sides of his battle body. Sans began to worry that he was starting to hurt his brother’s feelings all over again.

“B-But, I understand why you did,” he stammered. “I know that you were just trying to get us by with using a method of peace, I get it.”

Papyrus’s jaw was clamped down so tight that his cheeks were flushed orange again. His eyes bugged out as he tried to suppress tiny beads of tears forming in the corners of his sockets.

“I’m not mad, Papyrus,” Sans insisted. “Please don’t be upset with me, I know what I said back there was out of line. I know my plans are beyond spontaneous and not very well thought-out. I just thought that I could be the one to get us out of here. I’m your big brother, y’know … it’s kind of my job to protect you.”

Papyrus shut his sockets tightly and shook his head back and forth like crazy. Sans blinked in confusion, why was Papyrus fighting to accept his apology? He wasn’t usually this stubborn.

“Look Papyrus, we’re both at fault here. But if we’re gonna get out of this, we have to find a way to do it together. So … for my part in this crazy mess, I just want to say that I’m really sorr—”

Papyrus slapped his hands over his mouth to muffle a strained squeak. Tears finally escaping out of his sockets as his body started to curl in on itself. Sans’s sockets flew wide open as he stared at his brother, he finally got it now.

“Oh … you’re being tickled right now, aren’t you?”

“YEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHES!!”

Papyrus released his mouth, finally free to laugh and shriek as the unseen tickling sensation quickly began to overwhelm him. He began involuntarily twisting and swaying in order to physically vent his blind panic. Sans’s eyes darted up towards the branch holding his ankles together as it began to bend from Papyrus’s wiggling.

“Papyrus, stop!” Sans yelled. “The branch! Don’t move!”

Papyrus yelped and wrapped both arms around himself to keep still. But he still couldn’t stop himself from abruptly jerking around as he continued to helplessly laugh.

“OHOHOHO NOHOHOHO!!” he cried through guffaws. “NYAHAHAHAHAHA!! IT TIHIHIHICKLES!! HAHAHAHA!! IT TICKLES!! MAHAHAKE IT STAHAHAHAP!! AAAAHAHAHAHA!!”

Sans scanned his brother up and down, looking for whatever could be attacking him. But nothing seemed to be there, no animals, no plants. His Soul began to sink, thinking that it might possibly be one of the Ghost Children again.

“Pap! Where is it?!” he called desperately. “What’s it getting at?!”

“MY-MY-HEEHEEHEEHEE…! MY FEEHEEHEEHEET!!” Papyrus shrieked, his toes frantically curling in and out while trying not to move the rest of his foot. “S-SAHAHAHAHA—! SOHOHOMEHING T-TIHIHICKLING MY FEEHEEHEEHEEHEET! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!! PLEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAP!! IT TIHIHIHICKLES!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Sans strained his sockets trying to see what was up there, but he couldn’t see even an inch of what might possibly be getting at his brother’s feet. The attacker was either invisible like the Ghost Children or was exceptionally small, either way, Sans did not like the outcome. The branch bent downwards again as Papyrus spasmed in midair uncontrollably.

“Pap! Don’t move!” Sans yelled, although he knew it was not going to be that easy for poor Papyrus. He knew just how horribly ticklish his brother’s feet were.

“I-I CAHAHAHAHAN’T!!” Papyrus squealed, his body jerking and twisting about, causing the branch to bend even further. “NYAHAHAHA!! IT-IHIHIT’S SO BAHAHAD SAHAHAHANS!! AHAHAHA!!”

“I know, I know!” Sans himself tried to stay calm, hoping to somehow transfer some of that restraint to Papyrus. “Just try to breathe through it, okay? That branch isn’t going to hold if you keep squirming like that.”

Papyrus inhaled deeply to try and hold his breath. He couldn’t help but let a muffled squeal escape him as he felt the mysterious creature crawling along his arches. Whatever this thing was, it was light and delicate. Almost like a walking feather with many bristling stems. It seemed to walk aimlessly along one sole before moving onto the next, almost as if it was truly unaware of the ticklish distress it was causing the younger skeleton. He released his sides to forcefully clamp his hands over his mouth again. It was so much harder to hold still, he couldn’t risk opening his jaw to try and ‘breathe through it’ as Sans had suggested. For he knew the only breath that would escape would be unavoidable, uncontrollable cackles.

Sans tried so hard to think. Looking back at the tree trunk, he didn’t even want to waste precious time trying to make another grab for it. Papyrus wasn’t going to last that long, he had to find a way to reach him. At the same time, he thought about what Papyrus had said back at the mansion. How his plans did nothing but get them into even more trouble. He didn’t want to do anything that would ultimately end with the both of them being tickled past the breaking point again. Or worse, Papyrus falling to his doom.

Still, he had to come up with something … anything! Climbing the tree trunk wasn’t an option, there was no way to reach Papyrus without getting to the top of his own branch. The only other way he could reach him was … magic. He somehow managed to do it back at the mansion, however skewed the overall attempt turned out to be. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough, he could form another spark that could create a bone construct that could reach Papyrus.

Wasting no time, he shut his eyes to focus, trying to block out the panic in his gut, as well as the noises of Papyrus’s whimpering giggles. He felt his face twitch as he tried to pick up the sensation of magic within his Soul, but the intense concentration yielded nothing, not one spark. Momentarily caught off guard by Papyrus sharply inhaling, Sans shut his sockets even tighter to try again.

"Oh no…," Papyrus silently gasped, his body starting to tremble in panic.

"Pap?" Sans snapped out of his concentration after hearing his brother's gasp.

Papyrus squirmed uncomfortably, his face twisted with anguish trying to keep his mouth shut. His bug-eyes shot wide open allowing fresh tears to fall to the ground, one look was enough to tell Sans that he couldn't hold it in for much longer.

"Hrrrrrnnnnkkkkk...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! NOHOHOHOHO NAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!!"

Papyrus finally broke, shrieking and helplessly twisting around in place, causing even more strain on the branch. Sans stretched out his own body, trying in vain to see who or what could possibly be attacking Papyrus. But still, he couldn't see a thing. His attention was soon drawn towards the branch as it continued to bend and give way to gravity as Papyrus pulled.

"NOHOHOHOHO!!" Papyrus continued to cachinnate and squirm. "DOHOHON'T TOUCH THE BA—AHAHAHAHAHAHA!! NAHAHAT THE BALLS OF MY FEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEET!!!"

Even Sans had to shudder at Papyrus's plea. That particular spot on the both of them was absolutely horrible! His Soul jolted at the sudden sound of a crack high above him. He realized with horror that the branch was starting to split.

"Papyrus! Hold still!" he practically screamed to get his brother's attention.

"I-HEEHEEHEE-I-I-I CAHAHAAN'T!!" Papyrus screamed through frenzied laughter. "I CAHAHAHAN'T I CAHAHAAN'T!! IHIHIHIT'S TOO MUHUHUHUCH!! AHAHAHA!!"

Sans realized with absolute terror that Papyrus had no control over his squirming body. He was so lost in the all-consuming ticklish sensations that he couldn't control the urge to have his body physically searching for some kind of relief, even if it ultimately did nothing to help him.

Another much louder crack grabbed at Sans's attention as he watched the branch starting to break apart even further. He wanted to shut his eyes to try and focus on his magic again, but he didn't dare take his eyes off of his brother just in case he did fall. With no magic to help him, he realized right then and there that he was going to have to somehow catch Papyrus.

"Pap!!" Sans called over his brother's laughter. "Pap, reach for me! Reach for my hands!"

Somehow, Papyrus was able to hear Sans over the sounds of himself screaming in agony. He reached out his hands, feeling the branch giving way with every subtle move he made. Sans, in turn, tried to swing his way over towards Papyrus's direction. Their reach was still several feet away. But as Papyrus's hysterical laughter continued, both brothers braced for the worst as they heard the branch crack again.

Papyrus's laughter suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He exhaled steadily taking in slow deep breaths, the tickling on his feet came to a stop.

"Oh … oh … thank … everything…." He panted heavily.

With the torture on his feet gone, he worriedly stared up at the nearly-broken branch, still barely holding him to the tree. He knew that if he could just keep as still as possible, then there just had to be a chance of not falling to the ground after all.

"Are you okay?" Sans asked worriedly.

"Yeah … I think so…," Papyrus practically whispered, his voice finally feeling the strain from laughing so hard all day.

"Okay, just don't move," Sans instructed. "I'm gonna try again to get my magic going, and I'm gonna get us out of here."

Sans knew it was an empty promise, he hadn't been able to manifest a single spark since the mansion. Still, if it meant giving Papyrus enough reassurance to keep holding on, it was worth it.

As Sans shut his eyes to refocus yet again, Papyrus gave a sharp jolt. Utter fear coursing through his bones, he could feel the mysterious creature … it wasn't finished with him yet. Papyrus realized that it hadn’t yet started to move again, knowing if it had then he would have been back in stitches. This time it was just adjusting itself, Papyrus sharply inhaled. He knew it was going to try and tickle him again, he stared at Sans silently begging him to manifest his magic before it was too late.

Then he felt something starting to wrap around his toes. It was velvety soft and carefully wound between each and every gap. Papyrus shivered violently as the branch shook alongside him.

“No…,” he whimpered, catching Sans’s attention. “Please … not that…!”

Sans looked into Papyrus’s terrified eyes and realized within an instant that he was too late.

“NYAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!! OHOHOHO GAHAHASH NOHOHOHOHO!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!”

The creature started threading the strange silky substance back and forth between every toe. The soft texture brushed the in between spaces so delicately, tickling Papyrus like crazy.

“AIHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!! I-HEEHEEHEE CAHAHAN’T STAHAHAND IHIHIHIT!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!! PL-PLEHEHEHEASE NO MOHOHOHOHORE!!”

Papyrus’s pleas went unanswered as his body jolted and spasmed out of control. Sans watched in horror as the branch holding him up gave one final deafening CRACK! Papyrus screamed as gravity instantly took hold of him and he started plummeting towards the ground.

“PAPYRUS!!”

Sans reached out both hands, just barely managing to grab onto Papyrus’s left ankle. The yank fiercely tugging on his own foot restraints, causing a moment of discomfort. But very soon, both skeletons realized that they were safe for the moment, breathing out heavy sighs of relief.

“Don’t worry, bro. I gotcha,” Sans reassured Papyrus as he gripped his ankle with both hands.

“Oh … my goodness….” Papyrus panted heavily, but spared his brother a grateful smile. “Nice … catch, brother … thank you….”

Sans closely inspected Papyrus’s foot, hoping to find some trace of the mystery attacker. Anything that could help him identify what exactly it was that they were dealing with. Nothing about his brother’s foot seemed odd or out of place. No scratch marks, no sign of feather-fluff, everything seemed normal … until he got to the toes.

Something soft and delicate was wrapped around every single one of his toes. Sans figured that’s what the strange creature had used to finally get him to fall out of the tree. It was translucent, Sans had to pull Papyrus’s foot up a little closer to really inspect it. As the sun glistened over it, Sans felt his Soul sink. He finally realized what it was … it was a spider web.

“Oh no….”

Sans felt something soft land on his right foot, he jolted in horror. The spider had chosen him for its next prey, and unlike Papyrus, Sans’s feet were totally immobilized. Even with Papyrus’s added weight, the branch hadn’t budged, not once. Sans was doomed.

“Oh no! No! No! No! No!”

Sans attempted to twist his ankle and curl his toes. But his feet stayed perfectly in place, and the spider started freely walking across his sole and arches. Sans let out a shivering whine as he shut his eyes and sucked in a breath.

“Sans … what’s going on up there?”

Papyrus could feel Sans’s grip on his ankle start to tighten as he heard the whimper escape his teeth. Sans spared Papyrus a desperate look, that was enough to tell Papyrus exactly what was happening.

Sans let out a strained groan as he felt the spider’s feather-like legs tapping away at his feet. It tickled horribly, and with both of his hands preoccupied with holding onto his brother, he had no way to physically vent about it. He tried so hard to hold in his laughter, despite knowing that it had never worked before. He refused to give this creepy crawler any of his laughter to feed on.

“Sans!” Papyrus called from below. “Just hang on, Brother! You can do it!” Papyrus wasn’t sure just how his encouragement was going to help Sans in this predicament. But he was hopeful that it was at least a little helpful.

Sans curled his toes tightly, in an attempt to distract from the spider’s aimless wandering. When that didn’t work, he tried opening and closing them again. While it did nothing to distract him, it practically served as an invitation for the spider to crawl up towards the balls of his feet.

“AAAAHAHAAHAHAHA!! NOHOHOHOHO!! NAHAHAHAT THAHAHAHAHAT!!”

The dam finally broke. Sans shrieked and cackled and squirmed desperately in the air, that horrid spot he had so feared being exploited for all it was worth.

“NOHOHOHO PLEHEHEHEHEASE!!” Sans begged, tears immediately forming and falling down onto Papyrus. “DOHOHOHOHOHON’T—AHAHAHAHA!! DOHOHOHON’T TICKLE ME THEHEHEHEHEHERE!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I CAHAHAHAN’T STAHAHAND IHIHIHIT!! I-HEEHEE REHEHEHEALLY CAHAHAN’T!!”

Papyrus felt so helpless watching Sans practically going insane within a matter of moments. He knew it was only a matter of time before his brother lost all of the strength he needed to hold onto him. He could already feel his fingers starting to tremble around his ankles.

“Hang on, Sans!” Papyrus yelled. “I-I’ll think of something!”

He desperately looked around, trying to come up with a plan of his own. The ground was still too far away for him to fall without getting seriously hurt. He could probably reach the tree trunk like Sans was trying to do in the first place, but he didn’t want to risk swinging himself while Sans’s grip was already starting to weaken.

Sans, meanwhile, squeezed his eyes shut. He was frantically trying to get his magic to spark again. But beyond the fact that he still couldn’t detect a spark, he was laughing too hard to fully concentrate on pulling off even the simplest of magical abilities. Despite knowing this, he was starting to become desperate. Hoping against hope that some kind of spark would appear in the midst of his hysteria, one that he could gain enough control of to snap him out of this nightmare.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA…!” He momentarily trailed off into silent laughter. “C-COME AHAHAHAN!! HAHAHAHA!! COHOHOME ON…S-STUPIHIHIHID MAGIC!! J-J-JUHUHUHUST WOHOHOHOHORK!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Listening to Sans’s hysteria suddenly gave Papyrus an idea. Somehow Sans had managed to get his magic to spark at least once since they had come to this awful place. Papyrus knew that it was time for him to spark his own. While he had no idea how this land affected the flow of their powers, he knew it was his only chance to help Sans.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!! P-PLEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAP!!” Sans pleaded through tears. “I-I’M BEHEHEHEHEGGING YOHOHOHOHOU!! HAHAHAHA!!”

To his surprise, the tickling did stop. Sans gasped so suddenly that he started to cough. The balls of his feet tingled like crazy, he instinctively went to brush his feet overtop the tingling spots, forgetting how badly he was restrained.

Sans shrieked as he felt the spider starting to move again. The remaining tingles on his feet making him overly sensitive to even the lightest of touches. That’s when he felt the soft spider web being delicately woven between each of his toes.

“Oh no!” he gasped. “Nonononononono! Please! Don’t do this! You can’t do this! No!”

While Sans still had enough breath to fight, he tugged at his ankles with all of his might. Nearly forgetting that he and Papyrus were still miles off of the ground. It was no use, he was being pulled too tightly in both directions, he didn’t even have enough strength to properly bend his knees. His feet were wide open and completely at the mercy of this tiny spider.

Papyrus clasped his hands over his ear canals, doing his best to concentrate. He knew that in order to manifest his powers, he would need to block out everything going on around him. This included his fear of falling, the feeling of Sans’s grip being loosened, and even the sound of his brother’s hysterical laughter and screaming.

Sans continued to desperately pull at his ankles. He flexed his toes as frantically as he could until the spider gave the web surrounding his phalanges a sturdy tug. The web pulled his toes until they were taut and totally exposed.

“No!!” Sans cried frantically tugging at his immobile toes. “No! Get away! Get away from my toes! Don’t even touch my to—OHOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHAHA!! NOHOHOHO!! STAHAHAHAHAP!!”

Sans was instantly thrown into a fit of frenzied laughter. The soft feathery webbing weaved back and forth between his toes causing wave after wave of the horrific ticklish sensation, and there was nothing Sans could do to make it stop.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!! PLEHEHEHEASE!! PLEHEHEASE NOHOHOHO!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Sans desperately pleaded, not just for the tickling to stop, but also for himself not to let go of Papyrus. He could feel his sweaty palms starting to steadily lose their grip on his brother’s ankle. His body wanted so desperately to free his hands and curl in on himself, as if that would somehow make his ordeal more bearable. But despite this feeling, he still squeezed hard onto his brother, refusing to succumb to his own desperation.

Papyrus breathed in deeply, manically searching his Soul for a spark. Any kind of manifestation of power no matter how deeply it was buried. He felt his mind grow tired the more he searched, but he kept the image of Sans’s frantic face lodged in his mind’s eye as motivation to keep going. It seemed to go on and on forever, until at last he felt something.

He wasn’t even sure if it was a proper spark at all, it was so frail, so pathetic. It hardly qualified as any source of redeemable magic at all. But it was all he had to go on. So without wasting any time, Papyrus poured all of his concentration into manifesting this tiny half-spark.

Real tears of panic started pouring from Sans’s sockets, he realized with absolute horror that his grip on Papyrus was visibly slipping. No matter how tightly both hands clasped around his brother, it was no use. The unending laughter was draining away at his strength and sanity. The tickling was too much, it wasn’t stopping. It was completely terrifying to wonder just how much longer it was going to go on. He couldn’t take anymore of it, he was going to lose his brother. He was going to drop him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Sans laughter intermixed with heartfelt sobs as he kept pleading for the torture to end.

Papyrus felt the spark starting to grow. Within moments, it manifested into a whole spark, nothing big or fancy, but it was enough for him to bring it to life in his fingertips. Papyrus felt his bones growing weak and exhausted, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up this concentration for very much longer. It was now or never! He snapped the spark from his fingers.

A single bone appeared in midair, right next to his face. Papyrus’s jaw dropped in shock, he nearly lost control over it in an instant. Immediately regaining his magic before that could happen, he clenched his fist, sending the special attack up towards Sans’s feet. It took some coordination, but Papyrus managed to place the construct exactly where he needed it to be.

The bone reared back just above Sans’s soles. Papyrus gritted his teeth, it was the only plan he could think of to save Sans. While he was certain this was going to help rescue them both, he knew that this was going to hurt … a lot.

“Sorry about this, Brother!”

WHACK!

The construct came down fast and hard onto the soles of Sans’s feet. In an instant the unbearable tickling sensations were replaced with a sharp stinging pain that practically electrified his bones from the shock.

“OWW!” Sans cried out.

He wiggled his feet to the best of his ability while blinking the tears away. While his feet throbbed in pain, he was surprisingly grateful to be feeling that sensation as opposed to the tickling. He greedily swallowed large breaths of air, readjusting himself to keep holding onto Papyrus.

“I … I did it!” Papyrus cheered. “I cast magic! Just like you, Sans!”

He felt for the spark again, but found with dismay that it had gone just as quickly as it had appeared. He looked up to see the bone itself was resting on the branch. Though he no longer had any telekinetic control over it, he was somewhat grateful to see that it had not also disappeared with his magic.

“Yeah … y-you did … good, bro,” Sans panted heavily. Shaking the last of the tears away from his cheeks.

“Is.… Is it gone?” Papyrus muttered, noticing that Sans had not resumed laughing.

Sans felt around his feet. The pain from the special attack had started to fade and he was half-expecting to feel the sensation of a squished spider on his soles. But he couldn’t feel anything different. He was starting to think that perhaps the attack had left his feet feeling numb. Until he noticed something coming down from the branch.

It was a little green spider flowing downwards from a tiny string of web. It was much tinier than Sans had expected, maybe about an inch in length. It had long spindly legs, much like other spiders. With little black speckles decorating each leg alongside tiny tufts of hair that resembled feather-fluff. Its thorax wasn’t plump like most spiders, it was actually elongated coming to a defined point at the end where the web was coming out. As the arachnid floated closer to Sans’s face, he noticed that it was wearing a little blue top hat, giving him a rather adorable appearance, at least for a spider.

“Well hello there, fellas!” The spider spoke with a vague Southern accent in what was clearly a male’s voice. “I’m real sorry about that, I didn’t realize I was trying to make a new home out of your feet.”

“Wait … what?” Sans put aside the fact that this spider was speaking to try and understand just where he was coming from.

“Well you don’t see feet of all things hanging around in trees, I just assumed you were a new form of plant or something,” the spider explained. His tone was light and friendly, unlike the majority of creatures the brothers had encountered while being here.

“You mean, you weren’t trying to t … tickle us?” Papyrus stammered. His tone was heavy with hesitation, afraid that he might give this new creature ideas.

“Oh no! I was only looking for a new place to put my web, honest!" The spider put one of his many legs over his chest, as a sign of crossing his heart.

“Wait a minute….” Sans lowered his brows in suspicion. “You weren’t trying to tickle us? Then why did you keep going, couldn’t you hear us laughing?”

“This is LaughterLand, sir,” the spider replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Laughter is just one of those sounds that you hear all the time here.”

“And you’re not interested in laughter because…?” Sans still wasn’t buying it. Something about this still wasn’t adding up.

“Oh that’s a common misconception about this place,” the spider continued to explain. “While laughter is a main source of food for most critters around these parts, it’s not the ONLY source of food.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sans asked dryly.

“Well, creatures like me don’t usually consume laughter. Our diet mostly consists of clouds, snow, thunderstorms … natural elements like that.”

“Wait, so there are more creatures like you out there?” Papyrus asked, starting to grow excited. “Creatures that WON’T tickle us to feast on our laughter?”

“Well, sure!” replied the spider. “Although you’ll have a heck of a time finding them, I guarantee they’re out there.”

“Sans! We should find these creatures and take refuge with them!” Papyrus declared. He started to swing excitedly back and forth, causing Sans to strain while holding onto him.

“Pap! I doubt that a bunch of little spiders are gonna protect us from Ghost Kids and a giant Tickle Monster….” He awkwardly looked back at the spider. “Uh … no offense.”

“None taken!” The spider replied cheerfully. “I don’t know what other non-laughter-eaters are out there, but I do know it’s not just us.”

“Well, as tempting as it is to wander around this dangerous place aimlessly searching…,” Sans answered with a hint of sarcasm. “We really need to get out of this tree and try to find our way home.”

“Oh you’re stuck?” the spider asked, sounding surprised. “Well why didn’t you just say so?” He turned and started crawling back up his little string. To the brother’s surprise, he lifted up Papyrus’s bone construct with ease, despite it nearly being a hundred times his size.

“With the help of this do-hicky, I’ll have you boys out of here in a jiffy!”

He began lowering down a much thicker string of web, it reached all the way down to Papyrus.

“Grab onto that and hold tight!” the spider instructed.

Papyrus complied, holding tight to the little web. He was surprised to find that it wasn’t sticky like normal spider webs, and despite it being so small, it actually felt quite sturdy.

The little spider dug the bone construct in between the branch and Sans’s right foot. He strained and pulled to pry the branch apart. To Sans’s utter shock, he could feel the sturdy branch starting to give way. Eventually he opened the gap enough for him to pull his foot out completely.

Once his ankle was free, the little spider moved onto the left ankle. Sans barely had time to completely register what happened before he felt gravity swiftly take hold of his body once his ankle was freed. He dropped like a stone down through the air before the momentum swung both brothers right-side-up with Papyrus clinging to the web and Sans clinging to Papyrus.

“Okay, now climb up!” called the spider.

Not questioning a thing, the skeletons hurriedly climbed up the web like it was a rope. Their heads ached and spun from finally being upright again. Neither of them realized how much the magic had flowed into their heads from being upside-down for so long. Thankfully it didn’t take long for the dizziness to pass, and soon both brothers were sitting comfortably next to the spider on the branch.

“Boy, am I glad that’s over,” Sans muttered, rubbing his temples.

“Me too.” Papyrus turned to the little spider. “Thanks so much Mr. … uh….”

“Oh just call me ‘Sky’, everyone does, on account of the fact that I’m a Sky Spider.” Sky tipped his little top hat like a proper gentleman.

“Thank you, Mr. Sky!” replied Papyrus happily. “My brother and I are grateful for your assistance.”

“My pleasure!” Sky replied, sticking his hat back on his head. “Now you just lemmie know if I can help you boys out in any way I can.”

Sans sighed deeply as he looked out at the colorful trees. Nothing at all looked familiar, and as strange as it was, he longed to see anything from the Underground.

“Well, it would be great if you could point us to a way out of this place,” he replied glumly. Knowing that it was pretty much useless to ask.

“Well….” Sky thought about it for a moment. “I might not know where the two of you came from, but I’ll betcha I can send you on a trip that might just take you out of here.”

“Really?” Papyrus answered, sounding hopeful.

“Well sure! I can’t guarantee you’ll end up back where you came from. But if you travel for long enough you can at least make it out of LaughterLand.”

Sans sighed, as much as he didn’t trust anybody in the crazy place, the offer did sound appealing. Especially if it meant an end to all of this merciless tickling. Papyrus looked at him hopefully, obviously wanting him to take the deal.

“Well … I guess it’s better than nothing,” he admitted. “So, what do we have to do?”

“Well, first I need to secure you both to a seatbelt,” Sky replied, stringing out another thick thread of web from his thorax.

He fastened it into a loop and instructed both brothers to tie it around their waists like a lasso. The skeletons obliged, and the web was tied around both of their spines holding them together.

“Alright, now I just gotta catch your ride!” Sky grabbed the other end of the web and started to climb up to the top of the tree. He peeked his head out over the leaves, looking up towards the fast-moving clouds.

“I really hope this works,” Sans muttered. “I’m not sure how many more surprises I can take.”

Papyrus nodded in agreement before turning his head to look up at Sky. The little green spider had tied the other end of the web into a real lasso and was swinging it far up over his head.

“Oh! Mr. Sky!” Papyrus called. “I had almost forgotten to ask you! Why are you called a ‘Sky Spider?’”

In an instant, Sky threw the lasso up into the air. The web wrapped itself around a large puffy cloud zooming off into the distance. Both brothers let out terrified screams as their bodies were yanked out of the tree and taking off high into the sky. Neither one could believe their sockets, they were strung up to a cloud of all things! Traveling at an unexpected speed high up over the forest and across the air.

They both looked down at the tree where they had been trapped, hoping to see Sky waving at them. But the little Sky Spider as well as the tree itself were quickly disappearing from view as their makeshift cloud carriage carried them off.

***

“For … crying out loud … S1!” Gaster groaned as he attempted to lift Sans’s unconscious body back onto the table.

“I told you … to restrain yourself … with the … ketchup!”

He silently cursed himself for letting his eldest creation become too big-boned and lazy. It took so much more effort than he had expected, but with his strength nearly to the point of giving out, he finally managed to lift the older skeleton back onto the table with a CRASH!

Gaster panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow. He leaned himself backwards in an attempt to crack the kinks out of his back. Grateful to finally have Sans back in place, he wearily glanced over at the table expecting to find both brothers in their places.

Sans was successfully placed back on the table, however, Gaster had handled him so roughly with this transportation that he had accidentally knocked Papyrus off of his table. The younger skeleton laid upside-down on the floor with his feet leaning against the table.

Gaster groaned deeply while massaging his temples. Looking after these two was so much more work than he bargained for. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure this experiment that just kept going more wrong.

As he shut his eyes to take in another deep breath, he failed to notice Papyrus’s magic starting to flare up. A single bone construct appeared directly over the scientist’s head, surprising him with a sudden drop.

WHACK!

[heartbreakprincehbk]

could you write a kerry von erich dating head cannon? i love your stuff

thank you friend! ❤️

Kerry is literally the sweetest person alive. The biggest softest teddy bear with so many hidden qualities.

Kerry would know you from childhood and he probably would have fallen for you in 2nd grade and never let go.

All throughout school he would have been painfully shy around you if you had classes or interacted. He would admire you from afar, never quite able to get you out of his mind.

Once you and Kerry were in high school, he started to get a LOT of attention from girls, naturally. Like his brothers, he was a star athlete with great prospects. Still, he only ever really had eyes for you.

His brothers found out when they found his attempts at poetry in one of his notebooks addressed to you. As a joke, David took the poem and stuck it in your locker and signed Kerry’s name on it.

When Kerry found out, his heart stopped. He figured he would have to move out of the state rather than ever face you again.

You knew Kerry and his family and always thought they were kind, but you never would have guessed homecoming king Kerry was actually in love with you. So, the sweet poem felt more like a prank, no matter how much it made your heart skip a beat.

I love the sound of your voice/ And the way you smile too/ If I never saw your face again/My heart would go blue/ You make my knees go weak/ And my heartbeat race/ If there were a contest for your love/ I would fight for 1st place/ I dream of you and me/ I hope it’s meant to be

The next day at school, any time Kerry sees you, he practically runs the other way. Finally, you’re able to corner him after a class together.

“I’m sorry,” he tells you immediately, before you can say anything. “It was just a joke from my brothers, they thought it would be funny. They were just messin’ around.” “Oh. That’s too bad, it’s really good.” “Wait, really?”

You were his first love and he was yours. You were both each other’s first everything. Then high school graduation came along, and Kerry went off to Houston while you went your own way. Life went on, and you accepted the circumstances that took you on separate paths and told yourself if it was meant to be, it would happen.

Eventually, now into adulthood, you ended up back in your hometown to watch the old WCCW show. You knew Kevin and David were beginning to make quite a name for themselves, but you didn’t realize Kerry was also quickly following in their footsteps.

You hesitated to even approach him, watching girls throw themselves at him. It was just like high school and every girl wanting him, but 10x worse. Finally, you mustered up the nerve to stick around after the show, waiting out back with other people who tried to snag autographs.

Kerry and his brothers were leaving together, bags shouldered and ready to sign autographs. You waited near the back of the crowd, and when Kerry reached you, he didn’t even look up.

“What do you want me to sign?” He asked, pen outstretched and ready and head down. Your sweaty hand was clutching his old poem from years ago, retrieving it from where it had resided safely in your wallet for years.

“How about this?” You offered. His eyes read over the poem before they widened in shock and he looked up at you quickly. His bag dropped as he lifted you quickly into his arms.

The two of you picked up where you left off.

Kerry can get a little jealous, which you find ridiculous considering the shoes you’re in. If he sees a guy talking to you at one of his shows, he’s sure to take his ring jacket off more meaningfully and flex as often and casually as he can. In public with you, he’ll always be touching you somehow—an arm around the shoulder, holding your hand, pulling you on his lap.

He likes it when you spend time with him while he works out. He enjoys your company always, but he likes to impress you with his strength, and he thinks it’s fun to see all the things he can do with you, like push-ups while you sit on his back.

One of his hobbies is photography. You bought him his first camera in high school, and now, you got him an even fancier one. You’re his muse. He takes candid photos of you constantly and has you pose as well. “Oh, baby, you look so pretty today. Let me take your picture.”

You are Doris and Fritz’s favorite. They can see you’ve always made a positive impact on Kerry and like that you’ve been around the family for so long; you’re not an outsider. His brothers treat you like family too.

Kerry gets a lot of pride being seen with you and being with you. He talks about you constantly to anyone and everyone, to the point that the entire locker room knows you before even meeting you. Even Ric Flair knows who you are.

Kerry carries a picture of you in his wallet so you’re always with him when he travels. He’s always quick to take it out and show people. He has pictures of you and you two together everywhere, like the visor in his truck.

He often brings up the future to you, sometimes staying awake late just dreaming and planning out the life he wants the two of you to have.

“Kerry, you have a title match tomorrow, honey. We don’t have to worry about what color we should paint our future kitchen right now.” “You’re right, but I’m still leaning towards some kind of green.”

Kerry is great at randomly buying flowers for no reason and surprising you at the best times.

He plans to propose to you as soon as he can think of the most romantic way to do it. He carries your ring on him for months, nervously waiting and driving himself crazy trying to find the perfect moment.

Finally, one night he’s sitting at the kitchen table all alone, unable to sleep. He has the ring box on the table, and he’s inspecting the ring in his hand under the light when you walk in. He nearly fell out of his chair, not expecting to see you.

“…You weren’t supposed to see that.” He manages to get out before you let out a laugh and fly into his lap. “Yes!” You say as you hug his neck and he immediately puts the ring on your finger.

[rubykgrant]

I should actually like. Write it all out as a story, but I don't have the strength for that... but a funny thing in my scenario where the younger rookie Grif and Simmons get time-traveled to a future (that takes place in the eventual plot of my bigger story-line) where they see their older selves together in a relationship, and just HATE that. The older guys take it with some good humor, they remember being Like That, it's fine... the funny part is, while younger Dexter still thinks the Dick he knows is a dick (and a dork), he gets an EMBARRASSING crush on older Simmons. Which, Grif notices, and explains to his Simmons-

"I maybe kinda had a thing for older dudes when I was his age. Not WAY older, I never had a crush on a teacher or somebody's dad, but some of my friends' older brothers? Yeah. I dunno, I thought they all seemed cooler and chill, and like- obviously more mature, but I thought that actually meant they wouldn't be annoying little jack-asses like everybody I went to school with. But they were still annoying jack-asses, who just happened to be a couple years older than me. That's why I didn't even date guys until I was done with high school. I also liked cute nerds. So, you're like ALL of his types, but he's still stuck at the age when I thought all guys were jerks and I was also a jerk, so I decided to avoid guys for the rest of my life. He's gotta be MISERABLE..."

Meanwhile, Dick is absolutely having a CRISIS about the older Grif; he's supposed to like girls, and girls are supposed to be "beautiful", right? So why does this DUDE look beautiful, but also still absolutely looks like a man, he's strong and handsome, and that's what a man is "supposed" to be, right? How can somebody be beautiful and handsome, with curves and muscles, strong and soft, with really nice hair, and a really nice smile, and a really nice laugh, and just a little bit of facial hair that actually looks more rugged than scruffy, Dick didn't think he'd be into that but- BUT HE ISN'T! Girls. Girls? (Simmons also notices this, and he tries really hard to kind of be encouraging without sounding too high-and-mighty, like "I know you because you're ME, so the way you feel doesn't matter, eventually you'll feel the same as I do", that wouldn't help. Simmons just lets Dick know, his life isn't some "cure of inevitable fate", and there isn't anything wrong with how he feels. When he gives his younger self a hug, it feels like a moment that SHOULD be between a father and son, but in both the past and the future, their dad wouldn't do something like this... so, that part is less funny, more bitter-sweet)

[mourninglamby]

MOTHPOOL AU SPIEL

more info abt my mothpool wc au beneath da cut

info for the au (also lionbranch is a stand in name im using while i try to figure out a better name lmfao. its puzzling me a lot. im torn between lionfern, lionburr, and lionlily)

lionbranch is much more involved in the dark forest plot since he is lacking powers. when he sees ivypool there for the first time, he becomes much more wary and they bond while lionbranch tries to deprogram her as well as himself

dovewing is thought to be the third cat because she can still hear and smell from very far away. this isnt the same as the books tho. she cant see visions from far away like w/ the beavers. but regardless, after lionbranch (in this au) flees after he is found out for working with the dark forest (albeit not loyally, instead trying to protect ivypool), holly and jay are desperate for answers and overlook ivypool

ivypool has lionbranch's strength, but since she was lead to believe she doesnt have powers, she is merely seen as a capable warrior. while lion is self exiled, he realizes very quickly that she is the third cat.

jayflight is not a reincarnation of jays wing. he is a reincarnation of moth flight . she follows him like a ghost, though, and can talk to him as if they were two different cats. jayflight can dreamwalk in this au (STILL DISABLED THO, NO WEIRD FAITH HEALING SHIT), and thru moth flights dreams, he sees her life and learns the meaning of the prophecy: the code must change so that medicine cats have more freedom, as well as allow mixed clan relationships. Only then will they come together.

hollyflame sees visions of either a future just out of context, or vivid and jarring flashes of other places in the forst in current time if she touches objects theyve touched (kinda like jays stick but more broad. example would be holly touches some wood that came from the dam from the beavers and sees them)

that being said, sol is in this au toooo. holly still has a big arc surrounding her mental health and her devotion to the clan. she relies very heavily on her visions, but once sol comes and predicts the eclipse before her, she's distraught, and every vision becomes taunting and deceitful as she slowly loses faith in starclan.

the fire scene is much more chaotic. hollyflame is plagued with visions every time the fire touches her, and she can barely see. her and jayflight are stuck with lion as ashfur confronts them and squirrelflight. the second squirrelflight says they arent her kits, moth flight appears to help jayflight and hollyflame out. hollyflame, at the same instant, stops having rapidfire vision zaps, and instead is just cold and stony, both in shock from the fire and the confession.

lion however stays behind! as ashfur begins to taunt squirrelflight cruelly, he leaps at him, and pins his former mentor down. lion is adament that even if he wasnt squirrelflights kit by blood, she is the best mother any cat could have, and if ashfur wanted to hurt her, lion would put his dark forest teachings to use.

hollyflame, jayflight, AND lion (if i were to write these as books, each would get a chapter where its implied they snuck off after vague thoughts) all kill ashfur. hollyflame is the one to give the killing blow, though, which jayflight and lion both take note of.

however, ashfur had already told firestar about lion training in the dark forest, despite him realigning his loyalties at this point.

hollyflame is really fucked up at this point. her parents arent her parents, her brother was training in the dark forest, and she hasnt had a vision since the fire.

ok more to come but thats awl for now ... all of this is still kinda being roughed out soooo may change later on but if i do comics im gonna refer to this post as a kind of overview of a lot of major changes :3

[mymelodymia]

"Powers?" Pt 2 Dad!Tony stark x daughter!reader

Summary: you find out you have powers.

Warnings: some cursing, blood,

Picking up right were we left of...

+•°+*°•++•°+*°•+

Bruce stuck the needle through the arm that was affected by the liquid, bruce took a blood sample to study, to make sure you were okay. He took another sample from the other arm, as he was looking at it under a microscope, he noticed something different.

He saw that the blood from your affected arm looked different from the blood on your other arm, he saw small, iddy bitty blue specks, it looked just like the liquid, he wasn't surprised because it had clearly entered your blood stream, he also noticed that your white blood cells had been activated, that hadn't surprised him either, but what did surprise him was the fact that it was merging with your blood cells, that definitely wasn't normal.

"Hey tony, come look at this" bruce said to tony, clearly confused

"Look, this is the blood from y/n's unaffected arm, and this" bruce paused to switch the microscopes out

"Is the blood from her other arm."

"The hell?" Tony whispered, "what seems to be the liquid is merging with her red blood cells" bruce explained to tony who had his eyebrows scrunched in confusion

"It shouldn't be doing that" tony said standing back up, "I'll go check on her." Tony said before walking out of the room, he was worried, scared, and confused, he didn't want anything to happen to you, you were his baby girl, only 12 years old, he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt you.

+•°+*°•+

Tony walked in, and came to sit down next to you, trying to hide his nerves. You set your book down on your lap, waiting for him to speak

"Hey hun, how you feeling?" Tony asked hoping you didn't say anything that could put you in danger, or anything to do with your arm

"Yeah im fine, but my arm feels kinda funny" you said lifting your arm up slightly, tony let out a shuddered breath, though he tried to hide it, you caught on quickly

"Whats wrong dad?" you asked starting to feel nervous, then you reached for your dads hand, that's when he broke,

"So you know how you were exposed to that blue stuff"

Nodding, you urged him to continue

"So it has entered your blood stream, and is merging with your red blood cells" you looked at tony with wide eyes, slightly starting to panic, thats when bruce walked in, taking off his plastic gloves,

Upon seeing you looking quite spooked he quickly realized that tony had already told you. "Your gonna be fine kid, dont worry"

NEXT DAY

The last few days tony was very stressed, despite bruces attempts to calm tony, it never worked 🫥

"Hey uh bruce-"

"If this is about y/n again shes going to be fine" bruce responded in a flat tone. Tony went to check on you but you were napping, so he went to the couch, where he had tons of flashbacks to the day this all this started, how scared he was, how scared he still was, so he went to his bedroom, his bedroom was yalls safe spot, kind of the only place you two could have some father-daughter time without someone interrupting,

bruce said you could leave the medbey today given that the only thing stopping you was that you couldn't really get up. Like when your sick, how you don't feel the strength to get up, it had nothing to do with your arm or your blood, you just sat there for so long, that you didn't feel like you had the strength, but you did.

When you woke up you went back to reading, bruce walked in at one point, and you asked the question,

"Bruce"

"Yeah"

"Can i come out of the medbey now?" You asked twirling your fingers together, bruce just smiled, took out your IV, and any other wires you were hooked up to, and helped you up, you did a few laps around the room to get used to walking again, then walked out, you were still wearing the same clothes, so you went to your room to change.

After putting on fresh clothes you walked into the kitchen for a snack, where greeted by steve, nat, and thor all making lunch, while Thor was digging in the cabinets looking for pop tarts, nat was making a pb&j and Steve was reheating a taco.

"Hey guys" they all looked up at you, hugs all around, "you guys know where my dad is?" (Flashbacks anyone?)

"In his room I think" Steve replied and you were already bolting off to find him, knowing he'd be happy to see you were up,

"Damn she's running already" nat said with a small smile on her face

You knocked on your fathers door tony sighed thinking it was someone coming to comfort him, yes he was great full that they did this but it just became annoying,

"Look if your here to-" tony pausing upon seeing you in his doorway.

"Hi" you greeted him with a big smile on your face, and tony immediately took you in his arms, taking you in a big hug.

+•°+*°•+

You went to school the next day glad to be back, yes it's school but at least it wasn't the medbey. 🤷‍♂️

It was 2nd period when you heard some boys shit taking about your dad, this infuriated you, "he's just some lame old guy," the first boy said, "yeah his daughter's probably a freak too" that's when you broke. Your pencil went up in flames and went out as you dropped it in fear. The whole class was silent, so you ran, you ended up in a stall in the girls bathroom,

you pulled out your phone to text your dad, you were shaking so bad it took nearly 2 minutes to type 'hey can you pick me up' when he eventually got to the school, and saw you crying, he immediately swallowed you in a big hug, you told him the whole story on the way home.

A/N: ok I'm just gonna stop here, it's already long enough, a lot going on in this one 🫠 but I will make part three soon, so stay tuned <3

[pokeheadcannons97]

I think i speak for most scarlet and violet players when i say finding out about arvens dog so maybe arven with somebody who cried when they found out his dog was sick

"It's okay buddy... small bites. There ya go."

You watched silently, breath stilled when Mabosstiff gently chewed at the portioned sandwich from Arvens outstretched palm. Taking the time to do as his trainer instructed, and chew ever so slowly. Gently swallowing that bite and he took another one right after.

The dark type was so weak, so close to deaths door, you didn't understand how Arven had the mental strength to go through this.

Though the longer you pondered this, the clearer as the reason why he tried so hard became.

It's no wonder he's trying so hard to find these herba mysticas. That pokemon was his only family that stuck around. The only family member that didn't stay in their research lab instead of raising their son.

Your heart clenched painfully in your chest at the realization, almost too sad to bear. You could feel your eyes begin to fill themselves with tears and you took in a shaky breath.

Raidon murmured emphathetically at your discomfort and nuzzled their head against your head to provide you with some kind of comfort.

Arven made sure Mabosstiff had eaten his share of his food before returning his pokemon to his pokeball for rest. His familiar eyes that were now opened a wonderful sign.

He came to his knees before propping himself back onto a standing position, wiping the dirt off his hands from where he was on the ground.

A small hiccup echoed through out the small cave.

This caught Arvens' attention and he peered down at you. His questioning expression quickly contorting into a worried one laced with surprise.

"Hey, are you okay? Why... why're you crying little buddy?" He asked as he looked your form over, making his way quickly over to you and Raidon. "Wait, did you hurt yourself?" He asked, alarm causing his face to turn to panic as the overthinking began.

You shook your head, tears cascading down your face even more. "No... I'm not hurt. It's just..."

Your hands mindlessly stroked Raidons neck as they laid their head against your shoulder, chattering quietly. Trying to from proper sentences when you were crying was hard.

"I feel so bad for you and for Mabosstiff..." you cried pathetically, your voice coming out small and meek. "I couldn't imagine if my pokemon got so hurt... and Mabosstiff is your family." You added and peered up at his cerulean orbs with your own. "I can't imagine how much pain this is for you. I'm so sorry."

Arven tried several times to from his reply but each time got stuck in his throat as he listened to your display of empathy to him.

Of all people he couldn't wrap his head around. We're you crying over him and Mabosstiff? This was his problem, you shouldn't be crying over him.

You were the one who so graciously accepted his offer to hunt down these herbs and now that they were working, he knew there was a chance. But the display of emotions unnerved him somewhat. He wasn't used to seeing someone get concerned over his behalf. It felt alien, felt off...but.

"Y/N... I..." He spoke quietly.

It also felt like for the first time in his life someone cared. Cared about himself, and about Mabosstiff. And if he was selfish to admit it...it felt comforting.

He carefully placed his larger hand on your shoulder and you looked up at him. "Thank you for worrying about me, and Mabosstiff, but please. Don't be upset, the herbs are working, we know that now." He began with a small smile on his face, eyes kind. "Were so close, do you think we can stick this out together, little buddy?"

Your eyes filled up with even more tears threatening to fall as you nodded. "Absolutely, for both you," you brought your hand and placed it on top of Mabosstiffs pokeball in Arvens hand. "And Mabosstiff."

Arven's eyes pricked slightly at the display but he quickly blinked it away as not to cause you more concern.

"Thank you so much, Y/N."