#and it shocked ME that they responded that way because... i thought... logic puzzles... were fun

[artykyn]

Me: I’m going back to school and switching careers to programming

My coworkers who I had for 8 months: Oh :/ such a shame that you’re leaving tissue culture :/ it’s so hard to find people with good TC skills :/ why programming though?? So random

My previous boss at a TC company who I worked with for 4.5 years and who I still keep in touch with: Yeah that tracks. You’ll be great at that.

[phr3ia]

Fragmented Glass (Satoru Gojo x Fem!Reader) [Chapter 6 : Lost

Satoru watched as you left, his heart suddenly feeling hollow. "Why is this happening? Was it just because I had been caught, or was there more to it?" He started questioning himself.

Standing in the doorway, he closed his eyes for a moment as he sank into a deep reflection. He realized, for the first time, that he had genuinely grown fond of you. This was something he never expected, and his mind reeled at the thought.

His methods had seemed humorous and harmless in the beginning. But, with time, they had attracted genuine concern and affection for you. He hadn't meant to fall into this trap of becoming attached.

He didn't know how to deal with these feelings. He was used to being in control at all times. However, with you, the tables had turned. You had a way of throwing him off, of confusing his typically logical mind, and he liked it.

Suddenly, Satoru felt a gnawing emptiness, his ego briefly forgotten. He found himself berating himself for not realizing these emotions sooner. He should have been more honest with you, tried to understand you, perhaps help you in a genuine way.

Instead, he had treated you as though you were a puzzle to solve. Now, he had lost you, and it weighed heavily on his conscience.

Satoru's chest tightened. The realization that he could have lost something truly precious hit like a tidal wave, crashing upon the shores of his indifference. In that single moment, he knew. He had miscalculated, and it was time to fix his mistake. But would you forgive him for his mistakes? Regardless, he was determined to try.

With this newfound clarity, Satoru picked himself up, resolve forming in his eyes. He would devise the perfect way to win you back, not as a chess piece to be manipulated or a puzzle to be solved, but as a partner, someone he truly cared for. He didn't want to lose you after finally understanding the value of human connections, the simple beauty of an unforced bond.

With renewed purpose, Satoru was ready to erase his past mistakes. He wanted you to see the real him, the man that lay hid. No more lies, no more deceit and no more pretenses.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

[Jujutsu High - Satoru's Office]

"Gojo Sensei, are you alright?" Itadori questioned, a frown creasing his forehead. "You've been out of it lately."

Nobara's eyes narrowed as she chimed in. "Yeah, you look lost in thought. What's keeping your mind occupied? It's not like I give a shit or something, but it's badly affecting your lectures."

Satoru tapped his fingers on his desk, sizing up the students, and then decided to play dumb.

"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about the mission I did a few months ago." he responded, eyes shifting to avoid their gaze.

"Missions?" Nobara snorted, her voice laced with skepticism. "I doubt that. You're looking extra stupid today, Sensei."

"Gojo Sensei." Itadori interjected, "Is there something you'd like to share with us? I mean, we're your students."

Nobara scoffed, adding fuel to the fire. "Aye, while you're at it, you can share with us why you're married and never bothered to mention it. We found out from Maki-Senpai this morning."

"Oh, I'm aware that Sensei is married! Sensei and I went to, uh, stalk his wife last month." Itadori said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Stalk?! Wait...What?! You knew and you didn't even bother telling me or Fushiguro about it?!" Nobara's face flushed with anger as she grabbed Itadori by the collar of his shirt and started shaking him.

"I'm aware about it for a year now." Megumi casually chimed in from the side, his eyes closed as he lay sprawled on the sofa.

"WHAT?!!!!" Nobara's gaze darted to Megumi, but before she could retort, Satoru spoke.

"She left me." Satoru mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"What?!" Itadori exclaimed, gum flying out of his mouth as he dropped his jaw in shock. Megumi's attention was immediately drawn to Satoru's words, causing him to sat up on the sofa.

"Stupid! How did you manage to upset her?" Itadori asked.

"It's... complicated." he said, frowning.

Itadori and Nobara exchanged a glance, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Satoru sighed, running his fingers down his chin. "I used the wrong means to win her over."

Nobara propped her chin up with one hand, "Gojo-Sensei, you're not yandere enough. You don't understand romance. You need to court her like you'd court a villain."

Satoru gaped at her, astonished. "That's not romance!"

"Nobara's got a point, though. Romance isn't a game. Sounds like you treated her like a mission you needed to complete." Itadori commented.

Itadori gave Nobara the rundown on what happened last month, including the current state of Satoru's relationship with his wife.

"What kind of a psycho stunt is that, man?" Nobara's eyes widened slightly.

Itadori shrugged at her. "He said he wants to learn more about her, get closer to her....get her to like him or something like that."

Nobara scoffed. "Who the hell does that? You can't force anyone to like you. It's supposed to grow naturally."

"Dude...You must have felt so pathetic when she found out. You need something epic, man. Something that will make her fall for you instantly."

"Epic?" Satoru raised an eyebrow, as he contemplated the suggestion.

"Ah!!!! A serenade would do wonders. Not your usual nursery rhymes. Do it from the rooftops of Jujutsu High." Itadori exclaimed with a beaming smile.

"What kind of a stupid suggestion is that?" Nobara rolled her eyes at him. "You know what? Just forget about epic. Just forget about everything. Listen to your heart, Gojo-Sensei. Be genuine, and do what you feel is right. A genuine heart is not something you can manufacture. It has to come from within."

Itadori nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, Nobara's onto something. Being genuine is the best way to win her back. Just be yourself!"

Satoru chewed on that thought for a moment, then grinned. "Alright, I'll do it my own way. Thanks for the advice, everyone."

Nobara stood. "Alright, class dismissed. And Gojo-senpai, no taking advantage of us offering you relationship advice now."

Itadori and Megumi stood, bidding their farewells. As the door shut behind them, Satoru leaned back on his chair, a sense of relief filling him as he contemplated the fresh start that lay ahead.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

[Satoru's House - A week later...]

Satoru anxiously paced back and forth in his living room, his phone ringing again, displaying your number. Despite his nerves, he kept calling you, hoping against hope that he'd hear from you again.

"Y/N, it's been a week. Are you okay?" His voice was tense, reflecting his worry.

There was no answer. Only the automated notification beeping in his ears. With a sigh, Satoru slid his phone onto the couch beside him, staring at one particular spot on the wall, willing it to offer him answers. Each minute felt like an eternity.

Managing to compose himself, he slipped on his jacket and set out to search for you.

Satoru had spent the past hour driving from place to place, trying to recall where you would normally go. He kept doing this for a week now, trying to search for you using his "Six Eyes".

He grappled with the question of whether or not the higher-ups had caught words of your decision to end the marriage. He knew that it was quite possible that they had their eyes and ears everywhere-no rumor escaping their notice. Yet, in this case, he doubted they were aware. If they did, he would have received word from them by now. They wouldn't let such an arrangement fall apart without pulling strings, without raising a fuss, or worse, using a bargaining chip.

Satoru knows you're strong, you're a Special Grade Sorcerer after all. But against unknown foes, would that really be enough? His mind whispered, "What if she's hurt?"

He checked places you often visits, whether it was the library, the park, or the small cafés. He felt utterly powerless and unwilling to let you slip further from his grasp, both figuratively and literally.

Not until when it was midnight when he faintly sensed your cursed energy, a small flicker on the horizon of his perception. It was distant and growing weaker, indicating that whoever or whatever was near you was draining your power.

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

End of Chapter 6 🥀...

@kalopsia-flaneur @thatmartinkitten @staruus @miizuzu

[bbangsoonie]

backdoor

member: jaehyun (hyunjae) genre: fluff (requested) word count: 3,120 synopsis: jaehyun has always been your rival. so when he bets that he could make you fall for him, you can’t back down and say no. but when you’re too confident, you let your guard done.

backdoor: a term used in league of legends; when you secretly attack the enemy’s nexus while they’re focused elsewhere. this is done by sneaking into the enemy base and taking them by surprise

Lee Jaehyun was the cockiest and most annoying person you had ever met. You would think that growing up as childhood “friends” would make you two close. After all, your parents were best friends with his parents.

But no, you and Jaehyun had been rivals ever since you were both enrolled into a tennis club as young children. You always had the upper hand until he suddenly hit puberty and became a lot more physically fit than you. Once he started beating you in nearly every match, he became your #1 enemy.

He had always been super competitive and made everything into a contest. Who could run to the car faster? Who could receive a higher score on the exam? Who could make the other lose their temper first?

With high school came his sudden increase in popularity. It inflamed his ego to the max, which irked you to no end.

Every Valentine’s Day, he would brag about all the gifts and confessions he received. And every White Day, he would compare the numbers to yours.

He was loved by the girls for being a casanova and admired by the guys for his athleticism and gaming skills.

You, on the other hand, could not comprehend why the entire school was infatuated with him. You had your eyes on someone else. Kim Sunwoo. He had caught your attention since the first day of freshman year. Now, as a senior, you were about to graduate without ever making a move.

You were too shy to approach him. You couldn’t even find a common interest to naturally bring up and talk about. All he ever did was make music and play League of Legends.

So you found Jacob during lunch and practically begged him to teach you how to play the game.

“Please please please?” you whined.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I can’t,” Jacob said apologetically. “I have basketball practice every day. Besides, I haven’t played in almost half a year. I’m rusty.”

“I just need you to teach me the basics!”

“I’m sorry, Y/n.”

Sighing, you gave up and slumped in your seat. You poked at the food in front of you with a pout.

“Did I just hear the Y/n ask Jacob to teach her how to play League?” Jaehyun suddenly popped out of nowhere.

“Fuck off,” you rolled your eyes at him as you set your chopsticks down.

“You know, I’m the highest ranked player in our school,” he said smugly. You wanted nothing but to wipe that look off his face.

You ignored him and took a sip of your water. Jacob awkwardly glanced between you and Jaehyun as he tightly held onto his spoon. He could sense another argument coming.

“I can teach you if you want,” Jaehyun offered.

“I don’t want,” you coldly rejected.

“Of course you don’t,” he scoffed. “You’re too afraid to spend time with me because you might realize that you actually like me.”

“Oh please. There are a few things in this world that will never change. The sun rising from the east, the sun setting in the west, and my hatred for you,” you said.

“Well if you hate me that much, then let’s make a bet out of it. The first one to fall for the other’s seducing loses,” he smirked.

Still stuck in the middle, Jacob shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“You don’t have to accept the challenge if you’re not confident,” Jaehyun shrugged, making you narrow your eyes at him.

A list of pros and cons was being made in your head as you contemplated the crazy suggestion. The logical part of your mind wanted nothing to do with him. You knew that stooping down to his level was childish. You had much better things to do than go along with his bet.

The competitive part of you, however, couldn’t bear to back down. You would have to deal with him flaunting over you and calling you a coward if you didn’t agree to this.

So you disregarded all rationale and crossed your arms with a curt “deal”.

The walk to school the next day was full of complaints as you whined about falling for Jaehyun’s trick and Kevin chided you for it.

“I don’t know why you thought it would be a good idea,” Kevin tsk-ed. “He makes your blood boil within seconds. How are you going to hold back from tearing him apart? Never mind flirt with him.”

“I’m already regretting it,” you groaned.

“Speaking of the devil,” Jacob coughed, nudging you.

You looked up to see Jaehyun waiting by the school gates. He was holding a bouquet of flowers and every girl who passed by whispered to their friend about it. To everyone’s shock, he walked up to you and handed you the flowers.

“So it starts now?” you stared at the roses. “You call this seducing?”

“I call this romantic,” he grinned.

Rolling your eyes, you handed Kevin the bouquet and walked away. He awkwardly chased after you as Jacob offered Jaehyun a pat on the shoulder.

“She doesn’t like roses. She thinks they’re cliché,” he said before leaving.

When the dismissal bell rang, Jaehyun was waiting for you outside of your classroom. Hushed whispers erupted again as your classmates tried to figure out why he was being so affectionate to you. It was no secret that you two never got along.

After gathering your belongings, you grabbed your backpack and left without sparing him another glance. Unfazed, he easily caught up to you and slung his arm around your shoulder.

“What? Are you wavering already?” he teased.

“Not a chance,” you scoffed.

“As a part of the bet, I can teach you how to play League. That’s what you wanted anyway. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone.”

You ignored all the incredulous looks you received with Jaehyun by your side as you left the school grounds. You didn’t realize that you weren’t headed home until you stopped in front of a PC Room. Puzzled, you stared at the building in front of you.

“I promised that I’d teach you. Our first lesson starts today,” he said as he dragged you inside.

Your brain was bombarded with a whole new world. You struggled to keep up as he rambled on about bots and gold. He was showing you a demonstration by playing a round but your inability to multitask made it difficult to understand what was going on on the screen.

“My main is Jace and I usually go jungle,” he explained and you pretended to understand by nodding. At your silence, he eyed your expression and chuckled.

“So is Sunwoo the reason why you’re suddenly interested in League?” he asked, catching you off guard.

“How did you know?” you gaped.

“You thought I wouldn’t notice your little crush on him?” he raised a brow.

You were taken aback to say the least. You didn’t think he paid much attention to you other than when he was bored and wanted to mess around.

“Anyway, he usually goes mid as Zed,” he shrugged. “To be honest, the best way for you to bond with him through the game is for him to play ADC and for you to be support.”

“As if I know what all that means,” you frowned.

At that moment, his character died and the screen went gray. You snickered, earning a light flick on your forehead.

“ADC stands for attack damage carry. It’s the champion who usually does the most attacking. They go in the bottom lane with whoever’s playing support. Supports are supposed to aid and heal the ADC. So you would follow and communicate with them.”

“Sounds complicated,” your nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Sounds fun,” he corrected before turning back to the computer.

The next day, Jaehyun surprised you with a small potted plant in front of the gates.

“Since you don’t like roses, I got you a succulent instead,” he said proudly.

Next to you, Kevin giggled and Jacob let out a soft “aww”. Slightly touched yet also slightly embarrassed, you took it from him in a hurry and stormed off.

“You’re slowly getting there,” Jacob laughed as Kevin shot him a thumbs up.

Smiling, Jaehyun watched as they ran to catch up with you. He heard you yell at them after what was probably a teasing remark. You then began to chase Kevin, who ran away shrieking.

After two weeks of spending hours at the PC Room after school, you were starting to get a hang of the game. You found Teemo, who you insisted was a dog (he’s actually a rodent), and gushed over how cute he is.

Jaehyun made fun of your champion choice and shook his head as he explained that Teemo was the most hated character.

“Why? He’s adorable!” you defended. “And I love the little eggs he plants.”

“For the nth time, those are mushrooms! Not eggs,” he exclaimed. “And that’s exactly why everyone hates him. He’s so annoying.”

“You’re annoying,” you shot back.

“Well, Teemo’s not an option right now,” he pointed out.

He was teaching you how to play Howling Abyss that day. And playing ARAM meant your champion would be randomly given.

“Oh! The cute cat is available,” you excitedly clicked.

“That’s Yuumi and that’s actually not a bad choice,” he nodded in approval. “You just have to attach onto me and heal me.”

You hated to admit that you had grown closer with Jaehyun. Only a couple of weeks had passed by since the bet and you didn’t completely despise him anymore.

He gifted you something small each morning, whether it was a plant or piece of bread. He was always waiting for you at the gates. Dating rumors were already circulating the school but you hadn’t forgotten about the bet. You were determined to win it.

Which was why you began to wake up earlier to put on makeup and even complimented him during games. It was easy to make him smile. All you needed to do was throw a lame joke in here and there and he would burst out in laughter.

It was almost suspiciously easy. He was too willing to respond to your advances and never put up a wall.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t get on your nerves. His antics still bothered you to no end.

On the way home, he insisted on feeding you ice cream instead of having you hold it yourself. Except he kept pulling the spoon back when you opened your mouth to eat it.

The first time, you gave him a dirty look. The second time, you punched his arm. The third time, you gave him the finger and walked off after a “fuck you”.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” he laughed.

Once again, you were reminded of how immature he was.

“So has there been any progress?” Kevin asked.

It was gym period and all the students were running around in the field. Jacob was playing volleyball with Jaehyun while you and Kevin were sitting on the sidelines.

“I don’t know,” you shrugged.

“It would be the best enemies-to-lovers trope if you two actually end up dating like this,” he commented.

“Never,” you snorted in disbelief.

You had seen Jaehyun ever since he was a snotty little kid. Even back then, he was a mischievous brat. There was no way you could ever see him as anything but that.

The teacher blew his whistle, signaling the end of gym class. You got up, dusted your pants, and skipped down the steps. Unfortunately, you landed wrong and felt a sharp pain in your ankle as you fell down.

After Kevin shouted your name, Jaehyun turned his head to see you on the ground. Without thinking twice, he ran towards you and asked if you were okay. When you couldn’t reply, he put you on his back with Kevin’s help and sprinted to the nurse’s office.

Your heart was beating fast but you couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason why. Was it because of the pain? Or all the attention you were receiving from your classmates?

By the time you reached the office, your ankle was throbbing and swelling up. The nurse was nowhere to be seen so Jaehyun retrieved an ice pack himself and wrapped a towel around it before applying it.

You were sitting on a cot while he was bent down to tend to your wound. His forehead was wrinkled with worry and you stared at him. This was the first time he had ever treated you with such gentleness.

“I don’t think you broke anything but it’s definitely gonna hurt for at least a week,” he winced in vicarious pain.

You suddenly didn’t know how to act around him. You weren’t used to receiving sympathy from him.

“Uh that’s okay,” you coughed to cover up the awkwardness. You’d rather have him make fun of you for being clumsy. But instead, he seemed genuinely concerned for you.

“You should’ve been more careful,” he scolded.

There was something about the way he looked at you. His eyes were no longer playful but you couldn’t figure out what emotions hid behind those eyes.

Those eyes. His eyes clouded your mind. For some reason, you couldn’t get it out of your head.

You found yourself avoiding him as you struggled to organize your thoughts. Or rather, your feelings.

Wanting to distract yourself, you decided to finally talk to Sunwoo. Surely, spending time with him would help you forget about Jaehyun.

So you mustered up the courage to ask him out on a date. To your surprise, he happily agreed and suggested that you watch a movie together. There was a new romcom film that came out and that he had been wanting to watch.

The date wasn’t as awkward as you thought it would be. Sunwoo’s goofiness offset any nervousness and it was fun to be around him. But yet, it also wasn’t as heart fluttering as you thought it would be.

Perhaps you had idealized him too much in your imagination. Your romantic feelings for him dissipated and you saw him as a good friend. Luckily, he felt the same.

However, word about your date had already spread by the time you got to school on Monday. It had reached Jaehyun’s ears and his expression hardened when he saw you laughing with Sunwoo at lunch.

He knew what the ugly feeling in his stomach was. And he wasn’t happy about it. So he reacted in the only way he knew. By clinging to your side and pestering you.

He spent the whole day messing up your hair and being sarcastic. Eventually, you finally snapped and told him to piss off.

“I’ll consider it if you can beat me in tennis today,” he said.

You crossed your arms, wondering what was going on in his head. You hadn’t been able to defeat him since middle school.

“If you can get a single ball past me, I’ll leave you alone,” he proposed. With a huff, you reluctantly agreed. It would be faster to just get it over with.

That was how you two ended up at a tennis court after school. He never went easy on you but he was going especially hard that day. He gave you no breaks and flung the ball back at you with what felt like all his strength. Ball after ball flew past you as he grabbed another one to start again.

“What the hell, Lee Jaehyun?” you yelled across the court. “Why the fuck are you so aggressive today?”

“Are you giving up?” he taunted while bouncing the ball.

“Oh hell no,” you grumbled as you got in position.

Another half an hour passed by with him beating you again and again. You were drenched in sweat and starting to feel sore. But you refused to give him the pleasure of watching you admit defeat.

So you kept going until the ball accidentally hit your shoulder. The amount of force he put into that backhand made you yelp in pain as you dropped the racket.

Startled, Jaehyun ran over to make sure you were okay.

“You just can’t bear to see me win once, can you?” you glared as you shoved his hand away. “You turn everything into a competition and act like you’re superior over me.”

“I-I didn’t mean to do that,” his brows furrowed in guilt.

“Didn’t mean to do what? Make my childhood a living hell by ruining my favorite sport? Use my crush on Sunwoo to trick me into another stupid bet? Confuse me into thinking that you might actually not hate me?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Then why are you so clingy?”

“Because I like you!”

His words brought upon silence. The tension in the air was thick as you both stared at each other.

“You’re so dense,” he sighed. “I wanted your attention, okay? But back then, I was a kid and didn’t know how to stay by your side without annoying the hell out of you. And then I didn’t know how to transition out of that.”

He fidgeted with a loose string on his shirt and took a deep breath before continuing.

“This stupid bet was supposed to change our relationship. I was supposed to show you that I’m not as bad as you think I am. That I’m a guy too. That I’ve been in love with you for a whole decade now.”

To say you were surprised would be a massive understatement. All your life, you had been sure that Jaehyun’s purpose in life was to irritate you. So when your heart began to skip around him, you cursed yourself for giving into the hormones that made you see him in a different light. You never thought that the feelings would be reciprocated.

“You don’t feel the same way? At all?” he carefully asked.

Your mouth opened but no words came out. You couldn’t find the right words to answer his question.

“You’re not saying no,” the corners of his lips curved up.

He took a step closer to you and held your cheeks. You felt your heart race at the proximity and froze.

“For confirmation?” his lips ghosted over yours. You barely managed to nod slightly before he closed the gap between you two.

As cheesy as it sounded, you felt sparks fly the moment you had your first kiss. By the time he pulled away, you felt your cheeks heat up.

“So I guess that means I won the bet before it even began,” you joked, making him laugh.

“Yes, yes you did,” he smiled as he hugged you.

[whosscruffylooking]

Instinct Part One (Spencer Reid x Female Reader)

Warnings: Breif mention of assault, past abuse, bruising, and blood. That's about it.

this is a small series i’m going to make. this is a short introduction to a much bigger idea i have planning. i’m excited to share it!

The red lights flash, and sirens wail as emergency responders flood to the scene. I shiver as the paramedic places a shock blanket around my shoulders. A black SUV pulls up and three people who radiate FED energy jump out. I watch as the rather intimidating, tall and stoic driver delegates where his agents will go. He sends the pale, skinny one over to me. I chuckle, of course.

He rocks back and forth on his feet and holds his hand out to me, “I’m Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the FBI, Behavior Analysis Unit. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?” I nod, “I’m y/n.” He offers a light smile, “It's nice to meet you. I'm very sorry about what happened, and I know it's all just transpired, but can you walk me through what happened?”

I tell him about the man who posed as the apartment building’s handyman, “I knew I'd never seen him before and my instinct told me not to let him in, but I didn't listen. I usually never just let people into my apartment. The one time that I do, a man breaks in and attacks me. Thankfully I was able to grab the vase near the door and hit him over the head with it. It gave me just enough time to get down the hall where I ran into my neighbor. By the time we had called the police, and my neighbor went to look in my apartment, the man had gone out the window and down the fire escape.”

Spencer looks at me with kind eyes; most law enforcement goons are intimidating and are strictly business. They lack a certain sense of humanity. But not Spencer. Something about his presence is, reassuring, calming.

“Were you hurt badly?” he points to the bruising around my eye and my bloody lip. I touch the pads of my fingers to my cheek, feeling the warm, discolored skin, “Suprisingly, I've been dealt worse.”

He furrows his brow, a puzzled look that is all too common when I make such alluding statements. I shake my head, “The paramedics say the swelling will go down in the next 48 hours. My eye should be fine.”

“You know, despite the name, "black eye," the eye itself is rarely injured. Now, the tissues around the eye are what may be significantly affected. The skin around the eye is actually very loose, and there is mostly fat underneath it, and fluid accumulates easily in this area. Sometimes it can be your Injuries eyebrow, nose, and even your forehead area that's injured and can still result in black eyes because gravity drags the blood and inflammatory fluid into the soft tissues under and around the eyes.”

I tilt my head and smile slightly, wincing at the pain it shoots through my jaw, “So you really are a doctor?” “Oh no...not medical doctor at least. Although, I do know copious amounts of medical terms, facts, and remedies. You see I-”

“Spence? Did you get a description of the man? Is it our guy?” A woman with dark hair and beautiful, wide eyes approaches us.

“Oh well-”

“Actually, ” I chime in, “I was just about to give him the description. I had heard he was a doctor and had a question about my black eye which he so kindly answered for me. Sorry for the delay.”

“Not a problem. Actually, I was wondering if you might come back to the precinct with us. You might just be the key to solving this for us. I'm Agent Emily Prentiss by the way.”

“Yeah, I'll gladly come. Whatever you need to catch this sick son of a-”

“Bullpen. Now.” Count Dracula looking man in a bulletproof vest comes over.

My glance drifts to Spencer and he leans over to me to whisper, "That's Hotch. He's the Unit Chief. He's not prone to smiling."

"Chief of cynicism maybe..." I mumble. Spencer sniffles a chuckle and I do the same. We earn an intense glare from Captain Conundrum himself.

"We should probably go before I get you into trouble," I motion towards the car. The young brainiac nods in agreement and helps steady me, guiding me to the dark SUV.

Spencer's POV

In the car, I watch her as the street lights illuminate her feminine features, and the shadows mask her bruised skin. A pang of guilt rises in my chest. She has no clue what she's up against. No idea that we've been watching her for months now, studying her every move. She's completely unaware of the fact that I am so familiar with her profile, her behavior that I can become whatever is necessary to gain her trust.

This is normal. This is apart of my job. I can easily read people and deduce their motives. I thought when I arrived on the scene that I knew what I was dealing with. I was wrong. Sitting on the back of the ambulance with her proved that. Her mannerisms, her way of speaking, the emotions she portrayed were nothing like what I expected. I couldn't read her. And suddenly, I'm questioning all of the work I've done over these past few months. All that I thought I knew about her. I need to dig deeper, learn more. I need to see her for who she is, not just through security cameras and written communications.

We arrive at the precinct, and I watch as Hotch and Emily take her into the interrogation room. She walked right into an ambush. Morgan walks up to me and claps me on the shoulder, “You alright there, pretty boy? You're lookin’ a little lost.” He adjusts his stance to see exactly where I'm looking to, “Oh...I see.” “See what?” I ask. “Reid, she's suspected to be in connection with the Nomad Boys. If she's who we think she is, and the profile is correct, she's a master manipulator. Be careful.”

He's right. 10 minutes of conversation versus three months of observing and studying her is no reason to question my logic or my teams logic. We are professionals. I have to be professional.

I look at him intently, “But what if we wrong?” My attention reverts back to her, what if?

[lovelivingmydreams]

The worst possible thing.

*stares at this long and hard.* Fine!

@kingcreativityau you know who is responsible for what comes next.

Yes @hunter-with-a-tardis I'm looking at you

Janus was pacing the floor. He didn't like this one bit.

“What's taking him so long?” he wondered aloud.

It was a rhetorical question and the sides who were sitting here waiting couldn’t answer him even if it wasn't. No one liked this plan. It hadn't even been a plan. It was half an idea Logan and Janus would have dismissed at once if Virgil hadn’t been in the room  and overheard Janus mumble about it. Harnessing Virgil’s given powers and undo what king had done.

It was too risky to even consider. Janus didn’t need Virgil to point out all  the ways it could go very wrong. To everyone’s shock Virgil came with a solution though. He'd take king up on his offer and finish the gallery, ask him to teach him to get control over the shadows. If king took a liking to teaching, which Virgil thought he might, he'd keep doing it and eventually Virgil could lift the curses and they all could get back to helping Thomas.

Janus had wanted to argue. Sure king enjoyed instructing others in skills he felt more proficient at. He recalled King teaching him to duel not too long ago. He also remembered what happened after the student caught up though. King storming away and then, after he'd managed to get out of king's obstacle… how he'd been cornered, the panic the punishment for daring to upset the king in any way. No this was their mess. Virgil was not yet on king's bad side. That was a card they couldn't waste on something that risky.

But Logan had been writing and Janus was convinced he'd say something similar. And Virgil was more likely to listen to Logan so he'd waited.

He should have known Logan would never just dismiss any idea out of hand.

Somehow they'd all agreed to see if Virgil could get a first lesson. And soon Virgil left them to practice with the king every day. Which should be a comfort right? King clearly enjoyed the activity and he was not suspicious of anything. That was exactly what had Janus worried now.

Because king wasn't the only one enjoying the lessons. Sure Virgil still seemed terrified of the man, but whenever he returned he was deep in thought, sometimes with a small smile on his face. The one that said: I just did something right.

He'd been looking at them oddly too, like he was figuring out a complicated puzzle.

Something was off but Virgil refused to talk about it. Something about a promise he made.

A click of a pen echoed through the mostly empty space and Janus' head snapped up.

Logan needed his attention.

He was scribbling down something as fast as he could and handed it over. Janus read it over. It was a long ramble, but it came down to one thing.

“I do have faith in Virgil. It's king I’m worried about. One perceived slight and…”

Janus touched the mark on his face. The memory of it's creation very vivid in his mind.

“Aw, you do care,” Virgil's voice came from behind him. Janus whirled around.

Something about what he saw took him back, to a time when he had two misfit friends who didn't hate him. Before the fight.

Maybe if was that mischievous smirk or the way he carried himself as if he couldn't care less what other people thought. Except now he really seemed to mean it.

His clothes weren’t back to normal by any means. They were upgraded though. From a dark version of Roman's original outfit to one reflecting the fitting in upgrade. Except Virgil wore a few medals pinned on his vest. As well as applying Virgil's black and purple with white detailing color scheme.

He also wore a dark purple hooded cape instead of a sash.

Most startling of all, he looked genuinely comfortable with it all.

“Virgil? Is that you?” Janus asked.

Virgil nodded, still smirking. “Indeed it is,” the deep terrifying voice of the King boomed and suddenly he stood behind him hands delicately resting on the youngest side’s shoulders.

But Virgil didn’t even flinch.

“Dear Anxiety made so much progress, I felt he deserved a promotion. I offered him the title of Prince,” king summoned a dark crown in his hand only to immediately clench his fist and make the image disappear. “but he is so loyal to those he considers friends he wouldn't even consider to take my light half’s title,” King praised fondly. He stroked Virgil's hair for a moment. “So he is my head counselor now on top of creative minister. And you should all be happy to know, he made a plea on your behalf.” King waved his hand and suddenly Patton was six years old.

“Wha… I can talk?” Logan gasped astonished.

“You explain the conditions to them. I have to get back to work.” And just like that, King was gone.

“You did it?” Janus asked perplexed this was too good to be true.

“King did. Don't take his generosity for granted,” Virgil warned sternly.

“Virgil, kiddo…”

“You shall not address me like that!” Virgil hissed, his voice booming, twisted and sinister, a dark aura flaring up, making them all step backwards in shock.

Virgil took a deep breath. “Names are for friends and allies. After what I heard… you’ll have to earn my trust back,” he explained a little calmer. They all froze in horror. King told him… of course he did. He'd have to be a fool not to.

“These gifts have conditions attached. Morality you can get back to your own age with good behavior, the reverse is true as well though. Logic your voice can not speak ill of the king and what you do say about him will find it’s way to us.

Any and all communication to the king must go through me. You remember my shadow?” the creature in question appeared next to Virgil.

“He'll… assist you when I am with the king. Ask him if you need to ask me or king something. Oh and fair warning….” Suddenly they all fell to the ground. Crushed by guilt and fear and desperation.

“I’ll do anything to protect Thomas from having to live without us ever again. I won‘t permit you to anger the king. Understood?”

They all nodded as they whipped at their tears.

“Good. Dismissed.” When they looked up Virgil was gone. Only his shadow remained. The creature stared back at them looking heartbroken. “I’m sorry,” it whispered.

“This… might be the worst possible thing,” Logan muttered as he helped Patton up. While the two oldest sides discussed their situation Janus stared in horror at the tragic looking shadow.

How could he have let this happen?

 Janus opened his eyes. He was sweating, his heart was racing. What was real, what was a dream? He looked around. He was in his room. He got up to his knees and tapped a rhythm neither he or his neighbor had heard in years. Virgil used to wake up from nightmares like this. Not sure about reality and scared to leave his room. So they came up with a system. Notes weren't an option when you didn't want to turn on the light and alert Remus someone was awake to play with him. So they made up their version of Morse code.

‘What is going on' was always the start of such a conversation. It was just a long series of rapid light knocks. The first reaction, ‘I hear you' was a flat palm against the door. Then you wait for the other to respond. Virgil's response was quicker than he expected.

‘Patton. Small. Logan. Silent. Twins. One.’

Janus nodded. He hadn't dared to hope that all of it was a dream.

‘you?’ he asked. Though he doubted if Virgil could know what to tell him to assure him he wasn't currently being tutored by king. ‘Scared. Confused. Angry. Sad.’

Janus bit his lip. Virgil didn't use the code for pupil. If there was any real plan like in his nightmare Virgil would mention it. He’d been on the other side of these conversations often enough. Yes, everything was… well not fine but not as horrible as he'd feared. All he had to do to keep his dream from happening was not leave Virgil alone with the king. And… maybe figure out how to tell Virgil what had happened all these years ago.

Janus got ready to knock. There was a knock that meant to convey empathy. To be a comforting reminder that Virgil was not alone. But halfway through he remembered another pattern. One Virgil would always close the conversation with. It was almost an alternative for goodnight in these conversations. But it meant ‘Sorry’. Janus' scales stung with the thought of that word. But if he knocked the pattern… it wasn't the same right?

He took a deep breath and started out with: ‘Thanks.’ He readied his hand it was just three knocks long… But the very thought was agony

‘Welcome. Good night.’

Janus sighed as he heard the reply. Perhaps another time.

‘Good night.’

@moonlightshow00 @naturallyunstablegamer @alias290 @meowthefluffy @antiredhuman

[brookewritesyk]

o n e

Warnings- Swearing

2016 Words

───── 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝗼𝐧  ─────

𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 since the Goodmans family last saw Charlie-Rose. Charlie was always a very pretty girl or female as Martin would say. Since a young age, she's had the aspiration to become an actress. Not because of the fame and wealth that came with it if she made it big, unlike most people.

You may be wondering who are the Goodmans? The Goodmans were a family of 4 and Jonny Goodman was her best friend up until near the end of high school when she had to move. Deep down Charlie knew she always felt something for Jonny that was more than just friendship. That explains why she is sitting in a taxi with nerves coursing through her.

She was going to see the Goodmans again.

───── 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝗼𝗼𝐝𝗺𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝗼𝐮𝐬𝐞  ─────

"For someone who doesn't stop going on about formula 1 your surprisingly shit at driving," Adam commented getting out of Jonny's car. "Like seriously no control of the vehicle."

"No control of the vehicle?" Jonny repeated offended. Then the car alarm went off and Adam gave Jonny the I-told-you-so look.

Whilst continuing bickering they walked towards their parents' front door and they noticed it was left open.

"Why is the door open?" Adam asked puzzled.

Not answering, Jonny went and fully opened the door to find Wilson, their neighbour's dog sitting on the carpet.

"Hello", Jim, the neighbour said slightly surprised whilst coming out of the bathroom and to see Adam and Jonny were there.

"Uhh hi Jim," Adam said but it sounded like a question as he was getting more confused.

"Jonny?" He asked unsurely and slightly tilting his head.

"I'm Adam," Adam replied getting annoyed.

"I'm Jonny.." The younger brother said dumbfoundedly.

"Why are you..." Adam trailed off.

"Hmm?" Jim mumbled trying to avoid answering the question.

"Nothing." Adam sighed knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

Cautiously, Jim went to pick up Wilson's lead and flinching while the brothers looked at each other confused and bewildered. Then Jim went through the boys to leave.

"Right.." Adam said whilst closing the door. "That wasn't strange."

Still confused, they went through the house to find their parents in the garage.

"Hi, mum." Jonny greeted blankly.

"Hi." The older brother sang.

"Hi boys," Jackie responded distractedly.

"What are you doing in the garage?" Jonny asked.

"We're having a clear-out," Jackie explained now looking at the boys.

"Don't you mean what's Jim doing in our loo?" Adam joked whilst smiling.

"Martin you do know the boys are here, say 'hello'," Jackie told Martin and not answering the question.

"What?" Martin asked pointing to his hearing aid then turned around and said: "Oh hello bambinos."

"No top tonight?" Jonny jokingly asked.

"He's boiling," Jackie said.

"I'm boiling," Martin said louder thinking that Jonny didn't hear Jackie,

"Well, you're going to have to put a top on soon as we have a guest coming." Jackie reminded Martin whilst pointing to his naked chest. Then they all went to the kitchen.

Both of the boys groaned they didn't like guests coming over on a Friday night. "Why didn't you tell us there was going to be a bloody guest!" Adam complained.

"Because it's a surprise!" Jackie explained excitedly.

"So who is it?" Jonny asked whilst opening the fridge getting the whipped cream and squirting it directly into his mouth.

"Stop eating cream, its an old family friend." Jackie hinted vaguely whilst smiling wickedly and started to stir the soup.

"Well, that wasn't vague," Adam smirked sarcastically and eating bread.

"So when is Lily coming?" Martin asked from coming downstairs finally having a shirt on.

"Lily?" Asked Adam and Jonny at the same time.

"Lily? No, its Charlie. Charlie-Rose Evans." Jackie reminded her husband annoyed.

"Wait, Charlie-Rose is coming here?" Jonny asked shocked and slightly blushing.

"Yes I got in touch with her on Tuesday and I invited her over for dinner," Jackie explained.

"The Charlie-Rose Evans is coming over, the one Pissface had a massive crush on?" Adam said excitedly knowing he could take the piss out of him for the night.

"Used too, in year 10 before she had to move to Paris," Jonny defended "Plus I've got a girlfriend, Allison."

"That's never been proved," Adam stated.

"You're just jealous that I have a girlfriend," Jonny argued.

"Yes, I'm jealous that you have a girlfriend which you share with another man." Adam sarcastically agreed.

"Simon is not her boyfriend!" Jonny huffed.

Then the door went.

"Oh my God, that will be her!" Jackie exclaimed whilst excitingly clapping her hands and rushing to the front door.

"Hello, Char- Oh hi Jim," Jackie said disappointed. "IT'S NOT CHARLIE EVERYONE, IT NOT CHARLIE!" Jackie loudly informed everyone and turning her head down the hall then turned her attention back to Jim who was trying to spray breath mints but played it off as glasses cleaner.

"Nice and shiny," Jim commented whilst fastly whipping his glasses with a cloth.

"Right, sorry Jim what do you need?" Jackie asked fake smiling.

"Yes I was wondering if you had any soy sauce, I ran out and need some for my ice-cream," Jim explained while trying to stroke Wilson but flinching away.

"Ok, Jonny!" Jackie called.

"What mum?" Jonny asked annoyed walking up behind his mum.

"Could you get the soy sauce from the cupboard?" Jackie asked disturbed.

"Sure." Jonny agreed yet confused so he went to the kitchen and grabbed the sauce and lazily gave it to Jim then went back in the living room.

Then the door went again.

"I swear to God if that's Jim-" Jackie muttered whilst opening the door again to realise it wasn't Jim it was Charlie-Rose. "Oh, hello love! Aww, it's been ages how are you and how was Paris?" She asked excitedly.

"Hi, Jackie I'm doing great! Paris was magnifique. In my apartment, I had a perfect view of the Effiel Tower but it's good to be back home." Charlie explained cheerfully.

"That sounds amazing." Jackie tutted happily and guided Charlie through to the living room. "Boys guess who's here!"

"The lady strangler?" Adam joked thinking it was Jim as he was focused on his phone.

"Horrible Adam! No look." Jackie insisted.

"Oh my-" Jonny breathed shocked.

Charlie had long flowing brunette hair and hazel eyes which complemented her perfect pale skin. She was wearing minimalistic makeup and an off-white leather jacket and a white dress with blue vines on it.

"Hi, Pusface." Charlie joked smiling.

"Great that's still stuck." Adam mumbled, "Hey Paris hows it been?"

"It's been going good and original nickname. Quick question do you write jingles now?" Charlie asked unsurely.

"Uhhh yeah how did you know?" Adam asked caught off guard.

"Right I thought it was one of yours as I heard one in a cafe in Paris." She explained.

"Wow, the shit composer made it all the way to Paris." Jonny joked "H-hi Charlie.." Greeted shyly by Jonny who forgot Charlie was actually there.

"Still haven't matured have we Pissface?"  You teased going in for a hug.

"You know I haven't." Jonny laughed returning the hug.

Suddenly, Charlie-Rose started to kiss both of Jonny's cheeks which caused Jonny to blush furiously and Charlie pulled away and quickly said: "Oh my God I'm so sorry I forgot in Paris you-"

"Don't worry about it." Jonny comforted rubbing her arm.

Then Martin walked in, not wearing a top again.

"Martin," Jackie moaned.

"But Jackie, oh hello, Bambina!" Martin happily greeted and surprisingly hugged her.

"Who knew dad was capable of emotions," Adam said amused.

"Yeah who knew?" Jonny laughed.

"So how was Italy?" Martin asked pulling away and fiddling with his hearing aid.

"Italy?" Jackie asked.

"Italy?" Adam asked as well at the same time as his mum but louder.

"Yeah, she went to Italy didn't she?" Martin asked in clarification.

"Umm no I went to Paris, you know France," Charlie explained perplexed.

"Oh right," Martin said nodding.

"Sorry about that love, so how is the acting thing going?" Jackie asked intrigued whilst sitting down on the sofa along with everyone else.

"It's going well I've been in a few adverts here and there but still just looking for auditions," Charlie explained, happy and surprised that she remembered.

"Aww, little Charlie-Rose is a celebrity," Jackie said with pure excitement.

"Well not yet." Charlie joked while smirking.

"Charlie-Rose?" Martin said

"Yes?" She replied sweetly turning around to face him.

"Any males?" Martin asked.

"Males?" Charlie looked at Adam and Jonny confused.

"Have you been seeing a guy," Jackie explained rolling her eyes at Martin.

"Oh umm, not at the moment no." She said slightly sad.

"Are you a homosexual?" Martin asked.

"Dad!" Adam moaned.

"What? She's a pretty female if she hasn't got a male she must have a female." Martin logically explained

"No I-I'm not gay just haven't found the right guy yet," Charlie answered.

"If that's the case I could set you up with-" Jackie started to offer until Jonny protectively declared, "Mum set me and Adam up all you like with someone but not Charlie."

"Rather protective for someone who's got a girlfriend," Adam commented snidely. "Oh sorry, you don't as she doesn't exist." He corrected himself.

"Shut up Pusface, she does exist and she's amazing!" Jonny exclaimed a bit too defensively.

"Boys enough we have a bloody guest!" Jackie shouted at them "Sorry about them sweetie come through to dinner."

In the midst of it all, Charlie-Rose's heart sank at the idea of her best friend being with someone who wasn't her.

                                                                  ───── 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 ─────

"So where should I sit?" Charlie asked as Martin sat next to Jackie.

"Oh, you can sit next to Martin or Adam." Jackie offered using her knife to point to the empty seats.

"Ok great." She replied happily and sat next to Martin who was eating his roast.

"Jackie?" Martin said.

"Hmmm.." Jackie responded

"This is a lovely bit of squirrel." Martin calmly stated then bursts out in hysterics along with Jackie.

After calming down Jackie asked looking over at Jonny, "So are you going to tell me why she couldn't come tonight?"

"Hmmm?" Jonny asked back in response and carried on eating.

"Allison?" Jackie rolled her eyes getting frustrated.

"You know your pretend girlfriend." Adam mock informed Jonny.

"I'm not having the conversation with you right now," Jonny said looking at Jackie dead in the eye.

"Why not, has something happened?" Jackie whined disappointed.

"As I haven't seen Charlie in at least 5 years and I don't really want to talk about my girlfriend while she's here and make her uncomfortable," Jonny explained thoughtfully.

"Awww, Jonny-boo fine but only tonight." Jackie cooed

"Thank you!" Jonny sighed. "So what else did you get up into Paris?" Jonny asked trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Well I went up the Eiffel Tower which was fun, did a Coco Channel advert and I went to the Louvre." Charlie listed.

"Is that the museum that takes like 3 days to see it all of it?" Marin asked.

"Yeah, it was long but definitely worth it." You told Martin.

───── 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝗺𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝗺𝐛𝐥𝐞 ─────

"Crimble crumble!" Jackie said excitedly.

"That crumble looks dry, good thing we've got water." Jonny suspiciously commented.

"What?" Charlie asked confused but in response, Jonny just did the hush symbol at her and he repeated: "Nothing I'm just saying luckily we have water."

"Oh, I know what you have done!" Adam said pointing at him and took Jonny's glass and drank from it and quickly realised "You put salt in your cup!"

"Oh my god, you still do that!" Charlie said after recovering from her fit of laughter.

"Yep." They both said in unison but in different tones.

───── 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 ─────

Whilst walking out of the Goodman residence Jonny stopped and looked at Charlie and said: "I really missed you."

"I missed you too," Charlie-Rose replied.

Then Jonny went in to hug her and murmured in her ear "Please come over again next week."

Smiling she said "Of course"

[sweetestlamb]

Chapter 8- epilogue

Cut Scene 

Author's note: In case anyone doesn't know in my mind I am a kdrama writer and with this story especially I find myself thinking about the scenes as if they are playing out on a screen, it's just my jam. I think of characters interactions and hope that affects the pacing and drive of the story and I try to imagine how the scenes would love, it makes it that much more fun to me! So without further ado, I give you the epilogue.

"So why are you sitting out here?" She asks him, feeling warm from their prolonged embrace. She'd only offered it because she saw it on a drama, "Sometimes words aren't enough and a hug, a really good hug will do," the main character had softly declared before wrapping the crying girl up in his huge arms, their height difference was stark, the girls head barely reaching his shoulder.

She hadn't known what to say in the face of Seojun's tangible sadness, she'd never witnessed it before thinking that he was someone incapable of such an tiring emotion. Guilt riddles as she recalls her illogical thoughts about his disappearance, she hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt; thinking the worst from the beginning.

It seemed she still had a long way to go, with trust.

She didn't know how long exactly they were supposed to hug, but once the arm rest started to dig into her side uncomfortably she had attempted to shift away, thinking he too would be feeling discomfort. But she could feel the cords of his arms flexing, immobilizing her. He was stronger than he appeared.

"Not yet." He'd said, voice barely a whisper as if he was scared to be heard but couldn't contain the words.

She froze. He sounded so needy. It made her heart squeeze. 

This was meant to be his comfort after all, he should decide when it ended. It only seemed right.

Her arms went numb, the pinprick tingles shooting up and down the limbs like sparks of tiny lightning, even sitting he was taller than her and she had to reach up to return his hug. She stayed silent letting him hold her and hiding a smile when he released the softest puff of air and burrowed into her shoulder, he was so large but he felt infinitely tiny in her arms.

After what felt like an eternity he started to draw away, his jaw was clenched tight she watched a vein twitch as he slowly leaned away from her, until only their fingers touched and then the hold was broken completely like a bubble being popped.

Then they sat in silence, she became lost in the sound of his breathing, evenly paced and soothing to her ears unconsciously she matched it- both of them in perfect rhythm. In, out. In, out.

"The doctor was doing blood work and........I don't like the sight of blood." He finally responds and she almost forgets the question she even asked hypnotized by the cadence of his voice, he's only speaking loud enough for her to hear. The moment feels intimate.

He's surprisingly more human than she'd expected. Glancing over she watches him wait for her reaction, the great Han Seojun scared of blood? What would the others think?

Such a joke, they're all just kids. They're all scared of something, some fears are just bigger than others.

She merely nods at his admission. Storing away another piece of Han Seojun so she can make sense of this puzzle.

"Are you coming back to school?" She finally asks the question she's been aching too, too chicken shit honestly to voice it but the hug has emboldened her too. When she looks over he's staring at her with an unreadable expression, his eyes searching her face before he sighs tilting his head back.

"Should I? Is it boring without me?" He jokes slipping back on the skin she's used to seeing the teasing easily flirtatious Han Seojun, it makes her pause to see his mask slipping back on so soon. 

He had a long way to go too.

"Come back to school." She hears the gasp that falls from his lungs, she'd caught him off guard. She stifles a smirk, it doesn't take much to egg him on and she finds herself wanting to push all his buttons.

"What?"

"Come. Back. To. School." She punctuates each word with a tap on the arm rest between then, on the final word twisting to face him. Eyes locked in an intense gaze.

"I need another sweater too. You cried all over this one."

He looks at her in shock before the lightest baritone chuckle escapes from his lips and it is music to her ears, twinkling and ringing she can't help her small smile in response. She shakes her head at the ridiculousness of it all, her laughing with Han Seojun in a hospital and neither one of them were the reason the other was there. Who could have guessed?

"I'll see what I can do princess."

She sits with him into the wee hours of the night, watching videos on their phones together smiling at cat videos and shaking her head when he mimics tik tok dance videos, he's a good dancer but she pretends she's embarrassed when he stands to dance to a BTS song, covering her eyes and groaning.

Then Suho starts to call and send messages, asking where she is and if she's okay. She'd completely forgotten about him, bolting inside their shared apartment to grab Seojun's sweatshirt ignoring Suho's bewildered face and racing back out to trail Chorong. She hadn't been able to think logically then.

"You should go back. I'll call you a cab." Seojun states firmly already taking out his phone leaving little room for argument.

"Aren't you coming home? You can't sleep here." She argues anyway, she can always make room to argue.

"I'll go soon, I want to sit with my mom a little more. Don't worry about me."

She grabs his arm firmly, making him look at her.

"I'm going to worry about you, who are you to tell me not to? Let me do what I want." She misses the pleased smile on his face, standing to stretch her legs.

The cab comes and he walks her to the entrance of the hospital, it's not lost on her that he's the only guest that's still here so late. He'd probably seduced the nurses or something she thinks annoyed.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asks him but her question comes out too confident, sounding more like a command.

He doesn't miss her tone. "Is that a royal command?" He quips raising an eyebrow in jest.

"If you come I'll grant you a wish."

His eyes are huge, beseeching as they process her words and then his lips match and she turns away from the bewitching sight, running to the cab without a backwards glance instead watching him grin like an idiot in the mirror of the cab.

What am I getting myself into?

Perhaps it's too late to be asking that.

Checking herself once more in the mirror she smiles at her reflection, she plans on stopping by the hospital after school and she wants to look her best for Seojun...'s mother. She hasn't seen her in a while and she wants to look presentable. Sweeping her hair to the other side, she takes a deep breath before grabbing her phone and bag. One more stop in the kitchen and she's out the door, Suho had offered to wait for her but she already knew he was planning to pick Ju-Kyeong up, they deserved some alone time to do whatever it was the couples did.

She was used to walking to school alone.

Checking the door she walks to the elevator before deciding to take the stairs, hopping down each step energetically before pushing the emergency door open and squinting under the blinding sunlight, bringing a hand up to cover her eyes she steps onto the sidewalk.

"If you leave this late you're definitely going to be late." A deep voice grumbles from behind her and suddenly there's an arm flung over her shoulder, a familiar cologne fills her nose.

"What are you doing here?" She inquires shifting under the heft of his arm but not dislodging it. It's not particularly bothering her, at the moment.

"You made an offer I couldn't refuse." He winks at her, starting to walk and in doing so dragging her along, she has to walk double speed to match his long gait.

She scoffs to repress the butterflies fluttering wildly in her belly, "Can you slow down some of us don't have giraffe legs."

"Yah! My legs are proportional to the rest of my beautiful body, don't listen to her you're both perfect long legends." She watches the idiot comfort his legs, bending to stroke them as if they are whimpering children.

"Has anyone told you today that you're an idiot?" She pulls her bag to her front, unzipping and pulling out a container. "Here. I was going to give this to you later, but it's easier now. It's just dumpling that's all your mom taught me so far."

She thrust a container at him, wrapped in a light blue cloth tied with a bow. She's never made food for anyone else before but he'd seemed to enjoy them that one time so maybe it would be alright.

"You made me food?" His voice is just like at the hospital again but this time with a dash of disbelief.

"It's just dumplings, you need to eat too." She quickly replies, dashing up the the bus stop once it's in sight. The air between them is a bit hard to handle right now. Sitting down on the metal seat she plops her bag in her lap pointed looking down the street.

He sits right next to her, their shoulders brushing.

"Thank you. Nobody but my mom's ever made me food before." He confesses. 

"What about your fangirls?" She challenges feeling hot needing to deflect.

"They don't count." He answers airily. She can only hum too scared to ask why they don't count. She can't handle the truth.

"Here I have a gift too." He states before dropping something soft on her head, glaring at him for messing up her hair she tugs off the object. Another sweater, dark blue this time with a single red heart on left side covering the chest. "I promise I won't cry on this one." He teases as she stares at the sweater and tries not to put a deeper meaning to him giving her this particular sweater. The heart is distractingly red.

It's a hot day, warmer than expected in mid April with a light breeze and the sun is beaming down on them.

She stands wordlessly, handing him her bag before slipping her arms into the sweater one at a time, leaving the zipper open, the bottom of the sweater grazes her thigh and it smells just like him. it 

"How do I look?" She shifts feeling suddenly self-respect conscious under his unwavering and penetrating stare he hasn't blinked since she put the sweater on.

He stares up at her from his seat, squinting like she's the sun and he can't look away. A sunny smile breaks across his handsome face. 

"Beautiful."

[wrenhyperfixates]

Of All the Places

Chapter 13

Pairing: Loki x reader Series Summary: Washing up in a small town in Oklahoma was definitely not part of Loki’s plan when he came to conquer Midgard. There is one good thing about it, though: No one recognizes him as the one who just wreaked havoc in New York. So, Loki plans to recover from the battle and move on with his life. The only problem? He’s not sure he can leave you. Chapter Summary: Still in the custody of SHIELD, Loki hears some troubling news from his brother. He can only hope that there relationship is repaired enough to be allowed to help set things right. Chapter Warnings: pretty dialogue heavy A/N: Not too much happens in this one, but it’s setting up for the grand finale! The last chapter and epilogue will both be posted next week, so keep your eyes peeled. Updates every Friday. Enjoy :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant @lunarmoon8​ @twhiddlestonsstuff​ @marvelousdaydreams​ @parkastoria​ @lokistan​ @thelokiimaginechroniclesficrecs​ @sourpatchspinster @gaitwae

✥ Start at Beginning ✥ | ← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Disclaimer: Gif not mine 

“And why in the Nine not?” Loki demanded of his brother, desperate to know why he wouldn’t be set free. “You said you believed me. Even after all this, was it still not true?”

“Of course it is true, but father will not allow it,” Thor explained, unable to mask the hurt in his voice. “He still demands you be brought back to Asgard.”

Loki frowned at that. If Odin had plans for him, he doubted he could weasel out of them. He wondered if you would ever find out what happened to him if he died. Probably not. Put up against the possibility of being made to live out his many years without ever hearing from you again, death seemed like the merciful option. He couldn’t handle any more torture and being kept from you would be the worst he’d gone through yet. Though the thought of you with anyone else, especially Denzel, made Loki’s stomach roil, he would rather that than you be lonely. Hopefully, you could be happy without him, even if he could not without you.

“Loki, I will speak with him. It will be alright, brother,” Thor assured him.

“So when do we leave?” Loki asked, trying to make himself numb to the pain he was feeling. He dared not hope that his brother could set everything right.

“As soon as you are cleared to leave Midgard.”

“May I make a request?”

“With all due respect, Reindeer Games,” Stark added, though the question was most obviously not addressed to him, “I don’t think you’re in the position for that.”

“I will hear you out, Loki,” Thor said, making no comment on Tony’s remark. “I cannot promise anything more than that.”

“I understand,” Loki anxiously agreed. “The family I was staying with, I do not need to see them again, but may I have some news on them before we go? Just to know they are alright?”

“I have already given you my word that no harm will come to them.”

“I am aware, but-”

Loki was cut off by the door swinging open. The young agent made a beeline for Fury, who was standing there observing the scene with his one good eye, making no remarks of his own. The God of Mischief arched an eyebrow as the agent whispered something in the director’s ear before the two walked outside.

“I’m still wondering why you care so much about a random family from Oklahoma,” Tony said. “What were you even doing there in the first place?”

“I must confess, it was not originally my choice. When I used the Tesseract to escape, I told it to take me somewhere safe,” Loki recounted. “I have not the slightest clue as to why it chose there.”

“Well, that explains how you got there, but why’d you stay?”

“I was,” Loki responded, clearing his throat, “persuaded.”

“In what way?” Thor puzzled.

“They did not know who I truly was, so they welcomed me with open arms,” Loki sighed. “I suppose I... I bonded with a few of them.”

“Yeah, they did all give glowing reviews of you,” Tony said.

“Wait. So you have heard from them? How are they? You must tell me. How is... everyone?”

Loki would not yet risk showing he had any particularly special connection with you, lest it put you in any more danger than you were already in. Thor and Tony exchanged a look, though, that said they could tell he wanted to know about a specific member. He hoped you hadn’t had to tell the agents too many details about your relationship. Somehow, it seemed like a mortifying prospect for them to know such a personal thing. Especially his brother. He was not yet ready for another heart to heart.

“They are all fine,” Thor hesitantly said. “Brother, I don’t suppose you bonded with one of them more than the others. Say, as something more than a friend. You can tell me, you know.”

Yup, Loki was right. Absolutely mortifying. Back on Asgard, he and his brother never really talked about relationships. Their own was already too far gone by the time they reached an age where they thought much about it. The trickster god still remembered his first kiss. It was with one of the palace stable boys. He’d even started riding more just to have an excuse to go and see him. Of course, Odin found out and deemed it improper. Loki never did find out exactly what had happened to him, but he remembered wanting to go and talk to Thor about it. Needless to say, he didn’t. But maybe, just maybe, this was an opportunity to make up for that. So, against his better judgement, Loki told Thor of his special connection with you, though not to the full extent out of the desire to still guard his emotions. Unfortunately, that meant Stark heard, too.

“Not a word out of you,” Loki menaced as Tony opened his mouth. Thankfully, he backed off, putting his hands up in surrender. “Thor, please tell me that they are alright. If they were hurt because of me... Well, just tell me how they are.”

“They are a little shaken up, I will admit, but they are ok. Safe. As I have already said, you have my word that they will remain that way.”

Loki choked out his thanks before Fury burst back into the room. That man was so unreadable that Loki couldn’t make out a single damn expression on his face. How he wished he could have that talent to be so guarded again, but once the floodgates were opened the first time, he never could quite get them closed again. Regardless, the raven haired man knew something was up—something bad. It was the same feeling he’d gotten the day prior, and look where he ended up. But he couldn’t be apprehended by SHIELD again, so now it was back to the question of what. But deep down, he knew. He whispered your voice so low that only Thor heard, and the thunder god shot his brother a concerned glance. Before he could say anything, though, Fury spoke.

“I need your asses out here now,” he said, addressing the two Avengers. “It’s urgent.”

“Wait, brother,” Loki called before he could exit. “I feel in my gut that there is something very bad happening to my beloved. You will tell me if that is the case, correct?”

“I do not know if that is wise.” Thor looked like he was thinking very hard, brows furrowed in concentration. The desperate, pleading look written plainly on Loki’s face must have convinced him because he finally relented. “But yes, I will. As soon as I can.”

Loki gave a quick nod of gratitude before Thor left again. Now that he was left alone in the room, there was very little stopping him from descending into a full on panic. If you were in any sort of trouble, it was undoubtedly his fault. He never should have done that to you. Then again, if he hadn’t stayed around you for so long, he would still be being crushed by the weight of loneliness. His heart would still be fractured. Perhaps it would have been better than having you violently ripped away from him, though. He feared this cycle of guilt and hypotheticals would never end.

He wasn’t sure if it was minutes, hours, or only mere seconds that passed before Thor was coming back in, but he was relieved to see him. After all, his thoughts were a very scary thing to be trapped with. Even scarier was the deeply worried expression upon Thor’s face.

“Brother?” Loki asked, though he was more nervous for the answer than he ever imagined possible.

“The Chitauri. They are back.”

“In New York? But you closed the portal, did you not?” A sickeningly horrifying idea occurred to Loki, and he swallowed thickly. “Is it Thanos? Has he returned? If he is here to make good on is threats to me, then I beg you, brother, just turn me over. It will be easiest, safest, for everyone.”

“If you think for one moment that I will allow that, you are further out of your mind than I suspected,” Thor raged. Loki was shocked into silence. Never before had Thor yelled at him like that. Sure, he’d shouted at him, but it was always because he was angry at him, or because he was pinning the blame for something on Loki. Not because he cared about him. Thor calmed himself down a bit before he continued explaining the situation. “The portal is still closed. We just did not actually round up all the ones that had already come through, apparently. And, they are not in New York, either.”

“Then where?”

Thor looked nervously around the room. “It hardly matters, brother. You will not be able to come.”

“Thor, where?” Loki growled.

“Oklahoma City.”

Loki sucked in a sharp breath and went pale as a ghost. There was only one logical explanation as to why they would be there of all places. Him. They must have tracked him somehow and were there to get revenge. But he wasn’t there anymore, thanks to SHIELD. And if they truly were tracking him, they wouldn’t stop at the city. They would keep going until they reached your farm. Until they reached you.

“Let me go. I can stop this.”

“Were you not listening to what I just said? You cannot come.”

“Brother, please,” Loki whispered, “I beg of you, just let me take care of this. What if it was your mortal who was in danger? You would stop at nothing to save her, I know. That is how I feel, except it is not only the one I care so dearly about. Yes, there is my beloved, and I would die a thousand deaths for them, but it is their whole family, too. I would give my life to keep them out of danger.”

“Thor,” Captain Rogers said, appearing in the door. “We have to hurry.”

“I am sorry, brother,” Thor told Loki before turning away. There was some look in his eye that Loki did not get a good enough look at to place, but he was certain he was trying to tell him something with it. Regardless, he turned and left. “I am coming, Captain.”

Helplessly tugging at the chains holding him to the table, Loki began to hyperventilate. He started cursing himself. If only he were a stronger sorcerer, then maybe these chains couldn’t restrain his magic. If only he hadn’t become so bitter and hopeless, then maybe he never would have let go on the Bifröst. If only his will wasn’t so weak, then maybe Thanos never would have gotten him to attack Midgard in the first place.

He gave up the futile struggle as the blinding anxiety slowly faded. Letting his head drop into his hands, Loki allowed himself a few quiet sobs before trying to clear his head. He needed a plan. For so long, he was ten steps ahead of everyone, but now? Now he was about a hundred miles behind, locked in a room, unable to protect you. But, no. He wouldn’t give up. He was going to get out. He only needed to think. Surely there were still some cards to play, right?

“Psst, brother.”

He looked up to see Thor sneaking back into the room. Maybe this was a hallucination. It was quite possible that he’d finally cracked under the never-ending pressure. Because, really, when had the God of Thunder ever done anything like this before? Though, the fact that he was unlocking the cuffs did seem to be in favor of the idea that this was a jail break.

“What are you doing?” Loki hissed, rubbing his now freed wrists, still not entirely trusting this wasn’t a trap.

“Is it not obvious? I’m freeing you.”

“Well, how daring of you, brother. I admit, I did not think you had it in you.”

“Yes, well, I can see how much you truly love your little Midgardian.”

“Nonsense. It is like I said, I am concerned for all of them. They did, after all, take care of me.”

“Oh, yes. I am sure that is it.”

Loki just rolled his eyes and made his way over to the exit. Almost every instinct in him was screaming to just teleport away from the scene, get to you as fast he could. The thing stopping him was that for once in a very long time, Thor wasn’t dismissing him. In fact, he was trusting him. He couldn’t just turn his back and betray that now, not if he had any hope of getting their brotherly bond back.

Banner was standing right outside the door as Loki opened it, making him jump a little. Before he could whip out a weapon, though, Thor was reassuring Loki that he was just standing guard during the break out. It was quite the strategic move, Loki thought, to have the one Avenger who could really do damage to him be right outside the door. Perhaps he wasn’t giving his brother enough credit. Or perhaps there were just others involved in this scheme.

Sure enough, after dodging a number of agents, the rest of Thor’s friends were waiting in the Quinjet. The tension in the air was palpable as they stood there in silence, sizing each other up. It was obvious Thor wanted to say something to get them all amicably chatting, but knew whatever he was going to say would probably just make things worse. Though the very idea made him gag, Loki knew what he must do if he wanted to reach you in time.

“I apologize,” he said, trying to make it sound completely sincere. “I know that I have hurt some of you—all of you—in some way. I cannot erase the past, but I am trying to do the right thing now. I was not in my right mind the first time we met. Let me prove that now.”

The Avengers all made eye contact with each other, communicating without words. It was agony waiting for their approval, both because he was anxious just to get to you, and it was sickening to have to be judged by them in such a way. Knowing that it was his only opportunity of helping you without complications, however, he waited with bated breath for their reply.

“Ok,” Romanoff finally spoke up. “We forgive you. For now, anyway. Right now, we have to get to Oklahoma.”

“Yes. Please, let us be on our way now,” Loki urged.

And that’s how the God of Mischief ended up flying around with the Avengers. At least he wasn’t chained up like the last time. It was, though, perhaps the most tense situation he’d ever been in. But it didn’t matter, not now. No, now he was on his way, and there was only one thing in his mind, repeating over and over like that one song lyric you can’t get of your head.

He was going to save you.

[seawolvesanddragons]

AWAE 25 Days of Christmas  Day 24 - “Surprise”

(Follow up to “Unknown”)  Friday had arrived with an air of excitement and glee among the Avonlea schoolchildren, as everyone speculated for the final time who their mysterious gift giver was. Anne was fairly certain that Ruby or Tillie had her - Diana swore it wasn’t her, and who else could give Anne such thoughtful, Anne-centric gifts? There was something so familiar about the handwriting too.

Anne didn’t devote too much time that Friday morning to trying to figure out who her own gift giver was. She’d find out soon enough. She was far more preoccupied with a bigger problem: she would have to tell Gilbert Blythe that she was his gift giver. 

Logically, Anne knew there shouldn’t be a problem with this. It was hardly as if she and Gilbert were still at odds, Anne would even classify them as friends. And it was also highly unlikely that she was the only student in class to have a member of the opposite gender as her gift partner. All she would need to do was walk up to Gilbert and have a short conversation. It was not at all the most daunting thing she had ever done. 

Yet, the very idea of doing so seemed to be giving Anne’s stomach flips. Anne couldn’t make sense of it. 

The schoolhouse was already a chaotic mess when she arrived. Everywhere, her peers where pushing and prodding each other to talk to people. Anne scanned the crowd for Ruby and Diana, but they were both talking to Moody. Anne would have to wait her turn. 

She looked for Gilbert too, strangely apprehensive, but the older boy was nowhere to be seen. That in itself was odd - Gilbert was always one of the first to arrive. 

Something small and white caught her eye on the edge of her desk. A tiny bit of parchment, folded neatly into a small scroll. When she unfolded it, words appeared. 

Go to the place where you found your second surprise. 

Anne’s heartbeat quickened. A scavenger hunt! There was such a delectable air of mystery to that. 

In the coatroom, right atop her usual peg, there was another note. 

Now, find your favorite rock outside. 

Outside? Why would Tillie or Ruby send her outside? 

It was puzzling, but Anne wasn’t one to turn down an adventure. She scanned the room one last time for Gilbert - it wouldn’t be polite to make him wait, wondering, while she ran around on her own instructions - but he was still nowhere to be seen. Anne hoped he hadn’t fallen ill. 

By her favorite rock next to the stream bed, the one Anne always claimed when the girls ate outside, there was yet another clue, this one telling her to follow the path she and Diana walked everyday. 

At the fork where she was supposed to turn left, there was a large wooden arrow made of sticks, pointing right. And a promise on the accompanying paper underneath; your “mystery mate” is awaiting you there. 

That, more than anything, settled the matter. Only Ruby, Diana, and herself called this whole thing “mystery mate.” She had to hand it to Ruby, this was beyond anything Anne would have expected. 

Anne rushed along the wood path about 100 yards, until she reached the fairy ring that she, Diana and Ruby had constructed two summers ago. 

Standing the middle was Gilbert Blythe. 

“Gilbert!” Anne said, shocked. “What are you doing-” 

Impossibly, everything fell into place. 

Your mystery mate is awaiting you there. The oh so familiar handwriting. The fact that Diana and Ruby were both talking to Moody, even though Anne knew that Diana had Ruby’s name. 

“Hello, Anne,” Gilbert greeted her. He was twisting his cap in between his hands, and the smile on his face almost looked shy. 

“You’re my mystery mate,” Anne shook her head, finding the whole situation a little ironic. 

“You don’t sound pleased,” Gilbert frowned. 

“No! No, I mean,” Anne tripped over her words, not wanting Gilbert to misunderstand her meaning. “I’m not displeased, really. I just find it funny, because well,” Anne waved her hand at herself in a little “ta-da” motion. “I was your mystery mate as well.” 

“I know,” Gilbert gave a small smile. “The situation is a bit unlikely.” 

“You knew?” Anne blinked. “But how? I didn’t even tell Diana!” 

“Your handwriting,” Gilbert said, as if it had been obvious. “The way my name was written on the first note was identical to your letter about the gold.” 

Anne felt like a fool. Her handwriting! It had never even occurred to her that she should take care to disguise it. Of course Gilbert recognized it and figured out her identity. 

“So you knew practically all along,” Anne sighed. “I suppose that took a lot of the fun out of it for you.” 

“On the contrary, this past week was the most fun I’ve had in a while,” Gilbert said, his simple honesty taking Anne by surprise. “Even knowing it was you, I could never guess what you would leave me, or how. I don’t think anyone can ever quite predict you, Anne.” 

Anne coloured at the compliment, unsure how to respond. Searching for a safe topic, she changed the subject. 

“I was convinced it was Ruby or Tillie,” Anne admitted. “Or someone had Diana helping them, the gifts were just so well suited to me.” The idea that all those thoughtful gifts had been from Gilbert... Anne’s stomach was doing flips again. 

“Give me some credit Anne, I have known you just as long,” Gilbert said. “Admittedly Diana did help with the flowers after she figured it out, but everything else was me.” 

“Diana figured it out?” Anne asked incredulously, momentarily distracted from the butterflies in her chest. “And she didn’t tell me?” 

“She didn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Gilbert told her. “She was the one who helped me set all this up this morning, actually.” 

“Right,” Anne was still trying to wrap her head around her dear Diana in cahoots with Gilbert Blythe, of all people. “And just why are we out here? I thought the reveal was supposed to be in the schoolhouse.”

“I thought it might be better this way,” Gilbert rubbed his neck, looking a bit out of sorts. “A bit of privacy, since ours was an unlikely situation.” 

Anne hadn’t even considered it like that. Now, thinking about it from that angle, she was very glad Gilbert had set it up this way. The idea of doing this in front of everyone, with all the girls still teasing her about the “romantic flowers” was mortifying to even imagine, much less live through. 

“Smart thinking,” Anne said admiringly. 

“Do my ears deceive me?” Gilbert teased. “Did you just admit that I was smart?” 

“I never claimed you weren’t smart,” Anne defended herself. “You wouldn’t be any good as competition if you weren’t smart.” 

“Of course, my mistake,” Gilbert laughed. 

“Speaking of, we should get back,” Anne sighed. “It’s only a matter of time before Ms Stacey notes our absence.” Strangely, Anne didn’t feel all that excited to return to the school building - she, who normally loved school more than anything outside of her friends and Green Gables. 

“Right,” Gilbert said. “Of course.” He had that strange look in his eye, that intensity that Anne remembered seeing at last Christmas, when they had been blowing out candles, and again after Bash and Mary’s wedding. 

“Anne?” Gilbert asked, and his voice was hoarse, barely a whisper in the trees. “Can I walk with you the way back?” 

The logical, rational part of Anne wanted to roll her eyes and point out the obvious, that of course they would be walking back the same way, they were headed to the same place. 

Luckily, Anne’s more emotional side caught up to her in time to stop her from doing just that. Gilbert’s request was deeper than the surface message. Anne’s heart was pounding again as she considered. 

“Yes,” Anne said at last. “But there’s one last surprise I have to give you, first.” 

“Oh?” Gilbert looked down at her hands,  trying to see what she had for him. Anne leaned in towards him, and pressed her lips softly against his cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Gil.” 

[ollieofthebeholder]

leaves too high to touch (roots too strong to fall): a TMA fanfic

Read from the beginning on Tumblr | Also on AO3

Chapter 59: Statement of what comes now.

[CLICK]

[PANTING BREATHS, ECHOING SLIGHTLY, THAT SLOWLY EVEN OUT]

JON

Wh-what…what…?

Martin! Martin, where—where are you? I can’t—oh, God, I can’t see anything, I can’t—did that—

(in a different tone of voice) Martin? Are you here?

[ECHOING SILENCE]

JON

…Okay. Okay, this—this isn’t reality. This isn’t—he’d be here if I was—

Right. Okay.

(more loudly) Hello? Hello, is anyone out there?

[MORE SILENCE]

JON

W-wait…wait, is that—there’s something—okay, okay, I’m not blind, it’s just…dark. I can cope with that.

Right, okay. Think, Jon. After what you just did…if you’re not in the Institute, if you’re not in the world you’re used to, then you’re probably…somewhere else. So things are going to follow dream logic, right?

Right. Dream logic. (sigh) So I suppose I go looking for a switch.

[ODD CHITTERING, BUZZING NOISE THAT SUDDENLY STOPS]

JON

Oh, for—there has got to be away around this. No light switch, no walls, and I don’t trust the floors, so…

What am I supposed to do, say “Let there be light”?

[LOUD THUNKING NOISE, LIKE SOMEONE SWITCHING ON STAGE LIGHTS, OR AT LEAST A SPOTLIGHT]

JON

Seriously?

(frustrated sigh) Well, at least I can see now. I—wait. What in the—who’s there?

[A VOICE BEGINS SINGING SLOWLY, FAINTLY AT FIRST BUT SLOWLY GETTING LOUDER]

ANNABELLE

One elephant went out to play Upon a spider’s web one day She had such enormous fun She called for another elephant to come…

JON

You have got to be kidding me.

(resigned sigh) Right, here we go…

[ODD NOISE STARTS UP AGAIN, PUNCTUATED BY STICKY RIPPING SOUNDS, FADING IN AND OUT AS IF RESPONDING TO PRESSURE…OR FOOTSTEPS]

ANNABELLE

Hello, Jon.

JON

Annabelle Cane. Why am I not surprised?

ANNABELLE

You don’t sound pleased to see me.

JON

Let’s just say yours is not the first face I wanted to see when I woke up.

ANNABELLE

I have good news for you, then. It isn’t. You’re not awake.

JON

Oh, you can invade dreams now too, can you?

ANNABELLE

You aren’t asleep, either. And I think you already knew that.

JON

Oh, goddammit.

[A MOMENT OF SILENCE, SAVE THE FAINT ODD CHITTERING NOISE]

JON

…Wait. That noise, that’s—

And it gets louder every time we—

[CHITTERING SUDDENLY GETS LOUDER, WITH A FEW CLEAR WORDS HERE AND THERE, THEN FADES AGAIN]

JON

Are these tapes?

ANNABELLE

A fine material to spin a web with, don’t you think?

JON

It’s you.

A-all this time, all these—the recorders, the, the tapes…it’s all been you?

ANNABELLE

Well, not all me. Not all of it, anyway.

The Mother of Puppets has always collected stories. There are more reasons than one it’s called spinning a tale, you know. And spiders…it’s so hard to keep them out of places. People don’t generally call exterminators for them. Not for only one or two, and not if they don’t seem dangerous.

So yes. The Web has been lurking about the Magnus Institute, and the Archives, nearly as long as there has been an Institute. Listening. Drawing from the stories. Weaving a tapestry that tells the history of the world…and its future.

But this web? This one is mine.

JON

The tapes I recorded…

ANNABELLE

Oh, yes. All the tapes since you became the Archivist are here. Listen to this!

[A SQUEAL, THEN A CLEAR PLAY OF THE TAPE FROM MAG 000.2 - PRE-LAUNCH TRAILER]

ARCHIVIST ON TAPE

It’ll get you too. You can stare all you want, make your notes and your inquiries, but all your beholding will come to nothing. When the time arrives, and all is darkness and butchery, you’ll wish you had stopped listening and run.

[ANOTHER STICKY SOUND, LIKE SOMEONE PULLING OFF AN ADHESIVE BANDAGE]

JON

(shocked) That—that was—I only did that one as a test, to—to see if the recorders would work…

ANNABELLE

And they did. Admirably.

Go on. Try one.

JON

Look, I don’t—

ANNABELLE

You’re curious, aren’t you? You want to know.

There is no time here. Not really. No hurry. No pain. Nothing can hurt you if you indulge your curiosity a little bit. And it might not be so easy to believe once you leave.

Pick a strand. All you have to do is touch it, like so—

[ANOTHER SQUEAL, AND THEN ANOTHER RECORDING BEGINS TO PLAY FROM MAG 22 - COLONY]

MARTIN ON TAPE

—wasn’t anything to do with spiders that ended up after me. Almost wish it had been. (nervous laugh) I like spiders. Big ones, at least—

[RECORDING CUTS OFF WITH STICKY SOUND AGAIN]

ANNABELLE

—and you can hear them.

JON

He doesn’t anymore, you know.

ANNABELLE

Like spiders? Oh, believe me, I know.

I don’t think he’s liked them since he found out what happened to you. Not that I can blame him, of course. How do you feel about clowns these days? Or being alone?

JON

I—

ANNABELLE

Go on, Jon. Touch one. It doesn’t have to be…fresh.

JON

Why are some of these—

Is that…ash?

ANNABELLE

Dust, mostly.

(considers) Well, some of it might be ash. It depends on why that section of web isn’t used anymore.

JON

(tartly) I didn’t know being obscure and mysterious was in the Web’s domain.

ANNABELLE

It is if you want to manipulate somebody who’s addicted to knowledge.

Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m not trying to manipulate you. It’s just a habit at this point, really.

JON

…Fine.

[A COUPLE OF CAREFUL STICKY, CHITTERING FOOTSTEPS, THEN A SOFT SQUEAL BEFORE A RECORDING SHARPENS IN, FROM MAG 134 - TIME OF REVELATION]

PETER ON TAPE

What does—puzzle me though, and I mean that genuinely, is—why you were piling tape recorders onto the coffin while Jon was in there.  (brief pause) It’s a question, Martin, it’s—it’s not an accusation.

MARTIN ON TAPE

I don’t know. And I just – felt like it might help. He’s always recording, and I thought it—it might help him…find his way out.

PETER ON TAPE

Interesting. Were you compelled?

MARTIN ON TAPE

I don’t know. Maybe? I-I, I definitely wanted to do it.

[RECORDING FADES OUT ON THE LAST WORD]

JON

(shocked) Th-that, that was—that hasn’t happened, that didn’t happen…

ANNABELLE

This time.

JON

You knew? When, when I met you at Hill Top Road, when you…you knew I’d come back from the future.

ANNABELLE

Of course.

You and Martin, your Martin, you came back after Jonah Magnus made you end the world. The Keeper of the Light led you to a door, that led you through some halls, that led you to another door, that led you…back. To get—

JON

—a second chance.

ANNABELLE

A second chance? Hardly.

JON

And just what is that supposed to mean, exactly?

ANNABELLE

Only that.

JON

…Fine. F-fine. Be mysterious and vague. See if I care.

[ANNABELLE LAUGHS KNOWINGLY]

JON

How do you know…the tapes. You just told me you’ve been listening to the tapes. Martin made his statement about those halls—

ANNABELLE

But you didn’t.

You haven’t talked about what your journey was like to anyone, have you? Not even Martin. He knows you came through the same halls, but not what you saw. He doesn’t know that for you, there were no colors and no changes, that every hallway was the same and there was no way to tell when you were getting closer, until you reached that long tunnel.

The one with the glass walls and ceiling, like an underwater aquarium. With dark shapes you couldn’t make out pressing against the outside, trying to get your attention. With thousands of whispering voices, over one another, so hard to make out, pleading, promising, coaxing. Offering you anything you desired if you would only make it stop, blaming you for their suffering, demanding how you could just walk on by as if—

JON

Stop.

ANNABELLE

You didn’t know you were recording, either. You’ve grown so used to those recorders that you didn’t even notice them anymore. And yet, I was listening.

JON

You were—what?

Y-you—you’re from the future, too!

ANNABELLE

Mm. That’s more complicated than you think it is.

JON

How did you know what we were doing?

ANNABELLE

Because I set it in motion.

JON

…You…you what? Those halls, that—that portrait gallery, that—

ANNABELLE

Which one?

JON

Which—both of them. The ones that—that Martin had to face.

You said you listened to the tapes, you—

ANNABELLE

I did. And I was…shadowing you both, I suppose.

You never wondered how I was at Salesa’s, did you? Not why I was there, how I was there.

JON

I…to be honest, I don’t remember much about those days.

ANNABELLE

I don’t mean while you were there. I mean after. You never thought about how I could have ended up outside my own domain, let alone outside the Apocalypse altogether.

JON

I tried to think about you as little as possible.

ANNABELLE

(heh) I’d be hurt if I didn’t understand completely. I suppose if I’d been lucky enough to escape the Spinner of Webs, I’d want nothing to do with any of her children either.

But you know the rules of the Apocalypse, Jon. It never occurred to you to wonder how a Watcher could stray from their domain?

JON

Martin did. And Helen. They both—

[STATIC CRACKLES; IT’S THE ARCHIVIST’S STATIC, BUT IT SOUNDS UNUSUAL IN A WAY THAT’S DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT]

JON

The Distortion never truly left its domain. Never went far from its doors. And while the domains we saw Helen in were seemingly those of other fears, they all had at least an element of the Spiral in them.

Martin was in the unique position of being both Watcher and Watched. He had the domain he oversaw, small though it was, but he was also, perhaps, the only sufferer in a domain that belonged to me as me and not me as the Eye itself. He could walk the world unharmed because what hurt him was watching my pain and power grow in equal measure, the suffering of not knowing what I would choose in the end.

And you…

Your domain was like Daisy’s. It was the other domains, woven through them like a silken thread, a subtle tug of manipulation. It was the tapes that kept recording our journey and the tugs that led us to people we tried to help or conquer and a thousand tiny maneuverings to keep us moving ahead.

[STATIC FADES; JON GASPS SLIGHTLY]

JON

That…that shouldn’t have felt like that.

ANNABELLE

You’re a bit far from the Eye here. But to be fair, so am I.

JON

We’re in the middle of your fucking web!

ANNABELLE

But my web. Not the Web.

Any power the Mother of Puppets has here is residual, and comes through me. Any power the Ceaseless Watcher has here is residual, and comes through you. I brought the web to show you, to help you understand, but it doesn’t belong here any more than we do.

JON

You were—you were manipulating those tunnels. To…what? Slow us down?

ANNABELLE

To help. Well, you didn’t need it, but Martin…

JON

Martin is stronger than you think.

ANNABELLE

Do you know whose domain that was?

JON

The Spiral’s. Of course.

ANNABELLE

And the Eye. Together.

Together they hung that gallery of accusation, the paintings that all seemed to hold Martin responsible for their deaths. His friends, his family…strangers he never met but felt responsible for. Its purpose was to keep Martin lost—disorientated and in crippling pain and anguish. Forever.

If he had kept going down that corridor, he would never have found the door to the past. And the Keeper would never have been able to find him. Both of them had too much of the Lonely in them—just enough to keep them both isolated and searching. If they didn’t know where to meet.

JON

(whispers) My God.

They—they knew what we were trying to do. Of course they did. And they didn’t—

ANNABELLE

It’s not about foresight. Neither of them really have that. That domain was a mix of the Spiral and the Eye. It’s just what it was designed for, that’s all.

JON

That’s all? It was more than enough.

So which did you—

(with horrified realization) The paintings of me. You did that.

ANNABELLE

To remind him.

JON

Of what, for God’s sake?

ANNABELLE

In part, of what he had to prevent—what he had to stop from happening. What you’d been through and he had to make sure didn’t happen. In part, it was letting him experience your pain. He’d heard what you went through, of course, but to actually see it…in so many ways, that would make it worse, and make his determination stronger.

And, of course, part of it was just putting you back in his mind over everyone else. It was the last little…anchor tethering the two of you together, to the past. Something to keep him present so the Keeper could find him.

JON

And show him that last painting. Thankfully.

Did you know about that one?

ANNABELLE

I put that one there, too.

Surely you didn’t think the Keeper knew enough to have done it.

JON

I—n-no, no, but—

Why?

ANNABELLE

Why show it to him?

JON

Why that moment?

ANNABELLE

Because it wasn’t on tape.

I left you alone while you were in Scotland, up until the end. You two deserved a few weeks…unobserved. Alone together. To figure out what you are to one another.

Actually, I had quite a job keeping the Distortion distracted so it wouldn’t pop in and interrupt. It was something of a challenge.

The first time, anyway.

JON

The first time?

ANNABELLE

Oh, we’ve done this dance before. In its fashion.

JON

What dance?

ANNABELLE

The Apocalyptic Tango, I think Martin called it once.

[JON SIGHS IN EXASPERATION]

JON

Do you ever give a straight answer? Or tell the truth?

ANNABELLE

I’m hurt! I’ve been nothing but honest with you this whole time.

JON

(dry as the Sahara) And the other times?

ANNABELLE

Mostly you wouldn’t have believed me.

I did try a time or two. You always insisted it wasn’t possible, or that there must be some sort of catch. You only believed me once, and even then, I don’t think you believed. You simply wanted it to be true.

JON

Are you trying to get me to compel the truth out of you?

ANNABELLE

The way you did Peter Lukas? Or…which one was it? Breekon?

You don’t need to force it, you know. All you have to do is…ask nicely, and I will spin you the tale.

JON

…

Statement of Annabelle Cane, regarding the Web’s plan. Recorded direct from subject…ah…

ANNABELLE

At the end.

JON

…Statement begins.

ANNABELLE

This is the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

These are the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the Mistress that bore the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the web that cradled the Mistress that bore the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the blade that cut the web that cradled the Mistress that bore the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the hero that wielded the blade that cut the web that cradled the Mistress that bore the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

This is the story that begged to be told of the hero that wielded the blade that cut the web that cradled the Mistress that bore the hand that pulled the strings that moved the spider that peered at the truth that lurked in the hole that lay in the crack beneath the house at Hill Top Road.

Again, and again, and again, and again.

So few of the things that are Fear are gifted with foresight. The End, of course, knows what will come, because the End is inevitable. All things end, sooner or later. The Web cannot see the future but it can see…patterns. The threads of a story, and what they will be when they weave together.

When the Mother of Puppets first saw the crack beneath Hill Top Road, she thought she understood what it was. A hole in reality, a portal between universes. Places where fear had not touched, where it was not known. But then she saw it for what it was. A crack, not in space, but in time. A way to move between moments. And she began to plan For she saw the threads, and she knew that someday, someone would end the world. And when that happened…eventually, all would end. Even fear cannot last forever, in a world where nothing new is born. Eventually, all must end.

Her plan has been the same, for years. Generations. Choose a champion, mark them young. Put them in the path of a fear, and wait. Then, should the world end at the hands of that fear, tug that champion to cut the strings of fate and send all bound up in it through the crack…and back in time. Back in time enough that they could stop it.

And really, it should have worked.

To a point, it did work. Again, and again, and again, and again. Jonah Magnus sent you his ritual, you read it, the world came to an end. You tried to repair it. You walked to London…and there it got complicated.

The trouble is the Spinner’s plan depended, in the end, on your choice. We told you that you would have had to simultaneously blow up the Archives and stab Jonah Magnus, and then all would have been thrown back in time. In truth, that would not have worked—not if Jonah was still the Eye’s Pupil. It had to be you. You had to choose to take his place…and then have the tethers cut. Then, and only then, would you be sent back with the knowledge to alter things.

Sometimes I told you the original story, that it was a crack in reality and would send all the fears somewhere else, or scatter them across worlds. Once or twice I told you the truth. As I said, it was so hard for you to believe me, regardless of what I spun. Mostly you thought I was manipulating you, lying to you, trying to get you to doom a thousand other worlds. Occasionally you thought it would end the world faster. Only once did you believe me—in a time when I came to you in a cabin in what was once Scotland, a time when I knew you would not act if you did not know you could turn back time, a time when the man you loved turned back for his umbrella and understood what he was hearing and tried to save you and the world.

JON

No…

ANNABELLE

It never quite worked, in the end. Time and again, the strings would be cut, the world would snap back…and time and again, we would retread the same paths. Over and over. So little I could change, so little I could do differently before the Apocalypse and I tried to find a new way to get you to be in position to be dragged back.

Finally, finally, it happened. You tried to take Jonah Magnus’ place, to hasten the end and starve the fears…it would never have worked, of course, but you tried. Martin anticipated it, though, he tried to stop you before you killed Jonah, to delay you while the others lit the fuse. You were faster than he thought, though, and had already become the Pupil of the Eye. You told him to go. To save himself. But Martin would not leave you, despite the danger. Rather than watch him die for nothing, you told him to cut the tether. And he did.

It worked the way the Web intended, of course it did. But for you to remember and be able to fix it, you would have both had to be alive when you came through at the other side. Even one of you would have been enough. But when I woke again and plucked the strand of the Web, I could hear that neither of you remembered.

Neither of you had survived.

[JON MAKES A PAINED NOISE OF DISTRESS]

ANNABELLE

It was then that I realized that Mother’s plan depended too heavily on precise timing. She wanted me to try again, of course. Strangely enough, the Fears never knew it had happened, not even the Web. But she reminded me, again and again, about her plan, told me what strings to pull.

This time, though…this time I thought I’d try something a bit different.

I did what I have done every other time. I stayed with Salesa, I spoke to you both. I followed your progress through the tapes, and when you disappeared beneath the tunnels…I acted. As I promised him, I killed him, and I took his camera. I brought it to London, to the Institute…to the Panopticon. But this time, I brought it up to the belly of the beast. I took it to the office of Jonah Magnus.

The camera wasn’t strong enough to dispel the entire Apocalypse there, of course. But it created enough of a hole to break Jonah free of the Eye’s hold.

He was as pleased to see me as you might expect. Demanded to know what I was doing there. And I told him. I told him I had come to warn him.

JON

What?!

ANNABELLE

I told him that his precious Archivist was far from resigned to this new world he had brought about, that he was coming to stop it. To stop him. I said that you were bringing Martin with you and that you had a plan, and if he wanted to continue his reign, he’d best do something to stop it.

JON

Did you have any idea what that something would be?

ANNABELLE

Patterns. Of course I knew.

Jonah would never have harmed you, even if he could have; he still hoped to get you on his side. As you learned tonight. On the other hand, he would have known, or at least guessed, that the only thing stopping you from joining him was Martin. And even if he couldn’t hope to win you over by separating you…he would at least have found a way to use that bond against you.

JON

(shouting) Martin could have died because of you!

ANNABELLE

Perish the thought! My dear Jon, do you know know how many times I’ve been through this loop?

Even when I filled him with spiders, there has never been a time you could bring yourself to harm him in the slightest, let alone kill him. Faced with a choice between letting him die or getting revenge, I knew you would save him. Of course he wouldn’t have died.

[JON SPUTTERS INDIGNANTLY]

ANNABELLE

And I made sure you had somewhere to recover. I had already nudged the Keeper towards that door.

He couldn’t have done it, of course; he was too tightly bound to the Light—not the Lonely, not the fear he watched over, but the Light itself. If it fell, so would he, and he cannot leave it for long. Even if he had come back, he would have been unable to make a difference in anyone’s past. But of course he thought of the Archivist. His godson. And when you thought Martin might be taken from you, you experienced the precise fear that summoned one of his doors—the fear of being forever separated from the one you love.

Perhaps the original plan would have worked eventually. Perhaps someday you, or Martin, or both of you, would have survived long enough to awaken in the past and remember. But I think it’s better this way, don’t you? Much more…direct.

And look how much you’ve spared the others from.

JON

The others—G-Georgie, Melanie, Basira—in, in that timeline, the one Martin and I left. Did they…what happened to them?

ANNABELLE

The Keeper and I took care of that. Don’t worry.

After he saw you safely through, I introduced myself to him and told him what needed to happen. He fetched Basira and took her to the tunnels beneath the Institute, and then I came myself. I told them what Jonah had done, what you had done, and what they needed to do.

I gave them the choice. The same one I often gave you. I told them they could either…let things stay as they were, allow things to die out in time, and keep apart from it, or end it. Take out Jonah Magnus and blow up the Institute simultaneously, and send all the Fears back in time as well—the Fears, and any of us too tightly bound up in them to survive without them.

I know you won’t believe me, Jon, but I never influenced them to make the choice they did. Basira did ask me what they usually chose, and I did tell her that I had never known them to choose anything other than one option, but I didn’t tell her what it was. I knew it would be important for you to know that, whatever they chose, it was their decision and their decision alone.

JON

(heh) I can’t imagine Melanie not choosing the option that allows her to kill Elias.

[ANNABELLE LAUGHS]

ANNABELLE

Neither can I. And she didn’t choose differently.

As I understand it, Melanie made her way up alone—being blind, of course, the fearful things on those stairs could not affect her—while Basira provided a distraction and Georgie lit the gas aflame. Melanie took the camera and aimed it at Jonah Magnus to bring him down, and then while he tried to belittle her, she stabbed him, just as the building blew.

JON

And then what happened? Did they survive?

ANNABELLE

I don’t know. But they succeeded, or I wouldn’t be here.

JON

…

How many others has the Web done this to? Tried to—manipulate into a savior?

ANNABELLE

Oh, I don’t know. Hundreds?

Most of them would have failed. Many never made it beyond her. I was one of them, actually, a child tested out but ultimately found lacking, although I was the only one I think she would have trusted with this. But you…the Mother of Puppets saw the threads of your life. So many Fears noticed you as a child that you were bound to fall afoul of one of them eventually. And as soon as she realized where Jonah Magnus’ thoughts were trending, and where they would eventually lead, she knew that you would be a perfect candidate to complete the ritual in the end.

So she chose you. She lured you in. And you resisted her pull. She knew then that you would be the only one strong enough to succeed.

JON

I only survived because someone else took my place! I would have died if he hadn’t—

ANNABELLE

My dear Jon. Has anyone meant to be claimed by a power ever actually handed away a book or an artifact willingly?

Had you been meant to be the Spinner’s in the end, Mitchell Hopkins would never have been able to take that book from you, let alone read it. Mister Spider was a test, a test that you passed.

A test I never would have.

JON

…

…Was that his name? Mitchell?

ANNABELLE

It was.

It is.

And now you know everything.

[A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE, SAVE THE TAPES CHITTERING IN THE BACKGROUND]

JON

I—I suppose I should be grateful that we don’t remember all of…these. All these…cobwebs.

I’m damned grateful I don’t remember—

ANNABELLE

I must admit, that was a bad one.

JON

Getting through that…it was hard enough with Martin. I don’t—I don’t see how I did it alone.

Especially after—especially knowing I—

Did I know?

ANNABELLE

…

You spent far longer at Salesa’s that time than you did any other time. In the end, I had to go with you almost all the way to London.

…Yes. You knew.

Not at the time. Not when it happened. But the Eye made sure you Knew the details in the end. You ran into Basira and she asked where Martin was—

JON

—and the Beholder forced me to describe it.

ANNABELLE

You said yourself, more than once. None of this has ever been to the benefit of humanity. Or any individual human.

JON

Or whatever I—whatever we are.

ANNABELLE

What defines a human, anyway? The limitations, or the abilities?

We can do more than what an ordinary human can. But we can still do all the things that an ordinary human can, too. We think. We feel. We love, Jon.

As far as I’m concerned, that makes us human.

JON

…Who do you love, Annabelle?

ANNABELLE

I was the first to hold him. Did you know that? I was staying with Harry and his wife while I was at university, just before I took part in that study. They wanted someone to read to him before he was born, so he would learn the stories. Harry worked late, trying to make a better life for them all, and Elizabeth…well, she was blind, so she could tell stories fine, but she wanted him to hear books too. Every night, after dinner, I’d sit and read to her belly. He came early and Harry didn’t get to the hospital in time, so after Elizabeth, I was the first one to hold him.

Harry picked out his first name because he knew I hated that book. Elizabeth softened it by picking a middle name after me, but…she always called him Charlie. I think she knew, even then.

A couple years after I became part of the Web, the Desolation took Harry, probably to spite me, but…Harry was never the one I cared about. Elizabeth, at least, died as peacefully as anybody can. It may not have been pleasant, or timely, but at least it wasn’t to serve a power. Just bad luck.

…

Get him away from that grandmother of his if you can, will you?

JON

One of us will.

ANNABELLE

That’s all I ask.

JON

Well, I—I suppose, in light of all that’s happened…it’s the least I can do.

ANNABELLE

You believe me, then?

JON

It happened. It’s over.

Whether once or a hundred times…it happened the way you said at least once. And we won. That’s enough for me.

…Yes, Annabelle Cane, I believe you.

ANNABELLE

For what it’s worth, Jon, you did all the hard work on your own. You and Martin, and…the others. In your time and this. All I did was get you here.

JON

The others…

(sharp intake of breath) Oh, God. The Unknowing. Has it—have they—I-I can’t, even if we were in the Panopticon, I couldn’t See it. But you—there, there were tapes.

Are they…?

ANNABELLE

That one. I think.

JON

You think?

ANNABELLE

It added itself to the web just before you got here. It’s either theirs or yours.

[BRIEF PAUSE, THEN THE SQUEAL OF TAPE BEFORE A RECORDING PICKS UP - FAINT CIRCUS MUSIC, THUMPS AND TAPS THAT MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF FOOTSTEP, FLOORBOARDS CREAKING, SHALLOW BREATHING, FABRIC RUSTLES]

PRESENT ARCHIVIST ON TAPE

I love you.

PRESENT MARTIN ON TAPE

I love you.

TIM ON TAPE

I love you.

Tell me when.

[DEEP BREATH]

PRESENT ARCHIVIST ON TAPE

Three…two…one…

[MORE FABRIC RUSTLES, DETONATOR CLICKS, EXPLOSION BEGINS BEFORE ABRUPTLY CUTTING OFF]

JON

Oh, God.

ANNABELLE

And to think I thought you had a terrible sense of timing.

JON

At least they said something before—

O-oh, God, Tim. Tim—you know as well as I do that in my time, he—and I—were they all in the middle of that?

ANNABELLE

More or less.

They didn’t walk into the Unknowing, at least. Martin listened to what you told him and wouldn’t let them open any doors. But it had to be blown up from the inside to be sure of getting all the charges. Your counterpart and Martin’s wouldn’t leave Tim behind, however much he tried to make them.

JON

What happened after that?

ANNABELLE

I don’t know if there is an after that yet.

JON

And we’re back to the cryptic bullshit.

ANNABELLE

On the contrary. I said exactly what I meant.

We aren’t exactly anywhere right now, or any when. This…place…I wouldn’t call it a domain, but it exists outside of both time and space. The rules are different here. Time, if it passes at all, passes differently.

They might have just pressed the detonator. They might have pressed it hours ago, or days ago.

JON

(dismayed) Days?

ANNABELLE

All I can say is that wherever, whenever they are, they are out of reach of my tapes. And your sight.

Fortunately…I know someone who can give us those answers, even from here. Maybe especially from here.

JON

Who else is here, for God’s sake?

[ANNABELLE SINGS THE NEXT LINE IN THE SAME SLOW, MEASURED VOICE AS BEFORE]

ANNABELLE

Two elephants went out to play Upon a spider’s web one day They had such enormous fun They called for another elephant to come…

[STICKY FOOTSTEPS APPROACH OVER THE TAPE WEB]

OLIVER

Hello, Jon. It is all right if I call you Jon?

JON

…Oliver? Oliver Banks?

OLIVER

In the…well. In the manifestation, I suppose. I don’t know if any of us is here in the flesh.

JON

(disbelieving laugh) You’re…not quite what I expected.

OLIVER

Is that an invitation for me to comment about how Death so rarely is what we expect, or a manifestation of you wondering why Martin would possibly be jealous of someone like me?

ANNABELLE

If you knew either of them a little better, you’d know Martin’s reasons for being jealous are almost entirely in his head.

Also, he’s never met you.

OLIVER

Mm, true. We always seemed to miss one another.

JON

You—hold on. You’re from the future as well?

OLIVER

Like you and Annabelle. Well, more like Annabelle, I suppose. You had to be the Pupil of the Eye before you were tangled enough to get dragged back with the Fears. Me? Without Terminus, I’m just…dead. And we’ve already established that that’s not where I want to be.

JON

…Did you know? When you came to the hospital?

OLIVER

That we’d done this before? Of course. I long ago stopped being surprised at what you would choose.

JON

Then for God’s sake, why—

OLIVER

Because you had to choose, Jon. It was always your choice.

Think of it as a crossroads. You stood at a fork in the road, where one path would take you back to life and the other would take you on to, well, whatever came next. The trouble was that the signposts were covered.

You could have chosen without knowing which path was which, but that’s not your way. Not when you know enough to know that one was…mm, wrong, shall we say? One would have led you where you wanted to be, one where you didn’t.

JON

I didn’t want to die.

OLIVER

There’s a difference between not wanting to die and having something to live for.

JON

(deep breath) Right, well, I definitely have something to live for, so I’ll be going now.

Uh, how do I get out of here?

OLIVER

Ordinarily? You don’t.

JON

What?!

OLIVER

This is Terminus’s realm. Well, sort of. A little pocket on the outside edge of it.

JON

Another crossroads.

OLIVER

Mm, not so much. More that you’re standing in the middle of the path.

JON

So which way is back?

OLIVER

Life is a journey traveled in one direction only.

JON

(tartly) Yes, well, so is time, but here we all are.

I’ve already chosen to live, Oliver. (with slight malice) Can I call you Oliver?

OLIVER

(not rising to the bait) This isn’t a place where you get to choose.

JON

…So you’re saying that’s it.

After all that, after everything I—everything we did…this is the end. There’s nowhere else for me to go.

ANNABELLE

How many times have you walked out of another entity’s domain? Not counting the Apocalypse. We’ve already talked about how that doesn’t count.

JON

I…twice. The Buried and the Lonely.

Three, I suppose, if that crossroads counts.

OLIVER

That was a metaphor. You were close to Death, but not its realm. If that makes sense.

JON

Not really.

ANNABELLE

The Buried and the Lonely, then.

What brought you out?

JON

From the Buried, it was the—the tapes…it was Martin putting those tapes on top of the coffin. W-weaving me a rope…or a ladder.

The Lonely was simple enough to leave. The way out was together.

ANNABELLE

With Martin.

JON

…Yes.

ANNABELLE

Exactly.

Not all strands of a spider’s web are to capture or to control, you know. Sometimes, they are simply…to anchor.

JON

…

…That’s why you offered to bind me to Martin. It wasn’t about—it wasn’t for strength or power at all.

ANNABELLE

Not to defeat Jonah Magnus, no. There’s more than one kind of strength, more than one kind of power. I did tell you that you would need it to survive what was coming.

JON

It brought Martin back when Peter Lukas visited the Archives and he almost got swallowed by the Lonely again. It—it grounded me, kept me from losing control while I was taking down Jonah.

And now…

ANNABELLE

It can guide you home.

[OLIVER LAUGHS]

OLIVER

You know, people always talk about some legendary “red string of fate”, but I’ve never actually seen a real one before.

Let alone one woven from cassette tape.

JON

You knew I had that tether from the beginning.

OLIVER

Truthfully, I didn’t think it would work. Plenty of people have things they think are tying them to life, but they aren’t strong enough to resist the pull. Most threads snap.

JON

Not this one.

I made Martin a promise. And I never break my word.

OLIVER

A good thing, when your tether is almost literally made out of your words.

JON

Ha, ha.

…Wait. B-before I go…the Unknowing. Are they—she said you would know.

OLIVER

It’s over. It worked. They brought the house down.

A lot of tormented souls set free, all at once. Quite the rush, really.

JON

The three of them—my counterpart and Martin’s and Tim. What happened to them?

[OLIVER SIGHS]

OLIVER

Two of them will be fine. Some cuts and bruises, but they’ll be up and about sooner rather than later. They might already be up and about. Time’s difficult to discern here.

The other…I suspect I’m going to need to pay a visit at some point. Clean off those signposts.

JON

Don’t wait six months.

OLIVER

I shouldn’t be more than a couple weeks behind you.

JON

…That’s less comforting than you think it is.

OLIVER

Then it must be terrifying, because I was definitely going for ominous.

[JON SIGHS…AND LAUGHS RELUCTANTLY; ANNABELLE AND OLIVER LAUGH TOO]

JON

I suppose we’ll meet again, Annabelle.

ANNABELLE

…No. No, I don’t think we will.

JON

Tired of me already?

ANNABELLE

I was watching them for you. Not just through the tapes. I was lurking in a corner of that room.

I don’t know that I made it out.

OLIVER

(gently) You didn’t, I’m afraid.

Your choices are more limited. Stay here with your web…or see what comes next.

[A SHORT PAUSE]

JON

We’ll keep the recorders going.

In case you’re still listening.

ANNABELLE

…Tell Charlie his aunt loves him very much.

JON

I will.

Oliver…don’t take this the wrong way, but if I ever see you again, it will be too soon.

OLIVER

Death always comes too soon.

JON

That was definitely not meant for that aspect of you.

OLIVER

Fair.

ANNABELLE

Have a good life, Jon.

You and Martin deserve it.

JON

If I may borrow from another…may you find your rest where no shadows are cast, and no eyes may see you slumber.

ANNABELLE

(audibly smiling) From you, Jon, that is a true blessing.

[DEEP BREATH]

JON

Right. Hold on, Martin.

I’m coming home.

[CLICK]

[dukeofonions]

Deceit’s Somewhat Acceptance Arc (And Why It Feels Off)

So I was gonna do the video game post first, but then I remembered I’d started this one before I left for the weekend and decided to finish it. As a result, it’s kinda messy and my thoughts are all over the place, I had to delete and rewrite is several times, but I think I managed to get my overall thoughts there. 

As always, this is just my opinion. You are free to agree, disagree, or feel completely indifferent towards a random person who spends their free time dissecting fictional characters. 

We all good? Let’s go then. 

I won’t lie, Deceit was the best part of this video. I didn’t think he’d be included as much as he was. Originally, I thought he’d be content to lurk in the shadows and let Thomas deal with the repercussions of not heeding him in the first place and leave him to sort through the mess himself without his help. Possibly having a cameo in the end, foreshadowing some major event that’s soon to take place, but I was completely wrong and he got the best freaking entrance and completely owned the episode. 

It was great, seeing him take on his role of self preservation and defend Thomas, who was being harmed unknowingly by Patton with how far he was taking things. He encouraged Thomas to start taking better care of his mental health, was given a seat at the table, and even showed they could trust him by revealing his name: Janus

It was wonderful, beautiful, and I have a lot of issues with this. 

Let me explain, on its own, the whole scene building up to Deceit revealing his name, and the following aftermath, is perfect. 

What feels off to me is Janus himself, he feels like a completely different character compared to the Deceit we met in Can Lying Be Good? and saw in action during Selfishness vs Selflessness 

To start, let’s briefly go over Deceit’s character throughout the first 5 episodes we see him in before we get to POF. 

In his debut, Can Lying Be Good? He spends a majority of the episode disguised as Patton. Pushing Thomas to lie to his friend in order to spare their feelings and to avoid the possibility of Thomas being hurt. He’s shown to enjoy the distress the others are going through as the situation becomes more and more uncomfortable, and even gets close to being aggressive when Thomas decides he needs to be honest in this situation. Once it becomes clear Thomas won’t listen to him as Patton, he drops his act and reveals himself. 

Immediately, we are given the impression that this is not someone we can trust. From the music, to Deceit’s entire demeanor, even the Sides’ reactions to him are enough to enforce that idea, as well as Deceit’s reactions to them. 

With Logan, he immediately silences him, growling almost as if he’s annoyed and has had to do this before. He doesn’t really pay Logan any mind after his reveal and ignores him for the most part and Logan is more than eager to expose him for what he is. 

Roman states that he “Hates this guy and his creepy snake face” while adding that he’s “Very kind” which Deceit responds to by giving him a false compliment. Showing right away that this has also happened before with these two (Logan is about to comment on the exchange but decides not to bother)

Virgil clearly has some deep rooted animosity towards Deceit. With the glare he shoots him and the two immediately throw insults at each other which comes back to play in almost all of their interactions. 

We don’t really get much in terms of what Deceit’s character is really like with this first episode. We know he can be a threatening presence, but also has a bit of a goofier, dorky side to him as well. At this point, we’re not sure what his goals are or what his relationships with the other Sides are like (It’s obvious they all don’t like him) but for a while, this was all we got. 

His next appearance was a brief cameo in Logic vs Passoin where he showed up after Logan exclaimed “I won’t have you lying to yourself!” Where he gave an evil chuckle, flipped Thomas off, then sank out without a word. This still didn’t give us much in regards to Deceit’s character, other than enforcing the fact that he didn’t like Thomas and showing that he had a bit of a mischievous side as well. It did, however, show that Thomas was easily distressed by him and wasn’t entirely on board with having Deceit for a Side yet.

 After that, he disappears for 2 episodes before showing up during the end card of Embarrassing Phases, which is one of my favorite scenes in the series, and one that now causes a bit of problems which I will get back to later. Just note that this scene once again reinforces these things about Deceit: He is a threat, he can’t be trusted, he still has a bit of a goofy side, and on top of that his rivalry with Virgil is expanded upon and the idea that these two have a history is put up front and center. 

Then finally, we get our first official episode that takes all we’ve learned about Deceit and amplifies them in Selfishness vs Selflessness. What we get is a character that can be cool and charismatic, but can also be silly. It’s still unclear what his overall goal is, and he delights in being proved right and winning against the others. 

An interesting thing to note here is that all of the interactions Deceit has with the other Sides in CLBG Come back into play here. 

He ignores Logan and keeps his input limited, he uses flattery on Roman to sway him to his side, and of course him and Virgil still have their rivalry, revealing more and more just how much Virgil hates Deceit. We also finally get to see his relationship with Patton, and see that he seems to hold almost the same amount of animosity towards Deceit as Virgil does. Thomas himself isn’t as frightened by him anymore, and is willing to hear him out, but he still doesn’t trust him. 

Throughout the “trial” Deceit openly mocks the others, discredits them, and when he “wins” he rubs that victory in Thomas’ face and is shown laughing and celebrating while the others are at the lowest they’ve been. Things then take a turn when Roman decides to sentence Thomas to go to the wedding and give up the callback, which clearly distresses Deceit to the point where he nearly has a breakdown due to the others not being able to comprehend what he’s trying to say. Which is basically, selfishness isn’t always a bad thing, which he articulates a lot better in POF, but we’ll get back to that. 

He leaves the episode shortly after Logan shows up, but not before delivering this rather ominous line: “It’s clear you all don’t want to listen to reason (while the embodiment of Thomas’ logic and reasoning is standing right next to him) but hear this: I’ll always be a part of you. I’m not going anywhere, and there are smarter ways to get people to do what you want anyway.” 

Does that sound like a threat to anyone else? Or is it just me? Keep in mind at this point, everyone is still very much against Deceit, and he clearly is about to change tactics when it comes to dealing with them and getting what he wants. Another important thing to note is that this is the last time Thomas sees and deals with Deceit directly before we get to POF.

I should probably bring up Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts because while Deceit isn’t in the episode, he is mentioned a couple of times by Remus, who implies that it was Deceit himself who’s responsible for sending Remus out to antagonize the others. While this can’t be confirmed, Remus claims that Deceit said “You’re wanting to be more honest and be direct dealing with your issues, no longer will you deceive yourself about the ugliness within you.” 

(Admit it, you all sang that and added the little “Neat!” at the end. If you don’t, I’ll know you’re lying.) 

This shows that Deceit is switching things up and making good on his “promise” that he made at the end of SVS by forcing Thomas to accept yet another part of him that he doesn’t like. One that, by comparison, is much worse than anything Deceit could bring to the table. 

His next actual appearance is another cameo in Are There Healthy Distractions? where all he does is take his hat back from Roman and berates him for it. The only significant thing to happen here is Virgil’s reaction to seeing him, which again, I’ll get back to in a moment. 

This was the last time we saw Deceit for awhile, we were then subjected to a long drought between episodes as people waited to see the aftermath of the wedding that was the main conflict of SVS. Keep in mind again that so far, Deceit has remained relatively the same mysterious, slightly villainous character that we’ve seen throughout his 5 appearances thus far in the series. 

So you can see why some people would be shocked when he suddenly does a complete 180 and is going about promoting mental health while acting silly around Thomas and befriending Patton, the Side he went head to head with during his last main appearance, and is now being offered a seat at the table while showing genuine concern for Thomas and aiming to protect him, which goes to show that he cared all along.

Right?

Uh, yeah, I’m not buying it. 

Well let me clarify, do I think Janus is evil? No. Is it impossible for him to actually care about Thomas? Of course not. 

And do I think it’s possible for him to change from his villainous persona to a more friendly one? Absolutely. 

The problem here is that it doesn’t feel earned. We’ve only had one full episode with Janus before this, and even in the brief appearances we got his character remained consistent throughout them all. It’s almost like there’s a piece of this puzzle missing, and I have a theory as to where it is. 

In short, Janus has not been fully accepted yet. Thomas trusts him, and even Patton does now, but does Roman? Don’t make me laugh. 

Logan? He was once again removed from the discussion by Janus, which is a running theme with these two, so I doubt he’d be quick to accept someone who continuously silences him unless it benefits him. 

And the biggest factor of them all, Virgil. 

He hates Janus, every interaction these two have had is filled with insults, glares, and Virgil becoming more aggressive than he’s ever been towards anyone in the series. 

Just look at him in ATHD, when Janus shows up hardly anyone pays him any mind. Heck, Remus has continuously popped up throughout the episode and no one has batted an eye, not even Virgil. But as soon as Janus shows up he goes feral, hissing at him while Janus pays him no mind. 

What is going on here? 

It’s glaringly obvious that something has happened between these two, something that won’t be easily swept under the rug when it comes up. 

For one thing, just compare Virgil’s relationship with Janus to his relationship with Remus. We see at the beginning of DWIT that, of course, Virgil is hostile towards Remus and hates him, while being distressed by him. The two know each other and seem to have a bit of a history of their own. 

What’s the difference between Remus and Janus? 

Well, Virgil gets over his fear of Remus in just one episode. By the time it ends, he isn’t bothered by Remus anymore and tells him as such. Remus even seems to be kind of fond of him as well. And when Remus appears again in ATHD, Virgil doesn’t acknowledge his presence at all. Yet when Janus shows up just to retrieve his hat from Roman, he goes into fight mode and probably would have attacked if he’d stayed for even a minute longer. 

And if you need further proof, look no further than the end card of Embarrassing Phases and Janus’ parting words to Virgil: “Just be sure to keep up that personal growth Virgil. Who knows? Maybe soon you could be rid of us all.” 

Again, does that not sound like a threat to anyone else? And why would he say that to Virgil? Is he implying that Virgil is trying to escape from them? Actually get rid of them? There’s so much that this could mean in regards to Janus’ character and what his motivations are, but then POF comes around and suddenly this doesn’t line up with his character at all. 

Don’t tell me you could look at Janus at the end of this episode and say that this is the same guy. He’s gone from leaving an episode with a threat: “You’ve seen the last of me” “You could be rid of us all” “There are smarter ways to get people to do what you want anyway” 

To this: “Take some time for yourself, Thomas.” 

As well as rejoicing in being told he was right and advising Thomas to stop overthinking everything since, as we’ve now seen, it does not help him in the slightest. 

So… What are we missing? What the heck is going on? 

Well, I said it before and I’ll say it again: Janus hasn’t been fully accepted yet. 

Really, only one Side out of the four main Sides has accepted Janus. This Side just happens to be Patton, Thomas’ morality, and the one thing that stood in the way of Janus getting his voice heard. Because as long as Thomas viewed lying as wrong, he’d never listen to him. 

Now that he’s proven that isn’t the case, and that he can help, Patton (and therefore Thomas) no longer sees him as evil. 

But again, Roman, Logan, and Virgil have yet to do so. We know how Roman and Virgil feel about Janus, but we have yet to get Logan’s clear view on him since every time Janus has shown up, he’s been left out of the conversation. Though it’s safe to assume he’d be somewhat bitter about that. 

The main thing is that something has been set up between Virgil and Janus. Something happened to make them enemies and that can’t be ignored, and I believe this will be addressed soon. 

Because if it isn’t, and Janus is accepted immediately by Virgil, then all this would just be explained through bad writing. Which, again, I don’t believe the team is incompetent by any means. However, I do think that this all happened way too fast. 

Let’s look at Virgil for a moment, we got plenty of time to know him throughout season one. We got to see him in more of a villain role, and saw him gradually become closer with the group. We saw hints of him wanting to get along with the others and be a part of them, but ultimately, decided for himself that he was doing more harm than good and so, ducked out. 

We had 12 episodes to get to know Virgil before Accepting Anxiety came out. 12 episodes as opposed to Janus’ 5, two of which were nothing more than brief cameos and one his introduction where he was only truly himself for the ending. 

Really, Janus only had 3 episodes where it was relevant to the plot, and only 1 of those was a full episode, which was immediately followed by him being accepted and acting more like a good guy who just has a bit of a chaotic streak in him as opposed to the mysterious, charismatic Side who works in the background. 

Now, the way I see, there are two ways to justify this sudden change. The first is what I said before, that Janus hasn’t been fully accepted yet and needs to be accepted by Roman, Virgil, and Logan first before this can be achieved. 

And the other thing, which I hate to consider as a possibility, would be that Janus is putting on an act. 

Think about it, Janus realized at the end of SVS that his methods were not working. So he changes his approach, ditching the villain and becoming a hero. He literally appears at the end during a boss battle and puts himself into the role of a protector, defending Thomas from Patton’s harmful behavior. He acts more silly, loosening up, showing genuine care for Thomas. 

Then the biggest red flag, his name reveal. 

As I watched the scene I couldn’t help but find it oddly reminiscent of Virgil’s own name reveal. From the build up, to the delivery, it all felt strangely familiar, almost as if it’d been rehearsed. Manufactured to get the exact reaction from the others (in this case Thomas and Patton) that he wanted. 

Virgil revealing his name was a sign that he trusted the others, and I believe Janus knew this and thus, used it to his advantage. 

And guess what? It worked like a charm. Thomas and Patton immediately began trusting him, Patton even went to him for advice after Roman left. Could you see Patton doing that at the end of SVS? I certainly couldn’t. 

Now I’m not saying this is actually what happened. For all I know, Janus was being completely sincere when he shared his name, and it really was a personal moment. The only reason I have such a hard time accepting it as genuine is because, as I keep saying, none of it matches up with how Janus was before POF. 

Until this point, his character has been consistent and stayed pretty much the same, but now he’s completely changed. And I know it’s normal for characters to grow and change as a story progresses, but again, it just happened way too fast for this character in particular. 

This isn’t helped by the fandom’s complete 180 in regards to Janus. Before this episode, it was still pretty common for him to be seen in a mostly negative light. People outright hated this character, and attacked people who liked him. Then Remus came and wasn’t shown nearly as much hate or negativity as Janus was. Now all of a sudden Janus is a “Good uwu boi” and everyone loves him. I haven’t seen one person doubt Janus’ change of heart. Which is surprising because given the fandom’s treatment of him in the past, I’m surprised this hasn’t been more common. 

But then I remembered that another Side is currently being thrown into a negative light, which is Roman. He’s been thrown under the bus after his recent actions at the end of POF, all while Janus is now being held up on a golden pedestal. 

Honestly, I’m debating ending this post right here because this next part delves way too much into conspiracy territory, but since this would be kind of an awkward ending I’ll go ahead and just throw the idea out there anyway. 

So, it’s been established that the Sides are aware that what they’re doing is being viewed by an audience. Roman, Logan, and Patton have all addressed the audience directly before. Virgil has given direct glances into the camera, and of course Thomas greets the audience in every episode and closes each one out with a message at the end of every one. 

In Crofters: The Musical Roman outright addresses the fact that Logan has become more popular than him. Implying that somehow, he has access to that information. So if Roman does, then why wouldn’t Janus?

Why wouldn’t Janus be aware of Roman’s insecurities? Why wouldn’t he use this to his advantage and spend the entirety of SVS boosting his ego since he knew that’s what he wanted? 

What if Janus, being aware of the audience and how they view the Sides, knew that all he needed for his plan to succeed was not only to convince Thomas that he could be trusted, but the audience. He knows that they don’t like him, so what does he do? He puts himself into a much more positive light, while Roman is put into a position where he’s made out to be the bad guy?

And if this was the case, then it worked. A majority of the fandom now loves Janus while Roman is being left behind. He’s the perfect scapegoat, a distraction from the real plans Janus has in store. 

But that idea is so far out there and paints Janus as more of an actual villain when really, I don’t think he is at all. 

What’s most likely is that we’re going to learn what happened between him and Virgil, and then watch as Thomas and the others rethink their decision to trust him. 

I don’t think Janus is evil, this series is constantly pushing the message that everything isn’t all black and white. Janus, like everyone else, just wants what’s best for Thomas but has a different way of achieving that goal. 

My hope is that the writers are aware of this and have a plan for Janus’ character to develop more. Because if that isn’t the case and Janus remains a “good guy” from here on out then all of Janus’ previous appearances would be rendered meaningless. 

He’d might as well be a completely different character at that point, because the Deceit that I (and many others) became invested in and loved since his first appearance would be gone. Replaced with a softer, less complex, less engaging “uwu soft boi” that now seems to be the fandom favorite. 

Which makes me curious, if Janus is revealed to be lying to some degree, and was tricking Patton and Thomas, would everyone go back to hating him again? Would they give him a chance to explain himself and grow, or would they go right back to seeing him as nothing more than the evil villain they believed they were introduced to back in CLBG

Okay, that’s pretty much all I’ve got on this topic. It’s kinda messy by my standards and I’m sure I repeated myself a lot. So you are more than welcome to critique my points and debate them with your own. Just to clarify, I still love Janus. And I stand by the fact that he was the best part of this new episode. I just hope that this isn’t all the development he gets and that he continues to have his ups and downs. 

And come on, how could they possibly pass up the opportunity to do the “Liar revealed” trope with the literal embodiment of Deceit? 

[lunetheaveragefan]

one day...

Hi! This is the beginning of the first fanfiction that I’m posting here! I hope people like it!

A Sander Sides high school AU

Pairing: Prinxiety and some background Logicality

Summary: Virgil is used to being alone. He only has one friend, Logan. But when Logan makes a new friend, things begin to change as two more join their group. Roman, a boisterous theater kid, seems determined to destroy Virgil’s lonely, average life. How much will Virgil’s life change?

Warnings: Some cursing and quick mentions of anxiety/a panic attack. If you notice anything else, let me know!

Word Count: 1,691

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

CHAPTER ONE

Virgil Tempest is having a bad day.

First of all, he’d woken up late. 30 minutes late, to be exact. That left him only 10 to get ready for school, so he didn’t have time to put on his foundation. Now, the feature he hated most about himself — his freckles — would be visible for all to see. 

Secondly, his favorite hoodie was in the wash, so he had to wear his old, plain black one that he hadn’t worn since at least seventh grade. It was buried in the way back of his closet, wedged between a leather jacket he’d completely forgotten he owned and the suit he had only worn once, at a funeral for some distantly related family member.

Thirdly, he forgot his headphones at home in his rush, and so now he had to suffer the whole day, unable to block out the noise of his idiotic school. He thought he had a spare pair in his backpack, but when he looked once he got to school, there weren’t any in sight. 

Earlier, he thought it couldn’t get any worse, but he is sure now that it was just building up to this.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Roman Princeford apologizes loudly from above him. To say Virgil dislikes Roman would be an understatement. Roman has a ridiculously pompous name and a personality to match. The star theater kid, popular king of the school, and friend to everyone. Well, everyone except for Virgil. Even Virgil’s only friend, Logan Wise, a class-A nerd, likes Roman. 

Needless to say, Virgil doesn’t see Roman’s appeal. Maybe, if Roman could stand to be a whole lot less arrogant, say, every day, or if he stopped being so excessively extra, or if he just took the time to do something other than theater and bragging, he might be tolerable. The key word there being ‘might.’

“It’s fine,” Virgil mumbles from the floor, where he had landed after Roman knocked into him while Virgil was walking. Roman had been talking to his usual group of fans, taking up most of the hallway since pretty much everyone wanted to listen to him, and had thrown out an arm in one of his usual grand gestures and pushed Virgil right over. He’d landed on the floor, books strewn everywhere, being watched by the whole hallway. Of course, it’s more crowded than usual thanks to the tall tale Roman was describing that apparently no one could afford to miss out on. It didn’t help that Roman had decided to make a big deal out of it, either. 

Wishing this terrible day could just end already, Virgil shifts to a crouch and begins to gather his books. To his utter dismay, Roman bends down to help him. Annoyed as he is, Virgil can’t get up the courage to tell the other boy to leave him alone. Even so, the work goes quicker with the other boy helping, and, as much as he would hate to ever admit it, Virgil appreciates it. 

They both reach for the last book on the ground at the same time, and their hands knock into each other. 

“S-Sorry,” Roman says, and Virgil thinks he hears a stutter in his voice. Roman Princeford, the theater prodigy who never messes up a line, stuttering? But when Virgil looks up at Roman, there’s a blush working its way across the other boy’s tan cheeks. Strange. This close, Virgil can see the bluish specks in the other boy’s green eyes. 

Roman must feel Virgil’s eyes on him, because he looks back at him, handing him his last book. Dread settles in Virgil’s stomach as he realizes that Roman must be able to see his freckles. Just as he remembers, Roman’s eyes drop to the other’s nose, where the freckles are the most noticeable. Shit, Virgil curses. 

Yanking the book away from Roman, Virgil turns away and stands up, and Roman soon follows suit. There’s a redness on both of their faces now, but on Virgil’s pale skin, it’s much more visible. How long was I staring at his eyes? He shakes his head, letting his dyed-purple bangs fall over his face. 

Resituating his books in his arms and weaving his way through the people, he starts the walk to his next class, art.

“Have a nice day!” Roman calls from behind him. Virgil sighs and pulls up his hood, wishing now more than ever that he had his headphones.

“Whatever,” he mutters, but the whole next period, all he can think about is Roman Princeford’s bright green eyes, tan skin, and wavy blond hair. 

I must be going crazy, he decides. I mean, I know I’m gay, but gay for Roman Princeford, of all people? I don’t know him at all, and from what I’ve heard — and experienced — he’s not someone I would ever get along with. There’s no way I could possibly have a crush on him. 

Right?

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

At lunch, Virgil drops down in the seat next to Logan with a thud. 

“Greetings,” Logan states professionally. “Am I misperceiving your body language and demeanor or was your day thus far below average in terms of relative happiness and unpleasantly abnormal?” Virgil looks at him around his bangs, puzzled.

“What?” Is he even speaking English? Virgil wonders.

“Pardon me, I forget that you are intellectually compromised when it comes to my copious vocabulary. Let me rephrase,” Logan proclaims. He clears his throat and lays his hands on the table, his fingers pressed together to form triangle-like shapes. “Did your day suck or are you just being your—” Logan waves a hand at Virgil’s body— “regular grumpy asshole self?”

Virgil is taken aback for a second before he rolls his eyes. 

“Roman fucking Princeford bumped into me in the hallway, and then had the nerve to say, ‘Have a nice day!’ afterwards in that disgustingly cheery voice of his!” Virgil complains, poking at his food. He doesn’t really intend on eating any of it; the school’s food is terrible, and besides, he isn’t too hungry anyway. He has some crackers in his bag if he really needs something to eat later.

“I do not understand why you antagonize him so often, but I suppose if you refuse to change your opinions of him, there isn’t much I can do on the matter.” Logan pauses, and Virgil has a feeling he knows what’s coming next: one of Logan’s rare discussions of emotions. “But you shouldn’t just assume that everyone is out to hurt you, Virgil.”

Yup, there it is. Virgil likes Logan’s company because he isn’t too tied up in his emotions, unlike Virgil. He knows the facts, and that’s relieving when Virgil is in the midst of a period of overwhelming anxiety. But sometimes, Logan thinks he knows what’s best for Virgil, especially when it comes to matters concerning Roman Princeford.

Scoffing, Virgil crosses his arms and leans against the back of the chair. “Whatever,” he sighs.

Logan takes a deep breath, obviously trying to calm his temper, which has a habit of getting out of control, and responds, “Virgil, this is unhealthy. You have—” But before Virgil can find out what Logan thinks he has to do, another voice cuts Logan off.

“Heya, guys! How are you?” Virgil looks up to see a shorter student standing there. This new kid’s hair is a mess of amber curls, tumbling over his forehead and slipping behind his round, wire rimmed glasses. Tan skin covered in freckles and a round face gives him a youthful look, but Virgil knows that he’s a junior just like him. 

His name is Patton Hart, and Virgil, surprisingly, doesn’t hate him.

Patton is known for being one of the kindest people in the school. No matter who it is, Patton will find a way to cheer someone up. Back in December of their freshman year, Patton helped Virgil calm down during a panic attack around finals. Virgil harbors no ill will towards the kid, but it’s still strange that he’d show up at their table randomly. 

Then, Virgil remembers that Patton’s best friend is the one and only Roman Princeford. 

Roman probably sent Patton to tell me something. Damn, I hate that stuck up asshole. Before Virgil can open his mouth to ask Patton what he wants with them, since Logan and him are the only ones anywhere near, Logan talks first.

“Hi, Patton!” His voice is so upbeat and joy-filled that Virgil has to look over at Logan to make sure he did, indeed, speak. In the seat next to him, Logan’s face is lit up with a smile, and he looks so…well, not-Logan. And, wait, is that a blush on Logan’s cheeks?

Virgil raises his eyebrows in shock and blinks a few times to make sure what he’s seeing is real. When nothing changes when he opens his eyes, Virgil ignores the strangeness of whatever’s happening next to him and looks back at Patton. 

“Hey, Patton,” he greets. “What do you need?” He tries to keep his voice annoyance-free, so not to hurt the other kid’s feelings. Patton’s a little puffball of innocence and positive energy, and the whole school has made an unspoken agreement to keep it that way.

“Oh, I just came over to talk to Logan about our science project!” 

“We were paired together as lab partners today,” Logan explains, still with that wide smile on his face. 

Weirded out by the scene unfolding in front of him, Virgil pokes at his food one last time and decides he’s not so hungry to risk getting food poisoning. 

“Alright, then,” he says, standing up, “I’ll leave you guys alone so you can talk about your nerdy physics stuff.”

“Actually, Virgil, it’s chemistry we’re taking,” Logan informs him, some semblance of his usual professional manner returning. 

“Well, it’s still science, and it’s still nerdy, so my point stands.”

Patton giggles, and Logan seems to blush, but at this point, Virgil doesn’t trust his own eyes. 

“Well, goodbye, kiddo!” Patton exclaims, waving. Virgil laughs at Patton’s use of ‘kiddo’ even though they're in the same grade and waves back. Telling Logan that he’ll see him later, he turns and dumps his try, finally exiting the noise of the cafeteria.

[loyally-unfaithful]

—; but “sentimental boy” is my nom de plume

word count: 1916

pairing: connor/gn!reader

genre: slight fluff; hurt no comfort

summary: it has been a year after the android revolution. humans and android alike settled down, an olive branch was offered as a sign of reconciliation. with newfound peace came along newfound love, and many open roads to choose from. this was no different for the rk800—connor. surprisingly or unsurprisingly, he decided to continue working at the dpd, this time as a bonafide detective. but he has also accepted the thrilling uncertainty of life that deviancy has brought; the same strings that brought his lover in his life.the same ones he hated and cursed, the same fates who ripped it all away.

a/n: everytime i convince myself i came out of my dbh hyperfixation i just look at connor and i become lovesick again.

gosh i know i should be finishing my other fic or work on the prologue script for my vn, but,,,,,,, i just had a sudden hankering for connor angst,,,,

written during a sleep deprivation induced moment of epiphany,,,,, (purple prose cuz im extra af uwu)

I’ve never written angst before so i’d love to hear your thoughts on it

maybe if you asked him one year ago whether he’d consider returning someone’s feelings, romantic feelings, he’d reply to you with a placid smile and a polite « i’m sorry, i wasn’t programmed to reciprocate romantic interest. ». he remembered that he’d sneer at them internally. now thinking about it, long before he questioned his obedience towards her, he already showed signs of deviancy.

you did what you were designed to do.

memories from his past would still torment him erratically, doubts would resurface on particularly dark days. but you were the light that cut through that haze. this wasn’t a “fake deviancy”. it couldn’t have been. not when he is holding your body so close to his, warmth radiating off of each other, two heartbeats—similar, but different—thrumming together. all the softly whispered and adoringly announced « i love you »’s; all the quick and coveted pecks and all the feverish and passionate kisses. no, he was alive, he was sure of it—alive and absolutely enamoured by you. all semblance of doubt ebbed away when you entered his life.

whenever he’s around you, he feels more alive: you make him feel everything, all the little precious things. tenderness and adoration when he shares tranquil mornings with you. he feels more alive when he’s with you, all the little habits and routines too endearing: the sweet post-it notes scattered over your shared flat; scribbled upon it are encouraging words or sweet nothings. conflicting work schedules meant that moments spent together were scarce, but that made them even more valuable and coveted. captivation, was another emotion that he felt around you. your mannerism, your dreams and interests, your physical attributes and quality of voice. logically speaking, you were just another human, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. you’d live and then one day, you’d die. as if you never really existed. but he wasn’t being logical. how could he be? when you were right there in front of him? you made him irrational, and he found that new aspect in life thrilling. confusing at first, but exciting. he was eternally grateful that you let him experience all these beautiful emotions with you. he was grateful that you allowed him in your short journey that you called life.

he was happy, absolutely content, with his shared life with you. you were both in perfect places in your respective lives: you both had a stable job, loving family backing you up, and a fulfilling love life. what seemed to be a mismatched couple at first turned to be 2 pieces of the same puzzle finally finding their place. life for the both of you couldn’t be better.

but along with the many exquisite moment that your romantic endeavours brought you, the android didn’t only taste the sweet delicacies of life; no matter how idyllic a moment may be, there were times when he had to taste the astringent and sour desserts life offered.

anger. that was an emotion that he felt. but that’s not accurate, no… it was frustration and shock and betrayal, all the unsavoury feelings in the world. perhaps it was due to his inexperience, maybe his lack of exposure to these negative sentiments, that caused him to snap the way he did. to hurt you the way he did. but it happened and there was no turning back the clock.

no matter how much he begged and cried for it.

he was proud that you got the job offer in canada, he really was. and he, like any other caring boyfriend would, offered to accompany you there, an offer which you gladly accepted. that was the plan. but plans were difficult to follow. crime waits for no man, working for the law meant that connor must always be available for duty. no excuses, he was an android. but connor wasn’t just a simple android detective, no, he had a much more important role: he was the link, the messenger, between jericho and the police force. he was the crucial communication between the two forces. so when jericho contacted him about threats of anti-android attacks, he had to make an appearance at their base. the meeting coincided with the day you were meant to travel to canada. it was a simple trip really. it only took a few hours by train, stay in canada for 2 days (it was the weekend), and then return back to detroit, probably arriving in the late afternoons to their home.

but you were looking forwards to traveling with your wonderful partner after « [we] spent so much time apart ». the day he told you the urgent change of plans, connor was tired, overwhelmed. you were frustrated and expectant. a fight was bound to have erupted. accusatory statements, along the lines of: « you don’t actually care about me! it’s all about work and work and work! » and « i can’t believe how selfish you’re being right now! » in between shouting and yelling and frustration and anger and contempt–

you both went to bed exhausted but spiteful, still not forgiving each other. in hindsight, he felt so utterly pathetic, so unbelievably childish, for being that cruel, and uncaring. he didn’t want to be like him again. so many glares and insults were thrown at each other, tears threatened to spill, LED flashed and shone a true red, doors were slammed. he felt awful, plain and simple. you both lied in the same bed, under the same cover. so close yet so excruciatingly far apart. back facing the other’s, no one said a word.

you woke up before him. bitter and unhappy. no morning kisses, no whispered « i love you » to wake your other half. you wordlessly got yourself ready, grabbed your bag and quietly snuck out. no post it notes were left. no sweet promises or encouraging words. you could do this work trip without him. you were independent. you didn’t need a tin can to chaperone you everywhere. so you left. plain and simple. gone. since you woke up and left earlier than planned, you boarded an earlier train. how lovely and convenient. the carriages were mostly filled with androids. perhaps they were trying to immigrate to canada like the others. who knows. you paid no mind and absentmindedly scrolled through your phone, obsessively checking your messages to see if connor realised. to see if he apologised. because frankly, at that point you were tired of being mad and just wanted to spend the day in his arms. but prideful and petty as you were, you weren’t willing to apologise and admit your mistakes first.

connor roused from stasis a few moments afterward, less bitter and more regretful. he wished to right his wrongs but the normally warm presence beside him was not there. his system was slowly booting back up when his audio sensor picked up an incessant ringing from the living room. he jolted up and rushed out to pick up the ringing phone call and waited for the other side to speak up.

the room was so utterly quiet, a silence so suffocating engulfed the room, that you could hear a pin drop. the voice on the other side asked whether this was indeed your house and that he was indeed connor anderson. he swallowed dryly and answered with a soft, « yes ». running a quick check in his database, he matches the caller’s voice with a certain nathaniel edwards. first responder. he allowed his HUD to display the news. if androids could get pale, have all their blood drain from their faces, his would have certainly done so. he stood, rigid and motionless, consumed by shock and horror.

the news and the first responder’s words blended into one as he gripped the phone tighter: « this morning, at 7:48 am the train from detroit to toronto was caught in a devastating turn of events: the train soon caught in fire and exploded as it made its way over the border. it has been confirmed that there has been 0 survivors. it is unclear whether this was an unfortunate accident or the result of anti-android terrorism. »

the other person’s voice poured through the speaker but he wasn’t listening. he stared blankly in front of him. no way, he thought, it couldn’t have been… the only sign that the android was registering the other man’s input was the now constant red LED.

« sir? sir. i’m sorry to bring this— – no, this isn’t right… you must have the wrong number, he interrupted. there were probably others with your name… maybe they were mistaken... – sir that’s not possible, w— – you must have gotten the wrong house… not… it-it couldn’t have been…» but he knew how improbable it was that they got the wrong number. he was built to be logical, to believe statistics. the statistics told him you were dead. long gone. he hoped and prayed that you stayed back, didn’t get on the earlier train. the statistics told him you did.

he choked out a response, quiet and defeated. you were gone. he’d never get to see you again. « i… i’m sorry… i-i don’t understand… – we tried our best to find them sir, but… the fire was too severe… if we gain any new developm— – you didn’t save them. »

still in a daze, he must have hung up on the poor man and unceremoniously dropped the phone. its clatter the only sound in this deafening silence. the reality of it all comes crashing through and he collapsed, ugly sobs escaping him as the denial faded away to make way for the pure and unfiltered grief. he felt lost. for the first time in a long while since amanda he felt so utterly and completely lost. no more shining beacon during his dark and stormy nights. no more valued affection and coveted kisses. no more notes and no more smile to come home to.

he laughed bitterly, devoid of any humour. it was funny, just how cruel the fates were: made human life so fleeting. lachesisonly gave them such a short eternity. and when he thought you both found your missing halves, bound to another by an invisible string, atropos cuts it. a small snippet that is so easily ripped away from you. he belonged with you, he felt at peace with you. he was able to be what he struggled to be for the majority of his miserable and artificial existence. with you, he was able to be happy.

but now he’ll have to get used to not coming home to a warm embrace. he’ll have to get used to going into stasis alone, in the cold bed. he’ll have to get used to his aching heart being greeted by an empty house. every cold and lonely  nights. it’s ridiculous how human he felt because of you. and he was both thankful and spiteful for it.

sadness and bitter regret ripped through him when he remembered that he didn’t  share goodbyes before he left. he remembered how he couldn’t have apologised to you and tenderly held you. he regretted not being able to tell you how much he loved you and how much you meant to him for the last time. ra9 only knows the things he’d do and the things he’d sacrifice, just to have you in his arms again.

instead he was faced with the bitter reminder that the last thing he’s ever said to you, your last memory of him, was a contemptuous and scornful « i wished i never met you ».

like my work? consider buying me a coffee // checking out my masterlist | links can be found on my desc

[ultimateadmin]

Time Heals Wounds {Arthur x Reader}

Admin: A little misunderstanding with a happy ending. Excuse my trash.

The past still clung to you. Even in your new relationship with your loving boyfriend, you can’t help but feel cautious. Not with him. Rather, yourself. You wanted to be careful. You didn’t want to go through the same mistake. Arthur had yet to find out about your past relationship.

There was no abuse.

There didn’t seem to be anything wrong.

You were faithful. He was too.

You did everything he wanted.

So what went wrong?

Your attachment, of course. You tried so hard not to be possessive or jealous. When your ex-boyfriend presented you to one of his female friends, no matter what they looked like, you’d feel your heart clench. You’d never bring it in you to tell him you were ever jealous and there is no way you could ever tell him not to have a friendship with them. He had every right to befriend them.

Late one night, he was up with his friends, playing cards in the living room and drinking a little. You didn’t mind, this happened every Friday. But then... You were walking down the stairs and heard him talking. About you.

“Honestly, she’s annoying.. She’s so...clingy. Always asking me where I am, who I’m with, what I’m doing. I have a life outside of her, y’know? We’ve been fighting a lot more lately. I gotta break up with her. I can’t keep doing this. I’m not happy and I don’t think she is either...”

“I’ll do it for you,” You had said, suddenly, tears streaming down your face. You didn’t notice them. Your eyes were trained on the man you had given your heart to, his head swirling around and meeting your (E/C) eyes. “We’re over...”

You would never be able to get over yourself if Arthur thought the same thing. So when the relationship started, you did your best to give him his space. You’d never ask for his attention, but you’d crave it. You’d never speak to him directly, but you’d long to hear his voice. You’d never gaze at him from across the room, but you want his fascinating eyes trained on you, giving you that teasing smirk you adored.

Arthur soon noticed. You hoped he wouldn’t, but he did. He didn’t say anything about it though. Not yet. And you prayed he wouldn’t. With the passage of time, you would grow closer and more bolder. When you were sure he’d stay with you. That was the plan. It went down the drain when Arthur asked you to go to the pub with him and Theodorus.

You went, of course!

Almost a little too eagerly. And Arthur noticed that as well, beginning to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

It was when Arthur stepped away that the plan went into motion. Theodorus looked to you and started to ask you questions. “Are you cheating on Arthur?”

That wasn’t the plan, Theo! Arthur thought to himself but didn’t dare move from his spot. He would keep out of the way while Theo interrogated you. He owed his best friend a drink for this.

You were taken aback and nearly choked on your drink. “No!” Your response was immediate and there was no hesitance. “I would never! I love him with all my heart!”

Theo believed that. He really did. “Then why have you been acting so weird?” Theo presses and it took you a minute to understand what he was asking you. You guessed he must have noticed you distancing yourself from Arthur a little and thought of how to reply. You folded your hands in front of you on the bar.

You glanced around. “Not a word of this to Arthur, alright? Even if he is your best friend, this is kind of...personal,” You told Theo. Theo shrugs, not saying anything. He didn’t promise but you didn’t ask him to. You just went with it. “I’m scared. Scared to death, Theo. My past relationship...ended really sour...” You didn’t have much of a word for it. “The truth it...I’m really clingy.”

What? Arthur wondered what you meant like that. You didn’t seem clingy at all!

“I’m acting a lot of the time... My ex-boyfriend said I was too clingy. Everything else was perfect, he just...couldn’t stand being with me. But I suppose that’s fair. He wasn’t wrong. I was clingy. And now I have Arthur. I don’t wanna make those same mistakes. I don’t want him to sick of me,” You sighed, taking a quick sup of your drink. Theo listened quietly, not interrupting. He didn’t tease you. Didn’t mock you. You appreciated him listening.

With a shake of your head as you set down your drink, you continued, “I’m afraid to ask him to spend time with me, afraid to strike up conversations, afraid of kissing him... It’s pathetic and cowardly. But if he makes the first move, then I know he wants it. I know, shitty logic, right?”

Theo took a sip of his own drink, taking that moment to think of how to respond. “Shouldn’t you speak to him about that? Listen, Hondje, Arthur noticed this behavior. He is really worried,” Theo informs you and he could see your face fall. You looked even more like shit. You probably felt like it too. “He wouldn’t mind if you were clingy. Because he’s clingy as hell too.”

Theo! Arthur makes a face, embarrassed a little.

Theodorus then grins, “He won’t shut the hell up about you when it’s just him and I drinking. Always goin’ on and on about how much he loves ya’ and just wants you to be happy.” Theo couldn’t get enough of the expression you made. Well, expressions is a better term. Your face molded from shock, realization and then you just looked like you were having the most pleasant day dream.

Oh, god, I’m stuck with Arthur 2.0. Theo thought to himself.

“So, anyway,” Theo takes another swig of his drink, “you should talk to him when we get back.” He drums his fingers on the table twice while speaking. Arthur heard saw the cue and came back out.

His smile was brighter than it was before, “Sorry for taking so long!” He sat on the other side of you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close. He could see your face turn a dark shade of vermillion and he adored it, now knowing it was because you loved him that much.

“It’s fine,” You replied with a loving smile, one that had his heart melting as you leaned your head against him. This feels much better... You and your boyfriend thought simutaneously.

- / - \ -

Arriving back to the mansion, all three of you a little drunk, you looked to Arthur with a serious look, “Hey, Arthur, if you aren’t too tired right now, can we talk?” Arthur realized that you were taking good Theo’s advice and decided this was the perfect chance to both hear you admit how you feel and tease you. How can he say no?

“Of course, luv! Come on, we can head to my room,” He offers his arm, giving you a charming smile that sent blood rushing to your cheeks. And other places...

You took his arm and walked with him to his room, the night quiet and peaceful. You didn’t feel any tension despite the upcoming conversation. The moon was beautiful outside the windows of the mansion and you couldn’t help but admire it as you made your way to Arthur’s room. When you both did arrive, Arthur opened the door for you and followed you inside.

Arthur sat down on the bed, patting next to him as an invitation for you, “Come and sit, luv. Tell me what’s bothering you.” Slowly stepping over, you sat down beside him while thinking about how to approach the situation. You should be direct... Yeah, just come out with it.

“I heard you noticed I seemed distant and I just want to assure you that there is nothing wrong with you,” You assured him about that first, “I just have a lot of... Ack, no, that sounds wrong in my head so it’ll sound wrong comin’ out my mouth too...” The expression you made was so funny Arthur almost laughed, sealing his mouth shut but not able to stop the smile. “I just don’t wanna seem clingy.” You finally blurt it.

It surprised him for just a split moment there.

You were relieved to have gotten it out and took up the torch from there. “I really, really love you with all my heart and you have no idea how much I want to give you affection, whether it’s in private or public. I want to hold your hand while we walk down the halls, I want to kiss your cheek when we stop for coffee, I want to hold onto your arm when we go into the pub. I want to do all these things but I don’t want you thinking I’m being overbearing...”

Arthur thought his heart couldn’t take any more love. If he had known that was how you truly felt before, he would have loved to oblige! He still does want to! Smiling adoringly at your pouty expression - which he fell in love with over and over again - he cups your cheek and makes you meet his gaze.

“You were worried about that?”

“Don’t make it sound so trivial!” You pouted at him angrily this time, drawing a bark of laughter from him. You really were the cutest! His smile didn’t fade as he leaned forward.

His lips touched yours, gently, sweetly. You felt him pour his love for you into that kiss. It was so warm... Your arms wrapped around him, pressing yourself closer, lips seeming to fit perfectly against his. It wasn’t sensual or passionate but it still made the butterflies in your belly flutter.

When you both pulled away for air, his smile made your heart swell. “I love you so much, luv. And I don’t mind if you do any of those things. I want you to. And if there is something else you want, just tell me and I’ll listen. And will likely be more than happy to oblige.”

You never felt such a weight being lifted off your shoulders before. Like pound upon pound fell off your back and freed you. You leaned close and snuggled into his chest, your head nuzzled into the crook of his neck. The feeling of his hands stroking down your back coaxed a smile from your own lips. “I love you so much... You’re incredible.”

Arthur pulled back for a moment to lift your chin up, gazing at you with complete devotion and love. “I love you too. And I’m willing to prove it to you.”

“In any way I can.”

[snarkwriteswrasslin]

FFT: won’t you stay with me; adam page

Notes:

this was originally posted on my main snarkandsarcasmwrites and it was sent to me by @mrscrain-x7​ on there. This is an alpha x omega au that never really got off the ground but I have been... high key tempted to actually plot out and do something with, so we shall see. Idk. Ya know, if anyone /thinks/ I should... I’m open to hearing that.

Summary:

Adam finds his Omega and is almost instantly smitten. Part 1 of 3.

Pairing:

Adam Hangman Page x OFC, Katya

Warnings:

heavy hinted at Alpha & Omega dynamics at play here. Fluff. That’s about it honestly.

Katya hated the way it felt; her skin burning and crawling and at the same time, feeling tight. The feeling that the air was somehow thicker. The sweating and last but certainly not least, the horomones.

Horomones equalled supreme horniness. Meaning that even the most mundane thing suddenly took on an almost erotic nature.

She kept catching his scent, only for it to be gone by the time she finally got a chance to leave her work area and try to locate it backstage.

She hit the thermostat and glared. “There’s no way this is set to cool. It feels like a fucking sauna in here.”

“It’s set to cool.” Britt Baker spoke up from the doorway as she stepped in, eyeing Katya curiously. “Is everything okay?”

“Hell no! A certain little problem decided to present itself tonight.”

“Certain little problem.” Britt mumbled only to quietly exclaim, “Oh..” and then an even lower “Oh.. That’s not good.” as she shook her head. The next thing Katya knew, she was being guided down into the chair sitting in front of her mirrored workstation and Britt was going to grab her a bottled water from catering.

All of this meant one thing and Katya found herself both thrilled and slightly horrified by what was taking place.

Her Alpha was in the building somewhere. Her true Alpha.

That’s the only reason all of this kickstarted. It had to be. There wasn’t any other logical explanation for it.

She fanned herself with a copy of the night’s program and her head fell back as she closed her eyes. The door opened and then it closed quietly.

“Britt?”

No one answered and then this rank scent filled the room. Katya swallowed hard and sat up.

MFJ stood there in his knockoff Burberry scary, smirking.

…. JUST FUCKIN GREAT. NATURALLY, MY HEAT STARTS AND NOW I’LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY UNMATED ALPHA ASSHOLE BACK HERE…. DAMN IT, WHAT’S TAKING BRITT SO LONG, I WONDER?...

He moved closer, Katya wrinkled her nose and sprayed her favorite perfume; a vain attempt to drive out the way MFJ’s scent was almost totally off putting. The whole scenting thing…. It was by far one of the bad things about being an Omega.

When he stood next to her and he leaned down, sniffing at her, she gulped. “What?”

“ I thought you might need some help with your little problem, Omega.”

“Not from you, no thanks I’ll pass.”

Rather than leave, he continued to stand there, staring down at her with an almost amused smirk, almost as if he seriously thought she were confused and hadn’t meant to tell him no.

“I meant it, sir.” Katya tried her best to sound as firm as possible, even though she felt her stomach churning, her hands beginning to shake a little and she knew damn well that at the end of her sentence her voice wavered ever so slightly. She’d never really enjoyed confrontations.

Or being cornered.

“Sir.. I like that.” he responded, only leaning in even closer, a finger curling beneath her chin which she attempted to shrink back from as best as she could.

“I’d like it if you left.” Katya repeated it, luckily for her, it was firmer this time. She wanted him gone, she was going to have to really act like it, which meant being rude, being louder than she normally would. Whatever it took to get the guy away from her.

“Sassy… I like that too.” he was leaning down and Katya was shrinking back. The guy clearly had that typical sense of Alpha entitlement and no clear sense of personal boundaries. Those two things coupled with his overwhelming and totally unappealing stench, well… It was a safe bet that she wasn’t getting closer. No amount of money in the world would get her closer.

He stared her down a few seconds; again, she got the distinct feeling that the jerk was not used to hearing the words “no, i’m not interested, not even slightly”. It wasn’t a surprise.

Britt cleared her throat from the doorway. “Get out, MFJ.”

“Oh? And whose gonna make me?” he seemed to scoff at Britt as if to challenge her. Britt stood straighter, stepping closer to where the two of them stood as if she were going to do something.

Katya turned, stared him dead in the eyes and pointed to the door. “ Go.”

“You’ll be begging for me later. Especially when none of the other Alphas around will even give you a second glance.” he walked out the door and Katya took the bottled water from Britt, uncapping it and drinking down half, choosing to let MFJ’s parting words go ignored.

She tensed when the scent she’d been driven crazy by all day long filtered into the room and despite her best efforts not to, she found herself whimpering and staring at the doorway longingly.

All Britt could do was laugh and shake her head and mumble audibly, “Thank God I’m a Beta and do not have to deal with this.”

“I wish I could say that right about…” Katya trailed off as the scent grew closer and closer. She sat down the bottled water and bolted for the door just in time to throw it open all the way and be hit with a wall of that almost mouthwatering scent that belonged to her true mate.

And the second she realized just who it was, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it heavily, trying to catch her breath.

“Oh.My.God.”

“What? Did you figure out who he is?” Britt asked, staring at the other woman intently, waiting on an answer.

Katya took a deep breath and muttered mostly in shock, “I think it’s Adam. God, I hope it’s Adam. It has to be him. It has to be…”

“As in Hangman? Holy… Wait, I thought you were saying he was sexy as hell…. I thought you’d be excited?”

“ Oh, I am… Just have… Literally no clue how to even begin to tell him?”

“Girl.. Pretty sure that as an Alpha, he knows.”

“I doubt it.”

“They always know, Kat. Especially when it comes to their Omegas.”

Out in the hallway, Adam stood, staring at the door to hair and makeup, a hand wound in his hair as he tried to puzzle out whether the scent he’d been practically running down just now, because he sensed the distress of her, -your Omega, and he’d had no choice but to at least try to locate her.

The door was shut.

The scent was strong, almost enough that his mouth was watering. He lower the hand currently rubbing the back of his head and wiped the back of it across his mouth, taking a deep breath and sniffing the air.

She seemed calmer now.

Still, the fact remained, whoever she was, she was right behind that door…  Kenny nudged his side, nodding to the door. “Well?”

“She’s in there, no doubt.”

Nick spoke up. “ I could’ve sworn I saw Britt go in there.”

The door opened and Britt said something to whoever else happened to be inside and then she walked out and right past Adam. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Kenny gave a look as if to ask Adam if Britt were the source of the scent he’d been chasing over the course of the day and Adam shook his head, staying where he stood and staring at the door.

Whoever she was, she was still inside the room.

“Fuck it. I’m not standin out here all day. I’m not a wimp.” Adam stepped forward and just as he did, the door opened again.

And he was promptly hit with a wall of vanilla, heavy and sweet.. He bit back a groan as he fixed his eyes on her.

His true Omega.

She couldn’t have been more than 5’1, maybe not even that tall.. The sweater she wore hung down to her thighs and it’s sleeves covered her fingers, the thing was clearly way too big for her. Her jeans were full of holes and fit almost like a second skin and she was wearing a pair of those boots that were fuzzy on the inside, but Adam couldn’t help noticing that despite her being dressed for the weather, a fine mist of sweat gathered on her skin. One quick scenting revealed exactly why this was so and before Adam could stop himself, he gave a low growl that was closely followed by an almost needy whine. He felt himself getting harder and harder by the second and he took a few deep breaths, desperately trying to calm himself the fuck down.

It wasn’t working, naturally.

Nick and Matt followed his gaze and chuckled quietly.

“Her name is Katya. She’s going to be doing hair and makeup, I think. Matt talked to her on the elevator earlier… Right before you got all hostile because you smelled her on him and flipped out?” Nick was trying his hardest not to laugh. Matt smiled and shrugged. “She was kind of quiet. Standoffish. Like she’s not a real big people person.”

Kenny was snickering by now. “Kind of reminds me of someone else we know when he chooses to be that way.” he mused, earning him a middle finger from Adam who finally managed to tear his eyes off her. His mind was racing. Because now her scent held curiosity.. Longing.. A little nervousness too.

Her eyes met his and they stood there, in the middle of the crowded hallway, staring at one another. When she fanned herself, Adam chuckled and rubbed his chin, giving a smirk and a slight grin as he waved.

Okay, so maybe he was trying to be a smartass.

One of them had to do something, so he figured it might as well be him, so he started to walk towards her.

… she’s fucking gorgeous… keep it together dumbass…

… mine…

… all mine…

Katya watched him walking towards her, frozen in place. She whimpered as the scent of him got stronger and he got closer. The closer he got to where she stood, the more she fidgeted under his intently focused gaze.

She swallowed hard as he came to a stop in front of her, licking his lips, leaning in carefully. Her eyes fluttered open and closed as she felt his nose just barely brush against the side of her neck and heard him mumble something, mostly to himself and in shock.

“ Uh hi?”

“Hey.” It took a few seconds, but Adam finally got the word out. He found himself staring at her, totally unable to stop doing so. Not that he really wanted to anyway.

“Was everything okay just now?” the question was out before he could stop himself from asking it. She bit her lip and shrugged, staring back up at him. “MFJ decided to grace me with his presence. I think Britt scared him away.”

Adam’s gaze momentarily flitted over to Britt, who was standing with Kenny and the Bucks, and he chuckled. “Yeah, she can be intimidating. But you’re okay, right? I mean if he messed with you at all…” his eyes fixed on her, full of concern.

“I’m fine.”

“I know the guy freaked you out a little, darlin.”

Katya swallowed hard, staring up at him. Everything inside her wanted to ask if he knew what she did, but she didn’t dare. When he spoke again, he pretty much answered her question.

“I’m your alpha. I’m gonna pick up on that.” Adam reached out, tucking some hair that fell into her eyes back behind her ear. It occurred to him that she’d been worried about whether he knew or not too, it was the main reason he said what he did. She was apparently twisting herself in and out to come up with a way to say it or ask him if he knew.

He didn’t want her worrying.

“Oh, I… I wasn’t sure how this worked.”

“You’re gonna be fine, darlin. Just let me take care of ya, yeah?” Adam moved a little closer. When she didn’t back away and instead, came closer as well, he slipped both arms around her waist, stared down at her. “ Just wanna keep you close… That’s okay, right?” and he barely restrained the quiet groan that came when she moved even closer, nodding up at him, swallowing hard. She took a ragged breath of her own and answered quietly, “Yeah, it’s more than okay.”

He gave a bright and goofy grin, raising his hand, stroking the hair at the back of her head. God, he thought to himself, all I wanna do is fucking.. Touch..  Hold… Kiss.. Among many, many other things…

[et-lesailes]

lily white in blood red // chapter one

prologue

pairing: curtis everett x reader

word count: 1750

series summary: you are a part of the upper-middle section aboard snowpiercer, but you do not agree with the classist views of the people you are surrounded by. when the infamous curtis everett reaches your part of the train, you decide you want to join him in overthrowing the train’s misguided inventor– while curtis agrees to let you join, he has other plans in mind.

series themes: angst, romance, obsession, fighting/bloodshed, smut

chapter summary: reader meets curtis for the first time.

taglist:  @viarogers , @evanstush , @chibi-crazy , @chalamet-evans , @world-of-losers ,@songforhema, @sebabestianstan101 , @tanyam93 , @bval-1, @wonderwinchester ,@little-miss-exo, @poerebel , @bitchbabes-world , @gogomez-509 , @patzammit, @jbug491, @honeyloverogers​, @fatbottomedcurls​, @whores4thor​, @jennmurawski13​,@angrybirdcr, @mcueveryday, @scooby-doodoo, @peach-acid, @tansypoisoning,@quaiderade, @a-distantdreamer, @malthestorytellerblog, @rainbowkisses31,@melannie77, @gigistorm

notes: would just like to add that in the movie, curtis has been on earth for 17 years and on snowpiercer for 17. seeing that the reader is a train baby, following this logic would make her underage, and so for the purpose of this story, the numbers work out a little differently and i want to make it clear that reader is not a minor. however, i left it slightly up to interpretation how old she really is, just so it can be more relatable for anyone who’s reading! also shoutout to @allthefandomstogether​ for THIS BEAUTIFUL GRAPHIC, thank you so much love!!!  ♡

** if you would like to be added to the taglist, please send an ask! if you would like to be removed from this series, please don’t hesitate to let me know. :)

You do not have a lot of time to look at him. One of your fellow middle sectioners steps up right in between you and the revolution leader, ready to kill. Everything is happening so fast, it suddenly feels like your body is acting without your brain.

Your knife goes right into his neck, but it’s not Curtis’. 

The middle sectioner you had once called a friend is now dead at your feet from your own doing, his blood splattered across smooth skin and white lace. 

Perhaps there was a time in Curtis’ life where he was carefree, cheerful, naive. Surely he must have been as a little boy, at least, considering he had nearly two decades on Earth before everything became utter chaos. Before Snowpiercer.

Now, Curtis is a rugged and grizzly man, completely hardened from his years on board. The only thing on his mind for years now has been the revolution. The plan to battle his way to the front. He has no time to think of anything or anyone else, save for his team. 

Or so he thought, anyways, until he lays eyes on you for the first time, slightly shocked upon witnessing the betrayal of one upper class passenger towards another. 

At first, he only sees your face. Beautiful eyes looking back at his, round with innocence. Healthy roseate lips, a feature simple yet so rare in the tail section due to the grime and dryness in the air. Clean, smooth, flawless skin; he cannot even see a single raised swell or tiny mark. He had forgotten that people looked like this. During the past few days of fighting his way to the front of the train, he did not bother to look at the people he was brutally murdering. It had nothing to do with guilt. He simply does not think they are even worth an inch of space in his mind, and therefore their faces do not even have to be glanced at.

As he stares at you, he is suddenly thankful that he did not apply his usual technique to this situation. 

His eyes drift down, only to linger upon the thin alabaster lace adorning your figure. He is not sure why his eyebrows furrow upon seeing such ivory stained with vermilion, as if he himself is not covered in it. Then again, there is a difference; his layers of ratty, misfitting clothes were already sullied to begin with-- while morbid, adding blood to the material did not do much damage compared to what had already been done. You, however…

He decides almost immediately that there should never be even a drop of crimson upon your skin or your clothing ever again. Nor should you ever use such a weapon again, or even hold one. 

There is silence for a few moments. Edgar and the others have helped kill off the rest. You are the only middle sectioner standing, you are the one closest to the door of the next cart. You still have your knife in your hand, but it is relaxed by your side. You are a bit shaken up, but you do not look nervous of them. 

The only people Curtis has truly cared about for a while now are Gilliam, Edgar, and Tanya. No one else fazes him, no one else has ever had a deep enough impact. When he sees you, something changes. It almost feels like instinct. 

“Why did you do that?” he asks, body still naturally tense nonetheless. He does not understand what business an upper-middle sectioner has killing one of their own, but he is genuinely intrigued. 

“Are you Curtis?” you ask, and he feels slammed in the windpipe upon hearing your voice. Soft and sweet, just like that look in your eyes-- despite the fact you just killed a man. “Yes.” He answers, eyes locked onto yours. “You know me?”

“Of course… Everyone knows you. The man who’s starting a revolution. You’re trying to get to the front.”

“Then why did you help me just now?” he asks, though more curious than suspicious. He does not want to be suspicious of you. He can’t imagine you as deceitful or crooked. Not you. He already has an entire image of you in his head without even knowing your name, without even having known you for more than one minute.

You let yourself look at him for a few moments, feeling oddly relaxed. He is definitely not a sight you are used to, yet for some reason, you already feel strangely secure around him. “In school they taught us to hate the tail section,” you admit softly, looking towards the darkness of the cold night outside the windows. “That they don’t deserve the privileges and rights we get. That there has to be a balance, and so they don’t get showers or real food or nice clothes since we do.” You glance down at your light and dainty apparel before returning your eyes to his. “But I don’t think that seems right.” 

“You’re fuckin’ right, it’s not,” Edgar pipes up in a strong Irish accent, and your eyes dart to him in curiosity. “But are you only saying that so we spare your life? Because in that case, you can join your friends here lying on the-”

Curtis silences him with a mere movement of his hand, holding it outspread towards the younger’s direction in a gesture to shush him. You are not sure whether to be impressed or nervous that it works so instantly. You look up to those ice cold eyes again, wondering what he’ll say. You know that his friend has every right to feel wary. You can’t even imagine the twisted things the front sectioners have subjected them to; you quite literally do not know what they are, because such topics are not discussed. “I want to fight,” you suddenly say, and Curtis blinks. “I want to join the revolution, I want to help you guys.” You can feel everyone’s eyes on you, and while it feels a bit unsettling, you continue standing your ground as you look up at the team leader. 

Curtis has never met someone like you before, not even on Earth. He has never been so interested in someone, so damn fascinated. Perhaps it is because he is a man- a man who has been deprived of something quite a lot of men on this world need. Though, in truth, he really has not thought about sex in the past few years. In such grim living conditions, it is not particularly a priority of his. Perhaps he’s been a little too obsessive over his scheme of revolution, but it isn’t as though there are many viable options when it comes to women in the tail section. They are just as broken and battered as he-- if anything, sleeping with them may only result in even more melancholy. 

No, he decides, still studying you intently. That is not the reason he is so enticed. At least, not the whole reason, if his subconscious has something to do with it. You have a countenance he’s never quite seen before-- or at least, in a very long time. You are not broken or battered, nor are you strong and secure. You have guts, that is for sure, but in your figure standing before him, he sees something that is incredibly rare to come by on Snowpiercer. 

Immaculacy. Purity. Naivete. Gullibility. 

He sees lily white, and it is stained by blood red. In this moment, he realizes he has another job at hand entirely. 

“You’ll come with us,” he decides, and you slowly exhale as you look to the floor. “But you won’t fight.”

“What?” Your head snaps up, and he is expecting indignance, but all he sees is confusion and perplexity. 

He is even more captivated than before. 

“You won’t fight.” He repeats, then looks around, a sense of urgency in his features. “Where do you keep your clothes? Are they here?” You slowly nod your head, pointing to the drawer underneath your bed compartment. Your clothes are custom made for you, and rotated out every now and then with new items added to the mix made by the train’s tailors, based on your style. “Change.” He demands simply, and you’re even more puzzled than before. “I-it’s just a little bit of blood, it’s not a-”

“I said change.” 

You obey instantly, upset with yourself for even responding in the first place. You lean over to open the drawer, wondering what to wear. The tailors haven’t exactly made you an outfit suited for battle and bloodshed. He sees you pausing and speaks again. “Something like what you’re wearing will do just fine. Do you have another one?” You blink, not exactly having pictured yourself participating in the revolution dressed in a nightie, but you do not want to argue. You pick up a red one and he instantly shakes his head. “Not red.” You look up at him, trying your best to read him but put it back, biting your lip. “What color, then?”

“White.” 

You’re thankful you happen to have another one, unsure how he would react if you didn’t. One day you will ask him why this matters so much, but today is not that day. You need him to trust you. “Can you, uh, turn around, maybe?” you ask shyly, and he nods his head, turning away and giving a look to the others to do the same; they are looking at him just as baffled as you are, even slightly judgmental, but they comply. It still feels awkward anyways, but you quickly slip out of your stained apparel and change into the fresh one. “Okay, I’m ready.” He turns back around and shakes his head. “Not yet.”

Stepping closer, he pulls the sleeve of his thick jacket over his hand, reaching out carefully to wipe the drying blood off your upper chest. It is still fresh enough that no water is necessary, yet he swipes his tongue over his thumb and rubs your collarbones with it, his eyes focused. 

From now on, he wants this white lace completely preserved, and he will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. “What’s your name?” he asks you, and you make eye contact with him again, a slight blush on your cheeks. “Y/N,” you answer softly, and he lets the brand roll off his tongue. 

He isn’t sure how something can sound so right.