#and it took FOREVER because my brain was too tired to process at normal speed | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thewritetofreespeech · 4 years ago

Text

MC + Cursed Toddler-fied Boys

prompt: All the boys suffer the same fate as Satan by reading ‘The Forbidden Book of Toddlerization’

Lucifer

You have to wonder why they kept so many cursed books around, just out like this. You would think, like any normal person, with this continuing to happen, that they would keep them locked up or something. But no. They just leave them out for anyone to find….

“I’m going to the meeting!” Lucifer yelled, stamping his foot. His face twist in a petulant frown. It would be rather adorable, if you hadn’t been arguing with him for the past 20 minutes

“Lucifer, we talked about this. You can’t go to the meeting. You need to stay here.”

“No! I wanna go to the meeting! It’s very important and everyone is counting on me!” His arms are wailing now as he stamped his foot more.

Of course, you couldn’t let him go to the first of the month meeting like this. His pride would be wounded beyond compare if anyone else saw him like this. But reasoning with him wasn’t working. You had to resort to more, unsavory tactic to win. “But the meeting was cancelled. Lord Diavolo called earlier to let me know.”

Lucifer stopped stamping his feet and waving his arms to look at you with a vacant expression you didn’t know he could muster. “Really?”

Gods help you. “Yes, really.”

He seemed to think about this for a moment before he beamed, “ok!” His mood instantly brightening. “I believe you, because [Y/N] would never lie to me.” ‘Forgive me Lucifer’ You think to yourself. “What are we gonna do instead then?”

“Why don’t we play a game instead to pass the time? Would you like that?”

“I know chess!” He exclaimed loudly. “Let’s play that.”

Of course, knowing and being good at it were two different things. In this state you were actually able to beat Lucifer several times. When he retuned to normal the day was ‘conveniently’ put away for sometime after.

Mammon

“Mammon. Please. I’ll just be gone for a minute.”

“Nooooooo!” Mammon wailed when you tried to get up again. Clinging to your waist tightly to keep you on the couch. “Onii-chan said you had to stay with me! Stay with me! Stay with me!”

After reading The Forbidden Book of Toddlerization, Mammon had, of course, reverted to the personality of a small child. His brother made fun of him, say ‘what’s the difference’, but Lucifer knew that this could be a disaster if he was set to wander free in this state across the Devildom. So he sat you to babysit him.

“Mammon, I promise I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get us some snacks for our movie.”

“Then let me come with you!” He whined, still clinging to you. In this state it seemed he had also taken on the personality of a baby duck. Imprinting on you and following you around everywhere you went in his room. He hadn’t left you alone for 5 seconds since he got this way. “I promise I’ll be good!”

“It’s not a question of you being good or bad Mammon-chan.” He liked to be called Mammon-chan right now. “It’s that you need to stay here. If someone sees you like this well…they could use it to tease you.”

“No…I don’t want to be teased anymore….” His voice was low, and sad. His bright eyes looking on the verge of tears, like kids do when they’re said, before he buried his face into your side. “Mammon-chan doesn’t want to be made fun of anymore. Mammon-chan also doesn’t want to be alone anymore.”

You sigh. Unable to argue with him when he was like this. Your hand lifted to pet his head, which he seemed to appreciate, before you text Satan to bring you some snacks. He was always reliable and would do it for you.

Once the affects of the book had worn off, Mammon denied any of this happening. The mere mention would cause his face to turn red and yell about how, “that didn’t happen!” You almost wish you had taken a video of it to show him. Guess you would just have to keep Mammon-chan forever in your heart.

Levi

You went to Levi��s room after class to check on him in his….condition.

Since he did remote learning a lot of the time, being an otaku, it was pretty easy to keep him away from people so they did see him in the current state he was in. Apparently as a toddler he didn’t like being around people either.

So, you had set him up comfortably in his room before heading to class. Promising to come back that afternoon to be with him.

“Levi! I’m back! How are you—what are you doing?!?!”

“Playing with my toys.” Levi replied, with an obvious expression, as a sea of toys stretch out in front of him where he laid on his belly on the floor.

Your brain stopped. Completely at a loss for words. Levi was going to kill you when he returned to normal, because toddler-Levi, left unattended, had unboxed nearly all of his figurines from their packaging. Some of which were incredibly rare, and unable to get anymore.

“I just…I mean…Why?? Why would you do this??”

“They’re my toys.” Levi replied with a pout. Sitting up. “I can do what I want with them. What’s the point in having neat toys if you aren’t going to play with them??”

He did have a point there. But adult-Levi was going to be so mad!

“Do you want to play with me?” The demon asked with a hopeful expression. “You can even be blue Ruri-chan.” The limited edition, color swap Ruri-chan from 1999. He was gonna blow a gasket!

“Yeah. Ok.” But then again, when were you ever going to be able to touch them again.

As expected, Levi totally lost it when he came to his senses. Of course, there was no one to blame but himself, in the end, so he just had to be upset and mope alone. Thankfully, none of them were broken or beyond just out of their originally packaging. He bought them all clear showcase boxes for his ‘ruined’ figurines. Some of them he could rebuy to replace; which seemed to make him happy to have two.

Satan

It had been hours since the affects of the book had taken ahold of Satan. You were starting to wonder if they would ever wear off.

Lucifer had left in search of another book, one that might help speed the process along, and left his younger brother in your care. Of course you were happy to help, but you were getting nervous you would never see the old Satan again.

“[Y/N]-chan?” You look up from your phone, waiting for Lucifer to text you back, to see the blonde demon looking timidly at you from around the corner.

“What is it Satan?”

“Would you….read to me?” His hands holding out the small children’s book he had some how found in the piles of books covering his room.

You smile softly at him. Your heart warmed by his request. “Of course,” you tell him, and the demon scampered over to sit on the bed beside you. His long legs and body tucked neatly into you as he waited for you to tell him the story of a little lost chicken and it’s journey back home. “[Y/N] tells the best stories!”

After 3 stories, he had fallen asleep. When he woke up, Satan was back to normal. He doesn’t answer your questions on where the children’s books had come from, but you spot the red & gold spines on his book shelves sometimes.

Asmo

There was no denying that Asmo was fascinated by art and all things beautiful. He went on and on about it any chance he got. So you shouldn’t have really been surprised when his toddlerfied self just wanted to draw all day.

“Look, look [Y/N]-chan! I finished another one!”

“That’s great Asmo.” You praise. Just like you had done with all the other ones he had handed to you. “Wow! This is really great! Is that a….chicken?”

“No, silly! That’s the white horse for our carriage when we get married!” The demon beamed, then shuffled over on his knees to instruct you on his picture properly. “That’s you, and that’s me. That’s the princess carriage that’s going to ride us off into the sunset. That’s Solomon and Simeon throwing flowers at us. That’s my brothers crying because I got to marry [Y/N]-chan and they didn’t.”

“You certainly seem to have all the parts here.” You praise. Giggling at his enthusiasm and picture.

“I want to have a perfect picture of when we get married. Because I love [Y/N]-chan! And we’re gonna get married and live happily ever after.” He replied, with certainty, with a smile.

“Well, I’ll be glad for that. Why don’t you draw me our perfect house for after we get married?” Asmo scampered off and did just that.

When Asmo came to, and back to his normal self, he took all the pictures he had drawn and framed them. Forcing his brothers and Solomon to take a tour of his mini-art gallery. The piece ‘Marriage of Two Bonded Souls’ was met with some controversy.

Beel

Beel, in his younger days, seemed to have boundless energy. Or you at least had to assume he did, because ever since he had read that stupid book he had been running around.

Lucifer had told you to take him outside. Irritated at hearing his large feet clump around the house, but trying not to show it since it wasn’t his fault. He even let you both take Cerberus outside to help run Beel out. It would be good for the pup too. Get some exercise, he said.

That had been sometime ago, and it seemed baby-Beel and Cerberus were an even match in energy. They had been running around, chasing each other, and play fighting in the back yard all afternoon. You were tired just watching them.

“Beel! Do you want to come in? I think it’s time for a break.”

Both Beel and Cerberus pop their heads up, in a comical and adorable unison head tilt, before jogging over to you. “Break time means snack time right?!”

You chuckle a little. Somethings never changed. “I brought some apple slices & peanut butter for you, for now. We can get you something bigger when we go inside.”

Beel grinned and sat in the grass with the container. “I like apple slices!”

“You do hn?” You don’t think you’ve seen Beel eat an actual fruit on its own. It was usually attached to, baked in, or covered in something, to get him to eat it.

“Yep! They’re crunchy and sweet. Just like you! Though, I guess you aren’t crunchy. Do you want one of my apple slices [Y/N]?”

You blush a little at Beel’s bright, unwavering expression. How could he look so innocent while still looking like that?

He finished his apple slices, minus one, before asking if he could go play again. You let him, but then all of a sudden he spotted playing with Cerberus and stood straight up. Seeming confused on how he got out here and what was going on. “Did I eat an apple? I haven’t had one since….do you think we have more in the kitchen?”

Belphie

It was honestly hard to tell if Belphie was under the spell of the forbidden book or not. He’d been asleep for most of the time; which was not uncommon for him. Then he would wake up and whine a little about something; again, not uncommon for him. Then he would take another nap.

You had figure out that he was still under it’s spell by the requests he was making when he woke up. Juice boxes. More plushies. His ‘blankie’. Eventually it would run its course though, and Belphie would be back to his own sleepy eyed, grown up self. “[Y/N]?”

You walk over to the bed when the demon called your name. The boy half sitting up, but still tucked under his covers. “What is it Belphie?”

“I can’t sleep.” He stated. Which seemed ridiculous since he had been sleeping most of the day. “I miss Lilli. And Be-be. Can you sleep with me?”

You blink at little at the request. You supposed it made since. Kids often wanted someone to sleep with them, so they didn’t have bad dreams or could keep them safe. Maybe that’s why he had been sleeping so much. Because he hadn’t been sleeping well, just sleep.

“Sure Belphie. I’ll lay down with you.” The demon smiled softly, sleepy, before he scooted over to give you some space to lay next to him.

He slept for a while this last time. Clinging onto you in his sleep, with a soft smile on his face. When he woke up, it seemed he was back to normal. “Gosh [Y/N]. If you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to trick me with that lame book.”

636 notes · View notes

supercorpkid · 4 years ago

Text

Red Kryptonite causes drama and trauma – The series.

Part 3 – The old you can’t come to the phone right now.

Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader

Word count: 1933.

Warning: More angst. Like, a lot. But it’s getting better, people.

Previously on the series - part 1, part 2

You open your eyes after you finally sleep a little. The sun is burning your face and you curse yourself for not putting any sunscreen, because Lena is always right and you do burn.

“Hey.” You hear a voice and you startle getting up in one move. You look at Kara sitting a few feet away from you. “Can we talk?”

“No.” You walk further away from her.

“Little one, please. I know I hurt you…” She stands up and you turn to her abruptly.

“Hurt me? You think I’m hurt?” You look at your body, all of your bruises are almost gone by now. “You punched me, and kicked me. You left me suffocating on the ground begging for your help. You didn’t give me your hand.”

“I’m so-“ Her eyes are full of tears, and she doesn’t hold them back.

“Sorry? Yeah. I was sorry too. Don’t you remember?” You interrupt her. You’re angry. You know it wasn’t really her, it wasn’t this scared person in front of you. But you can’t just forgive her like that.

“It wasn’t me. Baby, you have to understand, I had no control over what I was doing.” She shakes her head like she is trying to get rid of the images. “It was horrible.”

“I know, I was there.” You swallow hard. “And I remember you called me weak and soft. You told me I’ll never be Supergirl.”

“Kid, please.” It hits differently. Kid instead of child. You should’ve known from this word alone. “I remember everything I said, and trust me If I could take it back…”

“Why would you take it back? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” You shrug. “I’m half human. I was born on Earth. I’ll never be you.”

“Yes, but you don’t have to be me. You are so smart, so amazing, you can be anything you want.” Kara’s tears keep falling. She looks so broken. “You can be so much more than Supergirl.”

“Right now, I want to be someone who doesn’t get dragged into the mess every single time.” You take off the super watch and throw it at her feet.

“What are you doing? Kid, please.” She kneels to grab the watch.

“I can take punches now.”

“That’s not what the watch is for. Please. Please, just put it on. What if there’s an emergency? What if you get shot again?” She is still on her knees and she reaches out to you with the watch in her hands. You don’t take it.

“I didn’t call you back then. I sure as hell won’t call you now.” That hurt her more than you thought it would. You can see it on her face. You fly away just like she did. You leave her behind with the most hurtful sentence you could think of, and you hope she falls on the ground and stays there unable to move just like you did.

You fly away, and you keep flying. You don’t stop when you pass National City’s limits. You don’t stop when you pass your gramm’s house in Midvale. You, certainly, don’t stop when you pass the Fortress of Solitude. You only stop once you can’t see any familiar place, and you just sit on top of a mountain alone.

Truth is, you didn’t take the watch off because you thought you wouldn’t need it. You took it off because you know there is a way for her to know your exact location with it, and you want to stay away. You know you can’t hide forever, and you don’t want Lena to worry about you anyway, but you need time alone. You need to think, breath, recover. You can’t do that with Kara breathing down your neck.

You’re hurt, more than you’ve ever been your whole life. The kryptonite gun shot? That was nothing. Lena being attacked, and you having a full-on panic attack and destroying her office? Bad, but not this bad. This is worse because everything Kara said was true.

You were supposed to be better at fighting. Why are you so bad? Why don’t you have control over your powers like she does? Is it because you are half human? Is there something wrong with your DNA? Or are you really just weak? Did Kara and Lena’s unconditional support make you soft and weak?

You have a huge brain. Anything you try is a success. Robotics? Piece of cake. Physics? So easy is actually boring. Shouldn’t you be at college? Lena went to college pretty young. You’re not there yet, why? Is it because you are not smart enough or because you’re soft and weak?

Do they really want you to be just 15 or do they feel like they can’t ask you to be more than that because you can’t take it? And, by the way, can you take it?

You’re again filled with so much anger and pain you just want to break something. Your body knows that, aches for that, and you have no control over what happens next.

You’re flying high over the top of the mountain, and then for some reason that your brain cannot fully process right now, your heat vision hits the top of the mountain breaking it off. Then, you’re flying full speed towards the center and you keep breaking rock after rock. Body and heat vision combined completely destroying an entire mountain from within. Fast, hard, painfully.

When you hit the ground, the anger has left your body entirely and you just stay there, surrounded by broken rocks, dirt and destruction.

You are not weak. Is the first thought you have when your brain comes back to work. A weak person cannot destroy an entire mountain. A weak person can’t get shot with Kryptonite and not ask for Supergirl’s help. A weak person can’t save her mom when Supergirl herself was nowhere to be found. You are not a weak person.

You are also not Supergirl. And for the first time in your life, you don’t want to be Supergirl and you don’t care about being a soft person with powers to destroy a freaking mountain. You will never be Supergirl, because you are already Superkid.

This brings you peace you never thought you would find. You’re ready to go back now. So, you fly back and before you realize, you’re home. You sit on the roof of your house and you barely have to use your super hearing to hear your moms talking inside the house.

“Lena, I don’t know what to do. I flew everywhere. She’s not at Alex’s, she’s not in Midvale, she’s not at the Fortress. I-I don’t know where else to look. Can you find her?” You hear Kara’s voice and you look at your phone. 36 missed calls, and 53 texts from them.

“What? Do you think I’ve figured out a way to put a microchip in our daughter even though her skin is impenetrable?” You hear Lena’s voice this time.

“Well, have you?”

“I…” Your breath stops midway. Has she? “Do you remember if she was wearing the necklace?”

“Yeah, she never takes it off.” You hear Kara’s voice again.

You hold your necklace strong in your hand. This is the necklace your grandmother Alura gave Kara before she was sent to Earth. Kara gave it to you when you turned 13, the same age she was when she got it. You haven’t taken it off ever since. And you can’t believe Lena would do something to it.

“Then I can track her.” Lena answers and you close your eyes and let your head fall. You could take the necklace off, throw it in the middle of the ocean, and fly away again. But you’re tired. It’s time to let them come to you. You can’t run forever. “Oh. She’s not wearing it. It says it’s right here.”

“No. I’m sure she was wearing it. She-she is here.” Doesn’t take long until Kara is flying in front of you. She must have used her x-ray vision. She is hovering in front of you and you notice her soft expression, that’s your Kara. “You scared me so much, little one.”

“I guess that makes us even now.” You are not mad anymore, just sad. You know eventually this will go away; things will be normal again. Kara shakes her head agreeing.

“May I?” She points to the place next to you and you nod. She flies to you and sits by your side. “I don’t know what else to say except I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.” You lay your head on your knees and hug your legs close to your body. “Why are there so many kryptonites? I don’t get it. The green one that makes us weak is like, ok, I kind of get why it exists. But then there’s a red one? And the black one that makes an evil version of yourself. And the silver one that makes whatever. I don’t know why Krypton had so many evil rocks.”

“Yeah. And don’t forget about the pink one.” She looks at you and you furrow your brows confused. You’ve never heard about a pink one. “It makes you gay.”

“It makes you whAT?”

“Gay. Totally gay.” She says trying to remain serious. She doesn’t know if you are at a laughing point yet.

“Oh. So, like, were you exposed to it or…?” You ask with a little smile on your lips and she smiles too. “’Cause you are totally gay.”

“Yeah well, I wasn’t infected with it. I was infected with Lenanite.” She says and you burst into laughter.

“Oh Rao, that was so bad. Please never say that again!” You two are laughing together and it feels right. It feels like it always did. “Oh man, mom will kill you if she hears you joined her name with kryptonite.”

“Oh, please don’t tell her. She already tried to kill me twice today.” She is still laughing, but that makes you stop. She notices it. “Not that I didn’t deserve it.”

“Let’s go inside. She’s probably worried.” You fly back home and Lena opens her arms when she sees you. You snuggle inside her embrace and just stay there for a while. “Sorry I got you worried.”

“I’m just glad you’re home, babygirl.” She kisses your forehead and holds your face with both hands looking right into your eyes. “You are the most important thing in my life.”

Kara lands behind you and you take a deep breath. Is time to put this whole thing behind you. You can do it, because you are not weak. Being soft and caring for everyone in your life is not a weakness. Being able to forgive is not weakness. You are stronger than they think. You are stronger than you think.

“C’mere momma.” You ask, turning your head to look at Kara. She looks confused, but she takes small steps towards you. You free one hand and pull her into the hug. The three of you are stiff and awkward, but no one moves away.

“Why are you all covered in dirt?” Lena asks after a while and you laugh slowly and let go of them.

“Yeah, um, about that…” You scratch your head smiling. “If anyone asks who destroyed an entire mountain up North, just say you know nothing about that.”

“What?” Lena furrows her brows and Kara’s mouth drop.

“Ok! Good talk! I’m going to go take a shower.” You leave them behind and smile to yourself. That will prove them you’re not soft and weak.

#kara danvers #lena luthor #supercorp #supercorp fanfic #supercorpfamily #supergirl #supercorp daughter #kara x reader #kara x lena #lena x reader #reader insert #red kryptonite

152 notes · View notes

gingwrites · 3 years ago

Text

Untitled Vampire AU (ot7) - Part 6

Series Masterlist | BTS Masterlist

Summary: Min Yoongi gets turned into a vampire and abandoned by his sire, but is adopted by the Kim coven.

aka

I decided to turn my one shot about maknae yoongi teething as a vampire into a full fic. Title subject to change. I just really have no idea what to name it right now.

Pairing: Established ot6, future ot7

The next few days passed in the same fashion, Yoongi sleeping most of the day away, and during the few times he was awake, he was eating. It was still a battle to get Yoongi to slow down while drinking, giving himself a tummy ache most of the time, though never as bad as that first one. The others were content to take turns watching over him.

“Why’s he sleeping so much?” Well, mostly content. “I just want to play with the baby and get to know him!” Jungkook whined.

“He’s a baby, Kookie,” Seokjin sighed. The three maknaes had been getting a little restless lately, spending more and more time watching over Yoongi, waiting for the moment he would next wake up.

“So?”

“So? Do you not remember anything about when you changed?” Seokjin replied. “You know very well that vampire changes don’t happen instantaneously. His body is changing and it’s taking a toll on him. He needs all the rest he can get.”

“Oh,” Jungkook pouted. He wanted to spend time with the baby, but he definitely wanted him to be healthy.

Seokjin patted the seat next to him on the couch, indicating for the younger boy to join him, which he happily did, launching himself into his hyung’s side. Seokjin let out a grunt when Jungkook landed on him, but a smile still spread over his face at the younger’s antics.

“I know you really want to spend some quality time with the baby, but right now, the best thing for him is to sleep and eat. You have all the time in the world to get to know him. Have a little patience,” Seokjin soothed, pulling Jungkook further under his arm.

“Okay, hyung,” the younger boy still pouted, but this time his lip wasn’t sticking out quite as much since he was getting cuddled.

After about a week of Yoongi being with the Kim coven, Yoongi started staying awake for longer periods of time and being more aware when he was, causing the maknaes to be constantly surrounding their new baby, always wanting to be the one to hold his attention.

“So now that I think I’ve finally had a chance to process everything, I have a few questions,” Yoongi asked one night when they were all gathered in the living room after Yoongi’s feeding.

“Ask away,” Seokjin nodded, happy to see that Yoongi seemed to be accepting the fact that he was a vampire now. Maybe all he had needed was a chance to process it internally and let his body take some much needed rest.

“Okay, so I know we don’t sparkle in the sun from personal experience,” Yoongi started, glancing over at Jimin when the older vampire let out a small growl at the mention of the state he had been in when found. “But, does the sun actually kill us, or is it just really, really painful?”

“Well, you’re a baby, so the sun is more harmful to you than it is to someone older, like me,” Seokjin replied. “You’ll eventually build up a sort of tolerance to it, but that will take a while. If you were to stay out in the sun for a long period of time now, it could kill you, but it would be a super slow and painful death.”

“So you’re not going anywhere near a window or outside anytime soon,” Namjoon commanded. The others all nodded their heads in agreement. Yoongi wasn’t about to argue with them. He never wanted to feel that pain again.

“But like I said, as you get older, you’ll build a tolerance to it,” Seokjin continued. “It won’t kill you once that happens, but you can still get burned, though not anywhere near as bad and it would take a longer period of time in the sun.”

“Okay,” Yoongi nodded, taking in the new information. “Next question: I thought I was supposed to have fangs?”

Seokjin chuckled, but before he could respond, Jungkook spoke up.

“You mean like these?” Jungkook had a massive grin on his face when Yoongi looked over. Two little glints caught his eye, and Yoongi leaned over before he could stop himself. Without even thinking about it, he brought his hand up to Jungkook’s mouth and gently touched the tip of one of the shiny teeth that he’d never seen before.

“Ow!” Yoongi quickly pulled his hand back, sticking his finger in his mouth to help soothe the pain.

“You hurt the baby!” Taehyung yelled, leaning over to slap Jungkook’s shoulder.

“I’m okay!” Yoongi quickly reassured, not wanting the others to blame Jungkook or see Jungkook sad that Yoongi had hurt himself because he was dumb enough to touch a vampire fang.

“Back to your question,” Seokjin spoke up, ceasing the small slapping fight Jungkook and Taehyung had gotten into, “You will get fangs, but it’s not an overnight process. Think like an actual human baby. Their teeth come in slowly and they go through a teething process. The rest of your body has gone, and will continue to go, through changes for about the next six months or so. It’s one of the reasons why you’ve been sleeping so much lately. Your body needs a chance to recover from all the changes.”

“Okay. Can we see our reflection?” Yoongi asked next.

“Yes,” Seokjin stated simply.

“We actually used to not be able to,” Namjoon followed up. “Nowadays, mirrors are made of different materials than they used to be, but vampiric myths obviously haven’t caught up.”

“Garlic?”

Everyone but Seokjin (and Yoongi) burst into laughter, Jin’s entire face turning red.

“What? What’d I say?” Yoongi questioned, confused as to why that had been funny.

“You can blame that entire myth on Seokjin!” Jimin was able to get out through his laughter.

“Jin was allergic to garlic when he was human,” Hoseok started.

“And it somehow carried over when he was turned,” Namjoon continued when Hoseok couldn’t because he was laughing so hard. Yoongi snuck a glance over a Seokjin who was still as red as a tomato.

“Our Jinnie here is old enough to have been around when people still believed vampires and other ‘mythological’ creatures were real,” Namjoon continued the story. “The village he was living in decided he was a vampire and had captured him. They were holding him in a barn while they were attempting to set up a pyre to burn him at the stake. It was a very dramatic time if you can imagine.

“But, it was harvest season and the owner of the barn had just harvested all his crops. Jin was tied up next to a basket full of, you guessed it, garlic. His allergy is so bad that even smelling it can sometimes cause him to break out in hives and his throat to close up. Which is exactly what happened. The humans quickly figured out what the garlic was doing, but they wrongly assumed that it would kill him and that it applied to all vampires.

“Luckily, Seokjin was able to escape before any lasting damage was done, but the myth stuck and was quickly passed around from village to village,” Namjoon finished the story, much to the amusement of the others.

“I hate you all,” Seokjin mumbled, arms crossed over his chest.

“Love you, too, hyung!” Taehyung sing-songed.

Yoongi couldn’t help the small smile on his face. It was a little funny if he was being honest. And raised the question of how old Seokjin actually was, but he guessed that was a question for another time.

“Do you have any more questions?” Seokjin asked, trying to get the others to move on and leave him in peace (which he knew was never going to happen, but he loved them all the same).

Yoongi thought for a moment, thinking of all the vampire movies he’d seen in his lifetime, which surprisingly wasn’t a lot. He had never really been much of a supernatural fan, which he found ironic now.

“Super speed? Super healing? Super strength?”

“Yes, yes, and yes, though there are limitations,” Namjoon was the one that answered this time. “We’re definitely not as fast or as strong as the movies make us out to be, but we definitely have an advantage over humans. But you’ll need to learn to control both once you’ve finally finished your transformation.”

“As for healing,” Seokjin took over, “There are limitations for that as well. You have to be well fed for you to have accelerated healing, which is why your burns were so bad when Jimin found you. You hadn’t fed, so your burns couldn’t heal.”

“So what can kill me?” Yoongi asked nervously, not really sure he wanted to know the answer to that question.

“Most things that would kill a human won’t kill you,” Namjoon replied. “Besides the sun when you’re still a baby, a stake through the heart, fire, silver bullet, and decapitation. Those are pretty much the only things that humans have continued to get right over the years. You can’t get sick, and even if you’re injured, no matter how bad the injury, as long as you can feed, you’ll heal just fine.”

Yoongi nodded, taking in all the new information. He felt like his brain was going to explode. There was so much to learn, but at least he had forever (literally) to learn it all. And people who would teach him and actually seemed to like teaching him.

“Just one more question for now,” Yoongi said after another moment of processing, feeling himself starting to get tired again. “Is there anything else that’s super important to know about vampires? I mean, can we fly? Do we have special powers? Can I read minds?”

The others laughed, causing a smile to spread across Yoongi’s face at his silly suggestions.

“No, no flying or mind reading,” Hoseok laughed.

“Ooo! But some vampires do have special powers!” Jungkook bounced in his seat.

“Like Jin hyung!” Taehyung all but yelled.

Yoongi quickly turned to the older vampire, not expecting this turn of events. Seokjin’s eyes flashed purple, but he blinked and they were back to their normal brown, making Yoongi wonder if he’d just been seeing things.

“So you have special powers?” Yoongi asked, curious as to why this hadn’t been brought up before.

“Yes, I have special powers,” Seokjin spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. “Not all vampires have powers. It’s very rare and is different from person to person.”

The room was quiet while Yoongi processed his words.

“Oh! What if Yoongi has powers?” Jungkook yelled, causing the fledgling to jump.

“He doesn’t,” Namjoon quickly spoke up, crushing any hope that Yoongi might have already had about potentially having special powers. “You know they show up once a fledgling is turned. None of us saw anything, so no powers, unfortunately. Like Seokjin said, they’re very rare.”

Yoongi had turned to look at Namjoon while he spoke, but Yoongi saw Seokjin flinch ever so slightly out of the corner of his eye at Namjoon’s words, but by the time he’d glanced over, Yoongi didn’t see anything amiss. That’s the second time his eyes seemed to be playing tricks on him. Maybe he was more tired than he felt.

“Alright, that’s enough questions for now. We can answer any more questions you have tomorrow,” Seokjin spoke up, taking command of the room. “Time for you to get back to sleep, baby. You’re barely sitting up on your own as it is.”

Before Yoongi could process it, he was laid across the couch, head in Hoseok’s lap, blanket tucked around his body, Hoseok’s hands running through his hair. Yoongi’s eyes slipped shut before anyone could even tell him ‘goodnight.’

As Seokjin washed Yoongi’s bloody thermos in the sink later that night, he kept thinking about their conversation. He still hadn’t told the others about what he had seen. If he’d even seen anything at all. He wasn’t trying to hide anything from them, but he didn’t want to cause a mess if it was all for nothing. It was just nothing, right? It had to have been a trick of the light. Afterall, no magic had manifested itself since then.

Seokjin shook his head, trying to clear the intrusive thoughts. It was nothing. It had been nothing. There was no way that Yoongi had powers, had those powers. Maybe if he kept repeating it, it’d be true.

Finally an update! I finally had inspiration for what I wanted to happen in this chapter this afternoon, so I've been working on this update since then! I hope you all like it! Let me know what you think! If you have any fluffy ideas/requests, let me know here, on ao3, or twitter/curious cat (@/yoongismandu)! I want to have a bit more 'normal life' and Yoongi adjusting to being a vampire before I get into the plot that I actually have planned for this fic.

12 notes · View notes

curiouserandthatmuchcuriouser · 4 years ago

Text

I don't talk a lot about this on social media, but two years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Next month is Bipolar Awareness Month, and even though it's not here quite yet, I'd like to share my story. We all fight secret battles, and the first step to breaking the stigma of mental illness is starting a dialogue and finding compassion for others as well as ourselves.

Around December 2018, I started feeling... different than I normally do. I didn't understand what was happening at the time: I'd never had so much energy before, and at first it was exhilarating. I was running around, talking a mile a minute, suddenly completely free of the social anxiety that's plagued me my entire life, completing chores & errands in record time, and feeling on top of the world. My mind was overflowing with creativity, ideas for poems and essays and songs and even a full musical of my own design (in hindsight, it's all nonsense of course). My appetite slipped away and I suddenly felt free from the constraints of sleep, even though I'd never been more productive. I barely ate or slept, but I wasn't hungry or tired. I lost so much weight and I barely noticed.

At the same time, my moods were swinging all over the place -- I was irritable, I was ecstatic, I was angry, I was morose, I was playful, I was paranoid. I was charismatic, I was churlish, I was ambitious, I was friendly, I was sullen. I was crazy. Naturally I was too busy with my newfound productivity and "creative genius" (lol) to even notice the mood swings. I was an artist! With an artist's temperament! And there was so much to write! I started carrying around yellow sticky notepads in my pockets so I could write down my "brilliant" epiphanies (hint: it was more nonsense) wherever I went. I filled them up within days. My handwriting changed, became sloppier, messier. So many thoughts, I couldn't get them down fast enough.

My thought process, my inner monologue, became fast, then rapid, then downright muddled. It was like a movie playing at warp speed in my head, all day, every day, and most of the night too because who needed sleep when there was so much to think about? I developed a horrible sense of grandiosity. It was my newfound purpose in life to help people, personal cost be damned. I gave the coat off my back to a homeless man begging for change at the dollar store. I impulsively blew through what little savings I had on… I don't even know what. On useless crap that I didn't need.

Paranoia overtook my psyche. I was certain that some of my friends were conspiring against me in various ways, and I wouldn't (couldn't) shut up about it to anyone who would listen. I was suspicious of the world at large. I started walking around with a knife tucked into my boot (thankfully I never used it). I drove too fast, recklessly, getting lost on familiar streets (that's not poetic license, I actually found myself getting disoriented in familiar neighborhoods and needing the GPS to find my way home). I was crying while driving, sobbing and squinting at the cars ahead of me. Everything I experienced was fast and bright and sharp in the most confusing ways.

I still thought I was invincible. I was not invincible. In fact, I was 24 years old and I was experiencing my first manic episode, and it ended up being the scariest period of my life thus far.

I couldn't focus on my job anymore, a job that I loved, a job that I had worked hard to get. I would sit down to read an email and the words would swim before my eyes like a school of fish. If I tried typing anything, at least half the words would be misspelled and I'd have to start over. I wasn't getting any work done, not really. I couldn't sit still. I started pacing around the office every chance I could get and taking long walks at night in the winter chill (which I barely felt). I was feverish with mania. I was aggravated by random things and I would lash out at random people, even family and friends (perhaps especially family and friends). No one understood what I was going through, least of all myself.

Finally -- I don't even remember how I realized something was off since I was so far gone at that point -- a lightbulb went on in my head amidst the chaotic movie screen of jumbled thoughts and I realized: I'm not usually like this. I feel... sick. And when a quick Google search of my symptoms suggested "bipolar disorder," I knew I had to get help. One thing led to another, and in January 2019, I ended up moving back into my mom's house and taking medical leave from my job, the job that I loved, to do outpatient group therapy five times a week for several weeks at a nearby hospital… only to quit that job, the job that I loved, almost immediately upon returning to it because I didn't realize beforehand just how long it would take for me to recover.

I was so ashamed about quitting that job, and I still carry some of that shame around to this day, but the circumstances were completely untenable. I was on three different kinds of antipsychotics, which were expensive and caused me to gain close to 100 lbs during the time I was on them. The other side effects of those meds, like the drowsiness and the brain fog, were awful. After five-times-a-week group therapy, I graduated to once-a-week individual therapy (so proud, I know). It took me weeks to regain the ability to read more than a paragraph at a time, which was torture for me, an English major and avid reader. Television became a crutch, an easy way to pass the restless hours. I slept as much as possible during the day because I was so deeply ashamed of how far I'd fallen.

Eventually, I did recover. Considering the state I was in, I am *exceptionally lucky* and I think about that everyday. The meds, the therapy, and time did their job and helped me get back to myself. I still occasionally struggle with symptoms of depression and mania, and I always will. I'll never be the person I was before my diagnosis, but that's okay. I know who I am now, even the dark parts, and I know how to take care of all of me. That's the most important piece of the puzzle: self-awareness and self-care in equal measure.

Looking back, it truly feels like a different person inhabited my body during those awful months. An insane person, one I'd be embarrassed to know, let alone be. My brain became a snapping turtle, and no one was safe. I lost friends, people I trusted who just couldn't see past the actions and harsh words that my illness caused, even after I sought treatment and tried to make amends via heartfelt apology letters and frantic explanations. There is a fine line between accountability for past mistakes and reckoning with mental illness, and in some ways I still feel like I'm walking that line. But at least now I know I can let go some of that shame.

I am forever grateful to my wonderful network of family, friends, and mental health professionals who supported me every step of the way and saw me through to the other side. I love you. I wouldn't be myself without you. Thank you.

If you or someone you love struggle with mental illness, don't try to sweep it under the rug. Know the signs, and seek treatment. Help is available. Getting better is possible.

We all fight secret battles. Let's lead with compassion.

#bipolar disorder #bipolar #bipolar awareness #bipolar awareness month #bipolar girl #mental illness #mental health #it gets better

10 notes · View notes

alexhogh7137 · 4 years ago

Text

The Battle Between Love and Fire-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Days That Followed

Chapter Twenty-One

Word Count 3.2k

Warnings: slight angst from memories, fluff

When Ivar got the strength to walk to you, he practically ran. Your eyes filled with happy tears as did his. You have missed him more than you have realized. He is your husband and you are his wife and you love each other more than anything. Husband and wives argue, they say things that they do not mean, so of course, you forgive Ivar for what he said. Once he has you in his arms, he audibly cries. You feel his body shake and his heart race in his chest. He holds you tighter than he has ever done before, but still aware that you are hurting. He is lost for words, he does not believe that he is holding you in his arms like he is in this very moment. A few hours ago, you were so close to death, now here you are in his arms and standing. Some people do not believe in the gods. They do not believe in their miracles, but you are a great example of a miracle.

Ivar "Are you..are you really okay?"

"I'm okay, Ivar. Just very tired and sore."

Ivar "My love, you were on your deathbed."

"I know. I felt it. But I felt a presence inside of me that gave me the will to fight."

Ivar "Our daughter?"

"Yes, our daughter. I could feel her in the darkness. She was my light back home."

Ivar took no time at all to press his lips to yours. You melt into his kiss like butter on warm bread. Your hands found his torso and grabbed onto him softly. Hvitserk looked at Ubbe who was smiling purely out of joy to see you pull through. Hvitserk joins Ubbe and Torvi.

Ubbe "She is an incredible woman, is she not?!"

Hvitserk "Yes she is. I'm still fairly shaken by the whole thing."

Ubbe "No need to shake anymore, my brother! Happy day, yes?!"

Hvitserk "Oh yes."

Ivar and you have your own little moment while your people cheered, seeing you awake and stable. When he pulled back, he rested his head upon yours. You start to stumble but he catches you.

Ivar "I am truly sorry about-"

"I know. It is okay, I forgive you. That is in the past."

Ivar "I know it is, but it is one of my strongest regrets. The night you went missing, all I could think about is what I said. If I didn't get to you in time, those would have been the last words that you would have heard me say to you. How could I have lived with myself?"

"Can you live knowing that I forgive you?"

Ivar tears up, "Yes. I can also live now because I have my wife back."

"And I have my husband back." He leans down and kisses you again.

Ivar "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

"Um water. Something light for food, I cannot do a full feast tonight." You force a chuckle and lean into Ivar for support.

Ivar "Oh I know that." He yelled for his chefs to get you a meal and some water. He helped you walk over to Ubbe and everyone else at the table.

Ubbe "You had us all worried sick." He said, pulling you into a bear hug.

"Well I was worried that you all weren't going to find me so, serves you right!" You all have a little laugh, but in all seriousness, you were not joking. You did have that fear of dying in that dungeon, cold and alone. But nonetheless, the gods brought you back home to Kattegat with your family and your dragon's. Where you belong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you were done nibbling on the food that was given to you, you were completely exhausted. Your body is recovering slowly, but your brain is trying to speed up the process. Telling yourself that you are fine, and can do anything. But that is far from the truth. Your arms are practically sticks from the starvation that your father put you under for five days. You lost all the weight that you needed to support your daughter. All that you have left is good hair and your smile.

Ivar notices your sudden change in mood, and tends to your side immediately. Once he is close enough, you lean into his side and sigh.

Ivar "What is is, my love." He kisses your cheek.

"Very tired. But I am happy."

Ivar "I know, it is late now. Would you like to go to bed?"

"Yes please. I haven't slept by your side in what feels like forever." Ivar melts at your response.

Ivar "Come on then, let's get a good night's rest. Tomorrow is a new day." You and Ivar say your good night's and head to bed. Hvitserk kisses your cheek and wishes you a good night's sleep, as you did the same.

Ivar gently undresses the light clothing that you have on, revealing every part of you that has new scars. There are scars on your tummy, your breasts, and your chest. The ones on your arms are visible from far away, but these are only scars that he would see. He traces over them gently with his fingertips.

"Don't…"

Ivar "This shouldn't have happened, Y/n."

"It did, Ivar. Nothing can change the past. Do I wish that I didn't have to endure what he did to me, yes of course. Did I wish that I was home with you, yes I did. But I am home now, and that is all that matters."

Ivar "You are still perfect, my sweetheart."

"Just more imperfections."

Ivar cups your left side of your face into his hand, "No. That is not true. They are not imperfections, only battle scars that you survived through. Do not think that you are nothing less than perfect."

You melt into his touch, "You are so sweet to me."

Ivar "Only because you only deserve kindness and love. And I love you more than life itself."

"Oh Ivar. I love you more than life itself too. You and this baby girl in my belly." He looks down at the only bump on your tummy, and smiles.

Ivar "She is just as strong as her mother."

"Mmm. She is my strength."

Ivar "And you are mine." You look up at him and look into his eyes. So blue, with stars surrounding them. You close the gap between you and your husband by kissing his lips, hard but soft. He gasps into you, but taking in all of you. You have missed his kisses, his touch, his warmth, his body, his kindness, his love, his voice, his everything. You needed his voice to get you through those dark days, but indeed you had Hvitserk's. And that is all you could have asked for. You love him as much as he loves you. And you don't think that you will ever not love Hvitserk. He is the father of your child, and has always been there for you since day one. He is your biggest protector and you know that he will always be there for you when you need him. And you will do the same for him.

Ivar "I have missed you.." he says out of breath.

"I have missed you. I would continue but-"

Ivar "I know, sweetheart. Do not fret. I am not going anywhere, and neither are you. King Harald is dead, he cannot harm you anymore." He lays down next to you after he too undresses. He pulls the fur blankets over you both and you cling to his side like you used too. Once you are in his arms, the feeling comes back to you and hits you like a train. The sense of safety, love, and tenderness. That feeling was gone for what feels like years, but only for almost a week.

Ivar "I know..I got you. I'm never letting you go."

"Please don't. I don't think I could take it-"

Ivar "shh..I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. You and our daughter are home and safe. Your dragon's are home and safe. Hvitserk and Ubbe are safe. Nothing to fear."

"I love you."

Ivar "And I love you." He kisses your forehead and you both drift off into a deep slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By morning, your body aches a bit more. Your back feels like it has been whipped and your knees feel broken even though neither of that is real. It is from laying on the stone floors and kneeling on your knees for King Harald's pleasure. You uncover yourself, expecting to see bruises all over your body, but there is nothing. You are confused. Why did everything disappear, and how could it? Ivar feels your disappearance and jolts up in bed.

"I am sorry. I am just in a lot of pain.."

Ivar "Oh sweetie, what can I do-"

"Where is...where are my marks?"

"The Healer came in yesterday while you were unconscious. He healed your cuts and bruising."

"But I can still feel it all.."

Ivar "The maidens said that you would. It is all normal, sweetheart."

"O-okay." You attempt to move but it is too painful. Ivar notices and stops you from moving. "I don't understand. How did I walk yesterday?"

Ivar chuckles, "It was your adrenaline. And her. But she must be tired today." He makes you laugh and it is music to his ears.

"Today is going to be harder, isn't it?"

Ivar nods, "But I will be by your side to help you get through it."

"Okay."

Ivar "Let me get out of bed first and get my crutch, and then I will help you out of bed. Okay?"

"Ivar...you shouldn't have to help me, you struggle enough. I'm sorry." Ivar grabs your face and kisses you harshly.

Ivar "Do not ever apologize to me, okay? You didn't do this to yourself, he did. That bastard raped you, tortured you and showed you no mercy. You need help and you are getting my help."

"Yes my king." He smirks and then kisses you once more before getting out of bed. You sense that he is in as much pain as you, just not the same. You are mentally, internally and physically in pain. Ivar's legs are in pain, therefore, his whole body aches. You hate to ask him for help, but right now you do not have a choice.

When he gets you out of bed, you feel every inch of where he hit you, but times that feeling by one hundred. You wince out in pain, almost falling and taking Ivar with you, but he catches you. Thankfully, he is huge and strong.

Ivar "I got you."

"This is...not ideal."

Ivar chuckles. Even in pain, you try to make light of the situation. "No it is not, but it is getting handled. In a few days, you should be feeling better."

"I hope so. That would be nice."

Ivar "Hey, look at me," he raises your face by your chin, "you are strong, Y/n. Stronger than the strongest and fiercest shield-maiden in all of Scandinavia. You will get through this and come out an even stronger woman."

"Thank you, my love."

Ivar "You are welcome. I love you, let's get you some clothes on and some food. Oh and you need to take your medicine."

"Medicine?" Ivar informs you of everything that went on yesterday. "Oh wonderful!"

Ivar chuckles, "C'mere." He puts a dress on you, after kissing every inch of skin on your body, making you feel not so worthless. He then walks you over to the door and opens it for you.

…

When everyone sees you and Ivar, they perk up. Especially Hvitserk and Ubbe. Ivar walks with you slowly but proudly. He is proud to be married to such a woman as yourself. Torvi gets up from her seat next to Ubbe and rushes over to you.

Torvi "I have missed you, Y/n. How are you feeling?"

"Like how I expected to feel afterwards. How have you been?"

Torvi "Worried, but happy now that you are home."

"Mm yes. How have the kids been?"

Torvi "Oh y'know, kids are crazy. But they are good."

"That is good to hear-"

Ivar "She needs to sit down."

Torvi "Ah yes, I forgot." You force a smile and lean harder into Ivar as he supports your light weight. Hvitserk takes Ivar's place when he starts to struggle himself.

Hvitserk "I got her, Ivar."

Ivar "Thank you." He tries to recollect himself as if his legs are not killing him. Hvitserk lifts you in his arms.

"Can I see my babies?"

Hvitserk "Say no more, but after you have to promise me that you will eat and take your medicine."

"I promise." He takes you to see your dragon's. When he puts you down, he does not let go of your hips because you still need his support. You reach up to pet your dragon's. They are so excited that they almost knock you over, but Hvitserk catches you.

Hvitserk "Maybe they are too strong for you right now, kitten."

"Mm yes, maybe. But I just needed to see them."

Hvitserk "I understand. They are about to get fed, and you know better than anyone how they get when food is involved."

"Yes-"

Hvitserk "I don't want you getting more hurt than you already are. Let's go get you some food." You agree and he takes you back inside. Ivar is shocked that you are in so soon.

Ivar looks at you, asking you with his facial expressions what happened.

"They are too hyper right now. I will see them later, after I have some strength back." Ivar agrees as you sit down beside him. Your people circle around you, telling you how happy they are that you are back in Kattegat and are doing okay. You thank them and start to hide behind Ivar's broad body when they get too close. You don't like all of this attention, especially not at the moment. You just want to be with Ivar or Hvitserk and have some peace and quiet.

Ivar "Okay, my good people. That is enough for right now, give your queen her space, yes?!" They agreed and began to scatter.

"Thank you.."

Ivar "I know when enough is enough..they are just happy, princess."

"I know. But I just want you or Hvitserk right now. Not the crowd."

Ivar kisses your forehead, "I know, sweetheart. You and Hvitserk can have some time and then when I am done speaking to Ubbe about Wessex matters, I will come get you, okay?"

"Okay, Wessex matters?"

Ivar "Your father is not getting away with allowing your torture. He will pay for what he has done to you."

"...thank you, my king."

Ivar kisses you, "Now go, relax. I'll be out here if you need me." You agree and find Hvitserk in his chambers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he sees you, he alerts out of bed and rushes over to you.

Hvitserk "Walking on your own?"

You chuckle, "I could manage."

Hvitserk "What do you need?"

"I just want to relax. Our people were crowding Ivar and I...asking me everything that happened."

Hvitserk "Oh I am sorry, they shouldn't have done that."

"It is okay. I know that they are just curious."

Hvitserk "Well let's relax then. I won't hesitate for a cuddle session." You giggle as he helps you to the bed. Hvitserk's bed feels like you are laying on fluffy clouds, and your body relaxes on top of it. Hvitserk pulls you gently on top of his chest and relaxes himself.

Hvitserk "I thought that I would never be able to hold you again.."

"You really thought that you were going to lose me?"

Hvitserk "I feared that I wouldn't get to you in time. Not that you weren't strong."

"But you did, so why pry on the thought of losing me when you have me right now."

Hvitserk "You are right."

"No one stays alive forever, Hvitserk. One day you will lose me, one day we will lose each other, one day I will lose Ivar...but that is not right now. All we can do is live in the present and hope for a bright future."

Hvitserk "Why do you have to be so damn right all the time!?" You both get a good laugh at that, a laugh that was needed for the both of you.

"I am sorry, maybe I should be wrong for once, huh?"

Hvitserk "Mm-no, you are perfect the way you are. Never change, kitten."

"Okay, I won't. Tell me a story, a happy one." You lay your head down on his chest and he holds onto your hand as he begins to tell you a story from his childhood with his four brothers. As he tells you, you relax and your mind stops racing and only focuses on his words. His voice is low and husk, but perfect to you. When he lets go of your hand, he draws pictures into the air, trying to get you to picture what he is telling you. But he doesn't do it for long before he grabs your hand again and rubs small circles around your thumb. You smile at the feeling, and just feel immense peace and bliss wash over you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ubbe and Ivar are in the battle room: where all of the weapons are, as well as the map of all of the world. Ivar will never allow what your father has done to you, not only recently but for your entire life. So his plan: attack and capture him, bring him to Kattegat, hold him where the dead guards threw you the day you came to Kattegat, and make him die in there alone and beaten. His fate will be what yours almost was.

Ubbe "Her dragon's will be of good use."

Ivar "Only if she wants to use them. If not, we have allies that can help us win this fight."

Ubbe "Who?! She killed Harald...he was our ally."

Ivar "...he is not our only ally."

Ubbe begins to think, hard and strong. When he thinks of who Ivar is thinking of, he smirks. "Rollo?"

Ivar chuckles, "Rollo."

They begin to send letters to France to their Uncle Rollo and ask for his assistance in taking down Wessex, England. If he refuses, then they have no choice but to use their only men and your dragons.

Ubbe "They have been sent, now we must wait."

Ivar "Yes. I think Hvitserk will like this plan. He misses Rollo, does he not?"

Ubbe "I am not sure, we do not talk of him very often."

Ivar "Mm well, I am going to be with Y/n, you go be with Torvi." Ubbe agrees and they go their separate ways. When Ivar comes into the door of Hvitserk's chambers, he finds you in a deep sleep and Hvitserk awake.

Hvitserk whispers "She is asleep.."

Ivar smiles, "Alright. If she does not wake up, tell her I love her and goodnight. She can sleep with you tonight. I don't want to wake her." He whispered.

Hvitserk "Okay...thank you." Ivar nods and slowly closes the door. How could he be mad to see his brother as happy as he was last night? He walks into his chambers and falls asleep on your side of the bed with a smile on his face, knowing that you are sleeping peacefully and that you will soon get justice for everything that you have endured. Justice will come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey babies! I have been seeing a lot of comments recently, on regards of Hvitserk and Ivar and how they would not share her. I am more than aware that IN THE SHOW they do not or would not share, however, this is MY story and MY imagination, so I am making them share her and love her. Hvitserk and Ivar have a good relationship in this story because that is how I wanted it to be written. I will not stop writing about Hvitserk and her's relationship and I will not stop the sharing because that is not how I would like my story to go. On the other note, I enjoy getting comments and hearing y'alls thoughts on each chapter and look forward to them. I hope this little note clears up that I know that in the show, things would be different, but in my story, this is how I am writing it because it makes ME happy. Thank you, love you all××

@hvitserkmarcosource @a-mess-of-fandoms @youbloodymadgenius @ivarsgoddess @jzr201 @heavenly1927 @saldelys @motherofkattegat @conaionaru @readsalot73 @ivarzeitgeist @herestherealproblem

#the battle between love and fire #ivar the god #ivar lothbrok #ivar the boneless #hvitserk lothbrok #hvitserk #ubbe lothbrok #torvi vikings #vikings #alex hogh andersen #marco ilsø #marco ilsoe #jordan patrick smith

38 notes · View notes

1-1snailxd-art · 6 years ago

Text

Sides of a Hero

Chapter index ------------- Chapter 14

Chapter 15: Trapped in the Darkness

Summary: Logan, Patton and Roman take Rage to visit Thomas and wake him up from Nightmare. Virgil doesn't appear like last time and the group must find a way to get into his room to save him from himself.

————————————————————————

PLEASE, check the warnings on the chapter index if you aren’t familiar with them. Stay safe. Things will get better, I promise.

————————————————————————

The puddles of darkness were slowly spreading, reaching out and connecting as large pools and surrounding Virgil's sleeping figure. The floor was almost completely concealed, and Depression smiled, watching one of the final two bolts melt away.

*****************************************************************************************

"Wake up, Thomas," Logan commanded and they all waited.

It took slightly longer, but Thomas eventually gasped, jerked upright and right into Patton's waiting arms.

"You're alright, Kiddo." He cooed, as tears started flowing from the hosts eyes. "We've got you."

Roman and Logan looked around the room, worry settling in their guts as they realised Virgil hadn't appeared like before.

"Is that it?" Rage asked out loud. "If Thomas is awake then Anx- um, Virgil, is awake now. Right?"

"Who are you?" Thomas questioned, wiping stray tears from his cheeks. "Where is Virgil?"

"This is Rage," Roman tugged on the chain and Rage was jerked forward. "He did something to Virgil. We haven't had the chance for a proper chat yet."

Logan looked at Rage, "Virgil isn't here. You need to tell us what you did, right now."

Rage felt small with the intense stares each side and Thomas gave him, and he finally understood how Virgil must have felt on a daily basis.

"I just wanted to fit in somewhere. I was tired of being an outcast and feeling...empty."

"Get to the point, Rage. Please," Patton begged.

"We... Deceit and I thought that taking back our power from the seal would help us feel better. That that was the reason why we couldn't find our true place in the mindscape."

"You released Depression?" Patton squeaked. The colour drained from Logan's face and Roman clenched his jaw in frustration.

"No! Well, maybe. I-I didn't want to in the end. It was an accident. Something happened with the shadows in the room and-and it happened so fast. I swear, I told Deceit we should stop when I saw how weak Lust and Ego's seals were. W-we-we weren't going to do it."

"How did you know Lust and Ego's seals were weak?" Logan questioned, processing all the information as fast as he could.

"Their scars were faded. I figured that they had less of a connection because they fused with Roman."

"So much for it being a sign of aging," Roman sighed and looked at Logan, knowing the side would now be considering what else Virgil had lied about.

"Thomas, I am sorry." Rage looked at his host, regret in his voice and eyes. "I was selfish, and I may have put you in danger. The total opposite to what I am meant to do. I make you stand up for yourself and voice injustice. I should have just stuck to that and left everything else alone."

"I forgive you." The sides all looked at Thomas in complete and utter shock. "Virgil acted out a lot before I accepted him. Perhaps the reason you couldn't find your place in the mindscape was my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"I hadn't accepted you as a part of me. You can't really have a comfortable place in my mind if I don't accept you as a part of me. You are important Rage. I'm sorry I didn't see that before."

The chains vanished from Rage's wrists and the impulse looked at Roman in surprise. "You have made... Bad choices, but you aren't a villain. We shouldn’t treat you like one."

"And you are helping us with Virgil," Patton added.

"Very true. Speaking of which," Logan looked at Thomas. "Do you think you could take us to Virgil's room? We need to investigate further and see how this seal breaking has affected him."

Thomas nodded and closed his eyes; the group sunk out of the bedroom.

**********************************************************************************

Deceit crawled out of his hiding place and looked around in concern. Grey clouds covered the sky and bathed the usually bright park in dull grey light. He tried to reach out to Rage, but found the connection severed. He hadn't even realised until then that he couldn't feel his friend at all. A scratching sound caught the impulses attention and he looked around to see a spider with a purple stripe scuttling towards him.

The creature stopped at his feet and Deceit looked down in confusion. He had seen similar spiders many times in Virgil's room and territory, but he had never seen them beyond those boarders.

"Anxiety isn't playing games now." Deceit knelt and held out his hand for the spider to climb on; wondering what purpose the creature’s presence was serving.

**********************************************************************************

Thomas found himself standing in the hallway of the common room, feeling very lost and confused.

"This isn't Virgil's room? Where are we?"

The sides looked around and exchanged concerned glances.

"This is the common area hallway," Rage looked at Thomas and raised an eyebrow. "The centre of your mind. The place that connects all the rooms together. I'm guessing you weren't aiming to bring us here?"

"No," Thomas shook his head and looked around the hallway. "I don't understand... I thought of the same stuff as last time, but it felt...different."

"Different how?" Logan questioned. "Do you not feel Virgil's presence."

"No, no, it's not like that." Thomas looked at the floor as he tried to find words to describe how he was feeling. "I still FEEL him. I mean I am anxious right now, but I just don't feel... Him."

Patton started knocking loudly on Virgil's door. "Virgil? Virgil, are you ok?"

"If Nightmare has him trapped like Roman and Thomas were, I doubt knocking will be enough to wake him." Logan grabbed Patton's hand to stop him from knocking any harder.

Thomas started pushing and pulling on the door handle, hoping he would be able to open it with his own will. The door didn't budge at all.

"Is there another way to get into your rooms?" Thomas asked, giving up on his attempts to get into the room.

"There is generally doorways connecting our territories to our rooms," Logan explained. "But I have never been to Virgil's territory so I can't sink there."

Roman looked at Rage and Patton, "You two have been there. Could you guys sink us there?"

"Worth a try," Rage shrugged, "I've gone there many times before." Rage closed his eyes and disappeared, instantly reappearing back in front of Virgil's door.

"That was quick," remarked Patton.

"I didn't go anywhere," Rage looked dumbfounded. "It's like there is a barrier stopping me and I can't get anywhere near the territory. The storm might be blocking me."

"The storm is blocking you?" Roman looked at Rage. "So, Nightmare's storm is keeping us out. What does Nightmare have to do with all this, anyway?"

"What?" Rage looked at the creative side in confusion. "Nightmare fused with Virgil years ago. Well, he went by the name Jacket at the time."

"That can't be true. Virgil told me on the cliff edge that Nightmare had been in his room and caused the last storm."

"Perhaps he lied, Roman." Logan rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. "It seems Virgil lied about many things."

"Well, what did you expect?" The group all looked at Rage; making the impulse feel slightly uncomfortable again. "Anxiety and lying go hand in hand. How many situations has Thomas avoided by lying? How many lies has Thomas told to avoid concerning his friends? That all comes from Deceit and Anxiety working together; intentional or not."

The sides looked down in defeat at the realisation that Virgil was the one that caused the nightmare. The same nightmare that trapped Thomas and put the kingdom at risk, twice. The air in the hallway seemed thick and made breathing difficult for all of them.

"It doesn't matter if Nightmare is fused with Virgil." Thomas' voice broke the silence and the group looked back at him. "He isn't doing this on purpose. Th-that isn't something Virgil would do."

"Then why would he lie about it?" Roman asked; feeling betrayed by his friends’ frequent deceptions.

"Because..." Again, Thomas struggled to find the right words. His brain seemed to be working in slow motion and fast forward at the same time. Some thoughts took forever to move on, while others went past at such a speed, he couldn't register them.

"Because he was afraid." Patton looked around the group, "afraid of what we would think of him if we knew. That was why he kept all of his secrets, right? The more we accepted him, the more it seemed he hid from us; but he was just protecting himself."

"He only had us." Thomas added, looking at the sides; Rage looked away. "He probably didn't want to risk losing the only friends he had."

"But wasn't it lying that made him loose his friends in the first place?" Roman added, pointing at Rage.

"Honestly, he can't help it." Rage pushed Roman's pointed hand down and stepped closer to the group. "Deceit is connected to him. I was too, before..."

Rage's voice trailed off and Logan's eyes suddenly widened. "You were connected to Virgil through the seal, correct?" Rage nodded. "Then maybe Deceit’s connection is the key we need to access Virgil's room."

The others all nodded and looked at Rage for approval. "Maybe. I used to always be able to feel everyone. Virgil, Deceit, Lust and Ego. Always felt that they were here somewhere...I can't anymore though." Rage dropped his head in sadness. "How do you find him though. He's not just gonna come bursting in here on his own."

Thomas closed his eyes and tried to summon Virgil again. Normally when he summoned the sides, he could see their faces clearly and feel their presence. Try as he might, Thomas couldn’t picture Virgil’s face. He knew what the side looked like, but he couldn’t visualise him at all.

The group looked at Thomas as he sighed and tried to summon Deceit. It felt different to when he summoned the sides; like trying to see your reflection in muddy water. Relief flooded the host as Deceit’s image slowly became clearer.

**********************************************************************************

The spider crawled onto Deceit's hand and the impulse stood to inspect it. A rumbling caught his attention and Deceit looked up to see the clouds darkening and a tree split open with a black vein.

“Patton’s redecorating matches his personality.”

Placing the spider on his shoulder, Deceit carefully moved to inspect the trees. As he got closer, Deceit noticed that the grass at the edge of the park was beginning to fade and a purple lightning flash lit up the darkening corner. His feet froze and the impulse took in the scene around him.

“This is normal.” He looked at the spider on his shoulder, fear clear on his face. “Vibrant colour in the mindscape is perfectly fine. I don’t have to do anything.”

Deceit turned to walk towards Patton’s room, hoping the side was going to be in a talkative mood, but as he turned, he suddenly found himself standing in the common room hallway.

Patton screamed and hid behind Rage, and the impulse looked at the trembling side in confusion.

“Are you serious? It’s Deceit. He’s not that scary.”

“S-sp-sp-sp,” Patton stuttered, pointing at the spider on Deceit’s shoulder.

The look of surprise quickly left Deceit’s face as he smiled and gestured to the creature on his shoulder. “It’s just an eight-legged puppy. It wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Patton gripped Rages arms tighter and Roman looked at Deceit in confusion. “It’s a spider. How could you possibly compare it to a puppy?”

Logan shook his head, he couldn’t believe that Roman still didn’t understand how Deceit spoke.

“Cut the crap, Deceit.” Rage said, trying to pry Patton’s hands off him before resorting to vanishing out of his grasp and reappearing a safe distance away. “Shits going down in the mindscape and we need to get into Anxiety’s room.”

Thomas placed a reassuring hand on Patton’s shoulder and looked at Deceit. “I can’t get into Virgil’s room, Rage said you are connected by Depression’s seal.”

“Can you use that connection to get us all into Virgil’s room?” Logan concluded.

Deceit’s face dropped. “Yes. I have a connection with Anxiety.”

“Hazar!” Cheered Roman. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

Roman looked at the others; Thomas and Patton looked deflated; Logan pinched the bridge of his nose; while Rage looked furiously at Deceit.

“What do you mean you don’t have a connection? Your seal wasn’t touched.”

Deceit looked away in shame, which spoke volumes to Rage. The impulse lunged forward, grabbing Deceit’s jacket and slamming him against the opposite wall of the hallway.

“What did you do?” Rage slammed his friend against the wall a second time, a single tear slipping from his eye. “Tell me what the fuck you did?”

Deceit locked eyes with Rage. He had never seen his friend this worked up in his whole existence; so angry he was brought to tears with the intense emotion. He wanted to lie and spare himself the admission that he had betrayed his friend, but he was cursed to speak the truth solely through lies.

Rage's body shook as he slowly released his grip on Deceit and turned away; his head hung low.

"I thought losing Envy was bad, but then we lost Ego and Lust." Deceit steadied himself and took a few cautious steps towards his hurting friend. Rage kept his head low and his tone steady as he continued to speak. "When I found out all the things Anxiety did behind my back, I thought that was the worst betrayal that could ever happen. But you... I trusted you and you... You used me."

"YES! That's the truth," Deceit begged and reached out to grabbed Rage's shoulder.

Rage spun around and punched the impulse square in the face, knocking him to the floor.

Rage's eyes flared red and Thomas could feel the anger bubbling up inside of him and it physically hurt to look at the scene before him. Rage and Deceit were friends; two impulses lost in his mindscape. Equally ignored and neglected by the sides and their host. Patton looked at Thomas, registering the distress on his face, and then back at the scene of Deceit cowering before Rage.

Taking a deep breath, Patton closed his eyes in concentration.

"Time to let it out boys," Patton's eyes glowed a sky blue, while Rage and Deceit's faded to brown.

"I was jealous." Deceit spoke, looking solem and unphased by the words coming out of his mouth. "You were beginning to find your place; even though you said you still felt empty, you looked so happy in the kingdom. I wanted to have what you had and to help fill that void. Depression made me an offer that was too good to refuse."

"Perhaps the offer was literally too good to be true." Rage felt surprisingly calm, despite being under Integrity's influence. "You are deceit but you aren't a lie detector or anything."

"He said the room was meant to be a cage for Anxiety that I controlled. It felt so right."

"Depression played you, you selfish moron! And I let you play me."

"So, we've established that you are both morons." Roman looked between the two impulses and frowned. "Now, what about Depression's seals and Deceit's connection."

"I broke my seal," confessed Deceit.

"But you just said you still had a connection with Virgil." Looking around in confusion, Roman took in the look of exasperation on Logan's face. "What?"

Rubbing at his eyebrow, Logan responded "He was lying, Roman. He has already released his seal. Technically now Depression is only being held back by two fading seal and Virgil."

"You released it at the same time as me, didn't you Deceit?" Rage already knew the answer, but he still had to hear it spoken out loud.

"I did." Deceit nodded and looked down at the floor. "The moment the room started crumbling I knew I had made a mistake, but...I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I was overcome with guilt."

"Guilt had me trapped too. I thought it was just me releasing my seal that caused that damage."

The light in the hallway flickered and dimmed, putting a stop to the conversation. Patton's eyes returned to normal and Deceit's yellow eye returned.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The group jumped as a banging was heard from behind Roman's door, and the creative side quickly pushed the door open to reveal Estelle. The dragon was slick with water and her body was littered with scratches and missing scales.

"Estelle! What happened?" Roman quickly started inspecting Estelle for evidence of serious injury, running his hands over her minor wounds and causing them to vanish in the process.

"The storm is not safe for moving through," panted the dragon. "But I come with far worse news. Rage spoke the truth; the kingdom is being corrupted by a black substance. It's ripping through the landscape and draining the colour from the eastern area; slowly making its way towards the main population. The storm isn't stopping either."

Thomas looked at the dragon in awe, amazed at her beauty and his level of imagination. He wished he was meeting her under different circumstances.

"We need to get into Virgil's room," the sides all looked at Thomas. "If short cuts won't work, then what are our other options?"

"We could go through the kingdom," Rage suggested.

"That would be safe in the perfect weather," Deceit added, thinking about battling a storm and spreading darkness all the way to Virgil's territory.

Patton's scream rang down the hall again as the purple spider crawled out of its hiding spot in Deceit's clothes.

"Seriously?" Roman looked between the spider and Patton. "What is the deal with that spider?"

Deceit shrugged, "I found it in my territory.”

A sudden grin spread across Rage's face and he grabbed the spider; Patton gave Rage a wide berth as the impulse walked the spider to Virgil's door.

"Virgil's spiders never leave his room unless he sends them out."

Rage held the spider out to the door knob; it crawled around the knob, leaving a webbed trail before slowly sailing to the floor and slipping under the door. The group waited in silence, listening to faint scratches and clicks until they saw the web increase in tension and the handle slowly lowered. Rage pushed the handle down and the door let out a loud creak as he pushed it open.

**********************************************************************************

Virgil felt the darkness swallowing him from below.

The darkness had crept under his body and he could feel the supernatural liquid deepening into a pool.

Inside the nightmare, he squeezed his eyes shut and pleaded for the voice to stop.

All the voices had meshed together and slowly transformed into Depression’s deep tone.

He didn’t care that he was sinking. He only wanted it to stop.

You failed, Anxiety. Just like we always knew you would.

Virgil was too exhausted to argue…I can’t argue with the truth. Virgil had one job as a main side; protect Thomas, and he had failed to do that. I’m sorry, Thomas. Virgil let his body relax into the dark liquid surrounding him and took a final breath before he was fully submerged.

In both dream and reality, he sunk into darkness, ready to fade into the mindscape and be forgotten.

*********************************************************************************

Logan's keen eyes went straight to the floor while everyone else looked around the room. He would have missed it if he hadn't been looking for it; Virgil's fingertips slipping into the darkness of the rooms floor.

Without considering the consequences, Logan pushed passed Rage and threw himself at the darkness. His knees found solid ground, as did one of his hands, the other went deeper into the black liquid and his hand wrapped around Virgil's wrist.

"Logan!" Patton was on the other side of Logan and found himself in a similar position, instinctively grabbing blindly at the object below the surface to help the logical side.

"This stuff is sucking him down. Pull harder, Patton." Logan heaved as hard as he could, begging Virgil's hand to respond and grab at his wrist.

"I'll hel..."

Roman was cut off by a cracking sound and he watched as the darkness started to freeze with a silvery pattern. A wardrobe door hung open and he heard a rattling sound as Depression’s cloak clad figure slowly stepped out. Bare, grey feet cautiously stepped onto the frozen darkness and a chuckle echoed around the room as Depression felt the energy of the mindscape flow back into him. A cold shiver ran up Thomas’ spine in response and warning.

"Holy shit," whispered Rage. He looked at Deceit and held out his hand. "We need to fuse and fix this. Now!"

Deceit nodded and felt his form waver as he was sucked into Rage and the two became one.

"Hey Princey," Rage|Deceit called, "think you can conjure up something we can swing in a deadly manner."

Roman was confused at first, but then conjured swords for them both. "I'm guessing that is Depression."

"That would be correct." Depression bowed low; his chains clicking together as he moved. "Pleasure to meet you, Roman, and good to see you again Rage."

"Looks like you need a knew room to hang up those chains, Depression." Rage|Deceit smirked, "Do you mind if we help you with that?"

Depression laughed and looked past the group to Thomas. The host hadn't moved since the door was opened and his eyes were now fixed on the grey skinned version of himself.

"Hello, Thomas. I have..."

"Don't you dare talk to him!" Roman snapped, raising his sword. "He wants nothing to do with you."

Depression rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Soon he won't have a choice." Shadows started climbing out of unfrozen holes in the darkness; taking on animalistic forms like the one that had caused Virgil’s nightmare. "Embrace the darkness."

The shadows ran towards Logan and Patton. Roman jumped over his friends and started slicing at the approaching creatures; Rage|Deceit followed Roman's lead and started defending from the other side. The shadows increased in numbers, threatening to overpower the pair. Focusing hard, Roman pulled Estelle into the room; she was slightly smaller outside of the kingdom, but still a fierce fighter. Without question, Estelle lunged at a nearby group of shadows; swiping them away with her sharp claws and knocking others away with her tail.

Depression sat on the edge of Virgil's bed and looked at Thomas, smiling as he watched the host tremble.

"I'm going to grab his other hand. Hold on tight, Patton."

Logan took a deep breath and plunged his head below the surface, reaching deeper into the darkness to grab Virgil's other arm. The liquid confused him to no end. It seemed thin when he moved through it but was thicker anywhere around Virgil's body. It was a struggle to pull the side's other arm up, but eventually he resurfaced with a gasp. With the better leverage, Patton and Logan slowly pulled Virgil up.

Thomas was snapped out of his trance when he noticed Virgil's head break the surface. He quickly moved forward to hook his arms under Virgil's armpits and helped the other two pull him into the hallway.

"Virgil? Virgil, can you hear me?" Patton questioned, shaking the sides shoulder as his head lolled to the side.

"He's not breathing," Logan ignored the feeling of dread that filled his stomach and set to work rolling Virgil onto his side to try and clear his airway.

"Sides can't die right?" Thomas looked at Patton, hoping for some reassurance, but what he saw in Patton's eyes did nothing to quell the fear rising inside of him.

Logan ignored the world around him; focusing solely on the black soaked side in front of him. He knew that sides didn't die, and his knowledge of fading was that impulses and aspects literally faded into the mindscape. Even if Virgil was to fade into the mindscape, his fusion would need to be undone to some degree. He knew Virgil wasn't a human, and yet Logan treated the situation in the same way he would if Thomas had come across a real drowning victim.

Logan checked for a pulse. No pulse. He looked for signs of breathing. Not breathing. CPR was necessary. Feeling like he was functioning on auto-pilot, Logan pictured Thomas’ first aide training in his mind and set to work. Pushing Virgil onto his back, he pinched his nose closed and tilted his head back with one hand, while the other gripped his chin and held his mouth open. Sealing his own mouth over Virgil's, Logan blew a strong breath into Virgil's mouth, before turning his head to the side and feeling the air come back out. He breathed again and checked for any type of response. Nothing.

Yanking the zip of Virgil's hoodie down, Logan found the centre of his chest and started chest compressions. Working to keep a steady rhythm and counting each desperate attempt to restart Virgil's heart.

**********************************************************************************

Virgil stood in the middle of a white space and looked around in confusion. The space was completely empty.

"Hello!"

His voice echoed, but no reply came. Turning on the spot slowly, Virgil suddenly spotted a brown dot in the distance and started walking towards it. The dot slowly took shape and soon Virgil was standing before a large mirror framed in brown wood.

"What is going on?" he questioned his reflection.

Slowly figures began forming behind his mirror image, and Virgil's eyes widened as he took in the familiar and unfamiliar faces.

The room went completely black. Virgil reached out for the mirror, but it was no longer in front of him.

"Hello, Virgil."

Virgil froze as a light approached him from behind, casting his shadow across the floor. Slowly turning, he saw a glowing figure; its light so bright that he couldn't make out any discerning features.

"Who are you?" Virgil questioned, shielding his eyes from the brightness.

"I went by the name Survival. Do you remember me?"

Virgil remained still as reality dawned on him. Survival. He remembered. The first part of Thomas to exist in the mindscape, before any other form of thought or impulse. The one who created everything. His first form before he fused with others like fear and worry.

"I...I remember. I don't know how I could forget."

"I do. You had to forget. We made a mistake and then made another in a foolish attempt correct our apparent wrongs."

Virgil looked at the ground and wracked his brain, trying to remember more.

Suddenly, everything snapped back into place and he looked up at the glowing figure; eyes wide with realisation.

**********************************************************************************

Depression watched as his shadows were cut down by Roman and Rage|Deceit; their regeneration speed slowing significantly as Roman advanced. He looked passed the fighting to see Logan performing CPR on Virgil, finishing his second round of 30 chest compressions and moving back to give Virgil two rescue breaths. He pulled at the chains on his wrist and frowned.

"Still holding on, Anxiety. Why won't you just let go?"

Depression stood and grabbed a nearby shadow, turning it into a sword and approaching Roman. Roman saw Depression advancing and quickly finished the shadow before him just in time to block Depression's incoming blow.

Despite the cold temperature of the area, sweat ran down Logan’s stained face as he continued to work on Virgil. His arms burned but he refused to stop for even a moment.

“Patton?” Thomas’ voice came out as a small squeak as he looked around at the chaos of his mind. “I don’t feel very good.”

The hallway lights went out as Thomas was hit with a wave of nausea and he braced his hands on the ground to steady himself. A lone bulb above them flickered back to life but it was extremely dull in comparison to its normal illumination.

Patton wrapped his arms around Thomas’ shoulders and squeezed him tight. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn��t fight like Roman, he couldn’t help Virgil and Logan, and he didn’t know what was happening to Thomas. He felt useless.

“Very well done, Roman. You truly are a formidable opponent.” Depression smiled as he made each swing of his sword with ease.

Something was definitely wrong with the mindscape; Roman’s body ached with every swing of his sword. He could sense Rage|Deceit to his right, preventing any shadows from entering the hallway, and Estelle to his left.

“I bet this feels very different to your normal battles in the imagination kingdom. Can you feel it?”

Roman clenched his teeth in frustration. Depression made each move seem effortless, while he was slowly feeling the weight of his sword increase. Depression swung again and Roman’s sword slipped straight out of his tired hands.

“The only thing I feel,” Roman grunted as he stepped back to avoid a second swing, “is contempt for you!”

Roman advanced again, pushing his exhaustion aside, eyes glowing gold as he conjured a new sword to his hand.

Depression smiled, “let’s change that then.”

As their swords collided again, a bloodcurdling roar sent chills down Roman’s spine and he glanced over to Estelle. The dragon had her two left feet trapped in a frozen black hole and she was using her only free front claw to swipe fruitlessly at the shadows tearing away at her throat. Thick grey blood oozed from deep gashes and made Roman feel physically ill.

“Never take your eyes away from your opponent.”

Depression pushed back against Roman’s sword and the prince stumbled backwards; dropping his arms and leaving his chest open. Seizing the opportunity, Depression slashed at Roman’s chest before kicking him to the ground. Roman’s vision blurred as his head connected with the frozen ground and Depression’s voice swam in his head - you are a failure.

“Creativity has its limits.”

Depression started walking towards the hallway, stepping over Roman’s still form; his sash in ribbons, and white uniform now stained black and red.

Patton watched on in disbelief. Roman had been defeated, Rage|Deceit were busy defending them from the shadows, Thomas couldn’t fight and Logan was busy working on the unresponsive Virgil. Patton wanted to help. He stood with the intention of doing something to help but found himself frozen. He couldn’t move and his whole body trembled as Depressions voice filled his head - you are useless.

Depression smiled at Patton’s frozen figure. “The heart can be broken.”

Rage|Deceit noticed Depression’s advance and moved to stop him.

“Don’t even bother.”

With a flick of his wrist, a shadow appeared at Rage|Deceit’s feet and tripped the fusion. Their sword hit the ground and the shadows were quick to cover and pull it away.

Depression stood over Rage|Deceit, “You two made a mistake.”

The air was knocked out of Rage|Deceit’s lungs as Depression kicked them in the stomach before shoving them over onto their back. Taking Rage’s red tank top in his hands, Depression pulled the fusion up. The unnatural strength of the impulse sapped away all of Rage’s will to fight.

“You should have never betrayed me.” Depression threw the fusion across the room. Deceit and Rage separated, and their individual forms crashed to the ground. Shadows wrapped around their wrists and ankles, pinning them in place.

“16…17…18…19”

Logan counted out loud to try and maintain focus. He knew sides couldn’t die like this. He knew this wasn’t fading. Virgil was still a complete fusion. Then he felt the resistance of Virgil’s chest waver and he swore he went translucent for a second.

“No, no, no, no.” Logan completed two more breaths and went back to chest compressions.

“Well, Thomas.” Depression now stood in Virgil’s doorway, looking down at the host.

“Creativity has reached his limit. The heart is broken.” Patton didn’t move as Depression stepped passed him and stood directly in front of Thomas. “Dear logic can’t be reasoned with and Anxiety is almost gone.”

Thomas looked at Depression’s ankles as he shook away the melting chains. Kneeling before Thomas, Depression locked eyes with his host. “Looks like it is just you and me now.”

**********************************************************************************

“What if I wake up and forget everything?” Virgil asked Survival, fidgeting nervously with his sleeve.

“You’ll just have to remember it again.” Survival smiled at the anxious side, “I know you can do it. I am a part of you, remember.”

*********************************************************************************

“28…29…30,” Logan completed another rescue breath but his second was interrupted by a cough. Feeling a huge weight lifting off his chest, Logan quickly rolled Virgil onto his side as he expelled black liquid and gasped for air.

“Virgil!” Thomas was surprised by the amount of joy he was able to muster, considering the situation.

Depression watched as Thomas crawled over to Virgil and Logan, and his face contorted in anger. Patton shook his head, mind clearing, as he realised Virgil was awake.

“Y-you’re ok.”

Patton was at Logan’s side in no time, helping Virgil sit up despite Logan protesting that he should be laying down.

“Hey!” Depression sounded extremely annoyed. “Aren’t you forgetting about someone. I’m still here you assholes.”

A shadow jumped into Depression’s hand, shaping into a sword as he stood and moved to attack the group.

“Back off!”

Virgil’s eyes glowed purple and a shadow spread across the ground around him and his friends. As Depression brought his sword down, Virgil reached up and grabbed the shadow with his own hand. Depression froze and locked eyes with Virgil. Logan, Thomas and Patton looked on in shock and awe. Virgil had just come back from the dead, then appeared to control the shadows around them, and now he had stopped a sword with his bare hands.

“That’s enough, Hood.” There was a sizzling sound as the scars on Virgil’s arm faded away and Depressions chains melted to the floor.

“My name is Depression.”

“No more lying, Hood. Especially to ourselves. It’s time we got back together.”

“What is going on?” Thomas asked, as the two dark aspects stared at each other.

“Acceptance,” Virgil gave Thomas a half smile and closed his eyes.

Virgil’s body glowed as he was pulled into a fusion with Depression.

“Virgil, No!” Logan and Patton both reached out to grab Virgil, but found their hands grasping at nothing but air.

When Rage temporarily fused with an impulse or side, the form reflected one of them involved in the fusion. There was no real physical indication that he was fused; unless he revealed his true eyes. A more formal fusion would adjust the personality or style of the impulses and reflected their new beliefs and intentions. The fusion that stood before the trio now seemed wrong. His skin was grey; black ran from under his mismatched eyes and down his cheeks. The cloak that Depression had worn was now shredded, revealing Virgil’s hoodie underneath.

“Virgil?” Logan tentatively stood and approached the fusion. “Are you still there?”

A grey and a purple eye looked back at Logan as he continued to move closer, watching the fusion blinking in confusion. Slowly the purple faded from his eye and the fusion roughly pulled Logan closer by his tie.

“ViRgIl iSnT hErE aNyMoRe!” The fusions voice was a jumble of Virgil and Depression’s voices. “ThIs RoOm Is MiNe NoW!”

He punched Logan’s face, cracking the sides glasses, before shoving him to the ground. Pulling a shadow sword back into his hand, the fusion stood over the logical side and looked over to Thomas; flashing him a fanged smile.

“We WoNt NeEd LoGiC aNyMoRe.”

Thomas and Patton gasped as the sword came down. Logan squeezed his eyes shut but instead of feeling the sword slicing his fusion apart, he felt… wet?

Opening his eyes, Logan looked up at the melting sword in confusion before looking into the fusion’s purple eyes.

“I’m SoRrY. LoOkS lIkE I mEsSeD uP aGaIn.”

“Virgil?”

“YeAh. ItS mE. SoRt Of.”

“What are you doing? Do you realise how dangerous this fusion is? Why did…”

The fusions face contorted in pain, but his purple eyes remained. “I mAdE a MiStAkE, Lo. I bRoKe My FuSiOn. DoN’t WoRrY. If I cAnT tAkE bAcK cOnTrOl, i’Ll ReMoVe MySeLf FrOm ThE mInDsCaPe.”

“Wait! No!” Logan found himself yelling down an empty hall as the fusion vanished; taking with it the glimmer of hope Logan had felt.

Chapter index ------------ Next chapter

Tags:

@atseipl

20 notes · View notes

apple-grass-and-smiles · 6 years ago

Text

This Is Falling in Love in the Cruelest Way

I wrote something! It’s a miracle! Title is from “Come Back... Be Here” by Taylor Swift. Half of these ideas are actually from @the-wingway who is the best and I am very grateful that she read more than 2k words on this topic. So, yeah.

Some days are a feat to get through and March 24th is always a hard one for Colleen. The day brings back too many memories of a small funeral in Japan, a black dress soaked through with rainwater, and an obituary with her grandfather’s favorite saying printed in bold, black ink. Before she could at least take comfort in the knowledge that at least the loss of her grandfather had led to Bakuto and her new family and purpose within the Hand. Not this year. This year March 24th seems to mock her and all the progress she’s worked to make. She’s hung up her katana and she and Danny are almost done with the plans to remodel the dojo. She’s put in the blood, sweat, and tears that she needed to to move past Bakuto and the betrayal that ripped her life in two, but all that progress seems like a joke at 4:16 in the morning on March 24th as she sits alone at the table with a deep-seated fear beginning to bare its ugly head.

Abandoned, Colleen’s heart seems to say with every beat. She hadn’t gone to sleep, planning instead to stay up until Danny came home like she usually did. Midnight had passed with only a slight twinge of pain as the 24th had rolled around, but she’d been able to turn back to the immigration papers she was determined to finish. She had finished those around 2:00 and she put the kettle on the stove so that she and Danny could have tea when he got home any moment. 3:00 had seen her pacing the small apartment, the water in the kettle cold. By 3:30 she was nearing panic. Where was he? Had he been hurt? No, he was good. He knew what he was doing. He would have called if he was hurt. Unless it was really bad. No, he was fine.

She had calmed herself down by 3:50. But as the clock had neared 4:00 and then crept past it her heart started beating it’s familiar refrain: He’s never been out this late. He’s gone. You’re alone. No one has ever wanted you. Happiness fades and people leave. You mother left. Your father gave you up. Your grandmother isn’t here. Your grandfather died. Bakuto never cared. Why should Danny be any different?

Those are the thoughts that she snaps out of at 4:16 when she hears the key being inserted into the apartment door’s lock and Danny steps in, slightly bruised but completely fine. Danny- kind, loving Danny- looks exhausted and Colleen knows it’s a losing battle as she tries to fight back the tears that are brimming in her eyes. It’s stupid to cry out of relief or at least that’s what Colleen has always thought, but the sight of Danny standing in the doorway, taking off his shoes, alive and here is enough to make dam that has kept her from sobbing since midnight break. The tears are coming before she can stop them and Colleen finds herself frantically trying to turn the stove back on, to get the water hot, to make tea, to find some semblance of normalcy so she can distance herself from this weak girl who cries on the anniversary of her grandfather’s death because her boyfriend showed up a couple hours later than he normally did.

But, thankfully (or perhaps not), Danny knows her well enough to tell that something is off. Maybe one day Colleen will ask what the tip off is. Is it the way her shoulders curl in? Does the gait of her steps change? Is it some mystical superpower he learned surrounded by robed monks in a strange city? (It’s the fact that he loves her and so he makes it a priority to learn her, but he’ll never tell her that.)

His voice is soft as he wraps his arms around her middle and rests his chin on her right shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she mumbles, pouring steaming water into two identical cups and turning slightly to grab the tea bags. “Just tired.”

Danny is silent for a second before letting her go so she can put the box of tea back in the cupboard. It took a while to realize but he knows that more often than not questions will shut Colleen down, but sometimes, if she really wants to share what’s on her mind, sitting silently will get her to open up. So he takes his cup and follows Colleen as she goes to sit on the bed. They sit there in silence, arms just barely touching, for what feels like forever. The tea bags have colored the water in their cups and the drink is nearly cool enough for them to drink it when Colleen sits up straighter and looks down at her hands.

“My grandfather died today,” Colleen murmurs, looking down at her hands.

“Well, obviously not today, but it’s the anniversary. And it’s just hard. He’s the one to trained me and I am grateful for that. That training is precious and something I am proud of but…” Colleen’s deep inhale and pause fills the room for a moment.

“But because of that training and because he died, Bakuto took an interest in me. I love my grandfather but he’s died and that is the reason I ended up with Bakuto. And then Bakuto… Bakuto turned out to be lying and I just am so tired.” Silence fills the room for a half a moment as Colleen releases her shaky breathes and Danny fights the urge to reach out and comfort her. It’s taken some time but he’s learning that sometimes physical touch isn’t the way to fix things for Colleen, but the urge to touch her is at war with that knowledge and he doesn’t quite know which will win out.

“ I can’t survive another person leaving me but I feel like that’s all that has ever happened and will ever happen and what if I’m just doomed to be alone and-” Colleen stops, stand abruptly, and moves to step away before Danny catches her arm.

His blue eyes are kind and full of concern as he whispers, “Hey. Come here.” Colleen’s eyes flutter closed and she lets out a small breath before letting him gently pull her back down on the edge of the bed. He lets her go, but only for a moment as he takes her cup and sets it on the ground next to his before turning to face her on the bed, both legs curled up and each of his hands holding one of hers.

“Hey, look at me,” his voice is quiet and imploring as he gently turns Colleen’s face towards his. He tries so hard to say all the words he can’t seem to formulate into sentences with his eyes as all that slips out is, “I’m not leaving.”

Colleen had thought the dam that had kept her from crying had broken when Danny came in the apartment. She was wrong. That had been a crack in the foundation, but this? This is a flood. The tears start before she can stop them and in a second her face is wet and her breaths are unsteady and it feels like her entire world is collapsing in on itself.

“I thought you had left, Danny. When you didn’t come back when you normally do. It was stupid and I hate myself for it but I thought you had left. Everyone leaves, Danny. Everyone. My mom, my dad, my grandparents, Bakuto, everyone. What do I have to do; who do I have to be to get people to stay? I always thought that maybe if I were just that much more disciplined, just a bit smarter, just a little better in training that maybe people would think I was worth staying for. But I never am. And now you’re here and I thought you had left. I think I love you and I thought you had left just like everyone else and I don’t want you to leave. I just want someone to decide to stay for me.”

That particular night Danny had been punched no less than 14 times and not a single one had hurt a fraction as much as the words seemingly falling out of Colleen’s mouth did. He imagined that perhaps what he was feeling was something similar to how people felt when he punched with the Iron Fist. The ground could have opened up right below them and swallowed them whole and Danny truly thinks that he might not have noticed. Colleen’s words are flying through his head at the speed of light (Everyone leaves. I thought you left. I want someone to stay. I think I love you. I think I love you. I think I love you.) and he can’t seem to make his brain formulate anything to say. And he should say something. Right? Instead, in a moment that feels a bit like a miracle to Danny as he works to process everything that Colleen has just shared, his body takes over. One of the biggest changes between living with his parents and K’un Lun had been physical touch. His parents hugged him, kissed him, held his hands like it was the most natural thing in the world. K’un Lun didn’t have that same attitude towards comforting contact but Danny had worked to keep that instinct that his parents had given him during the decade they had together. And with a tearful Colleen beside him and a whirlwind of thoughts in his head, Danny’s instincts take over. One arm goes around her shoulders, his other hand gently pushing her head to rest on his shoulder before taking her hand in his own. And for a what feels like a long while, that alone is enough. Colleen’s tears slow, their heart beats return to normal, Danny feels that he finally understands.

“You thought I’d left because you weren’t enough?”

He can’t see her head move, but Danny feels her nod against his shoulder.

“Colleen, I don’t think you realize how incapable I am of leaving you. I think it’d be like cutting my arm off. I am never, ever leaving you,” Danny turns slightly, bending his head so that he can look her in the eyes. “We’re forever, you and I. There is no going back from this. Leaving you hasn’t been an option for a very long time. I promise. Do you trust me when I say that I’m not leaving?”

Colleen straightens up, looks him right in the eye, and smiles. But deep inside she knows that no matter how much Danny promises that they’ll be them forever, such promises can’t always be kept. Her mom promised she’d be there for Colleen for forever and that wasn’t true. Bakuto said he and the Hand would be part of her life until she died and he had stabbed her in the back. He dad was supposed to be a constant presence and he had passed her off to her grandfather without a thought. Deep down, she knows that Danny believes every word he says, but a deeper part of her knows that sometimes people change and sometimes those changes bring broken promises. But for now she gives him a small smile and nods, confirming her that she trusts him (and giving him another small piece of her heart and praying to any diety that may exist that he won’t break it).

The tiny smile Colleen gives Danny is perhaps the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. She looks exhausted and her eyes are red and he wishes she never felt this heartbroken but he thinks that perhaps this is the most beautiful she’s ever been. They’ve known each other for a little under a year now and he knows how hard it is for Colleen to open up. This, this confession of fear, is a sign of trust. She trusts him not to leave and to not share her fears with others. And, truth be told, he’d give up the Iron Fist in an instant to always feel this close to her. He’d fight a dragon every single day if it meant that she didn’t have to feel sad or scared or abandoned.

Once, when he was very young, his father told him about how he felt about Danny’s mother. His father, a man who seemed a thousand feet tall to young Danny and made him feel safer than anyone else, had promised that one day Danny would find someone who he would gladly give his heart and soul to. Now, here, more than 15 years later, Danny finally knew what his father meant. And maybe, just maybe, if he gave Colleen enough of his soul she might start to be able to love herself the way he loved her. Until then…

“Did you say you loved me?”

Colleen let out a sharp laugh, looking up at the ceiling. “Of course you’d catch that. Why can’t you be like other guys and not actually listen to me?”

“But then I’d miss these chances to tell you that I love you too.” Colleen’s eyes snapped back down to his instantly. “I meant what I said, Colleen. We’re forever. We are bonded whether you like it or not and that means that I love you.” The harsh laugh that had escaped Colleen only moments earlier turns into a lighter, more loving sound now, a small, relieved sound that makes Danny’s heart sing. She touches his face before leaning in for a kiss. His hand runs through her hair as they pull apart.

“Forever?” Colleen whispers.

Danny nods, “Yeah.”

“That sounds perfect,” the two people close the gap between them once again as lips meet lips and hands meet cheeks and breathes are shared between two people, each of whom firmly holds the other’s heart in their hands. As night turns to morning and 4:00 turns to 5:00 there’s a sense that maybe it doesn’t have to hurt to fall in love.

#silence emily #guys I am so rusty it's crazy #iron fist #danny rand #colleen wing #ironwing #I think I had a writing tag but who knows what it was #certainly not me #Thank you Anna for reading this and editing it and letting me steal so many of your ideas

28 notes · View notes

vandnana · 4 years ago

Text

Loving You Is Easy

Part Five

The energy that lasted me the entire day began to drain as we lapped the lake inside the park. At first, the amber glow that shined throughout the park felt magical, but as it neared three in the morning, it became an agent to my languidness. Chanyeol wasn’t infected by the sleep deprivation as much as I was, but his occasional yawns proved that he felt some sort of weariness. My walking turned to trudging, and the only thing that kept me moving forward was the pull of Chanyeol’s hand.

“I can carry you June. It’s fine.” Chanyeol suggested, hopeful that I would say yes.

“No, because then you’d have to carry me down the subway stairs. And I trust you a lot, but physics doesn’t.” I replied slowly, rubbing my eyes.

“I don’t know what that means at all, but fine. I’m just gonna make you run.”

Chanyeol suddenly started running at full speed, yanking me along with him. My mind, although seemingly detached, worried that I would fold like a Looney Tunes character, causing my body to match his speed. We reached the subway station, Chanyeol navigating the way like he had the whole night. We got into the first subway car this time, and we were the only ones in it. I sat down instantly, Chanyeol plopping himself on the seat to my left. My eyes threatened to close, but I fought the urge because I knew that Chanyeol would carry me while I was unconscious. But of course, my own body betrayed me and I succumbed to the jadedness that crept up on me.

I naturally leaned on Chanyeol’s shoulder, sending his eyes my direction. His eyes lit up, twinkling brightly at me, his yearning smile, tender and sweet. He carefully adjusted himself so that he had his arm around my shoulder, and when I suddenly moved, he froze, afraid that I had woken up. But, I only shifted my body to move closer to him, and he relaxed, satisfied at his success of not disturbing my sleep. Chanyeol kept himself alert in case anything happened, and he held onto me tightly as my sleep became deeper and deeper. At one point, I wrapped my arm around him, making his breath hitch and his cheeks and ears redden. It took him a while to breathe normally, but for the rest of the ride, he was perfectly at ease, noticing the magic that always found us.

Once we arrived at our stop, Chanyeol didn’t have the heart to wake me up, so he carried me all the way home, only putting me down to unlock the door to the shop and apartment. He tried his best to tip toe, afraid of waking up his grandma, but as he rounded the corner to get to our room, he jumped at the sight of her on the couch reading. A warm smile formed on her face as she took in the sight in front of her.

“I told you that you would tire her out.” Mrs. Park hummed quietly, getting up from the couch. Chanyeol gave her a teethy grin, and she rolled her eyes.

Before disappearing onto the other side of the apartment, she turned back toward Chanyeol, who carefully whipped his head around to look at her.

“Make sure that you wipe her face and take her shoes off before you go to bed.” She instructed.

“I will Halmeoni. Good night.”

“Good night! And don’t worry about waking June up tomorrow. You can work for her tomorrow.”

Chanyeol nodded, and Mrs. Park left with a satisfied smile.

The door to our room was already open, making it easier for Chanyeol to get inside. He gently placed me on the bed the followed his grandma’s instructions. The fear of accidentally waking me up was no longer inside of him, remembering how I slept through the unfiltered noise of the streets on the way home. Chanyeol delicately washed my face, and he found himself smiling at me, looking back on all of the memories we had made that night. He was genuine about his feelings and he couldn’t allow himself to not do the best to take care of me.

After he washed my face, he took it upon himself to smooth some lotion over my face, and even brushed my hair out. I was in too deep of a sleep to even notice any discomfort I had, but Chanyeol remembered how much I hated the feeling of sand in my shoes. He wet another wash cloth, wiping off the remnants of sand stuck to my feet. He inspected them carefully, making sure that no sand remained before he put lotion on my feet too.

Getting up, he looked at me again affectionately before getting himself ready for bed. He laid out extra bedding on the floor and grabbed a pillow off of the bed quietly. He even made a tiny bed for little Yeol and little Junie on top of the dresser, wrapping them in a large scarf Mrs. Park had lying around.

Although I looked perfectly content sleeping the way I was, Chanyeol was still unnerved. He noticed that the room felt a little cold, mentally scolding himself for not putting the covers over me. His anxiousness of waking me was still very much alive, as he slowly tried to unfurl the covers. The sheets were stubborn underneath me though, and he resolved his problem by lifting me up instead. I was sunken deep into my dream world, unaware of what Chanyeol was doing and unaware of my own actions. He sat on his knees on the bed, leaning forward to gently place me back onto the middle of the mattress. As his arms began to retreat from my body, I wrapped my arms around his back, making him stop his motion entirely. His eyes were widened not in their normal excitement and elation, but in a state of nervous panic. His ears reddened again, along with his cheeks, and he gulped, looking down to see if I knew what I was doing.

My eyes were shut though, engulfed in my dream world still, and Chanyeol felt a pang of disappointment in his heart. He started to lift his arms, but my grip was abnormally tight around him, which made him want to laugh. He couldn’t believe the situation that he was in. Chanyeol was literally stuck. A large part of him didn’t want to suction off my grip, and a small part inside of him urged for him to go to the bed he prepared on the floor. Chanyeol weighed the options in his head for a second before listening to that larger part inside of him. He didn’t think there was anything inherently wrong with him sleeping next to me because it felt like we’d known each other forever. He remembered my words:

Because it’s too easy being around you.

It was the same feeling for him too. The day didn’t feel real, but it was. It felt like we lived out countless years in a day, and because of this, he let go of the apprehensions he felt. Nothing about our relationship was normal, but it was easy. He wanted nothing more than to hold me tightly and never let me go.

So, Chanyeol readjusted himself so he was laying down on his back, and I instinctively shifted on top of him. He reached toward the lamp light, turning it off, covered the both of us with the sheets, then returned his hand to my back. For a few minutes, Chanyeol smiled to himself as he admired my sleeping figure, dazed by our magic. Eventually the dream world overtook him too, but his reality was a dream in and of itself as he clung onto me, the one person he saw himself loving forever.

I’ve always had a hard time sleeping by myself, always needing something to cling to, always wishing that someone felt enough affection, enough care for me, that they would choose to stay by my side. The moment I had fallen asleep sitting in the subway, I never expected that I would plummet into what felt like pure unconsciousness. But I felt comforted and safe. Comforted and safe because I knew Chanyeol was there with me. Any worry of what the day would bring tomorrow never even crossed my mind, just thoughts of him and how lucky I felt to have him. I was completely vulnerable, but my mind didn’t care. It felt a calmness for the first time because my heart finally had something to cling to.

As the morning sun peeked its head up in the early morning sky, waving the moon goodbye as she took her leave to the other side of Earth, my body became restless, acknowledging the racket of the world outside of my dreams. There were a few car horns that blared and occasional yelling coming from the window in the room, but what became more obvious were the audible sounds from Chanyeol. Before my brain could process our intimate proximity, my ears took notice of his slow breaths and even a slight hum that resonated in his throat. Throughout the night, he didn’t find himself moving all that much, but once he felt his own body hating numbed sleep, he couldn’t help it. While he still firmly embraced me in his arms, he shifted to his side first before sprawling onto his stomach, his face creviced in my neck. Because of the remnants of drowsiness still clouding my head, I thought I was dreaming still, allowing me to dismiss the sudden weight of Chanyeol’s leg draped over mine and the warmth coming from his breath on my neck.

Mrs. Park planned on waking Chanyeol up that morning, but before she did, she cooked breakfast in the kitchen, revitalized by the ascending sun. She took it upon herself to make a large breakfast of fried eggs, spam, a beef soup, kimchi fried rice, and an array of side dishes. Once everything was done, she put everything on the table, setting the table then covering everything well. The lingering smell of the food she cooked clung onto her though, and she took a quick shower before finally making her way to our room.

She opened the door slowly and carefully, more considerate of waking me up than her own grandson. Her eyes expected to see a soundly asleep Chanyeol sprawled out on the floor, but to her confusion, the sheets were neatly folded and seemingly untouched. Walking further in, the first thought in her mind was the possibility that Chanyeol could have woken up earlier than her to go somewhere, but the plausibility of that thought fled her mind as her gaze fell on the bed.

She blinked repeatedly as she looked, her mouth hung open, unable to reconcile if the sight in front of her was real. Mrs. Park knew that she instigated the idea of us sleeping in the same room, and she genuinely hoped that it would bring us closer. But, she never expected for us to get this close so quickly. The sudden rapidness of a growing love seems too good to be true, and any other grandmother would have eaten their words out of concern for their grandkid. Yet, for some reason, she trusted me, and for some reason, she instantly saw something in the both of us that told her we were meant to be together.

There was a happiness stirring inside of her, but it was masked by her mouth that hadn’t yet found its way back from the floor. Even though she felt she had every right to disturb Chanyeol’s sleep, she felt a sudden embarrassment to do so. The pang of excitement over seeing us hugging each other in our sleep overwhelmed her with pride, but she still couldn’t shake away her flustered feelings. She quietly paced back and forth suddenly not knowing what to do, putting her hand over her mouth then frantically placing them back at her sides, but only to put them back over her mouth again. Mrs. Park felt like a maid in a hotel that accidentally walked in on a sleeping married couple who forgot to put up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.

Mrs. Park felt conflicted. She could quietly leave the room and pretend nothing happened. But that would mean she wouldn’t have Chanyeol to help her in the shop. Her other option was to wake Chanyeol up, knowing his ears would be red with embarrassment at having to be woken up by his own grandma, next to the girl he adores.

Her choice was clear.

0 notes

eddiejpoplar · 6 years ago

Text

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1

The first time Teddy Roosevelt’s words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” occurred to me as I reviewed a car was while driving a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Now, after testing the new 2019 ZR1 on a couple of racetracks within the span of a few days, “Speak rudely and wield a really fat club” might be more appropriate.

After my first laps at the limit around Road Atlanta in the latest ZR1, the words of General Motors executive VP of global product development Mark Reuss, who was on hand, rang true. “Things haven’t changed at GM as far as stretching the technology envelope,” he said. “ZR1 has to set the upper limits of performance and be a technological beacon in chassis, design, and materials.”

Oh, and don’t forget the engine. Corvette engineers were not content with the kidney-flattening supercharged LT4 V-8 that kicks out 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque in the Z06. The new ZR1 has a supercharged LT5 V-8 spitting 755 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 715 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. Certified top speed is 212.49 mph, which came from a two-way average (215 mph/210 mph). Chevy restricts the ZR1 to a top speed of 215 mph to be within tire-safety standards. Base price for the coupe is $122,095 when you add the $2,100 gas guzzler tax. The convertible starts at $126,095. Hey, you only need one kidney, anyway.

Coming into turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head.

The ZR1 is a heavily track-focused performance car, but I did drive it for several hours on the road. Corvette critics will note nothing particularly different about the ZR1’s interior or controls compared to other C7-generation models, which is no surprise because this is the end of the platform’s life cycle. However, changes to the suspension and magnetic-ride shocks are noteworthy; they provide better ride quality and compliance over road imperfections, noticeable improvements compared to a Z06. That said, new C7 Z06s now receive the same shock programming as the ZR1.

Red and yellow cars with optional matching interior stitching and the manual transmission also get color-synchronized rev-match paddles.

In today’s domestic automaker landscape, it would be reasonable to wonder if there was any pushback from within GM about the merits of building a 755-hp street missile. But apparently not on Reuss’ watch. “The Corvette has always been about attainable high performance,” he said. “As far as the 755 horsepower, approval of something like the ZR1 starts and stops with me.”

Chevrolet says the ZR1 (with the $1,725 eight-speed automatic transmission) runs 0-60 mph in 2.85 seconds and from 0 to 100 mph in just 6.0 seconds. Launching the car from a standstill is not easy; you or the traction control will work overtime to keep wheelspin at bay all the way to 60, which doesn’t do much to help the time.

In other matters, the car has a half-inch-wider front rim size compared to the Z06, which helps the front end work better when combined with the 60 percent increase in overall downforce. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber is on duty, with 285/30-R19s up front and 335/25-R20s in the rear. The downforce improvement (the car produces a total of 950 pounds at top speed with the $2,995 ZTK/high-wing option) also comes with no increase in drag versus the Z06, Chevy says—a nice trick if you can do it.

“The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.”

According to Corvette executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter, in terms of performance goals for the new car, “The ZR1 has always meant top performance, no limits. When we ask the customer, ‘How much power do you want?’ they say, ‘How much can you give me?’ There were no hard requirements like a power number. We tried to extend all aspects as much as possible.” To his point about the definition of the ZR1, the model’s history was front and center in several of the engineering presentations held during the media launch.

“ZR-1” was originally a GM Regular Production Option code identifying a special performance package from 1970 to ’72; it was not originally recognized as a car-model identifier. Meanwhile, of course, many people refer to the 1990 model as the first Corvette ZR-1—The King of the Hill. Initial road tests of the latter created quite a stir almost 30 years ago, with performance far superior to other Corvettes from the late ’70s and early ’80s given that many of them were strangled by emissions regulations. Magazines even pitted the 1990 ZR-1 (375 hp at 6,200 rpm, 370 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm) head-to-head against machines such as the mighty Porsche 911 Turbo—and nobody laughed.

In 1991 the 911 Turbo’s base price was around $100,000. (There was no 1990 model-year Turbo.) The ZR-1 was a comparative bargain at $58,994, with the ZR-1 package accounting for $27,015 of that. People were happy to pay for the new capability, ripping from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, which was supercar performance for the era. Credit was given to GM for working with the Mercury Marine Company and Lotus Engineering to help expand the technology envelope, creating the double-overhead-cam LT5 engine and a legend in the process. Lotus also helped with the car’s braking, steering, and adjustable ride control.

In 1990 I raced for the Morrison Motorsports team, the same outfit that set world speed endurance records with a stock 1990 ZR-1 and also campaigned two mostly stock ZR-1s in the 1991 Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. I drove one of those ZR-1s in both of those races, a car that is now in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C. I also drove a ZR-1 street car back in 1990, and vivid memories are the noise, brutal acceleration, grip level, and stability. The whole package was astonishing for a production car, and the experience of driving that “red rocket” all those years ago is forever welded into my brain.

Now in 2018 I find myself sitting in another red 1990 ZR-1 at the Motorsports Park racetrack in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This pristine example, with just more than 6,000 miles on the odometer, was lent to us by the National Corvette Museum, which owns the track. Leaving pit lane in the old beast, I mused how much fun a 10/10ths hot lap might be. But then I imagined the look on museum curator Derek Moore’s face if his baby came back with chunks of rubber missing. So I took it easy, and the car ran flawlessly while little bursts of acceleration sparked memories of the first time I felt the LT5’s smooth, urgent power.

Then, once again, it was time to drive the 2019 ZR1 on a racetrack. At Road Atlanta three days earlier, the temperature reached almost 90 degrees. Although the car went ridiculously fast, lap records weren’t in the cards thanks to the heat sliming up the tarmac. But the temperature at Motorsports Park was now just 60 degrees.

The ZR1 did not disappoint. Coming into Turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head. I recently tested a very capable GT4 race car and was impressed by its brakes; the ZR1 was equally impressive. The tires, aerodynamic downforce, and all-new Brembo carbon-ceramic stoppers combined for more than 1.7 g’s worth of deceleration (serious race car good). I made a mental note not to use the brakes this hard with a cement truck behind me out on public roads.

Over the course of several days, I tried both the automatic and seven-speed manual versions of the car; if I were to buy the ZR1 for track days, I would without question buy the automatic. Not only because it shifts quicker but also because I only weigh about 155 pounds; despite using the seat belt locking mechanism, I found myself moving around too much in the seat while on maximum attack due to the forces the ZR1 exerted all the way around Motorsports Park’s 24-turn, 3.2-mile track. In the automatic I can keep both hands on the wheel for a little extra support. It’s worth noting I had no issues at all with the seat holding me solid with normal or spirited street driving.

Corvette interiors have taken much criticism for years, but there’s something appealing about the old ZR-1’s KITT-style controls.

Meanwhile, the car’s E-ticket handling jolted Juechter’s words back to the top of my mind. “The ZR1 technology we’re most proud of is the front underwing and general aero of the car,” he said. “Also, the trackability. It is very easy to drop the suspension and adjust the rear wing, and off you go.” He also addressed the disappointment some people had with the Z06’s lack of cooling during track use: “The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.” To test his claim, I did a long run of almost 25 minutes at Road Atlanta in the blazing heat. My laps, at fast race pace, were all between 1 minute, 30.4 seconds and 1:31.7. Those were quite quick times for the conditions, and the car exhibited very little drop-off in performance.

You probably have read hyperbole, and then some, about road cars that sound unreal. In this case, though, I really have never heard a production car sound this much like a race car in both tone and volume. There is some engineering trickery in one of the mufflers, featuring a spring-loaded valve that burps open or stays closed based on driving style. Bring your earplugs, Mildred.

“Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

At the end of the day, I finally had time to try to rip off a really fast lap in a car equipped with the automatic. At the limit the ZR1 is very balanced; I could easily control both front and rear tire slide with throttle and steering quickly enough to maintain good momentum, never allowing the slide to reach a point where I lost time. When the lap time crackled through the track radio, it blared a new official lap record for a production car on OE tires for the Motorsports Park racetrack: 2:05.59. This time is several seconds quicker than any other production car has managed on the circuit since it opened in 2013.

Perhaps setting a new MSP benchmark was an appropriate way to send the C7 Corvette into the sunset, potentially truly marking the end of an era. A mid-engine Corvette is finally on the horizon, after all, though Reuss and Juechter predictably plead the fifth on any inquiries into the matter. Other creeping—sprinting?—trends such as autonomy could also play a role in the car’s future. “Who wants to sit in traffic for three hours paying attention to stopping and starting if the car can do it for them?” Reuss asked. But Juechter then followed mischievously with a quote from a Corvette customer: “Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

For now and the foreseeable future, then, custodians of performance like Reuss and Juechter plan to keep on facilitating street-legal rockets like the new ZR1. The first time an owner experiences the brutal shove in the back, they’re pretty much guaranteed to think they got a bargain. Teddy Roosevelt would be blown away.

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $122,095 (base) ENGINE 6.2L supercharged OHV 16-valve V-8/755 hp @ 6,300 rpm, 715 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed manual, 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 2-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 15/22 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 179.8 x 77.4 x 48.5 in WHEELBASE 106.7 in WEIGHT 3,560 lb 0-60 MPH 2.85 sec (with automatic) TOP SPEED 215 mph (electronically limited)

The post 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk Blogger 6 https://ift.tt/2HZhV3G via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

0 notes

jesusvasser · 6 years ago

Text

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1

Coming into turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head.

Red and yellow cars with optional matching interior stitching and the manual transmission also get color-synchronized rev-match paddles.

“The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.”

Corvette interiors have taken much criticism for years, but there’s something appealing about the old ZR-1’s KITT-style controls.

“Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Specifications

The post 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 https://ift.tt/2HZhV3G via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

0 notes

jonathanbelloblog · 6 years ago

Text

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1

Coming into turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head.

Red and yellow cars with optional matching interior stitching and the manual transmission also get color-synchronized rev-match paddles.

“The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.”

Corvette interiors have taken much criticism for years, but there’s something appealing about the old ZR-1’s KITT-style controls.

“Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Specifications

The post 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk Blogger Feed 4 https://ift.tt/2JYusqh via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger Feed 4

0 notes

eddiejpoplar · 6 years ago

Text

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1

Coming into turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head.

Red and yellow cars with optional matching interior stitching and the manual transmission also get color-synchronized rev-match paddles.

“The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.”

Corvette interiors have taken much criticism for years, but there’s something appealing about the old ZR-1’s KITT-style controls.

“Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Specifications

The post 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk Blogger 6 https://ift.tt/2JYusqh via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

0 notes

jesusvasser · 6 years ago

Text

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1

Coming into turn 1, the car was beyond 150 mph, still accelerating hard as I entered the brake zone. I pushed the stop pedal hard, and the ZR1 dutifully spit my eyeballs out of my head.

Red and yellow cars with optional matching interior stitching and the manual transmission also get color-synchronized rev-match paddles.

“The Z06 cooling concerns on-track have been dealt with in the ZR1.”

Corvette interiors have taken much criticism for years, but there’s something appealing about the old ZR-1’s KITT-style controls.

“Why on earth would anyone want a self-driving Corvette? That would be like having a self-kissing girlfriend.”

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Specifications

The post 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Meets 1990 Corvette ZR1 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 https://ift.tt/2JYusqh via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

0 notes