#and the one that plays in his main menu scene

[timeflieslikeabanana]

I get into very niche and obscure things, which is awesome and I love it, but then I have this problem where I can't share what I love about something to my friends without 50 different layers of context and I don't want to blab for a half hour to my friend about it and scare them off

[pictureamoebae]

USING RELIGHT FOR RESHADE - a tutorial by amoebae

[You can also find this tutorial over at imgur and patreon]

ReLight is a premium shader for ReShade made by Marty's Mods (Pascal Gilcher). It allows you to add four new lights to your scene that help illuminate, and create realism and drama. To download and use ReLight you need to subscribe to the Path Tracers tier on Gilcher's Patreon to get access to the iMMERSE Ultimate package of shaders. Once subscribed, you'll be prompted to link your Patreon account to discord, and then you'll be granted access to his discord server, and, most importantly, to the Path Tracers discussion channel and the Downloads Level 2 channel, which is where you will find ReLight (along with the other premium shaders included in that tier). 

Be sure to also download the up-to-date free iMMERSE shader package, because you'll need the Launchpad shader and some of the other included files.

The following guide is for the older qUINT_relight.fx version of ReLight. The latest version of ReLight is MartysMods_RELIGHT.fx, released on 31st December 2023. Many of the settings have changed in the newer version, but you can still use this guide to help understand how to enable and position lights. The guide will be updated/rewritten once I've had time to properly play around with the new version. You can continue to use the older version if you'd prefer.

When you turn on ReLight in the ReShade menu you'll be greeted with these settings. Yours may look different because I've used it a lot and it remembers your last settings.

Take a look at the settings at the top.

Use Smooth Normals = On

Trace Shadows = On

Filter Shadows = On

Use Temporal Supersampling = On

Shadow Mode = Trace All

Shadow Quality = Ultra (change this if you get bad performance)

Shadow Sharpness = I have mine set around 0.65 but you can play around with whatever looks best

Z Thickness = Play around with this too. It controls how realistically shadows fall on and around objects

At the very bottom of the settings is Visualize Light Position. Turn this on so you can easily see where your lights are.

Now we can turn on one of our lights. Remember, it remembers your previous settings so yours will look different to mine the first time you use it.

Under Light 0 check the Active box.

You should see a big circle appear somewhere on the screen. If you have any object close enough to it, you should see them get brighter. If nothing is close to the circle you may not see any difference.

You can see a difference between this screenshot and the last - Shadowheart's face is brighter.

Now it's time to move the light where we want it and change it to a colour we like.

Under the Active box you'll see a row of 3 boxes containing numbers, next to the word Position. These control the coordinates of your circle of light in relation to the screen. You can place your mouse inside these boxes and move it while holding down left-click to change the value a little like a slider.

Left box = moves the circle left/right

Middle box = moves the circle up/down

Right box = moves the circle forward/back

In this shot I've moved the circle of light over to the right and a little further back so it better illuminates the front of Shadowheart's face.

Next you can choose the colour of your light.

In the row below Position you'll see it says Tint. Click on the coloured box next to Tint and it will bring up the colour picker you see in the screenshot. Choose your colour from here. Click anywhere in the main ReShade menu to close the colour picker.

I adjusted the position and the tint a little more until I had it exactly where I wanted it. You can see a darker circle now over in the top right of the screen (my mouse cursor is hovering over it to make it easier to see).

You can use the Intensity slider (directly below Tint) to control how bright the light should be.

You may need to go back and forth between the Position, Tint, and Intensity settings until you get just the right effect.

Here's a reminder of what the picture looks like without that added light. Compare it to the screenshot above to see how great our new little light has been at helping illuminate Shadowheart.

You can turn individual lights on and off whenever you want by checking or unchecking the Active box next to the light in question. It will save your settings.

Now I want to add a second light. I've moved my ReShade window over a little so I can see what I'm doing.

I turned on the Active box under Light 1, and positioned my new light where I wanted it. Look over to the left of the statue in the background. You'll see my mouse cursor, and directly above it is a tiny blue circle. That's our second light!

The further you move the light away from the camera (using the right-hand box under Position) the smaller the circle gets, because it's further away!

I made this light blue, and I turned the intensity up quite high. This has helped illuminate the statue and added nice shadows that help give it some depth.

Here's a screenshot to remind you what everything looks like without any of the ReLight lights I added.

And here's a screenshot showing how everything looks with ReLight turned on and my two lights in action. I chose a subtle effect because I just wanted to draw attention to Shadowheart's face and to the statue behind her.

When you close the ReShade menu the circles that helped you know where your lights were will go away, but the light they cast will remain. Notice how you can't see the two circles in this shot?

You can also uncheck the Visualize Light Position box if you want to hide the circles while keeping the ReShade menu open. This can be helpful if they're obscuring parts of the scene that you need to see while you continue editing.

---

And that's it! You can add up to 4 lights and control them independently from one another. You can use them to just help illuminate a character for a portrait, to add drama with bold lighting, or to increase the realism of a scene with better shadows and light falling where you would expect it to. If you have a big fiery sword you can add a light to it that makes orange light cast onto the character who is holding it, which can look really cool. The only limit is your imagination.

(If I ever learn how to make videos I'll translate this tutorial into an easier format, but for now I hope this helps.)

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt 15

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

A/N: I have made the decision to extend this to a few more chapters so were about 5 chapters away from the real ending. This scene was inspired by that one scene in the Little Woman so brace yourself. Enjoy reading

About You Series

2013, Interlagos

The amber glow of the candle-lit dinner and a live pianist has given a romantic ambiance for dinner night. People have their tables far apart from the other patrons so they could each have their privacy. This restaurant was a hot spot for those people who wanted an evening with their partner. In another lifetime, Sebastian would have been here toasting the night away with Y/N. They share their fun stories as the dinner progress, and they go home with smiles on their faces.

However, in this reality, Sebastian is sitting alone. He kept himself busy scanning the menu but his mind was elsewhere. Despite winning the championship, he was still looking uneasy. It shows in his posture just how tense he was.

Well, who could fault him anyways? Who wouldn’t be tense if they knew that Sebastian was waiting for a scorning from hell. He knew how this conversation can end up in and any scenario that he thinks of,it ends terribly. He wished he knew how to start the conversation but he finds himself at a total loss for words. There was no game plan. Even with all the communication officers or a ghostwriter to help him, his words will never be enough to warrant forgiveness.

The glass of water that was recently refilled mere moments ago is empty again but there is still a bitter taste in his mouth. He signaled for the waiter to fill his glass again. Then his focus goes back to watching his clock, watching how Y/N was running quite late from their agreed meeting time.

“Sorry sorry” A figure appeared behind Sebastian. Y/N obviously hurried to get there because of her heavy breathing and the sweat that glistened her skin.

Sebastian reached out to help Y/N with her chair. A pang of hurt seems to jolt down Sebastian when Y/N avoided his help and even his touch. He already anticipated that she would be distant but the reality still hurts. He quietly sat down as Y/N settled across him.

“Where you waiting for a long time?”Y/N asked

“It’s okay, I understand” Sebastian assured.

His eyes noticed the dark bags under her eyes and how her cheeks seem to thin out a little. It was quite concerning because they only stopped talking a few races ago so why did she deteriorate a lot already “Do you want to eat something? I can order you any food”

“Thank you but I actually don’t have an appetite to eat”Y/N politely declines, eyes still avoiding his.

“You look like it, you’re losing weight”Sebastian couldn’t help but point it out. “Please eat something even oranges”

Y/N’s eyes skimmed the menu and it made her raise an eyebrow. The menu were boasting of some soup of the day, a main course that she cannot pronounce, and some French dessert. No mentions of the favorite fruit that they both like.

“I don’t think they have it here”she replied.

“I can ask for it”Sebastian offered “Do you want me to get-“

“Seb, I didn’t come here for us to dine”

It was the first time that Y/N had the courage to look at Sebastian’s eyes. There was an immediate communication of the feelings that they have been keeping up within their sleeves. Y/N was filled with confusion, betrayal, and hurt. Sebastian’s eyes were of desperation, shame, and sadness. The tension between them is so thick that it drones out the soft pianos of the night.

Sebastian reached out to hold her hand. He may have practiced this a lot before he went here, and he had so many scenarios that he wanted to play out in his mind but now he just decided to give Y/N the raw explanation.

No sugarcoating, no lying. Just the plain basic truth.

“I cheated on you Y/N when I was drunk. I was so upset and I drank beyond my limits then the next thing I know something happened between me and Hanna. It was a mistake. I never did that again, you have to believe me”Sebastian explained.

Before going to the restaurant, Y/N promised herself to not cry about it. She knows the truth already so it shouldn’t hurt her anymore. Tears were prickling her eyes and she was doing her best to maintain a straight face.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” her voice cracked. It betrayed her true feelings and Sebastian noticed that as his hands started to shake.

The way Sebastian buried his head in shame makes the answer clear as day. He was scared. She had to admit that she understood why Sebastian was scared but throughout the years that he had known her, didn’t it cross his mind to trust her with the truth? Didn’t he understand that it was better to be honest than to hide it?

“Why did you have to hide it and blindside me?”

“I didn’t mean to blindside you”Sebastian was quick to answer “I was going to tell you but I never got a good chance to tell you”

Y/N wanted to remove Sebastian’s hands away from her but then she felt his tears falling down their joint hands. For a moment, Y/N forgot everything that was happening and he just wanted Sebastian to stop crying. It was breaking her heart to see him so devastated.

“Listen, I was selfish and I hid the truth from you because I thought I still have more time. We’re just starting with our relationship and I didn’t want to mess this up because this is the best thing that happened to me. With everything going on, I lost a lot of people and I act like I don’t care about it but truth is I care. Its just that I’m okay to lose them but important people like you, I’m scared to lose”

Without a shadow of a doubt, everything being said was genuine. Y/N wish it could be just as simple as forgiving him but things are different now.

“It was all a mistake and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove to you that I am sorry”Sebastian begged.

“Seb, this isn’t that easy anymore” Y/N sighs. She knows that she needs to tell Sebastian the whole truth since he wouldn’t speak to Hanna. It was a cruel joke from the universe that she has to be the one to break it to him.

“We can work this out, please don’t give up on me”Sebastian contested.

“You’re going to have a kid Sebastian”

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Sebastian’s hold on her hands loosen up. It was like someone dumped a cold water to the German driver. The gears seem to be turning up inside his head and Y/N knows that Sebastian understands why things can’t work as they hope for.

“Hanna is pregnant?” Sebastian slumped in his seat in disbelief.

Y/N nods, “I saw her in Abu Dhabi. She’s around 7 months pregnant right now and she needs you Sebastian”

Then she proceeds to take out the ultrasound photos and slide it across Sebastian. She knew Sebastian well that he is very fond of children and the evidence that there is a growing child that was his would sway him. A flicker of awe graced his face as he looks through the photos.

“That kid is yours Sebastian and you have a responsibility with Hanna to raise that child”Y/N reminded.

Her job here was done. She could text Hanna later that she no longer has to worry because Sebastian will take responsibility towards the kid. Y/N removes the ring, it was Sebastian’s after all. She gets up from the table and walks away before her heart shatters again.

It didn’t take long for Sebastian to follow her out to the streets.

“Where are you going? We haven’t fixed us yet?” Sebastian asked.

“Sebastian what you need to fix is your family. Hanna needs you right now. She is in a difficult position and you have a responsibility towards her. You have to be with her”Y/N repeated.

She wondered if she repeated it several times then maybe it won’t hurt anymore. However, the way Sebastian immediately held both of her hands and kissed it, is making it difficult to do such forgetting.

“But Y/N I don’t love her”

There it was. Those one-liners that Sebastian says crumbles every resolve that Y/N has. She might be a brave woman, but Sebastian knows just the right thing to say and she is defenseless.

“I don’t love her Y/N, I only love you” Sebastian restated “I will take responsibility for the kid but it doesn’t mean that I have to stop loving you”

Y/N didn’t know if Sebastian was just plain stupid or he was just a failed romantic. She let out a laugh as tears finally fall down her cheeks. She doesn’t care if passerbys might think of her as stupid but she cannot hold her emotions any longer.

“Sebastian, I will not allow myself to be the other woman that is the reason to have a destroyed family. I cannot do that to your child. Can’t you understand that?”Y/N frustratedly screams “I want you and I love you but I cannot be selfish because there is a child involved”

That was the thing about Y/N, she was always so selfless to the point that what she wants is irrelevant. Right now, all she cares about is that kid, that Hanna is carrying, gets a father. If she has to break up with Sebastian then so be it.

For the second time that night, she walks away from Sebastian.

“Don’t go” and Sebastian was not done chasing her. His hands were wrapped around her waist and she was trapped in a back hug. She could feel his face buried around her shoulders as he cries.

“Seb”

“We can work it out. I can be the father of the kid and I won’t run away from that responsibility. I’ll love that kid and I’ll support whatever he or she wants to become. I’ll coparent with Hanna” Sebastian reasons out “But my heart, its all yours. You are all I want and all I need”

Y/N closes her eyes as Sebastian turns her around. She fears that the moment she opens her eyes and look at Sebastian then it was game over. She would blindly agree to what Sebastian is suggesting. Knowing how stubborn and convincing Seb is, Y/N would be swayed. And of course, for the most damning reason, Y/N is truly and madly deeply in love with Sebastian.

“Please let’s just work things out. I will be a good father to the kid, and I will be a loyal partner to you. I will do my best, just give me a chance” Sebastian begged.

“Seb please, I can’t do this”

“I can give you time”Sebastian refuses to give up “If you can’t forgive me right now then I understand. I will work hard to earn your forgiveness. I will do my best to show you that I am still the man that you fell for. Please Y/N let me prove myself again to-“

“You need to listen to me Seb”

Their foreheads touching and they could only hear the sounds of car passing and their sniffling. Both of them were trying their best not to cry but it was really hard especially when they both think that this whole relationship is nearing its end.

“I love you Sebastian and I may be stupid because after everything I still love you”Y/N admits. There was a sliver of hope in Sebastian’s eyes. “And I love you enough that I will not let you be forced to choose. You have an upcoming kid and that kid needs your time and your love Seb. You may not love Hanna but that kid needs you. I need to let you go so you can be a good father to that kid.”

How did they end up this way? That’s all that was running in their minds. They would have been talking rings and building a family just months ago but now everything is all complicated. Both of them resigning their fact that they have to let go.

“If I had things figured out, would you still give me a chance?” and it was without any doubt, Y/N nodded in silence.

Sebastian’s warm hands slipped the cold ring back to her hand. It confused the woman why Sebastian had to give it back to her when the ring was from Sebastian’s mother to begin with. She believes that she doesn’t own that.

“Take the ring” Sebastian insisted “I want that ring to be a reminder that I’m going to figure out myself so that I can return as a better man to you. You deserve that ring because I made up my mind that you are the one that I love and you are the only one I want to marry in the future”

There were no people in sight except the two of them but the night sky and its twinkling stars served as their witness for that night. It was just the two of them with their prayers to the heaven or some higher being hoping that they could work things out.

[deliciousangelfestival]

Another Ending - 4 | Bucky Barnes

Character: ex!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: It was supposed to be a short week watching over your niece, who loves romance books. She thought you were just a normal aunt, but it turns out you have secrets.

Tags: Spies, action, threat, offense, fight scene, violence, romance, comedy.

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 ,-

Main Masterlist || If you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi 🙏🏻

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

Inside the cozy café, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the soft hum of chatter, Jill Krege sat at her usual spot near the window. The café was a revolving door of people, each bringing their unique quirks and stories, making it the perfect place to find inspiration for new characters. For a bestselling author like Jill, places like this were gold mines—at least, they usually were.

Today, however, was different. Despite the stream of customers, none sparked the creative flame she was hoping for. She sighed, disappointed, and began packing her belongings into her bag. Her latest novel, The Red Swan, had catapulted her to fame, and with that fame came the pressure to produce something just as captivating. Her agent was already pushing her for a new book, but inspiration was proving elusive.

Just as she was about to leave, a new group entered the café—a family, by the looks of it. A mother, a father, and their teenage daughter. Jill's eyes were immediately drawn to them. The mother had a cool, confident demeanor, and the father… something about him struck a chord. He reminded her of the male protagonist in The Red Swan. And the daughter? She seemed like an ordinary teenager, though her eyes were sharp, and observant.

As the daughter scanned the drinks menu, she glanced over at Jill, and their eyes met, her eyes lightened up like she recognized someone.

She must be a fan, Jill thought, instinctively straightening her posture and smoothing her hair. She reached into her bag, readying a pen for an autograph.

Lori turned to you both and whispered. “Why don’t you guys get drinks? I’ll give you the signal.”

Watching her stride confidently towards Jill, both you and Bucky felt a flicker of unease. “Did a 13-year-old just give us an order?” Bucky murmured.

“She’s perfect,” you replied with a smirk, clearly impressed by Lori’s nerve.

Bucky chuckled, squeezing your hand as you both walked toward the cashier. “So, what will it be, dear? I’ll take the usual—an iced Americano.”

You shot him a look, surprised by the sudden intimacy. Bucky leaned in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “We have to play the roles of mom and dad, right?” he whispered, a playful wink following his words.

Rolling your eyes, you turned to the cashier. “Two iced Americanos and one matcha latte, please,” you said. Then, glancing at him, you added, “A real married couple would stop acting so lovey-dovey.”

While waiting for the drinks, you both stood in silence. “I noticed you never mentioned Lori's father,” Bucky remarked, remembering that Lori had mentioned her father, but you had never brought him up.

“He died,” you answered, your voice subdued. Lori's father had passed away several years ago from stomach cancer. Your sister had become obsessed with creating healthy food in hopes of helping him. Though he managed to maintain his weight and appearance, the cancer cells never stopped, and eventually, they took his life.

In the wake of his death, your sister became even more fervent about spreading healthy eating habits. Lori, on the other hand, had been very quiet after her father's death. To cope with her grief, she had turned to reading books, finding solace in them. You knew that was her way of escaping.

She used to be a quiet girl like you, but after her father died, she began to change. She became more like him—cheerful, funny, and with a love for singing.

Bucky was taken aback. With Lori’s cheerful demeanor, he had never imagined she had experienced such pain. Now, he felt a pang of sympathy for her.

Meanwhile, Lori approached Jill cautiously, her steps deliberate. She paused before speaking, her voice small and nervous. “Hello, Miss Jill?”

Jill’s smile widened as she turned to face the young fan. “Hello to you too.”

Any pretense of Lori’s role melted away as her inner fangirl took over. “I’m your biggest fan! I really love this book!” She held up a copy of The Red Swan with gleaming eyes. “Can I get your autograph and maybe a picture with you? But only if it’s okay.”

Jill’s heart warmed at the polite request. Fans like Lori were the reason she loved what she did. “Of course!” she said, signing the book and preparing for a photo.

Lori suddenly looked around, feigning surprise. “Oh no, my phone’s with my dad!” She waved you and Bucky over. “Mom, Dad! Come here!”

That’s the signal, you thought as you and Bucky made your way to Lori. The two of you snapped a few photos, with Lori grinning from ear to ear.

“Mom, let’s take a picture together!” Lori suggested, her voice dropping to a whisper as she turned to Jill. “My mom won’t admit it, but she loves your book too.”

Jill nodded, finding the idea charming, and invited you to join in. You played along, acting bashful as you handed the phone to Bucky.

Now, it was you, Lori, and Jill posing together.

“One, two, three, say Tchaikovsky!” Bucky announced with a grin.

You and Lori smiled brightly, both saying “Tchaikovsky!” in unison.

But Jill didn’t. The color drained from her face as she heard the name. Tchaikovsky. No one ever mentioned that name, not in her circles, not even in passing.

It wasn’t a name associated with classical music for her—it was tied to something far more sinister, something only she and a select few knew about. It was the name of a mission, a report she had read, and a man she never wanted to cross paths with again.

Jill froze, her mind racing. How do they know?

Your eyes narrowed as you saw her reaction. It was all the confirmation you needed. The name was a gamble—a code word that only someone with knowledge of the mission would recognize. And Jill’s reaction was telling.

You leaned in close, your voice a whisper that barely reached her ears. “If you want to live, follow us.”

Jill nodded, her hands trembling as she hurriedly gathered her belongings and followed you out of the café.

As you made your way to the car, you and Bucky exchanged a glance. Both of you noticed the black sedans idling near the café, their drivers watching you intently. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You weren’t safe yet.

“Get in, quick,” Bucky urged as the four of you piled into the car. He floored the gas, pulling away from the curb just as the sedans roared to life, tires screeching as they gave chase.

Jill clutched her bag tightly, her eyes wide with fear as she glanced back at the cars gaining on you. “Who are they?” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“Not the kind of people you want to meet,” you replied, your tone grim as you kept your eyes on the road ahead.

The chase intensified, with Bucky weaving through traffic, narrowly avoiding collisions as he tried to lose the tail. You kept a close watch on the side mirrors, searching for any sign of an opportunity to shake them off.

Finally, as you approached a busy intersection, Bucky made a sharp turn, diving into a narrow alleyway just as the traffic light turned red. The sedans were forced to a stop, unable to follow.

Bucky didn’t slow down until you were several blocks away, the sound of sirens fading into the distance. Only then did he exhale, glancing at you with a look of relief. “We lost them. For now.”

Jill was still in shock, her mind racing to make sense of what had just happened. You turned to her, your expression serious. “We need to talk. And you’re going to tell us everything.”

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

In a secluded, dimly lit room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Jill Krege sat tied to a wooden chair, her hands bound behind her back. The only sound was the faint creak of the old floorboards beneath her feet. Her eyes darted around nervously, landing on the door where you and Bucky stood, your expressions unreadable.

Lori was safely out of sight, back in the car, just as you insisted. This could go bad quickly, and you couldn’t risk her being involved.

“Now, Miss Jill,” Bucky began, his voice low and controlled, “tell us. How do you know about the Red Swan mission? Are you with the agency?”

Jill’s head snapped up, panic flashing in her eyes. “No,” she stammered, shaking her head vigorously. She glanced between you and Bucky, her gaze dropping to the floor as she mumbled, “I’m sorry. Did he send you here for royalties? I’ll prepare the payment as soon as I can.”

Both you and Bucky exchanged a look of surprise. “He?” you questioned, your tone sharp.

Jill hesitated, too terrified to continue. Her hands trembled, the ropes binding her wrists biting into her skin.

“Please, believe me,” she pleaded, her voice cracking. “I had no idea the story would blow up like this. I’m just a failed writer who took another job as a nurse at a nursing home. I changed all the names to make sure they didn’t match the reports.”

Bucky’s eyebrows shot up. “Make changes? The mission details, the routes, the street names, the hotel numbers, even the seats at the opera—they’re all the same. You’re a lazy author.”

Jill winced, guilt washing over her. She hadn’t had the money to pay for a fact-checker, and the publisher assured her it was fine. Nobody had ever complained—until today.

But then, a realization struck her, and she lifted her head, her eyes widening. “Wait a minute! Are you Agent Cipher?”

Her gaze shifted to you. “And you’re Agent Nightingale?”

A spark of excitement lit up her face, reminiscent of Lori’s fangirl energy. “Oh my God! Both of you are real! I can’t believe it!” She looked you and Bucky over, from head to toe, nodding as if something had clicked. “I can see why.”

Bucky sighed inwardly, feeling more exhausted than before. Another one, he thought. “For the last time, Miss Krege, who gave you the details of this mission?”

Jill’s excitement dimmed slightly as she answered, “It was Mr. Henry Tucci.”

Your eyes narrowed. “Is he bald, with scars on the back of his head, and only three fingers on his left hand?”

Jill’s eyes widened further. “Yes! There are scars on the back of his head, but he’s not bald anymore.”

That was all you needed to hear. The physical description matched perfectly. You knew who Henry Tucci really was—your former handler, Mr. Herb.

The one who still had access to those classified reports. Jill wasn’t a threat; she was just a nurse who had stumbled upon a treasure trove of secrets and turned them into a novel. But something still didn’t add up.

Why would Henry be so careless as to let someone like Jill get her hands on those reports?

“That’s all we need,” you said, your tone firm but not unkind. You pulled up a chair and began cutting the rope that bound her hands. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

Bucky leaned in close to Jill, his voice low and dangerous. “If a word about us gets out, you know what will happen, right?”

Jill nodded quickly, too frightened to speak.

“Where is this nursing home?” you asked, your eyes narrowing.

Jill scratched her head, hesitant. “At Legacy Residence Nursing Home. It’s not exactly a nursing home…”

“Explain,” you demanded.

“It’s a nursing home,” Jill began cautiously, “but it’s also like a prison for elders. Most of them are too old to be in a regular jail.”

You massaged your forehead, frustration mounting. This just got a whole lot more complicated.

“Let’s go,” you said to Bucky, turning on your heel and heading for the door.

“Wait, wait… I have questions!” Jill called after you, desperation creeping into her voice. “Can I interview you for my next book?”

“No,” you and Bucky replied in unison, not breaking stride.

“Please! Maybe I could give the characters a good ending,” Jill insisted.

Your footsteps faltered. “What happened to the ending?” you asked, a dangerous edge in your voice.

Jill hesitated, her excitement faltering under your glare. “Well… it’s a sad ending. The male character gets shot and falls off a cliff.”

You shot Bucky a look, both of you visibly tensing.

“But it could be an open ending,” Jill added quickly. “Look at you both now—you’re alive!”

“No,” you repeated, this time more forcefully.

Jill tried to follow you to the car, still pleading her case, but you and Bucky ignored her. Lori, however, couldn’t bear to see her idol so dejected. She rolled down the window as you approached.

“Miss Krege, I’m sorry,” Lori said, her voice small but sincere.

Jill spotted her and asked. “Are you their daughter?”

“Lori, don’t answer that,” you warned.

Jill reached into her bag and pulled out a card. “If you have any stories, please contact me. This is my private number.”

Lori’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had just gotten her idol’s number. “Yes, you can count on me!”

“Bye!” she called out as the car started to move.

Jill waved back, a mix of disappointment and excitement swirling within her. Today was her lucky day. Despite the danger, she had everything she needed for her next bestseller.

Seeing Jill’s figure shrink and eventually disappear from view, Lori adjusted her sitting position and asked, “So where are we going next?”

“To a nursing home. This time we need your acting skills again,” you replied.

Lori gave a salute gesture. “At your service, Sergeant!” Then she turned to Bucky. “Did I do a great job?”

Bucky glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Reaching back, he patted her head. “You did. I’m proud of you.”

When Lori heard that, she felt a lump in her throat. It had been a while since she’d heard those words or had someone pat her head. Bucky’s large hand reminded her of her father. She lowered her head, cleared her throat, and asked, “What do I need to do next?”

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

At Legacy Residence Nursing Home, the atmosphere was far from the peaceful retirement community it might appear to be at first glance. This was no ordinary place where elders spent their twilight years in comfort. Instead, it was a luxurious prison, a haven for former criminals who were too powerful and wealthy to serve time in a regular jail.

The residents here were dangerous individuals, their pasts shrouded in secrecy, and though it was technically a prison, the price of admission ensured that their surroundings were lavish. Guards patrolled the grounds, and the security was tight, but family visits were almost unheard of.

Most of the criminals housed here had long since alienated any relatives, and their only visitors were usually lawyers managing their affairs.

So when you and Lori walked through the front doors, your presence caused quite a stir. The guards exchanged puzzled glances, and the receptionist at the front desk looked up in surprise as you approached.

“Hello,” you greeted her politely, keeping your voice calm and composed.

“Yes, ma'am. How can I help you?” the receptionist replied, her tone professional but tinged with curiosity.

You cleared your throat, mentally preparing yourself for the act you were about to put on. “Yes, uhm, I’d like to visit my father, Mr. Henry Tucci.”

The receptionist’s fingers flew over the keyboard, searching the system. “Uhm, Mr. Tucci doesn’t have any listed family.”

A wave of relief washed over you. He was here, and he was alive. You quickly composed yourself, shifting your expression to one of sadness and regret. “I’m sorry. Yes, it’s been a long time since I last saw my father. We… cut ties because of his job.”

The receptionist’s gaze softened, understanding flashing in her eyes. She was well aware of the type of people housed here, and it wasn’t hard to imagine a child distancing themselves from a criminal parent.

“And my daughter,” you continued, pulling Lori closer to your side, “she wants to meet her grandfather.”

Lori played her part flawlessly. She looked up at the receptionist with wide, innocent eyes, her lower lip quivering slightly as she clutched a piece of paper tightly in her hands.

The paper, folded neatly, had “Nice to meet you, Grandpa” scrawled on it in Lori’s careful handwriting. She glanced at the receptionist, her expression a perfect mix of hope and nervousness.

The sight of Lori’s apparent longing to meet her grandfather was enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. The receptionist’s resolve visibly softened, and she gave you both a sympathetic look. “No matter what, he’s still family, right?”

You nodded, your eyes shimmering with unshed tears, as you reached up to wipe them away with the tip of your finger. “Yes, exactly. Thank you so much for understanding.”

Moved by the emotion in the air, the receptionist handed you two guest necklaces. “I’ll let your father know about the surprise. He’ll be delighted to have his daughter and granddaughter visiting him.”

You accepted the necklaces with a grateful nod, giving her a tearful smile. “Thank you,” you murmured, holding onto Lori’s hand as you prepared to face what came next.

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

You and Lori waited in the garden, a beautifully landscaped area that seemed more fitting for a high-end resort than a prison. The sun was shining, birds chirped in the distance, and the gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the meticulously maintained trees.

If it weren't for the discreetly placed guards and the subtle sense of tension in the air, it would be easy to forget that this was a place where some of the world's most dangerous criminals were confined.

Lori, ever the curious and bold teenager, was taking everything in with wide eyes. She wasn’t scared at all; in fact, you almost wished she were, if only to make her a bit more cautious.

Instead, she leaned closer to you, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, "Aunt, that guard over there is handsome. I could see his muscles from here. I wouldn’t mind staying in a place like this."

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at her casual remark. "You’d have to be a criminal first. A threatening and powerful one at that."

Lori pondered this for a moment, her brow furrowing in mock seriousness. "Hmm… what should I do to qualify?"

Before you could reply, you heard a voice behind you, gravelly yet carrying a tone of amused resignation. “They thought I had dementia when I told them I don’t have a daughter or granddaughter.”

You turned to see Henry Tucci approaching. He was an older man in his seventies, his hair a silvery gray that matched the fine lines etched into his weathered face. He wore a pair of glasses that gave him a scholarly look, more like a retired professor than the feared handler he once was.

The years had softened his once intimidating presence, but there was still a sharpness in his eyes that hinted at the formidable man he used to be.

“I guess so. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have let your nurse read the ‘Red Swan’ project,” you replied, keeping your tone even, though the irritation was evident. “Did you forget to secure it properly?”

Henry raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. “So that’s why you’re here,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction. “I remember that young nurse. She had quick hands. If the agency still existed, I would’ve hired her.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Lori, who had been watching him with open curiosity. “You have a daughter?” he asked, a touch of surprise in his voice.

“My niece,” you clarified.

Lori, ever polite despite the strange circumstances, waved her hand. “Hello.”

Henry returned the gesture with a warm smile. “Hello, young lady.”

“Why did you bring your niece here?” he asked you.

“It was because of her that I found out about this,” you replied, pulling out a copy of The Red Swan from your bag. You held it up for Henry to see, the cover prominently displaying the book that had unintentionally exposed so many secrets.

Henry lit his cigar, letting the smoke curl lazily around him before he spoke again. “Ah, yes, that book.” His tone was dismissive but carried an undercurrent of grudging respect. "It’s quite the little troublemaker, isn’t it? Also, the most interesting mission the agency got."

You rolled your eyes and decided to keep the conversation light for now. “How many years did you get?”

Henry’s eyes twinkled with a dark amusement. “For life.”

“I can’t exactly feel sorry for you,” you said, glancing around the picturesque garden. “This place is like heaven.”

Henry lit a cigar, taking a deep inhale before speaking. “Try living here with killers, mafias, and corrupt officials for a few days. My hands itch to strangle their necks—”

You cleared your throat sharply, a pointed reminder of Lori’s presence. Henry caught himself, glancing at Lori before exhaling the smoke and growing more serious. “Where is he?”

“Who?” you asked, though you already knew.

“Your flame, your lover, the traitor,” Henry replied, his tone a mix of disdain and curiosity. Despite Bucky’s potential, Henry had always resented him. Bucky’s betrayal of the agency had been a personal slight.

You avoided his question, focusing on the pressing matter. “First, tell me why you let a civilian read the mission report,” you demanded. “And why was a writer chosen to care for you?”

Henry chuckled softly, tapping his fingers on the table as he considered his answer. “You’ve always had a sharp mind,” he said, a note of pride in his voice. “Yes, I chose her because of her background. And yes, I let her take the report.”

“Why?” you pressed, trying to make sense of his reckless actions.

“Because I’m bored,” Henry replied, his casual tone catching you off guard.

You leaned forward, anger simmering. “Because of you, everyone knows about the mission. And now, they’re chasing me and him.”

Henry’s expression remained unchanged, though a flicker of amusement or regret passed through his eyes. “Oh,” he responded, almost dismissively.

“I could make them stop,” Henry offered as if it were a trivial matter. His eyes glinted with a mix of challenge and opportunity. “As long as you can get me out of here.”

You crossed your arms, your eyes narrowing. “You planned this, didn’t you? You wanted us to come here, to get you out. You want to escape.”

Henry’s smile widened, confirming your suspicions. Jill’s success with the book had not been a mere coincidence; it was a carefully orchestrated plan by Henry himself. He had been pulling the strings from within his gilded cage, manipulating events from the confines of the nursing home.

The real motive behind his actions was far less straightforward than mere boredom. For Henry, it was akin to a twisted game of treasure hunting. He was driven by an intense curiosity, a desire to see which of his old connections would notice the hidden clues buried in the pages of The Red Swan.

What would happen next? Who would come looking? It was a way to inject a bit of excitement into his otherwise monotonous existence.

Over the year since the book’s release, he had watched with a mix of disappointment and impatience. There had been no significant fallout, no grand revelations—until today. But to be honest, he hadn’t anticipated that you, one of his top agents, would be the one to unravel his little game.

And even more surprising was the role of your niece in the discovery. The unexpected involvement of a teenager had added a layer of complexity he hadn’t counted on.

Henry leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting between you and Lori. “You see, it was never just about the book or the chaos it created. It was about the challenge—testing the waters, seeing if anyone was sharp enough to pick up on the clues I’d planted.”

He chuckled softly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to come here. I didn’t expect a teenager to be the key to solving my little puzzle. But here you are, proving that even in a place like this, things can still get interesting.”

You stared at him, grappling with the realization that his manipulation had been far more intricate than you’d initially thought. His aim had been to create a ripple effect, to see who would react and how.

“I taught you well,” Henry admitted a hint of pride in his voice. “Now, where’s Bucky?”

You remained silent, giving him nothing.

Unfazed, Henry took another slow puff of his cigar. “I’m the agents’ handler. I know everyone’s real name.”

You stayed quiet, but he continued, undeterred. “He’s already preparing to get you out of here.”

Henry clapped his hands together, clearly pleased. “I knew I could count on you two.”

Lori, who had been listening intently, suddenly spoke up. “Wow… really mind-blowing!” She looked at Henry with wide-eyed admiration. “Sir, you’re a genius.”

Henry chuckled, clearly enjoying the compliment. “Hahaha… thank you, little girl.”

“Are you satisfied with what you’ve done?” you asked, your voice tight with frustration. You clenched your fist, the knuckles whitening as you tried to keep your anger in check.

"You're not exactly blameless yourself," Henry said, his voice carrying a hint of mockery. "You also betrayed the agency."

That was why you and Bucky had been chased—because the previous agency you worked for had also turned against you both.

You shot him a cold look. "It’s what we do."

Henry smirked. “Touché.”

Just then, a guard and the receptionist who had helped you and Lori enter the nursing home appeared. The guard announced, “Mr. Tucci, your visiting time is over.”

Henry rose from his seat and spread his arms, a crooked smile on his face. He looked at you and Lori expectantly, as if waiting for a family embrace. As you moved closer, he leaned in and whispered, "I’ll be expecting my ride. And don’t forget, you owe me."

“What do you mean?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

Henry’s grin widened. “Without this book, you and Bucky wouldn’t have ended up together.”

Lori, her face lit up with a bright smile, chimed in, “He’s right!” She and Henry shared a laugh, the camaraderie between them almost palpable. Meanwhile, you managed only a tight strained smile.

To the guard and receptionist, it looked like a touching family reunion. In reality, you were itching to punch this old man in the face. You forced a smile, though the tension in your shoulders betrayed your true feelings.

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[aspiringtrashpanda]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever written. Please familiarize yourself with this scene from the Little Mermaid for best reader experience.

Characters: Leviathan x MC Stupid musical fluff, first kiss, kiss the fish baybeeee No warnings apply

“First, we’ve got to create the mood…”

A ripple surged through the aquarium, light undulating in soft waves, permeating the wall and reaching the furthest corners of the room. You traced the movements of the tiny goldfish, the pad of your index finger catching on the tacky glass just as the orange scales disappeared from view. 

You thought you could hear the thump of a bass guitar. Was it coming from Mammon’s room?

You almost brushed it off. Almost. 

However, when you thought you saw the water in the tank slosh in time to the steady beat, you asked, “Did you hear that?” 

“Hm?” Leviathan looked up from his computer monitor. One of his many displays. He had been at the start of a popular ARPG from the human world, last time you checked. Now, he had almost completed the tutorial. Turns out, it was as easy to speed through the introduction as it was to purchase a game from another realm through Akuzon. Jeremiah Bezoar, right?

Despite the reluctance to support such a megalomaniac, Levi found his thumbs smashing buttons. Why was there always so much exposition at the beginning of the quest? He frowned, “Hear what?”

“Percussion. Strings. Winds. Words…” 

You shuddered, a chill trickling down your spine. You were voicing your discomfort before you could even place the source. 

“Voices? But… They don’t sound familiar.” Though you were reluctant to tear your eyes away from the seascape stretched before you, you found yourself stepping backwards. One heel after the other, until you nudged against the back of Leviathan’s gaming chair. 

“Gah!” He startled, his headphones falling around his neck as wide, amber eyes turned to meet your gaze. The flex of his fingers seemed anxious, his knuckles popping in time with the rhythmic thud of the bass.  “Erm, you’re probably just hearing things…”

You were so close to believing him, to accepting his words as truth. Perhaps you would have, if it wasn’t for the smooth baritone that spilled into your ears.

“There, you see him. Sitting there across the way. He don’t got a lot to say. ‘Cause he’s playing Skyrim.”

The flit of your eyes confirmed the voice’s dulcet tones. Levi was, indeed, playing the classic fantasy game by Bethesda. There was no arguing the claim, not with the way the dragon attacked the site of his execution. 

Another glance at the aquarium revealed swaying kelp among the decorating stone structures within the tank. A flash of golden filaments forced the question from your mouth, “Can Henry speak?”

“Henry?” Levi paused the game, pulling up the main menu. He squished up his nose in amusement. “LOL. Not to you.”

Though, regardless of his claims, the melody bounced about the room.

“And the arrows fly, your knee’s been nullified. Go on and kiss the boy. ” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” And whether you were asking the fish - you noticed multiple fins fluttering from the hydra anemone to the sweeping greenery within the freshwater - or Levi, you weren’t entirely sure. Regardless, Leviathan spun in his chair, rocking back and forth on the creaking hinge of his high-tech seat. It was probably sponsored. He was a prominent gamer in the Devildom, after all. 

The pause between your question and his answer would have felt deafening if it wasn’t for the consistent thump of the bass, the jingle of mallets on a seashell marimba. Perhaps you appeared confused, though the uncertainty fell in syncopated beats, along with a tune you weren’t sure Levi could hear. 

“Well, you know, you normies have inferior hearing to us dem- HEY!” His squawk managed to overwhelm the crooning from the water fixture. The shellfish had joined in with some lovely harmonies, at this point. However, you found yourself happy to be distracted by Levi’s large, clammy hands as his long fingers pried yours away from a figure on his shelf.  “Don’t touch that!”

“Ah, sorry. I was just wondering…” You couldn’t stop the rush of blood to your face, the heat searing your cheeks a pretty pink. “Is that the Lord of Shadow’s crimson banquet outfit?”

Leviathan froze, his frame somewhere between sitting and standing. With his hands on his thighs, just above his knees, it looked as though he had been about to stand, about to rush to your side and physically remove your touch from the figure you had been admiring. 

“Yes, you want him. Look at him, you know you do. It’s possible he wants you too, and there’s one way to ask him.”

There was a flash of something in the indigo veins of his burning gaze. Did he hear it, too? Before you could ask, Levi narrowed his eyes, redirected your attention to his shelf of figurines. “Are you referring to the movies you marathoned with Mammon, or the books?”

You frowned, indignance igniting a roaring fire up your spine. With a sniff, you turned away from his incredulous glare. “I actually have started reading the books, you know. But… Well, I’m only on book two.”

The soothing accompaniment looped some sort of interlude. Minnows scurried from one rock to another. A toad lingering on a stone fixture breaching the surface croaked low and heavy, “It’s a list of words, by his fave character, go on and kiss the boy.”

And it was only then that you noticed the tension building in Levi’s blue seascape of a room. You felt the way his chapped lips parted, his tongue darting out to nervously wet the skin. He swallowed loudly, rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. His headphones rattled when he pushed them into the soft indigo strands brushing his nape, displaced and apparently forgotten. You smiled as a pretty pink flush spread across Levi’s cheeks, over the bridge of his nose. 

In an attempt to comfort him, you brought his attention back to the figure on his shelf. “Tell me about him, then.”

The prejudice dissolved from his gaze, replaced with a genuine excitement that nearly turned his orange eyes as bright as the sun that never touched the Devildom. He took a deep breath in, choosing his words carefully. “The… Um, the costume design department actually stuck really close to the canon source for the crimson banquet.”

A series of bubbles floated to the surface of the aquarium. As they burst, a note rang out through the room. There were so many instruments involved in the song now. How did a crayfish play a flute? It was past logic at this point. All you could do was pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary. You offered Levi a shy smile, “Is this a special edition?”

“It is!” You loved the beam that stretched across his face, all crooked teeth and enthusiasm. “Oh! You’ll get it, then! See, Mammon tried to steal him and sell him for only 15,000 Grimm! Can you believe it? I mean, not only would it be unthinkable to sell Crimson Banquet Lord of Shadow, but to sell it for such a small amount?! It’s like he didn’t even know that the designer had actually researched the small nordic community off of Greenland to accurately represent the sort of clothing that…”

The sound of his voice was a sweeter melody than any fish could sing. You thought you caught the shimmer of a red scale, a rainbow shark swimming low to the colorful pebbles hidden in the soft silt at the base of the aquarium. You caught its eye. It winked. 

You weren’t sure how you felt about that. 

“Er, you’re probably not interested in all that…” Levi was still rambling. At the sight of his nervous expression, the way he twiddled his thumbs and averted his eyes like he thought you weren’t interested, you kicked it into high gear.

“I am.” Your heart thudded against your ribs. Really, you were. You were interested in anything Levi wanted to tell you. You found his passions fascinating. 

The moment his sunrise gaze slammed into yours, a swelling chorus rose from the aquarium. You felt your pulse thrum in time with the beat. Their voices appealed to the endorphins rushing through your veins.

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la my, oh my! The human is too shy! Ain’t gonna kiss the boy.”

A pair of koi flicked their tails, arcing past the aquarium glass with a loud, “Whoa, whoa!”

It was cute, you thought. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t entered Levi’s room with that very intention. You liked him. You had liked him for a while. Yet, you weren’t sure if he was ever going to get the hint. Hell, if even his fish knew of your soft spot for Leviathan, what did you have to lose? He had to know too, right?

So, there you were, the choir of aquarium life pushing you forward. However, as you took two steps closer to the Avatar of Envy, Levi deflated in his chair, covering his face with his hands. You could just make out his lips moving, a soft repetition, over and over again. 

Shuffling over to him, to his desk and his gaming setup, felt like walking a tight rope. “Hey,” You whispered, “Are you okay?”

He scowled, huffing a soft, “No!” 

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la ain’t that sad? The poor otaku lad. You’re gonna miss the boy.” This time, Henry the goldfish fluttered through the water, suspended in the light of the room. 

You thought he looked smug.

“Levi.” Your fingers gently grazed his knees, the soft fabric of his sweatpants encouraging you to curl your palm around the bone, to squeeze ever so slightly. 

“Yeah?” It squeaked out between the gaps in his fingers, splayed across his face. 

“I think your aquarium is serenading us.”

As if to confirm your claim, Henry - flanked by the two koi - swam in a shape too close to a heart to be anything else. You could hear the th-th-thump of your pulse in your ears. 

“Yeah…” It was cute, the way Levi’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. A crease formed in his brow, his ears burning bright as he winced, “They’ve threatened that a few times, but I didn’t think they actually would!”

“It’s kind of charming.”

“Is it?!”

Where the toad managed to find a saxophone, you weren’t sure. Nevertheless, the breezy tune paved the way for the second verse. And for what? Well… Perhaps your eyes were deceiving you, but was Levi leaning closer? 

There you were, slowly absorbed into Leviathan’s personal space, your frame falling between his knees as they trembled, parting carefully. His hand brushed his mouth, his teeth knocking his knuckles as he protested, “Y-you can just ignore it, really!”

Henry had other plans.

“Now’s your moment. Your room looks like a blue lagoon. Toggle off display #2, and offer your sweater.”

And despite his own advice, concern flashed in Levi’s eyes. “Are you cold?”

You shivered. “A little, yeah.”

“He won’t say a word. He’s just an awkward nerd, go on and kiss the boy.”

Levi’s hands - slick with nervous, cold sweat, rested on your biceps. He took a deep, shuddering breath in, and then, he steeled his resolve. “Y-you… could come closer?”

You shuffled further into his space. How you ended up edging your body between his knees as he sat in his gaming chair, you couldn’t quite recall. You supposed he had covered his face, and then you had crouched down to make eye contact, and well… Now you were wedged awfully close to his heaving chest, his eyes screwed tightly shut. 

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la don’t be scared, you’ve got the facts prepared. Go on and kiss the boy (Whoa, whoa). Sha-la-la-la-la-la don’t stop now, you’ve leveled up and wow, you’re gonna kiss the boy.” 

“Levi,” You sang, soft and sweet, drawing his name out in the same key of the song. His right eye fluttered open, peering at you with cautious optimism. 

Noses nudged together, breath mingling as the song faded into the routine bubble of the aquarium. Levi’s thumbs rubbed circles into your arms, and you found yourself near hypnotized by the steady pattern paired with the blazing heat in his fiery eyes. 

A shaky breath. A soft, “You, er, don’t have to! I mean, I’m just a yucky otaku! You… Um, if this is just a joke, it’s fine, and -”

Your lips met his. 

It was a quick kiss. Chaste and gentle. Simply the press of two mouths, both unwilling to cross any invisible line drawn in the aquarium sand. 

There was pure silence as you pulled away. The music had disappeared completely. Even the tank’s filter and the hum of Levi’s computer tower fizzled out. 

A beat, where it was only you and Leviathan.

You and Levi in the watery haze of his bedroom, your lips so very close, and yet…

It was Levi who surged forward, slotting his lips between yours once more. This time, he kissed you like he meant it, as if you were a crimson banquet-themed delicacy that he had been saving for a very special dessert. His fingers curling into your sleeves, you found yourself melting into his embrace, your heart pitter-pattering in time with the rattle from his own chest. Cupping the nape of his neck, you reveled in the soft indigo strands that brushed your palm, in the breezy scent of the sea that followed him wherever he went. 

It was a strange sensation - to feel as though you were burning alive while cocooned in the blue haze of the ocean. And yet, you never wished to experience anything else. The taste of his lips, the twist of his needy hands on your body all you could register as you scrambled into his lap, his chair creaking under your combined weight.

A quiet huff spilled from his wet lips, his bangs butting against your forehead. His jaw tensed, and you knew he was about to say something when…

A voice sounded. A voice from outside the walls of the House of Lamentation. A voice so low, it shook the very foundation beneath you.

“Oh, you wanna kiss the boy!”

Levi grimaced. You blinked. 

“Was… Was that Lotan?” You weren’t sure your ears had registered the melody correctly. 

“Can we…” Levi nuzzled his face into your neck. You could feel the humiliation radiating off him in waves. “Can we go to your room?”

*・゜・*:.。.*.。.:*・☆・゜・*:.。.*.。.:*・☆・゜

MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN! I've finished the first round, please give me more! This is a fun little writing exercise for me! Find out more HERE. i love you all so much, but shout out to @shootingstarrfish and @4laurus. Please check them out. 💕

[mayiwritesomething]

Don’t Change (One-Shot)

Wordcount: 600 words

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

A/N: just a small one-shot fluff i wrote after listening to INXS haha

It fits a while after chapter 9 from the main series, but can be read as it’s own

> MASTERLIST

——-

“What you wanna eat?” You asked as you emerged from your room’s bathroom, the steam trailing behind you like a scene from a retro sci-fi movie.

“Well…” Pedro said, lounging on your bed with a mischievous smile. “You,” he quipped, causing you to roll your eyes as he chuckled at catching you off guard. “Okay, okay, jokes aside, babe. How about pizza?” You settled onto the bed in a The Clash shirt, and Pedro ran his hands along your legs as you reached for your face serum on the counter.

“We had pizza last time,” you whined, to which he just shrugged in response. “Can we try something different this time? We've already exhausted the hotel menu, by the way,” you pointed out (there was only two more weeks filming) nestling in beside him as he absentmindedly ran his fingers over your skin.

“Are you sure?” He lifted his head to meet your slightly annoyed expression. “Well… Tacos?” he suggested tentatively, apprehensive of your reaction. “Or should we just order something from the hotel for a quicker option?”

“I don’t know,” you murmured thoughtfully. “I'm kind of over the whole lobster, beef Wellington, and all that fancy bland stuff… Gosh, how I miss my spices and my kitchen,” you joked as you stretched your arms. “But tacos sound perfect tonight. It's chilly outside, and I'm starving, so tacos it is!”

"Alright, just give me a few seconds to order the food so we can start our movie. Chicken for you?" You nodded in agreement as he grabbed his phone. While he placed the order, you applied your serum and settled back into your spot. Once he finished, he returned to your side. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to eat you," he teased once more.

"Oh shut up, man," you chuckled as he wrapped his arm around you, both of you trying to find a comfortable position in bed. You clicked play on the movie you had chosen.

"Pet Sematary?" he asked within the first five seconds.

"Wow, this was a quick guess," you remarked, giving him a playful look.

"I love how you're all about setting the mood with an '80s horror flick on our date night," he joked.

"Well, we can pick another one if you prefer," you said, feeling a bit foolish about your choice.

"No way, babe! I really like this one," he reassured you. You shot him a skeptical glance. "I'm serious," he insisted.

"Okay, then," you murmured, snuggling into his arm and intertwining your legs with his.

"I really dig your taste in movies, you know?" He complimented, looking at you.

"I know you do,” you laughed. “This one has a killer soundtrack," you explained, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Sometimes I forget I’m dating a fucking awesome composer," he said, cupping your face. You responded with a kiss, which he reciprocated with passion.

"Baby, let's focus on the movie for now. We can pick up where we left off later since you're staying the night," you giggled.

"Yeah, let's do that. Otherwise, it'll be Netflix and chill, but with just the chill part," he joked, as you hugged him and hummed in agreement.

"Babe?" He called out.

"What?" you responded.

"Just promise me you'll never change," he said softly.

"I won't," you assured him, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Good to know. You're perfect just the way you are," he said, drawing you closer. You didn't know how to respond, so you simply held him tighter beneath the blanket.

"Thank you. I promise I won't change," you murmured as he pulled you in closer.

Don't change for you

Don't change a thing for me

[crazycoke-addict]

Island of the Slaughtered Game

Genre: Horror

Description:

It's been 10 years since The Massacre that happened in Camp Wawanakwa. 22 teenagers from different backgrounds sign up to be in a reality show called Total Drama Island. Unbeknownst to them, a serial killer is on the loose and picks off the teenagers one by one. Only 7 are recorded to be alive. From the disappearance to the murders, the case remains unsolved to this day. Who was the killer? What was the motive?

Today, I will find out everything.

The game starts with your character in a boat sailing to the island. There is a speech bubble at the bottom of the screen. The protagonist is talking about the unsolved case about what happened in Camp Wawanakwa. They also explained how the seven survivors have gone MIA, and neither of them have spoken out what happened.

During the intro, they hear bump coming from underneath the boat. When they lean over, something jumps out of the water and drags them in the water. In the next scene, you wake up and find yourself in Camp Wawanakwa. You look through your supplies, and you take out your torch. You find your boat that's been wreck. You need to find supplies to fix your boat. While walking, you hear rustle behind you when you turn around. You see nothing, but there is something there in your glaring view.

While walking around, you find a VHS tape lying near a tree. You comment on how it's been so long since you seen VHS tapes. The VHS tape is titled 'Behind the scenes', You hope the VHS tape might give you some answers you're looking for.

You ended up in the cabin section and decided to look through the cabins. However, 3 of the cabins are locked except for one. The cabin room in that's located in the west. You decide to go in, and while looking you around, you notice the belongings of boy's clothes, deodorants, a cowboy hat, a keyboard, etc. You hear rustling under one of the bunk beds. You tried to leave the cabin, but the door has been closed. When you turn around, a human head is placed on the dresser looking at you.

The game won't leave you go anywhere else, but straight to the dresser where the head is. The head starts talking to the player. They explain how it's been so long since anyone has visited the camp. They miss human interaction since they never really got that back while they were living. The head talks about how they don't know how they got to the position their in, but their body parts in places where they shouldn't be. The head asks the player to help them find their body parts.

This section of the game kicks off the first of many mini games that the game is going to give. An instruction will appear on the screen to help you. In the top corner, there will be a 0/5. I'm pretty sure everybody knows that this is Ezekiel. Some of the characters are going to have a mini game.

Ezekiel - find his body parts before time runs out.

Justin - break every mirror that Justin appears in.

Harold- you have to play a video game. After you fix the tv.

Trent - you have to fix and play his guitar. It's like a memory game.

The main menu will have an old cable TV, which you end up getting after fixing the TV in order to do Harold's game. You must collect 17 VHS tapes in order to get the Canon ending. There are going to be 4 endings, which are going to be good ending, the bad ending, the curse ending, and obviously the Canon ending.

Some ghosts like Lindsay, Sadie, and Bridgette will be active, where they will follow the main character. You can weaken them by throwing a flame flare, which you'll end up finding during your mission. I also think it will be interesting that the main character that we are playing is one of the 2nd generation characters. I'm leaning towards Mike.

[hwxnghyynjin]

Kannibalen

Pairing: stray kids x reader Genre: horror, apocalypse!au, angst, some fluff, crack? but not really Warnings: alcohol consumption, mentions of food, swearing (like, a lot), horror themes (blood, gore, slight injury detail, cannibalism, Seungmin gets a dislocated shoulder rip), use of weapons (knives, guns), lots of crying, character death, main character deaths, attempted murder, abusive relationships, a couple of kiss scenes, not a warning but Jisung is slightly dramatic Word count: 22,738 (blooming heck, my longest fic ever) Taglist: @alphadisaster @catlove83 a/n: this was supposed to be released on halloween but, life happened lol, better late than ever though amirite

It started out as a normal day in Seoul. Everyone enjoying the sunshine, feeling the warmth from the sun on their skin. Children were playing in the park, laughing with not a care in the world. Young people seeing their loved ones, enjoying spending their time together as they basked in the afternoon sun. However, that all changed in just a couple of hours, a virus outbreak turning people into cannibalistic psychopaths. 

5 hours before the outbreak

You were chilling at the dorms with the guys, sitting between Hyunjin and Jeongin. You were playing with Hyunjin’s hands, twirling the rings around his fingers. Hyunjin didn’t seem to mind though, too engrossed in the conversation he was having with Seungmin. Jisung and Minho were bickering, as usual, probably about what they wanted to eat. Felix was in the kitchen, baking brownies for everyone, the smell of the brownies baking hitting your senses. You swear that Felix puts a hint of magic in the brownies as they are the best brownies you’ve ever eaten. You’re not sure when Chan and Changbin are, probably working out, which they usually do.

“I want to eat jajangmyeon”

“I want tteokbokki!”

“We had that last time!”

“I don’t care, I’m craving tteokbokki again”

“If the both of you don’t shut up, you’ll both be eating a sock”, Seungmin said, glaring at the pair for their bickering. You giggled, finding the scene in front of you funny: Jisung and Minho both staring at Seungmin, not knowing what to say. They just sat back in their seats, sighing. “Why don’t we try out that new steak restaurant? I heard that the steak there is amazing”, Jeongin suggested, to which everyone agreed on the idea. You texted Chan and Changbin to meet you at the steak restaurant, to which they were ok with that.

4 hours before the outbreak

You all arrived at the restaurant, the aura of the restaurant felt warm and cosy. You were greeted by a front of house staff, guiding you to a table before giving you a menu each. “I hope you two aren’t going to bicker about what to eat”, Seungmin said, referring to Jisung and Minho. The table was filled with laughter from Seungmin’s comment, both Minho and Jisung feeling embarrassed. 

Thankfully the meal was filled with laughter and jokes, and the occasional dad joke from Chan which made you all groan. Hyunjin fed you some pieces of steak and some veggies, and you did the same to him. Jeongin felt a bit left out so you fed him some steak and veggies too, the smile on his face making your heart warm. Soju filled your system, as well as the others. You were all tipsy, some more than others, but you were still aware of your senses and surroundings. 

3 hours before the outbreak

You all walked back home, the streetlights illuminating the city. You were laughing at nothing in particular, probably at something Hyunjin said as you leaned into his side. The others were walking ahead of you, Jisung twirling around like a ballerina, whilst Changbin tried to push Minho over for some odd reason. Chan stops him, scolding him like a dad telling his child off. All of a sudden, you felt yourself being stopped, looking up to see Hyunjin looking down at you.

“Can I try something? Just, don’t hit me please, I’m fragile”, Hyunjin said, making you laugh. You just nodded your head and a second later, you felt his lips against yours. They were softer than you imagined, like pillows. You thought it was going to be a soft and short kiss, you didn’t expect to make out in the middle of the street. 

“Hey, love birds! How about instead of making out in the middle of the street, we get home. I’m tired and Changbin won’t stop trying to push Minho over. Oh, and Jisung almost walked into a lamp post pretending to be a ballerina. I’m too old to look after you all”, Chan said, really sounding like a tired dad. You and Hyunjin ran towards him, holding hands so as to not lose each other, even though the street is practically empty. 

2 hours before the outbreak

You were in Hyunjin’s room, straddling him as you made out. His hands were on your waist whilst yours were around his neck. Your lips moulded together perfectly, like they were made for each other. Neither of you made any moves to deepen the kiss, just wanting to keep the moment sweet and soft. After a moment, Hyunjin was the first to pull away, looking at you with soft eyes. He planted a small kiss on the tip of your nose, watching as you scrunch your face up from the feeling. He planted kisses all over your face from how cute you were. You continued to sit like that for a while, basking in the warmth from Hyunjin’s body.

After a while, though, you both left the room and joined the others. Some kind of action film was playing on the TV but you’re not familiar with it. Hyunjin sat down on the sofa, pulling you down on the couch, snuggling up into him. No one was talking at this point, probably still tipsy or just really tired, which you don’t blame them. You could fall asleep right then and there but you didn’t want to, not just yet.

“Do you think bees have belly buttons?”

“Jisung, what the fuck?!”

1 hour before the outbreak

The TV was still on, some film you didn’t recognise playing as everyone else was asleep apart from you. The sound of Hyunjin’s light snores hit your ears, his lips pouty as his head rested on the back of the sofa. Jisung and Minho’s legs were intertwined as they cuddled against each other, which you decided to take a picture of because you found it adorable. You didn’t realise you left the flash on, though, as the flash went off as soon as you pressed the button. Thankfully no one woke up as you let out a sigh of relief.

You felt yourself getting sleepy as you let out a massive yawn, putting your phone in your pocket. You sat back down next to Hyunjin, resting your head on his shoulder. You closed your eyes, hoping to fall into dreamland, which you did a few minutes later. However, your sleep was soon interrupted as about an hour later, you were all woken up by a massive explosion.

“What the fuck was that?!” Chan asked, hurrying out of his seat and running to the window. He looked outside and saw that a building in the distance was on fire. In the distance, he could see people running around, screaming their heads off. They all looked terrified, which is understandable since a building literally just exploded not even five minutes ago. What he couldn’t see, though, was that the people weren’t running because the building exploded, no, they were running because someone was trying to kill them. And they were also trying to eat them?

The building that exploded was a laboratory, which stored chemicals to create vaccinations for different types of diseases. However, one of the workers in the facility who was working on some of the chemicals accidentally made a mistake, mixing two different chemicals which aren’t supposed to be mixed together. When they realised what they had done, it was too late. It had caused a reaction, a reaction they had not seen before. The glass beaker smashed, glass shattering everywhere. Some of the glass had cut the workers face, a piece of glass stuck in their cheek. There was some sort of a ball of mist caused by the reaction, which had a slight green tinge to it. Before the worker could run out of the room to escape it, it was too late. They had ingested the green mist, suffocating them before they fell to the floor.

Other people in the facility were unaware of what had happened,not realising their lives were now in danger. The laboratory assistant manager was walking through a door, a clipboard in her hand, reading through the notes on the piece of paper. When she rounded the corner, she bumped into the worker who ingested the mist, which she had no acknowledgement of. 

“Ah, Donghae, you scared me”, she said, holding a hand to her chest. She took a good look at him, realising something wasn’t right about him. “Hey, are you ok? You don’t look so good”, she was about to put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature when all of a sudden, Donghae lunged forward, knocking her to the ground. She screamed, trying to push him off but it was no use, he was too strong. He grabbed her shoulders, gaining more access to her neck and bit the flesh between her neck and shoulders, biting a massive chunk out of it.

Donghae got off of her, walking away, the assistant manager bleeding out onto the floor. He soon heard screams coming from behind him, workers running towards their assistant manager, calling for help. Donghae chewed on the flesh in his mouth, swallowing it. Before the workers who were surrounding the assistant managers knew it, the assistant manager's eyes opened, which were now bloodshot. She lunged at one of the workers, attacking her as she hit her over and over again, the worker begging her to stop. 

About an hour later, the laboratory was an entire mess. All the workers were screaming, running out of the building, trying to get away from the cannibalistic psychopaths that were trying to eat and kill them. A fire had started in one of the rooms, which contained different flammable chemicals and gas canisters. That’s when it exploded, spreading all over the building, resulting in the loud bang, startling you and the others in the dorm room.

That’s when Chan could see the reason why people were running away. He saw someone getting jumped, being knocked to the ground by someone, biting into their flesh. Chan jumped backwards, scared for his life. “What, what’s wrong?” you asked, jumping out of your seat and walking towards him. That’s when you saw what he was looking at, seeing people getting eaten alive, turning into those things. 

“Ok, we need to leave. Now”, Chan said, you agreeing with him. “Where are we supposed to go? What if those things are everywhere? Who knows how many people are infected”, you said, looking at him. “Wait, infection? What are you on about?” Jeongin asked, fear evident in his voice. You looked at Chan, and then at the others. “I’m not entirely sure what the infection is but, it looks like the infection causes people to become cannibalistic psychopaths and if you’re bitten, or in this case being eaten alive by someone who’s infected, you also get infected and get turned into one of those things”, Chan said. 

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘cannibals’? I’m too precious to be eaten, plus I ain’t dying a virgin”, Jisung said, causing everyone to give him a weird look. “I can change that”, Lee Know said out of nowhere, looking at Jisung.

“What?”

“What?”

“Ok weirdos, let’s just go”, Seungmin said, rolling his eyes.

--------------------------------

All of you left the dorm room building, seeing loads of people running around in different directions, seeing some people lying on the floor, covered in blood, screaming for help, and others being attacked, becoming infected with whatever the infection is. You grabbed hold of Hyunjin’s hand, squeezing it. You always do that whenever you feel scared and in this case, you were terrified. 

“Where do we go? They’re surrounding the entire area”, Changbin said, trying to find a clear path, but not being able to. Felix pointed ahead of him, finding a clear path. “There! I found one. But unfortunately, we have to run through the infected area”, Felix said, not liking the idea but it was the only one he had.

“Ok, on the count of three, we run, ok?” Chan said, looking at everyone to ensure they were listening. You were still holding Hyunjin’s hand, Jisung clinging onto Lee Know. You all nodded, not liking the idea but you had to. 

“One”

You squeezed Hyunjin’s hand harder, your breathing becoming heavier.

“Two”

You felt a tear run down your cheek, wiping it with your free hand, not wanting the others to see you crying.

“Three!”

You ran forward, running towards the infected. You didn’t stop running, even if your legs felt like they were going to buckle underneath you. You were getting close to the other side, running as fast as you could, as if your life depended on it and in this case, it did. You didn’t even realise that you let go of Hyunjin’s hand, until you were on the other side, not seeing Hyunjin standing beside you. 

Before you could scream his name, he ran up to you, along with the rest of the guys. “Now that we're on the other side of them, what do we do now?” Jeongin asked, looking around to see who would answer his question.

“I guess all we need to do now is survive”, you said, walking away from the infected, wanting to be as far away from them as possible. 

--------------------------------

It’s been 2 weeks since the outbreak started and you all seem to be doing alright so far, despite the fact that cannibalistic psychopaths are roaming around. So, to rephrase that, you’re doing alright physically but mentally and emotionally? That went out the window the moment the outbreak started. And when you became friends with Lee Know and Jisung but you’ll never tell them that, not wanting your ass kicked. I mean, the two of them are literal chaos, you can never keep up with them.

You all have backpacks full of food, weapons in case you need to use them, as well as another pair of clothes. Who knows what will happen, having a change of clothes is a good idea in your opinion, no matter what the circumstances are.

You’re currently cooped up in an abandoned house, a house which belonged to a family with a son and a daughter, but fled the city once the outbreak started, wanting to get to safety. You don’t even know if they managed to get out of the city, or if they got unlucky. You hope it was the first option.

You were walking around the house, looking at all the pictures of the family who lived there before they fled, and they looked like such a happy family. The son looked about 16 and the daughter about 12 years old. You saw one picture of the 4 of them, and they were smiling brightly, a glimmer in their eyes. The picture was taken on a nice summer day, the 4 of them at the beach. The picture was probably taken by a family member or a friend but it was a nice picture. You suddenly felt yourself starting to cry whilst looking at the picture.

You felt a hand on your shoulder, pulling you out of your trance. You turned your head and saw it was Chan, looking at you with a look in his eyes which means ‘are you ok?’. You gave him a small smile and looked back at the picture. “Do you think they left the city safely? I hope they did. They seem like such a nice family”, you said, putting the picture back. “I hope they did”, Chan said, rubbing your back gently. 

You walked up the stairs, wanting to ensure the house is completely empty and safe before coming to a conclusion whether to stay there for the night or not. You looked through the different rooms, all of them seemed to be empty, apart from one room where Jeongin was taking a nap. He looked so cute, a blanket barely covering his body, which had dinosaurs on it. You smiled at the scene in front of you, wanting to take a picture but you didn't have a camera. That’s when you noticed a polaroid on the desk in the room. You took the polaroid, taking a picture of Jeongin. You took the picture out of the polaroid, shaking the image, waiting for it to develop. Once it developed, you put it in your pocket.

After you put the picture in your pocket, a noise caught your attention. It sounded like something heavy fell to the ground. You left the bedroom, walking towards the source of the sound. Another thud, only this time, it was closer and louder. It sounded like it was coming from above. You noticed a hatch in the ceiling, which could be the attic. 

You grabbed a broom and hit it against the attic door, causing the door to come down, along with what seemed to be the father of the family in the picture. You screamed, hitting him in the face with the bottom of the broom before taking off and going into the bedroom which Jeongin was in, closing the door and putting a chair up against the door handle. 

“What’s going on?” Jeongin asked as he woke up, rubbing his eyes. You made a gesture for him to be quiet, which he questioned but as soon as he heard the noise outside the door, he understood. It sounded like there was more than one person on the other side of the door now and now you were trapped in the room.

“Y/N?! What’s going on?” Hyunjin asked frantically as he ran up the stairs. You freaked out as you heard Hyunjin coming up the stairs, warning him about the infected. Hyunjin screamed once he saw them, freaking out and fell to the floor out of fear. That was when you heard someone else run up the stairs, and then a couple of gunshots. Wait, gunshots? You don’t recall any of you having a gun.

You removed the chair from the door and opened the door slowly, wanting to ensure that you were most definitely safe before leaving the room. You checked outside the door, and saw 4 now lifeless bodies on the floor. That’s when you realised that the family didn’t flee the city, it was too late for them as they got infected and turned. You turned to look at who shot the gun and that’s when you saw Chan holding a pistol.

“Didn’t realise you knew how to fire a gun”, you asked him, not seeming too fazed by the dead bodies on the floor. I mean, you’ve seen your fair share of dead bodies over the past couple of days so at this point, dead bodies don’t faze you anymore. You and Jeongin walked down the stairs, following Chan, Hyunjin following behind you.  

“Are you guys ok?” Jisung asked, putting on a jacket which looked two times too big for him. You just nodded because if you spoke, you felt like you were going to break down in tears. “That jacket makes you look like a child because of how big it is”, Changbin said to Jisung, giggling at how cute he looks. Jisung just glared at him but that made Changbin giggle even more. “I’m sorry, you just look so cute with it on”, Changbin said, explaining himself. Everyone started to laugh at the two of them, forgetting about what just happened not even 5 minutes ago.

“Why don’t we sleep down here together? That way, I’ll know we’re safe together”, Chan said, you agreeing with him. You all settled down in the living room, some of you sitting on the couch, some of you lying on the floor, using your bags as pillows. 

--------------------------------

You had been asleep for a couple of hours, until you were woken up by the sound of glass smashing. You became aware of your surroundings almost immediately, grabbing the first weapon you found in your bag, which was a crowbar. You alerted the rest of the guys, waking them up, which Lee Know wasn’t very keen on, he hates being woken up. 

You headed towards where the sound came from, tiptoeing as to not make a sound. You rounded the corner, seeing broken glass on the floor, which came from the back door. That’s when you heard a grumble coming from the kitchen. You headed towards the kitchen, seeing the back of the intruder. 

“Hello?” you spoke up, causing the intruder to slowly turn around. That’s when you saw that the intruder was, in fact, infected. They charged at you screaming, causing you to scream back, hitting them over the head with the crowbar. They fell to the ground, the commotion causing the others to look what’s going on.

You turned around and began running towards the guys but you felt a hand grab your ankle, knocking you to the ground with a yell. The infected climbed on top of you, trying to take a chunk out of you. Still holding the crowbar, you put it in between you and the infected, trying to stop it from infecting you.

All of a sudden, more infected came running into the house, surrounding you. The others fought the other infected while you still tried fighting off the one on top of you. Blood dribbled out of its mouth and onto your cheek, causing you to gag. “Bro, your breath stinks”, you said, before kicking your foot out, kicking the infected back. You got up off the floor, hitting the infected repeatedly with the crowbar, not caring if blood was splatting you in the face. You pushed them back, causing the infected to become impaled on a hook, which was embedded in the wall. It went right through their throat, causing them to make gurgling noises, even more blood spurting out of their mouth.

“Now stay dead, you crazy motherfucker”, you said, not bothering to wipe the blood off your face. You left the kitchen, seeing the other infected dead on the floor. The others also had blood on their faces, and you noticed that Seungmin was clutching his shoulder. “Seungmin, are you ok?” you asked, concern evident in your voice. “Yeah, I’m ok. Though I think I might have dislocated my shoulder in the process of fighting off one of the infected”, he said, hissing at the pain of his shoulder.

“Ok let's get out of here before any more infected show up”, Chan said, grabbing his bag. The rest of you followed suit, grabbing all your things before rushing out of the house, Seungmin hobbling behind you, Jeongin staying with him.

--------------------------------

You have been walking for about 20 minutes before Seungmin started complaining about the pain he was in. He sat down on a bench, still clutching his shoulder only now, he was breathing heavily. You walked towards him, putting a hand on his forehead. Luckily his forehead felt normal, so you didn’t panic. 

“Jeongin, hold Seungmin down so he doesn’t budge. Seungmin, put this in your mouth”, you gave a bandana to bite on. “I’m going to push your shoulder back in place on the count of three, ok?” Seungmin nodded, unable to talk due to the bandana in his mouth.

“One”

As soon as you said ‘one’, you pushed his shoulder back in place, Seungmin screaming out in pain. He ripped the bandana out of his mouth, glaring at you. “I thought you said on the count of three!”

“I’m shocked you believed me”, you said, to which Seungmin huffed. Thankfully Seungmin wasn’t clutching his shoulder anymore, the pain finally disappeared. “Thanks”, Seungmin mumbled under his breath, but you managed to hear him, to which you shoved his arm in response.

You carried on walking for a good few hours, fighting off some more infected in the process. You walked through an abandoned village, until you saw what looked like an arsenal. “Hey guys, look”, you said, not giving the others a chance to reply before you ran off.

The others caught up to you and Hyunjin grabbed your arm, but not too hard. He turned you around to look at him and that’s when you saw the look on his face: anger. “Don’t fucking run away like that. What if you were attacked by infected or something?! What if you got yourself killed?” he raised his voice, but not because he’s angry at you, he was just worried. 

“I’m sorry. But look, there are still guns left”, you said, changing the subject. Hyunjin just rolled his eyes, used to you changing the subject, but he didn’t want to cause an argument so he just left it. Besides, he loved you too much. You all picked up a few guns, along with bullets for the specific guns you chose.

You picked up a shotgun, a rifle and a couple of handguns because it’s good to have a backup gun in case one of them gets jammed. “I don’t know about you guys but, I’m going to test these bad boys out”, you said, going outside to test out the guns you’ve got. 

You put some old bottles you found on a wall, all lined up in a row. You started off with the handguns, putting the bullets in, taking the safety off and aiming them. You pulled the trigger, hitting a bottle. You were pleased with the handguns, putting them in your back (after putting the safety back on, obviously, you don't want to accidentally be shot in the ass). You tested out the rifle next, which had a scope on it so you can focus on any target in the distance. You put the bullets in the rifle, putting the butt of the rifle between your shoulder and cheek. You looked through the scope, focusing on a bottle before firing the trigger, hitting the bottle, blasting it into smithereens. You put the safety back on the rifle, putting the sling over your shoulder. You tested out the shotgun, putting the shotgun shells in. You turned the safety off before aiming it at the bottles. You pulled the trigger, the force almost making you fall backwards. You were pleased with the guns you chose, putting the safety back on and slinging the shotgun over your other shoulder.

Suddenly, Hyunjin came jogging over to you, with worry on his face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” you asked him, turning your body to properly face him. “Um, I don’t know how to use a gun and since you know what you’re doing, I was hoping you could teach me?” he asked, biting his lip in anticipation. You gave him a small smile, walking behind him. You told him how to hold the gun, to which he did perfectly. You put your hands over his, aiming the gun at the remaining bottles on the wall. You talked him through it, until he pulled the trigger, hitting one of the bottles, knocking it to the ground. He smiled, happy that he now knows how to use a gun. 

“Thank you, babe”, he said, the pet name leaving his mouth. He turned around, facing you. You looked up at him, a soft smile on your face. Before you knew it, his lips were on yours, capturing them in a deep yet sweet kiss. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but you could feel the emotion being poured into it.

You were the first one to pull away, opening your eyes to see Hyunjin looking at you with a fond expression. Your attention was pulled away from Hyunjin and the sound of shouting coming from inside the arsenal, and the sound of gunshots. “Shit”, Hyunjin said, the both of you running towards the arsenal. That’s when you saw the others running out of the arsenal, shouting for the two of you to run the other way. As soon as the others were out, a massive explosion came from it, the shop bursting into flames, the explosion blasting you backwards.

You groaned as your whole body ached. You touched your forehead, feeling blood trickling down your temples. You sat up, seeing the others on the ground. That’s when you saw an army truck speeding past, people holding scary looking guns. You laid back down, not wanting to be seen by them. They drove past you, and you waited until they were out of sight before getting back up.

“Guys?” you said, hoping that the others were okay. Thankfully, they were all okay as they started moving, getting up slowly. “What the fuck happened in there?” you asked, wondering what the heck happened. “One moment, we were just looking around and then the next thing I knew, I saw that truck outside, firing their guns. We started running out when they threw grenades”, Changbin said.

“Is everyone alright?” Chan asked, checking everyone out to see if they had any injuries. Everyone seemed alright, apart from the odd bruise and scrape. Jeongin, however, had a massive gash on his face, blood covering his cheek. “Fuck, Jeongin, you’re bleeding”, Chan said, holding his face. 

“Really? I didn’t realise”, he said sarcastically, wincing at the pain. Luckily you had a mini first aid kit in your bag, taking it out. Chan treated Jeongin’s wound, carefully putting a bandage on it, despite Jeongin’s protests.

You started walking again after that, the sun starting to set. You could feel the air becoming colder the more the sun set, putting your jacket on. 

--------------------------------

You’ve been walking for god knows how long, the sun now replaced with the moon in the sky. You haven’t seen any infected for a while, which you were glad about. But you were also cautious because who knows what could jump out at you. You walked up a hill, reaching the top. That’s when you saw it: a safe camp in the distance. 

“Hey guys, look”, you said as you pointed at it. The others saw it too, feeling a slight chance of hope that they’ve found a place they’ll feel safe. “Do you think they’ll let us in?” Felix asked, hoping that they’ll be allowed in. “There’s only one way to find out”, Chan said, walking down the hill, the rest of you following him.

You made it to the front of the safe camp, a security light turning on, blinding you. Someone walked up to the gate, looking at you. “Are any of you infected?”, they asked, wanting to know if any of you have been bitten or not.

“We’re all clean”, you answered, the others agreeing with you. The person spoke into a walkie talkie, probably to the leader of the camp. After they received an order from the boss, the person nodded to someone, and that’s when the gates opened, letting you in. You followed the person, being shown around the camp. Others looked at you, probably wary since you’re newcomers to the camp, but you didn’t blame them, especially regarding the circumstances.

You were shown where you’ll be staying, and you were glad that you’ll finally have your own bed to sleep in after such a long time. You made yourself at home, putting your bag on the floor as you laid down on the bed. “This is nice”, you said to yourself, a small smile on your face.

“Dinner will be in an hour so, once you’ve settled in, come to the cafeteria. It’s down the hall, through the big doors. You won’t miss it. Oh, my name is Hoseok, by the way”, Hoseok introduced himself, giving you a small smile, to which you returned. You introduced yourself too, before he left. 

You soon went to the cafeteria once you settled in, walking through the big doors. You saw the others sitting down, already eating. You grabbed something to eat before joining them, sitting by Hyunjin. “How’s your room?” Hyunjin asked, before swallowing a piece of chicken. “It’s nice. I’m so glad I have my own bed. It’s really comfy”, you said, eating some rice. 

You were engaged in a conversation, laughing at something Jisung said. Though your conversation was interrupted by a long bang. The doors swung open, revealing a woman with short black hair, covered in tattoos and piercings. She looked intimidating, her eyes had a look in her eyes which you couldn’t make out. If looks could kill, many people in the room would be dead already. “Haneul, stop”, Hoseok said, trying to stop the girl, but she didn’t listen. She kept walking until she stopped at a table. She said something to one of the guys at the table, you couldn’t make out what she was saying as she was too far away but you knew it wasn’t good. The next thing you know, she hit the guy, knocking him off his seat.

Great, you’re not even at the safe camp for a whole day and there’s already a fight. Hoseok and who you assumed to be the leader of the camp broke the fight, Hoseok holding Haneul. “Stop it, the both of you. If you can’t behave then you’ll have to leave”, the leader said, before leaving. You must have looked at Haneul for a bit too long as she glared at you. “What are you looking at, bitch?” she spat, causing Hyunjin to almost jump out of his seat before you stopped him. 

“Oh, nothing. Just admiring your tattoos”, you said, giving a smile. Haneul just rolled her eyes, leaving the cafeteria. Well, that’s someone you don’t want to mess with.

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You woke up the next morning, having a good night's sleep after a long time. You slipped a black tank top on, along with your black pants and combat boots. You put your jacket on over the top, about to leave your bedroom. Before you left, though, you ensured that you put your pocket knife in your boot, as well as hiding your gun in your pants, just in case something happened. 

You were ready to leave your bedroom, opening the door. You slipped out of your bedroom and as you were about to head outside, you heard a voice. “Hey, bitch”, it was Haneul. What did she want? “What do you want?” you asked nicely, not wanting to get on her bad side. Then again, is she ever nice? “I just wanted to let you know that I run this camp so you better not disobey”, she said, causing you to laugh. “I’m sorry but that's hilarious. You don’t run this camp, Jongwoo does”, Jongwoo being the leader of the camp. “Also, I’m not scared of you. I bet you’re just an insecure little girl who tries to look tough”, you said, walking off. Haneul didn’t like that, however, as she turned you around and punched you square in the jaw. “Don’t insult me, you little fucker”, she said, gripping your jacket. 

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Hoseok said, walking down the hallway. The both of you looked at him, Hoseok seeing blood trickle down your mouth. “Haneul, get off them, now”, Hoseok ordered, his voice firm. Haneul let go of you, huffing and walking off. Hoseok walked up to you, looking at you. “You ok?” he asked, wiping the blood off your mouth. All you did was smile, before walking off.

You went outside, seeing Hyunjin and Chan. You ran up to them, giving them a smile. They went to smile back before they noticed the bruise forming on your face. “What the fuck happened?!” Hyunjin said, holding your face gently. “Remind me to never insult Haneul again”, was all you said before laughing slightly.

The three of you did your errands, which include going to the armory and cleaning the guns. You spent about 30 minutes cleaning the weapons, trying to make the time as enthusiastic as possible by cracking jokes. 

All of a sudden, there was a commotion coming from outside, the sound of shouting causing you to go out and see what was happening. You saw Haneul pointing a gun at the same guy she fought yesterday, his face bleeding. “Fucking give it to me!” she shouted, waving the gun around, making everyone hide behind something.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, for fucks sake!” the guy shouted, but Haneul didn’t like that. She pulled the trigger, shooting the guy in the head. Everyone screamed, the guy falling to the ground. “Does anyone else want to fucking argue with me?” she shouted, but no one answered. You saw Jisung and Lee Know holding hands, scared out of their minds. Jeongin, Seungmin and Felix were hiding behind Changbin, who didn’t even look scared but you knew he was. Whenever Changbin was scared of something, he played with his fingers, and that’s exactly what he was doing. 

You didn’t want anything happening to them so you walked towards Haneul, Hyunjin and Chan trying to stop you. You took your gun out from the back of your pants, aimed it in the air and pulled the trigger, getting Haneul’s attention. “Ah, look who decided to show up”, Haneul said, now putting her gun at you. “Haneul, stop this. This is supposed to be a safe camp but with you acting the way you are, you’re not making it safe”, you said, slowly walking towards her.

“Nowhere is safe anymore! Wherever I go, I always fear for my life that I’m going to become infected, which is what happened to my family”, Haneul said, as tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Look, I understand your fear but, is really acting this way going to help?” you said, being careful with your words, as well as your movements.

As soon as you were close enough, and Haneul had her guard down, you lunged forward and tried taking the gun out of her hand but in the process, Haneul kicked your leg, knocking you to the ground. “That was a stupid move”, Haneul said, aiming the gun at you as you laid on the ground. Without thinking, you kicked her in the shin, making her cry out in pain. She dropped the gun, the gun going off, luckily missing you and the others in the back. You tackled her to the ground, hitting her in the face.

“You think you’re the only one who’s scared? What about everyone here? We’re all fucking terrified so instead of thinking about yourself, think about the safety of everyone else, for fucks sake. Stop being a selfish, fucking bitch”, you screamed, repeatedly hitting her. Haneul flipped you over, now getting on top of you. She wrapped her hands around your throat, choking you. 

The others ran to help, trying to get Haneul off you. Changbin tried pulling Haneul but she wouldn’t budge. All of a sudden, there was another gun going off. It was Jongwoo, storming over to where you were. “What the fuck is going on here?!” he shouted, and that’s when he saw Haneul trying to kill you. He had no other option: he pointed his gun at Haneul and pulled the trigger, shooting her in the head. She fell on top of you, her hands loosening around your throat. You threw her off you, gasping for air. You coughed a couple of times before you managed to breathe properly.

“Jongwoo, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have provoked her”, you said, now crying because Haneul is dead, and you felt guilty because if you didn’t provoke her, she would probably still be alive. “Hey, kid, it’s not your fault, ok? I should have seen this coming a mile away. Ever since she arrived a couple of days ago, she’s been a danger to herself and everyone around her. I shouldn’t have let her in. I know that sounds harsh but it’s true”, Jongwoo said, patting you on the shoulder.

You looked down at Haneul’s lifeless body, her body in a pool of her own blood. You walked off, ignoring the calls of your name from the others. You just wanted to be alone, still processing what just happened. You walked to your room, slamming the door and locking it. You jumped onto your bed, lying face down as you cried into the pillow, your throat still hurting from when Haneul tried choking you to death. You soon fell asleep not too long after that, soon to be haunted by the image of Haneul’s lifeless body.

--------------------------------

You’ve been locked in your room for a few days now, one of the guys (mainly Hyunjin, though) bringing you some food and something to drink throughout the days you’ve been cooped up in your room.

You were currently lying on your bed, looking up at the ceiling with blank eyes. You were lost in your thoughts until there was a bang at your door, which scared you. You thought it was nothing until it happened again. You got off your bed and walked towards the door. “Who is it?” you asked whoever was on the other side.

“It’s me”, it was Hyunjin. You unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a dishevelled Hyunjin. “What’s going on?” you asked, your voice monotonous. “We need to leave. Now”, he said, causing you to raise your eyebrows. “The others are waiting for us, let’s go”, Hyunjin said, going into your room and grabbing your bag for you, along with your guns before giving them to you. You tried getting his attention but he was too occupied with leaving for some reason, so you had to shout at him.

“Hyunjin!” you shouted, finally getting his attention, him now looking at you. “What’s going on?!?” you asked again, wanting to know why you had to leave. “While you have been locked in your room, the rest of us have been secretly exploring the place, trying to figure out if this safe camp is really a safe place”, Hyunjin explained, the both of you sitting on your bed at this point.

You nodded for him to continue, looking at him with fear in your eyes. “y/n, these people are dangerous. Hoseok and Jongwoo aren’t nice people. They have their own torture room. There are god knows how many dead bodies in there, tied up and mutilated. We need to leave and get as far away from here as possible”, he said, grabbing your hand. You put your bag on, slinging the shotgun and rifle over your shoulders and left with him, going to find the others, being as quiet as possible.

You caught up with the others, trying to find a way out through the back of the camp but unfortunately, there’s only one way out of the camp: through the front gates, which are guarded 24/7 by guards. “What do we do?” Jisung asked, his voice louder than a whisper, but quieter than his usual speaking voice. “I mean, we can’t just go all out guns-a-blazing, that’s one way of getting ourselves killed”, to which you all agreed. You had to think strategically about this.

“Hey, what are you guys doing back here?! You’re not allowed to be here”, one of the guards said, pointing his guns at you. You didn’t know what else to do so you just pointed your gun at him and pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest, making him fall backwards. “Shit”, Jisung said as he started freaking out, which is understandable if you just saw someone shoot another person.

All of a sudden, an alarm started going off, along with red lights going off throughout the camp. “Ok, now we definitely need to leave”, you said, holding your rifle. All of you started running, shooting anyone who tries to attack you in the process.

You managed to make it to the front, getting closer to the gates. You reached the gates but you didn’t know how to open them. Changbin climbed up a ladder to hopefully find a button that opens the gates. “Shit, someone has destroyed the control pad. They don’t want us to leave”, Changbin said, screaming out of frustration.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” a voice said, and you turned around to see Jongwoo and Hoseok standing behind him. Hoseok had a smirk on his face, and you just wanted to slap the expression off his face. “We know what you have been up to, there’s nowhere to hide”, Hyunjin said, pointing his gun at them.

Whilst you were face to face with Hoseok and Jongwoo, Jisung remembered that he had some grenades in his bag, trying to get your attention but being subtle about it. You turned around slightly, seeing what Jisung had in his bag, signalling to you that he was going to put them by the gate. 

“I thought we were really safe here. But turns out, that was a ploy, wasn’t it? Wanting us to feel like we were all safe before you end up torturing us and killing us. You sick bastards”, you spat, moving forwards to get closer to them, so Jisung could do what he needed to do.

“What are you guys up to?” Jongwoo asked, suspicious of your movements. “What do you mean?” you replied, acting innocent. “Oh cut the crap, I know exactly what you’re doing”, Hoseok spat, uncrossing his arms. “Oh, really?” was all you said before aiming your gun and shooting Hoseok in the head, the bullet going straight through his forehead, his body dropping to the ground with a thud.

“You fucking bitch”, Jongwoo shouted, lunging forward to try and grab you but you were quicker, hitting the butt of your rifle over his head, causing his to yell out in pain. Jisung managed to sort the grenades out, pulling the pin out of them, throwing them against the gates. “Take cover”, he shouted, running for cover, taking Lee Know with him as he threw himself behind a metal container. The grenades blew the gates open, metal flying everywhere. 

While Jisung was preparing the grenades, with the help of Lee Know, you continued fighting Jongwoo. He tried hitting you but kept missing, you being too quick for him. That’s when you heard Jisung shout to take cover, but luckily, the rest of you were far away enough from the gate. As soon as you were sure you were able to leave, you didn’t think twice before running towards the gate. 

“Don’t leave me here, you fucking idiots”, Jongwoo screamed but you didn’t pay any attention to him. You didn’t look back as you continued running, getting as far away from there as possible. Once you were sure you were far enough away, you stopped running. You hugged Hyunjin, clinging onto him. He hugged you back tightly, kissing the top of your head. You hugged the rest of the guys too, which Lee Know tried to avoid but you know deep down, he loved the hug you gave him.

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The sun had risen into the sky once you arrived at an abandoned school, which you were sure had infected inside. “I ain’t going in there”, Lee Know said, fear taking over him. “Listen, I don’t want to go in there either but I’m pretty sure there is the only way to go because as you can see, everywhere else is blocked”, you said, which was true. The only way forward was through the school.

As soon as you were about to walk towards the school, you heard infected coming towards you. There were a couple of them running towards you, so you ran as fast as you could towards the school. The only way into the school was through an open window, which you had to climb to get to. 

“There’s our way in but how are we going to get up there?” you said, not seeing anything that you could use to climb up there. Thankfully there was a broken ladder lying on the floor. It may be broken but you could still use it, as long as you’re careful.

You used the ladder one by one, going in through the open window. The last person to use the ladder was Jisung, climbing up towards the window. He looked down at the infected, who looked up at Jisung, looking lost. “At least they can’t climb, right?” Jisung said as he laughed, but his laugh was soon cut off as one of the infected started to climb the ladder. Jisung screamed like a girl, kicking the infected in the face, making them fall to the ground. Jisung climbed as fast as he could, going through the open window and pushing the ladder to the floor.

Jisung fell to the floor, his legs like jelly. “I’m never doing this ever again”, he said as he tried catching his breath. “Come on, let’s keep going”, Chan said, helping Jisung up. You progressed through the abandoned school, surprisingly not seeing any infected inside. Though you were proved wrong when you rounded the corner and came face to face with one of them, being tackled to the ground.

“y/n!” Hyunjin yelled, shooting the infected in the head before kicking it off you. He helped you up, checking to see if you’re ok. “I guess I should be careful where I walk”, you said as you nervously chuckled. You walked through the school more carefully, always being on guard, having your gun on you at all times.

“Hey, guys?” Jeongin said, breaking the silence. “If I ever get bitten, I want one of you to shoot me”, Jeongin said, causing you to stop. “That’s never going to happen, ok?” you said, not wanting to think about any of you getting infected. Jeongin was about to say something else before he heard a noise. 

“Did you hear that?” he asked, looking all around him. “Yeah, it sounded like it came from behind us”, you said, turning around, aiming your gun. An infected started running towards you, firing your gun, shooting them in the head. Before you knew it, about a dozen infected came running towards you. 

“Shit, run!”, Chan shouted, all of you running through the school. You didn’t bother looking back, not wanting to slow down. You were too busy running away from the infected behind you, you didn’t think about any infected being in front of you, before it was too late. You were completely surrounded by them, nowhere to run.

“What do we do? We’re surrounded by them”, Felix said, shooting them in the head. “Get down!” you heard a voice shout but you don’t know where it came from. You still listened to the voice, all of you getting down. An RPG came shooting past you, blasting all the infected into smithereens. Once you knew it was safe, you all stood up, turning around to see who shot the gun.

“You could have killed us”, Chan said, talking to them. “I still could, you know”, they said, a hint of annoyance in their voice. “Come on out before I change my mind”, they said, all of you running out of the school. “Who is this guy?” you asked Hyunjin, him shaking his head as he has no idea either.

“The name is Jackson, by the way”, he said, introducing himself. You all followed him, wondering where he was taking you. Hopefully he wasn’t taking you to your death because if he was, you were going to haunt him.

“And before you ask, no I’m not going to kill you”, Jackson said, causing you to stop in your tracks, did he just read your fucking mind? You continued to follow him until you reached an abandoned house, which you assumed was where Jackson was living. You looked around the house, finding a picture on a wall. You went to touch it before Jackson raised his voice, “don’t fucking touch anything”.

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that”, Hyunjin said, coming up to Jackson, coming face to face with him. “Hey, Hyunjin, it’s ok”, you said, breaking them up. “I’m sorry, I should have asked before touching anything. I was just looking at the picture on the wall”, you said, pointing to the picture you were on about. It was a picture of 2 guys, one of them being Jackson. “The other guy is my boyfriend. Well, was my boyfriend, before he got infected and I had to shoot him”, Jackson said, no emotion in his voice. You felt bad for asking about it, walking off. 

“Do any of you know how to drive?” Jackson asked as he walked into his garage, a truck parked in the middle of it. “I do”, Lee Know said, walking up to the car. “Unfortunately, the car won’t start as the battery is dead but I’m sure there is another battery around here somewhere”.

--------------------------------

Lee Know started the car, and it finally worked, all of you getting into the truck, including Jackson. Luckily the truck was big enough to fit all 10 of you, the remainder of you sitting in the back of the truck. “Do you know where you’re going, kid?” Jackson asked Lee Know, to which he responded that he didn’t, just wanted to drive as far away as possible.

Music was playing on the radio, a music cassette which Lee Know found. It wasn’t his music taste but it would do. You, Hyunjin and Jeongin were sitting in the back of the truck, having your guns out just in case you get raided by infected. Lee Know drove for about half an hour, until you were on the other side of the city, getting out of the truck. 

“Thanks for this, Jackson”, Chan said, bowing to him. Jackson didn’t say anything but you could tell by his body language and facial expression that he thanked you back, before getting back in his truck, driving away. The part of the city you were in looked worse: buildings had collapsed, remnants of cars that had caught fire, as well as part of the road had caved in. 

“Where to know?” you asked, trying to find the way forward. “I have no idea”, Chan said, looking lost. “We could try looking in one of the buildings”, Seungmin suggested, which seemed like the best choice. “We should split up since there are a couple of buildings to look in”, Chan said, which you didn’t like the idea but you had no choice. “If you manage to find a way out, shoot your gun once”, Chan said, to which you questioned, “how will we know which gun shot is the right one?” you asked to which Chan replied, “You’ll know, don’t worry”. You didn’t question him after that, not wanting to confuse yourself even more.

You split up into three groups: you, Hyunjin and Jeongin in one group, Chan, Changbin and Seungmin in the other group and Lee Know, Jisung and Felix in the last group. You went into different buildings, looking around.

You, Hyunjin and Jeongin

“What are we actually looking for, again?” Jeongin asked, looking around the building. “A way out, I guess”, you answered, walking up some stairs. As soon as you walked around the corner, you saw a couple of infected walking round. You slowly walked up behind one of them, stabbing it in the neck, dropping it to the ground. Hyunjin and Jeongin dealt with the others, silently killing them so as to not make a noise just in case there were others walking around.

You started to smell something really bad, like rotting meat. “Fuck, what’s that awful smell?” you said, holding your nose. You walked into a room, and that’s where you saw where the smell was coming from. In the middle of the room, there was a pile of dead bodies, which looked like it was set on fire by someone. 

“That’s disgusting”, Hyunjin said, gagging at the awful smell. Jeongin looked like he was going to throw up, holding his chest. “Let’s get out of this room before I actually throw up”, Jeongin said, gagging. You all left the room, closing the door behind you to try and get rid of the smell. You progressed further through the building, hopefully trying to find a way out but so far, you’re not having any luck.

“I wonder how the others are doing”, Jeongin said, hoping the others were okay. He was too focused on trying to find a way out that he didn’t see the infected running towards him, before it was too late. “Jeongin!” you shouted, watching Jeongin being tackled towards the window, his body going out of it.

Chan, Changbin and Seungmin 

“I hate this so much”, Changbin huffed, wanting nothing more than for this to be over. “Hey, you’re not the only one, shorty”, Seungmin said, rolling his eyes. “Hey! I’m not short. I’m just pocket sized”, Changbin argued, huffing again. Chan managed to stop them both bickering, progressing further into the building. 

They haven’t seen any infected yet, since they could hardly see anything. “It’s so dark, I can hardly see anything”, Changbin said, squinting his eyes. There was hardly any light being shone into the building, apart from the odd light coming from some windows. “I wish I had a flashlight”, Changbin said, to which Seungmin whacked him over the head. 

“Hey! What was that for?” Changbin said, crossing his arms. “I thought you had a flashlight in your bag? If you stopped constantly whining, you would realise that”, Seungmin said, tired of his whining. That’s when the realisation came to Changbin that he did, in fact, have a flashlight in his bag.

All three of them held their flashlights, which made it better for them to see. That’s when they saw some infected roaming around the halls in the building, causing them to be startled, resulting in Changbin falling over. The sound alerted the infected, causing them to charge after them. Chan and Seungmin fired their guns, shooting the infected, them falling to the ground. Changbin was too freaked out to do anything, still sitting on the floor.

After all the infected were shot, Chan and Seungmin put their guns away, checking on Changbin. “Bro, you good?” Chan asked him, holding his hand out for him to grab, helping him up. “Am I good? Nope, absolutely not, I’m 100% fucking far from good”, Changbin said, terrified out of his mind.

Changbin walked forward, freaked out. He started pacing around, his breathing getting heavier as the minutes passed. “Changbin, calm down”, Chan said, walking towards him. “Calm down?! How can I calm down when we’re in the middle of a fucking apocalypse!”, Changbin cried, tears now streaming down his face. Before he knew it, an infected charged through a door, knocking him to the ground. The sound of screaming was cut off by a gunshot. 

Lee Know, Jisung and Felix

“Jisung, please for the love of god, stop whistling”, Lee Know said, Jisung’s whistling starting to annoy him. Jisung wanted to annoy him a bit more by whistling again but his whistling was cut off by the sound of a groan. “What was that?” Jisung whisper-shouted, wondering where it came from. “It came from that way”, Felix said, pointing in the direction of where the sound came from. 

Jisung walked in front, walking towards where the sound was coming from, trying to be brave but in reality, he was scared shitless and he had no idea why he decided to go first. He had his gun out, holding it in front of him just in case something jumped out in front of him. “Jisung, wait!” Lee Know whisper-shouted, wanting Jisung to wait for them. They managed to catch up to him, watching Jisung as he walked down a long corridor.

The sound of the groaning was getting louder, the three of them standing outside where the sound was coming from. Lee Know counted to three, before kicking the door open, firing his gun at any infected he sees. Felix and Jisung did the same, shooting infected in the head, seeing their bodies fall to the ground.

“That went better than I expected”, Jisung said, smiling slightly. His smile faded, however, as he saw an infected coming up behind Lee Know, pushing him out of the way to shoot it in the face, watching as its body fell to the ground. Lee Know felt his heart beating out of his chest, holding it. “Shit, thanks Jisungie”, Lee Know said, the nickname falling off his tongue. The three of them left the room, not expecting an infected to be out there. Jsiung didn’t think as he ran off, his fight or flight kicked in (in this case, flight kicked in first). He didn’t bother looking back, screaming his head off. He went to open a door, but what he didn’t realise was that the room behind the door had completely caved in, the door now leading to the outside. Which was a problem since the three of them were nowhere near the ground.

You, Hyunjin and Jeongin

“Jeongin!” you shouted, seeing his body going out the window. Luckily, he grabbed onto the window sill just in time, the infected falling to the ground. You ran up to the window, and saw Jeongin hanging onto the window sill. “You okay?!” you asked, reaching your hand out for him to grab. He nodded as you helped him up, immediately hugging you as soon as he was on his feet. He was like a little brother to you, wanting nothing more than to protect him. 

Hyunjin ran up to the two of you, hugging Jeongin as soon as he let go of you. Jeongin hugged him back, clinging onto the elder. He started crying into his chest, Hyunjin patting his head, which always calms him down. “Shall we continue trying to find a way out?” you asked, going up a flight of stairs, which the other two followed you. You went up a couple flights of stairs, hoping to reach the top but unfortunately, the way out was blocked. “I hope the others have better luck at finding a way out”, you said, going back down the stairs. That’s when you heard the singular gun shot, signalling that one of the other groups had found the way out.

Chan, Changbin and Seungmin

The sound of screaming was cut off by a gunshot, the infected becoming limp. Chan pushed the infected off of Changbin’s body, getting scared due to Changbin not moving. “Changbin?” Chan said, shaking the younger’s body, hoping he would wake up. Changbin groaned, touching his neck. His eyes widened as he felt a chunk of his neck was bitten off. 

“Guys? Please get away from me”, Changbin said as he stood up, holding his neck. Both Chan and Seungmin were confused until it clicked: Changbin is infected. “No, this can’t be happening. We were all supposed to survive this”, Seungmin said, tears starting to stream down his face. Changbin started to feel his whole body twitch, his vision becoming blurry. “Chan, I want you to shoot me”, Changbin said, not wanting to become a cannibalistic psychopath. Chan held his gun by his side, not wanting to shoot one of his best friends.

“I can’t do it”, Chan cried. He didn’t want to shoot him but he also didn’t want Changbin to turn into one of those things. If that’s what Changbin wanted then, that’s what he’s going to get. 

“Turn around, Changbin”, Chan said, tears starting to blur his vision. They were all a sobbing mess at this point. Changbin turned around, looking out the window, seeing birds fly in the distance. Changbin smiled slightly, his eyes closed as he waited for the sound of the gunshot. Chan pointed the gun at the back of Changbin’s head, his hand shaking. He closed his eyes, putting his finger on the trigger. He pulled the trigger, the bullet going through the back of Changbin’s head, his now lifeless body dropping to the floor. 

It took Chan and Seungmin a moment to process what happened and once they did, they just broke. They sat on the floor for a good few minutes, not wanting to leave their now dead friend. But unfortunately, they had to. They needed to find a way out. “We will survive for you, Changbin”, Seungmin said, holding Changbin’s cold hand. They both progressed further into the building, going up some stairs to hopefully go to the top. They managed to reach the top, and thankfully, it wasn’t blocked. They opened the door, going out into the fresh air. They managed to find the way out. Chan held his gun in the air, firing the gun, signalling that they found the way out.

Lee Know, Jisung and Felix

Jisung opened the door, almost falling to his death. If it wasn’t for Lee Know, he would have. Lee Know shot the infected before coming to save him, putting his arm around his waist to stop him from falling. 

“Next time, don’t run off. It’s like trying to babysit a child”, Lee Know said, pulling Jisung away from the edge. All of a sudden, Felix came running towards them, out of breath. “What’s wrong?” Lee Know said, watching Felix trying to catch his breath. “We have a problem”, Felix said, pointing towards the end of the corridor. The three of them slowly walked towards the end and that’s when they heard it: a voice. No, more than one voice. Lee Know peaked into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. He saw a couple of men in the room, wearing some sort of uniform. 

“Let’s get out of here”, Lee Know said, closing the door quietly and tiptoeing away from the door. Unfortunately, due to Jisung’s clumsiness, he accidentally knocked something over, causing it to make a loud bang. “What was that?” a voice said, walking towards the door. The three of them just stood there, holding their guns in front of them. A man walked out of the room, holding a gun. He looked scary: a couple of scars on his face, big muscles and short black hair. He didn’t look very friendly, and judging by the profanities he starts shouting, he definitely isn’t a nice person.

“Where the fuck are you, you shit heads?” he growled, cocking his gun. That’s when Lee Know decided to make the brave move by coming out of hiding, shooting the guy in the chest, causing him to fall backwards with a thud. “What the fuck?!” another voice said, and that’s when everyone came running out of the room, all holding guns. Lee Know, Jisung and Felix had no choice but to start shooting, it was a kill or be killed situation and they didn't want to die.

Once they were sure they all weren’t moving, the three of them progressed further into the building, trying to find a way out. Though they didn’t get very far as they heard the sound of a single gunshot, which is the signal that one of the other groups had found a way out.

--------------------------------

You met Lee Know, Jisung and Felix outside, wanting to go into the other building together. “I really hope the others are okay”, you said, running into the building, the others following. You ran up the stairs, not bothering to look where you were going, just wanting to get to the top as quickly as possible. As you rounded the corner, you saw someone lying on the ground. You walked closer to them but you soon regretted it. As you were close enough to see the person, you saw that it was Changbin. Blood pooled around his lifeless body, making you fall backwards and screamed. You saw that he had a chunk of his neck bitten off, realising that he got infected.

The others saw his lifeless body, everyone now crying. You all sat by his lifeless body for a few minutes, mourning him. You kissed your hand and pressed your hand to his cheek, before getting up and going towards the door, which was the way out.

All of you saw Chan and Seungmin standing on the rooftop. “What the hell happened?” you yelled, but not in an angry way. “We got bombarded by infected, causing Changbin to have a mental breakdown afterwards. He got jumped by one infected which we didn’t know was there, resulting in him getting bitten. Changbin didn’t want to turn into one of those things so… he wanted me to shoot him”, Chan explained, a few stray tears rolling down his cheek.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to survive this outbreak together! Now Changbin is fucking dead. I just want this to fucking end already”, Jeongin screamed to no one in particular, just venting his thoughts. Chan managed to calm the younger one down, his breathing becoming normal again.

“All we can do now is keep going forward. That’s what Changbin would want us to do, isn’t it? Despite him being scared of certain situations, he never backed down, no matter what”, you said, everyone agreeing with you. Changbin was tougher than he thought himself out to be, never backing down from a fight, no matter how scared he seemed. Whether that be someone insulting his friends or being in a dangerous situation such as the one you’re in now, Changbin never turned his back on things, no matter how tough things got.

You climbed down the ladder, leading down to the other side of the building, your feet landing on the ground. You walked into the middle of the street, but you didn’t get far as the same truck you saw back at the arsenal came driving past, all of you hiding behind concrete barriers. “Where the fuck did they come from?” Chan whispered, keeping his head down whilst trying to subtly look at what they are doing. “I have no idea but it looks like they’re looking for something. Or someone”, Lee Know said, sitting with his back against the barrier. “Come out, come out wherever you are”, a voice spoke up, coming from the truck. His voice sounded gruff, his tone threatening. 

“What the fuck, I thought he went to prison”, you said, fear in your voice. “Wait, you know the guy?” Hyunjin asked, looking at you. You hesitated to answer him, but they needed to know. “That’s my ex. Yes, the abusive one. That’s the guy who tried to kill me, but luckily I managed to get away from him and called the police, who arrested him. I haven’t seen him since that day 2 years ago”, you explained, the memories of him beating you coming back. 

When you first started dating your ex, who goes by the name of Minhyung, he was the sweetest person. He took you out on dates, bought you gifts and treated you like royalty. He always gave you affection, whether it was holding hands or cuddling, or giving you the most breathtaking kisses. But that soon changed when he started showing his true colours. His whole sweet act with you was just a facade, wanting you to think he was this sweet angel, just so he couldn’t make you leave the relationship. 

It all started when he came home drunk one day, seeing you on the couch, watching your favourite tv show. When he saw you watching it without him, he got aggressive. Which is stupid because, it’s just a tv show, it’s not like you kicked him or anything. That’s when he first hit you. He didn’t even show remorse, his eyes full of hate. That went on for a few months, until you had enough. You sat him down one day, twiddling your fingers. You feared his reaction but you feared for your safety more than anything.

That’s when you said those 5 words: “I want to break up”. Minhyung didn’t like that at all. He screamed, saying that he owes you and you can’t go anywhere. You stood your ground, despite how terrified you were, telling him that you’re sick of his behaviour and the abuse you received from him, wanting nothing more than for it to stop. That’s when he hit you over and over again, first with his fists. You managed to get away from him, locking yourself in the bathroom.

You heard him shout after you, standing outside the bathroom door. He banged on the door, demanding that you unlocked the door for him. You didn’t listen, covering your ears to block out his shouting. After a while, his shouting stopped, removing your hands from your ears. You thought you were safe, but that feeling went away as quick as it came, Minhyung now destroying the door with an axe. You had no idea where he got the axe from but at the same time, you didn’t want to know.

You screamed as Minhyung made a hole in the door, putting his hand through to unlock the door. You backed away from him, your back hitting the wall. You were trapped. “I told you, you can’t get away from me, you stupid bitch”, he snarled, grabbing your ankles. You continued screaming as he pulled you out the bathroom, getting on top of you. He wrapped his hands around your neck, applying pressure on it. 

“If you really want to leave me then, I guess I’ll make you leave for good”, he said, a sickening smile on his face. You struggled against him, trying to pry his hands off you. He started slamming your body on the floor, shouting profanities at you. You had to do something before he killed you. Without thinking, you reached your hand out, putting your hand on his face. You dug your nails into his left eye, causing him to cry out in pain. He took his hands off around your neck, and you kicked him in the shin, making him roll off your body. 

You got up quickly, running away from him. You ran downstairs, grabbed your phone and immediately called the police. Thankfully they got there within 10 minutes of you putting the phone down, hiding from Minhyung. Your neighbour looked after you while Minhyung got arrested, which you thanked them for.

You were brought out of your thoughts by Hyunjin poking you gently, asking if you were okay. “I’m not scared of him anymore. I mean, I still kind of am but after a lot of therapy, I managed to deal with it”, you said, looking if they were still there, which they were. “Come on out, you stupid bitch”, Minhyung said, now coming out of the truck. Shit, you were all in trouble. Your heart was racing, you were surprised none of the guys could hear it. He was getting closer to where you were, his footsteps getting louder, until…

“Boss, I don’t think y/n is here”, one of his guys said, causing Minhyung to groan and walk back to the truck. The truck soon drove off, speeding off. You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding, standing up once you were sure they were gone. “That was close”, Chan said, checking his surroundings, making sure no one else sneaks up on you. “Alright, it’s clear. Let’s go”, and at that, you continued on walking.

--------------------------------

The sun had started to set, the colder air causing shivers down your spine so you put your jacket on to keep yourself warm. “We haven’t seen any infected for a while, which I’m glad about”, Jisung said, feeling slightly safer. “Please don’t jinx us, Jisung”, Lee Know said, causing them to bicker. You just rolled your eyes at the pair, they seriously acted like an old married couple.

“Oi, love birds, if you would stop bickering, you’ll notice that we’re about to go into the underground subway, which means going into the dark so get your flashlights out”, Seungmin said, getting his flashlight out ready. The two stopped bickering and listened to him, getting their flashlights out. You all went into the underground subway, which was slightly flooded, the water coming up to just below your knees. You managed to walk through it though, even though it was a slight struggle. 

Seungmin was right though, it was dark. Not too dark that you couldn’t see anything but dark enough that you had to use your torches. “I hate this, ew, this water feels so murky. It’s probably sewage water, filled with shit and piss. I think I’m going to throw up just thinking about it”, Jisung said, being dramatic, as per usual. “Jisung, if you don’t stop, I will turn you into a human flashlight because I will shove this flashlight so far up your ass, your entire body will start glowing”, Seungmin threatened, getting ready to shove the flashlight up his ass. 

“Hey guys, stop it”, Chan said, suddenly going quiet. Everyone else went quiet too, wondering what Chan heard. That’s when they heard splashing coming from a distance. “I swear to god, if that’s an infected piece of shit, I will wreak havoc”, Jisung said, not wanting to move. “Stop being dramatic”, Lee Know said, who also wasn’t moving. 

The splashing got closer, putting all of you on edge. “What the fuck is that?!” Felix said, shining his flashlight. That’s when an infected submerged out of the water, charging at you. You fired your gun, shooting it, causing it to fall back into the water with a massive splash. “That was close”, Jeongin said. “You still going to wreak havoc, Jisung?” Seungmin said jokingly, knowing full well that Jisung won’t do that. “Shut up, Seungmin”, Jisung said, rolling his eyes.

You progressed further through the subway, thankfully being able to walk normally, now that you reached part of it that wasn’t flooded. You reached the end of the subway, but it was blocked due to rubble blocking the exit. “Well, shit. How are we supposed to get out?” Hyunjin said, feeling stumped. “Hey, guys? Does that look like a way out?” Jeongin asked, pointing to a hole in the roof. 

“That does look like the way out but, how are we supposed to get up there?” Chan asked, since there is no way up onto the subway train to get to the top. “We could boost others up there, I guess? It’s a risk, but it’s the only thing I can think of”, Lee Know said, everyone agreeing with him. It is a risk but it’s the only thing that should work.

You started boosting others onto the subway train, one after the other. It was going smoothly, like nothing bad was going to happen. But oh, you were so wrong. Jisung, Jeongin, Hyunjin and you were the last ones to be boosted up onto the train, and that’s when you started to hear the infected coming closer to you. 

“Shit, hurry up”, Jisung said, being the next one to be boosted up. Hyunjin helped him, Jisung grabbing Chan’s hand, pulling him up. Next was Jeongin, grabbing Chan’s hand, almost falling as he stood up on top of the train. You could see infected in the distance, coming closer, their groans haunting you. “You’re next, y/n”, Hyunjin said, not giving you a chance to protest as he lifted you up. You grabbed Chan’s hand, pulling you up. 

“Hyunjin, grab my hand”, Chan said, holding his hand for Hyunjin to grab. Hyunjin grabbed his hand, and as soon as Chan started to pull him up, the infected held onto Hyunjin’s ankle, digging its nails into his flesh. He screamed in agony, feeling blood trickle down his ankle. You got your gun out, shooting the infected, it’s hand letting go of Hyunjin’s ankle. You managed to pull him up onto the train, Hyunjin almost collapsing into your arms. Hyunjin leaned on you, all of you leaving the subway. 

You waited until you were safe before checking Hyunjin’s ankle. He sat down, rolling his pant leg up, revealing his ankle. “It doesn’t look too bad, thankfully”, you said, wrapping a bandage around the wound. “Hopefully I don’t turn. You don’t want to date a cannibalistic psychopath”, Hyunjin joked, which you didn’t find funny. “Hey, it didn’t bite me. You only get infected if they bite you, or eat you”, he said, which he did have a point. You only turn if an infected person eats you, or just even a bite. You gave him some medicine for it so it doesn’t end up getting infected.

“Are you able to walk?” you asked him, helping him up. He didn’t stumble or fall over so that answers your question. “We should stay here for the night, get some sleep. Luckily this place has lots of food so we’ll be able to eat”, Chan said, putting his bag down. You all made a place to sleep, getting as comfortable as you could. Everyone seemed to fall asleep straight away after eating but you couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Your mind just wouldn’t shut off. You kept thinking about Changbin, Minhyung trying to find you, Hyunjin. 

After a while though, you somehow managed to fall asleep. Unfortunately, though, you didn’t end up in dreamland. You ended up having a nightmare, which you haven’t had since you were younger.

“y/n? I’m going to find you”, Minhyung said, his voice full of venom. You were hiding in a bathroom, the door locked. You were holding your breath so as to not make a noise. You had tears streaming down your face, your mascara staining your cheeks. You accidentally sobbed loudly, which Minhyung heard. He stood outside the bathroom door, his breathing erratic. 

“I know you’re in there, y/n. Open the door for me, please”, his voice sounded oddly calm, despite his intentions. He knows you’re in there so there’s no point in trying to hide anymore. “Just leave me alone”, you cried, wanting all this to be over. You found a baseball bat in the corner of the bathroom, grabbing it. “If you don’t open this door in 10 seconds, I will break it down”, he said, and you knew he wasn’t just saying it because he will actually break it down.

“10”

You continued to sit there, holding the baseball bat.

“9”

Your breathing got heavier.

“8”

You thought about the times when Minhyung was actually nice, but it was all a facade and you wish you never met him.

“7”

Your hold on the baseball got tighter, gripping the handle.

“6”

You contemplated whether to unlock the door or not.

“5”

You took a deep breath.

“4”

You stood up.

“3” 

You walked towards the door slowly, tears still streaming down your face, your vision slightly blurry.

“2”

You made it to the door, holding the lock.

“1”

You unlocked the door, but not opened the door yet.

“Attagirl”.

That’s all he said as he slammed the door open, but he wasn’t expecting you to whack him over the head with the baseball bat. He fell to the ground with a thud, giving you a chance to run out of the house. You ran down the stairs, not bothering to put on any shoes as you opened the front door. You were expecting to see the street in front of your house but you were surrounded by darkness. You walked through the darkness, trying to find the light.

All of a sudden, Changbin’s lifeless body appeared in front of you. But instead of him lying there, he had turned into a cannibalistic psychopath, running towards you. You tried to scream but you couldn’t, no sound coming out of your mouth. You ran in the opposite direction, trying to find something to break you from this nightmare. You kept running for what seemed like ages but when you turned around, Changbin was still there but so were the others. They were all infected, blood coming out of their mouths, their eyes sunken into their sockets. You tried to scream again but still, no sound came out. You moved backwards, and you felt yourself falling. You continued falling for god knows how long, until you felt light. That’s when you realised you were surrounded by water. You tried swimming to the surface but the more you swam, the further away from the surface you were. 

“y/n?” you heard a voice calling your name but you couldn’t make out who it was. You felt like you were drowning, your lungs becoming filled with water, and your body started to sink into the dark abyss.

“y/n!” a voice woke you up from your nightmare, sweat covering your entire body. You sat up and saw who woke you up: Hyunjin. So that’s who was calling you. You fell into him, crying into his chest. “Did you have a nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?” Hyunjin asked, to which you shook your head, not wanting to replay the dark torments of your mind. You stayed like that for a few minutes, until you calmed down. When you lifted your head off his chest, you didn’t realise how close you were until Hyunjin’s face was inches away from yours. Hyunjin leaned in, planting a sweet and gentle kiss on your lips, his hand stroking your hip. It was only a short kiss, but you enjoyed it. He planted a kiss on the tip of your nose, making you giggle at the sensation. 

The moment was ruined by the sound of Lee Know waking up, his cat senses alerting something. “You good, bro?” Hyunjin asked him. “I think something bad is about to happen”, he said, and right at that moment, the door was kicked down, waking the others up. “What the fuck?” Chan said, immediately waking up. Jisung stood up, wondering what happened. When he came face to face to whoever broke the door down, he put his hands up, as if he was surrendering. 

“Don’t move”, the guy said, aiming his gun at Jisung. “Please don’t shoot”, Jisung said, trying his best to be brave when deep down, he was scared shitless. “Where is y/n?” the guy asked, and at the sound of your name, you hid behind a wall. “I have no idea who that is”, Jisung said, trying to be oblivious. “Kid, don’t try and fool me. You know exactly who I’m on about”, the guy said, putting his finger on the trigger. 

“Dude, what do you want? Why do you want y/n so badly?” Jisung said, subtly looking behind him to look at the others, hoping you were nowhere in sight. “Minhyung wants them. How should I put this? He wants to… make things up with them”, the guy said, walking closer to Jisung. Jisung walked backwards, which the guy didn’t like. “I said don’t fucking move!” causing Jisung to freeze in his spot.

Lee Know slowly appeared behind the wall, making himself known to the mysterious guy. “Do you know how he treated y/n? You know he tried to kill them, right?” Jisung said, being careful with his words. “Oh really? That’s not what he said. He said it was the other way around”, the guy said, still pointing his gun at Jisung. “That’s bullshit”, you accidentally shouted, realising that you just made yourself known. 

“Move out of my way, kid. I only want y/n”, the guy said, but Jisung didn’t move. “I said move!” he shouted, making Jisung flinch. “But you told me not to move”, Jisung said, which is true, he did tell me not to move. The guy was getting agitated, and he was about to pull the trigger, which Lee Know saw. Lee Know lunged for the guy, and he tackled him to the ground. The gun went off, but no one knows where the bullet hit. 

The guy grabbed his gun and left, not bothering to get you due to what just happened. That’s when Jisung saw Lee Know on the floor. “Fuck, Lee Know!” he said, running over to him. “I-i’m okay. I think”, Lee Know said, holding his abdomen. “Guys, help”, Jisung called to the others, you running to his side. You pulled Lee Know’s t-shirt up, and you saw that he was shot in the abdomen. Blood was trickling out of the wound, freaking Jisung out.

“Hey, Chan, grab the first aid kit out of my bag please”, you asked, Chan immediately ran over to your bag and grabbed the first aid kit. He handed it to you, opening the kit. “This might hurt so I apologise in advance”, you said, making Lee Know nervous. You tried to stop the bleeding by using a sterile cloth, applying pressure to it. Lee Know winced in pain, squinting his eyes. You managed to stop the bleeding, and you went to use some tools to try and remove the bullet but Lee Know stopped you. 

“Don’t try to remove it. That might make it worse. Just leave it in”, he said, making you nervous. “Are you sure? Who knows if it hit any organs”, you said, still applying pressure. “Hey, if anything happens to me, at least I died a hero”, he said, trying to lighten the mood, which was sort of working but at the same time, wasn’t. You left the bullet in, putting a bandage around his abdomen. You helped him up, his abdomen feeling like it was on fire. Despite it hurting like a bitch, he managed to stand up.

“We better keep moving. It looks like the sun is coming up”, Chan said, grabbing his things. You all left, the sun hitting your face as soon as you got outside. 

--------------------------------

It’s been a couple of hours since Lee Know was shot, and everything seemed to be going okay. All of you were walking along a river, which was filled with moss and leaves, no ducks or fish to be found. You were too focused on the surroundings in front of you, you didn’t notice Lee Know struggling, until it was too late. 

“I don’t feel too good”, Lee Know said, and his body collapsed to the floor. He started coughing up blood, blood was also coming out of his nose, trickling down to his chin. You all rushed to him, trying to wake him up. “Guys, he won’t wake up, what do we do?” Jisung freaked out, his mind going into overdrive. You lifted up his t-shirt, checking his wound. You lifted up the bandage, and saw that his wound had become infected. Pus was oozing out of the wound and even though you’re not a professional, you know that that is not a good sign.

“Shit”, you said, your hands shaking. You’re not a professional so you’re not sure what to do. “We need to do something”, Jisung said, tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to lose his best friend, his soulmate. Chan checked his pulse and his pulse was very weak. “Shit, his pulse is weak”, he said. “Lee Know, wake up. We need you. I-i need you, please”, Jisung was a sobbing mess at this point. “Wake up!” Jisung screamed, the rest of you just sitting there, not knowing what to do. 

“He’s gone”, Chan said after checking his pulse again, tears streaming down his face. “No, he can’t be! We need to fucking do something!” Jisung screamed at the top of his lungs, his sobs becoming full on wailing. His whole body was shaking at this point, and he was starting to hyperventilate. “I’m sorry”, you said, guilt filling your whole body. You felt like you didn’t do enough to treat his wound, and you felt like shit because of it. “No, don’t apologise. It’s not your fault y/n, you did everything you could. Besides, you’re not a professional”, Hyunjin said, squeezing your shoulder. 

“No, you’re right. You should be sorry”, Jisung said, not thinking about what he’s saying. You looked confused, standing up. “You’re acting like I’m the one who shot him”, you said, trying not to take offence since Jisung isn’t thinking, his mind all over the place. “No, but you’re the one who treated his wound. You shouldn’t have listened to him and took the bullet ou, then maybe he would still be fucking alive”, Jisung shouted, his face looked angry. 

“Jisung, stop. You’re not thinking straight”, Hyunjin said, walking towards him. Jisung ended up punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground. That’s when Jisung realised what he just did. “I-i’m so sorry”, he said, the anger turned back into sadness. Hyunjin knew he didn’t mean any of that so he let it go, standing up and going over to hug him, which Jisung accepted. 

“W-we should bury him”, Jisung said whilst wiping his eyes. Luckily there was a random shovel close to them (someone else probably buried a loved one or something), digging a hole in the grass, placing Lee Know’s lifeless body in the ground before filling the hole. You created a makeshift grave, with Lee Know’s name on it. You sat by his grave for a while, not saying a word.

“We should go”, Jisung said, standing up and walking off without saying another word. You all followed him, walking in silence, apart from the odd bird sounds. 

--------------------------------

It’s been 2 months since the deaths of Changbin and Lee Know, and just over 3 months since the outbreak started. It’s now winter, snow covering the ground and trees, making it look like a winter wonderland. Which it would be, if there weren’t flesh eating monsters walking around.

Ever since that day, something in Jisung changed. He wasn’t chatty like he used to, not even cracking a single joke. His bubbly personality disappeared, turning him into a different person. He became more serious, which sort of scared you in a way. But at the same time, it made it easier for all of you to survive.

You were currently in Busan, walking through an abandoned shopping mall. There was broken glass everywhere, all the shops either shut down or completely ransacked. “Hey, look what I found”, Jeongin said, picking up an old robot, which was covered in dust. “It looks as old as you, Chan”, Seungmin said, trying to lighten the mood. Everyone laughed, even Jisung. You missed his laugh, even if it was only a short one. You looked around the shopping mall, not looking for anything in particular but wanting to see if you could find anything interesting. 

Apart from the occasional spoken words between the group, it was deathly quiet. Like, too quiet. It scared you. Despite it being empty, apart from you and the others, you felt like you were being watched. You turned around and as soon as you did, you saw Minhyung. Well, you thought you did. He charged at you screaming, holding a baseball bat. You screamed and crouched into a ball, cowering. When you didn’t feel the sensation of being hit with a baseball bat, you looked up, and saw no one there. 

“Hey, y/n, are you okay?!” Hyunjin asked, rushing over to you, seeing you sitting on the floor. “I-i’m good. I think. Fuck, now I think I’m having nightmares while I’m awake”, you said, suddenly feeling exhausted after what just happened. All of a sudden, you felt a panic attack coming on, which is probably the reason why you started to feel exhausted. Your breathing became heavier, your eyes stinging. 

“Guys, help”, Hyunjin shouted to the others, needing a hand to help you overcome your panic attack. “We’re a bit occupied at the moment”, Chan shouted, and that’s when Hyunjin saw the others fighting off the infected. Where the fuck did they come from? He didn’t even hear them. You felt like you were drowning, everything around you becoming muffled. The last time you had a panic attack was when you were a teenager, when you were doing your exams. Thinking back at it, doing your exams was nothing compared to the situation you’re currently in.

You couldn’t breathe, gasping for breath. Your heart felt heavy, whilst your entire body felt light, like you were surrounded by water. You couldn’t even concentrate on what Hyunjin was saying, not comprehending what he was saying, it just sounded like gibberish. Whilst Hyunjin was trying, but currently struggling, to calm you down, the others were continuing to fight off the infected. One of the infected has Seungmin trapped against the glass balustrade railing, struggling to push it away from him. He could feel the glass starting to break from the amount of force he is being pushed by the infected, scared for his life. He didn’t want to die like this. He wants to grow old, surrounded by loads of dogs he’s rescued, with the love of his life. 

The glass finally hit its breaking point, the glass smashing as Seungmin and the infected started to fall through it, starting to fall from the top floor of the shopping mall. Jeongin saw, his eyes widening. “Seungmin!” he shouted, running towards them. Everything happened in slow motion, Jeongin watching as Seungmin’s body started to fall off the top floor, Jeongin going as quick as he could. Seungmin closed his eyes, not wanting to accept his fate, but he soon felt someone grab his wrist. He opened his eyes and saw Jeongin, who gripped onto his wrist for dear life. The infected grabbed onto Seungmin’s ankle, trying to pull him down but Jeongin was stronger. The infected’s grip loosened on Seungmin’s ankle, plummeting to its death. Jeongin pulled Seungmin up onto the floor, Seungmin clinging onto the younger.

Seungmin isn’t the one to cry in front of others, not wanting to show weakness. But right now, he was too exhausted to care, immediately crying as soon as Jeongin pulled him into his body, hugging him. “I’m so fucking tired”, Seungmin cried, still clinging onto Jeongin. 

After god knows how long, Hyunjin managed to calm you down from your panic attack, holding your face in his hands. Your breathing went back to normal, your vision becoming clearer and your hearing no longer muffled. “Is everyone okay?” Chan asked, looking around to check on everyone. He saw Seungmin clinging onto Jeongin, Hyunjin hugging you and Jisung standing over some dead infected. However, he couldn’t see Felix.

“Felix?!” Chan shouted, trying to find him but couldn’t. That’s when he heard a distant voice. “Guys? You might want to come look at this”, it was Felix. Where the fuck did he go? You and the others followed Felix’s voice, finding him next to a shop full of dead bodies. Not infected, just normal people, all dead. It looks like they were all tortured, some of them still tied up. Most of the dead were adults, but there were also some children. Who the fuck would do something like this?!

“We should get out of here”, Chan said, all of you agreeing with him. You all ran out of the shopping mall as quickly as you could, not wanting to be in there a minute longer. You all made it out of there, feeling the snow under your feet again. You could hear the snow crunching under your feet whenever you walked forward, the sound of it satisfying you for some reason. You’ve loved the snow ever since you were a kid, always making snowmen or throwing snowballs at your friends, or just even running around in it, seeing your small footprints in the snow.

You were walking over a hill, about to walk down it when you saw some people in the distance, who you assumed were some of Minhyung’s men. You all crouched down, hiding behind some bushes to hide yourself. “How are we going to get past them?” Felix whispered. “I have an idea but, it’s very risky and stupid”, you said and when you said ‘risky and stupid’, everyone protested, not wanting you to get yourself killed. “They’ll just think I’m surrendering myself, they won’t even suspect anything because they all seem too dumb to notice”, you said, and despite the others hating the idea, it was the best one you could think of.

You stood up and started walking down the hill, holding your hands in the air. Once one of the men saw you, he aimed his gun at you. “Hey, you’ve been trying to find me, right? Well, here I am”, you said, trying not to show fear. “Wow, I can’t believe you actually showed up. Why take you to Minhyung when we can have you all to ourselves?” another guy said, his words making you feel sick.

There were about 5 of them, and they were all starting to walk towards you. You pretended to be innocent, so they didn't suggest anything. You smiled at them, putting your hands on your hips. One of them went to grab you but before they did, you grabbed his arm and twisted it, making him yell out in pain. You kicked his shin, causing him to fall to the ground. One of the other men lunged at you, getting ready to tackle you but you were quicker, punching him square in the face, knocking him straight to the ground. Another man grabbed you from behind, trapping your arms. You headbutted him with the back of your head, causing him to let go of you, giving you the opportunity to turn around and grab your gun, shooting him in the gut. He fell backwards, clutching his abdomen. There were now 2 men left, and you turned around to face them. This was your opportunity to use your martial arts skills. They both launched themselves at you, getting ready to hit you. You dodged both of their attacks, twisting one of the guy's arms and flipped him over, his back landing on the ground. You kicked the other guy in the shin as he was about to grab you from behind, and you did a backflip over him. You grabbed his head and got your knife out of your pocket, slicing his throat, him now bleeding to death. You didn’t want the other three waking up and coming after you so you grabbed your gun and shot them all.

You put your knife and gun back in your pockets, seeing the others running down the hill towards you. “Well, that went better than I expected”, you said, smiling at them, as if you just didn’t kill 5 guys on your own. 

“y/n, that was… awesome. Where the fuck did you learn those moves?” Jisung said, never seen you move like that before. “Oh, I did martial arts as a teenager”, you said casually, continuing on walking, stepping over the dead bodies. 

The guys didn’t say anything else as they followed you, also stepping over the dead bodies. You ended up walking through the woods, which looked very creepy, especially with snow covering the ground so you couldn’t see if there were traps hidden underneath. You treaded carefully, not wanting to risk anything because who knows what psychopath has hidden underneath it.

“y/n, why do you think someone has hidden traps under the snow? I mean, it’s kinda stupid”, Seungmin said, which is true but at the same time, in the current circumstances, anything can happen. “I don’t know, there’s just something off about this. I can feel it”, you said and as soon as you said that, a rabbit came running past you and got caught in a bear trap, revealing the trap from underneath the snow, its tiny body getting impaled by it.

“Well, shit”, is all Seungmin said. Seungmin treaded more carefully, not wanting to become like that rabbit. He took better care of where he placed his feet, his whole body rushing with anxiety. You managed to get to the other side safely with no hiccups, letting out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. Hyunjin, Chan and Felix were the next ones to get to the other side, standing by you. Jisung, Jeongin and Seungmin were still struggling, you started to get anxious for them. Jisung was the next one to reach the safe point, accidentally running into Hyunjin, knocking him over. 

“Really, bro?” Hyunjin said, pushing Jisung off him. “Hey, I could have died, you know”, Jisung said, glaring at him. As they both stood up, Jeongin was standing there, waiting for Seungmin. “Come one Seungmin, you can do it”, Jeongin said, trying to help him, but it wasn’t working. Seungmin was almost to the end when the unfortunate thing happened. Seungmin put his left foot down, and his ankle was impaled by a bear trap, causing him to scream out in pain.

“Fuck, Seungmin!” you shouted, running to him. “Get it off me!” Seungmin yelled, holding his leg. You tried to pry it open but it wouldn’t work. “It won’t open”, you said, panicking. “What do we do?!”

You walked backwards, your anxiety through the room. You felt helpless at this point, watching as Seungmin continued to scream in pain, blood staining the snow. After god knows how long, Seungmin seemed to have given up. “You guys go, save yourselves”, he said, tears staining his cheeks. “There’s no point in trying to open it. Just go, please”, he said but none of you moved. “I said go!” Seungmin screamed and as soon as he closed his mouth, a bullet went through his forehead, his body falling to the ground. 

You screamed, feeling someone grab you from behind. The others were also being grabbed, cloths being put over their mouths, causing them to pass out. You thrashed around against the person but it was no use. You had a cloth put over your mouth too, making you pass out.

--------------------------------

You

When you came to, you looked at your surroundings. You saw you were in a cage, concrete walls either side of you. You sat up, the cold floor giving you chills. You tried to get a look outside the cage but you couldn’t see much, just a big table and… sharp knives on the walls? You were in big trouble.

“Ah, I see you’re awake”, a voice said, making you freeze. It was Minhyung, and he had a scar on his left eye, from when you dug your nails into it. “What the fuck do you want from me?!” you shouted, standing up. “I want to make amends”, is all he said and you scoffed. “Make amends? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” you said, rolling your eyes.

“Oh, babe, you’ll see soon, don’t worry”, hearing him call you ‘babe’ made you almost throw up in your mouth. That’s when another person walked into the room, holding a piece of meat. “You didn’t leave any evidence, right?” Minhyung asked him, and the guy shook his head, wiping his bloody hand on his pants. Shit, that can’t be good. 

“Now, be a good little doll and listen to me. I want you to join me. We can survive this, together. We can be together like old times”, Minhyung said, coming closer to the cage. Like old times?! Who the fuck does he think he is?

“Old times? Like when you tried to kill me?” you shouted, holding the cage door. That’s when you saw the cage door keys hanging on his belt, and that’s when you had an idea. “You know what, that doesn’t seem too bad, you know? It’ll be nice”, you said, putting a fake smile on your face. You put your hand out through a gap in the door, and as soon as Minhyung was about to hold your hand, you grabbed his fingers and broke them, making him yell in pain. You attempted to grab his keys but you couldn’t. Minhyung grabbed your hand, pulling you, causing you to smack into the door hard, and fell to the floor.

“You little shit. You have until sundown to make your decision and if you choose the wrong one, well, then you won’t like what happens after that”, Minhyung said, leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

The guys

When the guys came to, they noticed you were nowhere to be found. They saw Seungmin lying on the ground, blood surrounding his head. Chan screamed out of anger, frustration and sadness. 3 of their friends are now dead and who knows what could happen to you. “We need to find y/n, and quickly”, Hyunjin said, rushing out of the woods, the others following behind him. 

It started snowing, and it started snowing really hard. They could hardly see anything through the blizzard, making their search for you even harder. “Can you hear that?” Felix asked, and they stood still. They could hear church bells, and they sounded close. They continued walking through the blizzard, covering their eyes. Hyunjin could see a silhouette of someone, and he turned around, pointing his gun at him. Hyunjin was quicker, firing his gun at him, knocking the guy to the ground. 

They ended up fighting a lot of Minhyung’s guys, taking them all out. The blizzard didn’t stop them from progressing further, needing to find you as soon as possible.

The only light source they had was from fire pits, which also warmed them up at the same time. “I really hope we’re getting closer, I’m freezing”, Felix said, shivering. All of a sudden, someone tackled Felix to the ground, hitting him over and over. Chan grabbed the person from behind, throwing him off Felix, and threw him on the ground. Chan hit the guy over and over in the face, before grabbing his knife and stabbed him in the neck, blood spurting out of his throat.

“You ok, Lix?” Chan asked him as he helped him up, Felix was sure his nose was broken and he had a busted lip but he didn’t care about that, he cared about saving you. All he did was nod and continue on walking. They ended up behind a building, seeing a way inside. They walked through the gap, inside from the blizzard. That’s when Hyunjin noticed your bag on a shelf.

“y/n is definitely in here”, is all he said, going through a door.

You

Minhyung came back a few hours later, standing in front of the cage. “Have you made up your mind yet?” he asked, his hands on his hips. “I’ll go with you… to take you to your fucking grave”, you shouted, spitting at him. He didn’t say anything, opening up the cage and grabbed you. Another guy grabbed your other arm, pulling you onto the table. “Don’t fucking touch me”, you screamed, trying to get out of their grip but it was no use. 

Minhyung held you down on the table as the other guy grabbed a meat cleaver, getting ready to cut your arm off. “I’m infected!” you panicked, screaming out those 2 words. “You’re lying”, is all Minhyung said, not believing you. “Pull up my sleeve, see if I’m lying”, you didn’t even think about what you’re saying, fear taking over your body. 

Minhyung pulled up your sleeve, trying to find a bite on your arm but he didn’t. Without thinking, you grabbed the meat cleaver off the table beside you and hit the guy in the arm, causing his arm to spray blood, him screaming out in pain. You kicked Minhyung, making him fly back. You got off the table and ran out of the room, running into a room which looked like a dining area. You hid behind a table, seeing broken plates all over the floor. 

“Where are you, y/n?” you heard his voice, trying to calm your breathing. You talk a step forward, accidentally standing on a broken plate, revealing your hiding place. Minhyung walked further into the room, trying to find you. You carefully walked around the room, hiding behind another table. “I will find out, and I will end you”, Minhyung threatened, hearing him coming closer. You peaked your head above the table, and you saw him standing there. Smoke was filling up the room and the place caught fire, the heat of the fire making you sweat. 

You saw the front door, mentally planning your escape without getting caught. When you thought you were safe, you made a beeline for it but unfortunately, Minhyung grabbed you, pulling you to the ground. He went on top of you, hitting you. “When will you learn to never disobey me?!” he shouted, hitting you again. You turned your head, seeing his machete behind you. 

He got off you, giving you an opportunity to crawl away. You got on your stomach, crawling towards the machete. You almost got it when Minhyung grabbed you again, turning you over so you were on your back again.

“What, you thought I’d actually let you go? You stupid, stupid whore”, he said, wrapping his hands around your throat. You reached your hand behind you, trying to grab the machete. He tightened his grip around your throat, cutting off your airways. You struggled to breath, gasping for air. You felt faint, on the verge of passing out. You tried reaching for the machete again and this time, you managed to grab it. You picked it up, slashing Minhyung with it. He yelled and you flipped the both of you over, you now on top of him. You stabbed him over and over again, blood splashing you in the face. Even when you knew he was dead, you still continued to stab him, screaming bloody murder. 

You felt someone grab you from behind, making you scream out in fear. You were turned around, and that’s when you saw who grabbed you: Hyunjin. “Hey, it’s me”, he said, holding your face in your hands. “H-he tried..”, you tried to say but Hyunjin stopped you. “It’s ok, you’re safe now, baby. I’ve got you”, he said, hugging you as you cried into his chest. 

Hyunjin helped you up, leaving the building with the others, giving you your bag. Chan looked at Minhyung, seeing his lifeless body on the floor, the machete still impaling his chest. He decided to grab it, taking it with him. Minhyung didn’t need it anymore anyway.

--------------------------------

A couple months have passed since that day and you’re still traumatised. It’s now spring, the warmer air hitting your skin. You haven’t spoken about that day since it happened and the guys won’t ask you, letting you talk about it until you’re ready. You were walking slower than the guys, walking a bit further behind, lost in your own thoughts. You didn’t realise Hyunjin was talking to you until you walked into him, your face hitting his back. 

“Huh, what? Oh yeah, sure”, you said, not even knowing what he said. “Are you okay? I mean, that’s a stupid question but, you know what I mean”, Hyunjin said, realising that the question he asked was, indeed, stupid because neither one of you are okay, especially with what has happened the past 6 months.

“What did you say?” you asked, dodging his question. “I’m going to be honest, I completely forgot what I said”, causing you to roll your eyes, laughing slightly. “Hey guys, the road is blocked so we can’t go this way”, Chan said, and he was right. The road was blocked with abandoned cars, as well the road being destroyed, cars fallen into a makeshift pot hole. “Is there any other way we can go?” Felix asked.

“I mean, we can just go left and go around”, Jeongin said, pointing left and seeing a path which cuts straight through underneath the road, into a tunnel underground. You went inside the tunnel, turning on your flashlights, since the tunnel was dark. “Fuck, it stinks in here”, Jisung said, holding his nose. “Well, we are underground so, you should expect it to smell like shit”, Jeongin said, thinking Jisung was on about the sewage smell. “No, not that. I mean, it smells like rotting meat”, Jisung said, gagging.

As they progressed further into the tunnel, they found the source of where the smell was coming from. “Fucking hell, that’s disgusting”, Hyunjin said, feeling like he was going to throw up. Jeongin, however, did end up throwing up, hunched over in a corner as he puked his guts up. “You good, bro?” Jisung asked Jeongin, going over to him and rubbing his back. 

“What the fuck is that?” Jeongin asked as soon as he felt better, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “I think that’s what happens to someone when they progress further into the infection. They just… turn into that”, Chan said, not knowing how to describe it. The infected became one with the wall, fungi growing out of it, their features now unrecognisable. You all walked past it, wandering further into the tunnel.

“I really hope more of those things aren’t down here”, you said, not wanting to come into contact with them. They look more terrifying and disgusting than the regular infected you’ve seen. As soon as you said that, you heard a deep roar, coming from further deep in the tunnel. “Ok, what the fuck was that? That did not sound friendly”, Jisung said, and his question was soon answered as a huge monster looking thing came charging through the tunnel. 

“What the fuck?!” you shouted, firing your gun at it. The gun did nothing to it, however, as it ricocheted off of it. “How the fuck are we supposed to kill this thing?!”

“I’ve seen in movies that fire works”, Jisung said, but unfortunately you didn’t have fire. “Jisung, this isn’t a fucking movie, this is real life. Besides, where the heck are we supposed to find fire is this godforsaken tunnel?” Hyunjin said, still firing his gun at the monster. The monster continued to charge towards you, and you jumped out of the way. Unfortunately, Jisung wasn’t as lucky as you and the others, the monster throwing Jisung against the wall, his head smashing against the wall. 

“Jisung!” Chan shouted, running towards Jisung but the monster blocked him. The monster was completely covered head to toe in fungi, and it was twice the size of you. It was huge, and it smelled disgusting, like raw meat that’s gone bad. That’s when you remembered that you had a molotov in your bag, which you learned how to make a month back. You took it out of your bag, lighting the rag on fire. 

“Hey, you smelly little fucker”, you shouted, causing the monster to turn around. It roared at you and that’s when you threw the molotov at it, the monster catching fire. You then fired your gun, and it worked. The monster screeched as if it was in pain, and after a few more shots of your gun, the monster was dead, its body falling to the ground with a thud.

You ran over to Jisung, seeing him unconscious on the floor. “Will he be okay?” you asked, looking at Chan. Chan checked Jisung’s head, seeing blood gushing out of his head. You grabbed your first aid kit from your bag, handing it to Chan. Chan managed to patch Jisung’s head, the blood stopping. “Thankfully his injury isn’t life threatening. He’ll be okay, though I think he’ll have a concussion”, Chan said, giving you your first aid kit back, putting it in your bag. 

“How are we going to wake him up?” Felix asked, poking Jisung on the cheek. “Well, I don’t think poking him will wake him”, Felix said, pouting. You thought of an idea but you don’t think the others will like the idea. You gave Hyunjin a look and Hyunjin just shook his head. “No, nu uh. I’m not kissing him”, Hyunjin said, standing back. “Wow, you’re acting as if you’re in love with him. Plus, I wasn’t thinking of kissing him. Unless…”, you said, pretending to think. 

Hyunjin just shoved your shoulder, but not too hard. “I was thinking of hitting him, it’s the only thing I can think of”, you said. You don’t want to hit your friend but at the same time, it’s the only way you can wake him up. “I volunteer”, Felix said, raising his hand but the look you gave him made him put his hand down. “Who’s the strongest out of the 4 of us?” you asked, excluding Felix because you know him well enough that if he ends up hitting Jisung, he’ll accidentally hurt himself, and you don’t want that to happen. 

Whilst the guys were discussing why they think they were the strongest, you decided to hit Jisung instead, not letting the guys have the chance to do it. As soon as you hit Jisung, he woke up almost immediately. “What did I miss?” is the first thing he said when he woke up, seeing himself lying on the floor. “And why does my head hurt? And why does Chan have 2 heads?”, Jisung said. “Yep, definitely a concussion”, Chan said, ignoring Jisung’s comment of him having 2 heads, and helped him up. 

“Let’s get out of here”, you said, Jisung leaning on Chan for support, so he doesn’t fall over. You progressed further through the tunnel, and you managed to get to a part of it that was light and higher up, part of the ceiling caved in. Due to part of the ceiling being caved in, there was a bus lying on its side, having fallen through the ground, ending up underground. There was also water flooding the tunnel. You had to climb onto the side wall to get to the bus, side shuffling along the wall so as to not fall. The others managed to jump onto the top of the bus, Jisung having the help from Chan, guiding him. They all went inside the bus through an open window, and they felt safe inside it.

It was your turn to jump onto the bus, grabbing the door and climbing on top of the bus, climbing in through the same window the others climbed through. You started walking carefully through the bus but after every single move you did, the bus started creaking, freaking you out. 

“We better get out of here quickly”, you said, not wanting to get trapped inside it. You managed to get to the other side of the bus, about to get out of there but unfortunately, something must have collapsed because the bus suddenly became submerged in water, all of you now being surrounded by it. You tried to swim to the other side of the bus, wanting to find an exit but there was none. Chan signalled to you that he was going to break a window, doing it with no problem, swimming through the now broken window. 

You all escaped through the broken window, swimming to the surface. You all swam to the top, gasping for air. “Where the hell are we?” Jisung asked, not knowing where you ended up. Unfortunately, you ended up in part of a river where there was a high current, being sucked down the stream. All of you were panicking again, not knowing what to do.

Hyunjin saw you heading towards a rock, and he managed to grab you, swapping your positions so that he was heading for the rock. He ended up smashing into the rock, knocking him out. The others were lucky as they were pulled straight towards dry land, crawling out of the water and onto the grass. Chan had to help you pull Hyunjin out of the water, lying his unconscious body on the ground.

“Hyunjin? Hyunjin, please, wake up”, you cried, trying to wake him up but nothing was working. As soon as you stood up and turned around, you felt yourself being tasered, your body seizing up, falling to the ground. Since you were tasered, you didn’t see the others fighting the people who caught you, causing them to also be tasered. 

--------------------------------

When you woke up, it looked like you were in a hospital room. White painted the walls, some of the paint being chipped off the walls, medical tools lying on a table on the other side of the room. “Ah, I see you’re awake”, an unfamiliar voice said, a tall woman walking into the room. “Who the hell are you?” you asked, now sitting up on the bed. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Lea, and I’m part of a group called ‘Mayflower’. We’re trying to find a cure to this disease”, she said, leaning against the wall. 

“Where are my friends?” you asked, wanting to know what she has done to them. “Don’t worry, your friends are fine. And your friend with the concussion is resting at the moment after giving him some medicine”, Lea said, and you weren’t convinced. “Take me to them”, you said, getting up off the bed. As soon as you stood up, you were pushed back down again by a man in uniform.

“I’m sorry but, I can’t do that”, Lea said, holding a syringe. The guy held you down on the bed, you shouting profanities at him. “This will be over a lot sooner if you just stop struggling”, Lea said, moving the syringe closer to your neck. Before Lea could stick the syringe in your neck, you headbutted her, making her fall backwards. You grabbed the syringe off her, stabbing the guy in the leg, causing him to scream in pain. The guy ended up passing out a couple seconds later, his body hitting the floor.

“You fucker. Since you won’t cooperate, I don’t need you anymore. Guards, take them out of the building”, Lea said, and 2 guards barged into the room, grabbing you. You didn’t even protest, too tired to care. The guards dragged you down a corridor and once you were out of sight of anyone, you attacked them, hitting them over the head with their gun. You took their machine gun, holding on to it for dear life. 

You sneaked around the hospital, trying to find the others. You walked into a room, and saw Jeongin lying on the bed, still unconscious. You walked over to him, shaking him. Luckily he woke up straight away, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he freaked out. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s me”, you whispered, leading him out of the room, closing the door quietly behind you. 

“We need to find the others but in order to do that, we need to be quiet”, you whispered, explaining the plan to Jeongin. He nodded, going in the opposite direction as you. The plan was, you were going to check on Jisung whilst Jeongin went to go get Chan, Felix and Hyunjin. You were able to find Jisung with no problem, seeing him resting on the hospital bed. He woke up on his own accord as he heard the door open, and when he saw you, he sighed in relief. “I’m so glad to see you, y/n. I thought they were going to kill us”, Jisung said, getting up off the bed. He definitely seemed more with it now a couple of hours ago, his concussion gone. 

“Come on, lets go”, and you both left the room, going to find the others. You turned the corner and you saw 2 guards down the corridor, and you and Jisung hid behind the wall, breathing heavily. “How are we going to get past them?” Jisung asked, but luckily, you didn’t need to get past them because you suddenly heard the 2 guards bodies drop to the ground. You peaked round the corner, and you saw Jisung, Chan and Felix. 

“Jeongin, where’s Hyunjin?” you asked, not seeing him with them. You started to panic, awful situations going round your head. You couldn’t think straight, worry and fear overtaking your body as you took off, running down the corridor. “y/n, wait!” Chan whisper-screamed, but you didn’t listen. Your body was filled with fear, worry, but also anger at the same time. A couple of guards came around the corner, walking towards you. 

“Hey, stop there!” they shouted at you but you didn’t listen, firing the machine gut at them without hesitation, killing them at point blank. Any guards you saw that charged at you, you killed them all without hesitation, seeing nothing but red. You need Hyunjin back, and you will do that, no matter what it takes.

You ended up on the other side of the operation room, and that’s where you saw Hyunjin: he was lying on the operating table, wires coming out of his arms. You slammed the door open, barging in. All three surgeons who were in the room all stopped what they were doing, looking at you.

“Unhook him, now”, you said, your voice sounding threatening. You pointed the gun at the main surgeon, who had his arms up. “Don’t shoot, please”, he begged, walking backwards. “If you do what I say, then I won’t shoot you”, you said, hoping they would listen to you. Neither one of them moved, not wanting to unhook Hyunjin. 

“I said fucking unhook him!” you shouted, walking closer to them. The main surgeon grabbed a scalpel, going to use it as a weapon. He didn’t think as he charged at you, but you fired the machine gun at him, firing multiple bullets into him. He slammed back into the wall, his body sliding down it, blood staining the blue walls. You didn’t even think as you shot the other 2 surgeons, not wanting them to report back to Lea. you put the machine gun down, going straight towards Hyunjin. You unhooked the wires from his arms, holding him in your arms. 

Hyunjin looked peaceful, his features soft on his face. When you saw his chest rising up and down, you felt some sort of relief since you know that he’s still alive. The guys walked into the room, seeing Hyunjin lying on the operating table, and they thought their worst fears had come. 

“Is he…”, Jeongin was about to ask, but before he finished his sentence, you interrupted him. “He’s still alive, just sedated”, you said, trying to find something to wake him up with. You saw some smelling salts on the table, grabbing them. You put the smelling salts near his face, and he woke up a few seconds later. “Where am I?” he asked, looking around the room. “Lets not worry about that now, let’s just get out of here”, Chan said, leaving the room. 

Hyunjin leaned on you as you all tried to find the way out of the hospital, walking down some stairs. You managed to make it to the lower ground floor, walking through a door and ended up in the hospital car park. You picked the first car you found, getting in the car. Luckily the keys were already in the ignition, making your escape easier. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t going to be able to leave that easily as the car park doors still need to be opened. “I’ll go and try to open them”, Chan offered, getting out of the car, walking towards the door. As soon as Chan got to the door, Lea came barging out of the door to the car park, holding a gun.

“Chan, get down”, Jisung shouted to him, but it was too late. Lea fired her gun, the bullet flying through the air, and it hit Chan straight in the back of the head, his body falling to the ground almost immediately. You all screamed, seeing Chan now dead on the floor. You went to Lea and stood face to face with her, whilst the others ran towards the car park door.

“You fucking bitch. You seriously don’t know when to stop, do you?” you said, holding your right hand behind your back, hiding your gun. “If only one of you would actually cooperate with me. But no, you didn’t. All we were trying to do was find a cure but you all destroyed that chance. Now there is going to be no cure because of your fucking selfishness”, Lea shouted, pointing her gun at you.

“Oh, but there is a cure for this disease”, you said, confusing Lea. The next few seconds went by like a flash, you pulled your gun from behind your back and fired your gun, the bullet hitting Lea in the middle of her forehead. She dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, her gun dropping from her hand.

You ran towards the others, seeing Chan’s lifeless body lying on the ground. “How many more friends do we have to fucking lose before we’re out of this fucking mess?” Jisung yelled, hitting the car park door. That’s when Jisung noticed the buttons to open the door, pressing the big green button, the door now opening. 

“Hyunjin, can you drive?” Jisung asked him, Hyunjin nodding his head, sniffling as tears rolled down his cheeks. You all got into the car, Hyunjin turning the key in the ignition. He slammed his foot on the pedal, driving through the open door, driving as fast as he could, driving away from the hospital.

It had started raining lightly about an hour ago, and now the rain is really heavy, making it difficult for Hyunjin to see where he was going. “I can’t fucking see”, Hyunjin said, gripping the steering wheel, his fingers going white. He suddenly slammed on the brakes, the car coming to an abrupt stop. He got out of the car, slamming the door shut. You, Jeongin, Jisung and Felix stayed in the car while Hyunjin walked in front of the car, and started screaming, watching as he got soaked by the rain.

That’s when you all decided to get out of the car, not caring that you were getting soaked by the ferocious downpour. After a while, Hyunjin calmed down, breathing in and out, something he always does to calm himself down. Neither of you said anything, just listened to the sound of the rain, seeing it bounce off the ground.

The silence was soon interrupted by the sound of a plane, causing you to look up. You saw what looked like a military cargo plane flying through the sky, and that’s when you thought of something. “Wait, that plane in the sky means that we’ll be able to leave. If we get to the airport, we have a chance of getting on the next plane”, you said, feeling a slight chance of hope. “Yeah but who knows what could happen once we get on that plane”, Jisung said, trying to think realistically but at the same time, he really needed to leave the outbreak and start a fresh start in a new country.

You all got back in the car and Hyunjin turned the car around, racing towards the airport, going as fast as he could through the rain. 

You got to the airport in the nick of time, seeing another military cargo plane filling up with other people. You got out of the car, all of you rushing towards it. You tried to get on the plane but you were stopped. “Sorry but, you all can’t get on this plane. Only 3 of you can, the other 2 will have to stay here”, the soldier said, pushing you back. “Hey, you can’t do that. We need to get out of here”, Jisung said, getting in the soldiers personal space. 

“If you don’t step back, kid, I will shoot you”, the soldier said, pointing the gun against Jisung’s stomach. “What, in front of all these people? That won’t be good, will it?” Jisung said, not budging.

“Hey, let them all on, and that’s an order”, a familiar voice said, the soldier removing his gun and stepping to the side. That’s when you saw Jackson standing inside the plane, wearing a uniform. All of you walked inside the plane, sitting down. If it hadn’t been for Jackson, who knows what could have happened.

The door of the plane closed and for once in 6 months, you finally felt safe. You were finally leaving, but you wish the others were still here. The moment felt bittersweet, a few stray tears still rolling down your cheek. You rested your head on Hyunjin’s shoulder, closing your eyes, falling into a deep sleep, one that wasn’t full of nightmares.

[stemmmm]

Stem's Thoughts on Harvest Moon 64

(that other title's too long so i'm cutting it down now)

Harvest Moon 64 opens on a scene of your character walking around the street, speaking to everyone in the village who’s come to the event. You quickly piece together that this event in question is actually your grandfather’s funeral, the same grandfather who’s farm you’re about to take over. This little scene beautifully sets up both the tone of the game, and immediately shows the player that this iteration is far more focused on the story and characters. HM64 tells a story about the lives of many people in a small, dying town. It is a story about life, and it is a story about death.

A short disclaimer before we dig in: I played this game before the idea to write these essays cropped up, and have not replayed it since then, so this will be mostly vibes. I will try to do my research to make sure I’m not straight up lying though. (Also all of the images in this one are from google because I don't have a means of getting images from my N64 other than photographing the tv screen and I'm not doing that.)

What’s new!

HM64, also called Harvest Moon 2 by HMGB2 and nothing else I’ve ever seen, is the direct sequel to HM SNES. It’s not a sequel in the usual way sequels are, where you’re continuing where you left off with the same character, but in that every main character is the descendant of their equivalent in the previous game. It’s not important to the story, in fact if you don’t already know this, you probably wouldn’t notice anything past some similarities. I played this game before I tried out SNES and it still took me a minute, plus having it directly pointed out to me to get it. Maybe I’m oblivious, who knows. 

Gameplay-wise, this iteration is home of a few series firsts: For one, your house can be upgraded to have a kitchen! You can't cook though, only collect recipes. You can also get a greenhouse where you can grow crops year-round. Sheep are introduced as barn animals that produce wool. You receive a fishing rod you can use whenever you want, but as far as I understand, the timing is nigh impossible unless you’re playing on a CRT (I am not, and never managed to catch a single fish). There’s a mine you can access in winter for something to do while you can’t grow crops (there are fall crops, but not winter) where you can find about two key items and garbage otherwise. Tool upgrades are no longer done by magic, but by leveling them up through use! Which I think is very neat and feels very natural, like you’ve just become more proficient with them as a farmer through practice. Characters can now come to visit you on the farm at random times, for either special story events or just to say hi! Your farmer can get sick from working too hard in bad weather, just like your animals, and there’s now medicine for that, just like your animals. And there’s inventory menus that I'll discuss at better length later.

What’s the same is… Most things in a basic sense. You’re on a farm with a dog, planting crops, raising livestock. You can make friends with folks in town by talking to them and giving them gifts. The livestock mechanics, as far as I could see and as far as I’ve been able to understand from online forums, are exactly the same as they were in SNES, the exception being there’s no wild beasts that can kill your animals but they’ll still get sick if they aren’t fenced overnight– and they’re not going to eat any grass unless they’re out overnight anyways.

As for your farm, you’re set up with the usual: a small house, a barn, coop, and fodder silo, a wood bin to store debris cleared off your farm, and a big messy field that you have to clean up before you can properly use it. It starts with three new additions though; a doghouse, a bowl that you can feed your dog with by putting edible items in there, and a mailbox that you’ll occasionally receive letters and notices in! They’re small additions, but very, very charming. The one thing that’s been removed is the toolshed, now replaced by a tiny toolbox by your house.

The world outside your farm is like an enhanced version of the SNES map. Imagine the town and forest now have one or two extra sections tacked onto them, one in the town for some extra housing, and a couple in the forest to let you explore the mountain more and get you deeper into the woods. The mountain still has a cave in it (this time with Harvest Sprites, who have been removed from your farm) and a summit you can climb to for certain events, but it has been upgraded with little wild animals that wander around and can be picked up and shown to people for a few friendship points, if they like the animal. (This applies to your dog too, there’s a well known exploit to max out Karen’s friendship in one day by repeatedly showing it to her in the bar where time is stopped.) The crossroads zone is also expanded by having three new areas you can travel to– the ranch that you buy animals at, a vineyard that’s more of a story-area, and a beach that mostly comes into play for a couple of summer festivals! 

On the visual side, this game is the series’ first venture into the new frontier of 3d graphics… kind of. The artstyle is made of isometric 3D models that are rendered into flat sprites and then projected onto the TV as if that’s not what’s happening. The game even lets you turn your farm around in 3D to face different directions, but it’s locked to only let you play in specific angles. Changing the direction made me forget where everything was and get lost on my own tiny farm, so I never touched that mechanic.

Due to the dramatic artstyle shift– not only being in 3D but also presented at a 45 degree angle, the game becomes a fair bit harder to play than either of its 2D predecessors. The controls are just a little clunky, and the bizarre shape of the N64 controller really doesn’t help. This makes the tedium of farming a little irritating to do, since it requires pretty precise inputs done over and over for every extra thing you’re trying to grow. Fortunately, you're not on the hook to ship everything before 5PM comes around like in SNES, so you get to move a little bit slower. The fickle farming experience also gets a little help from the new inventory menu that can be accessed anywhere and any time. It has multiple inventory slots for both tools and items, each type having a dedicated section so there’s no need to prioritize carrying tools versus turnips. Unfortunately, this actually ends up being a little more cumbersome than useful, as the menu takes a little longer than is comfortable to open and is pretty clunky to use. I mostly avoided it unless I was bringing gifts to people. But the addition of an inventory opens up the opportunity for something else which defines this entire game...

Key items– a set of unique, unsellable items –are most frequently found in random, secret places around the farm and town, and they give you a reason to scour every inch of the place. They can also be given to you by NPCs when you gain relationships with them, which is convenient because their entire purpose is to help you get even better relationships with each of them, and maybe even unlock little stories with characters. For example, there’s a music box you can dig up in your field that can be given to any of the girls for a decently sized relationship bump. There’s also an old weathervane in the shape of a chicken that you can find in the little mine. If you give it to Rick, he’ll tell you that it was a precious thing that belonged to his grandmother as a cute scene to deepen the town’s lore and connect it to the first game. Key items quickly become the most important and sought after things in the game because they act as a vessel to deliver that which the game is all about: stories.

Lots of people in a little town

The narrative premise is exceedingly simple: you need to fix up your grandfather’s ruined farm and make a new life for yourself in this town within a certain amount of time, just like its predecessors. Except, this game is a lot bigger than either of them, and it didn’t fill all the extra space with new things to grow on your farm. In my entry on the SNES game, I mentioned that the introspective style of writing turned the repetitive farming gameplay into something more like meditation on things going on in the town. This game takes that idea and runs with it! The town in this game may only be slightly bigger than it was before, but it has a lot more people in it, and every single one of them has a lot more to say, more to do, more festivals to go to, and more story events to take part in. There's even a new photo album that fills in with images for reaching special events or succeeding at certain festivals! Your given goal may be to successfully revitalize your farm, but that rapidly stops being the reason why you want to play. Farming is only a means to further the narrative of the town.

Story events are no longer a reward for reaching the highest heart level with a girl, but instead something that happens naturally in the world as you make better friends with people, or if you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. The world doesn’t only consist of you living it and things happening to you. Instead, you end up being a fly on the wall to other people’s conversations and life events, and you get to see how those events change the people around you. People will begin to say different things, go different places, live different lives without your input at all– often much better lives, as everyone in the town is pretty deeply troubled, whether they seem like it or not.

There’s an added depth, too. While the characters in this series have always been defined by their conflicts (in the first game, every big cutscene with each girl was exclusively about their major life conflicts), this game takes it further in multiple ways. Characters have conflicts with their families: you as the player have a conflict with your parents who can take you home if you fail to farm well, Lillia and Basil have conflict over their marriage and the fact that Basil leaves for half the year, and Karen’s family situation is…. A lot. Then, there are characters at conflict with things much more nebulous, like the Mayor who tells you that the town is going to die out but he can’t find any way to save it, or like the young boy Kent who wants to be a farmer just like you, but through a series of events is forced to learn that life isn’t so simple, people can’t just do whatever they would like, and it takes very hard work to get to do the things you dream of. And then there are conflicts that aren’t even necessarily conflicts unless they run into your long-term plans.

Instead of only having a bunch of girls in town who exist only as your prospective marriage candidates, there are also five boys in the town who will marry those girls instead of you, if given the chance. Like in SNES, there are 5 levels of hearts that the girls can have for you. Unlike SNES, each one of these hearts has a corresponding event you can have with the girl where there’s a chance of her liking you more afterwards, if you say the right things. In addition to that though, there are just as many events coming from the other side of the story, rival events that trigger if you happen to be good friends with the boys.

My favorite story by far is that of Harris the mailman who falls in love with the librarian, Maria, from just seeing her handwriting on the outside of all the letters that she would write. I frequently saw him in the bar at the end of the day and he would tell me the woes of his love, saying that he just needed to work up the courage to finally speak to her. Then one day, I happened to be outside of the library when he and Maria met face to face and she handed over a letter addressed to him. No longer did he sit in the bar forlorn every night, instead all he would do was excitedly tell me about Maria, and then when I visited the library, Maria would tell me about Harris!

While I’m on the subject of these characters, I think it’s worth going in a little more depth on who these people are past the grandchildren of the characters from the last game. See, you may be familiar with names like Karen and Kai and Gray, etc., etc. from a little recently remade game called Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, which is a modern version of Friends of Mineral Town on the GameBoy Advance, which is a port of Back to Nature on the PlayStation. These are not those characters. At all. While the basic elements of these characters are intact– Popuri is cute and childish, Ann is a workaholic, Maria is shy and a little oblivious –nothing else is the same. They all work different jobs and marry different people than they are paired with in later entries, and in my humble opinion, it all works WAY better in this game, probably because of the fact that these characters were designed for this specific context!

As an example, Popuri’s exasperated mother, Lillia, runs the flower shop and Popuri was named by her father, Basil, who loves plants. She’s childish and sweet and loves flowers, but can also be a complete brat. She eventually marries Gray, Ann’s brother, who lives on the ranch run by his father, Doug, who struggles to understand his children. Gray is an angry young man who seems to have a particular dislike for you, but you don’t learn why until you discover he was a promising young jockey until he got a bad injury and had to give up the sport.

Am I gushing a bit and letting the game design part fall to the wayside? Sure probably, but I can only gush because the game does a brilliant job of making a cast of characters who, while simple on their own, have interconnected lives that come together to give every one of them so much more depth than they would have otherwise. It all builds a narrative, and while narrative design is definitely something different than game design on its own, this game is far more about the narrative so it’s impossible to not focus on.

The problems

The trouble with these events is that I nearly missed the chance to see that letter be exchanged. You have some control over the progression of the events, because you have to be decent friends with the boys in order for them to trigger at all, but unlike the girls who have a handy visual signal of how much they like you, the boys have no such thing, so you can’t really know if a new event is ready to fire off. There’s no way of knowing where or when they’ll happen either unless you look it up, and even then you have to get lucky because sometimes they just don’t trigger when you want them to. I had a lovely moment in my game where I managed to accidentally catch a cold from working too hard in the snow and lost a day to being bedridden, followed by the New Years celebration which takes a day away from you, then followed by Kai and Karen’s wedding– something that I had missed multiple events for and therefore had no idea was coming, which also took a day from me. After that three day chain of no work, I think I was extremely lucky my animals didn’t get sick and die. 

This chain of events led directly to me never speaking to Gray again, even though he was the boy I was most interested in, because I wanted to marry Popuri and there was too much risk of him getting to her before I could. The reason why I didn’t go into more detail about the relationship between those two when I was talking about them earlier is because I straight up don’t know it, I couldn’t risk giving them a chance to get together.

The thing is, even if I hadn’t forced Gray and Popuri’s cutscenes to stop, I still wouldn’t actually know what their relationship is like, because I have not beaten this game. I know what the ending entails and I can reasonably expect I probably would not have gotten an excellent one, but I’m sure it still would have been fine. I stopped playing the game entirely before I even managed to get married. Why? Because I couldn’t get any of Popuri’s heart events to trigger. I had her hearts maxed out and had a blue feather ready to go in my pocket, so I could turn on the game and marry her right away anytime I wanted to. But I wanted to trigger the little events, even if they’re just a couple seconds of some pixels talking to me on a screen. They’re cute. And it made me sad that I couldn’t see them for some imperceptible reason. So I stopped playing and didn’t pick the game back up.

I don’t remember how close I was to the end of the game, I know I was at least in year 2, but I don’t even remember how much longer the game is after that. Probably a good amount. I had definitely gotten most of the events you could get at this point, since multiple other characters had gotten married, and the farming wasn’t something I really enjoyed so I can’t say I wasn’t at least a little bored by this point, but I wasn’t frustrated with the general mechanics of the game. The days were long enough, but not too long, that I had just enough time to go anywhere I wanted and do what I needed before night came. I could still talk to characters and go to festivals and play minigames. But I didn’t want to, because the game wasn’t doing what it seemed like it was supposed to for some arbitrary reason and that frustrated me enough to make me stop. When the fun of a game is found more in experiencing special events rather than anything else, the player feels cheated out of their good time when those events are too hard to find or can be missed outright, and that’s exactly what I experienced.

Parting Thoughts

The ending, according to what I've read, is very similar to the SNES endings, in that you’ll get different results based on all of the different things you’ve done. Whether you’re married, how many crops you shipped, how many animals you have, how well liked you are by the town… I imagine it’s not quite the victory lap that SNES’s ending was with its little cutscenes, since apparently all you get are comments on how well you performed by various people in the town, but it still seems nice and rewarding! At least like more of a reward than whatever the hell GB1 was trying to do. It seems like a perfectly good ending that it would be nice to see myself someday.

Despite all my troubles with this game, I believe HM64 is still the best one out there– at least that I’ve played yet. The events are plentiful and the content is meaty. The repetitive day to day dialogue still has the simple breath of life that SNES did, that manages to make the most out of a small amount. Don’t get me wrong, this game came out in 1999, I’m giving it a lot of praise but the characters still repeat the same line to you every day, and they still freeze in place until you leave the room. It’s revolutionary, but this is comparing it to a game on the literal Super Nintendo. Absolutely pick up this game to try it out, but keep those expectations tempered. That said, I never picked up this game nor knew a thing about it until I was well into my 20’s, but the moment I started playing, it hit me with a wave of nostalgia as if I’d known this game my whole life. At least to me, the look and feel of the game were like coming home to a childhood I never had.

 Will I pick up this game again with the intent to beat it? Maybe! Hard to say for sure when I’m trying to play decades worth of games and write about them at a comprehensive level. What I do know is that this is exactly what I want more farming games to be. It’s a game that has thoughts about life, and about death, both good and bad. And I think this is the perfect context to share those thoughts.

[augustmonsooning]

The Bear in 5 Acts : We're really in the Act III weeds, pals

One of the first thing's they'll teach you about good story telling is about the 5 act structure - it's tried and tested, from Shakespeare to films like I don't know, Past Lives, they all follow the same beats.

I think's it's significant that the title card at the this season and maybe season 2 (I'm gonna have to go back to check) says "The Bear Part III"; these seasons are components of a cohesive whole, it's not being made up as they go along. This is part of the reason why the writing and filming is so quick: the bare bones of the story arc is already there, they are just embellishing and perfecting.

Season 3 thoughts under the cut!

Now, I know Season 3 has the crowd split. My initial reaction was that I loved the cinema of it: the first episode I think was one of the best, most innovative bits of TV I've seen in a minute. I really enjoyed how they played with memory and anxiety. The show had a lot of interesting things to say about grief and regret and shame this season, and the ways we cope with it all.

It also cemented for me that The Bear is following v classical 5 act storytelling.

Act 1/ Season 1: Almost pure exposition, and probably why it stands out as a very strong standalone season. You could get away with not watching any episodes after Braciole and still feel like you've watched a great show. The money in the tinned tomatoes, and Carmy's proposal (of a restaurant) to Sydney is the inciting event. You could also think of Sydney coming back as the inciting event - this is probably the first time in Carmy's life where someone outside of his family (maybe even including his family) has seen the worst of Carmy and decided to come back

Act 2/ Season 2: Rising tension. Will The Bear make it? Will Carmy escape his traumas? Will Sydney and Carmy actually find their way back to each other?

Act 3/ Season 3: This is where we are now. To mix metaphors. The traumas and bad copies strategies are coming home to roost. This is Carmy at his very worst, because somehow he thinks this is him at his best. This is how Backstage, a theatre newspaper describes Act III : "Oftentimes, the end of your third act leads into a “dark night of the soul,” where the main character is at their lowest moment as a result of the climax. They believe that they cannot achieve that new, overpowering goal established at the end of Act 1. " I think that pretty much sums up Carmy and Syd this season, on the surface their goals have been achieved: The Bear is a functioning kitchen, it's packed out every night. There's modern Danish design, there's two tops, a tasting menu at the bar, and a window on the side for the sandwiches (the family style has been scraped, but we'll get to that later). So why does it feel so off? Can it be that neither of them wanted any of that shit in the first place? Can it be that they were at their happiest eating gluey spaghetti with their friends they loved in a place that had regulars who knew them, a place they could innovate with the odds and ends they had lying around and still make wonderful food. Could it be that a place where bricklayers and teachers and postmen were eating was the goal all along?

Act 4/Season 4: Where next? I think both Syd and Carmy are gonna reckon with what is actually important to them. And we alreayd know what that is, it's that scene under the table last season: they love to take care of people, they love to cook (not be "chefs"), they love to be there for each other - be someone the other can rely on. Everything they absolutely were not doing in Season 3.

Act 5/ Season 5: The real coming back. I remember watching Braciole for the first time thinking fuck, is this just an extremely silly show? It feels so real, so earned all the way up until the cash falls out of those tomatoes and Syd comes back. Because nothing has actually been resolved or addressed. Carmy has learnt absolutely nothing. Syd is as impatient and green as ever, jumping into a new business with a guy who has absolutely shown himself to be volatile and unreliable. But we forgive them, because as the viewer we've come to love Carmy and understand that the angry, doughnut slamming Carmy is not the real him, and we understand Syd because sure, of course it feels intoxicating that when the person who made the best thing you've ever eaten, the person who can seemingly finish all your sentences, the pinnacle of your professional ambitions looks at you with his freakishly blue eyes, and ask you open a restaurant with him, you're gonna say yes. The series from Season 2 onwards feels to me like a redux of the last few episodes of Season 1 in slow-mo but this time with real learning, real consequences, and real, abiding love. Like a "find out what you love, and do it on purpose" type of thing. When they get back together the last episode it's going to feel even more magical than in Season 1.

Listen. I feel like that dude trying to get Tina et al to invest thousands of dollars to get a job in Napkins. It feels like a scam to tell you all to invest more time and hope. But, imma do it, because it's gonna pay off.

It also doesn't escape me that Strange Currencies, the song they use on the show to signpost Carmy's romantic life, has the lyrics "I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance"

Carmy had a chance in season 1, he fucked it up by going absolutely bananas in 'Review', he had another one in season 2; and he ran away and then thought he could fix it with a fancy chef jacket and promises under a table, he's had another chance in season 3 and safe to say, he's fucked it again. He's gonna get another, but he better stick the landing.

[minnielvrr]

Stamina

Lee: Seungmin Lers: Minho, Han, Chan, Jeongin Word count: 1.2k

Seungmin, ever the perfectionist, wanted to improve the stability of his voice and his stamina during the long hours of their concerts and back-to-back arrangement of their world tours. He talked to Chan and Jeongin about it after one of their recording sessions, complaining about not wanting to go to the gym and trying to brainstorm alternate ideas, when Han piped up from the couch, “Well this is technically not cardio but maybe tickling might help?” “Please don’t joke about this Han-ssi, I’m being serious!”

Seungmin’s frustration leaks into his voice, the stress from their unforgiving work hours having finally gotten to him. Realizing his mistake quickly, though, he apologizes, “I’m- I’m sorry hyung, I know you were trying to help. I’m really stressed out right now and we’re gonna go on a world tour soon and I just- I don’t wanna disappoint STAYs or let you guys down. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way.”

The boy bowed his head in shame. “Hey pup, it’s okay and I’m being serious too, Minho hyung, he uh- he helped me improve my stamina that way when we debuted.” Seungmin stared wide-eyed at the blushing ace. Chan, delighted at the idea of tickling the worries out of their main vocalist, clapped his hands, ”It’s decided then! Seungminnie, why don’t you sit here and let us help you?”

He offered the comfy chair he was sitting on, Seungmin nervously taking a step back before turning on his heel and fleeing the room when Han and Jeongin approached him, fingers wiggling. His face was on fire as he threw open the door and ran straight into Minho’s arms, knocking the cap off the older’s head. The younger boy slipped out of his arms, making a dash down the corridor and instinctually, Minho ran after the flustered boy, easily catching up to him, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder.

“Where are you going in such a hurry, pup?” Lino held him tight as the puppy struggled in his hold and wrestled him back into the recording room. “No! Let me gohoho, hyung!” “What’s going on?” Minho asked the others in the room. Seungmin’s efforts to free himself doubling when Hannie recapped the scene.

“Aww is our little Minnie too sensitive? Can't even handle a few tickles, hmm?” Seungmin buried his face in his hands, dying from embarrassment. A firm hand massaging the back of his thighs had him kicking out, pounding his fists on Minho's back as the dancer giggled and set him down on Chan's chair.

Seungmin protested as his hands were yanked up and tied to the headrest of the chair with the long sleeves of Jeongin's hoodie. He struggled against the restraints, face burning and heart racing at the vulnerable position. “Hyung, hyungs please no, Jeonginnie plehease stop them,” he begged, squirming around and tugging at his arms in vain.

“Let me go you jerks.” He yelled out in fear when the four kids surrounded him, Seungmin feeling small and exposed as they smiled smugly at him. He regretted his choice of clothing when Hannie sat on his lap and massaged his sides through his thin t-shirt, “Do you really want us to stop, Minnie? C’mon just tell us what song you wanna practice already so we can get started.” The boy huffed, mumbling ‘God’s Menu’ as he closed his eyes in preparation. This was gonna be a long evening.

As expected, they didn’t go easy on him. Channie started playing the instrumental of God’s Menu, the four kids allowing Seungmin to hesitantly start singing, his beautiful voice distracting them for a moment. Then Jeongin ghosted his fingers over Minnie’s neck and the boy flinched but continued singing, his voice getting shaky for only an instant before he reigned in his giggles, trying hard to tune out the itchy sensation that was becoming increasingly unbearable.

The veins of Seungmin’s neck popped in his effort to keep his voice steady. It sounded so shaky, even to himself, high pitched giggles mixing with his words as he struggled to finish each sentence without bursting out laughing. The others, true to their words, weren’t making that easy, Chan clawing at his exposed stomach, Minho digging into his ribs and armpits while Jeongin and Han kneaded the spot right above his knees with fervor. He only made it to the chorus before his words dissolved into helpless laughter.

As much as he tried to squirm away, the persistent fingers followed, tickling him until there were tears streaming down his cheeks and he was laughing harder than he’d ever done before. Chan signaled for them to pause and Seungmin slumped back into the chair, breathing heavily. “You did so well, pup,” Minho’s praise made him smile tiredly. “Yeah, next let’s aim to finish the whole song before stopping. Seungmin’s eyes widened comically at that, “nohoho, I cahan’t take that much hyung,” his voice bubbled with anticipatory giggles.

“You can do it hyung,” Jeongin encouraged with a smirk, jabbing the trapped boy’s sides meanly just to watch as Seungmin jerked away with a squeal. “I’m so gonna get you back for that Innie, watch your back.” Jeongin tsked cockily at that, “You’re not exactly in the position to threaten me now, are you hyungie?” He mocked the shy pup, scratching lazily at Seungmin’s exposed armpits and loving how the older scrambled to apologize and beg for mercy in between helpless cackles. “Sorry, I’m sohohorry, Innie pleahehehehease.” The maknae let up, satisfied.

Everyone had to admit that having their little menace all powerless and giggly for once felt nice. After Han fed him some water, Chan restarted the song and they were back at it. Seungmin was pretty determined to last till the end of the song, even if he wasn’t able to sing every word of it. His determination crumbled when Chan prodded the boy’s belly button and Jeongin tasered his sides. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on the lyrics and ignore the torturous feeling of fingers wiggling on his hypersensitive skin.

This time he was able to sing until the bridge part, his voice high and strained as he screamed out the last few lines of the pre-chorus before he surrendered. “Ah fuhuhuhahack Channie hyung! NOT THEHEHEHERE,” Minnie gasped when the leader started knuckling his hip bone. “No? Not here? Ooooh, you shouldn’t have said that baby~!” Chan laughed gleefully as he went crazy on the spot, leaving Seungmin twisting and jolting wildly as he tried to escape the torture.

The poor boy could only laugh, his brain so fried from the tickling that he could no longer form words, left mouthing pleas in the hopes that they would have mercy. “Oh wow, you’re super ticklish there!” Minho exclaimed in delight, adoring how much of a mess their puppy was from just a little tickling. “It’s been forever since I’ve heard that laugh!” Hannie joined in happily, everyone letting up one by one, Innie freeing his hyung’s arms.

Seungmin was still crying, residual giggles shaking his lean frame as he panted. The four kids gave him some more water. Hands moved all over once more, wiping the puppy’s face and combing through his tangled hair and finally everyone cuddled together on the couch. Seungmin snuggled into Chan’s warm body, quickly falling asleep. Minho snapped a quick picture then carried the sleeping boy to the car, and everyone went back after a rather productive day.

[sommerflue-22]

i loved the childhood crush fanfic of yours! im wondering if your making a yuichiro choice one?

A/n: aaaa thank you sm! and ofc! i hope you like this one too :D

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Childhood Crush | Yuichiro Tokito

Muichiro version

Featuring: Yuichiro Tokito, aged up!Yuichiro

Content Warning: gn!reader, modern setting, fluff, not beta read

Word Count: 1.7k

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At first, Muichiro was the twin who caught your attention. How could he not? He was a kind kid, soft-spoken and very polite. Not to mention, he smiled a lot. You were in the same homeroom class with him back in your first and second year of elementary school. After that, you were separated. You didn't play with him during recess anymore, but it didn't matter because you made friend with his twin.

Yuichiro was an active kid, always running around playing tag or football whenever he had the chance. You were his seatmate for a whole semester during your third year.

One day during PE, the teacher paired you two to play badminton. It was a match made in heaven. You hit the shuttlecock back and forth, not even letting it drop. Sure, Yuichiro was strong, but you managed to match his energy. The game was really intense, your other classmates started to abandon their own games and watched you and Yuichiro instead.

From that day, you and Yuichiro were pretty much inseparable. You played together during recess, sat next to each other in science lab, exchanged collectible cards. Just two active kids having fun every day.

You remembered the first time you realized that, hey, Yuichiro is such a good friend... but he made your little heart beats a little faster, unlike the other kids.

Yuichiro came to school one day, eyes wide and a big grin plastered on his face.

"(Y/N), (Y/N)! Guess what?!"

"What?"

"You have to guess first!"

You pouted, annoyed, but gave yourself a few seconds to try guessing the reason Yuichiro's joyful expression. "You... got yourself a new bike?" Yuichiro did tell you he wanted a new bike.

"Ah, I wish! But no!" Yuichiro circled the table and sat next to you. "My Dad got me that dinosaur movie's DVD!"

You gasped, "No, he didn't!"

"Yes, he did!" Yuichiro bounced his feet, excited. "Do you wanna watch it with me after school? Mui don't wanna watch it, he'd rather watch cartoon."

"Eh? Sure! I wanna see the movie too!"

"Alright! Let's go to my house after school!"

The movie was all you talked about with Yuichiro all day. Even during recess, you both didn't join the other kids playing football. Instead, you sat with Yuichiro on the swing set and talked about dinosaurs. When the school bell rang, signaling the end of the class, you both were all packed up and ready to go.

Thankfully, the Tokito's house wasn't really far from school, only a ten minute walk. Once you got there, you borrowed the telephone to call your mom. You told her that you're in Yuichiro's house, about to watch a movie. Your mom let you, but also told you to go home before it got dark.

"All good! Let's go watch that movie!" You gave Yuichiro a thumbs up and he led you to the living room.

You sat comfortably on the sofa as Yuichiro put the CD in the player.

"Yay, it's starting!" Yuichiro plopped down next to you soon after.

"No, it's still the main menu! You gotta push that one there, the 'Play Movie' one! Give me the remote, you're so slow!"

You grabbed the remote from Yuichiro's hand and played the movie.

It was really cozy in the Tokito house. The sofa and the throw pillows were fluffy and soft, the floor was heated, and Yuichiro's mother made them hot chocolate. She also gave you two a bowl of popcorn and a few bags of chips to eat during the movie.

There were a few scenes that made you two jump, but you laughed them all off. Instead of getting scared, you and Yuichiro just commented on how cool the dinosaurs looked. The movie was interesting, but it was quite a long one. Almost two and a half hour long.

Things got a little bit boring when you reached the part where the characters had to plan an escape. It was a lot of talking, not enough dinosaurs. It was the first time the two of you fell silent. You kept your eyes glued to the TV, though, wasn't about to risk missing a dinosaur appearance.

You yawned as the two main characters got left alone by their other friends. They were supposed to guard the front door as the others went to find supplies. You weren't interested in their 'romantic' banter.

You were about to reach out and grab some popcorns when you realized Yuichiro had fallen asleep, his head rested on your shoulder.

Your heart started to beat faster than usual. You didn't know why, maybe because you were afraid of waking him up. As much as you liked watching the movie with him, you couldn't blame him for falling asleep. The movie was still on its boring part and school was tiring. It was normal for him to get tired and fell asleep.

You stayed on your seat and decided to watch the movie again. Wrong move. The two characters were kissing. Mind you, neither you nor Yuichiro knew the movie had a little bit of romance in it. You were just there to see the dinosaur.

But the scene that was unfolding in front of your eyes really made your stomach fluttered. It was your first time seeing two people kiss, and hug each other oh so tightly right after.

I wish I can hug Yuichiro like that...

...what?

You couldn't believe you thought about hugging Yuichiro like those characters. It was a tight hug, a really intimate one. They also did it after they kissed each other.

Gross.

You tried to forget about that feeling, but it never left. It stayed in the back of your mind, coming forward every once in awhile, during random moments you shared with Yuichiro.

By the time you were in the 6th grade, you fully understood that you did like Yuichiro... a little bit (a lot) more than a friend. Yet you never told him.

Apparently someone from another class had a crush on one of the Tokito twins. You had no idea which one, but you saw Yuichiro got pissed off when he found out. You saw him got angry because other kids teased him.

You thought it was better not to tell him about your little crush.

So you kept it to yourself.

You went to the same middle school and high school as the twins. You watched as they grew up to be really attractive. By the time you graduated high school, Yuichiro was already towering over you.

Oh, he's a bad news, alright, you told yourself. Yuichiro was tall, ripped, really good looking, and you waited for him to finish his kendo practices so you knew what he could do with those muscles.

The day after your graduation, you and Yuichiro drove down to the beach and had a little picnic to watch the sunset. It was something that the two of you loved to do since the ninth grade. For Yuichiro, it might be completely platonic. But for you? You loved to pretend that those sunset picnics were dates.

"So... you're moving out this weekend?" Yuichiro asked.

"Yep." You answered, still munching your chips. You got accepted to a really good program in a reputable university. The thing was, it's located on the other side of the country.

"My, my... It won't be the same without you here," Yuichiro whistled. "I mean, we've been friends since like... what, elementary school?"

You laughed, "Back when you still believe in Santa Claus."

Yuichiro threw an almond at you. "I was an imaginative kid... But, anyway... I hope you'll like it there! I'm really happy for you, you know. You deserve this. So go out there and explore the world! Make friends with a lot of people, fall in love with a few, then maybe one day I'll receive an... I don't know, a housewarming party invitation? Or maybe even a wedding invitation?"

You smiled, watching as he popped and almond into his mouth. He had no idea...

"The point is... I'll always be your friend. You can call me anytime."

You sighed. "Well... It would be great if I can find someone else out there, maybe date them, got my heart broken, fall for someone new, repeat the cycle... but I don't think I'll be able to experience those stuff... at least not in the near future."

"Eh?! Why not?!"

You turned to look at him right in his eyes. "Because of you."

Yuichiro blinked a few times before his eyes widened.

"(Y/N)..."

"You don't have to reciprocate. I just need to tell you that... just to let you know." You let out a laugh.

"Ah... thanks..."

Surprisingly, you didn't feel sad. You felt relieved. You finally let go of something that you've been holding onto for so long.

The two of you sat in silence as the sun set. Once you could no longer see the glowing, orange orb, you stood up.

"Right, we should get going, then!" You clapped your hands once. "Let me get the trash and dump them. Oi, Yui, stop zoning out and fold the mat."

You picked up the trash and walked to a nearby trash can. Once you disposed them, you went to a faucet near the stairs to the parking lot to wash your hands.

As you were washing your hands, you felt a pair of strong hands wrapped around your waist.

"Yui—"

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

You let him hold you close, feeling the warmth of his body embraced you, sheltering you from the cold wind.

"Because I don't want you to hate me."

"...Since when?"

"...third grade..."

Yuichiro chuckled, you could feel his breath on your nape. "Oh, (Y/N)..."

Yuichiro turned your body around and soon you were engulfed in his scent, earthy and clean. Your heart was beating like crazy, but so was his.

"So... do you wanna... try it out?" Yuichiro asked, voice quivered at the end.

You chuckled. He was nervous.

"Only if you want to." You lifted up your chin to meet his face.

He rolled his eyes as he leaned down to peck your forehead.

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A/n: I GOT CARRIED AWAY AJASOFEJOHGE

[thirteenthdoor]

What's For Dinner Inside The Doors?

It's time to dine with the Woman in the Rain!

Only two of the door worlds do this big fancy dining-table spread: the Woman in the Rain and Hako Onna/Box Demon. Both of those spreads are extremely chaotic, but this door's offerings make slightly more sense, at least as meals go. This is also probably the door that shows the most actual eating of actual food by the actors.

Case in point, the Mistress' steak dinner, which everyone sits down to almost immediately after arriving. They all wait for her to take the first bite, but once she does, they dig in.

Nobody finishes their steak.

The dining room table is such a central gathering/filming place to this story that it gives a sense of time, one helped further by the very different day/night lighting schemes. There are six different meal scenes. The first one is that opening night steak dinner.

The Mistress has servants, so at the start of the second meal, we actually get to see how the food gets to the table just before the players arrive and sit down.

Despite the green salad and strawberry shortcakes we see the waiters bringing in, what seems to be on the actual menu this morning are triple-decker breakfast sandwiches. You never get a real good close-up of them, but it looks to me like they're three slices of white bread with some kind of cured meat in one of the layers and a fried egg/cheese in the other.

They look delicious.

The third meal also features the servants, but this time what they're putting on the table are stacks of plain, untoasted sliced white bread. Despite this, the people at the table appear to be eating the sandwiches from before (some of them with forks). Maybe if our trio had been on time for breakfast, they wouldn't have missed out.

Lin Qiushi eats a grape. Everybody drinks their milk.

Meal four has noodles! Plain ... noodles.

Everybody mostly just plays with their noodles. Lin Qiushi's noodles appear to be sauced (this is not a euphemism), so I guess that's one of the perks of being the protagonist.

Meal five is back to steak dinner! Everybody else is mostly playing with what little is left of their food by the time our main trio arrives (why are they always so late for meals? rude!), but the three of them actually eat their steak. It is now Ruan Nanzhu's turn to eat a grape (or maybe a cherry, it's hard to tell).

The waitstaff clears away everyone else's plates while they're talking to the head butler. Good thing Xiong Qi mostly finished his dinner before stomping off, because he's not coming back to leftovers.

Then there's one quick final breakfast -- the scene lasts less than a minute -- where white bread and milk seem to be the dish of choice for everyone. Mm, white bread and milk.

It's this last shot I want to talk about, because two unsettling things are happening here. The first is that we get a shot of what looks like a plate of the earlier breakfast sandwiches, only now they have some kind of green visible on the back. The two charitable non-mold explanations for that are that the sandwiches contain extremely wilted lettuce (vile) or a guacamole spread (mmm).

The second is that Xiong Qi has decided to eat one of the little reddish cakes from the tray with the tiramisu squares. Moreover, he appears to have removed whatever little bit of white cream is at the center, leaving only the red cake, which is the part he's eating ... on top of his plain slices of white bread.

It's actually that last little bit that convinces me most, if not all, of the food is real. I was working on the initial assumption that this is a table mostly of plastic fake food with a few real dishes tossed in so that the actors could eat something. I have watched enough behind-the-scenes stuff about Hannibal to know that filming something with actual eating gets difficult, in terms of both continuity and not torturing actors with cold/gross food. (The less said about that trout in aspic, the better.)

Said actors do semi-chaotically go for the other things on the table, though, like the fruit -- which would be by far the easiest food to fake. Also, if it were fake food, I'd expect the same pastries to show up at the Hako Onna dinner table, and they do not.

So if the dishes are real, why not bust into, say, those pretty little strawberry shortcakes? Well, here's the continuity issue again -- there is no teling what order these scenes are filmed in, especially given how nobody changes clothes. (In fact, I'd bet money the two nighttime steak scenes were filmed consecutively.) You don't want to eat a cake that will then be missing in a previous scene. Also, if those things are real, you run the risk of starting to eat one and then having to restart the scene, but not having a spare. Best just leave all that be and stick to what's on your actual plate.

If anything, I bet the reason they're not eating the pastries is that those things are stale by now. Given the way the little red cake falls apart as Xiong Qi tries to eat it, that seems a reasonable conclusion.

Nobody ever touches those salads.

It is entirely possible I am misreading these breakfast sandwiches and that I lack the cultural knowledge to understand what I'm actually looking at, but also I don't care. I want one so badly. I'm going to make them. Here's how I'm going to do it:

bread

American cheese (the meltiest!)

fried egg

skip the middle slice of bread, that's too much bread

bacon or sausage or ham or something

guacamole

bread

And then you toast it all in a pan like it's a grilled cheese! It will be delicious. You're all invited to come over and try one.

[blackjackkent]

As with Patch 5, I have compiled my favorite Patch 6 patch notes (the exciting ones and the hilarious ones) so you don't have to.

First of all, the Highlights section has some VERY nice QoL changes:

"You can now dismiss a recruited companion from your party while speaking to the companion you want to replace them with." (Fuck yes, this is such a small annoyance but it really adds up over time.)

"When a dialogue triggers automatically, the game will now try to prioritise your avatar character as the main speaker." (I spent literally like half an hour trying to ensure Hector got the conversational lead when walking into the vault with the Stone Lord for my liveblog post, so this fills my heart with DEEP joy.)

"The Elixir of Hill Giant Strength now applies its effects when thrown." (HUGE deal for Hector's party in my liveblog, as @zenjestrr has pointed out to me - Jaheira can hurl it onto Hector, Karlach, and Minsc together!)

Some general happy-making improvements (some for things in Act 3/epilogue that I haven't gotten to yet but which sound very positive):

"Your partner now has a few different kisses! They're brand new, unique, and randomized."

"If you sit on the stool in Shadowheart's camp corner, she will now react to you with a line based on your relation with her."

"Improved the cinematic scenes in the Elfsong Tavern to feel more intimate when you and your romance partner decide your future together after defeating the Netherbrain."

"Reworked the reflection scenes that take place after wrapping up the defeat of the Netherbrain for characters without romantic partners to better match the scenes for those who do have romantic partners, and to bridge the gap into the epilogue."

"Added a new cinematic scene to support the combat encounter that occurs after you choose whether to side with Nightsong at Sorcerous Sundries or not."

"If you romanced Lae'zel, grab a red dragon and saddle up - you can now join her in the rebellion against Vlaakith, even if you are not gith yourself."

"Increased the number of valid methods of knocking Minthara out to recruit her."

"Tooltips for spells requiring concentration now more prominently display a warning if you are already using concentration to maintain another spell."

And now the bits that just made me laugh. XD

"If you Long Rest with only alcohol as camp supplies, you will now get the new Hungover condition for 10 turns."

"The Long Rest camp supply menu is now better at pulling supplies from inside containers in companion inventories. Stop hoarding the cheese, Wyll."

"The owlbear cub will no longer gobble up Auntie Ethel's Hair before you can take advantage of the bonus it grants." (???)

"Creating harmful surfaces beneath NPCs will now trigger a crime reaction."

"Scratch can no longer equip certain weapons. Like the Everburn Blade."

"Jaheira could be in bad shape by the time she arrived at Moonrise Towers since she already had to fight. Now she's smart enough to heal up before she goes there, which we're hoping lets her last at least an additional second in combat."

"Fixed dice roll sounds playing if you have the 'Hide Failed Perception Rolls' setting enabled while exploring. We asked the narrator to quieten down when rolling the dice for your immersion."

"Fixed a bug causing player characters to get deleted from the game after stealing the Blood of Lathander."

"Enemies are now less likely to summon a Skeletal Involucre in range of a Spirit Guardian that will immediately destroy it."

"Nere's Legendary Action now correctly triggers when he is attacked, rather than when he attacks. Cut him some slack - being a True Soul is a lot of pressure; we'd all get confused in his shoes."

"Told Fezzerk to stop throwing his bombs on himself and his allies."

"The Apostle of Myrkul's Finger of Death spell is now treated as a Level 7 spell instead of a cantrip."

"Fixed Steel Watchers sometimes hurting themselves with their own attacks."

"Invisible characters who have something to say in a dialogue will now remember to actually show themselves."

" Throwing NPCs into a chasm will no longer trigger their crime reaction dialogue while they're mid-flight."

"Jaheira could have access to two types of Wild Shape in certain circumstances. We've toned down her blatant disregard for D&D rules."

"Fixed NPC heads occasionally detaching in Forced Turn-Based Mode."

"You can no longer place a corpse into its own inventory."

"Items can only be sent to specific companions in camp if a party member is in camp at the time. Stop sending every +1 dagger to Gale, he's not that hungry."

"NPCs should be a lot less eager to engulf themselves (or their allies) in flames now."

"Fixed NPCs using an incorrect throw range when they can't move. This sometimes caused them to, say, throw explosives on their own heads."

"Fixed NPCs sometimes successfully landing jumps that shouldn't be possible. Like through ceilings."

"You can no longer trade with sleeping characters."

"Fixed overhead dialogues still playing above the souls of dead characters - represented as blue wisps - in the epilogue camp. Lae'zel will no longer urgently proclaim 'Repositioning!' when you make her little wisp move around."

"Killing Omeluum or Blurg of the Society of Brilliance will now break your paladin oath. Because they're nice and you're not."

"Picking up fish from the beach at the Emerald Grove is no longer a crime. They take their vegetarianism very seriously, those druids."

"You can now no longer spawn infinite fish at the Emerald Grove beach. No wonder that bear smells."

"Told Art Cullagh to please stop singing during the combat when Isobel's being abducted."

"You can no longer trade with Voss when he ambushes you at the base of High Hall."

"If you escape prison and then return to your cell and close the door without being noticed by anyone allied to the arresting guards, you will no longer be considered a fugitive."

"Fixed a bug where a status could carry over from the final battle to the beginning of the epilogue, potentially killing the players."

"You can now clean your body and clothes in a fountain in the House of Hope's boudoir. Sometimes it's nice to freshen up before a big event."

"Fixed Scratch not feeling like playing in camp beyond Act I after partying too hard at the camp celebration."

"Minthara no longer speaks more about Shadowheart than Shadowheart does about herself."

"You'll no longer see text telling you that Gale approves of something if he's not even nearby to see what happened."

"Jaheira's memory in her old age was failing her, and she could tell you about Minsc twice if you left her in camp but advanced her quest multiple steps. Now she's much better at remembering what she told you, and will only prompt it the once."

"Good boys Scratch and the owlbear cub will now play together in any camp, not just the main one in the wilderness from Act I."

"Cerys will now leave your camp after the camp celebration in Act I. We know it's sometimes hard to ask the last person to leave the party, so we've done it for you."

"Fixed Rugan being upset with you for trespassing after saving him from impending doom. You're welcome, Rugan."

"Florrick now looks appropriately grimy and sweaty after escaping Waukeen's Rest."

"Lae'zel will no longer become hostile towards you, thinking you left the inquisitor's office in Crèche Y'llek while waiting to fulfil Vlaakith's orders, when you only jumped on one of the platforms in the corner."

"Fixed Smythin in the Goblin Camp sometimes getting stuck in a cowering animation. He's a little braver now."

"Rugan is no longer 'too busy' to thank you after you free him in the Zhentarim Hideout."

"One of the teenagers in the Crèche Y'llek will now tend to his cleaning tasks. He may or may not have been chastised for shirking his duties."

"Fixed a bug with Bernard in the Arcane Tower not giving you a reward if you previously befriended the squirrel in the Emerald Grove."

"Fixed a couple of goblins in the Goblin Camp not really doing much at all if you free Sazza."

"Rotated Barth and Remira near the Emerald Grove gate so they would shout in the right direction."

"The nurses in the House of Healing have remembered that they are capable of speech and will now react to crimes properly."

"Dame Aylin now permits all players to behold her radiance in the cutscene when ascending from the Shadowfell rather than just the one who freed her."

"Isobel and Marcus will no longer stop their epic confrontation at Last Light just because someone commits a petty crime nearby."

"In rare cases, Jaheira could be Frightened in the combat with Ketheric and end up so scared she doesn't show up to resolve the conflict in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. She now overcomes her terror."

"Bards can no longer say they saved Jaheira's Harper scouts when they did no such thing."

"Fixed some guards by the fountain at Last Light who were trying to speak each other's lines."

"Now you can convince Ch'r'ai Har'rak to go away in different ways."

"Mayrina will no longer still be Bloodless in Act III if Astarion bit her in Act I."

"Wyll no longer leaves the party when you commit a crime in the High Hall. With the city in ruin, the petty crime dramatics seemed a little extreme."

"A few more people around Baldur's Gate will notice if an article has been printed about you in the newspaper."

"Lumbar will no longer react as if you didn't pay for the privilege of hitting him if the single strike had different damage types." (Ah this explains why Hector got that weird reaction. XD)

"Vicar Humbletoes will no longer do a weird shrug before praying."

"Prevented Karlach's death scene from triggering if a solo player chooses to detonate while playing as Avatar Gale."

"Fixed Lae'zel talking inaccurately about Ptaris, for example suggesting he's dead when he's... literally right there."

"Auntie Ethel will no longer send you a letter written by Zevlor in the epilogue."

"If you part ways with Shadowheart and hide in the Underdark as a mind flayer, she won't forget and think you've spent the last sixth months together in the epilogue. Classic Shadowheart, always forgetting things."

"The Emperor will no longer send you a cheerful letter in the epilogue camp if you ate his brains."

"You can no longer invite the owlbear cub to live with you and Halsin in the epilogue if you do not, in fact, live with Halsin."

"Fixed avatar characters incorrectly getting assigned the Dream Guardian's skin colour in Character Creation on controller."

"The fish barrels in the Underdark, that clearly look like they have fish in them, now actually contain fish instead of tarts."

"You can no longer casually go walkies in the middle of a chasm in the Decrepit Village in the Underdark."

"Removed a platform in Grymforge that looked like it was accessible and was tricking a few of you into trying to jump on it to access the Gauntlet of Shar."

"You can no longer disappear into a couple of rocks near the mephits in Grymforge. Sorry."

"Added a new animation for Cranium Rats. They can now stand up on their hind leggies."

"Corpses thrown from your inventory now look dead rather than alive. As is right."

"Fixed missing sounds in Active Search. (We found them hidden under some rocks in Act I.)"

"Fixed a basket of onions claiming to be a fruit basket, and other issues with lying baskets."

"Gave the dogs at the Sword Coast Couriers names. Because they're the best boys."

"Lae'zel no longer slides or teleports away during her Epilogue dialogue."

"Made general improvements to Boo's animations. The hamster is a little less jittery."

"Fixed the goblet flying out of your hand when talking to Jaheira at Last Light. We knew you were suspicious of it, but you don't have to be so dramatic."

:D

This is a tiny fraction of the full set of changes/improvements/fixes listed in the patch notes and once again I am tremendously impressed. As I said last time - this game has a breadth of scope and ambition that repeatedly takes my breath away and I am mindboggled at the amount of work being put into it.

Very excited to finish out Act 3 in the coming weeks!

[kiasnocturnality]

⋆ :₊ ᥫ᭡ 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒖

⊹ ° . tips: be sure to only begin your play-through from the main menu. Your choices have consequences and will unlock different scenes and endings.

You begin to eat and Alois watches you for a while before looking away and admiring the decor of a room that must be all too familiar to him, just for the sake of not making you feel awkward to be watched while eating. It’s a tomato soup and deliciously creamy, the bread soft and warm with softened butter spread over it. You can taste basil in the soup too and you find yourself much more comfortable in a dry change of clothes and with a warm meal making its way into your belly. You’re beginning to feel silly for rejecting him now that you’re feeling so much better. 

“Is it good?” He asks after a while, considerately waiting until you’ve finished your mouthful. You give a little nod and dip your bread into the bowl once again. 

“It’s lovely, thank you.” He smiles softly at your praise and gratitude. His head tilts to the side a little and a curtain of gossamer hair falls over his shoulder. It looks as though it could put the very finest of silks to shame in the way it catches and reflects the light with such a gloss. As you move towards finishing up your meal mopping the bowl with your last piece of bread, the ghostly pale man speaks up once again. 

“I’ve sent my staff to assess the damage to your car and to call for help. I’d truly appreciate it if you would stay the night. I'd feel awful to send you home so tired from all of this and, admittedly, I’d worry about you if I were to hand you over to the hospitality of another while you’re in your current state. You’re free to decline should you wish; but if not, there’s a guest room prepared and you’re welcome to take a bath or shower if it pleases you.” He says with a levelled sincerity in his voice. Your brows raise in surprise at such generous hospitality. 

“Really? I’m not sure I can accept you going so far out of your way for me.” You say politely. A part of you really does like the sound of it now that he’s shown he was only being cautious and does not mean you any harm. 

“It’s no trouble at all. I can send you off with breakfast in the morning too, it’ll ease the day that I’m sure you’ll have ahead of you, amending all the damage.” He insists. He has a close-lipped smile and his snowy lashes bat softly as he does his best to make you feel safe and comfortable. You finish your meal as you consider his generous offer. 

“Alright, I’ll stay. I think you’re right about easing me into the day I have ahead of me tomorrow.” His grin only widens upon hearing your words. 

“Excellent.” He rises to his feet with such grace that you’re sure it can only have been bred into him, a man of such high class as he clearly is. “Allow me to show you to your room.” You’re surprised again when he offers you his arm to take instead of trailing a distance ahead of you like earlier. Such chivalrous gestures aren’t exactly common and thus it’s  a very pleasant surprise as you take his arm and can feel the flex of muscle that is belied by his slim and elegant physique. He smells pleasantly of plum and faint vanilla and you can’t help but take a moment to truly take in just how androgynous this man appears. When you first set eyes on him, you’d assumed that he was simply a very tall woman but, truth be told, you’re near certain he could easily pass for a woman if he dressed the part. 

He leads you into a room decorated in off-whites and reds with a grand four-poster bed. The fireplace crackles softly at one side and there’s a door which you can only assume leads to a bathroom. “Ring the bell should you need anything at any point in the night and someone will come to assist you.” He takes a slight step back from you. “I’m so very sorry for the fright I must have given you earlier, darling, but my family has greatly suffered from those who target us for our status and so I must maintain utmost caution to protect my estate. I am responsible for my staff and it is a priority of mine that they return home safely to their families at the end of each day. You’ve been so compliant and understanding and I hope that my level of hospitality is display enough of my gratitude for this.” He’s so eloquent that it’s like he walked out of another time. 

“Of course, but you’re the one I really need to thank.” He smiles softly and gently waves his hand in a dismissive motion. 

“Enough of that now. There’s a telephone on the nightstand, I’m sure you’d like to inform friends or family of what’s happened to you. I wish you goodnight.” With those parting words, he takes your hand in both of his and presses a featherly kiss to your knuckles. 

You’re left standing in the guest room of the manor with your heart fluttering in your chest. 

-̷̛̗̹͖̦̞͔̩̉͆̊͛̈͊̓͝-̷̬̤̥̱͎̈́͆̈́͂͛̈ͅ ̴̪͎̈͛͐̾̃̽̿̕͝e̵̪̼̫̣̊̈́̎͗̄̀͊n̵̺̰̭͙̯͔̱̔̈́̍d̷̨̻̙̦̠̪͚͂̈́ ̷̟͖͇̻̜͕̺̦̳̓̎̄̊-̶͙̖͇͇͛͋̌͒̕-̶̼̩̭͊͝   𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 : 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕 -̷̛̗̹͖̦̞͔̩̉͆̊͛̈͊̓͝-̷̬̤̥̱͎̈́͆̈́͂͛̈ͅ ̴̪͎̈͛͐̾̃̽̿̕͝e̵̪̼̫̣̊̈́̎͗̄̀͊n̵̺̰̭͙̯͔̱̔̈́̍d̷̨̻̙̦̠̪͚͂̈́ ̷̟͖͇̻̜͕̺̦̳̓̎̄̊-̶͙̖͇͇͛͋̌͒̕-̶̼̩̭͊͝ 

⋆ :₊ ᥫ᭡ 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒖

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[thewondelandifulcafe]

“Be Prepared for a stunning proposal”  ~ Leona Kingscholar

Title: “Be Prepared for a stunning proposal” 

Menu: Twisted Wonderland

Beverage: Thai Bubble Tea

Main Dish(es): Donuts

Side Dish(es): Pies: Pumpkin Pie 

Spoilers: None

Word Count:

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Insanity, murder, thought rape  A/N: Let me know if I missed something plz.

Summary: There was scene that was deleted from the Lion King where Scar wanted Nala as his Queen. He asked Zazu why wasn’t he loved, where Zazu listed things Scar lacked. One thing stood out to Scar that being lacking a Queen to rule by his side. At that moment he sang a reprised “Be Prepared” to Nala asking her to be his Queen. Now Leona has taken over his brothers kingdom a similar way as Scar did. He now needs a mate to rule by his side and willingly obey his command that being Y/N.

Notes: Y/N is G/N, a loin, and two years younger than Leona. Like in Jamil’s we need a Zazu replacement. Meet Ollin meaning movement like Zazu means movement. He loyally serves the royal family having a favoritism to Falena’s family. Considering Leona to be untrustworthy and believing he is that family member who ruins everything.

3rd Person POV

       “Ollin why aren’t I loved?” Leona asked lazily as he through the bone he was playing with. “Simple Sire,” Ollin hated the fact he had to call Leona sire. Awful brat, not deserving of the throne, thought Ollin. “Things around here have gone to pot” Ollin collected the bones from the floor, throwing them in a pile. “Oh shut up,” Leona stepped down his throne, walking towards Ollin. “What’s important is how I feel.” “The pride lands have become the armpit of Twisted Wonderland,” Ollin stated gathering up the bones. “Why, I’m tall, witty, good-looking,” Leona ignored Ollin's truthful words, intoxicated by his pride and ego. “Hyenas and the Ruggie boy who I never liked for your information are walking around like they own the place!” Ollin declared, shaking a bone to empathize his words. Leona continued to mumble of how great he is. After all what not to love about him. He’s charming and can tell a good joke once in a while. “There’s not enough water for the people!” Ollin said desperately trying to get Leona to reason. “Hmm something missing,” Leona finally asked. “What is it?” “Your grasp on reality!” Ollin screamed in Leona’s face. “You’ve gone down the path of insanity!” “Please my lord do something or the Sunset Savanna will be a laughing stock of Twisted Wonderland.” Ollin tried to stay calm. 

       “If Falena was alive.” “Oh shut up fool” Leona pushed Ollin to the wall. “Consider it shut Sire.” “Falena, Falena it's always about Falena, I’m sick of him,” Leona walked around the throne room. “What does he have that I don’t.” “Nothing, you lack nothing at all,” Ollin flew to Leona trying to not get put in the dungeon or even worst killed. Why Leona did to his own brother without any remorse. What would stop him from killed Ollin, nothing. “Well except a few minor things,” Ollin said, he had to say it. Leona was possibly one of the worst kings Sunset Savanna had ever seen. It must of been fate that he was born to be the one inheriting the throne. “Adoring subjects, respect of your species, a loving family, a devoted mate,” Ollin listed slyly leaning toward Leona with his hand behind his back. “Shall I go on Sire.” Leona paid no attention towards the other things he lacked. But a mate…a devoted one as well. That what he needed. Someone who would do what ever he commanded. Side by him. Care for him. Show his people he had a mate. “A mate, yes I need a mate,” Leona commented. “ACK what,” Ollin was shocked, even more scared for the poor soul, Leona would pick. “They would rule by my side.” Leona continued. “We’ll have cubs little Leonas running around,” “My heirs, my descendants, my lineage,” Leona had a grin one that Ollin could tell something bad would happen. “I will be immortal!”

       “Leona,” Y/N walked carefully through the door. “Ah Y/N your timing is wonderful,” Leona looked at the young lion with strong romantic interest. “Couldn’t be more perfect, do come in.” Oh no Ollin thought The poor thing. “The will be all Ollin,” Leona said, not removing his sights on Y/N. “Oh don’t you think I would stay,” Ollin was worried about Y/N they nothing more than a servant. It was just by chance they walked in.  “That will be all,” Leona unhappily repeated taking his sights off the lion. Ollin flew towards Y/N and whispered, “Give a roar if something happens,” Y/N oblivious did not understand what Ollin meant. “Come a little closer,” Leona said fixated on Y/N. “I won’t bite.” Leona grinned like the infamous Cheshire Cat. He must say Y/N is physically attractive perfect for a mate. He’s know them since childhood and they were kind and well-loved. “Leona it’s chaos out there and someone needed to do something.” Y/N warned. They looked around for exits in case Leona got mad.

       “It’s tough being king and alone,” That was misplaced you thought. It wasn’t even an answer to what they said. “I deserve a mate, someone to rule by my side,” Leona circled around Y/N. “And you perfectly fit the part,” “Excuse me I don’t believe I heard you right,” Y/n said. “You’re beautiful/handsome after all, perfect fit for my mate,” Leona stood by your side bending down/looking up to be at your eye level. “A king without a mate is sad, but a king without an heir a tragedy.” “You can’t be serious,” you said backing away from Leona. “I’ve never been more serious,” you walked away from Leona going to the door where he stopped you in your tracks. “Be Prepared for a stunning proposal,” Leona said leaning into you. “Power and beauty should bond.” Leona walked closer to you. Which resulted in you backing into a wall. Leona pined you to the wall. Leona went closer to your face resulting in you slapping him. .Oh well now really have be mate,” he rubbed his hand on the spot you slapped him. You quickly run to your room and hid. “One way or another you will be my mate.” Leona yelled. 

       Leona gather the kingdom. He suggested you get ready and wear your best outfit. You knew what would happen so you did as he said, “let the kingdom be my witness!” Leona said. “I choose Y/N as my mate.” You need something would happen if you didn’t do as he said. “I accept,” you said, how bad could it be? Maybe Leona wouldn’t be the worst husband.

                                    *The End*

A/N: This is probably the longest story I’ve written. This is actually a video I saw on YouTube. Leona came out as a creep. Not my intention. This a new series I’ll be making with the characters while using clips of their movies or deleted ones. Video = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8gDjaHWWA