#and then decided to do the rest for axel day

[aspaceace]

axel/lea sketches bc i like him a normal, healthy amount

[whimsicalwritingsandmore]

The Hybrid House | ateez x reader

Pairing: hybrid!ot8!ateez x rich!girl!reader

Genre: fluff, romance, slice of life

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1441 words.

a/n: welcomeeee to my new story! this story will be updated alongside Aurorise! I'm excited to share this with you. <3 If you'd like to be a part of the taglist, please send me an ask or private message, that way I'll be able to see it faster. Hope you enjoy! <333

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Chapter 1

As a child, it was always expected that you surpass your cousins and maintain the family’s reputation. If you didn’t, you were a stain that blotched the beautiful pages in which so much effort and hard-work was put into according to your parents.

Coming from the new money generation, your family was engrossed with relevancy and out-beating everyone. They spent lavishly and focused attentively on expanding the business throughout the world. Your parents had built their legacy from the ground up, and while it was definitely something to admire, overtime they began to lose sight of what mattered and developed an intense desire to earn more and outdo your uncles and aunts who behaved in a similar way.

As such, your childhood included having to be perfect and successful in academics to outdo your cousins. Coming from a family of five siblings and as the youngest, you often found it difficult to relate to your older siblings. Your oldest brother and sister yielded to your parents’ demands ensuring their non-stop praise and favor. And your fraternal twin brother followed suit. Except for your third eldest brother Axel. Only you and Axel disliked your parents’ way of upbringing because it felt inauthentic and ingenuine. Axel included you in most of his escapades such as sneaking out at night to the treehouse in the backyard for a late night frozen treat that was definitely against your parents’ rules or a slight detour on the way home from after-school activities to the street-food cart and arcade. Once the two of you were free, you spent most of your time together breaking the rules and never getting caught. Except for that one time you did because your eldest brother decided to tattle. But Axel took the brunt of the punishment and in return, you helped apply gel to ease the burning sensation in his hands and camped out in his room for the rest of the night, discussing what the two of you wanted to do when you got older. 

He is your best friend and managed to persuade your parents to let you accompany him for the Summer to your Great Aunt’s. He concocted a scheme with your Great Aunt about a good internship opportunity but really, it was an attempt to be able to spend the vacation period away from home. Lucky for you, that Summer had your parents occupied with various business meetings and so, they waved their hands in an disinterested and unconcerned manner and let you and Axel go your way. 

If there was one person out of your venal family that still had their head on their shoulders, it was your Great Aunt. From rags to riches, she’s an eccentric and smart woman who built a successful business after her former husband ran his family business into the ground. She was so good at what she did, she basked in her success and prosperity for years to come, and never had to work a day in her life again.

Surprisingly, she was the opposite of your family - she was warm-hearted and gentle unlike your parents and compassionate, accommodating and patient when it came to others. But she did play along with your materialistic family and took great pride in flaunting her assets like the giant diamond ring her boyfriend at the time gave her or her glamorous semi-bejeweled purse with precious rhinestones to silence your frivolous aunts. 

But her most prized possession that she marveled to everyone was her newly-bought 20 000 acre estate and her enormous and towering mansion that covered part of it outside Seoul in South Korea. It was a property her then-boyfriend suggested purchasing because in later years to come, it would cost a fortune. She called it her wonder of the world. 

And when you arrived that Summer, when the skies stretched wide with wisps of clouds and the air was thick with the golden warmth of the sun descending upon the flower petals and lakes in a shimmering dance of light, you were in absolute awe at what you saw. It was like a palace right out of a fairytale and for the rest of the holidays, you would spin around and elegantly twirl and dance in the foyer and halls and live your Disney princess dreams while your brother played the grand piano.

Your aunt joined you on several occasions, advising you to work hard and don’t solely depend on a man.

"And then you'll have your own palace like me." She giggled.

On the last day of your trip, while picking some flowers you wanted to take back home, you noticed a dug up part of the ground. Further peering into the bushes, there was an elderly squirrel laying there in a semi-conscious state, injured with its fur caked in blood. You immediately called your aunt, whispering reassuring thoughts to the squirrel. She assured you she would take care of him and not to worry.

And on the next summer trip with Axel, who once again schemed with your Great Aunt to tell your parents about an apprenticeship with a well-known firm, you met two new faces on the estate - Hongjoong and Yunho, children of some of the workers on the estate. 

Your Great Aunt also indicated about the elderly squirrel; he recovered well and there was also a baby squirrel and golden retriever she found when she went to investigate the other side of the bush. Unfortunately, the elderly squirrel passed a few months ago. 

You met the said animals later that day after Hongjoong and Yunho went home. They came out of nowhere while you were having dinner in the garden with your brother. But every time you tried to introduce your new human friends to your new animal friends, either one of the other could not be found.

Coincidence? 

You didn’t think anything of it because you had more important things to do - spy on your brother and the pretty girl he visited in the local town and teach Hongjoong and Yunho how to dance in the foyer like you did.

The next two summers followed with you becoming close friends with eight boys, the new additions going by the names of Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho. Correspondingly, much to your excitement, your aunt also adopted new little animals each year ranging from a rabbit, to a doberman, a capybara, two cats and a little bear. 

Your brother dramatically expressed that you were replacing him.

“As if,” you answered, rolling your eyes, “No one can replace your annoying self.”

“Excuuuuuse me, I am a delight,” he argued back, “I’m glad though, you won’t be alone when I head off to college.”

“I’ll miss you.” you expressed. The thought of not having your brother around as usual felt daunting and scary. He’s the only one you could relate to and talk to about anything. 

“Don’t worry,” he reassured, “No matter how far apart we are, when you need me I’ll be there.”

The golden retriever who decided to finally come out of hiding listened attentively to your conversation under the table.

Your aunt decided to host Thanksgiving that year. But deep down, you wish she didn't because maybe then, things wouldn't have fallen apart. Your family got into a large and heated disagreement when your parents found out about your brother’s girlfriend.

“Don’t tell me how to raise my child,” your Mother sneered, “I know what is best for him and you are out of place to even think about him and that girl.”

“He likes her,” your Great Aunt argued, “There’s nothing wrong with that. She’s well-educated too.”

“She is not one of us. We are high-society people. What would others think if they found out? You are out of your mind!” your Father bellowed.

“I know what is best for my son!” your Mother repeated.

“And yet he never comes to you.”

“You’re corrupting my children! You have all these animals running around and then you have my daughter hanging out with your employees’ children too!?”

“They are people too! Do you hear how you sound?” 

After a lot of yelling and shouting of spiteful words and profanities, your brother retaliated and stormed out with your Father behind him while your Mother dragged you out of the house to the car. From your blurry watery vision, you spotted your friends from afar, Wooyoung and San attempting to run to you but were held back by the others.

In the backseat of the car, you pressed against the back glass sobbing as the car drove off.

That was the last time you had seen your friends. 

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Pretty like the sun

Previous chapter / Next chapter

a/n This is pretty like the wind series spin offs. This can be read as standalone all you need to know is that Azriel has two adoptive kids with OC - Zofie and Axel. Future stories related to them might include stories specifically decided to Azriel hence why I am taging it as Azriel story too. Don't come at me please. ✨

warning: blood, fighting, injuries, drinking.

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Nyx’s pov:

"Again", his voice sounded unfamiliar to him. He had flinched at it after the concept of time had started slipping. For a split moment, Nyx thought that it was his high lord who had spoken. That had caused him a solid punch to the jaw. The boy in front of him looked Nyx over worriedly, as his stance shifted. “You’re in or you're out? I won’t wait forever”, Nyx snarled, leaping forward. Once again, he didn’t remember when they had abandoned their swords. But he preferred it like that. Close and personal. Physical.

Another blow landed against his nose, and Nyx's head flew back. He was well aware that on his good days, the poor chap wouldn’t have landed any of the punches at all. He got close only because Nyx let him. "Enough," an annoyed voice sounded from behind him. A welcome destination for the boy in front of Nyx. It was good enough for princes’s cracked knuckles to meet the target. “Flying fuck," a rough palm gripped Nyx’s shoulder, “You are the most stupid...", a growl. Nyx tried to open his left eye, one that was now too puffed up and throbbed like a bitch. “I suggest you bugger off before I make sure that you’re eating dirt for the rest of the week," Axel’s deep growl echoed, making Nyx chuckle lightly. “Man, he asked for it", the guy lifted his palms in defiance. “And if he told you to jump from the cliff, would you do it?", the boy shrugged, only making Axel let out yet another frustrated sigh, and the other Illyrian took it as his chance to leave.

“You will make a wonderful advisor in the future," Nyx skittered. “I think I will have your ass six feet under before that could even happen," Axel grumbled, pulling at his friend’s arms and trying to help him up. “I left you for a fucking hour, Nyx," he huffed, draping Nyx’s arm over his shoulders. "Yeah, I missed you. I had to settle for a fight with an idiot”. Nyx huffed. “Do I need to remind you that you have an important high-lord party to attend soon?"—that was one of the reads Nyx had let his rails loose. He hoped that if he misbehaved badly enough and looked like a walking corpse when the day chimed, he could wiggle his ass out of it. The thought alone made him want to bend over and vomit. He wasn’t built to be a prince. He didn’t want it. It wasn’t him. Wasn’t the life he envisioned for himself.

“You’ve been acting like an absolute fool ever since we came back from Velaris; what has gotten into you?", Axel kicked the door to their cabin before guiding Nyx toward his bed. Your sister happened to me, he thought, but bit his tongue. “I just wanted to fight," Nyx growled instead. Only now did he feel how badly his body hurt. That fucker had landed more blows than Nyx had initially counted. “I know you, and this ain’t you. You can talk to me. We always talk about it”, Axel shoved Nyx’s hand away from his face before dragging a warm cloth over the swollen eye. And what would he tell him? I can't get your fucking sister out of my head. Do you know why we cannot see each other for a bit? Why is she even pulling away? Nyx grunted, pulling the cloth out of Axel’s hands.

“Why don’t you start by telling me who you’ve been running around with instead?”. It was low. Axel had a right to have a life outside of being Nyx’s right-hand man. And his love life didn’t need to be accounted for. But Nyx was so angry. Angry at everything and everyone. People constantly kept him in the dark. And then threw a bucket of news in his face while expecting him to receive it with open hands. “I ain’t running around with anybody," Axel shook his head, throwing a jar of salve Nyx’s way. But the scowl on the young prince’s face only deepened, “So, Piper doesn’t ring a bell?”. And bingo. Axel’s whole body got ridged. Did Nyx have no right to go and dig into the new arrival papers? Probably. But here they were. “Keep her name out of your fucking mouth," Axel pointed a warning finger at him, clearly not finding this one bit amusing. “And you stand here giving me lectures about sharing things," Nyx chuckled, “So why aren’t you talking, friend?" Axel shook his head, “Clean yourself up and sober up while you’re at it." He moved towards the door, and something in Nyx shifted. Axel never left. Not even when Nyx was in his shittest of moods. He had always been the only one to not leave him. Sit through his temper tantrums. "Axel," Nyx breathed, panic rising in his chest. He didn’t want to be alone right now. His head was too busy. He was too full of things he didn’t want to think of. “I’m only going to grab you some fresh water; lay down you twat," Axel grumbled back, easing the rising tide within Nyx. He nodded simply, slumping back on the mattress. His hand instantly moved beneath his pillow, where he always kept a stitched napkin that Zofie had given him. The crooked moon and stars greeted him like they always did. The stick figures holding hands. The flowers. Even the wonky sun on the far left side was perfect. Always perfect. “I’m thinking about you," Nyx muttered, brushing his fingers over the stick figure that was supposed to represent Zofie, “It’s one never-ending night over here without you, Sunny."

Zofie’s pov:

It’s only been a week, but it felt like forever. She never usually felt so desperate when they left. At least not after the first week. But she had grown restless. The cry that left Nyx’s lips as he shot up to the sky was still ringing loud and clear. Zofie heard it even through her hammering heartbeat. With her back pressed against the door, as she covered her mouth. And now it felt as if she hadn’t seen Nyx in a lifetime. It clawed at her. She knew that Axel would look after him, but... What if something happened, and that’s how they would have separated?

Zofie didn’t know what she was feeling. It all seemed too mushy and jumbled up. Now, instead of seeing a different aura around people, she simply saw black. It was impossible to distinguish between different feelings.

“Zo, do you want more pancakes?", her father’s voice made her almost drop her fork as she nodded. Azriel gave her a concerned look before plopping one of his signature breakfast goods onto her plate. “You excited to see the girls?", he asked, throwing a glance your way, only earning a slight shrug in return. “Yeah, am… It will be nice”, even if she didn’t want to see anyone. Well, maybe Piper. Axel had said that she was one of the nice girls. One Zofie could get to know if only she chose to.

“Ah, yes. You’ll be able to show them around; you can even go down to the market in the city," you chimed in, “and buy something nice or show them the good spots." But Zofie didn’t want to do that. Most spots had been hers and Nyx’s. They felt too personal to just be handed out. The same pinch in her chest made the hallow darkness spread even more. Her brows knitted as she pushed the plate further away from her. “You didn’t like it?", Azriel stopped mid-bite, almost making Zofie feel guilty. Almost. “Just not hungry," she shrugged, getting up from the table. She caught a glimpse of worry in her father’s eyes as she moved towards the stairs. The way you had reached out to squeeze his hand. And while Zofie didn’t want to keep you two in the dark, she didn’t know how to explain the emptiness inside her.

Just the fresh air and change of scenery didn’t help. It was nice to see her aunts and introduce herself to Piper, but socializing was never her thing. Nyx did most of the talking when they were out in public. He was born for that. It baffled her how quickly he managed to come up with a snarky remark as if he stored them all within his brain with special labels for just the right moment. Zofie tried to suffocate thoughts of him. Tried. But failed miserably. Everything she did or thought of was always in one way or another related to him. The thing was that she didn’t want to leave him like that. She didn't want to make him upset, but she also didn’t know how to make everyone happy. So, until she could come up with a solution, it would have to be like that.

“In my opinion, he is so much more attractive," one of the girls giggled into her palms. Attractive? How long has Zofie been out of this conversation? They were talking about the market day the last time she listened. “Well, Piper is the one who got to talk to him," the brow haired girl nudged the poor Piper, who had practically curled into herself by now, “Is he really hot up close?”.

Zofie shook her head. “Who’s hot?", she cut in, making all four sets of eyes dart up to her. And now she realized why she hated speaking in the first place. “Piper here had the prince’s second man carry her boxes”, Lina’s blond curls bobbed as she turned. But that was Axel? Why was Axel even here in the first place? He told her they could... Of course, he had met her. “Well, that’s my brother, so can we not talk weirdly about him?", Zofie scrunched up her nose, making the other two girls roll their eyes. But at least Piper’s shoulders sagged in relief. "Bore," the copycat next to Lina chirped. Zofie just couldn’t remember her name.

“We sure can talk about the prince himself," Lina smirked, and something snapped deep within Zofie, “There’s nothing to talk about." Suddenly, the prospect of having girls her age seemed like the worst idea ever. “As if... I’m determined to meet him," Lina said. The green mist rose in Zofie’s vision. “Gonna swoon him off his feet; heard he’s a proper flirt two," she elbowed her double ganger as they both chuckled.

“He will not fall for your shit," Zofie bit back, not even realizing that her hands were now firmly clenched by angry fists. “And how would you know that?", Lina fluffed her lashes. How did she know? She didn’t. Lina was pretty; you couldn’t take that from her. From the hair to her lean body. She was the embodiment of how any girl wanted to look. While Zofie… “He is my friend," she muttered, biting out the nagging thoughts. Lina chuckled, “Yeah, a friend. So, clearly, if you’re not girlfriend material, I will be."

It felt as if a bomb had exploded all around her. Vision glazing over. She saw nothing. Only Lina. She heard no one. Only Lina. And surprisingly, the girl wasn’t smiling. She looked petrified. Grasping at her throat. It felt static. As if the time had come to a halt. And then someone yanked her back. Pulling Zofie away from the neatly placed picnic blanket.

"Zofie", it sounded muffled, but her eyes did follow the sound. Only to be met with Feyre’s concerned ones. She blinked a couple of times. The fuzzy feeling cleared out. “She’s insane," a shriek sounded from behind her, making Zofie twist back. “You are dangerous, you stupid..." it was Lina, her cheeks still red, eyes wide. “Don’t finish that sentence," Cassian was gripping her shoulder, but he didn’t look too concerned with the girl. His eyes were on Zofie.

Zofie blinks a couple of times, black spots dancing in the corners of her vision. What had she done? Was it even her? Why did she... “Why don’t we go drink some tea, dear?", Feyre wrapped a hand around her shoulders. "I...", Zofie barely muttered before Feyre cut in, “Some tea with lots of honey, yes, yes." A part of Zofie wanted to run. Like she always did. Run away and hide. But Feyre pushed some of hair behind her ear, “We’ll have a nice conversation you and I”, she muttered almost ti herself, “Bake cookies even. Cookies always help”.

Nyx’s pov:

“Give me that," Axel said, snatching the glass out of Nyx’s hand, “You’ve been here for an hour." An hour too long. The hustle of the people was making Nyx sick. It was bad enough that he had to stand for the majority of that hour next to his parents, smiling as if he was thrilled to be there while he was slowly dying inside. Nyx kept dead-eye contact with Axel through it all, even if there was a sea of females who were trying to catch his eyes.

“I still think that you should cover for me so I can sneak out," Nyx grumbled. He had made at least five escape plans; he even planned to fake an allergic reaction, but Axel hadn’t been as thrilled about that. “Midnight. We had a deal”, Axel muttered, scanning the crowd. He was Nyx’s hawk, noting slipped past Axel. And as much as Nyx hated to admit it, Azriel was the one who had taught him all of it. “But you’ll dance with half of the girls in that line," Nyx nodded towards the girls who hadn’t stopped staring at him ever since the night began. “They ain’t her for me, kitten," Axel mused, making Nyx roll his eyes. “I’ll put a good word out for you," the prince said with a tap on his friend’s shoulder.

“Is your family coming?", Nyx scanned the crowd for familiar face. Well, correction. Is Zofie coming? He had tried to sneak back to Velaris before all this. He had to because his brain was going into overdrive. It had been eleven days, eighteen hours, forty-seven minutes, and 45... 46 seconds till he had laid eyes on her. And by now, he was more than okay with just catching a glimpse. He could do with that. He would settle for that. “Papa should," Axel said calmly, “Ma’ wasn’t feeling too well, so she’s back at the cottage." Translation: Zofie didn’t want to go, so Y/N stayed back with her. Nyx clenched his jaw. “Everyone’s healthy and well?", he was fishing for straws here, and he knew it. “Yeah, it’s all well; little one is growing too fast, though. Could have sworn she fit in my palm before we left," Axel muttered, and a part of Nyx was glad that he hadn’t caught onto his real intentions.

“Here you are”, a strong palm landed on Nyx’s shoulder, making the boy look to the side. His smug father stood there, way too happy with himself. “High Lord," Axel said, lowering his head in greeting, even though Nyx had specifically told him to not kiss his father with flatly. “You two are hiding in the back as if this is a funeral," Rhys shook his head with a smile, “Come up to the front tables; quite a couple of people are looking for you." Nyx’s eye twitched. If only he could scream now. He was convinced all the windows would shatter. He wanted out. Why was no one catching onto the fact that he was suffocating? He didn’t want to be a part of his father’s plans. He didn’t want to be a perfect son. A one-day-crowned prince.

Nyx was sure that Rhys could see the malice burning through his eyes, considering that his face went dead serious. Nyx knew that his father would stomp his foot, and he would have to do it. Or that pleading look on his mother’s face would claw at his heart till he gave in. He felt Axel’s hand on his shoulder blade. He was spiraling then. His magic was flaring up and Axel was warning him like he always did. Nyx was about to open his mouth when his eye caught movement behind his father. His eyes narrowed. Vision sharpening, and then it all died down.

The ringing in his ears faded. The choking feeling subsided. “Nyx, I am talking to you," Rhys said, gripping his upper hand, but Nyx shook it off as he stepped forward. Smile tugging at his lips. She was a vision. There might have been hundreds of females here tonight. Wrapped in the most expensive silks and velvet. But he hadn’t given them a second glance. And now she stood there at the top of the staircase. Looking over the hall. Nyx only hoped that she was looking for him.

And then her gaze found his. As if he had brought it right back to him. As if in a sea of bodies, she knew where he would be. And then she smiled. And Nyx was convinced that someone had spiked the wine because she shouldn’t be smiling. He moved faster, his hands gripping the railing as he jogged up the stairs. He missed every other step as he went. Was it appropriate? No. Was he making a spectacle considering that they were right above everyone and had nowhere to blend in? Yes. But did he care? No. Because even with twenty stairs separating them, she was too far away, and at the same time, she was in front of him way too quickly, leaving him no time to pick through his thoughts.

“You came?", Nyx breathed heavily. Zofie crossed her arms over her chest, looking him up and down. "I had a feeling you were struggling to get through this," she said casually, “Axel said that your sassiness has been off lately." Nyx wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry at this point as he stepped closer to her, shielding her tiny frame from any curious glances. "Sunny," he muttered, ready to watch her fade away the same way she always did in his dreams.

“Your hands are trembling," she breathed, reaching out for his palms, “Why are your hands trembling?" Her worried eyes looked up at him, and he was ready to sink to his knees in front of her. “I… I am nervous”, he muttered like a teenager, looking at his first-ever crush. “You never get nervous around me," Zofie frowned, shaking her head. And then there was one heartbeat. One. Nyx’s left hand reached behind her as he pulled her into his chest, wrapping her up in his embrace.

He was shivering all over. But all the systems in his body that had been flashing red for days now were finally running smoothly. It felt as if he could finally breathe. That lavender sugar scent that she carried drowned him in her. “We need to get out of here," Nyx breathed again, her hair neatly braided with daisies. “I didn’t spend an hour lacing this for nothing," Zofie muttered, pulling back from his embrace. Both of their eyes fall onto the deep purple and black bodice. A vision. Nyx reached for her hand. “I’ll appreciate the hell out of it for you, Zof; I will," he muttered, dragging her towards the double-sided door. He heard gasps as he moved. Pretty sure he even heard his name being called. Pret sure he heard footsteps. But the moment he was out in the cold night air, he wrapped his arms around Zofie once more. Bringing her as close as he possibly could before shooting up at the sky and winnowing halfway through the plush clouds. Now that he had gotten his sun back, not even the devil himself was strong enough to take her away.

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Taglist: @sirenpearldust @historygeekqueen @hnyclover @i-am-a-lost-girl16 @naturakaashi i @stressed-reader @woodland-mist @goldenmagnolias @nocasdatsgay @lees-chaotic-brain

[warabidakihime]

Rules and Roses Chapter 6

★ characters: kibutsuji muzan x reader x akaza

★ plot summary: Kibutsuji Muzan has finally decided to expand his empire, and the way he intends to do so is by running for the highest political position. With you, his darling wife, at his side, he believes he can achieve and have everything the world has to offer. He is, after all, the Phoenix of Phario.

★ fic playlist: sometimes, same day, as time stops, wolf’s song (this is also the vision board for the fic). 

★ content warnings : implied violence, self-harm and abuse, profanities, toxic relationships, smut.

★ Previous Chapter

a/n: heya! things are finally picking up and it will only go up from here and then BAM! i wasn't able to update last weekend because i wasn't doing great mentally and i was also pretty tired because of work, and so i just focused on resting last weekend. but voila! a new chapter for y'all! i've not proofread this yet, so apologies if there are any typos or parts that confuses you. will fix those tomorrow morning.

i sincerely hope you've been enjoying this fic and i really would like to hear your thoughts so don't be shy and leave a comment or two! you have no idea how much your comments inspire me to write.

anyway! enjoy reading!

--

Year 2016

A vast, icy expanse stretches before the camera. The crowd's excited murmurs gradually build into a roaring applause as a spotlight illuminates the center of the ice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the edge of our seats as we welcome back the phenomenal Y/N! The reigning champion, the undisputed queen of the ice, is about to grace us with her artistry once more,” the commentator exclaimed to the mic.

You glide onto the ice; your every movement, fluid and effortless, as if you're dancing on air. Your breath, visible in the cold, adds a touch of ethereal beauty to your performance.

“There she is! The moment we've all been waiting for! The crowd is on their feet, their eyes glued to every twist and turn. Her posture is impeccable, and her lines are clean and sharp. This is what true elegance looks like!”

The commentator continued, his voice filled with excitement and passion.

As you progress through your routine, the music swells, mirroring the intensity of your performance. You execute a series of complex jumps with astonishing ease, landing each one with precision and grace.

“And there it is! A triple axel, executed to perfection! The crowd is in awe. This woman is on a different level. Her speed, her power, her control—it's simply breathtaking. Watch as she transitions into a spin; look at that speed and the way she controls her body. It's like she's defying gravity itself!"

You transition into a series of spins, giving your body a blur of color and movement. The commentator’s voice becomes more animated.

“Unbelievable! She's a ballerina on ice! The way she blends strength and delicacy is simply mesmerizing. And did you catch that change of direction? From a Biellmann spin to a layback spin in mere seconds? It's like she's speaking a different language on the ice. A language only the greatest can understand.” 

As you approach the end of your routine, the music crescendos, and you unleash a final burst of energy. Your emotions are raw, and your movements are filled with passion.

“She's pouring her heart and soul into this performance! The crowd is on its feet, cheering and applauding. This is a moment that will be remembered for years to come. And can we talk about the flexibility? Those splits, those extensions! She's not just an ice skater; she's a gymnast on ice! A complete show stopper!”

The commentator exclaimed, his voice filled with awe.

A tear escapes your eye as you finish your routine, and you drop to the ice in a deep bow.

The crowd erupts in a standing ovation.

“A performance that transcends the boundaries of sport. Ice Queen Y/N has once again proven why she is the greatest ice skater of her generation. And speaking of greatness, this woman has it all. Talent, beauty, grace, and, let's not forget, a heart of gold. They say behind every successful woman is a great man, and this woman's boyfriend is definitely one to watch. Though we can't confirm anything, rumors have it that he's a rising star in the business world,” the commentator said, adding a touch of intrigue to his commentary.

You skate slowly towards the edge of the ice, your breath coming in short gasps. The crowd’s cheers and applause gradually subside as you approach your coach.

“And there she goes, skating towards her coach. A moment of pure relief and exhaustion. The pressure is off, and she can finally let go. This is a moment of truth, a moment of waiting. The scores will determine her fate. Let’s hope she’s brought her A-game today, but this is Y/N we're talking about; she's always on her A-game!” 

The camera cuts to the judges’ table as they begin their deliberation. The crowd holds their breath, their eyes glued to the screen.

After what feels like an eternity, the announcer steps up to the microphone.

“And the gold medal goes to... Y/N with a final score of 250.34 , a whopping 12.78 points ahead of her closest competitor! This not only secures her gold medal but also breaks her own world record, a record she has held for years! This is a historic moment, ladies and gentlemen!”

The announcer proclaimed, as the crowd erupts into a frenzy of cheers and applause.

The camera returns to you as you cover your face with your hands, tears of joy streaming down your cheeks. Your coach gave you a fatherly hug, obviously proud of the feat you have achieved. Your family and friends were screaming at the top of their lungs, trying their best to convey their support for you. Meanwhile, the crowd continues to cheer as confetti falls from the ceiling.

You raise your arms in victory, a radiant smile on your face.

The physical therapy room was a familiar purgatory. The sterile white walls and the metallic gleam of the equipment were a constant reminder of your limitations. Once a sanctuary of grace and athleticism, it had become a battleground for recovery.

You moved through the routine with mechanical precision, your movements devoid of the once-fluid grace. Your breath came in short, labored gasps as you pushed your body to its limits. The pain was a constant companion, a dull ache that pulsed through your leg. Yet you persevered, driven by a stubborn determination.

Akaza watched from the corner, his eyes following your every move. His expression was a mask of indifference, but his posture spoke a different story. Tension rippled through his muscles as he observed your struggle.

Finally, exhausted but determined, you collapsed onto the mat, sweat beading on your forehead. Your body ached, but there was a sense of satisfaction in pushing through the pain.

The doctor entered, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. He carried a clipboard, and his expression was serious.

"How are you feeling today, Y/N?" he asked, his voice gentle.

You managed a weak smile. "Tired, but okay."

The doctor nodded, his eyes scanning your form. "The progress is steady. Your strength is improving, and the range of motion in your leg is expanding."

A flicker of hope ignited in your chest. "Does that mean I can start... doing more?"

The doctor hesitated, his expression turning somber.

"There is good news and bad news."

Your heart sank. "Tell me the bad news first."

"The bad news is, the full range of motion you once had is unlikely to return. The scar tissue and the nature of your injury have created limitations. While you can walk and perform daily activities without significant discomfort, activities that require sudden bursts of speed, agility, or excessive weight-bearing are still risky."

A wave of disappointment washed over you. You had never entertained the thought of returning to competitive skating. That chapter of your life was firmly closed. But the idea of never being able to skate again, even for leisure, was definitely a bitter pill to swallow.

"I understand," you managed to say, your voice barely a whisper.

"But," the doctor continued, his voice softening, "the good news is that you've exceeded expectations in your recovery. You're stronger than most people in your situation. With continued therapy and careful management, you can lead a normal, active life."

A normal life.

The word echoed in your mind.

A far cry from the extraordinary life you once lived.

"But remember, and I mean this in all seriousness, there are certain activities you should avoid," the doctor warned. "High-impact sports, for instance, are out of the question, and you need to be cautious about putting too much pressure on your leg."

You nodded, trying to absorb the information. The weight of disappointment was heavy on your shoulders.

"But I also want you to remember," the doctor added, "every day is a step forward, and you've come such a long way, Y/N. So you should be proud of your progress."

You forced a smile. "I am."

As the doctor left the room, you turned to Akaza. His eyes met yours, and in that brief moment, you saw a flicker of something in his gaze—a mixture of pity and something else, something you can quite pinpoint. You decided to dismiss it, attributing it to your overactive imagination.

Akaza approached you, his hand reaching out to offer support. "You're stronger than you think," he said, his voice low and comforting.

You took his hand, grateful for his presence. "I know," you replied, your voice trembling slightly.

Akaza studied your face; his eyes were filled with a strange intensity. "I've seen stronger people break," he said, his voice barely audible. "But you... you're different."

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his rather cryptic statement. "Oh?"

Akaza hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "Some people," he began, his voice low, "are defined by limitations. Others... they find a way to transcend them."

You didn't know what to make of his cryptic statement.

You simply nodded, grateful for his support.

Akaza chuckled, breaking the tension. “You’re too serious,” he teased. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. You look like you could use a break.”

You smiled, and the weight of the world momentarily lifted.

“Alright, let’s go.”

As he helped you up, he studied your face, his expression turning serious again. “You’re doing well,” he said softly. “Like what the doctor told you, you’re way stronger than you think.”

You nodded, grateful for his support. As you walked out of the physical therapy room, you felt a sense of peace wash over you. The road to recovery was indeed long, but you persevered and made incredible progress.

And as long as you have your friends and family, Muzan, and, believe it or not, people like Akaza by your side, you knew you would eventually find your way back.

Several Years Ago at the Winter Olympics 2018

The ice was your stage, a crystalline expanse where you could lose yourself. Muzan, your fiancé, watched from the stands, his eyes filled with adoration. The crowd roared as you took your final bow, the applause a symphony of admiration. You were in your element, a whirlwind of grace and power.

But then disaster struck.

It happened in an instant—a cruel twist of fate.

As you landed a triple lutz, your skate blade, despite multiple quality checks, betrayed you. It snapped, sending you into an uncontrolled spin. Your body, once so graceful, became a helpless projectile. You felt the ice scrape against your skin as you tumbled, the world a blur of pain and fear.

Muzan watched in horror as you fell. Time seemed to freeze as your body crashed into the ice. A sharp intake of breath escaped his lips. His world narrowed down to you, a blur of white on the unforgiving ice.

Fear, cold and sharp, clawed at his insides.

He leaped over the barrier, his movements a blur. Kneeling beside you, he assessed the damage. Your face was pale, and your eyes closed. A deep gash marred your leg, with blood seeping through the fabric of your costume. His hands trembled as he cradled your head. His voice, usually so calm and commanding, was now a frantic whisper.

"Darling, please wake up," he begged, his voice filled with terror.

"Open your eyes, please, Y/N!"

Panic surged through him as he realized the severity of your injury. The once pristine white of his suit was now marred by the crimson stain of your blood, a stark contrast to the pristine white of the ice.

His voice rose, filled with a desperate urgency.

"Someone help! Get an ambulance! Fucking do something, now!" he shouted, his eyes wide with fear and seething anger.

He frantically searched for a button or a lever—anything to call for help. The crowd's noise seemed to muffle, as if he were underwater.

He scooped you up into his arms, your weight heavy in his arms. The crowd's gasps and cries were a distant echo as he carried you off the ice. His mind raced, a whirlwind of fear and desperation. He had to get you help, and he had to get you help now.

In the ambulance, Muzan held you close, his touch a desperate attempt to reassure you and to reassure himself that this too shall pass, but the metallic smell of your blood, your pale skin, and the way your body trembled in his arms filled him with a cold dread, as did the horrific way you would slip in and out of consciousness. 

*

The days that followed were a blur of pain, surgeries, and endless nights in the hospital. You woke up to find yourself encased in a plaster cast, the once lithe body you knew confined to a hospital bed. The news of your injury sent shockwaves through the world, leaving your fans devastated by the abrupt end to your glittering career.

The doctors were blunt in their assessment. Your career as an ice skater was over. The extent of your injuries, combined with the long recovery process, meant that you would never be able to return to the ice. The news was a devastating blow, and it took a long time to come to terms with it.

Muzan was by your side through it all; his unrelenting and passionate support was a constant in your life. He held your hand through the painful procedures, his presence a comforting anchor.

But the emotional turmoil was immense. The loss of your identity as a skater was a profound shock. The physical pain was a constant reminder of what you had lost, but the emotional pain was even more debilitating. You questioned your worth and your identity.

There were even moments when the darkness consumed you, when the thought of ending it all seemed like the only escape.

But despite everything, you managed to hold on and cling to the hope that things would get better.

And frankly speaking, Muzan didn't let you succumb to despair. He did his very best to show his support for you and his faith in you, and with the help of dedicated therapists, you slowly began to rebuild your life.

It was a long and arduous journey, filled with SO many setbacks and triumphs, but you were able to emerge from the shadows stronger and more resilient than ever before.

*

The car ride home was heavy with silence. You stared out the window, lost in thought. The physical therapy session had been grueling, but it was also a stark reminder of what you had lost. A sudden impulse surged through you.

"Akaza, make a detour," you ordered, your voice firm.

Akaza was startled by your sudden demand. “Where to?” he asked, his voice laced with caution.

“The ice rink,” you replied, your tone leaving no room for argument.

Akaza hesitated, his mind racing. He knew better than anyone the risks involved. The doctor's warnings echoed in his mind. Yet, he couldn't ignore the determination in your eyes. 

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "The doctor said..."

You cut him off. 

"I know, Akaza. And I don't care, so please."

He sighed. He knew arguing with you was futile. With a heavy heart, he turned the steering wheel.

The ice rink was eerily quiet.

The once-vibrant atmosphere was replaced by an eerie stillness. You slipped into your skates, a familiar weight returning to your feet. As you stepped onto the ice, a wave of nostalgia washed over you.

It was here that you had spent countless hours honing your craft, dreaming of standing on the Olympic podium.

Akaza watched from the sidelines, his heart pounding in his chest. He was a mixture of worry and admiration. You were a force of nature, but he couldn’t shake the fear that lurked in the back of his mind.

You began to glide, your movements tentative at first. But as you gained confidence, your body seemed to remember the familiar motions. You started to hum the melody of your short program, your movements following the rhythm. It was as if you were reliving a distant memory—a ghost of your former self.

Akaza watched in awe as you executed a series of spins and jumps with surprising ease. It was as if the years of physical therapy had erased the trauma of the accident. But as you attempted a particularly challenging move, your body betrayed you. Fear crept in, and your balance faltered.

You landed with a painful thud, your knees buckling.

Tears streamed down your face as the pain shot through your leg. The physical agony was a stark reminder of your limitations, but it was the emotional pain that truly consumed you. The floodgates of memories opened, overwhelming you. The taste of victory, the roar of the crowd, the thrill of competition—all of it came rushing back, only to be replaced by the bitter reality of your present situation.

You curled up into a ball, your body trembling.

Struggling to tune out the pounding of his heart, Akaza hesitated to rush to your side, and when he was about to, Muzan's voice echoed across the empty ice rink, firm yet still laced with concern.

"What do you think you're doing?"

You looked up; pain and confusion were painted on your face. Muzan knelt beside you, his eyes filled with worry.

"I thought I could do it," you whispered, your voice trembling.

Muzan’s expression hardened. "You could've seriously gotten hurt! And you!" Your husband shot Akaza a glare, his temper flaring uncontrollably.

"What were you thinking, letting this happen? Your job is to keep her safe, and you failed miserably! Do you have any idea how irresponsible this was?!"

Akaza bowed in apology, his face pale. "I'm sorry, sir. I did everything I could—"

Before Akaza could finish, Muzan took a step forward, his fist clenched. "Everything you could? Everything you could?! You're supposed to be her bodyguard, not some useless bystander! Do you even care about her safety? Or are you just pretending to do your job?!"

Akaza flinched, taking a step back. "Sir, please, I—"

Muzan raised his hand as if to strike, his face contorted with rage. "Don't you 'sir' me! If anything happens to her, it's on you! Do you understand that? It's on your head, you worthless—"

"Muzan, stop!" you interjected, your voice firm despite the pain.

"Don't blame Akaza. He did the best he could. I was the one who was stubborn."

Muzan paused, his raised hand trembling, before he slowly lowered it, his eyes still burning with anger. He turned back to you, his frustration now mixed with deep concern.

"All those months of therapy, Y/N. All the pain you’ve endured, thrown out the window just like that? What were you thinking?"

You lowered your gaze, feeling a wave of shame wash over you. Muzan’s words cut deep, but you knew he was right.

Upon seeing you shrink when he raised his voice at you, Muzan’s expression softened immediately.

He sighed heavily.

"You do understand where I am coming from right?" he said as gently as he could. "I completely empathize with you, Y/N; and just like you, I also miss you performing on ice, but you can’t ignore the doctor’s orders. You know how fragile your recovery is. What if you got seriously hurt again?"

You looked away, your heart aching.

"I just miss it," you admitted, your voice barely a whisper. "I thought I should give it a try, then maybe... I could get a feel of it again. Maybe a miracle would happen." You trailed off, unsure of where the thought was leading you.

Muzan’s eyes softened as he watched your tears fall. He reached out, gently lifting your chin so your eyes met his. "Love, I understand the longing; I really do. But we can't rush these things. Your body still needs time to heal."

And then Muzan’s grip tightened around your hand. His voice, stained with pain and frustration.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw you lying there on the ice? How many sleepless nights I've endured, haunted by the image of your lifeless body? You risked everything just now—your life, your future, and for what? For a fleeting moment of glory? For old times sake? For a stupid, careless stunt? Do you understand the gravity of your actions?"

Your heart pounded in your chest.

Guilt eating at you by the second.

Muzan rarely raised his voice at you, but when he did, it sent shivers down your spine. At this very moment, you knew he was angry, but you also knew he was speaking from a place of deep love and concern.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice trembling.

Muzan’s expression shifted from frustration to sorrow, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You don't need to apologize, love. I'm just... I can't bear the thought of losing you."

Suddenly, the memory of that dreadful day started playing in his head like a slideshow—the sight of you lying motionless on the ice, the panic in the ambulance, the sleepless nights by your hospital bed. He groaned, his grip on your hand tightening involuntarily as the trauma washed over him again. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the haunting images.

"Seeing you in pain, feeling helpless... it tore me apart," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I remember every second of that day, and it still feels like a nightmare I can't wake up from."

Drowning in shame and guilt, all you could ever say at that moment was, "I'm sorry."

He opened his eyes and looked at you, his expression softening as he saw the concern in your eyes. "I know, love. But please, let's not do this again." He paused, his gaze unrelenting.

"I know how much skating means to you, and I promise we'll find a way to bring back the joy of skating into your life. But for now, let's focus on healing."

Akaza nodded in agreement. You looked at them both, feeling a mix of disappointment and understanding. "But the doctor said..."

Muzan interrupted gently, "I know what the doctor said, my love. And I respect his opinion. But I won't let that be the final word. We'll explore every option, every specialist, every clinic. We won't stop until we find a way for you to skate again."

Hope flickered in your eyes. "You mean it?"

Muzan nodded resolutely.

"I mean it with all my heart, love. You've dedicated so many years to this already, and I know how much it means to you. But for now, let's focus on healing your body and your spirit. We'll find a way to bring back the joy of skating into your life, I promise. But let's not rush it, okay? Your well-being is my top priority. It should be your priority too."

Eventually, you yielded, but before you could get a word out in response to what your husband just said, tears came falling down your face profusely, and the sight pained both Muzan and Akaza so much.

It was so hard seeing you like this.

Muzan gently pulled you into his arms, his embrace warm and protective. He whispered soothing words into your ear, his voice a calming balm to your frayed nerves. "Shhh, it's okay, my love. Let it all out. I'm here for you."

Akaza, who was standing nearby, looked away, giving you and Muzan a moment of privacy. He clenched his fists, his own emotions—a tumultuous mix of anger at the situation and a deep, abiding concern for you.

Muzan brushed a strand of hair from your face, his touch tender.

"You've been so strong, Y/N. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. It's okay to grieve and to be angry. Feel free to use me as a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to, or even your personal punching bag when you need to let off steam. I'm here for you, always."

You clung to him, the weight of your emotions finally finding an outlet. The tears seemed endless—a torrent of grief and frustration. Your husband held you tighter, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"We will get through this," he murmured. "One step at a time."

After what felt like an eternity, the tears began to subside, leaving you feeling drained but slightly lighter. Muzan pulled back just enough to look into your eyes. "Feeling better?"

You nodded, unable to find the words to express your gratitude and love for him. Muzan kissed your forehead gently, his lips lingering as if to impart some of his strength to you.

Muzan then took a deep breath and turned to Akaza, his anger still simmering but under control. "Akaza," he began, his voice tight, "I apologize for lashing out at you earlier. My temper got the best of me, and that was uncalled for."

Akaza bowed slightly, his expression unreadable. "No, sir. It's alright. I deserved to be called out like that."

Muzan clenched his jaw, feeling the lingering frustration. He took a moment to calm himself further before continuing. "However, let me be clear. If something like this happens again, there will be consequences. Your primary duty is to ensure her safety. Don't you ever forget that."

Akaza nodded solemnly. "I understand, sir. It won't happen again."

Muzan's gaze softened slightly as he regarded Akaza. "Thank you," then he turned to you again and helped you to your feet. 

"Let's get you home," he said, wrapping an arm around your waist.

*

In the car, the quiet hum of the engine filled the space between you and Muzan. After a few moments of contemplation, you turned to him and broke the silence.

“How did you know I was at the ice rink?”

Akaza cleared his throat, glancing at you through the rearview mirror. “I called him,” he confessed, his eyes avoiding yours.

You turned your gaze to Akaza, surprised by his uncharacteristic admission. "You did?"

He nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, madam. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Apologies for taking action without consulting you first."

Understanding the weight of his actions and the potential danger Muzan might have faced because of you, guilt washed over you. You turned back to Muzan, remorse clear in your eyes. “Muzan, I’m so sorry. You must have been very busy today, and I even put you in potential danger by rushing to my aid without Kokushibo with you.”

Muzan shook his head, his expression softening as he reached out to take your hand. “Nothing and no one is more important or more special to me in this world than you, Y/N. I would leave everything behind to ensure you’re safe and well, so don’t ever feel guilty for needing me. Besides, I can’t call myself the president of a nation if I can't protect or be there for the people who are closest to me.”

You felt tears welling up again, but this time, they were tears of gratitude. “Muzan…”

Muzan gently wiped away your tears with his thumb, then pulled you into a warm embrace, his touch tender and reassuring.

The car settled into a comfortable silence once again, and after a few seconds, you glanced at Akaza, who was focused intently on the road.

“Hakuji, thanks again for today.”

“Hakuji?” Muzan asked, confusion lacing his voice. “Who’s Hakuji?”

In the driver’s seat, Akaza froze, his heart skipping a beat. The sudden use of his real name caught him off guard, and he quickly regained his composure, masking his panic with a carefully controlled expression.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, a hint of unease creeping into his voice.

How did you...?

Wait.

Have you perhaps, by any chance, finally–

“That’s me, sir. Hakuji is my real name; Akaza is just a nickname a relative gave me when I was a kid.”

“I see,” Muzan said, his tone shifting to a more measured curiosity. “You refer to yourself as Akaza to everyone? I don’t recall this being disclosed during your application.”

Akaza flashed a sheepish smile, though it did little to hide the tension in his eyes. “Yes, sir. I’ve used Akaza for most of my life, but I’m fine with Hakuji as well.”

Muzan studied Akaza with a penetrating gaze, sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

“Very well,” he said finally, his voice a mix of intrigue and skepticism. 

The drive continued in relative silence, the weight of the recent events settling around the car like a tangible fog. You leaned against Muzan, comforted by his presence, while Akaza focused on the road, his mind racing with the implications of his slip.

When the car finally arrived at your home, Muzan helped you out with a gentle hand, his concern still evident in his eyes. While you were still traveling back, you asked your husband how he got to the ice rink, and apparently he drove there by himself, and because he accompanied you in your car with Akaza, his car was left at the ice rink parking lot. Muzan assured you that he would have Gyokko retrieve it first thing in the morning.

As you walked towards the entrance, you glanced back at Akaza, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You can rest now, Hakuji. Thank you, and I'm sorry too."

Akaza shook his head and smiled gently before bowing. "Don't worry about me, madam. Please rest well."

Muzan took the liberty to officially dismiss Akaza for the night and placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, his gaze softening. “Let’s get you settled. We’ve had a long day.”

*

Akaza slammed his bedroom door shut, his mind racing. He had been waiting for this moment—a sign, a confirmation. He leaned against the door, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

The adrenaline coursing through his veins was intoxicating.

This was it.

The opportunity he had been waiting for.

A chance to rewrite his destiny and prove his worth.

But he had to be careful and meticulous. One wrong move could jeopardize everything. He took a deep breath, calming his racing heart.

It was time to put his plan into action.

He pulled out a drawer and retrieved a small, leather-bound notebook. It was a relic from his past, a journal filled with cryptic codes and half-formed plans. He opened it to a blank page and began to write. The pen moved swiftly across the paper, his thoughts flowing onto the page.

A plan was forming—a dangerous and intricate one, but it was a plan nonetheless.

-

taglist: @bffrrufr @unadulteratedhandsbanditdreamer @unlikelybananawerewolf

[heavyhitterheaux]

“Why do you snore so loud?”

All of you were sitting on the couch having movie night and eating popcorn when you heard a soft snore escape from Jack. He had been sick for the last three days and you had ordered for him to stay home and rest up and you didn’t take no for an answer. The triplets had been missing him because he had been confined to the master bedroom for the majority of those three days and would often talk to him through a little crack in the door because the last thing he wanted was to get the rest of you sick. 

Jack explained that he was a little less stuffy and his throat wasn’t as sore so he wanted to spend quality time with them. You just didn’t realize that he was going to be sleeping only thirty minutes into the movie. 

Autumn was currently perched in his lap and hearing him snore startled her. She turned around to look at him and immediately pouted when she saw that he was asleep before turning to look over at you.

“Mommy! Daddy fell asleep!” She said while crossing her arms and you looked over to see him resting his head on his arm and all you did was sigh.

“Let him sleep, Autumn. Daddy still doesn’t feel good.”

“But he was supposed to watch the movie with us!” Axel exclaimed as he got up from his spot next to you and made his way over to Jack and you assumed that he was going to try to wake him up.

“Ax! Leave daddy alone and get back over here!” You exclaimed while hopping up and scooping him up in your arms to lead him back to the couch where you had been sitting next to Ivy.

“But, he’s going to miss everything!” Ivy commented as she once again pressed play on the remote since she had paused it once you had gotten up to get Axel.

"He's seen this before so no need to worry."

Another thirty minutes had passed before Ivy paused it again and told you that she wanted more popcorn. You got up to get it and when you came back, all three of them were now laying on Jack and he still hadn’t moved a muscle.

“Babies!”

“We want to lay on daddy!” Axel said as he snuggled closer to him and all you did was simply nod.

“But we have to make sure we stay quiet.” You said and they all nodded their heads in agreement.

When the movie was finished, Jack finally woke up and noticed all three babies snuggled up to him and he was confused since it had only been Autumn in the beginning.

“Daddy! You missed the movie!” Axel said while looking up at him.

“Hmm, I guess I was more tired than I thought.” 

“Daddy, why do you snore so loud?” Autumn asked as she turned around and all you did was stifle a laugh.

“Autumn, daddy doesn’t feel good so that’s why.”

“Because I wanted to put my hand over his mouth, but I know that isn’t very nice and mommy would have yelled at me.” She quietly confessed and all Jack did was roll his eyes.

“I….” He started to say, but simply looked at you and mouthed,’Get your damn children’

You shook your head no as you continued to laugh and decided that it was definitely past their bedroom.

“Okay, you three. It’s bedtime so let’s go.” You said while standing up from the couch and Ivy quickly grabbed your hand.

“Mommy, make sure our door is closed. I won’t be able to sleep if daddy is that loud.” She whispered to you, but Jack instantly made a face.

“I can’t even be at peace in this house when I’m sick.”

All you did was lean down to kiss his cheek.

“If we can’t keep you on your toes then who will?”

[samthecookielord]

(Intro) - (Previous) - (Next)

Lukas shakes Radar, and he wakes up quickly, worried that something is wrong.

Radar: Wha-huh? Is something wrong? Monsters ransacked the place while we were out? Did they ruin the packed lunches??

Lukas feels a mix of shock, relief, and confusion.

(next poll under cut)

Lukas: Woah woah, it's alright. No monster ransacking or whatever. It's just- I swear for a moment you looked like you were dead. Radar: [visibly worried at his words] What? I was just sleeping! Lukas: I couldn’t even see you breathing. Radar: That’s- that’s normal, don’t worry! It’s just, um, a side effect of my new meditation routine! It really calms the body down. Really hard to tell when someone’s alive when they’re that good at it. Lukas: That’s some... crazy meditation if it does that. Radar: Well, um, you know me! I need the really strong kind in order to calm my thoughts down, heh…

You continue to follow the bedrock path. You mention that something seems off about Radar. Your friends agree, and decide to keep a close eye on him in case any other weird things happen.

You enter a desert, which Radar does not seem happy about, but he still refuses to take off the hood. In fact, it looks like he shrinks into it even more. On the way, you all walk onto a loose patch of sand, which turns out to have been just above a cave, and it gives out beneath you.

Everyone is pretty injured from the fall, but Ivor came prepared with splash potions of instant health. Radar tries to back away, and when Ivor tosses the potion, he’s hurt by it.

Radar: Ow!  Ivor: What do you mean, “ow”? That was a perfectly good health potion! Axel: Yeah. It felt pretty cool, honestly. Ivor: Thank you. Lukas: So then why did you get hurt? Radar: It- It wasn’t the potion! I think some of the glass hit me when it shattered. That was the part that hurt.  Olivia: That never happens to any of us. Radar: Guess I just got unlucky.

You’re unable to go back the way you came, so the only way out is through. You enter the cave, which quickly becomes pitch dark.

The torches only last so long, and there are plenty of mobs (that still ignore Radar). Radar, the person you’d assume would be most frightened by this, doesn’t voice any complaints. He never even mentions tripping over anything.

At a certain point, he mentions a tunnel that seems to lead upward, likely an exit. The rest of you can’t see anything in the darkness. You question this, and he seems confused. He turns to look at you, and you can just barely make him out, but there’s a slight glow in his eyes. It’s a little freaky.

Without even looking at or talking to each other, the rest of you conclude “yeah, something is severely up with Radar.” So you follow him, and manage to get back to the surface with the tunnel he found. You all huddle up and get out of earshot from him.

Axel: So what’s our theory, exactly? Lukas: It’s like he’s a zombie. Olivia: But he’s acting the same way he usually does. Petra: So he’s acting unusual. Olivia: Yeah. Ivor: I bet the whole world thinks he’s a zombie. Olivia: Let’s not get carried away here. He looks and is acting normal. Radar: [in the distance] I can’t wait until it’s night, the sun is really hot here, haha! Oh hey, a creeper. Anyways- Olivia: He’s a zombie.

Lukas: That would explain why we stopped seeing him during the day. But that means he… died. Doesn’t it?  Petra: But he hasn’t said a thing about it! Why wouldn’t he tell us something like that? Ivor: Well, bringing someone back from the dead isn’t exactly easy. There’s only one person we know who could do that. Olivia: The timeline adds up, but what happened to him? Lukas: There’s a reason he’s trying to hide it. If he’s hiding something that crazy from his own friends…

[johnhwatsonblog]

Mr. Watson (can I call you John?)

Is it possible that I have a concussion and something broken after I fell on the ice while trying to do something out of my league?

For more context, I was trying some spins and new jumps but I decided to combine the hardest of those 2. So I ended up doing a trupe Axel and a low spin on one leg. But the soon as I jump, my leg decides to not listen to the rest of my brain and goes to the left instead of going to the right. And I fell from like 1,90m (as my jumps are very high) on my back (Idk how I managed to fall on my back when I was supposed to fall on my face), hitting the back of my head very hard on the ice (blood splashed from my nose) and hearing some cracks in my body (specifically the shoulder blade). And now I'm light headed and feeling dizzy for about 2 days and I have a terrible ache in my right shoulder blade.

Another question: are you or Sherlock good at figure skating?

First things first: Did you get yourself checked out? If not, then still do so asap. It sounds like you had a very serious fall.

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #28: Alphabet Soup Challenge #2

A:

At Ease by The Danish Bird [NC-17]

Even with her eyes closed, Buffy would recognise this place in a second, and for a moment she wondered if she truly had ended up in a hell dimension this time. One that had doomed her to an eternity of Doublemeat Palace workdays. Buffy felt her lips moving, heard her own voice speaking, and as she opened her eyes she decided that a hell dimension definitely wasn’t ruled out just yet. “Welcome to the Doublemeat Palace, how may I help – “ She stared into Riley’s scarred face as she completed her sentence. “– you.” Her mom, Sunnydale, her home, Spike – There are many things Buffy misses in her life, but if she had gotten the choice to revisit a day that had already passed, this would so not be it!

B:

The Bad Penny by OffYourBird [R]

Six years ago, Buffy made a home in a new dimension with a Spike who defied every rule to be by her side. Now it’s time to put to rest unfinished business in her original dimension. However, a visit there quickly turns apocalyptic, and at the heart of it is the two vampires who set Buffy's original journey in motion, and both of them have a lot of explaining to do.

C:

Christmas Date by bewildered [NC-17]

Christmas Eve in Cleveland, 2004. Holiday request from Dark. Squeaking it in for the end of the Christmas Season. (It's only the 9th day of Christmas! That counts!)

D:

Drive by Holly [NC-17]

Freshly turned and very grumpy about it, Buffy finds herself in a weird place. One where her friends smell like food, her former mortal enemy smells like heaven, and the so-called love of her life has made it clear that killing her is on his to-do list. Throw in some overly zealous army guys and this is not Buffy's idea of a party. So she and Spike decide to hit the road at least long enough to figure out why neither of them can hit anything else. And since they're both single and free, well, Buffy wouldn't say no to a distraction from the never-ending laugh riot that is her life. And Spike can be very, very distracting. Good thing soulless vampires can't fall in love or she might be in trouble.

E:

Embers by Dusty [NC-17]

Spike's the best boyfriend. He fulfills all of Buffy's fantasies. All of them.

F:

Favor by EllieRose101 [NC-17]

Spike asks an impossible thing of Buffy––and is stunned when she says yes. Could he really have gone up in her estimation?

G:

Golden Hour by kennedynoelle [R]

Response to a challenge set by emilise: Spike never came to Sunnydale during the first few seasons. The first time Buffy sees him is during The Harsh Light of Day, sunbathing on campus adorned with the Gem of Amara. Oh no, she thinks, the pit of her stomach dropping and sending tinglies all over, he's hot. They start dating, Buffy unaware that her new boyfriend is a member of the undead. Of course, she has to find out eventually…

H:

The Halloween Series by spike_spetslayer [NC-17]

Buffy and Spike make an unbreakable pact during their first real confrontation in Season 2. Story includes spoilers from season 2 through season 7.

I:

If I Loved You Less by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

How long had Spike been gone? 147 days. 148 at midnight. Except maybe today won't count?

J:

Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]

Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.

K:

Kaleidoscope by Lirazel [PG-13]

"Can you tell me, is this love that I'm seeing?" One by one, the people in Buffy and Spike's lives try to add up the obvious.

L:

Let it Burn! by Axell [Adult Only]

Her eyes followed the blood. Summers blood. She counted the drops. Ten. Then it stopped. If Dawn dies, I’m through. I don’t want to live in a world if these are the choices. Slowly, her head rose up. Their eyes met. Green and amber. A look passed between them then a nod. Her own voice echoed into her mind. I’m counting on you. To avenge her. Us. He made a promise. Until dusk will swallow them all.

M:

Melting Fire by Freecat [R]

Set right after Dead Things. The night after, all he wants is talk. The night after, there’s nothing she wants less than talking. And suddenly they find themselves in another dimension; one that Buffy can’t leave. There’s only one way to get her out. A way with consequences.

N:

Night Swimming by Geliot99 [R]

An unexpected heatwave in mid-March is reason enough for an impromptu pool party for the Scoobies. But when Richard takes a second stab* at winning Buffy's affections, Spike is all too keen to show her how much fun night swimming with a vampire can really be… *see what I did there? Set between 'Older and Far Away' and 'As You Were'

O:

One Step Away by violettathepiratequeen [PG]

Spike knows the way she dances. Not even Faith in Buffy's body can fool him.

P:

Pardon My French by Girlytek [R]

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let Buffy perform a spell in French. Begins at No Place Like Home.

Q:

Quake by Holly [NC-17]

Following Tutor. Riley's kiss did nothing for her, which clearly means her night with Spike didn't take. But since the world is probably ending, Buffy decides one more lesson couldn't hurt.

R:

Rock Solid by Passion4Spike [NC-17]

Buffy comes to some realizations about herself, the nature of her love, and her feelings for Spike on the eve of the biggest fight of her life, but will it be too little, too late? Spoiler Alert: No, it won’t.

S:

Something Blue's Clues by cawthraven [PG-13]

Willow is just fed up with the way Buffy and Spike act around each other. What are they, five?

T:

Timelines,Schmimelines by bookishy [NC-17]

When Buffy’s sent back to her first year of college to retrieve an artifact for the future, she ends up on the day of the first inaugural Christmas Party at Casa del Xander. Or, time travel meets its greatest match, and that match is alcohol.

U:

Under The Influence by NautiBitz [NC-17]

A few nights after their engagement spell, Buffy has to watch Spike. Problem is, a psychedelic demon may have just spritzed her with a mind-altering substance. Will Spike seize the moment? Or will they just end up naked? HMMM.

V:

Vampire In Charcoal by Geliot99 [NC-17]

Hiring out her mother's art gallery for classes had been a stroke of genius, but when the life model for the upcoming class comes down with the flu and an extremely unsuitable replacement is found last minute, Buffy is faced with a lot more of her nemesis than she was ever anticipating.

W:

where the shadow ends by disco-tea [R]

For 147 days, Spike and Dawn grieve Buffy. This is a story of a vampire and a Key who try to cope with the loss of the one person who meant the most to them…and how they became a family along the way.

X:

Xerox by Holly [R]

Spike and Buffy leave Angel a parting gift.

Y:

You Learn by bramcrackers [Adult Only]

When Buffy learns about Angel’s history with Drusilla, she can’t ignore how he seems to keep everything about his past to himself unless forced. How can she love someone she doesn’t even know? A trip to a local mage later, she’s plunged headfirst into Angel’s entire sordid history in a series of visions. And dealing with all of that would have been a hell of a lot easier if Spike hadn’t somehow been pulled into it, happy to add the color commentary.

Z:

Zero by kantayra [NC-17]

Trapped together in an icy prison, Buffy and Spike find one way to turn up the heat.

[the-name-is-z]

SKELETONS | ch. 24

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: As the group starts to make a new home of the prison, someone sabotages their plans, leading to unfortunate losses. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; canon character death; killing walkers; ethical discussions; murder

Chapter 24 - Where Else

“Okay, let’s get the other car in. We’ll park ‘em at the West entry of the yard.” Rick instructed as they drove the vehicles in from the road. Iris backed the truck up on the side of the gate, careful not to drive over any walker’s they’d left on the ground.

“Good. Our vehicles out there look like a giant ‘vacancy’ sign.” Daryl remarked.

“After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn ‘em.” 

“Gonna be a long day.” T-Dog grumbled.

“Where’s Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help.” Carol stated. Iris walked over, rolling her neck. Those prison mattresses were terrible. She’d rather sleep on the ground.

“Up in the guard tower.” Daryl replied.

“Guard tower?” Rick asked, putting his hands on his hips. “They were just up there last night.”

“Glenn! Maggie!” Daryl yelled across the field. Iris could see their silhouettes as the two of them stood up, and Glenn shouldered the door to the balcony open, shirtless, still buttoning up his pants.

“Hey, what’s up, guys?” He called back. Iris whistled loudly, earning a hearty laugh from Rick and T-Dog.

“You coming?” Daryl asked impatiently.

“What?” Glenn asked. The rest of them burst out laughing, grinning to themselves. Carol had to cover her mouth as she smiled.

“You coming?” Daryl asked again, smirking. “C’mon, we could use a hand.”

“Yeah, we’ll be right down.” Glenn replied. Iris shook her head, turning around as they walked back to the gate.

“Hey, Rick.” T-Dog called, stopping them in their tracks. Smiles faded as they turned, seeing Axel and Oscar walking across the courtyard toward the field. Rick started storming toward them, Daryl and Iris following quickly.

“That’s close enough.” Rick hissed as they stopped about six feet away. “We had an agreement.”

“Please, mister. We know that.” Axel replied quietly. Glenn and Maggie came out from the guard tower behind them. “We made a deal. But you gotta understand… we can’t live in that place another minute, you follow me? All the bodies— people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There’s ghosts.”

“Why don’t you move the bodies out?” Daryl asked.

“You should be burning them.” T-Dog stated.

“We tried. We did.”

“The fence is down on the far side of the prison.” Oscar explained. “Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. We’ve been just dropping a body and running back inside.”

“Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing. You trying to prove a point, you proved it, bro.” Axel assured. “We’ll do whatever it takes to be part of your group, just please, please… don’t make us live in that place.”

“Our deal is not negotiable.” Rick said sternly. Iris pursed her lips. “You either live in your cell block or you leave.”

“I told you this was a waste of time.” Oscar muttered. “They ain’t no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw ‘em out, like. These were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas and Andrew. Now we’ve all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I’m not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me. We’ve paid our due— enough that we would rather hit that road than go back into that shit-hole.”

Rick turned to get one glance from Daryl, who shook his head. They decided to lock Axel and Oscar up in between the front gates. Axel muttered small complaints, but they were safe at least. T-Dog argued for them to join in.

“Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you?” Rick asked. “They’ll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You wanna go back to sleeping with one eye open?”

“I never stopped.” T-Dog replied. “Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves.”

“I don’t know. Axel seems a little unstable.” Glenn pointed out.

“More-so than the rest of us? He already said, he was in for drugs, which we don’t have, and Oscar broke in to some place. They’re not killers.” Iris argued.

“After all we’ve been through?” Carol asked. “We fought so hard for all of this, what if they decide to take it?”

“It’s two against eleven.” Iris replied. “And I still cuddle my knives like teddy bears.”

“It’s just been us for so long.” Maggie murmured. “They’re strangers, I don’t— It feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around.”

“You brought us in.” T-Dog pointed out.

“Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms. Didn’t give us a choice.” Maggie replied.

“They can’t even kill walkers.” Glenn replied.

“They did. Sort of.” Iris chuckled.

“They’re convicts, bottom line.” Carol frowned.

“Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do.” T-Dog countered.

“I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with them.” Daryl said. “They’re degenerates, but they ain’t psychos. I could have been in there with them just as easy as I’m out here with you guys.”

“So you’re with me?” T-Dog asked.

“Hell, no. Let them take their chances out on the road, just like we did.”

“What I’m saying, Daryl—“

“When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid.” Rick started. Iris bit down on her tongue, looking out at the forest. “Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial— suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then two weeks later, shot another girl. We’ve been through too much. Our deal with them stands.”

Rick and Daryl turned back to go speak with Axel and Oscar. T-Dog looked frustrated, but he was definitely outvoted. Plus, Rick had a point. They didn’t know them. Axel was a coward, but sometimes cowards did the most damage in situations like the ones they found themselves in all the time. Iris had often considered herself lucky she never wound up in prison as a youth. A few overnighters in a holding cell, but never anything crazy. But she knew people like the boy Rick described. And unfortunately, he was right. They’d lost so much already, the stakes were high.

-

They spent the rest of the afternoon piling the bodies up all together. They were sweaty and tired, but it was done.

“Move the cars to the upper yard. Point ‘em facing out. They’ll be out of the way but ready to go if we ever need to bail.” Rick explained, tossing the gate keys to Glenn. “We’ll give the prisoners a week’s worth of supplies for the road.”

“They might not last a week.” T-Dog replied spitefully.

“It’s their choice.” Rick replied.

“Did they really have one?”

Iris left them to talk it out as she followed Daryl to the gates. Maggie got into the SUV while Daryl got onto his bike, ready to pull up to the courtyard.

“Twin cylinder, is that a Triumph?” Axel asked Daryl, observing the bike.

“Don’t even look at it.” Daryl grumbled.

“Didn’t want it bored out?” Axel asked. Daryl ignored him, starting the bike. “Sounds like it could use a tune up. I’m pretty handy with a wrench. Heads are leaking. I know my bikes!” Iris chuckled as Daryl pulled away, leaving Axel to himself.

“Man, will you just stop? Have some balls.” Oscar scoffed.

“Just sayin’.” Axel muttered as Glenn closed the gate behind them.

-

A few hours later, Iris passed Axel a box of supplies as Daryl, Rick and Glenn went through the fence to scope out the hole Oscar had mentioned.

“I’ll cut you loose as soon as they get back.” Iris said quietly, clicking the lock shut.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Axel replied. Iris cringed.

“Don’t call me ma’am, it makes me feel old.” She replied. Axel chuckled lightly. “Sit tight.” She sat down on the gravel in the dog run, watching the hole in the fence as the others climbed through, weaving the wire back through the links.

“So what’d you do before this?” Axel asked. Oscar muttered for him to keep his mouth shut.

“I was a mechanic. Mostly bikes, cars.” She replied quietly. “Hence the matching outfits.” Axel nodded. “You?”

“Gambling man.” He said, putting the box down. “Never had much in the way of a career. Though Oscar here was an electrical engineer.”

“Yeah, well…” Oscar grumbled.

“You think you could maybe put in a good word for us with your man? I know we—“

“We tried. If you can prove yourselves, maybe he’ll let you stay.” Iris murmured, frowning as she watched them walk the perimeter.

“How are we supposed to do that?” Oscar asked. Iris didn’t answer, instead turning back toward the prison. She smiled as she spotted Hershel taking a stroll with Beth, Lori and Carl in the courtyard. 

“Alright, Hershel!” Glenn called. Iris’ smile fell when she spotted the walkers come out of the courtyard behind them.

“Walkers!” She yelled, scrambling to her feet. Rick, Glenn and Daryl were running to the hole in the fence. Iris scrambled to unlock the gate in the dog run, sprinting past Axel and Oscar toward the other gate.

“Walkers, look out!” Carl called. Lori, Carl, Maggie and T-Dog started shooting, but that didn’t stop the swarm from growing. Hershel hobbled out of the way on his crutches, but he was slow. Beth screeched in fear from beside them as they moved around away from them. Iris threw the gate open, sprinting across the field and unsheathing her knives. She didn’t bother opening the gate to the yard, climbing over the fence and hopping down. She pulled her gun and started firing, bore walkers coming as fast as they shot them down.

“That gate is open!” T-Dog yelled, gesturing to further inside the courtyard where they had locked off all the walkers before. Iris grimaced. Maggie herded Lori and Carl inside, Carol and Iris backing up T-Dog as he ran for the gate. He shoved a few out of the way, pulling it shut.

“T!” Iris yelled, running over, but it was too late, and the walker was too close. He screamed as it’s teeth sunk into his shoulder, ripping out flesh with reckless abandon. Iris put a bullet in it’s brain as Carol screamed.

“Here!” She called, shoving open a door on the other side of the catwalk. She pulled T-Dog inside and slammed the door behind them. Iris was somewhat surrounded and she grimaced, making a break for the chain link cage Beth and Hershel had locked themselves in. They watched as she climbed the fence, perching on top of it while the walkers pooled around them. She unloaded her clip but there were still more.

Daryl, Rick and Glenn finally made it to the courtyard, pulling the gate open and unloading their own guns into the walkers surrounding them. Glenn used his machete to cut through to the gate while Daryl unleashed his crossbow on the walker’s surrounding Iris, Beth and Hershel.

“What the hell happened?” Rick yelled.

“The gate was open!” Iris replied, jumping down from the roof of the doorway after they’d removed the walkers surrounding her. “Lori, Carl and Maggie went through to the cell block. T-Dog and Carol went through there, but T got bit!”

“Anyone else?”

“No.”

“Stay put!” Rick yelled to Beth and Hershel while they continued clearing the courtyard.

“You alright?” Daryl asked. Iris nodded. She was fine, albeit shaky and nervous. 

“Those chains didn’t break on their own.” Glenn said after slicing the top of a walker’s head off. “Someone took an axe or cutters to ‘em.” Rick turned around, staring daggers through Axel and Oscar, who stood warily at the edge of the gate. “You think they did it?”

“Who else?” Rick growled. Iris nearly jumped out of her skin as a loud alarm blared out across the compound.

“What’s that?” Glenn asked, alarmed.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me!” Daryl yelled, exasperated. The noise was drawing walkers in from everywhere, and they started to gather along the outer fences. 

“Kill it!” Rick yelled. They pulled out their guns, aiming for the loudspeakers. He wheeled around, pointing his gun in Oscar’s face. “How the hell can this be happening?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, it has to be the backup generators.” He insisted, putting his hands up.

“How do you turn those on?”

“There’s three that’s connected to a diesel tank, okay?” Oscar explained frantically. “Each one controls a certain part of the prison. The hacks shut them all off when the prison was overrun.”

“Can someone open the main gates electronically, with full power?” Rick asked.

“I only worked in there a few days. I guess it might be possible.” Oscar shrugged.

“Okay, come with us!” Rick yelled, grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him along. They burst through into the cell block, but there was no one there. A few walkers, but that was it. “Lori! Carl!”

“Maggie must have taken them further in.” Iris said, out of breath as she kicked her mattress that had been knocked askew.

“We just took down five of them in there.” Daryl called, running in from the other room.

“Four in here, but no sign of anyone.” Iris replied.

“They must have been pushed back into the prison.” Glenn breathed. 

“Somebody is playing games!” Rick yelled in frustration. “We’ll split up and look for the others. Whoever gets to the generator first, shut them down!” They split up, Iris following Daryl, Rick and Oscar as they jogged through the corridors.

Oscar led them to the generators and they burst through the door, narrowly escaping a few hungry, snapping jaws. 

“Daryl, get the door!” Rick yelled. Daryl and Oscar threw themselves against the door, holding it shut as the walkers pointed against it. Rick ran for the generator. “How do you shut these down?!”

“Go, I got it.” Iris traded places with Oscar, and though he was much larger than her, some help was better than none. She and Daryl pressed themselves against the door, boots skidding against the ground. Iris heard her heard pounding in her ears before the scream. Andrew yelled as he popped out from the corner, slamming his baseball bat into the electrical panel, aiming for Rick. They wrestled, Rick attempting to disarm him as they slammed into various panels. Daryl let out a cry of effort as they strained against the door. Iris slid to the ground, scrambling up against it with a grunt.

“We gotta let go.” He grunted. Iris nodded and they moved in tandem away from the door, grabbing their weapons. They killed the first few that were slamming against the door before Daryl shoved it closed once again. Oscar tossed one of the metal panels at Andrew, shoving him off of Rick before picking up Rick’s gun.

“Shoot him! We can take back this prison!” Andrew pleaded as they both stood on shaky legs. Rick held out his hand. Oscar panted. “What are you waiting for? It’s our house! Shoot him!” Oscar pulled the trigger, and Andrew’s body hit the ground. He handed the gun back to Rick and Iris keeled over, hands on her thighs as she panted. Rick shut the generator down, the alarms stopping, finally. 

They made their way down the hallways, searching for the others. There was a scuffle somewhere down, but when they rounded the corner, they found Glenn and Axel. They all moved together down the hallways, finding two walkers standing over a body. Rick shot them both, but Iris held a hand to her mouth in shock.

“T…” She whispered. He was flayed open, barely a corpse as his innards littered the ground. They all paused for a moment and Daryl belt down to lift Carol’s scarf from the floor. She was nowhere to be seen, but they had no idea. They followed the halls all the way through to the door T-Dog and Carol had escaped through, Hershel and Beth waiting on the stairs.

“Hershel!” Glenn called.

“You didn’t find them?” He asked.

“We thought maybe they came back out here.” They both shook their heads.

“What about T? Carol?” 

“They didn’t make it.” Daryl replied.

“That doesn’t mean the others didn’t. We’re going back.” Rick said lowly. “Daryl and Glenn, you come with—“ Rick stopped as the sound of an infant crying carried over the courtyard. They all turned to see Maggie stumble down the stairs, a small bundle of Carl’s coat in her blood-soaked arms. Carl followed blankly, his face dark and his eyes empty. His own hands were covered in blood and Iris held in a gasp.

Rick dropped his axe as he faced Maggie, shaking his head. She was crying, clutching the baby close. Rick shook his head again, his lip quivering. He blinked, staggering back and forth as he walked closer.

“Where— where is she? Where is she?” He asked. When Maggie didn’t answer, he made for the door.

“No, Rick no!” She cried, pulling him back. Rick sobbed, clutching his hands to his face as he stared up at the prison. Carl stood next to him, motionless.

“Oh, no. No!” Rick cried. Glenn walker over, pulling Maggie to his chest as she cried, resting her head on his shoulder. Iris sheathed her knives, running a hand through her hair as tears lined her eyes. 

-

TAGLIST:

@heidiland05

@ryoujoking

@catlalice

@maxinehufflepuffprincess

@lowkeyhottho

@fadingpalacebonkpsychic

[alittlewarmer]

𓍯𓂃 sealed with joy and tenderness 𓏧♡

🗓️ november 4, 2024

── .✦ today, i am grateful for...

ᯓᡣ𐭩 my breakfast crab, from yesternight's dinner. i missed eating crab so much that this was the first thing i did upon waking. i continued watching the to all the boys film series with the second installment, which i haven't finished yet since i watch it only in my free time.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 another day full of love and cuteness with my niece. i couldn't get enough of her that i postponed work today to be with her! i missed her a bunch because i hadn't seen her for 4 days over the long weekend. she's so adorable, and i am happy she is growing up healthy.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 our lumpiang togue lunch, which my mama bought from ate jean. it was freshly cooked and crispy, served with vinegar mixed with cucumber and pepper! as if it's not yet heavenly enough, i added spiced vinegar for extra kick! it's so hard to commit to a fasting schedule when blessed with these delectable food.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 hearing tfl's sangkap vol. 1, after wanting for more local sounds in my system after listening to the recently released vol. 3. i added several gems to my playlist, mostly hiphop. among is a track by the axel pinpin's propaganda machine, a band i have long been familiar with but never delved into deeply until today. i discovered that a member, the martyred marlon "ka ope" caacbay, decided to live and die among the peasants he chose to serve by fighting for the long-sought social justice through armed struggle as a guerilla fighter. nothing but utmost respect for him and his life, and raging indignation for the system that failed him and the ideology that he fought for. honor ka ope's life by listening to TAPPM's awit ni marlon, released in the band's album hindi isasatelebisyon ang rebolusyon (2017) 2 years after the demise of their fallen comrade. pinakamataas na pagpupugay kay ka ope at sa lahat ng mga dakilang martir ng rebolusyon!✊

── .✦ today, i showed kindness to myself by...

ᯓᡣ𐭩 taking a bath and doing my skin care routine.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 being gentle with myself and allowing myself a day off to transition back from the long weekend. this unplanned rest will set my body and mood up for tomorrow's workday.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 putting an effort into adjusting and returning my body clock to it's normal rhythm. i'd been a night owl for a week or two, and it had greatly affected my work and sleep schedule, and even my leisure time! it feels good and refreshing to be back to my normal rhythm!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 delivering myself from reading self-destructive stuff, which has been tough for me because it has become a habit. but today, i succeeded in avoiding it, and i am proud of myself for that! baby steps. :)

my day may have been uneventful, but i am grateful to myself for prioritizing rest ✧˖°,

cerise ˗ˏˋ 🍒 ˎˊ˗

[theonceandfuturequeenoftarts]

It starts, as many things involving Phichit do, with an Instagram post.

phichit+chu [Video description: Katsuki Yuuri, sitting on the grass in a tank top and shorts, places a watermelon between his thighs and cracks it open. He smiles up at the person holding the camera before grimacing at his lap and his watermelon-soaked shorts and thighs, muttering “Didn’t think this through…”] phichit+chu We didn’t have a knife. #katsudamn #demthighstho #katsukiyuuri #blessed     axel-otl Uh mcpoult I’LL BE IN MY BUNK doaflip #katsudamn indeed okukawami [This is what you’re using my dance training to do?] ;) redpandadance more like yuuri crush-suki amirite 

This sparks the #KatsuMelon challenge among other figure skaters. Because of the physical necessities of their sport – namely, extremely muscular bottom halfs that can support launching and landing triples and quads – many succeed, though not with the ease and oblivious cuteness of Yuuri. Mila Babicheva earns the #scaredandhorny award for crushing three melons in under ten seconds.

Christophe Giacometti, never one to settle for keeping it PG, posts a video of him in a thong crushing a variety of fruits and vegetables with his ass. The video is taken down almost immediately and leads to Chris being temporarily banned from the platform for repeatedly posting inappropriate content.

It’s a weird couple of weeks for those not used to the figure skating community.

—

Not many people know about Yuuri’s competitive side, but Chris does. Their time together in Juniors, duking it out for the podium, made it very apparent.

So, when they’re both assigned to Skate America, he decides to make use of this knowledge. He corners Yuuri at the rink during practice on the day before the men’s short program.

“Chéri, you’ve been keeping secrets from me,” he pouts, skating up beside the Japanese skater.

Yuuri looks like a bunny rabbit that’s been caught under a bush, all wide-eyed and twitchy. “What?”

“I saw the video of your little trick with the watermelon,” Chris clarifies, before adding huskily, “J’ai bien hâte de le voir en personne.”

“Chris, you know I don’t speak French.”

“Well, hurry up and learn so I can fully express myself.”

“I don’t think I could take you expressing yourself any more fully,” Yuuri mutters, blushing as he slaps a wandering hand away.

He grins and winks lasciviously. “Not many can. But I digress! I want a demonstration, Yuuri~”

“There’s a video of it,” Yuuri says, confused. “You’ve already seen it. Just go watch that.”

“Are you saying you couldn’t do it again?” Chris says, pretending to look disbelieving.

Yuuri’s eyes narrow and his jaw tightens. “Bring me a damn watermelon.”

Chris smirks. Gotcha.

—

Someone procures a watermelon despite it being the wrong season and the request being issued ten minutes ago. Phichit would be surprised, except he’s seen all the comments on that post. Thirst is a powerful motivator.

“Wait!” Leo shouts. “Maybe you should take off your pants? You, uh. Last time, you got your shorts dirty.”

Yuuri stares at him blankly for a second before giving him a small smile. “You’re right, thanks.”

And then he strips off his joggers. Phichit hears a few muttered curses, and someone swoons. 

And that’s how Katsuki Yuuri ends up sitting on the arena changing room floor in just his warm-up shirt and tight boxer briefs, surrounded by several of the world’s top figure skaters, and absolutely obliterating a sizeable watermelon with his wet-dream-worthy thighs. 

There are a few moments of silence during which Yuuri seems to realize people are staring at him and starts to spiral before Seung-gil mutters, “I wish that was my head.” 

And Phichit is shocked that it’s the notoriously misanthropic Korean who spoke, but also. Same, dude. Same.

That breaks the rest of the observers out of their stupor, and then it’s a rush of sound – yelling, catcalls, laughter – and Phichit makes sure to pull Yuuri out of the epicentre of excitement as soon as he can, taking up his role of deflecting attention away from his smol anxious son. 

When Chris approaches with a cat-that-got-the-cream grin, Yuuri sighs with fond exasperation.

“There. Happy?” he says to Chris.

“Oh, exceedingly. Seeing is believing. You never disappoint, mon petit chou.” Chris manages to get a few celebratory gropes in before Yuuri bats him away.

Phichit convinces (see: threatens with blackmail) everyone present into not posting pictures or videos of Yuuri. But a slew of Instagram posts featuring figure skaters eating chunks of watermelon flood the platform with no caption other than #SkateAmerica2015, to the confusion of everyone who wasn’t there.

—

Yuri Plisetsky is suffering.

He has to share a rink with Viktor “Living Legend” Nikiforov, and deal with all the comparisons and expectations and idiocy that brings, so he’s used to some amount of suffering.

He’s not used to the Japanese Yuuri being the source of his suffering.

Not that he would ever say it even under torture, but Japanese Yuuri’s step sequences are pretty good (the most beautiful he’s ever seen) and he moves well (like he’s music and emotion given human form). He guesses he respects the other man as a skater. His jumps are shit, though (could use some work).

After the Watermelon Incident at Skate America is when the suffering begins. He can’t look at watermelons the same way. He can’t look at Japanese Yuuri the same way. Now, every time he sees him in person or in photos, he thinks about licking watermelon juice off of Yuuri's bare thighs. His phone can’t take being thrown at the wall anymore before it just shatters.

(Like that watermelon.)

Puberty is the fucking worst.

—

Chris, as a top-tier bro and shit-stirrer, sends the video to Viktor.

Viktor ♥

!!! Chris What am I looking at? Proof that God loves the gays You and I weren’t proof enough? Bien sûr, mon cher But also Tell me those thighs don’t make you want to fall down and worship I am but a man An extremely gay man So who is he? Viktor You don’t recognize Katsuki Yuuri? Should I…? For shame Japan’s ace? ? Figure skating?? You know, that thing you do all day, every day? nvm, I looked him up If I didn’t love you so much, I’d strangle you, chéri Aww, you love me! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Chris gets back to practice, dropping his phone and his attempt to wing-man for the moment. Those two had better appreciate this…

—

The next day, Viktor approaches Yuri as they’re practicing on the ice.

“So, your newfound aversion to watermelon…”

Yuri glares at him. Viktor stares back.

“It happened after Skate America, da?”

Yuri’s glare develops an edge of mortified horror. Viktor waggles his eyebrows.

“AAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH,” the teenager howls, skating away from Viktor as fast and as angrily as he can.

Ah, youth. At least Yuri has better taste than Viktor’d had at his age. Thankfully, he’d outgrown his tragic habit of crushing on straight boys.

And hey, maybe they could bond over crushing on someone who could crush them with his thighs.

(He swears he’s not getting petty vengeance for all the balding and ‘old man’ comments.) 

(...He might be lying.)

He’s no more excited for this year’s Grand Prix Final. But maybe – maybe – the off-ice part could surprise him yet. Maybe this Katsuki Yuuri could liven things up.

[lyssak09]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Valentine's day is my favorite holiday! So as my valentine's gift to you I have written for 'My bloody valentine' both the original and remake, enjoy 💙

Tom has been obsessed with you since he first met you. So him getting you as his girlfriend was miraculous.

He hated leaving you behind, but he had to, you couldn't be dating the town's most hated man. But he still kept an eye on you. Its fascinating what people will do for money.

Eventually Harry fell for you. So why not kill two birds with one stone?

Kill a hell of a lot people back in valentine bluffs, and get you back in Tom's arms.

"Y/n" Tom called out. You could hear him dragging the pickaxe. You hid deeper in your hiding spot. "Baby, come on out. Don't make me have to hurt anyone else. Not that Henry won't like that." Tom said the last part to himself. "Y/N! Come here now or else your friends are gonna get it!" You scrambled out into the open once he said that. "Tom, please don't do this. Just kill me and leave everyone else alone" you begged him. Tom gives you a smile, "Oh baby, I'm not gonna kill you. We're just gonna take you back where you belong. With me". "W-what?" You stuttered out. Tom let out a chuckle. "Y/n, haven't you felt watched while I've been gone? That was people keeping on eye on you for me. I could never let my sweet girl go. Now come here before we have to drag you" you stood still in terror. Tom let out a puff of air, "Guess I get to carry you." And slipped you on his shoulders. "You make any noise and anyone who comes for you is dead, you hear me," you let out a small yes. Tom slipped out the back door with you, and you were never seen again.

Alex always had a thing for you. And when TJ left, it was his chance

But then of course TJ came back. So Axel snapped

Taking out anyone in his way, and others just for fun.

Then Valentine's day came, so he decided to kill his biggest rival and take you home. Isn't that poetic?

"Be my valentine?" Axel said with a smirk, covered in TJ's blood. You crawled away from TJ's body planning a way to escape. "You killed him! You killed nearly everyone in town!" You cried out. Axel stepped over the body and walked towards you, "For you! For us!". "Don't worry baby, I'll take you home and we'll enjoy the rest of valentine's day. Now, come here" he grabbed your wrist and pulled you up. "NO!" you screamed, but Axel didn't care. He knocked you out with the bottom of his pickax and took you to your new home

I think I'm gonna do full fledge hcs for these characters so be on the look out!

[eohpmdsteams]

Bluey was still feeling rather gloom and decided to slip away from her teammates shortly after finishing cutting the wood for the recent construction gig the guilds got roped into. While she'd always loved helping people, and even though she had done a good job cutting the wood evenly it did little to lift her spirits and she wasn't entirely keen on getting dragged somewhere by Tuca in her current state. Bluey sighed as she walked down the dirt path that led back towards Lakeside. She fiddled with her claws as her eyes stare blankly at the ground, lost in her own thoughts. Maybe she didn't do a good enough job on the thindle, maybe it was too simple...maybe it was too colorful...or was it too cheesy of a concept? Not that any of that mattered now but she couldn't help but wonder what she could have done better, it felt like a whole year of her life was wasted when she had to break it, she had foolishly put so much of her own worth and self-confidence in hope her confession would have gone the way she had wanted. Her mood dipped further feeling selfish about how she was feeling, it wasn't like it was anyone's fault but her own she felt hurt and maybe it was little selfish of her to want something different. Bluey stopped in her tracks and smacked the top of her helm out of frustration, and with an angry growl mixed with the echoing sound of metal impacting metal, she shook her head to try and push these thoughts out of her mind, mumbling to herself, "You are such a big baby, Bluey. You need to grow up."

She stood in silence for a few moments frowning at the ground angry at herself for feeling bad, before she was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of unfamiliar voices coming from farther up the road. Placing her hands on her cheeks she smacked the tears that had weld up from her eyes and shook off her feelings to put on her usual bright front she tried to maintain in public, Bluey has to show that she's bold, bright, and full of life. Can't have herself looking like she was upset, especially if the Pokémon ahead were new in town, her guild wouldn't very well be represented by a dull gloomy face, even though inside she wasn't feeling like her usual self today. Without hesitating further, she put on a hopefully not forced looking smile and continued her walk up the road, as she got closer she noticed a group of pokemon standing next to a lop sided wagon, it seemed a caravan was coming through and one of the wagons lost a wheel, as she walked closer to see if they needed help she started to pick up bits of the conversation.

"How did this happen?" A Mr. Mime sighed scratching the back of his head looking at the busted wheel "I don't know I was trying to pull it out of the ditch, and everything was just fine then there was a snap, and the wheel flew off!" A Tauros said shaking his head in disbelief. "What do you think Smidge? Is it repairable?" The Mime asked a Grafaiai next to him. "We'd need a whole new beam for the wheels" She frowned, "The Axel was the part of the wagon that failed. We'd need to find a bar to replace it or at least temporarily replace it till we can get in town for a full repair." "I could help y'all with that!" Bluey called as she approached the group. "Unless you got a wagon axel on you, I don't know if you can little lady." the Tauros frowned as the Mime gently thwacked his side with a gloved hand for coming across as rude. "Forgive my companion, it's been a long day. We've spent the past hour trying to pull our wagon out of this road divot we missed and in doing so we damaged it further. The strange smell from the forest nearby hasn't been pleasant while we've been trying to get ourselves out of this pickle. Its got a few of us pretty grumpy. The rest of our group couldn't stand it much more and went on ahead without us." "Oh well that's unfortunate. The vile wilds tend to have a disorienting effect of people, so I say you got lucky that you only stumbled on a hidden ditch. As for that Axel, I don't happen to have one, but I can carve one that should last you long enough to get your caravan to Lakeside." Bluey said as she displayed her blades, "I'm a pretty good wood worker." "We'd appreciate the help, I definitely don't want to leave this wagon behind to head into town and walk back to repair it. It's got a lot of our stage gear in it." The Mime said with a tired smile. "Oh, you are performers! For a moment I thought you may have been traders coming into town from Onryx City. But if you hand me the Axel pieces so I can get a rough thickness and length idea I can easily patch that up." "No, but we did have a show there!" The Mime chimed as he fetched the two broken pieces. Bluey examined the pieces and laid them flat on the road where she used the length of her blades and the width of her hooves to measure the dimensions before trotting over to a tree to carve out a large enough plank of wood to whittle down. As Bluey carved the wood the Mime sat crisscrossed on a nearby stump, watching her with a keen eye, after a few moments of silence he piped up "I hope this doesn't sound...weird, but are you by chance from Painted Sands?" "Huh? Oh y-yeah I was born there! Thats a very specific observation, not probing my mind are you?" She said with a raised brow, "why do you ask?" "O-Oh goodness no! I just happened to notice that trinket around your neck that's peaking out from your poncho from time to time. Thats a whats it called-" He trailed for a moment snapping his fingers in thought, "A thindle! Thats what that is right?" "Oh uh yeah it is. It's my personal one I made to represent myself. We all do it when we turn 18. I'm surprised you know what it is, have you been there before?" "Oh yeah, our companion Nina is from there, so we perform there at least once every year! Gives her a chance to catch up with her family and I've always liked how lively that city is." He smiled pulling out a trinket from behind his collar, "I even made myself one last year when we visited."

"Oh that's lovely" Bluey smiled looking at the swirled design of whites and blues, "Is that bone? Thats an interesting medium to use." "Yeah, when I was a kid, I took a pretty nasty hit to the face and knocked out my two front teeth, luckily they were baby teeth and grew back. But as you can see, I got some pretty big teeth, kept them for a long time because the story over the years has become kind of a funny one to me and I thought why not represent myself with well...some of myself." "You know that's actually a pretty clever approach to a personal one. Shows how creative you are."

"I'd like to think I am." He chuckled. "What about yours" "Hmm? Oh, it's mostly Quartzite. It's a strong stone that's pretty resistant to weathering. It takes a beating but keeps on going. It's also pretty diverse in color due to minerals, so I thought it best represented me considering the diversity of species in my family." "Sounds like a sturdy and reliable material to work with." He nodded earning a smile from Bluey for reading into the reliable aspect of it. As she continued to work while the two talked, time seemed to pass quickly as it didn't seem to take too much longer to replace the Axel and get the wagon back on the road again. As the group prepared to head off the Mime approached Bluey with a beaming smile. "Thank you so much for the help. We greatly appreciate it. If you ever come to see one of our shows, we'll let you in for free as thanks for getting us back on the road again." "Oh it's no trouble. I'm happy to help where I can. It was nice to meet you, sir." "It was a genuine pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss...I don't think I got your name..." He said tilting his head. "Bluey Bonozo of the Lakeside Partisan guild." She smiled offering her hand for a handshake. "Bonozo? Aha! A fellow member of the Mr. Mime family! I knew I felt a kindred spirit. I'm Peak Winters, head honcho of the Tall Tale Travelers. Again, it was a genuine pleasure to meet you, Miss Bonozo." Peak beamed as he grasped her forearm for a firm handshake. "Likewise! I hope you and your companions the best." Bluey smiled. With that the Pokémon went on their separate ways, but Bluey found herself feeling much better having her mind taken off of what had gone wrong earlier in the day. It was nice getting to meet more members of the Mime evolution line.

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Pretty like the sun

Previous chapter / Next chapter

a/n This is pretty like the wind series spin offs. This can be read as standalone all you need to know is that Azriel has two adoptive kids with OC - Zofie and Axel. Future stories related to them might include stories specifically decided to Azriel hence why I am taging it as Azriel story too. Don't come at me please. ✨

It’s been a hot minute so idk if any of you are still here with me🫣 we do have an Azriel pov here.

warning: nothing major, past trauma.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Zofie’s pov:

She sat at the top of the steps for hours. Long given up on running towards the door with every scratch or creek that she heard. With her head resting against the railing, Zofie couldn’t help but let her mind consume her. Nit-picking at all of her choices. She had done the opposite of being a good daughter. And she too had promised to love Azriel forever, so what was shifting?

Her thoughts slithered towards Nyx, who had been claiming most of her mind now. She could see why Azriel wouldn’t want her with him. And maybe it wasn’t even him trying to protect her; maybe it was him trying to keep the high-fea bloodline clean. What did she have to do with the high lords? Nothing. She saw the high lord and lady from time to time, but she was way closer to Uncle Cassian.

Then her thoughts drifted to the fact that she didn’t know all that much about Nyx either. Zofie didn’t even know his other friends. How many were they? What if all he was doing was just being friendly? He could very well have a lover. A mate. Preppy parents in desperate need to marry off their children to form bonds between courts, Nyx’s voice ran in her ears. Of course, Rhys was no doubt looking for a match for his son. And what was she thinking? Letting herself dream that maybe one day…

The sound of the door clicking open made Zofie shoot up. Just with her lack of focus, the girl ended up hitting her head against the side of the railing. Whining in pain, Zofie quickly reached to press her palms against the aching spot, only to lose her footing as her ankle buckled and the center of gravity shifted. She managed to let out a yelp, but the hard fall never came. Instead, the endlessly soothing smell of night filled her senses.

"Zofie," her father’s worried voice made her look up quickly. “Look at me, hey, did you hit your head hard?" Azriel’s worried golden eyes tore through the last bits of her self-control. Without a second thought, Zofie scrambled to get closer. Hands messily tangling with Azriel’s leathers as she wrapped herself around him. “I’m so sorry," she whimpered, “So sorry." Azriel’s arms wrapped around Zofie’s frame with ease in an instant. “Breathe for me, Zofie; you will make yourself faint, baby girl." The calmness of his voice strangely unsettled her. He was supposed to be mad. Was supposed to be frustrated with her. Angry. “Why aren’t you upset? You should yell," Zofie muttered, pulling back, her black eyes filling up with tears. Azriel frowned for the first time since he walked through the door. “Have I ever raised my voice at you?" the spymaster questioned before sighing, “Well, besides earlier today, it wasn’t even at you. I wasn’t angry with you." He softly wiped the tears from beneath Zofie’s eyes. “I will never do it again. I will never see him, I promise”, she said, feeling her own body start to swirl with emotions flooding from all over the house. Fruition, confusion, pain, sadness, and dread. Gasping for air, Zofie looked back at Azriel, whose shadows quickly drowned out any distractions. Closing the two of them in the safety of cool darkness. “Breathe, little star," Azriel muttered against Zofie’s hair, “Remember how we do it?" His firm gaze met her frantically blinking eyes. One of the shadows settled at the back of her neck; the other two wrapped around her hands, cooling the main point of her anxious spell.

“You’re safe." Azriel slowly ran his hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her the best he could. “I can't," her pained breaths ripped at Azriel, but he knew that now any excess emotions had to be suppressed, “We’re in your safe bubble." With a fluster of his wings, Azriel wrapped them around the two of them. “Press your palms against me; let it out," and she would have, but suddenly it made her stomach twist. Because this man. Man who didn’t have to take her in. Would know that she had all of these thoughts. From hate. To frustration. All directed at him. All because she was being naive. “I can't," she said, pulling back and hitting her father’s leathery wings. “Of course you can; you’ll burn out otherwise," Azriel urged her, “Come on, baby." She knew that he was desperate for a reason. Zofie had sent herself into overdrive once, and it wasn’t pretty. She could barely stand for weeks. No speech. She could barely get food down. That had been the first time she had seen Azriel with a full stubble. He had refused to leave her, even for a minute. He had been there. Always been there looking out for her. Another painful cry slipped past her lips, and everything went black.

Azriel pov:

Azriel’s eyes lingered on Zofie’s limp body lying in bed. He had been fixing the throw covering Zofie for the past hour. One moment it seemed too high up, and so she no doubt had to be too warm, but then the other he feared that she wasn’t warm enough. Azriel knew there was no way to measure the impact of the outburst until morning. Till Zifie opened her eyes. And she would open her eyes because...

“You should get some sleep”, your soft voice made Azriel turn from the bed. Some of the tension eased. It always did when you were around. His beautiful mate. Mother of his children. “I’m not tired," he muttered, fingers lazily running up and down Zofie’s arm. "Azriel, you can’t fool me." The moment your hands touched Azriel’s shoulders, he instantly felt warmth seeping through his aching bones. “How are you doing?", Azriel knew what that question implied because he had a feeling that you were aware of where the roots of all of this were.

“How can she think that I don’t love her?", Azriel shook his head, “Had I seriously been so... shortsighted?” You cupped his face tenderly. “She knows, she’s simply confused. Emotions are running high…”, “That was days of amped-up frustration that I’ve caused, YN”, his tone was much higher, and the moment that hit Azriel, his hand instantly came to clasp his mouth.

“It’s okay. You’re okay," you gently reached for both of his hands, giving them a little squeeze. “She’s growing up, Azriel. Things are strange and new”, leaning in, pressing your forehead against his, “She was scared that your yellow was fading," you admitted. “My love for her hasn’t changed," Azriel muttered. “I know, love, but your heart is now making room for Novie, and I think insecurities are running high." Azriel glanced back at Zofie. He never looked at her differently. Never treated her like a dainty porcelain doll. Yes, he protected her. Was ready to go to war for her. Because he had always seen her as his. He understood what having inner demons meant. To this day, Azriel had days when battling them got way too much. Hence, he had always craved to protect them so much. That desire to chase any doubt away fueled him because they deserved better. They deserve to know life in vibrant colors, not dim grays and blacks.

Azriel’s eyes fell on Zofie again. The girl had shifted slightly, curling deeper into herself. “Will you be good up there alone tonight?" Azriel gazed up at his mate. The raw instinct beat at him to go up to his bedroom and guard the new mother of his child, to be devoted to tending to them only. But it wasn’t Zofie’s nor Axel’s fault that the same blood didn’t bond them all. And Azriel had promised to protect them like his own, so as hard as it was, now he knew that he had to step down on the primal instinct and put his first children into the equation too. You smiled lovingly up at him and said, “I won’t be alone. Your mother is here, and Axel should be coming home soon." Stepping forward, you let yourself snuggle into Azriel’s chest for a heartbeat. Pouring as much love and reassurance into the embrace as you could. Azriel’s lips lingered on your forehead. “If you need me..." he muttered, but you instantly shook your head. “Stay with her, Azriel. She needs you," and that was all it took for Azriel to nod. His shadows carefully blew out a handful of candles lighting up the room. Leaving a bare minimum of light that wouldn’t bother anyone’s slumber, and if by any chance Zofie was to wake up during the night, he didn’t want her to open her eyes to darkness. As carefully as he possibly could, Azriel scooped Zofie’s tiny frame into his arms before climbing into her bed. Out of shared instinct, the spymaster started to hum the melody he used to hum to the two kids when they were younger, and nights of settling down were harder. His scared fingers carefully brushed her ink-black hair away from her face. Lips turning upwards as he let her way more mature features sink in. Never had he thought that he would be wishing the time would go slower. But it also filled him with endless pride that he too had played a role in making sure this tiny girl would slowly grow into a strong-minded young woman. With a deep sigh, Azriel pressed a loving kiss onto Zofie’s forehead, making the girl snuggle deeper into her father’s chest. “I���ll always love you, little star. As overbearing as I can be, I will always love you the most because you taught me what it was like to be a father”, he muttered, settling in to watch over her for the night.

Nyx’s pov:

Nyx had been looking through the window of his mother’s gallery for the past couple of hours. He rubbed his chest at times when the feeling of anxiety threatened to choke him out. His mind was running so fast that there were moments when he lost hold of it. Thought after thought, angrily beating at his consciousness.

“Are you antsy about going back?", Feyre’s voice made him grip the window sill tighter. He had forgotten that his mother had even been here with him for a moment. "No," he said bluntly. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling if he was being honest. He haven't been able to keep up with any of the emotions for some time now. They all seemed so tangled up that he didn’t know where one started and the other ended. Or it was so chaotic that he was sure that he felt all of it at once, and the feeling sure wasn’t pretty. It was different with Zofie, though. For some reason, his inner chaos always subsided when she was close. It felt calmer. It was as if she was there, sorting through his mess for him.

“Really?", Feyre’s amused voice filled the room. Nyx loved his mother. She was an example of hope to him. Every time he lost faith in the future, he would look for her memory books, ones she had sat down with Rhys to write while she had been pregnant with him. Nyx just wished they would understand that now he wasn’t sure if his own story linked with his parents.

“It’s what we do as soldiers; we need to earn our rank," he answered sharply with an exhale. He didn’t want to fight with his mother. Nor did he want to make her upset. He just didn’t want to talk about anything regarding this court. “And if you didn’t give me a textbook answer?" Feyre dunked her brushes into the water, turning to face her sun. Nyx knew that while he could hide his inner battles from his father with anger. His mother was way harder to fool. Nyx simply shrugged, not knowing what exactly she was trying to get out of him.

“It’s okay to have things that you miss back home," her delicate hands inked with marriage vows cupped Nyx’s face as she gazed up at him. “You treat her well?" At those words, Nyx had gone ridged. “What?", he muttered, stepping away. “Do you treat Zofie well?", Feyre smiled at him. Nyx wasn’t surprised that she knew about their little adventure last night, but this seemed like a lot more of an intentional question. One that implied way more.

“Of course, I treat her well," Nyx grumbled with a frown. “What kind of question is that?" he asked, shaking his head in frustration. Why was everyone constantly assuming that he was out there, like some old creep following her around? It wasn’t intentional that their paths crossed so often. They just did...

“Do you love her?", That question had sent all the oxygen out of Nyx’s lungs. Making him gape at his mother as if she had grown a third eye on her forehead. “No, Mom, what even… We grew up together!", Nyx threw his arms up in the air in frustration, which suddenly washed over him. “And that’s supposed to be an issue?", Feyre simply smiled up at him. That kind of smile implied that she was up for a chance to change his mind. Nyx turned away, moving to glance out of the window once more. “Whatever. I’m not even going to entertain this conversation." His mother let out a knowing laugh, returning to her painting once more.

Nyx gazed out into the night. His eyes narrowed out on a figure that slipped out of the library’s back door. Leaning forward, he tried to identify the figure. He knew that whoever it was had to have a pass from his parents. “Is that…?", Nyx trilled off. It couldn’t be because they had separated and... “Axel? Yes”, Nyx gazed back at his mother, who hadn’t even lifted her eyes to look out the window. That fucking lying bastard. I’ll be heading home my ass. “Have you hired him to work in the library?", Nyx had frowned in confusion. But Feyre shook her head. “Gwyn is helping new girls settle into quarters. Axel kindly offered to carry boxes”, the high lady said as if there wasn’t anything else.

“Carry boxes, mhm." Nyx watched as Axel stopped in his tracks before waving up at someone. The princeling’s eyes followed the gesture, finding another figure, barely visible in the sixth-floor window, waving right back. Why was he always on the sidelines with everyone? Why hadn’t Axel said anything about this to him yet?

“He’s a sweetheart," his mother hummed in approval. “There was a girl who hadn’t left her room in over a week. Axel managed to coax her out in a day," no doubt a girl Nyx had seen slipping back into the library when he had bumped into Axel earlier on. “A charming young man," Feyre hummed, making Nyx shake his head. “I’ll give him your praise”, after a proper interrogation, of course.

Unfortunately, Axel’s adventures brought him little satisfaction. And quite honestly, Nyx had given up on trying to snoop around his best friend’s business. Because he knew Axel and knew that the deepest and most heartfelt conversation always struck out when they were up in camps. Nyx had been restless for the days to come. Hanging around all the places he and Zofie usually went to. He was waiting for an inkling of any deeper emotions that would drag him towards her.

They had gotten the call that tomorrow morning they would be going back. And he knew one thing—he couldn’t go back without seeing her one more time. The image of her teared up face had haunted Nyx ever since. He hated it when she cried. He hated it when she was upset. But it seemed as if she had just disappeared into thin air. Nyx had hoped to see her at dinner in the lake house last night, but Y/N had simply said that Zofie wasn’t feeling well. Had something happened afterward? Had her magic flared up once more? But twice in two days. That would be way too much. Or maybe she was just avoiding him?

Stomping through the high grass, Nyx let his mind consume him once more. He knew that Rhys had called a meeting that afternoon. Meaning that Azriel and Cassian were both in the office now. If he was lucky, the females would also be there, meaning that only Zofie’s grandma would be at the house. Nyx rounded the back of the house. He hadn’t made any plans. Hadn't thought of what he was going to say. He wasn’t even sure why he was so nervous to see her. They knew each other like the backs of their heads. Nyx’s movements halted when he reached the back garden, and his ears picked up on a light rustling.

But it took him a peek from behind the hedges to glimpse at the only source of light that he had for as long as he could remember. Zofie was humming quietly as she hung the wet clothes on the lining. Gently smoothing down the fabric. Hair messily done up. He frowned at the lack of warmer clothes on her body. The sun was way warmer today, but the yellow dress with a thick knit sweater still felt too little to keep her delicate frame warm.

She was hanging the last piece of baby clothes when Nyx stepped right behind her, making Zofie’s hands freeze in the air. Shoulders stiffening. "Zo...", Nyx didn’t even have enough time to finish calling out to her when she finally turned to face him. “What are you doing here?" A slight frown creased her brows. “I wanted to... We go back tomorrow”, he muttered under his breath, her slightly dismissive tone hurting him way more than he thought it would.

"Okay," Zofie muttered, turning to pick up the basket. “Okay? That’s all?", Nyx reached for her hand, but Zofie pulled it back instantly. "What…", Nyx breathed out, his heart racing in his chest. Making his throat feel tight. “Look me in the eyes," he demanded, way harsher than he intended, but this wasn’t them. She wasn’t cold with him. She…

"Go," Zofie said simply. “No, not until you tell me what’s going on," Nyx pushed. “It’s best if we don’t meet up for a bit," Zofie said, wrapping her arms around herself as the colder breeze picked up. Clouds covered up the rays of sun peaking out moments ago. Nyx instantly felt the urge to pull her closer and shield her from the icy wind. “Is Azriel...", “Don’t drag my father into this. You have no right to drag him into this and to speak for me," she said, pointing a warning finger at him. He knew that he had stepped on the line with his last interaction with his uncle, but... "Go, Nyx, have a safe trip," Zofie said, pushing the loose strands of her hair beneath her ears.

"Sunny," his words were barely a whisper, but she simply shook her head and said, “We are no longer children. It’s time we grow up." Zofie rested the basket on her hip. “My world and your world... they’re different," Zofie muttered, and Nyx swore he saw the way her lower lip quivered. “You fit perfectly in my world... You’re my best friend," Nyx called out to her as she turned to walk away, his feet carrying him straight to her without hesitation. His palms reached out to her, cupping her face, and a slight shiver ran through her at his touch. They were inches away. She was a breath away. Nyx’s purple eyes desperately searching for any clues as to why she was shutting him out. Zofie’s free hand pushed against Nyx’s chest as she pulled free of his embrace. “Have a safe trip," she muttered, her hesitant fingers reaching up to touch Nyx’s cheeks, but the moment he leaned into the touch, Zofie turned back, rushing towards the patio stairs. "Sunny," Nyx called out, but she was already at the door. So he stood there. He stood there until the sky started weeping alongside him. Taking to the skies with an angry cry.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Taglist: @sirenpearldust @historygeekqueen @hnyclover @i-am-a-lost-girl16 @naturakaashi @stressed-reader @woodland-mist @goldenmagnolias @nocasdatsgay @lees-chaotic-brain

[real-total-drama-takes]

2023 TDI oops all influencers reboot (from 🦆 anon)(not including chase + julia for obvious reasons) (I haven't watched season two yet so take this all with a pinch of salt)

Caleb is like Mr beast. Monetized acts of kindness. Probably a daily vlogger too.

I think Axel has two unrelated but both semi popular social media accounts. A basic work out Instagram, and a secret Tumblr account where she posts shitty poetry.

Nichelle has a nepotism YouTube channel that gets pushed hard in the algorithm due to her being a celebrity. She doesn't really post the videos her manager probably pays someone to do that for her.

Scary girl I thinks started out as a controversial Tumblr mico celebrity and moved to tiktok as soon as that ship sank. Posts a mix of dances and untagged jumpscare/shock videos.

Damien is a let's player/live streamer. I was gonna say he's a react channel but I decided he has too much integrity for that. He gets genuinely scared playing middle of the road indie horror games.

MK has a YouTube channel where she "gives advice" on how to shoplift. But it's all shit advice that will get them caught. She doesn't want competition.

Wayne and Raj have a shared react channel. They aren't like cynical about it they just don't realize how shit the content they're making is. They watch scenes where characters play hockey and go "yup that what I would've done".

Ripper has a podcast he hosts out of the shed in his parents back yard where he just talks about mind numbing bullshit that doesn't matter. Eventually he starts taking calls and half the callers are just asking if he's really like this or if he's doing a bit.

Zee has the spirit of early internet. He just records himself talking to the camera about a bunch of bullshit and it gets 50 million views +. He doesn't even monetise it so he doesn't make any money from it, he just has a love of the craft.

Emma has a true crime channel. She has enough self awareness to be somewhat cautious when talking about murder at least. She still has an a sponsor for every video though

Millie probably doesn't watch YouTube realistically, but if she did she would be a video essayist. She makes videos called "The total-dramatization of Gen Z", and they'd be the most pretentious shit imaginable.

Bowie I think streams some basic shooter like valorant specifically so he can ruin some fourteen year old shit heads day. He's okay at the game but he even better at the mental warfare of a unmoderated voice chat.

Priya is like baby gronk, does this make sense? She doesn't have her own social media but I imagine that since the first day she was born her parents have worked tirelessly to keep her relevant.

Bonus: Chris tried to make a YouTube channel, uploaded one video, spent the rest of the day arguing with commentators asking why he tortured those teens on live tv. Chef ended up deleting the channel while Chris was sleeping to keep him sane.

[heavyhitterheaux]

Sentence concept (dad Jack):

“Don’t make me tell Dad”

"Oh, fuck.” Axel muttered as he assessed the damage on your newly upgraded G Wagon that you had originally gotten for a push gift for Nova from Jack.

“Dad is going to be so pissed. He literally picked it up for mommy this afternoon.” Autumn replied as she noticed the huge scratch and dent on it.

“I just tapped the barrier! How is it dented!?” Axel exclaimed while throwing his hands up in disbelief.

“Maybe they won't notice?”

“Autumn, please tell me you didn't just say that.”

“Well, you have to come clean because you were the one driving.”

“I….”

“Don't make me tell dad.”

“You play the role of the annoying ass little sister a little too well sometimes.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

The two of them made their way back home and Axel parked your car back in the garage and prayed that you didn't drive it until he was able to talk to Anthony's dad to fix it since he was a mechanic.

When 8 AM hit, Axel heard his father's booming voice and knew he was in trouble.

“AXEL WYATT HARLOW. GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW.”

Axel made his way to the living room to see Jack red in the face and Autumn looking guilty.

‘Sorry big brother.’ She mouthed towards him and all he did was sigh.

“Bye Autumn.” Jack said and she immediately started to protest until he gave her a look.

“Um, I'll be going now.”

“So, you want to explain to me why there is a big dent and a scratch the size of Texas on your mom's G Wagon that I just got upgraded and picked up from the dealer yesterday to surprise her?”

“Umm”

“It's no time for that. And you took your sister and neither of you actually have a license and only a permit? Do you know how dangerous that was?”

“We were coming right back!”

“You can stop with the excuses. You know better than that.”

“I'm sorry.”

“The two of you seriously could have gotten hurt. And then what?”

“Are you going to tell mom?” Axel asked and right on cue, you came in the door.

“Tell me what babes?” You asked and his eyes went wide. You kissed Jack before coming over and hugging Axel as you kissed his cheek. You were back a day early from Atlanta and Axel knew he would be grounded for the rest of his life.

“Uh….”

“Axel and Autumn took your car that I just upgraded for a joy ride last night and dented and scratched it.”

“AXEL!”

“I….”

“With no license. So, Ax along with Autumn is going to use their allowance money every month to get it fixed and I'm not budging. No video games. No going out with your friends and I have to decide if I'll let you play soccer or not.”

“Axel, babe. You understand why we're upset, right?” You asked and all he did was nod.

“You and your sister could have gotten hurt and that is the last thing we want. You not only put yourself in harm's way, but her too.”

“You're her big brother so I expected more from you.” Jack added as Axel was looking down at his feet.

“I know.”

“Ax, we almost lost you when you were a baby so this gave me flashbacks. You cannot do reckless things likw this." Jack quietly said and you simply nodded agreeing with him.

Now, he immediately felt guilty.

“Anytime you want to go out driving, we will take you but this cannot happen again. Cars can be replaced, the two of you can't.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You can go back upstairs.”

That now left the two of you and Jack could tell you were visibly getting upset.

“Baby, I know where your mind is going but they're both okay.” He said as he brought you into a hug.

“I cannot take the thought of something happening to them.”

“I know. But we aren't focusing on that. We’re focusing on the fact that they’re both okay.”