#back to the hallucination (im assuming) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gin-juice-tonic · 6 months ago

Text

So, while it's certainly not my intention to talk about pages of the bill book basically every day, it seems every time I write one post I end up thinking about something else. Here's the next something else.

This time it's these two pages. There are several things that are odd to me here. Not necessarily on their own, but when compared with the journal.

First and foremost, I want to use something that struck me here for a quick bit of doyalist analysis. (I know, I know.) Several people have said to me they didn't believe Alex had gone back and read through journal 3 again, and this could be a reason why things are so different and contradictory. But the thing is, these pages hold lines that are strikingly similar.

That top image is small, so I'm going to zoom in on what I mean. These are lines from that first book of bill page:

Here is a line from the "hiding places" page of journal 3:

and here is another line, from the page after this one:

You could argue that the thing about the caves is a plot point, and something Alex might've remembered. But part of Ford's motivation to get going to the caves so soon being the snowfall? Well, I certainly didn't remember that anyway. It's pretty a minute detail. Could its inclusion mean nothing? Maybe. But maybe not.

And if you read past my carefully placed initial highlighting, you'll also notice that lines inclusion is slightly different in the two versions.

Like I said, in journal 3, the pushing factor in getting Ford to make his trip with haste is worrying about the soon to be inclement weather.

But in the Book of Bill he mentions "little time". Why? Because of what's been written down on the previous page:

Im not going to paste the whole thing in here, because it's very heavy. But Ford has been given an express time limit by Bill.

Why then, is the snow even worth bringing up in the first place? I'm having a hard time getting the words together. But I just find it all very odd.

But the similarities between these pages and the ending of the first act of journal 3 aren't all I want to talk about. There's more differences than just the specifics of the snow line.

So, Differences:

This first one is small, but notable to me at least. On the matter of Fiddleford, here's what the Book of Bill had to say:

And here's what Journal 3 had to say:

Fiddleford being "gone" is a lot different from Fiddleford "refusing to speak" to Stanford. The former implying Ford couldn't reach out even if he wanted, the later implying he's made attempts that have failed.

And it's important to remember that the narrative is the Book of Bill pages were ripped out. Ford has written Fiddleford is missing, rips out the page, and decides upon next re-write that Fiddleford just isn't talking to him?

The next thing is a really big difference, and requires the addition of two more original Journal 3 pages. It also requires a new question to be asked: "Where do the two Bill pages I've shown fit within the journal?"

Here are the new pages that will be submitted into evidence added into this post:

Though I want to mainly focus on this second one,

The page where Ford's plan all starts to come together. It's worth noting this page comes before the "Hiding places" page I've shown before.

The order of events as laid out by Journal 3 are:

Ford goes to and escapes the truck stop and notices the twin motel sign, realizing he can contact Stan -> Ford lays out where he's going to hide the journals and that he's going to make the trek up to Bill's cave -> Ford fully discloses his plan to hand journal 1 off to Stan.

The Bill Book pages I've been discussing are directly after the page of Bill tormenting Ford within his mind. (Again, not going to post that page due to the subject matter). But we see that the top of the first page says "I awoke from the hallucination" so chronologically it's safe to assume there were also no non-missing pages in between them.

which means the order of events as laid out by the Book of Bill are:

Bill torments Ford within his mind -> Ford futilely searches for clues to Fiddlefords whereabouts -> Ford announces he must make his trip to the caves -> Ford realizes he must contact Stan.

The Bill book is stating "Ford came up with his plan first, and realized he needed to add Stan second."

The journal is stating "Ford was able to come up with his plan upon realizing Stan can help him."

These are very different ideas. And while it's framed in a bit of a cheesy way, I think that Journal 3's idea is very important. Despite everything stacked up against him at this point, Ford was able to keep going and come up with his plan upon realizing that he's not all alone. And specifically, working together with Stan has been the key to defeating Bill since the beginning.

If we are to take the Book of Bill's idea as truth, what of the trip to the truck stop diner and the twin motel sign? When is this supposed to have happened? Is it trying to claim it didn't at all? It's a bit silly, but I don't find it to be fake personally. Nor do I think Ford would have any reason to waste time and pages concocting a fake narrative at this point in his story. In both narratives, Bill is tormenting him every time he loses consciousness, he is exhausted from both the abuse and his general lack of sleep. He does not have time to spare.

But that's not the end.

This book of Bill page:

And this Journal page:

Are sort of paired off again, aren't they?

Supposedly, the "Should I contact S?" Bill page takes place before this journal page with the perpetual motion machine, as this page says Ford has already "Sent word to him".

Ford includes his own mini pros and cons list here, with notably more pros

There are also less cons. The idea Bill might get to Stan, or the idea Stan might destroy the portal no longer seem to be concerns.

Do the pages contradict? Well, not really aside from the order of events I've laid out. But that's sorta the thing, right?

Ultimately the two pages I've been discussing stand out to me because they're re-writes of things already in J3. Very similar except for the big hole of cutting out Ford's motel story.

Ford's supposedly on a mad 72 hour time-limit dash to make all his final arrangements to best Bill. He is at the end of his rope from the nonstop torment he's been subjected to. Does he really have both the time and the energy to be re-writing journal pages just because he didn't like them, let alone adding in entire new false narratives? And even if he does, why would he change it so that remembering Stan becomes the catalyst for his plan to outwit Bill?

#long post #bob investigations #book of bill spoilers #the book of bill spoilers

330 notes · View notes

signanothername · 2 months ago

Note

What do you think would happen if Stage 4 Killer was ordered to kill a cat?

Would he do it?

Or would he switch to a lower stage?

Cuz now im just thinking about how devastated he would be , coming down from stage 4 and seeing what he's done. If I remember correctly he isn't conscious during that stage.

I mentioned before that I believe Killer would switch to stage 1 if he saw his cats, so I don’t think Killer at stage 4 would even have a chance to hurt his cats before he’s back to stage 1 (not that stage 4 would hurt his cats in my eyes regardless)

And from what we’ve seen in the stage 4 comic, stage 4 seems to be a very rabid stage, while Killer is very out of it, the moment Killer supposedly completes his job, he immediately switches back to stage 2, and that also makes me think his cats aren’t going to be a target, cause the moment he finishes whatever job that made him switch to stage 4 to begin with, he’d just get back to stage 2 before anyone knows it

Now whether he’d do it if he’s commanded to, I like to believe Killer keeps stage 4 a secret from everyone

That includes Nightmare, nobody truly knows stage 4 exists except for Killer, and his own hallucinations (so just him basically)

So Nightmare wouldn’t even get to command Stage 4 at all, even if he did, I think an interesting question to ask is whether Killer would even listen to Nightmare at all, cause Stage 4 seems to act on instinct rather than Killer being his usual calculated self, and to me, it seems to also act on self defense in a way, cause it was triggered specifically after Killer got a really bad flashback concerning his brother, then hearing all the voices of everyone screaming at him, it’s obviously something that’s heavily influenced by his trauma

What I’m trying to say is, if we assume stage 4 acts on self defense rather than simply killing for the sake of killing, wouldn’t he feel the need to protect himself against Nightmare? Against his abuser as well? So would he attack Nightmare or would his conditioning cause Killer at stage 4 to cower and run and hide instead? The latter seems more plausible to me, but Idk just food for thought >:)

#anothers ask #killer sans

87 notes · View notes

tired-truffle · 17 days ago

Text

My Soul to Keep

A Viktorxfem!reader fic

Chapter Word Count: 4.6k

Tag List: @im-just-a-simp-le-whore @ihascat5 @pebble-bb @goooofy-goooober1121 @furblurwurblur @potatointhedirt @webofwhimsy @mad-simp420 @xo-mingx @patchs-curiosity-corner (Let me know if you'd like to be added)

Chapter 2

Masterlist

You’d never imagined being a ghost tethered to a place to be a very fun experience. Being unable to move outside of your haunting space or see new scenery would drive anyone at least a little crazy after a few years. Being tethered to a person or an object, on the other hand, would give you a bit more wiggle room and the ability to explore. Except it would only be at the whim of the person carrying your object, or the person themselves. While you hadn’t figured out if you were actually a ghost or not, less than a minute after Viktor had left his apartment, it became viscerally clear that you were attached to something or someone on the move. Like an invisible wall of force, you were shoved from your spot, hovering uncertainly above the leather couch, and dragged through the floor.

Your shrieks of terror went unheard as you passed by room after room, making your descent from the upper floors. A man frantically buttoning his vest, a piece of toast crammed into his mouth, groaning his irritation as crumbs scattered over his chest. A woman reading a newspaper, a cup of tea in her hand. A young couple, one wrapped nothing but a thin sheet as they kissed goodbye at the door.

Wonderful, not only were you some sort of ghost-like creature, but you were now a Peeping Tom too.

After what must have been upwards of fifteen rooms, you finally reached the ground floor, floating down until you hovered over smooth tile flooring, polished marble tiles laid out in an intricate herringbone pattern that stretched from wall to wall. Towering columns of veined stone rose to meet a vaulted ceiling, where ornate chandeliers hung like crystalline raindrops frozen in time. Their warm light glinted off the gold-leafed accents adorning the walls and archways, rendering an atmosphere of quiet luxury.

A polished mahogany reception desk stood to your left, its surface so reflective you assumed it must be polished on the hour every hour. Behind it, a wall of brass mailboxes glinted, their tiny doors neatly labelled with apartment numbers.

As you floated there, drinking in the details of your lavish surroundings, a soft 'ding' broke you from your curious reverie. The elevator doors slid open, and Viktor stepped out.

It took him a moment to spot you, likely not having expected to see his hallucination lying on the floor of his building’s entry, but unfortunately for you, there was no coverage to hide your embarrassment. Like a flame flickering into existence, his eyes widened as they landed on you, stuttering in his steps. With a resigned sigh, you waved at him and floated back to a standing position.

Out of all the side effects of your predicament, the floating was probably your favourite. It was the little things that kept you going.

Recovering smoothly, lucky that the few others in the lobby weren’t paying attention to the newcomer, Viktor resumed his long-legged strides, his shoes clicking against the marble floors. When he reached you, you floated along at his side, hands clasped behind your back with the dignity of someone who did not just fall through the ceiling.

“It seems like I can’t leave your general vicinity. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” You elbowed him, even knowing it would go right through him. It was the thought that counted. “I don’t think anyone else can see me though, or a lot more of them would have freaked the fuck out when I appeared in their rooms.”

The subtlest of smirks canted at the corners of his lips. He pushed open the glass door, the creaking of the hinges masking his voice so only you could hear his reply.

“I’ve had worse tag-alongs.”

That shouldn’t have made you as happy as it did, but you beamed at him anyway, pleased like a student who’d been praised by an overly harsh teacher.

You hovered in silence beside Viktor, acutely aware of the peculiar situation you found yourself in. The bustling streets of Piltover unfolded before you, gleaming with wealth and innovation that left you slack-jawed with wonder. It was one thing to see it on screen, and another to experience it first-hand.

Sleek, chrome-plated carriages whizzed by, and the people of Piltover moved with purpose, their attire a dizzying array of fine silks, tailored suits, and accessories that sparkled with precious stones. You realized, with a start, that even the most modest outfit you saw probably cost more than you'd ever seen in your life.

Street vendors hawked their wares on the cobblestone roads - miniature clockwork toys, glowing vials of mysterious substances, and gadgets whose purposes you couldn't even begin to fathom. You longed to stop and examine each fascinating item, but the invisible tether binding you to Viktor urged you onward.

After a few blocks of sensory overload, you approached a structure that made even the grandest buildings you'd passed seem modest in comparison. The Academy loomed before you, a colossal edifice of azure stone that seemed to touch the very heavens. Its walls were smooth and polished, reflecting the sky like a massive sapphire.

As you ascended the steps alongside Viktor, you noticed how the stone beneath your feet - or where your feet would be if you weren't floating - clicked and moved to match the height and speed of his strides. Would they get smaller for someone like Heimerdinger?

You turned to Viktor, bursting with questions and observations, but held your tongue, remembering that he couldn't respond without looking like a madman talking to thin air. Instead, you contented yourself with a small smile, grateful for this unexpected adventure and the chance to witness the wonders of Piltover firsthand.

It wasn’t until you were through the foyer and into the elevator - alone with Viktor - that you spoke up.

“So,” you elongated the vowel as you thought of what to say. “What do you do with this professor?”

Viktor was young and mostly healthy, no illness eating away at his lungs, and if he was going to meet Heimerdinger first thing in the morning, you imagined it was because he was still working for him. However, there was a chance that he was meeting with the professor about Hextech.

“I’m his assistant,” Viktor said plainly, confirming your suspicions.

You frowned, consideringly. “Prestigious.”

He shrugged. “It has its perks.”

The elevator dinged, its doors opening to the tenth floor. Viktor stepped out, cane softly thudding against the carpet and accompanying his muffled footsteps. It was just the two of you, as far as you could tell.

“You’re welcome to accompany me, though it appears you have little choice in the matter, but I must warn you I will not be able to speak with you,” he said under his breath. “Heimerdinger may appear…aloof at times, but he is sharp as a whip. If he believes that I’ve cracked under the pressure, he will have me immediately escorted to the nearest in-patient facility. That or he’ll lecture me over tea, neither of which I am particularly fond of.”

You nodded along as he spoke, spinning so you were floating on your back, watching the sparkly tiled ceiling flow by. “I figured as much. Don’t worry about me; I’ll just chill in the corner. You won’t even know I’m there.”

And you’d been so close to being right.

You’d done as promised, perusing the corners of Heimerdinger’s office while they reviewed their daily tasks, and trailing as far behind them as you could when they set out. The limit seemed to be about twenty feet in all directions before the barrier kicked in and shoved you along. Entirely aggravating - you’d never liked being told what to do, not even by invisible walls.

Every so often, you'd push against the barrier, testing its limits. It was like pressing against an elastic wall - you could stretch it a bit, but eventually, it would snap back, dragging you along.

As you drifted through the corridors, you noticed something peculiar. Whenever you passed through a person, they would shiver involuntarily, as if a sudden chill had swept over them. You watched as a young student, her arms laden with books, trembled as you glided through her. Her eyes darted around, confused before she shrugged it off and continued on her way.

Intrigued by this discovery, you decided to conduct a little experiment - if you were going to surround yourself with scientists, you might as well try to blend in. You positioned yourself in the middle of a busy intersection where multiple hallways converged. As people walked through you, one after another, you observed their reactions. Some merely twitched, while others visibly shuddered, their teeth chattering for a brief moment.

Interesting, but you weren’t sure what to do with this newfound knowledge.

They didn’t head back to Heimerdinger’s office until late into the evening - it was clear where Viktor got his unhealthy work habits from, if he hadn’t had them already. By that point, you were bored out of your skull, and you couldn’t even get the reprieve of banging your head against the wall.

All you could do was talk and float around, and since the only person you could talk to was Viktor, that left you with floating as your only option - and there was only so much flopping around into different positions that you could do before you lost your mind.

Your wish for entertainment came in the form of an overly distracted Heimerdinger. You hadn’t been watching, Viktor hadn’t been watching - busy sorting through the missives that had piled up on the professor’s desk while they’d been out - and Heimerdinger himself hadn’t been watching where he was going, too enraptured in his thoughts.

Bang! The loud slap of a stack of books toppling to the floor jolted you out of your calm - albeit painfully boring - state.

Your perspective shifted dramatically, as if the world had grown larger around you. The colours of the room muted, losing their vibrancy, yet somehow, you could see more of your surroundings at once. Your visual field expanded, stretching to the corners of the room that were previously out of sight.

Your closest surroundings blurred, becoming indistinct shapes in your new vision. Yet, you found yourself drawn to the smallest movements - a piece of paper fluttering in the breeze from an open window, specks of dust filtering through the air.

Everything was different, more immediate, filled with scents and sounds you hadn't noticed before. The musty smell of old books mingled with the sharp tang of ink and the faint aroma of Heimerdinger's pipe tobacco.

Your ears twitched, picking up sounds you hadn’t noticed before. Viktor's breathing seemed louder now, the soft rustle of his clothing, the subtle creak of floorboards beneath his feet.

Instinctively, you hissed through clenched teeth as confusion prickled along your spine, your fur standing on end as your back arched. The sound that escaped your throat was alien and feral, nothing like your usual voice. As soon as it happened, you froze, bewildered.

Hold on.

Be so fucking for real right now.

This could not be happening.

Viktor’s wide eyes and slackened jaw said otherwise, his missive falling to the floor like a feather on a gentle breeze.

You became acutely aware of your new feline form. Your whiskers twitched, sensitive to the slightest air currents in the room. Your tail, a foreign appendage you'd never possessed before, swished behind you with a mind of its own. You flexed your paws, feeling the soft pads beneath and the sharp claws that extended and retracted at will. The fur that covered your little body was a sleek black, looking soft to the touch as though you’d spent hours grooming it.

“Gadzooks!” Heimerdinger exclaimed, his head popping up from where he’d dived behind his desk to avoid being crushed. “That was a close one! Are you alright, my boy?”

Viktor hadn’t even been close to the books, but it was sweet of the professor to ask - not that you could register it in your shock.

Shaking himself out of his stunned stupor, Viktor turned to face his employer. “Yes, sir. And you?”

“I’m alright, but it did give me quite the scare.” Heimerdinger chuckled to himself, but you were too busy freaking out to fully appreciate how the yordle’s ears wiggled when he laughed.

Why the fuck were you a cat? And how were you supposed to turn back?

Oh God, were you stuck like this forever now? No, you refused. You’d had enough weird shit happen; you weren’t going to let this control you too.

Closing your eyes, you concentrated on slowing your heart rate. Like water falling off a duck's back, your feline form melted away. A tingling sensation spread from your core to your extremities, and you sensed your body stretching and reshaping. When you dared to open your eyes again, you found yourself back in your ghostly human form, hovering a few inches above the ground.

Frantically, you patted yourself down, checking for any lingering cat-like features. No tail. No fur. No whiskers. You ran your hands over your head, sighing in relief when you felt your hair instead of pointed ears. The world had returned to its normal proportions and colours, the hyper-awareness of scents and sounds fading back to normal.

Still shaken, you drifted over to Viktor, who was helping Heimerdinger gather the fallen books. You hovered close to his ear, hissing in a low, urgent whisper - a human hiss, not a cat hiss - "What the fuck was that?"

Viktor's eyes darted to you for a split second before returning to his task. His lips barely moved as he hissed back, "How am I supposed to know?"

You ran your hands through your hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. "I turned into a fucking cat!" you whispered incredulously, your voice rising slightly in pitch.

Viktor's jaw clenched, and he shot you a warning glance. His eyes flicked meaningfully towards Heimerdinger, who was dusting off a particularly old tome.

You nodded, forcing yourself to take deep, calming breaths – not that you actually needed to breathe, but the familiar action helped steady your nerves. As Viktor and Heimerdinger finished tidying up, you retreated to a corner of the office, trying to process what had just happened and wondering what other surprises your strange new existence might have in store for you.

Sitting in awkward silence wasn’t your favourite activity, but lately you’d been doing a lot of things you typically avoided.

“Do you still think I’m a hallucination?” You broke the silence, your elbows resting on your knees as you floated above the couch, legs crossed.

Viktor swayed his head and twisted towards you, his piecemeal dinner of toast and jam abandoned on the coffee table. “I have not concretely ruled it out, but since no one else can see or hear you, that may be difficult. For now, I am leaning towards no. It is much too fantastical for my mind to come up with. Besides, I do not feel as though I have lost my senses. There would be other signs.”

Logical, as you’d expected.

“I wish I wasn’t real,” you sighed, tilting your head back to look at the popcorn-textured ceiling. “This is all so crazy. I don’t know where to begin trying to find answers.”

“Do you remember what happened before you arrived here?”

You shook your head. “Not a thing.”

Viktor hummed his understanding. “You said that this world should not exist, what did you mean by that?”

Right, you had blurted that out in a panicked rush, hadn’t you?

“If you don’t think you’ve lost your mind, then you definitely will think that I have when I try to explain it to you.”

He smiled, soft and patient, and in response, your stomach conjured up a flurry of butterflies to tickle your insides. “I promise I will not pass undue judgment. If I was going to, I would have already, given that you’re transparent and can turn into a cat.”

“Fair point.” He had you there, and what else did you have to lose? “Though don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He sat back, motioning for you to begin.

Taking a deep breath, you squared your shoulders. “Do you have televisions here? Like screens that play pre-recorded videos?”

“Some do, though it is not particularly common.”

“Thank God,” you breathed, “I really didn’t want to try to explain what that was. They’re pretty common in my world, at least where I come from, most households have them. We’ve got millions of shows and movies to watch. There was this one show called Arcane that was about, uh, here. Like, Piltover and Zaun.”

He nodded sagely, and you couldn’t find any traces of disbelief in his eyes. He was just…accepting it? Or he was a very good actor. You were leaning toward the latter.

“You were one of the main characters,” you continued, noting that this did get a reaction from him: a slight raise of his eyebrows. “And judging by a few observations, this is before the start of the show, though it can’t be more than a few years at most. If I had to guess based on my luck lately, we’re pretty close to it, weeks if not days.”

Viktor's forehead creased as he processed your words. "A show…about Piltover and Zaun. I suppose the politics could be intriguing. And I'm a character in it?"

“You are, but I don’t expect you to take me at my word. I can prove to you that I know things that I shouldn’t, and I can predict a few upcoming events, though we must prevent one sequence of events or everything goes to shit, so I may need a little bit of trust from you.”

At this, he looked interested, and you took this as a win. “Intriguing. You may proceed.”

You paused, what could you even tell him? What would be believable? “You…know a lot of things.”

“True.”

“And if you’re still thinking I may be a hallucination then I can’t tell you your history ‘cause you already know it.” You tapped your chin, lips twisted as you thought hard. “I’m trying to prevent the immediate future, so that wouldn’t work either, but…oh! Are you able to go to a doctor anytime soon?”

Viktor blinked, startled back. “A doctor?”

“Yeah, like a medical one, not Dr. Reveck.”

“Who is Dr. Reveck?”

It was your turn to express your confusion. “You know, the doctor in that cave you met as a kid? When your boat went down the stream into his lab?”

Viktor eyed you, suspicion swimming in the depths of his gaze. “He never told me his name.”

“Oh, uh,” you grinned sheepishly, “I guess you know it now. He’s the inventor of Shimmer. He’s trying to cure his daughter of death. He should probably be stopped, but that’s a later problem.”

“Right.” He was dubious, but he waved for you to continue.

“Okay, here it goes, and it’s probably gonna suck to hear, so I’m warning you now,” you said, and upon Viktor’s nod, you started. “They never told us what illness you had, or I guess you have, just that you got it from Zaun’s shitty air. Your lungs will start to fail you, you’ll need a crutch, you’ll lose weight, and you’ll start coughing up blood sometime in the next seven years. Eventually, it would kill you. But, many people believed the illness was similar to one that we have in my world: tuberculosis or consumption, depending on the time period.”

Viktor's face paled as you spoke, his lips pressed into a thin line. He sat in silence for a long moment.

"That's... quite specific,” he said when he was able to form a response. “And rather grim."

“I know. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I’m sure that’s a lot to take in, but if it is something like tuberculosis, then the good news is it’s totally treatable before it gets to the active stage. Do you have any of those symptoms now?”

“I don’t,” he said, a wariness to his tone.

“That’s great!” You clapped your hands, relief flooding through you. What were you supposed to do if the one person who could see you died? “That means you don’t have the active stage yet, or any illness at all, but if it’s caused by Zaun’s air and you haven’t lived there for some time, then it wouldn’t make sense that you pick it up later. Can the doctors here test your blood for an illness like this?”

“Yes.” His fingers drummed a steady rhythm on the arm of his chair, a nervous habit you hadn't noticed before. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get checked, though the idea of being ill and unaware until it is too late is unsettling."

Silence stretched between you, broken only by the soft ticking of a clock on the wall and the distant hum of the city outside. You wished you could offer more comfort, but what could you say to someone who'd just been told they might have a potentially fatal illness?

"I'll schedule an appointment as soon as I can," Viktor said, quiet but resolute.

You nodded, relieved that he was taking your warning seriously. "That's good. Really good. Thank you for listening to me."

Viktor's lips quirked into a small smile. "It's not every day a ghostly entity from another world appears to warn you about your health. It would be foolish to ignore such a specific prophecy."

You chuckled, appreciating his attempt at levity. "That’s the spirit."

Over and over in your mind you prayed to whatever gods may be listening that they could catch his illness in time. And if they couldn’t…you weren’t sure you had it in you to stop him from becoming the Machine Herald.

A few days later, he had his appointment set, and until then, you were stuck following him around. It wasn’t all bad, you’d spent most of your time idly floating, watching the scenery as you trailed after Viktor, and the evenings were spent in peaceful companionship. Surprisingly, he was more chatty than you’d expected. Late at night as he pursued his work, he’d talk to you about it, or rather talked at you as you had little to add. But still, you appreciated the entertainment.

You had avoided turning back into a cat again, if such a thing could be avoided. One thing at a time; address Viktor’s illness, get him to believe that you were real, and then you could figure your shit out.

On the day of the appointment, you floated beside him as he made his way to the physician’s office. It was in a central part of town, a quick trolley ride away. As you entered the sleek building, a thought occurred to you that you’d nearly forgotten.

“Did someone teach you to use your cane on the same side as your injured leg?”

Viktor halted in his steps, said cane clacking against the floor. It was just him in the entryway, and he looked at you with bewilderment. “I beg your pardon?”

You cringed, who were you to tell him how to use his mobility aid when you couldn’t even use your legs? There was no such thing as an inaccessible environment when you could float everywhere. “It’s just that you’re supposed to use a cane on the opposite side as the disabled leg, right? But I thought maybe there was a reason you weren’t doing that.”

He glanced down at the cane and then back up at you. “That’s what my parents taught me.”

Ah, it was as you feared. No one had taught him to use it properly, and they’d been letting him go his whole life using it in a way that would damage his body over time. It made sense that Zaun didn’t receive proper health education on top of everything else. “Maybe you can talk to the doctor about it while you’re here.”

He pursed his lips, gaze distant as though evaluating memories you were not party to. “Perhaps.”

After signing in and waiting his turn, Viktor was called back.

“I’ll wait outside the door if that’s okay with you,” you offered, floating down the long hallway as the nurse brought him to a clinic room. Viktor nodded his understanding.

You hovered in the hall, your ethereal form passing through the occasional nurse or patient who hurried by, watching as they shivered or shuddered.

As you waited, you observed the diverse array of people moving through the clinic. A young woman with braided hair adorned with gold jewelry passed by, her eyes fixed on a small device in her hand. An elderly gentleman hobbled along, supported by a woman of a similar age - his wife, maybe. A pair of identical twins, no older than ten, chattered excitedly about the latest comic their parents had bought them.

The nurse who had escorted Viktor into the examination room emerged, her shoes squeaking softly against the polished floor. She moved with purpose, her crisp white uniform much too clean for someone who no doubt frequently got her hands dirty. How many changes of uniforms for its staff did this place have to keep up appearances?

Minutes ticked by, and you found yourself studying the patterns in the wallpaper, tracing the delicate floral designs with your eyes.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was likely only about thirty minutes, the door to Viktor's room opened again. This time, a distinguished-looking man in a white coat stepped out, followed closely by Viktor. The doctor's salt-and-pepper hair was neatly combed, and his glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his nose. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, a reassuring expression that immediately put you at ease.

Viktor's face was a mask of calm, but you could see the subtle tension in his shoulders. He extended his hand to the doctor, who grasped it firmly.

"Thank you, Doctor," Viktor said. "Your insights have been most valuable."

The doctor shook Viktor’s hand, his smile widening. "It's my pleasure. Remember what we discussed, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions."

With a final nod, Viktor turned and began making his way down the hallway towards the exit. You floated after him, your ghostly form easily keeping pace with his measured strides. As you followed, something caught your eye, and you did a double-take.

Viktor was using his cane differently.

Where before he had held it on the same side as his disabled leg, now it was on the opposite side. He had listened to your suggestion and brought it up with the doctor. This small change could make a significant difference in his daily life, potentially alleviating pain and improving his mobility.

As you exited the clinic, the bustling streets of Piltover greeted you. The afternoon sun beat down on the cobblestone paths, and you floated alongside Viktor, studying his face for any sign of what the doctor might have told him. His expression remained impassive, but when there was a break in the crowd, he leaned closer to you.

“I will receive a call with the results of the testing in a few days,” he whispered. “But you were correct about the cane. Thank you.”

You shrugged, entirely unsure what to say. “I hope it helps.”

An uptick at the corner of his mouth was the only sign of his smile. “Only time will tell.”

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope this makes it to you in time, and thank you so so much for all the support you gave for the first chapter <3

If at any point when reading this chapter you thought to yourself: "I just want you to stop sayin' odd shit." I do not blame you. It's not going to get any less weird, but I hope you enjoy it!

#isekai #fem reader #reader insert #reader goes to world #no use of y/n #eventual smut #fluff #falling in love #viktor x you #viktor arcane #arcane viktor #viktor x reader

61 notes · View notes

whitehotwild · 8 months ago

Note

!!!!!!!SPOILER FOR THE NEW EPISODE!!!!!!! but what if you were the one to make butcher realize kessler was a hallucination...

ouuuuu episode 6 pissed me off so bad (really just the hughie stuff, it made me feel so icky), but the butcher scenes were the few bits i actually appreciated. that part where butcher realizes its not real was so well done.

ANYWAY!!! sorry this took so long, this was really hard to write for whatever reason and im not… the most proud of it. BUT, i’ll post beach fluff soon (ish). LOVE YOU

☆ You got all the way to the subway station when you realize you'd forgotten your apartment keys at the office. You curse yourself during the almost 15 minutes it takes to walk 8 blocks and ride the elevator back up to the office that you barely notice Butcher talking to himself when you walk through the door. He doesn't notice you at all.

He's turned towards the back of the room, steady yapping away at the empty space where the noticeboard is. You wait, confused. Maybe he's talking to someone on the phone, but from what you can tell, his phone is nowhere near him.

"Who ya talking to?" You call from the door, assuming he's just talking to himself.

Butcher stops his one-sided conversation, turning in his chair to face you. "Back already? Was just talking 'bout you a minute ago; got someone I want you to meet." He waves you over as he stands up from his chair.

"Joe, this is our little wild card I was tellin' you about. Love, this is Joe Kessler, an old war mate of mine." He introduces you to the wall with his arm over your shoulder.

A mixture of shock and confusion washes over you as you look up at him. "Wha—Butcher…" you start, quiet concern heavy in your tone. " There's no one there."

Butcher pulls away and looks at you like you're the crazy one. "Fuck are you on about?" He looks between you and where Kessler stands in front of them, "He's standing right here, plain as fuckin' day."

"I-"You shake your head, "We are the only ones in here." Trying to reason with him, you keep your voice as steady as possible through your panic.

"She can't fuckin' see me, dumbass." Kessler snarks, a huff of amusement escaping him. "I'm you."

Butcher's brows furrow, a tense look in his eyes, "The fuck's that supposed to mean, you're me?"

"I mean, out of all the people your festering, fucked up brain coulda conjured up… ya picked me," Kessler answers with a proud smile.

Butcher reels back a bit at the sudden realization. The silence between you and him stretches on long enough, "Butcher… Joe Kessler is dead. You told me he died in Afghanistan, remember?"

About a year or two ago, you and Butcher got a little too deep over a bottle of whiskey. Somehow, the conversation led to Butcher telling you he was in the military, he told you about his friend Joe, he told you how Joe was probably the only person he knew who was as bad as him, and he told you that he died in the valley.

Butcher looks to you, "You fuckin' remember that? That was forever ago…" his brows furrow as he recalls the conversation.

"… I remember everything you tell me." You shrug as if that's the most obvious answer.

In the corner of Butcher's eye, Kessler mockingly pouts and coos, "Aw, ain't that fucking precious; looks like someone's got a little crush on you."

Butcher shakes his head with a scoff; you take it a bit personally, not being able to see Kessler. "No…"

"Man, c'mon. The real Joe Kessler? He's dead in the Panjshir Valley, you know that! You never dragged me out. You left me to die.."

"No… No. I remember that… I fuckin' remember that."

"Unless, of course, you got a big ol' fat V'd up brain tumor, ya cunt, which is why you are seeing me in the first place-"

"Butcher, you are freaking me the fuck out. Do I- Should I take you to the fucking hospital?" Your voice overlaps Kessler's in Butcher's head, "Not sure if you're aware, but seeing people that aren't there isn't fucking normal, especially for someone whose health is on a steady decline!"

Kessler groans, "Goddamn, she's a worse nag than your fuckin' wife!"

"Don't you fuckin' talk about her!" Butcher shouts back, but it's unclear to him whether he's talking about you or Becca. Maybe both? Maybe you?

"Butcher!" You can't take any more of this. You step before him, trying to draw his attention back to you.

His eyes shift from Kessler behind you, finally acknowledging you. "I ain't going to the fuckin' hospital. They're just gonna tell me what I already know." He shrugs like this might as well happen. He's already been talking to his dead wife for months. Why not tack on another one.

"Stop saying that shit, God! Fuck! You're not gonna fucking die!" You snap at him, shoving his chest.

Butcher looks at you, exasperation written all over his face. It feels like you've had this conversation a billion times, him casually mentioning his impending doom and you not having any of it, practically throwing a tantrum every time it comes up.

"Yeah? Because you've already found something to fix this? You have to stop with this. I'm dying. It is what it is." Butcher sighs heavily through his nose as he sits back in his chair.

He doesn't know how much more of this either of you can take. It always ends the same way: you make a promise to him that he knows you can't keep it, and he pretends to believe you just to calm you down.

Tears well in your eyes as you shake your head like a petulant child. "No! I already told you, no, I won't- I'm not gonna let you just fucking die. I'm gonna find a way to fix this. I already fucking told you that-"

"For fuck's sake, you can't fix this! What the fuck are you gonna do, huh? You gonna get Frenchie to cook up some magic cure for this? I ain't gonna put all my eggs in your basket. You don't know what you're doing, love. You're just chasin' your tail." Butcher tries to reason with you.

You groan out, "At least I'm fucking trying! Don't you think it's a little bit selfish to just… give up?! You got people who care about you, whether or not you wanna believe that! Hughie, Ryan-"

"You?"

"Yeah, me! I wouldn't be here yelling at you if I didn't fucking care about you, you fucking asshole! God, Butcher, are you fucking stupid? I can't keep-"

"Listen to her, Billy." Becca's voice rings in Butcher's head, and he does everything in his power not to look behind him. "Listen to her. She cares about you more than any of them, you know that. You have to listen to her."

Butcher stands up and lays his hands on your shoulders, "Shut up." His voice is ignored as you keep on with your rant. He shakes you gently, "Shut. Up. I believe you. I believe that you care about me, and I believe that you want to save me, but I know I can't hold my breath for something like that… But… You're you. You're stubborn, you're a pain in my arse, and you're the best at getting what you want. So I believe you. I'll believe you till I'm dead. That's the best I got."

A long silence passes between you before you shrug his hands off your shoulders and wrap your arms around his neck. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Billy. I'm gonna fix this, we're gonna fix it." Your tone is soft and full of promise, muffled by his shoulder.

All he can do is nod, he's hesitant as he wraps his arms around you, one hand fisting your shirt, his chin rests on your head. "I know, pet. I know you will."

(divider by @/plutism)

#butch baby ౨ৎ #billy butcher #billy butcher x reader #the boys #billy butcher the boys #billy butcher brainrot go brr #billy butcher imagine #billy butcher x you #billy butcher angst

144 notes · View notes

disgracedaantt · 9 days ago

Text

yellowjackets s3 ep3 theory

ok so I havent seen anyone point this out yet, but im pretty sure the girls are still starving? this ties in with the whole yellow filter theory (is there a actual name for that btw?) Because I think things aren't what they seem!!!

(spoilers for s3 ahead be warned)

so, we're shown in episode 1 that the girls have set up a functional animal farm AND we're told by Gen that there is plenty of deer to be hunted. this, along with the fact that they are willing to expend a lot of energy and time playing games like capture the bone and have a fairly extravagant feast implies that the girls (and travis) are all doing well in terms of food. however, in both episodes 1 and 3 we are shown evidence that directly contrasts this idea!!!

first example happens with Coach Ben in episode 1 when he comes across the food stash. we know that out of everyone he has probably been showing the most thruthful version of the wilderness (see the Jackie feast scene). so, right before he finds the pit we're shown an empty rabbit(?) trap that he resets. this on its own doesn't necessarily mean anything other than he got unlucky, but we've also been repeatedly shown since season 1 (when he taught the girls how to hunt and field dress animals) that he's got a good grasp on outdoor survival even with his missing leg. i dont think we see him catch or find any food during that whole sequence until he finds the food stash, which is a bit odd considering that according to the girls there is plenty of food to be found, which ties into my second point: Akilah's hallucination.

immediately after finding the berry bushes in her hallucination sequence she begins eating them incredibly fast and almost aggressively (like shes STARVING), when within the girls own reasoning there should be no reason for her to react so manically. we are told explicitly in episode 2 by Nat that there are plenty of berry bushes in multiple different areas (one of which being where we know Coach Ben is, so shouldn't he, an experienced outdoorsman, have been able to locate some, hm?). so we can deduce that akilahs reaction probably isnt just excitement at having fresh fruit! she was also one of the girls who were being served food at the feast, so we know that she just had access to a fair amount of food in the last day or so, so there shouldnt be any reason for to be as hungry as she seems

those are my main 2 examples of the fact that there doesnt seem to be nearly as much food as the girls are saying there is, but id also like to point out the fact that Mari ate a fucking bat? like it was likely just part of the ruse to get the bear spray from Coach Ben, but also thats one hell of a risk for her to take considering that bats are well known (even in the 90s) carriers of rabies. and while shes not the sharpest tool in the shed, she has shown that shes intelligent enough to trick both shauna and ben, so its not totally far out to assume shes smart enough to know that. and frankly i dont know if id be willing to risk getting rabies or some other disease unless im actually starving so, just pointing that out :)

id also like to point out that the feast in episode 1 looks a lot like the hallucination from when they ate Jackie! including the way the table is set up and the outfits!!! which makes me think that along with the weird yellow filter that all of that is just an idealized version of reality that the girls are projecting

also back to the animal farm, how did they manage to catch live rabbits? as someone whos owned multiple rabbits, its basically fucking impossible to catch them when they get loose outside and dont want to be caught, which im assuming since these are WILD rabbits that they do not. also, as many have pointed out, that they also have a domesticated breed of duck? could be just an unintentional thing, but considering how in depth and full of meaning every other detail of the show is id be surprised if it wasnt intentional!

tl:dr: the yellowjackets say they have a lot of food, but never actually show them catching or finding any and act like they are starving when presented with food. (and Mari eats a fucking bat) so methinks they are not doing as good as they say they are

sry this got long and rambly and idk maybe this is all a reach and im grasping at straws but i thought id just put it out there in case someone else thought the same. im not a theorist so pls do not eviscerate me if this sounds stupid pls and thank u :)

#and yes ik they show them preparing and serving the food for the feast but they also have that weird yellow filter on the entire time so im #not convinced #also the fucking BAT???? could not pay me to do that #can you tell im rly stuck on that because rabies is fucking terrifying #also i do have an akilah rabies theory if anyone wants to hear that #yellowjackets #yellowjackets s3 #yellowjackets spoilers #yellowjackets theories #aantt talks

48 notes · View notes

yanoharuhito · 2 months ago

Text

notable funny first impressions and bits from playing YTTD while my friends do the voices, in no specific order

keiji's VA assumed keiji was a member of the mafia (who's bad at hiding it) right from the get go, before knowing he was a cop, and thus giving him a new york accent. decided it was both too funny and fit him too well to let go of.

decided that mishima is a mad scientist who "drinks chemical X"

Qtaro can't find the bathroom, shits in the ruined corridor instead. and is so ashamed about it. this was a bit that kept coming back no matter what we did.

Qtaro eating the me-tokens. and eating the laptop, resulting in a suspiciously laptop shaped shit in the corridor

sou is avidly pro-underage drinking

reko hawking a loogie at the soft spot in ranger's head at terminal velocity to save gin. also, hawking 77 pounds worth of loogies down the spike pit

alice x keiji ?????? it was ironic at first but im starting to think it isn't now

sou's password-finding methods are akin to a monkey at a typewriter. he types every 5-letter combination in alphabetical order until he gets it right. every time we came back to see him trying to get into the laptop he'd be further along in the alphabet

keiji hit his head and got brain damage. he recovered eventually but started using it as an excuse

Qtaro stepped in a bear trap in his room, but assumed he was hallucinating and didn't tell anyone. keiji saw it too but he also assumed he was hallucinating

someone saying "take the shot, kanna" in sou's voice on call which made me dry heave

sou saying "i need to use the bathroom" (IN CANON) and Qtaro going "WHERE?"

sou is mister beast

#more to be added as we progress. and as i remember more #yttd #your turn to die

58 notes · View notes

writing-nothing-but-spilled-ink · 5 months ago

Text

Could y'all imagine Talia sending Jason back to Gotham so he can live a normal life and just do what he wants to do with himself after Talia helps him get his head back on somewhat straight and Jason just assumes Talia told Bruce and she just didn't either because she forgot or other reasons and Jason is just well here's a few different scenarios for ya

Scenario 1: Jason going back to college and to pay for it he's just working at bat burger dick walks in to get some takeout after a long night of vigilante stuff and a long shift of being a cop and he just needs something quick to go so he can go home and crash and he just freezes at the register because why is he seeing his dead brother older is he hallucinating did he get gassed and he didn't know is he being haunted right now, meanwhile Jason is just casually like oh hey dick you look like you had a long night here have a free fry on me, dick is just like Jay?! LITTLE WING YOUR ALIVE?! and Jason's just like uhhh yeah have been for a few years now, dick goes through the five stages of grief in like five minutes and looks like he's having a stroke about to burst into tears because his little brother is alive but quickly it turns into confused anger, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE FOR A FEW YEARS DID BRUCE KNOW?! and Jason's just like I assume so I think Talia told him cause she found me and helped me fix my head and she knew I was coming back to Gotham for college.. Dick vibrating with the rage of an oldest sibling IM GONNA KILL HIM THIS MOTHER FUCKER FIRST OFF DOESNT TELL ME YOU DIED AND NOW HE DOESNT TELL ME THAT YOUR ALIVE OHHHH HES DEAD DEAD IM ENDING HIS EXISTENCE .. Jason just like yeah okay cool uh now is your order to go or for here ...

Later at the manor

ALFRED WHERE IS BRUCE HE HAS SOME FUCKING EXPLAINING TO DO

Alfred: welcome home master dick what is this about

Dick: THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND BRUCE ALFRED I THOUGHT WE WERE OVER THIS ...

Alfred: oh my-,

Bruce walking in from the bat cave: Dick? What's the matter?!

Dick: LIKE YOU DONT KNOW *JUMPS HIM AND IS OUT FOR BLOOD*

Alfred just breaks up the fight and puts them both in there corners

Alfred: NOW MASTER DICK YOU WILL BE CALM AND CIVILIZED AND TELL US WITH YOUR WORDS WHAT MASTER BRUCE HAS DONE

Dick: *vibrating with rage*, JASON IS ALIVE AND BRUCE TOLD NO ONE IT WAS BAD ENOUGH I MISSED MY LITTLE BROTHERS FUNERAL AND DIDNT KNOW HE WAS DEAD BECAUSE HE DIDNT TELL ME BUT THIS?!, MY BABY BROTHER IS ALIVE AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME WORST OF ALL YOU DIDN'T SPEAK TO HIM HES BEEN ALIVE FOR A FEW YEARS AND YOU TOLD NO ONE, *his voice cracks at the end*

Bruce: *absolutely flabbergasted* what do you mean Jason is alive ?!

Dick: yeah he's working at bat burger to pay for college he said Talia told you a few years ago

Bruce:... She.. uh... didn't I haven't heard from her in over two years

Dick: ...?

Alfred: well now how about I put on a spot of tea so we can discuss this like gentleman

Bruce: I gotta go make a call tea sounds good Alfred thank you, and dick you know the mission comes first that is why I didn't tell you about his death but I'm sorry that it hurt you

Dick: ready to break Bruce's face

....

Scenario 2: Talia finds Jason and takes him back to the league with her and trains him and helps fix his broken psych and helps him remember who he is and helps him piece together his past and treats him like a son and basically raises him alongside Damian, and once Jason fully remembers everything he tells Talia that he wants revenge but first he wants to visit Gotham and try a bit of a normal life because there's so much he hasn't gotten to do yet and he wants to try those things and Talia gives him her blessing to do what he wants and let's him know that he always has a home with her and Damian

Fast forward a few years and Jason's just chilling drinking a soda on his rooftop lounging reading a book for a random English class he decided to take on a whim

Jason looks up to see the bat gliding onto his rooftop with Damian as Robin to get a better vantage view of some random bad guys doing no good in Gotham

Bruce: doesn't recognize Jason at all initially and just assumes he's a random Gotham citizen that's giving him the side eye

Damian: just assumes Jason is still mad at Bruce for not avenging him and letting the clown live so he keeps quiet as he doesn't wanna get in the middle of his favourite body guard/older brother figure from the league and his father

Bruce: starts to realize there's something incredibly familiar about this random Gotham citizen starts to look at him closer

Jason: aggravated because why is his father staring at him so intensely after not only not avenging his death but also not inviting him to any family dinners after knowing he's alive for like three years what the fuck is that about, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT OLD MAN YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY",

Bruce: immediately is reminded of the little boy that stole the tires off his batmobile, Jason?! Is that you.. wha-.. how..

Jason: annoyed, don't act as if you didn't know Mr. I know everything about Gotham I am vengeance

Damian: kinda smirks at Jason mocking Bruce but also disapproves

Bruce: Jay... I really didn't know you were alive...

Jason: looks at Damian, then looks at Bruce, didn't Talia tell you?!

Damian: *swears in Arabic*

Bruce: Damian language!!!!

Damian: pulls out his phone calls Talia, mother did you forget something important

Talia: uh no?!

Damian: Todd

Talia: whoops I knew I forgot something

Damian: *swears in Arabic*,

Talia: *in a stern mom voice* now I know I didn't just hear you say that let me speak to your father!!!!

Damian: hands the phone to Bruce whos about to pass out from the shock

Talia: so uh surprise your son is alive he can tell you the details himself, she then hangs up

Bruce: sits on the concrete floor having a crisis because his dead son isn't actually dead and holy shit his son knew he wasn't dead, and his ex gf also knew and forgot to tell him

Jason: so I see your still lugging around that stupid sword ya know you haven't let go of that thing since you were five honestly I'm surprised you haven't poked out your eyeballs with that thing especially with how carelessly you used to swing it at me

Damian: shut up at least I wasn't dumb enough to get blown up and then forget who I am and had to get bailed out by my father's ex girlfriend

Jason: you wanna go demon brat cause I still have those baby pictures you know the ones of you but naked running away from ras trying to give you a bath and u pulling a sword on him only to accidentally knock yourself out with it

Damian: YOU TOLD ME YOU DELETED THAT

Jason: smiling I say a lot of things now behave or I'm posting these on the internet and I'll be sure that little Kent boy sees it as well

Damian: *draws his sword*, so you've chosen death

Jason: cackling

Bruce: absolutely baffled about to call Alfred to come get him because this is too much, wait did Jason just say he has baby pictures of Damian with ras...

63 notes · View notes

snowyquokka · 10 months ago

Text

HOME

jeongin x fem reader

cw: angst (😈), breakup, kissing, swearing, mutual pining, mentions of cheating, kinda toxic/asshole seungmin (FORGIVE ME), not proof read bc why tf would i do that (im too lazy so my apologies if some of it doesn’t make sense lmfao-)

wc: 3.1k

a.n - so this is not how it was originally supposed to be 😭 it started as a seungmin fic but spiraled into whatever monstrosity this is lmao. everyone thank @solisyeah for the request ily. anywho i hope it’s good <3

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

Seungmin furrows his brows as he inspects the photo on his screen. A photo of you with another guy, in his lap with your face nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

Just like you do with Seungmin.

On the very couch he’s sitting on.

At first he thought it was edited, because there’s no way you’d cheat on him, right? But as he took a closer look he just knew it was real.

He was tired, sore, and downright miserable from a rough day at the studio; he had to take way too many breaks for his liking and this picture was just the thing he needed to send him right off the deep end.

He shot up from his spot on the couch so fast it made his head spin, but that didn’t deter him from storming into your bedroom where you were sitting on the bed, aimlessly scrolling through your phone. Once you see his face you can automatically sense something’s wrong.

“Seung?” You tilt your head as you watch him take your apartment key off of his key ring before placing it on your dresser with a clink.

“Seungmin what are you doing?” You jump off of your bed as he slides his shoes on. He runs his fingers through his hair with a frustrated huff.

“I don’t- I think we just need a break. I need a break.” These words were the last thing you imagined to ever come out of his mouth, in this context especially. Or lack there of.

“Wha- why?” Your eyes glaze over with unshed tears that threaten to spill at any given moment. You don’t want to cry in front of him, you’ve always hated having your raw emotions on display like that, especially in such a powerless situation. “Seungmin, talk to me. What the fuck is going on?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m not stupid.” Seungmin shakes his head “Did you really think you could hide it from me?”

“Hide what, Seungmin?”

“You should’ve just fucking left me. Spared my feelings, maybe. But I guess you’re just too selfish for that.”

Without another word he rushes out of the room, leaving you in shambles with nothing else to do but slide to the floor, curl into yourself and let the sobs take over your body.

Seungmin can hear you crying before he even walks out of the front door, causing his heart to clench in his chest and his gut to twist. Standing with his hand just brushing the door handle, he has to physically force himself to press on, to let you go, to accept his reality. The door slams shut behind him and the noise only pushes you further towards the realization that this is actually happening. You aren’t hallucinating, this isn’t some fucked up fever dream or an even more fucked up prank.

You just wish you knew why. No matter how much you try to put the pieces together, you’re always missing something. You can’t think of anything that could’ve set him off. Everything was perfectly normal less than an hour ago, yet all it took was five minutes to trigger the downward spiral of what feels like the end of the world- the end of your world.

“What’re you doing back here?” Jeongin slides next to Seungmin - who is still eyeing up the picture on his screen - on the floor. Jeongin nods towards the phone, “What’s that?”

Seungmin huffs and leans his head against the wall behind him, “I honestly don’t fucking know, I don’t even really want to know, actually.”

Jeongin reaches for the phone, pulling it out of Seungmin’s grasp. His lips part in a silent ‘oh’ as he inspects the photo. He’s assuming Seungmin hadn’t even given you a chance to explain solely based on his reaction, in typical Seungmin fashion. Jeongin turns his body to face the other, his face set in an almost disappointed expression.

“I’m going to say this with the utmost respect and I need you to not cause me any bodily harm-” Jeongin sighs before continuing, “You’re a dumbass. Like the dumbest dumbass I think I’ve ever seen. Like paboracha level dumbass. I’m talking-”

“Are you done?” Seungmin groans and squeezes his eyes shut.

“Are you done? God- you just fucked yourself over. If I were you I’d start praying that she’ll still take you back after all this crazy shit.”

“How did I fuck myself over when she’s the one cheating? Or am I supposed to just forget about that and take the blame for it all like usual? She brought another guy into the same place I spend almost all my time at, and probably fucked hi-” Jeongin slaps his hand over Seungmin’s mouth, effectively silencing him before he could carry on with his bullshit.

“Hyung. Shut up.” The maknae slowly pulls his hand away as Seungmin’s eyebrows shoot upward. “Look I get it, you’re tired, you’re upset, you’re angry bu-”

“Can you fucking blame me? I can’t unsee it. I mean, you see how comfortable she looked with him.” he clenches his fists.

“Will you keep your mouth closed already? You’re killing me here, got a massive migraine now.” Jeongin groans and rubs his temples as he speaks “That picture was taken over a year ago. Before you even knew she existed, hyung. Besides, I know her better than anyone ever will, other than you obviously, which is why I suggest that you get your ass up and go apologize for being such a dumb fuck. Beg for her forgiveness if you gotta. Maybe get on your knees while you’re at it.” he sighs and stands, holding his hand out to Seungmin before pulling him up.

“How do you know she isn’t lying to you? How do you know she isn’t lying about anything else?” Seungmin finally says.

“Because she loves you too much to do that to you. God, have you always been this dense? You seriously need to wake up and realize how stupid you sound.” Jeongin mocks, prompting Seungmin to glare at him one last time before walking out of the studio. All the while unbeknownst to the younger standing with a frown threatening to pull at the corners of his mouth.

“He’s a fucking idiot if he let’s her go over this,” he mutters begrudgingly while he listens to the soft pur of Seungmin’s car in the distance.

Almost a week later you’re still waking up with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. The first thing you notice is Seungmin’s apartment key still sitting on the dresser untouched. Well, it used to be his. You were really hoping that it was all just a shitty nightmare and that you’d still be tucked in his side with his soft snores being the only sound to fill the room even though it’s been days.

You realize what had stirred you awake as another knock fills the almost suffocating silence. You’re half tempted to just ignore it, but something in your gut tells you to answer it.

“Oh, uhm- hi Innie.” you wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your hoodie. Or Seungmins hoodie, rather.

God you need to pull yourself together. How could you not even realize what you were wearing. Fuck.

“Hey,” Jeongin rocks back on his heels somewhat awkwardly, “Can I come in?”

You nod and mumble a soft ‘of course‘ as you move out of the way for him to slip past the threshold and into your apartment while you take a moment to collect yourself, and to put on the most convincing smile you can possibly muster.

“What’s up?” you find a spot on the couch next to him as he scans the room for a second, looking for any signs of whether or not Seungmin actually showed.

“He’s not here, is he?” Jeongin turns to you with sympathetic eyes, finding your own longing for comfort, seemingly pleading him for some sort of consolation.

“N-no but he’ll probably be back so-”

“He’s not coming back, y/n. If he was, it would’ve been days ago.”

Before you can open your mouth to protest, Jeongin has you pulled into his strong chest and tucks your head under his chin gently. “It’s okay, baby. I got you.” he sighs, rubbing small and slow circles on your back just the way he knows you like. He places a small, chaste kiss on the top of your head because he’s learned over the years that the action relaxes you and makes you feel secure.

Jeongin knows you like the back of his hand. Sometimes he thinks he knows you better than he knows himself. He knows your favorite food, your favorite season, your favorite movie. He knows how much you love to read, having periodically skimmed your shelves for books you may have and promptly buying you ones that you haven’t already buried your nose in.

Most importantly, he knows exactly what to say in order to subside your bad moods (he’s well seasoned in this field), and that sometimes you say things you don’t mean yet he never - and will never - hold that against you.

He knows just how much you loved Seungmin, not even wanting to imagine the amount of absolute heartbreak you’re feeling. Despite all this, he can’t help but feel somewhat relieved. You and Seungmin undoubtedly wouldn’t have worked in the long run and that’s exactly what you desire and deserve: a stable, long term relationship where you’d be taken care of and treated like the absolute goddess that Jeongin thinks you are.

He just wishes you give him a chance to treat you like his- more so than he already does now.

“Thank you, In,” you mumble into his chest.

“You don’t need thank me, baby. You know I’m always here.”

You did know that, you’ve always known that. Jeongin doesn’t let you doubt how much he cares for you, he’ll spend every waking moment reminding you if he has to.

You pull back slightly to look into his eyes. “I always end up burdening you with my problems.” Jeongin’s eyes soften at your apology and all he wants to do is hug and kiss and cuddle you until he thinks he’s convinced you enough of his adoration.

But for now all he can do is settle for words, though he can’t help but think it won’t be enough.

“Baby, please don’t be sorry for that. What kind of best friend would I be if I never listened to your complaints or rants?” Calling himself your best friend took more out of him than it should have and he tries to hide his hesitation. Thankfully you hadn’t noticed.

Hearing Jeongin say this makes you realize that he’s treated you better than any boyfriend you’ve ever had. Seungmin never reassured you like Jeongin does. Actually, now that you think about it, Seungmin didn’t do half of the things Jeongin does, even if it was the bare minimum.

He’s always like this, but why does it feel different now?

That’s just his personality, right? There isn’t any hidden meaning behind his words or gestures. Or the way he’s holding you and speaking to you like you’re the most precious thing he’s ever had contact with. The sudden urge to reach out and cup his face is unreal. You just want to make sure you aren’t hallucinating. You wonder how you managed to find such a perfect person who thinks the world of you just as much as you do them. Someone who loves you just as deeply and truly as you do.

Wait what?

You’ve singlehandedly scared and confused yourself all at once now. Obviously you love him and he does you, but it feels as though you love him in a different way. A special way, one that you don’t think you’ve ever felt for anyone. Not even Seungmin, who you once thought was hands down your soulmate.

What you failed to realize, however, was that your soulmate has been here the whole time, and he’s holding you in his arms like he never wants to let you go.

You cut off your train of thought because he doesn’t want you like that and you’re making assumptions that could get you hurt.

Too late.

Another wave of sadness that has nothing to do with Seungmin washes over you.

“Baby? Hey, where’d you go?” Baby. Fucking baby. He’s got to stop calling you that. You want to tell him to stop, so why can’t you open your mouth and form those simple words.

“Mhm, ’m okay.” You can’t even bring yourself to put the tiniest bit of distance between your bodies.

You mentally scream at yourself for sounding so noticeably pathetic. He must think you are. How could he not when you’re making it so painfully obvious?

“Don’t hide from me, baby. You know you don’t need to hide anything from me.” How ironic.

“I’m not- I just-” you huff and lean your forehead against Jeongin’s chest. God, when did he get so…buff? Has he always been like this?

He pulls your head back to force your gaze to meet his. “What did I tell you, hm? Talk to me. I’m all ears.” His arms encircling your body is the last straw before the world comes crashing down on you.

Tears flood your vision and you aren’t even sure as to why you’re crying this time.

Pathetic and dramatic. Great.

Jeongin immediately thinks he’s overstepped now, he took it too far and made you uncomfortable. He removes his hands from you immediately though the action kills him inside, when in reality you want the exact opposite. You want him to pull you closer, you want your chest flush against his to the point where you can feel his heart beating.

“I’m sorry, Innie. I’m sorry.” You finally climb out of his grasp and step away from him. He follows you and with every step he takes forward you move backward until you collide with the wall.

“Why are you sorry when you didn’t do anything wrong? I don’t want you apologizing to me for no reason. If anyone should be apologizing it’s Seungmin, but it’s his fault and his loss, you know that.” You wish Jeongin would stop being so supportive, it’s making it ten times harder to ignore your surfacing issues.

“That’s not the problem, Jeongin.”

Since when did you call him by his full name?

“Then what is it? Is it me? Please I- I just want to help you.”

Your tears have finally halted and you couldn’t be more thankful. You need to be able to properly look into his eyes.

“You can’t help me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“Why are you being so difficult all of a sudden?”

“I’m not.” You cross your arms over your chest.

Jeongin blows out a frustrated huff. “Why can’t you tell me? Is it because Seungmin and I are friends becau-”

“I love you.”

“I know you do, which exactly is why you should be talking to me right now instead of bottling it all up-”

“No, Jeongin. I love you. Not in a friend way, not in a platonic way. I want to kiss you and hold you and-” You’ve worked yourself up so much you have cut yourself off in order to calm down.

Jeongin’s mouth stays agape for a solid five seconds before he even processes what you’ve said. “You love me?”

“Is that not what I just said?” Jeongin has to bite back his smile at your remark but quickly frowns again at the expression on your face. You look regretful, like you wish you never spoke. You’re just waiting for his rejection, willing it to come faster so you he’ll leave and you can wallow in self pity by yourself in the comfort of your bed. You disturbed the peace that was your friendship.

“I- the breakup is still fresh and you aren’t thinking straight, baby. Don’t say things you don’t mean.” Jeongin pleads. Is he trying to convince you or himself?

“But I do mean it Jeongin. I really do and I can’t believe it took me this fucking long to figure it out and I wish I’d never caught feelings because this is just a shit show now.”

He goes to speak but you quickly interrupt him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Just forget about it,” you expect him to leave, or to at least move away. But he doesn’t, instead he leans in closer to your ear and whispers in a hushed tone,

“Didn’t I just tell you to stop apologizing, baby?” The way he says ‘baby’ sends shivers down your spine, it’s different than the other times he’s called you that. This time his words actually do have a hidden meaning. His breath ghosts the shell of your ear for a moment before he slowly pulls back to look at you. As if he hasn’t studied your every feature to the point where you’re engraved in his mind.

“You have to promise me that you actually understand what you’re saying and that it isn’t the post breakup neediness talking.” He looks at you sternly and fully expecting a response in words.

You, on the other hand, have absolutely no intention of speaking as you instead grab him by the collar of his hoodie before pressing your lips against his.

Kissing your best friend is much more intimate than you ever expected. He kisses you like it’s not the first time and with more than enough purpose. It starts off aggressive but soon simmers down into a delightfully slow and passionate rhythm and as cliche as it sounds, it’s in this moment that you finally know where you belong, where your home is.

No matter the circumstances, Jeongin always left a space for you in his heart. His subconscious wouldn’t let him fill it with someone else even if he wanted (which he didn’t), forever waiting for you to find the spot with your name written all over it and stay there for as long as you may live.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

tags: @skzstarnet @godslino @myseungsunglove @seungseung-minmin @azuna-sz @chanyeolsrealwife

121 notes · View notes

cardboardclownery · 9 months ago

Text

CRASHES THROUGH A BRICK WALL

HI HI IM ALIVE!!!! sorry for the relative radio silence on here ;v;

on the topic of that actually!!!! finally have a proper folie a deux au update for you!! though its slightly different than expected?

me and professional buddy and fellow au creator @cookiecaker decided to share a summary of the story we're making for the au beforehand since we'll be taking a whileeee to finish it,,, got a lot of life to live and horrors to create "-v-

after this though you mayyyy or may notttt see some out of order chapter drafts posted for the story as well,,, or atleast one? eh youll see ;Pc

ANYWAYS!!!! this is gonna take a while so lets get on with...

THE FOLIE À DEUX DOAI AU

a summary!!

or story pitch? idk-

(cookie please lemme know if i miss or improperly describe anything here feel free to correct me-)

PART 1

the first three chapters follow alex just after the end of volume 1 as theyre abducted by lankmann and confined to his asylum as a "patient." eventually they get sent to winfrey as food, but winfrey refuses to eat them. theyre left to die in room 66 by lankmann for a Long While, until eventually he gives up and just puts alex back in their room

while alone in confinement, alex starts noticing strange things happening... dark patches start appearing on their skin, they get random pains as if someone were kicking them, and they hear a voice... a much clearer voice than the ones they used to hear while working in the asylum, and it seemed to be able to read their thoughts. though they originally just assumed it was due to being part of their thoughts as well, they find that they start knowing things they had no way of knowing and never learned prior to being confined. when lankmann typically entered room 66, how long hes inside, certain areas of the asylum patients found that theyd never heard of before...

this "voice" managed to help alex find a way to escape, leading to them running away and moving to another, smaller town in eastridge than the one they originally lived in to avoid lankmann's pursuit

PART 2

[ ! tw for cannibalism. yes you heard me- ! ]

so after getting far away from the asylum, alex assumes that their hallucinations and weird symptoms of... Something would wear off, since subject 02 was no where near close enough to affect them

well uh. nope! theyre still there!!

so eventually alex figures out "oh shit that thing is in my head somehow" and is obviously quite concerned!!! to say the least!!!! but theyre also oddly comforted by the idea of having The Voice in their head, since now theyre not entirely alone while on the run and i mean it helped them escape so it cant be that bad?? either way theyre not exactly excited about the whole ordeal and theyre starting to look different and theyre really hungry all the time and its not fun

so! at some point (with winfreys suggestion) alex decides to run off to another town a bit farther away just to be safe. but Uh Oh theyre all out of food!! so theyre extremely hungry, forcing themself through it so they can get food when they arrive but. they see someone in the woods while walking

and for some reason that makes them even hungrier

they try to ignore it and keep walking but they cant

and the next thing they know

theyre looking down at a person

chewing off the flesh on their leg

covered in blood

even after regaining their senses they cant stop themself from eating. it tasted... so good... they were so hungry... they felt awful but it really did taste so s o g o o d .

in a haze, they discard the body, clean themself off and reach the next town. just after unpacking in an apartment, they collapse, flooded with the emotions they fought off on the way there

the next day, alex finally confronts winfrey (or winfreys voice rather-) about all their grievances and they eventually reach an understanding, as winfrey opens up about fearing the outside of the asylum despite longing to escape through alex, so they eventually agree to let winfrey pilot their body for a few days to get a feel for how the world has changed since the time winfrey had been free

in doing so, winfrey realizes how small and helpless humans are in comparison to them and how terrified the patients they devoured mustve been. this allows them to appreciate human life (specifically alex's) much more and want to escaped in their own body to join alex outside and introduce clyde to what they learned after finding it again

while piloting alexs body, winfrey is suddenly forced back into their own after lankmann inflicts enough pain to wake them from the dissociative state that piloting alex left them in. soon after this, winfrey overcomes the fear that was originally keeping them from escaping the facility and breaks out

PART 3

this section is a lot less figured out than the rest so uhh bear with me please ;v;

essentially this couple of chapters just follows alex and winfrey as they get used to life on the run, figuring out where to go from there and how they could potentially find clyde, along with just talking face to face and getting used to that. its a weird feeling talking to someone that you share thoughts with yknow? like talking to yourself but its... not... yourself...

around the start of this section winfrey also expresses that they feel drawn to feminity as a human concept, thus being referred to with they/she from this point on in the story!! transfem winfrey yippee!!! it just makes sense in our head idk-

PART 4

alex and winfrey start noticing news broadcasts and posters asking around for a "dark figure" lurking around, as well as warnings about alex being missing from lankmanns asylum. this fuels alex's paranoia, leading them to seeing lankmanns caretakers everywhere, feeling as if theyre being watched wherever they go... until eventually their home is ambushed and theyre taken back into lankmanns custody

alex is essentially used as bait to get winfrey to come save them from the asylum, since lankmann couldnt find a solid lead on where winfrey could be. alex tries to convince her not to fall for it, since they can both tell this is what lankmanns trying to do, but winfrey eventually caves and breaks back in to help alex, getting trapped inside once again

PART 5

depsite the circumstances, winfrey and alex do their best to stay determined and keep looking for a way out, but they dont make much progress. to make matters worse, lankmann tries "live feeding" patients to alex in the same way he did with winfrey due to realizing that alex has veldigun traits and assuming that theyd have the same appetite as her. this isnt the case, and eventually lankmann switches to dead patients as food for alex, which theyre forced to accept due to lacking any other options

both winfrey and alex are miserable in the situation, the helplessness sinking in fairly quickly as alexs body begins rejecting the growing veldigun portions of itself, decaying under the immense stress

during their final moments, winfrey pilots alexs body to allow an atleast somewhat peaceful death as their consciousness fades away, leaving winfrey alone to reflect on all that had happened...

...and thats the official end of the story!! i had like,, a hypothetical epilogue/alternate ending where lankmann forces a Mind Merge with winfrey somehow and then gets killed and she breaks out again but like. idk the logistics of that are iffy and i kinda prefer the more melancholy end for something like this ":]c

ANYHOW!!!! hope that was!!! something!!!! please feel free to ask questions or provide feedback or anything else im always happy to engage with my fellow freaks (affectionate) :]

ALSO IF YOU MAKE CONTENT BASED ON THIS AU LET ME KNOW I WILL DIE FOREVER alright thats it for real this time- stay safe broskissss BP

#i hope the transfem winfrey vision isnt too hard to see #think about it... extends my hands #oh yea and the cannibalism- sorry if this is too freaky i dont mean to like. idk #either way i really appreciate all the support we've received so far!!!! you guys are the bomb youre all so cool and talented and swagger #love you doaiblr #doai #dreams of an insomniac #bobosart #fanart #alex williams doai #clyde doai #doai walex #doai folie a deux au #doai au

108 notes · View notes

rafyki · 7 months ago

Text

Goth! Nico/ Surfer! Percy AU Part 9!

I'm back!! I hope you missed me as much as I missed posting lmao This chapter wasn't planned honestly, I wanted to write directly their beach 'date', but then this happened and I decided it's gonna be one more chapter before the date - sorry xD I bet y'all are tired of this slow burn, but i promise they're gonna get together soon!

(I hope the texting format is easy to read here on tumblr, but otherwise you can read it on AO3)

Enjoy~

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

You can also read it on AO3!!

~~~

Percy: Ehi, Nico! You have the afternoon shift tomorrow, right? Let’s hang out at the beach again after it?

Me: Percy, hi!

Me: So you really do know all my shift hours, huh?

Percy: What can i say, Im a great obsever

Me: Huh, are you?

Percy: For important things at least

Percy: so is that a yes?

Me: of course

Me: No need to tell you what time I finish, I guess

Percy: nope

Percy: 20ish right?

Me: yeah

Me: see you tomorrow?

Percy: yep

Percy: see you tmorrow!

Nico had been rereading the conversation for the best part of the previous night, and the first thing he had done after waking up had been checking his phone once again to make sure he hadn’t just made it up in his dreams. He knew the short exchange by heart now, yet he kept staring at it, reading it over and over again. Part of himself was afraid it would disappear if he so much as locked his phone and looked away for a second too long.

Their chance meeting at the beach three days prior still felt like a waking dream, like he had hoped so much for something like that to happen that he had started hallucinating. He wondered if hallucinations always felt so real, if they would let you to feel the water splashing against your legs, the warmth of the setting sun on your skin, or the pressure of a hand holding yours, the touch soft and warm, everything and more Nico had let himself dreaming about for the past months. The way Percy had smiled at him had been so beautiful that Nico’s mind probably wouldn’t have been able to conjure something like it if it hadn’t been real.

Still, it didn’t feel real.

Leo and Jason would have probably blamed the feeling on Nico’s self sabotaging tendencies. You’re allowed to have nice things, Nico, they would tell him.

Was he? Could he let himself hope that he could really have this? His heart was going berserk in his chest at the sole thought.

Percy had stopped to talk to him at the beach, Percy had taken his hand and held it while walking in the water, Percy had memorized his schedule and asked for his phone number; Percy had texted him first and asked him to hang out again.

For important things at least.

Percy had said that. Important. Nico wanted to scream.

His phone's sudden ringing almost made him jump out of his skin. It was Jason’s number, but it was Leoìs voice that greeted him from the other end of the line.

“Hi there, goth boy, so how ya feeling for your date today?”

“Not a date, Leo, shut up- and why are you calling me with Jason’s phone?”

Of course, Nico’s traitor heart stumbled on the word date. It wasn’t, and he couldn’t simply assume otherwise, it would make things awkward, wouldn’t it? And so far nothing had ever been too awkward with Percy - Nico surely wouldn’t be the one to make everything between them crumbling down for expecting too much.

“Not important-”

“He lost his phone”, came Jason’s voice. “Again. By the way, hi Nico”.

Nico rolled his eyes at their antics. “Hi Jason”.

“Anyway!”, Leo jumped in. “How are you feeling for your ‘not date’ then?”

“I hate you, Valdez”, Nico groaned, letting himself fall backward on his bed. His heart didn’t seem willing to stop running like crazy anytime soon, his hands were sweating from anticipation and tension.

“You’re freaking out, aren’t you?”

He put his phone on speaker just so he could set it aside, take a pillow, and scream into it.

Apparently, his suffering was extremely funny to Leo, because his obnoxious laugh came as a reply. “I’ll take it as a yes”, he said.

“Nico, I’m sure everything’s gonna be great”, Jason said. “You’ll have fun, get to know him better, and then-”

“Then you’ll finally date, hopefully”, Leo finished.

Once again, Nico’s heart skipped a beat and did a little dance in his chest. He threw the pillow aside. “What if I make a fool of myself though?”

“Well, your boy has made a fool of himself plenty of times already, hasn’t he? I mean, he knows your schedule by heart”, Leo replied. “So I’m sure you’ll be fine”.

Jason laughed at that, and after a moment Nico joined him.

~~~

Nico expected his shift at the kiosk to last an eternity, stretching on and on to keep him apart from finally seeing Percy in the evening. And, truth be told, the first couple of hours were just like that, long and boring and way too slow.

It changed when his phone notified him of a new text.

Percy: i got work today so im coming to teh beach latr

Percy: ill meet you at the kiosk!

Nico’s heart was starting to become extremely good at doing somersaults in his chest. There were no customers at that moment, so he had time to reply, his fingers shaking just slightly as he wrote back.

Me: alright, I’ll meet you here then

Me: What time do you finish at work?

Percy: What, you wana learn my scdheule too?

Me: It's only fair, isn’t it?

And so, they ended up texting back and forth for a while and, after that, the time seemed to move faster, the day shining brighter, and Nico’s customers’ smile felt just that tiny bit more honest.

Nico’s internal list of the things he knew about Percy kept growing longer by the minute; he liked to text and wasn’t afraid to double text, his spelling mistakes were so atrocious they left Nico smiling and feeling so endeared it was almost ridiculous.

Nico’s nerves eased with every new text, his heart now beating out of excitement and anticipation more than fear and anxiety. The evening couldn’t come fast enough.

Me: Why are you spending so much time texting me instead of working

Percy: Why, arent you enjoying it :(

Me: not what I said!

Me: i wouldn’t be replying if i weren’t enjoying it

Percy: :D

Percy: im on break anyay

Percy: what abot you, youre also on your phone instead of workin

Me: there aren’t many customers today

Me: no one to buy the same old blue drink

Nico put the phone aside for a moment, hiding his smile behind his hand and hoping that no one would think he was a creepy psycho smiling for no reason. He had every reason to smile. Flirting was easier through text, even if he kept spending minutes on end before forcing himself to press send. The downside of it was that it was way more difficult to avoid it when Percy flirted back.

Percy: aww you miss me?

He wrote and then deleted a reply a few times. He was lucky Jason and Leo weren’t there today to see him being like this or they would have made fun of him for the rest of their lives.

It was strange. Nico was feeling embarrassed, but in an easy lighthearted way, and that made him feel just that little bit braver. Maybe it was because Percy was willingly spending his break texting him instead of whatever else he usually did; maybe it was the fact that he had the feeling Percy was feeling just like him.

He wrote a reply, looked at it for a few seconds and pressed send before he could overthink it too much.

Me: Maybe

Just then, before having the time to send a second text for damage control, a customer came and Nico had to put his phone down to serve them. His heart kept hammering in his chest the whole time, and his eyes kept stealing glances at the phone, hoping to see it ring. It was taking a little longer than usual for Percy to reply, and Nico didn’t know if it was because he had scared him away or flustered him too much.

When it did notify him of a new series of texts, he was still busy with new customers, and it took him all of his willpower not to make them wait while he checked his phone.

Finally, he thanked and said goodbye to the last customer of the queue, he moved so fast he almost stumbled on his own feet; and when he read what Percy had written, his heart was ready to jump out of his chest and start dancing on the counter.

Percy: me too

Percy: maybe

Percy: goot thign were seeing each other in a couple huors

Percy: cant wait

He read the words, reread it again and then again, once again feeling like they were nothing but a pipe dream. He blinked, and they were still there when he opened his eyes again.

Maybe he really could let himself hope this time.

Me: me too

Time definitely couldn’t pass fast enough.

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #nico di angelo #percico #nicercy #pernico #heroes of olympus #percy x nico #goth/surfer percico #my fics

67 notes · View notes