#but then it flapped up In Front Of Me. like less than a meter away

[flecks-of-stardust]

[image description: two images of a Northern Mockingbird perched on some branches. It is a soft grey-brown, with darker feathered wings that have a white band in the middle. Its eyes are a brilliant gold. In the first image, it is looking off to the right, one eye staring at the camera, and is somewhat hunkered down. Its body is framed by a curving twig. In the second image, it is perched higher up, rump facing the camera as it looks to the sky. There is a big fluffy white cloud in the background. end image description]

birdy :D

[l0standn0tf0und-fics]

I missed you so fucking much

thomas raggi x fem!reader

words| +-1700

warnings| smoking, swears

requested by @maggiie9

author’s note| It seems to me, or can`t I not write a single fic where smoking isn`t mentioned?

in short|  the reader can`t stand being away from Thomas, so she decides to make a surprise and visit him during the tour

"I'm in front of the door" you are on the phone, standing near the entrance to building the gig takes place. the cigarette between your fingers is shaking and you can`t make any proper puff. a quiet curse flies from your lip as you`re heading to the corner of the building, letting the smoldering stick that you haven`t completely smoked out meets the trash can.

"Where are you stomping ? Entrance on the other way, genius" the voice rang out through your phone, forcing you to turn around. a guy in baggy clothes, who just came from that door, actively waves his hand, making you smile

"To flick the cig out" you say, ending the call and having almost caught up with him "Hi Leo" in return you receive the same greeting and a friendly hug. Leo willingly agreed to help you when you called him a couple of days ago and asked to take you backstage. he couldn't say no, as a girlfriend of one of the band members, you have a full right for it. besides, you and Leo were longtime friends, so there could be no refusals and no question.

"Actually I thought you would be there earlier to catch the whole gig"

"I wanted to, but there were no other flights" your voice slightly trembles, just like your hands, and legs start to turn to jelly with every step. fuck! why are you so nervous?

"How did you manage to escape from work/study?" more likely it isn`t your nerves, but excitement. it`s certain awe, flapping of the butterflies wings in your belly, as you realize that such a long-awaited meeting will happen in a matter of minutes. you`ll finally see the person you have been missing madly all this time. the person you dreamed of hugging for several months. damn you missed him so badly.

"I'm shocked myself, I didn`t think that I would succeed", you walk down the corridor lit by neon. as soon as you entered the building, you could already hear the music and screams of thousands of fans, and with each meter these sounds became louder and louder.

"Do you want to watch the last…" Leo stops in front of a door that seems like can be blown away by the noise and energy from the other side and his gaze meets the screen of his phone to check the time ".... less than half a song?"

"We'll make…?"

"Nope " you don`t have time to finish the sentence, as Leo already answers and heads down the corridor, aware of your plan "Let's go, this way" you would like this meeting to take place behind closed doors and without prying eyes. the band doesn`t count, they have become like family to you a long time ago. you have a rough idea of ​​what will happen with both of you emotionally. and a lot of fans weren't included in your plan. so you need to get backstage before four incredibly talented musicians.

"So..You two endured without each other for almost 3 months, but you can`t wait one more week until the tour is over?" after a while Leo's voice pulls you out of your thoughts once again .

"As you can see" if Leo knew how difficult it was to live all these 3 months. alone. without your boyfriend. in your empty shared apartment. 13 weeks of waking up under cold sheets, not in the warm embrace of his freckled hands and not hearing a quiet snoring over your ear. 91 days of having breakfast alone, not sitting on his lap, while golden curls tickle your neck, and velvety lips touch your shoulder. 2190 hours of not being able to touch him, wrap your arms around his neck and pull him along with you on the sofa to the sound of his sonorous laugh. 131400 minutes of not hearing the strings of the guitar in your living room and his clumsy singing when he serenadeing you. 7883999 seconds of not being able to cover his pink slightly chapped lips with yours, sharing a gentle or maybe not very gentle kiss. so the answear is no, you can`t wait another week. therefore, as soon as you dealt with all the things that kept you at home (if it could be called home without him), and immediately took a ticket to Paris - the city where today's concert takes place

"But I'm glad you're here"

"Yeah, me too … You didn't tell him, did you?" it should be a surprise, and if Leo blabed out, then you bury him alive right there in front of the door to the dressing room.

"No, of course not, but…" you raise an eyebrow in response as you walk into the brightly lit room "...Ethan found out, but you know him, he won`t …"

"He won't tell" you end the sentence instead of the Leo. you don't want to know how the drummer learned about it, the head is full of completely different thoughts. but fair is fair, if anyone knows how to keep secrets, it`s definitely Ethan.

"Yeah … okay, they finished, I'll go to them" Leo looks at the time on his phone once again and then closes the door, leaving you alone to count the seconds.you don't hear music anymore, only rapturous shouting of crowd in front of the stage.

you examine the room around you. this dressing room looks almost the same as the others you have been in when you cuddled with him on the couch waiting the begining of a gig. your eyes cling to the black t-shirt on the hanger and legs unconsciously move in its direction. hands are still shaking. your fingertips touch the soft fabric and you bring it closer to your face, letting your nose inhale the scent. his scent. that says it all. this smell intoxicates the brain forcing you to sit on the sofa, otherwise you will fall on the floor from feelings washing you over .

footsteps are approaching and his voice is heard on the other side of the door. your heart stops. and the butterflies in the stomach become more active, flying up almost to the lungs and making it difficult to inhale.

"I was jumping so hard that I'm ready to go to fall asleep right in the middle of…" the door opens and the sentence remains unsaid. Thomas freezes in place and the bottle of water slips out of his thin fingers and meets the rough wood flooring.

"Y/n..." a soundless whisper escapes his parted lips and your gaze meets his. his doe-eyes are already filled with tears. they glossing more than usual and he held his breath. you know thomas is about to cry, just like you.

"Hi" you wanted it to sound different, but it came out just like the guitarist`s words . quietly, trembling but still touching.

less than a minute had passed since the door opened and Thomas had already crossed the bright room in two steps. less than a minute has passed since the door opened and his hands have already found their long-awaited place around your body. less than a minute has passed since the moment the door opened and you are already in each other's arms, snuggling as close as possible and trying to make up for lost time

"God, you're here" the guitarist's voice trembles as his hands grip you tighter against his sweaty body. and how sticky he is, worries you the least.

"I`m here" you simply repeat his words, your brain unable to form anything else. you want to look at Thomas, so you move your face away from his chest, still holding him with your hands. but the guitarist just shakes silky mess on his head in denial, burying his nose deeper into the curve of your neck. you know that the first drops have already left his bright eyes and now the crystals of tears are collecting freckles on his face. and you hear his first sob, muted with the touch of his lips to your neck as he presses you even closer to him.

"I'm here Thommy" your fingers remove the sweaty golden strands that have stuck to his forehead and you leave a weightless but meaningful kiss on the top of his head. and Thomas literally melts in your hands. he lowers on knees, pulling you along with him to the floor and snuggling as close to you as possible, literally moving on your lap.

soundless tears of happiness roll down your cheeks, just like Thomas. your fingers are tangled in his shaggy strands at the base of the neck, and you buried your nose in his hair, inhaling its scent. while thomas hides his freckled face in the curve of your neck. it seems that time has stood still, as well as everything around. you hear nothing but each other's heartbeat. so it's hard for you to say how long you sat there until the guitarist looked up, sniffling.

his eyes…his incredibly beautiful, light expressive doe-eyes…find yours and you get lost in him. thomas grabs your face with his palms, caressing your skin. "I missed you…" the first touch of his pink lips falls on the tip of your nose "…so fucking much…" the next on your right cheek, collecting tears from it "…just…" now on your left one, tickling you with his light stubble and causing laughter "…madly" and another kiss on your forehead "…you can`t even imagine".

both of you are crying and giggling mess sitting on the floor in the middle of the dressing room. a wide, beloved and goffy smile adorning Thomas’s face. both his and your cheeks are turned soft red as you can’t take your eyes and hands away from each other.

"Maybe you'll finally kiss me?" one of the guitarist's palm is still on your cheek, and nimble fingers of th other hand find their place in your hair.

“I just did it and more than…” Thomas starts to giggle but Damiano interrupts him.

"Of course, this is all extremely sweet and heartwarming, but for chrissake, can you finally make out and we can go back to the hotel? I'm so fucking tired."

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[pillage-and-lute]

The Courting Ways of Wolves (Part 5)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

This is the final real plot chapter. Part 6 (epilogue) is up now.

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They had stayed in the merchant village a few more days, Geralt taking a few contracts, and then they’d left, although not before Geralt could buy the books for Jaskier and Ciri. He kept them wrapped in the brown paper the grumpy old merchant had used and squirreled them away in his pack.

And life more or less went back to normal. 

Geralt was trying, though. He was fastidious about giving Jaskier a compliment at least once a day, and he minded his manners. About two weeks after the merchant village, in a different and much less friendly town, Geralt had a new contract.

“You’ve managed to anger a wind spirit,” Geralt said. Sometimes he couldn’t believe the depths of human stupidity. 

“Well, we didn’t mean to,” the alderman said. “But that little trilithon has been there for ages, and the boys of the village were playing and...knocked it over.”

Geralt pinched the bridge of his nose. “They knocked over the spirit’s temple,” he said.

“Well, not so much a temple, is it, it’s only about yea high,” the Alderman said, gesturing at about hip height.

“It is still a temple,” Geralt said, speaking slowly so that his words were understood. “And the wind spirit is tied to it’s temple. How would you like it if someone went kicking about inside your soul?”

“Is that why it’s throwing a fit then?”

Throwing a fit? Geralt thought. Having your soul knocked over must be horrible, of course the spirit was ‘throwing a fit’.

“Yes,” he said. 

“But you can help us?” the Alderman flapped his hands. “No one can go into the forest to hunt or even get firewood.”

“I’ll go right the trilithon, set it back as it should be,” Geralt said. “For the price we agreed.”

“Yes, yes,” said the man. “And that’ll fix it.”

“Yes,” Geralt said. “But once it’s done I’d recommend lighting some incense by the temple. Air spirits like that sort of thing, show you’re sorry.”

“Really?”

Geralt resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose again. “Yes, really. And if you leave more regular offerings it might even be friendly.”

“Offerings?”

“Light a candle by it, let the wind blow it out,” Geralt growled, thoroughly done with the conversation. “That’s what wind spirits like, incense and putting out candles. Really, spirits just like being remembered.”

The alderman agreed and Geralt left, buying a small candle from a wax worker on his way out of the town. Jaskier caught up not a meter past the last building in town.

“So,” he said excitedly. “Wind spirit.” 

“Yes,” Geralt said. “But you aren’t coming.”

Jaskier pouted, but Geralt didn’t look lest he give in. 

“It’s dangerous,” he said. “I don’t know how angry the spirit is, they can be very powerful.”

“I’ll stay behind you.”

“That may not do you much good. Go back to the inn.”

“No.”

“Jaskier,” Geralt growled low, trying to get his wayward bard to see the point. “It’s not safe.”

“I. Don’t. Care.”

“You could get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.”

They bickered the whole of the way to the woods where the temple was. Jaskier pulled out his notebook, he’d left his lute at the inn. 

The wind picked up, whirling ominously around them, lifting Geralt’s hair from his shoulders and rifling through Jaskier’s notebook. 

“Perhaps this shall have to be committed to memory, Jaskier said, tucking the notebook back into his doublet. The wind blew again and Jaskier shivered against the chill, so out of place in the middle of summer.

“Just,” Geralt said. “Stay behind me, and stay close.”

They made their way through the wood, the wind getting steadily stronger. The wood was old, full of venerable oaks with branches twisted with time. Roots seemed to try to trip them at every opportunity and the going was slow. At last, near the center, Geralt saw the little clearing. One shaft of light that made it’s way through the canopy lit on the three stones, collapsed in the center of the clearing. 

The toe of Geralt’s boot entered the clearing and suddenly the wind roared. Leaves, twigs, and acorns, lifted from the ground and hurtled past as the gale ripped about them. Jaskier had to press himself to a tree to avoid being blown over and Geralt staggered. 

Nevertheless, he took another step into the clearing. “I’m trying to help,” he said into the wind, the sound ripped away as soon as it left his lips. 

One more step.

The world exploded around him. He and Jaskier were thrown to the forest floor. The wind whipped like great ropes about them. Tree branches cracked off and splinters flew with deadly speed. Geralt crawled to Jaskier and pressed him to the ground, cradled by the roots of the large oak next to them. A splinter as long as Geralt’s hand embedded itself an inch deep into the tree root beside his head.

He curled around Jaskier as the wind screamed around them. He’d never minded the bard being as tall as he was, it made him feel less out of place, less monstrous, but today he wished he could shrink Jaskier down. He covered as much of him as he could, draping his body of Jaskier’s own. Geralt’s forehead pressed into the dirt next to Jaskier’s head, his shoulders blocking the most of the wind and the shrapnel from Jaskier’s face. Geralt curled his arms around his love, one under his back, wrapping him close, and the other coming up so that his hand could cup the back of Jaskier’s head. He turned Jaskier’s face towards his neck to protect it. 

Splinters and chunks of wood attacked them, whipped by the howling wind. Something sliced into the back of Geralt’s neck. He wished he’d worn his armor. He’d been foolish, walking into the woods without it. Thinking he could reason with an angry spirit. 

More wood sliced into his back and shoulders, and he felt the trickle of blood seeping into his shirt. 

“I wish,” he said in Jaskier’s ear. “That you’d stayed at the inn, I wish you weren’t here, in the midst of all this.”

“I hate being left at the inn,” Jaskier said. 

“But then you’d be safe.”

“But then I wouldn’t be with you.”

“If you weren’t with me you’d be safe,” Geralt said, wincing as another splinter embedded itself in his arm.

“When you leave me behind, I wonder if you’ll come back,” Jaskier said quietly. It was barely audible over the wind, but he whispered it almost directly into Geralt’s ear.

“I wouldn’t leave without you,” Geralt said. He hadn’t done that in more than twenty years.

“I don’t mean-Geralt I worry you’ll die. Like a witcher, all alone with some monster and I’ll just sit there in some damn inn and wait. I’ll wait a day, then another, then a third. And eventually I’ll find your body.”

“I wouldn’t leave without you,” Geralt repeated. It seemed like the right thing to say.

“I’d rather be here, right now,” Jaskier said, curling further into Geralt as the wind slammed wood into the ground beside them. “Than live that nightmare.”

The wind screamed again, splinters embedding themselves into Geralt’s flesh again. He grunted in pain but said, “I’ll get us out of this.” He didn’t say the ‘I love you’ that was trembling on his tongue. Now wasn’t the time. Not yet.

He held out one hand, wincing as shrapnel lacerated it, and cast a tiny igni. The wind blew it out immediately, but the howling lessened. 

Geralt did it again.

Again the flame blew out, but the wind spirit was calming.

“If you let me get closer, I can put your temple back,” he said. 

The wind whistled, but it sounded considering, although maybe that was just Geralt being hopeful. 

“Okay,” he said. “I’m coming nearer.” He crept closer to the clearing. The wind picked up again, but it felt more wary than threatening. 

He got almost within arms reach of the temple’s fallen stones and the wind howled again. It put Geralt in mind of a pet dog, sick and mad with pain, nipping it’s owners hand. A warning, but not an attack. Not yet.

“Another flame?” He asked. The wind blew some leaves around his feet.

He pulled the candle from his pocket and lit it with a concentrated igni. It was blown out and he could have sworn the accompaning gust sounded like a chuckle. 

“Okay,” he said, reaching out. “I’m gonna fix your temple, don’t kill me.” He looked across the clearing. Jaskier was standing, looking cautiously over at him. Geralt nodded. Jaskier smiled.

Geralt balanced the trilithon back into place.

The wind died suddenly and the clearing was surprisingly still. 

Geralt brushed off a flat stone just in front of the little temple, half buried beneath the earth. He melted the bottom of the candle and stuck it onto the stone. Jaskier came to kneel beside him and set down a handful of dandelions. They were the ones Geralt had heard him call ‘wish dandelions’, full heads of fluffy seeds ready to spread. 

A tiny burst of wind twirled the seeds away, spinning them in whimsical little loops through the air. 

Jaskier smiled at the display, but it quickly turned into a frown when he saw Geralt’s lacerated back. 

“You’re hurt,” he said, looking guilty. 

“Not badly.”

“Still,” Jaskier, said, standing. “Our business is done here, correct?”

Geralt nodded.

They walked into town and for once, with Geralt sliced and bleeding, the alderman didn’t even argue the payment.

The inn was too small for a bath, but a basin of lukewarm water and a rag was provided. Geralt sat on the floor, shirt off, with Jaskier’s legs bracketing him. The bard was sitting on the narrow bed and running the dap rag over Geralt’s back, pulling splinters when he could.

“You know,” he said after a while. “A few splinters wouldn’t have killed me, you didn’t have to shield me with your own body.”

Geralt turned and gently took the cloth from Jaskier’s hand, then he pressed a kiss to the back of the knuckles. 

Jaskier’s breath caught.

“I did have to,” Geralt said. “I can’t stand to see you hurting.”

Jaskier looked at Geralt intently. “Geralt,” he said, voice sincere. “It’s okay, alright? You don’t have to keep doing all this.”

Geralt’s heart dropped. Jaskier loved him, surely, but did he want Geralt to stop courting him?

“Geralt, I forgave you a long time ago. I think I forgave you the second I saw you clutching Ciri like your life depended on it.” Jaskier said.

“This isn’t about the mountain,” Geralt said, taking Jaskier’s hand again. “I know you forgive me, and some days--most days, I think you shouldn’t have. It’s about...Jaskier I don’t know how to say this.”

He fumbled quickly in his bag.

“Here,” he handed Jaskier a bit of paper, by now very crumpled.

“Number One,” Jaskier read. “Kiss his hand...Geralt, what?”

“Keep reading.”

“Number Two, use manners. You have been saying please sometimes lately. Number Three, compliment him (his music, his features, how he looks after a battle) How he looks after a battle?”

“Ciri’s suggestion,” Geralt said.

“Where did Ciri...? Ah, Eist, of course. Number Four, kill things and bring them to him. Is that why you’ve been hunting so much lately?”

“I’m trying to show that, that I can provide for you,” Geralt said sheepishly. 

“Oh Geralt,” Jaskier said, leaning in. “You already do so much for me.”

“Number Five,” Geralt said, having long ago memorized the list by heart. “Bring him gifts that aren’t dead.” He offered the knife and sheath he’d bought a few weeks back. 

“According to my family, our family, gifts should be useful, romantic, and pretty.” 

Jaskier took the moonsilver dagger. There were tears in his eyes. “Geralt, you’ve been courting me?”

“Do you accept?”

Jaskier threw himself off the bed and into Geralt’s arms. “Yes,” he whispered. “A million times yes.” He was crying, but for once Geralt knew what the emotions meant. These were happy tears. They wet his collar as Jaskier held onto him.

“I don’t have any gifts for you,” the bard sniffled.

“You are a gift, Geralt said, pleased that this most important of times, the words worked. “Pretty, romantic, useful.” He looked into Jaskier’s eyes. Even in low light they were so, so blue. 

“I love you.”

“You...” Jaskier said. “How long?”

“I didn’t know it until Eskel pulled my head from my ass,” Geralt said ruefully. “But I think I’ve loved you as long as I’ve known you.”

Jaskier chuckled damply and pressed a kiss to the bridge of Geralt’s nose. “I love you too,” he said. 

Geralt swallowed back the lump forming quickly in his throat. “And I know,” it was no good, emotion was rising up and clogging his words. He felt his tear ducts resisting the moisture that welled in his eyes. “I know I won’t be able to love you as long as I’d like.”

He began to cry in earnest now, but he held Jaskier’s face in his hands and continued. “But I will love you every day for the rest of your life, and then I’ll love you for every day the rest of mine.”

Jaskier was crying too, and he mimicked Geralt’s position, holding Geralt’s face and rubbing one thumb over the long scar on Geralt’s cheek. 

“Darling, dear heart,” he said. “My love, I know we never brought it up, but I thought you knew.”

“Knew...?”

“I’m a half-elf, dearest. I don’t age. No other chaos as far as I’ve found but you’ll have me forever,” Jaskier said, smiling even as tears rolled down his face.

“Forever?”

“Forever,”Jaskier confirmed. “Will that do?”

“Forever couldn’t possibly be long enough,” Geralt said.

Then Jaskier leaned in and kissed him. 

It was like fireworks. It was like the first snow of winter and the snowmelt in spring. It was every season rolled into one and somehow more real than any of them. It tasted like mouth and the beeswax mixture Jaskier wore to keep his lips soft and it was perfect. 

They kissed on the floor of the dingy inn room until Jaskier’s stomach growled and they had dinner together in the tavern like often did. Jaskier played his lute after dinner like he always did. They slid into bed beside one another like they sometimes did. 

This time, though, everything was better. It was peppered with kisses and love. And when they went to bed Geralt didn’t have to resist cuddling Jaskier at all.

Best of all, he got to be the little spoon.

Geralt thought of the two books in his bag and the little list that Jaskier had carefully folded into his notebook. He couldn’t wait for winter to see his whole family again. Courting didn’t work out exactly as they, or he, had thought it would, but it was better than he could have ever imagined.

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Its done! Epilogue is posted.

Tag List! 

@llamasdumpsterfire @goblinwhoships @aqueenrisesintheeast

[implexedactions]

Yandere Hawks - Cold Snap

Wrote a Yandere Hawks fic! Woo! Am I really just attracted to any man I see who acts interested in me? Maybe!

This work contains yandere and possessive behavior, although nothing sexual happens. It also includes physical harm.

---

With a snap, the front door lock breaks in two.

You know Hawks won’t be happy, but you NEED to escape. You can’t take another second of this constant attention he’s giving you. He was given a few weeks of vacation somehow, and he’s been spending it all hovering around you. Trying to smother you with gifts, hugs, intimate moments, cuddles. Never mind that he kidnapped you and forced you to stay in this cabin in the woods. He’s sleeping on the couch right now, but he could wake up at any minute.

Determined, you take a step out and feel the snow crunch beneath your feet. The house is in a snowy meadow, with the forest just 100 or so meters in front of you. You take off sprinting towards it. The air is cold, you're wearing a jacket he got you. The fabric is too thin to be of that much help, though.

You’re almost there when suddenly you hear the front door swing open. Looking over your shoulder, you freeze. It’s hawks. His face morphs from shock into pure rage. His wings rising up behind him, his eyes locked only on you, piercing your body.

“…Dove…get back inside…now…”

You freeze, scared to the bone. Your brain starts shouting to apologise and just go back home, and maybe he’ll be nice to you, to start crying, to plead, to do ANYTHING but keep running.

You turn around and keep running to the forest. Of course, it’s a fool’s errand, but you’re so close, if you get to the forest you might be able to hide. His face twists into one of entertainment and faux happiness.

“Oh! I get it my dove! You just want to play a game. To burn off all the energy! Well, if you really want that, I am MORE than happy to oblige!”

His body becomes airborne, flying above you. He knows you won’t get away, he’s a pro-hero for god's sake! He simply observes you getting closer and closer to the meadow’s edge. You can hear his wings, the fear in your chest building and building. You know the game he’s playing with you. He’s building tension, taking pleasure in how each step is shakier and less determined than the last.

Flap.

Flap.

Flap.

Flap.

Flap.

Flap.

Flap.

 You break, huddling down onto the ground, in the snow, just a mere meter from the forest. Being in the woods wouldn’t have saved you, it was just another arbitrary line that he would’ve crossed. He’d cross the whole world to find you, and there was nothing you could do about it.

Two boots crunch down on the snow beside you.

“So…dove, get that out of your system?” He says with a sickening tone.

“Please, I’m s-sorry.”

“Oh but dove, I don’t think you are. You ruined a perfectly nice day just to have a run in the snow. I know you must be burning with energy, but there are more…fun ways we can solve that. Ones that don’t cause me so much anxiety. Ones that, perhaps, cause me a little more pleasure? Hm?” He taps the side of your head with his boot.

“You- You said you weren’t going to force yourself on me like that” you reply, timid and shaking.

“And you, my beautiful dove, are meant to appreciate all that I have done for you. But it looks like neither of us are getting what was promised, huh?” He looks down at you, smile wide on his face.

“I’m sorry, I just…”

You turn and look into his eyes, fury burning in your own.

“I HATE you okay?! I HATE it here! You took me away for your own delusion, and I swear to god that I will find a way to escape and make you PAY! You sick fucking feathered freak!”

His smile drops, his face turning flat, not angry, just cold.

“Huh, okay then. I thought you loved me, but I guess I must be wrong, huh? But if you don’t love me then, why should I afford you my protection?”

“Protection from what?!” you scream at him.

“Well, there are a lot of dangerous people out there, who, if pissed off, could hurt you.”

His boot connects with your stomach.

“What the hell?!” you cry in agony.

“I thought it was obvious that a person would take any chance to avoid such harm.”

An errant feather embeds itself in your hand. Blood spilling onto the fresh snow.

“Please stop!” you cry, pulling the feather out and seeing a slit between both sides of your hand.

“Of course, if you don’t love me, then I see no reason to protect you from such people.”

A boot lands on your shin, and he starts pushing his full weight down.

“Please! Stop! Don’t break my leg!”

“Tut tut tut dove, it’s like I said. My love offers protection. So, one last time…Do you love me?”

“…yes, I love you hawks!”

The pressure increases.

“Aww dove, I’m having trouble believing such a thing. As I recall you said I was, and I quote, a ‘sick fucking feathered freak’. It’s kind of hard to believe you, no?”

“I’m sorry hawks, I love you! I swear, I love you! I was just a blind idiot who couldn’t appreciate your love!”

The pressure increases. The pain is unbearable. He leans down, getting as close as he can while still maintaining the pressure.

“Say my name.”

“What?” You stare up at him in disbelief.

“My name. You always call me hawks, never my actual name. You know my name, do you not, dove? You’ve spent weeks with me! If you want to save your leg, you’ll say my name” he grins a cold smile.

“I’m sorry, …Kaygu?”

With a snap, your shin breaks in two.

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

Yandere fairytale au! Swan lake or jack the giant slayer with Joseph joestar or speedwagon or kars?

This will be a two part but I hope you enjoy

The princess who became a swan (pt1)

(Yandere Kars X Female Reader X Yandere Joseph)

You sat on a chair looking at the moon. You knew you could run away but even then you would never truly be free. Not while he still had control.

“My dear swan you’ve been looking at the moon for far too long” a deep voice spoke as you felt a large hand grip your shoulder.

“I thought you’d try to indulge yourself but it seems you’d rather mope around” he commented only to cause your hatred towards the male to grow. You turned your head back to see him. Long dark hair contoured his sharp face and pearly skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight.

He pulled one hand away, various rings with fine jewels covered his fingers. He rested his head on said hand before pulling a small smirk.

“So are you done being so miserable? I’d actually like for you to give me some company as it gets dreadfully lonely reading by myself” Kars asked. You stood up and faced him properly, feeling the fire in your heart.

“You have the audacity to mock my emotions after what you did to me! You stole away my freedom and took me far from those I love! You even dare to torment me further by calling me your swan. Is that how you like to cruelly remind me of what you’ve made me!” you yelled at him before trying to run from him only for him to grab your wrist.

“You are the one who put yourself in this position. I offered you dazzling jewels and silken robes. I offered you the softest pelts and exotic treasures yet you still rejected me, surely you understand that hurt me” he said as he looked at you with his crimson eyes.

“When you mean hurt you mean your ego at most, you are a selfish man in every way imaginable! I’d never marry a man who only wished to benefit themself, it would be my failure if I was to let my kingdom succumb to a greed such as yours!” you hissed as you tried to escape his grasp only to make him pull you tightly into his frame

“Lets not fight about the ins and outs of who’s to blame, you only have a few hours left after all” he said as he stroked your hair.

“Why don’t you just sit down and relax with me, you'll wear down your beauty if you keep frowning” he continued before you pushed away from him. You ran past him and through the halls and ran down as your long dress flowed behind but Kars was not worried as he knew you would come back, you always did.

🦢🦢🦢

You ran through the dark woods with tears in your eyes as the sky began to lighten. The forest thinned out in the middle to reveal a gorgeous garden long forgotten, a place only few know. The Swan lake.

You sat beside the lake weeping. Knowing that despite how much you wish upon a shooting star or how much you prayed to god in the heavens above that there was no escape. You knew how to break the spell you had read it out of Baron Kars notes but who would ever proclaim their love to you at the dead of night, let alone keep their promise. The swans of the lake pitied you as they had been cursed in a very similar way by the cruel Baron but unlike you they no longer had any hope of returning to the ones they loved, they were stolen from their husbands and wives and had their promises of a safe return broken in the heart of war from the evil sorcerer.  

As the first rays of sunshine peered from the horizon you felt your body lose balance before you fell into the crystal water of the lake. You shut your eyes as you felt your body become consumed by the curse. Eventually you emerged from the water, knowing that you had been reclaimed by your curse of day. You opened your eyes to see all the other swans around you in the lake and the forest behind you.

You turned and returned to the land before flapping your wings while running, soon the air under your wings lifted you into the sky. The higher you got the smaller everything became, even your problems seemed to become insignificant. You were touching the heavens like many dreamed to accomplish.

🦢🦢🦢

A brunette prince let out a yawn as he waited by the stable as he held a crossbow in hand. He was waiting to see if a certain knight accepted his invitation for an afternoon of competitive hunting. He huffed before having a look around the grounds before seeing the familiar face of the fair maid Suzie Qutaro cutting roses for his mother. She noticed him and waved while giving a sheepish smile, he gave her a cheeky smile back making a rosy hue to form on her cheeks before returning to her duties in a flustered state. He snickered a bit before hearing a pair of footsteps.

He looked to the otherside to see the blonde male which he had been waiting for.

“Took you long enough Caesar, I was beginning to think you didn’t have the balls to accept my challenge” the prince smugly spoke as he stretched.

“Well unlike you I actually have other things to do” Caesar commented as he walked closer.

“And if I remember correctly you lost our sparring yesterday, a four to ten if I remember correctly… you’re probably only doing this to get even with me” the male continued with a laugh which irritated the prince.

“So what if I am, I bet you’ll scare away all the wildlife with your presence alone” he retorted with a sly tone as he entered the stable and grabbed his horse. The blonde muttered something under his breath as he followed the prince and grabbed his own horse before the set of far beyond the palace grounds.

It seemed like hours of riding for the two and as night drew close it seemed less likely that either one of the young men were going to bring any trophies home.

“We should just give up now, It’ll be dark soon” Caesar said to Joseph but the ego struck brunette did not listen as he searched deeper into the thick forest. He was determined to prove that he was greater than the blonde.

“Fine then, I’ll leave by myself… if you get eaten by the wolves then it’s not my fault” Caesar stated as rolled his eyes before he began walking back to where they left their horses.

Joseph only snickered at the blonde, thinking about how much of a coward he was to leave now. He kept up his search for something worthy for his display but to no success but when he realised the sun was setting and his luck was not with him today he found what he was looking for. A snow white swan sleeping just a few meters in front of him, it seemed almost like it was given to him on a silver tray.

All he needed to do was shoot it in the heart and it was his. He had a steady aim, his finger slowly before the loud shout of an owl threw him off, causing the arrow to hit the swans wing instead.

You woke up to feel the sharp pain of the arrow, you screamed out before running deeper into the forest, the brunette was quick in his attempt to apprehend you. You tried to fly but it only hurt more.

You managed to get at a far distance from the man who was chasing you but you knew you needed to hide. You looked around to find some shrubs that might offer a good hiding place. You hid yourself and watched through the shrubs as he approached before standing around to try to figure where you had gone, you thought you had managed to lose him before you saw the moon begin to rise.

Just as the prince was about to give up he saw you appear from the bushes, a beautiful young woman adone in a swan feathered gown he was captivated by you as he saw the most beautiful woman he’d seen. As she ran he saw the arrow in her arm, he tried to reach you in an attempt to help you, unaware that you were the swan he had shot.

You panicked as he still chased through the forest but just as you began to lose your strength you felt a pair of arms pull you aside, you looked up to see Kars looking down at you with an emotion you hadn’t seen before.

“I’m glad I came in time” he said empathetically before tracing his finger against the arrow in your arm causing you to flinch.

“This is why I need you to stay with me, that horrible man could have killed you dear” he said in a soft yet condoning manner, at this moment you knew he was just using the situation as a way to scare you out of leaving him but yet you still held onto him, you were afraid as you knew you could have very well died.

“Without me you’re defenceless” he continued as he stroked your hair as you buried your head in his chest and when you finally looked at him again you realised that you were both back in his castle.

“Now I’ll have to remove that arrow so lay down and stay still” he requested, you laid on the love seat knowing very well that he wasn’t going to let his crimson eyes off of you for sometime after this incident.  

Meanwhile Joseph the forest on his horse with a bloody feather from the mysterious woman's dress, wondering if he’d ever see you again, hoping he would meet you again in a better circumstance.

[hakutaichou]

[CN] Main Story: Chapter 37 (Gavin Route)

⚠️ SPOILER AHEAD ⚠️

🚨 Warning: This post contains REALLY BIG spoiler from main story which some of them have not been released in JP, TW, Global, nor ASEAN servers. 🚨

A/N: “All Love Interest ANGST Route” takes place between Chapter 37-4 and Chapter 37-5.

Before read, please prepare a tissue and your HEART!!!

- Part 1 -

Northern Suburbs, temporary base for STF.

Days of natural disasters have raised the disaster prevention alert of Loveland City by several levels.

In order to deal with the doomsday, all countries in the world have established doomsday rescue operations headquarters, and jointly formulated a number of rescue policies.

The last issue of "Miracle Finder" is to record the scenes of these soldiers fighting against disasters in the doomsday.

The car stopped at the base station gate, and I got out of the car with camera crew.

In the empty wilderness, several special officers in white uniforms patrolled the surrounding area.

According to the forecast, a tornado is about to hit Loveland City, and the STF troops will be here to stop the crisis.

Minor: Brother, where did your commander go?

STF Officer : Commander is very busy, and has no time to see you.

Minor: Hey, we are...

MC: Hello, we have made an appointment for an interview, can you let us in?

The officer looked suspiciously at the press card hanging around my neck.

STF Officer: You are waiting here, I will confirm it.

Eli: She doesn't need to make an appointment.

STF Officer: Captain Eli!

Eli walked leisurely with his hands in his pockets, and nodded at me.

Eli: MC, long time no see.

He looked at the serious-faced officer again.

Eli: Do you know who she is?

The officer looked at me and then at Eli, with a suddenly realized expression.

STF Officer: Eh, she is Commander's...

I slapped awkwardly, blocked the officer's unfinished words first.

MC: If it is not convenient, let's go back first.

Eli: There is nothing inconvenient. By the way, do you need me to help you call Gavin?

MC: No need! I don't want to interfere with your actions.

Eli: Then don't bother, you are free.

Eli: However, according to forecasts, there will be less than five minutes before the tornado enters the area of ​​the city.

Eli: You'd better shoot near here, don't get close to the edges of those wind barriers.

MC: I understand!

Eli's remarks made everyone start scrambling to set up shooting equipment.

The wind became louder and louder, and a large funnel-shaped cloud soon appeared on the horizon, so gloomy that almost covered the entire sky.

Minor: I heard that the central wind speed of a tornado can reach 200 meters per second, which means that it will blow us away with people and machines in five minutes...

Willow: Close your crow's mouth.

Minor: Hey, I haven't finished speaking yet. With Bro Gavin, there is nothing to worry about.

The film crew quickly set up the machine, ready to start filming the entire process of STF team repelling the tornado.

After a while, the circular wind barrier erected all around shook violently, the surrounding trees were rustling.

A thick black shadow appeared at the end of the horizon, hurriedly approaching here.

The tornado is coming.

Photographer: Producer, the wind and sand are too big, it is difficult for us to get close to shooting!

MC: Let me find a way.

I thought for a while and took out the portable DV machine from my bag.

Just now Eli has divided the safety range for us. As long as we do not exceed that range for shooting, there should be no problem.

The violent wind that came in on the verge of blowing in the gap made the gap bigger, many of the team members who were in the front were injured.

STF Officer: The wind is too strong, we can't approach from the inner wall!

Anxious shouts from the STF members came from afar, and everyone present couldn't help but grab their hearts.

A calm and cold voice came from the communicator.

Gavin: I will go.

It's Gavin.

I resisted the urge to scream, my eyes and the camera stared at the distant sky unblinkingly.

The shifted wind barrier was quickly pushed back to its original position by another strong wind, and returned to the array.

The wind weakened, the tornado gradually deviated from its path.

Everyone waited nervously, and a few minutes later, the shadow of the tornado disappeared without a trace on the horizon.

Photographer: Amazing!!

MC: Gavin, you are so handsome!

Several injured officers were quickly taken away by the resident doctor, and I nervously searched for Gavin on the court.

From a distance, I saw a familiar figure approaching me.

My eyes lit up, and I ran towards him without hesitation.

MC: Are you okay? Isn't it hurt?

A look of helplessness passed across Gavin's face, he stretched out his hand, help me straighten my hair.

MC: What you looked like just now...

"Gavin, you are so handsome!"

At some point, my hand accidentally pressed the play button of the video just recorded, and the sigh was recorded verbatim into the screen.

MC: …When editing, this sentence will be deleted.

A smile finally appeared on his stern face.

Gavin: Wait here, I’ll come to you later.

.

- Part 2 -

STF Officer A: When Commander was still tasked as B-7, we have heard his rumors.

STF Officer A: Whether it is natural or man-made disasters these days, we can survive it, thanks to his judgment and decision-making.

STF Officer B: Yes, everyone was injured in the last rescue. Thanks to Commander, the situation was stabilized and the casualties were avoided.

STF Officer B: …But after returning, he formulated more stringent training plan.

MC: I see...

MC: Is there any moment when Commander makes you feel particularly tender?

The young officer in front of me "umm" for seven full seconds, and finally shook his head.

STF Officer A: More like medical insurance, count it?

Gavin: You seem to be very free.

Gavin stood behind us at some point, his voice cold.

STF Officer A: Commander!

The two STF members who were still babbling a while ago immediately stood up, saluted to Gavin together.

MC: .....

I turned around with a guilty conscience and looked at Gavin in front of me. When I looked down, I noticed that his wrist under his cuff was wrapped in gauze several times.

He just left temporarily, so he should simply treat the wound.

The crowd scattered like birds and beasts, soon only I and Gavin were left.

Gavin: What happened just now?

MC: Well... I just want to interview STF's recent work routine.

Gavin: I'm not asking about that. Your actions just now were dangerous.

MC: I said hello to Eli, and confirmed that I was in the safe zone!

I vowed to raise my hand, swear in my ear. Gavin's serious expression finally eased a little.

Looking at Gavin, I remembered all the rumors I had heard from the officers, their respectful and scared look, I couldn't help but laugh.

Gavin: What are you laughing at?

MC: Nothing, I was thinking about the last issue of "Miracle Finder", would you like to give a personal interview as Commander...

MC: But I'm just kidding, if it bother you, forget it.

Gavin: It's not bother.

His gaze moved down, and he scanned the line of drafted titles on the open page of the notebook in my hand.

Gavin: "The Commander's outside and inside". Do you want to know the outside, or the inside?

I smiled awkwardly, and the corners of Gavin's lips raised slightly.

Minor: Bro Gavin! Are you OK!

A noisy voice came from behind, Gavin glanced back and frowned quickly.

I don't know when Minor ran over, but he was dragged out by Willow before he finished speaking.

After both of them left, the surrounding area became quiet again.

Gavin: It's too noisy here. Let's change place.

I nodded and walked out of the base with Gavin.

***

A whistling wind came from the sinkhole in the distance, and a shallow layer of rain accumulated on the ground, reflecting the clear night sky and a little bit of starlight.

I followed the arched ridge all the way forward and photographed the traces of the tornado, asking Gavin one after another.

MC: I listened to Eli...

MC: NW put all its forces into establishing an airtight underground base, and didn't join your joint rescue...

Gavin: They aren't upside down.

Gavin: As long as that day doesn't come, STF won't give up protecting everyone here.

His tone is very flat, but it makes people feel extremely reliable.

I thought about it, and re-adjusted the DV mode, aiming at Gavin.

MC: Next, I will start an official interview.

Gavin: …Why do you want to give me an interview.

MC: Because you are the Commander of STF, what you say is the most convincing.

This interview is a temporary motive. I was not prepared for the question, so I just asked what I thought.

MC: The first question: What is the most important thing for the commander at the moment?

Gavin: Protect everyone's safety, and prevent disasters from happening.

MC: The second question: The commander felt that in this situation, for every citizens, what is the most important thing?

Gavin: This is varies from person to another.

…This minimalist way of answering questions, it's really Gavin's style.

MC: The third question...

Suddenly, the flapping sound of bird wings interrupted my question, and large swarms of pigeons started to start from deep in the woods.

MC: That is...

Gavin raised his head, looking solemnly at the flock of white pigeons in the sky.

Gavin: The abnormal weather in the past few days has caused the magnetic field in the vicinity to be disordered, and the return route of the pigeons has also been affected.

In the deep night, the pigeon flock wandered anxiously over the woods, flapping its wings constantly, as if calling for the return of their companions.

However, after the tornado struck, many birds were injured or died, and white feathers were scattered everywhere on the ground.

Several faint calls came from the bushes not far away.

Gavin and I approached and found two injured pigeons

One of them was badly injured, and dying; the other was still struggling.

MC: Will they die?

Gavin didn't speak, and rescued the two pigeons from the strange orange bushes, with a little blood stained on their messy wings.

It seemed to be frightened, its body trembling, and the warning sound of "cooing" as soon as we approached.

MC: Great, it seems okay!

Gavin: Be careful, don't get hurt by them.

Gavin: This is a wild pigeon that has not been domesticated, and is very wary of humans.

Gavin avoided the beak pecked by the pigeon, picked it up and checked it.

Gavin: No injuries.

The pigeon struggled to escape from his palm.

MC: Do they continue to fly forward?

Gavin made a soft "Mm" sound.

Gavin untwisted the withered grass entangled in its ankles, and another small gust of wind rolled up in his palms, drying its wet wings.

Gavin: If the wings are not wet, the flight home can be easier.

Its eyes rolled steadily, as if understanding the intention of Gavin, obediently gave up the struggle.

Perhaps after waiting too long, the group hovering in the sky gradually moved away, flying behind the invisible gray sky.

MC: Can this pigeon find its friends?

Gavin: Difficult.

MC: I see...

Gavin seemed to notice my loss, and changed his words.

Gavin: But it is not impossible.

Gavin: The migration of pigeon, is actually a story about commitment.

MC: Committed?

Gavin: Fulfill their promise to go back.

Gavin: No matter how far you fly, you will definitely arrive where you want to fly as scheduled.

The pigeon in his palm seemed to sense Gavin's words and tried to wave its wings again.

The small gust of wind gradually increased, escorting this child to the sky.

Soon, it struggling to flap its wings forward, disappearing into the night sky and the end of the stars.

MC: In fact, whether it is them or the wind, they all know their direction.

MC: Even if it takes a long time to walk, even if it will go away, it will not stop.

MC: Is that right?

Gavin didn't speak, but gently held my hand.

At this time, a few STF members came towards us, saluted to Gavin, and solemnly reported the situation of the other bases.

Gavin's face was always calm, as if no matter what kind of danger he encountered, he would not have the slightest panic.

MC: Is there another task?

I couldn't help but whisper to Eli, who was beside me, and he nodded.

Eli: I heard that there was a violent conflict in the city, and the situation is not very optimistic. They have to come to support tonight.

MC: I see... thank you very much.

Eli: Don't worry, Gavin will stay in Loveland City to lead. He is the backbone of all of us.

I'm a little embarrassed to be guessed by Eli.

Eli: But we have to rush to deal with a flood tonight. The disaster is dangerous, so you can't follow.

MC: I know, you guys must come back safely.

The bonfire ignited at the distant base dispelled the darkness, and the constantly rising tongue of fire brightened the night sky red, and occasionally there were a few crisp clashes of wine glasses and laughter.

This temporary celebration and happiness seem extremely precious on such a night.

I involuntarily rubbed my palms tightly, and some hope that the "moment" in that prophecy would come soon.

No matter where I go or what I experience, it would be great if I could reverse the ending.

After the officers reported, Eli stepped forward and said something to Gavin, patted him on the shoulder, and suddenly looked at me again.

Eli: I'll leave first, and meet again later, the young couple get along well.

Eli left after speaking, waved goodbye to me before leaving.

There was a brief silence all around, only cheers from afar broke the silence between us.

MC: Are you leaving now?

Gavin: Mm, we will leave in two hours.

I stepped forward, took his hand gently, and sat down on a rock.

The wind in the wilderness is blowing on the long stretch of grass in the distance, and there is a green smell in the darkness that fluctuates with the night.

MC: Then you need a good rest now.

MC: I wonder if Mr. Commander, who has been busy all day, is willing to agree to my request.

Gavin: Can I take a rest?

I was stunned by him, after a few seconds, I didn't expect Gavin was directly rest on my knee.

Gavin: Thank you for coming.

MC: ...You're welcome.

I opened my mouth again, trying to remedy my stupid answer, but Gavin had already closed my eyes.

For a long time, long and even breathing sounded from my knees.

This land is shrouded in night and cold, but my heart is very bright and warm at this moment.

I gently stroked his finally showing tired eyebrows, my heart soft.

MC: Thank you for the hard work, Gavin.

I hope you can also have a good dream.

.

- Part 3 -

In the vast expanse of the universe, a swarm of comets quickly fell to the blue planet.

Cities, forests, mountains, rivers and oceans were all engulfed by heat waves and tongues of fire, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

It seems that I am the only one left in the whole world, and the stars gradually shrink, hitting my heart like a burning bullet hitting the bullseye---

I woke up from the nightmare and took a deep breath.

Gavin: Woke up?

MC: I'm sorry... I fell asleep too.

I raised my head, met Gavin's worried eyes.

Gavin: Had a nightmare?

MC: Not a manifest dream, but a sweet dream.

MC: I dreamt that we became super cosmic warriors, saving the world from the brink of destruction.

I cheered up, and made a joke pretending to be relaxed.

Gavin: It seems that dream should be kept longer, it is best not to wake up.

He sighed, and gathered the jacket over me again.

There are footsteps approaching behind him.

When Gavin got up, the officer came over and whispered something to Gavin.

I was stunned, and quickly reacted: He is going to the next temporary base to command the mission.

MC: Are you leaving soon?

Gavin: There are still ten minutes left.

MC: Then I have one last question to interview you.

I turned around, fixedly looked at Gavin.

MC: Before the end, what is your wish?

Gavin: ...My wish?

MC: This is the question I want to ask you, so you can answer me alone.

MC: I have interviewed many people these days, and heard many people’s wishes, but I haven't had a chance to ask your wishes.

MC: I want to know what Gavin's wish is.

Gavin's expression was a little surprised, and he didn't speak for a long time.

Perhaps, this question is too vain and slow, he never put his wishes on unrealistic things.

???: Look, there are meteors!

The cheers of the crowd came from far behind, and Gavin and I raised our heads together.

The sky was passing by a meteor, dragging a bright trail, from loneliness to grandeur.

Under this bright and grand light, everything becomes small and quiet.

MC: Beautiful...

The falling trajectory of the meteor is long and narrow in the night sky.

The ubiquitous light illuminates the mountains and valleys in the distance, the river at the end of the horizon, and the city.

It also illuminates every face looking up on the earth.

Gavin suddenly grabbed my hand, his voice was very soft.

Gavin: When I was seventeen, I did have a wish.

Suddenly a large swarm of snow-white flew across the sky.

The flying dove in the dark night fluttered its wings and dropped a large piece of white feathers, drowning his voice.

I looked up in a different place, saw his star-lit eyes, and wanted to ask him what it was.

He looked at me with a deep retention and sadness. I always felt, that there were many emotions that I didn't understand.

In a second of distraction, I almost blurted out if he knew that I was going to leave.

But I didn't have the courage to speak up to verify this conjecture.

I grabbed his hand and tried to make a smile.

MC: I used to see meteors and could only think of wishing. I didn't expect that one day the meteors would actually destroy the world.

Gavin: Are you scared?

I shook my head.

MC: In fact, as long as I'm by your side, I'm not afraid at all.

Gavin lowered his head and put the kiss on our folded hands.

Gavin: I promise you.

Gavin: I won't leave you, until the last moment.

I heard his heartbeat on his chest, closed my eyes, and silently made a vow to the meteor.

May the world never end.

May he always be by my side.

.

- Part 4 -

The news broadcast the arrival time of the X1917 comet cluster, as expected, without any change.

As a commander, Gavin became more and more busy, and the occasional time together became exceptionally short.

Today, the STF is holding a major meeting.

Those present were all commanders from various countries' combat headquarters participating in this joint doomsday rescue.

After the meeting, I put down the interview draft and couldn't help but look at the meeting room.

Gavin came out last, and he was talking to a foreign man with a high nose and deep eyes.

The man seemed to notice me waiting on the side, he turned to me, his face stretched.

Foreign Commander: Eh, you are the producer. I have watched your show, Miracle Finder, which is great.

He gave me a thumbs up.

MC: ...Thank you!

I can't fully understand their small talk. I can only vaguely hear the commander's admiration and gratitude to Gavin.

After the conversation, he saluted to Gavin, and then left with his men.

I couldn't wait to walk to Gavin, wanting to open my mouth, but hesitated again.

The news specially told him today, perhaps compared with the important news he comes into contact with every day, is nothing at all.

Gavin: What's wrong?

MC: Gavin, I have good news for you.

MC: After the previous program was broadcast, some citizens contacted us and wanted to send you a loving lunch, medical supplies, and...

I counted the enthusiastic letters I received these days with my fingers. He listened carefully, his lips curled up unconsciously.

Gavin: STF doesn't need these for the time being, but it can be sent to disaster areas with more dangerous conditions.

Gavin: You can figure it out. I'll give you some addresses later.

MC: Okay!

Gavin's gaze flickered slightly, as if he had to say something, the communicator on his waist ticked.

Gavin: ...Wait for me.

MC: It's okay, go ahead.

I cheered up and bid farewell to Gavin, but the loss of separation was still unstoppable in my heart.

I let out a sigh of relief and began to think about how to arrange these supplies.

This time we are, fighting side by side with all mankind.

***

The last day of the countdown.

The days of waiting regretfully finally arrived, but it seemed to be no different from usual.

MC: How is the situation today?

STF Officer A: There were no casualties, and damaged communications and traffic are slowly recovering.

STF Officer B: That's right, Commander was not injured, so Sister-In-Law, don't worry.

MC: ...Okay.

While chatting, I looked around for Gavin's figures.

Soon, a figure dangled from behind the door of the headquarters.

Gavin, who had changed his uniform, walked towards me, the cuffs of the gray jacket were slightly rolled up, revealing a strong wrist.

At the moment when my eyes were facing each other, Gavin had already walked to me, and I was stunned for a second.

I raised my head and looked at him, as if I had guessed something in my heart.

Gavin: Come?

MC: You, there are no tasks today?

Gavin: I took half a day off.

MC: Eh....?

Gavin: I'll accompany you out for a walk.

Behind him, the whistle and the confession sounded one after another, Gavin faintly swept back, and the group of people suddenly made noise again.

MC: Is it really okay? I think it’s good to stay here...

Gavin took my hand and walked out. I turned around a little hesitantly, afraid that he would waste too much time.

Unexpectedly, Eli also waved at me and made a "rest assured" mouth shape.

Gavin: Leave them alone.

MC: I don't know why, but now I always have a feeling of occupying major public resources.

The corners of Gavin's mouth twitched slightly, and he looked at me helplessly, sighed.

Gavin: Can't the Commander go on a date after get off work.

He stood still in front of me, a little serious in his amber eyes.

Gavin: What stands in front of you now, it's Gavin that belongs to you only.

***

There was no one on the street, and the few shadows of trees stretched to the end of the empty road.

We unknowingly walked to the vicinity of Loveland High School and ate the last bowl of noodles at the still-open Lynn's Kitchen.

A live interview of STF to fight off the tornado is being broadcast on TV, and the boss exclaims while watching.

Boss: Did you really repel the tornado?

Gavin: Some news likes to exaggerate, you don't have to believe it.

MC: Gavin, this was taken by me.

Gavin: …Hmm, it was repelled.

Boss: Add more beef for you. Do you want other side dishes?

MC: I want it!

Gavin: Are you sure you can eat it?

MC: I'm able to eat it!

Gavin put down his chopsticks, looked at the side dishes on the table and the pile of beef in the bowl, he expressed doubts to me with his eyes.

MC: Is this a new flavor of noodles? It seems that I have never eaten it before.

Boss: Did little girl eat it? I updated the recipe of the soup. How does it taste?

MC: Super invincible and delicious!

Boss: That's good.

Boss: There are too many things that have been missed in a lifetime, and it's not worth beating.

Boss: However, it is still a pity that more people haven't tasted this bowl of noodles.

Boss: Thank you for finishing it.

***

MC: I'm so full...!

Gavin: You ate all the side dishes the boss gave.

MC: Because I don’t want to be a starving ghost...

Gavin: Nonsense.

Gavin gently knocked on my forehead, his eyes turned to the school gate across the road, his expression suddenly softened.

Gavin: You saved a cat here.

MC: You have beaten a few people here.

Gavin laughed.

Unexpectedly the school door closed tightly. Gavin noticed the loss on my face and patted my shoulder lightly.

Gavin: Do you want to go elsewhere?

MC: What a pity... I still want to go back and have a look.

MC: Wait, I get it!

***

Gavin: Are you sure you want to do this?

MC: No one, is afraid of anything!

With Gavin's help, I finally climbed the outer wall of the back door of the school.

MC: I wanted to do this a long time ago.

I clapped my hands, turned my head, Gavin was still standing under the wall, looking at me with a little speechless and a little funny.

MC: It doesn't matter, there is no one in the security room and no one in the school building. Come up soon.

Gavin touched his lips, with an expression of defeat by me.

He easily climbed up the wall and sat down beside me.

Gavin: Ready?

He seemed to see my hesitation and looked at me holding back a smile.

Gavin: I will count down for you?

This is the end of the matter, regret is useless. I took a deep breath and slowly released the fingers that were holding behind me.

Gavin: Three, two---

Before "One" hasn’t shouted out, I subconsciously let go of my hand because of tension, and my falling body was quickly surrounded by a gust of wind.

The violent heartbeat hit the tympanic membrane, and we landed safely on the ground.

MC: I didn't seem to have eaten so much just now.

Gavin: Can't walk anymore?

MC: ...I'm afraid you won't be able to hold it.

Gavin: Hold tight.

As if to verify this sentence, his hand pierced my knees and hugged me to the direction of the school building.

MC: But like this...!!

Gavin gently raised the corners of her lips.

Gavin: No one, is afraid of anything.

***

We came to Gavin's classroom.

The classroom door was not locked. I turned on the light, saw that the writing on the blackboard had not been cleaned.

MC: Gavin, which table is yours?

Gavin was a little surprised. He looked around and pointed to the back of the classroom by the window.

Gavin: There.

MC: Is this one?

I walked to the back of the classroom and stared curiously at the graffiti on this table.

MC: "Early" was carved upside down on the table,... I can't tell that you are quite easy to learn.

Gavin: …It’s the back one.

I followed Gavin's gaze and looked back. A desk was in the corner next to the wall.

MC: But after so many years, It must have changed many seats, and the table may not be this one.

I took the opportunity to sit down in the seat where Gavin had been, and looked around.

MC: Um... the vision from the blackboard is not very good.

MC: But the ventilation is good, it should be comfortable to sleep here in the afternoon.

I don't know if it was because of listening to my serious comments, there was a sporadic smile on his lips.

Gavin: Why are you talking about that suddenly?

MC: I told you before, we organized ordinary citizens and Evolver to build a wishing wall.

MC: I thought I would see a lot of fanciful and weird wishes, but after seeing it, I realized that this was not the case.

MC: "I want to eat hot pot for the last time", "Reunion with my family", "I want to reconcile with the lover who broke up"...

MC: That’s why I realized, everyone’s strongest wish is, actually a regret that has not been realized.

MC: That's why...

I want to make up for these regrets.

We left the classroom, and walked down the stairs. The sound of different footsteps echoed in the dim staircase.

Gavin: Are you scared?

MC: Hm?

Gavin: I remember many horror legends circulated in schools.

He slowed down as he spoke, always keeping a step away from me in front of him.

I hesitated for a moment and wanted to tell Gavin that I was not afraid.

In other words, I'm more afraid that the road under my feet will be finished soon than I'm afraid of these stories.

I hope the stairs below my feet can be longer, preferably without end.

MC: .....Gavin.

I stood on the edge of the steps, turned my head, and could not help calling his name.

A repressed impulse, drove me to do something.

He stood on a step lower than me, stopped, and looked at me with some doubts.

The few rays of light that leaked out of the window fell between us, cutting light and dark apart.

This light is like a crease, and I stand in front of him now, as if witnessing the folding of the years that have separated us.

Gavin: I know what you want to say.

His voice was lightened for an instant, with a sure smile.

The next second, he bent down, clasped my chin, and kissed me.

.

- Part 5-

The dim lights on both sides of the road passed through the dense leaves, scattered on the ground.

The library didn’t open, Gavin and I were strolling around the empty campus.

There seemed to be a warm touch remaining on the lips, I looked away pretending to be calm, always embarrassed to meet Gavin's gaze.

The bell rang in the distance, and the ginkgo leaves rustled down.

For a time, none of us spoke.

The meteors in the sky are getting denser, and my heart is beating faster and faster.

An uneasy premonition told me, that moment was approaching.

MC: Although shooting stars can be seen every day, it seems that many wishes are too late.

I pretended to smile with ease, breaking the deadlock between us. Gavin seemed to perceive something, and his amber-colored eyes looked at me.

Gavin: MC, You haven't finished what you just said.

Gavin: You keep asking about my wishes, what about yours?

MC: My wish...

My voice couldn't help but stop.

The ginkgo leaves on the branches are crumbling, and some are knocking on the windows of the school building behind them.

These leaves rustle on the branches in summer, and they creak when they fall in autumn. Every leaf makes a nice sound, but I have never noticed it.

I suddenly knew what my wish was.

I want to walk slowly at the school gate before the class bell rings.

I want to look up in the library and take a good look at the teenager sleeping opposite me.

I want to catch the wind at the age of seventeen, and say goodbye to him before the ginkgo leaves fall.

I looked up at Gavin, suddenly I wanted to cry.

MC: What if my wish will never come true?

Gavin was taken aback, for a long time, he rubbed the top of my head.

Gavin: Then go ahead.

Gavin: The wish that may not be reached now, but if you come back one day, it's already by your side.

I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand.

MC: Gavin, I am going to do something very important now.

MC: I kept busying myself a few days ago, thinking that if I didn't think about it, I wouldn't be sad until that time.

MC: But now I want to thank you, you gave me the courage to face it.

I felt like crying, but still managed to squeeze a smile.

MC: I'm leaving.

Gavin was silent, he gently stretched out his hand and stroked my face.

Gavin: I seem to be very bad at saying goodbye, and I have never been able to say goodbye to you every time.

Gavin didn't ask why or where I was going. He seemed to have known about this a long time ago.

Just hugged my arm hard and hot, as if to hold something at the last moment.

MC: This time it's my turn to say goodbye to you.

MC: We have experienced so many things, so this time is nothing.

I feel my body is getting lighter and lighter, and my limbs are gradually losing consciousness.

Perhaps that moment has come, my mind is getting harder and harder to concentrate, only vaguely seeing deeper and deeper sadness in my eyes.

MC: You told me...

MC: Regardless of the wind, the pigeon has its own direction, and I think I should do the same.

MC: But I am a person who has no sense of direction. I may go the wrong way and it will take a long time to get back to you...

Tears still fell unconvincingly, I sucked my mouth and wanted to speak again, but Gavin interrupted my words firmly.

Gavin: It doesn't matter if you go the wrong way.

Gavin: It doesn't matter if you come late.

Gavin: When I was seventeen, you let me know the direction of the wind.

Gavin: So it’s the same for you, just walk in your direction, no matter where you lead...

Gavin: My wish, is to meet you.

The white light was like a trickle, slowly seeping from the girl's body, illuminating the whole night.

MC: When the time comes, please correct my direction.

Feathers fluttered slowly from the girl's body.

The sky seemed to show a gleam of light, and the wine fell on the white feathers piled up under the girl's feet.

Gavin stood there quietly for a long time, his eyes always on the place where the girl disappeared.

He looked at the feathers scattered on the ground and the ginkgo that was blown away by the wind, his lips moved slightly and his hands slowly dropped.

The clear and distant "ding dong" echoed in the empty campus---

The bell rang after class.

.

[acciocriativity]

Helpless||Harry Potter

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Summary: You are one of the students of the Beauxbatons commission and like the others you are determined to win the Triwizard Tournament but instead of the Goblet of Fire, you ended this season at Hogwarts with something better . 

Word Count: 2,0 k  

N / A: This story is based on the Helpless of the musical Hamilton and if you want, I recommend listening to the song along with the lyrics.

Part II 

Ooh, I do, I do, I do, I do (hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)

Hey! Ooh, I do, I do, I do, I do (Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)

 I have come to be known for some characteristics over the years. For most of my colleagues, determination and patience, but for my family and especially my sister, I was always going to be a hopeless romantic. 

But then we heard about the Tournament and I would have to concentrate fully if my name came out of the Goblet of Fire, so I decided to leave this side of me in France. But that change did not last more than a few hours. 

Boy, you got me helpless

Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit

 We were all sitting at the Ravenclaw table while the director finished announcing the Triwizard Tournament formalities and I couldn't be paying any less attention. From the moment I entered that room, a pair of bright brown eyes caught my eye. I couldn't help noticing the incredible amount of redheads on one table, but only one of them left me with a different feeling that I didn't know until now. 

Of course, I didn't spend much time looking. My goal here is very specific, I would not have time for distractions as my name could be called up tomorrow. 

- Of course, to travel to a swamp on the other side of the world, you're going to have to give up putting your name in the cup, right? - my sister asked in an irritated tone of voice and I had no idea why or what she was saying.

- Oh sure, I think it's a great idea, sis - I replied with a smile as I looked back at the director, but he was no longer standing - has he finished? Has he talked about the Yule Ball too?? - I asked, looking back at the older one. 

- Yes, why are you acting like this? Eat a little, I think the trip didn't do you much good - she replied with a worried tone, leaving the anger aside. 

I agreed to a nod and concentrated on the French food that had been kindly prepared for our arrival, but my eyes kept looking back at the table where he was one last time. 

I'm helpless

Down for the count, and I'm drownin 'in' on

 The next day, during the morning there was a circle of students around the Goblet of Fire but as soon as we arrived, they made room and then each one of us put the paper with our name in there. I chose to be the last in line, because I was in no hurry and for a single reason. He was there again. 

The same eyes, but now I could see more closely and without having to worry because it was not in my direction that they were. The boy was having a lively conversation with some other students and his own twin. 

After my turn passed, I walked over to where a friend was standing because I also wanted to see the rest of the competition, that's not exactly what happened. 

I admit it was a funny scene to see the two of them being thrown two meters out of that circle but at the same time, I was a little worried. 

I have never been the type to try and grab the spotlight

We were at a revel with some rebels on a hot night

 After a few months, we were finally at that ball that promised to be one of the best events of the year and perhaps the decade at Hogwarts. A lot of things changed in the meantime, the first was that I wouldn’t be the champion but I was vehemently rooting for Fleur, the second thing is that a minor had entered the competition and that turned this castle upside down and finally, I had managed to get close to that redhead. To be fair, me and Alexia. We both agreed that only an idiot would voluntarily sign up as a minor, this caught the attention of Harry Potter's friends and himself. 

In fact I learned his name, it's George, it's easy to tell when I can see his face. From the back, I don't have much of a guarantee and it's hard to see them standing still somewhere, so it's even more difficult for me that way. 

Laughin 'at my sister as she's dazzling the room

Then you walked in and my heart went, "Boom!"

 I had been invited by some boys before accepting to come with a student from Durmstrang, I confess that I hoped to be invited by George but I preferred not to risk waiting. 

I looked for my sister with my eyes and it was not difficult to find her, she was dancing with her own partner in the middle of the dance floor, impossible not to notice. They were even a beautiful couple, but I knew she was interested in someone else, I just didn't know who. Just as I hadn't told her about my feelings yet. 

My attention changed completely when I saw the door to the Great Hall open and the unaccompanied Weasley twins came in. My heart stopped for a second and I could feel it beat faster, some questions crossed my mind. I hadn't seen them before, did they come alone? Hope had returned. 

Tryin 'to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom

Everybody's dancin' and the band's top volume

 The slow song was over but I only noticed it when I saw the girl in front of me and then I smiled, trying not to lose sight of George but didn't go like that, since I was on the other side of the dance floor. 

- You were having fun out there, weren’t you?? - I asked with a smile, giving up looking over her shoulder, so I just focused on her face. 

- Yes, and where is your partner? You should be having fun too - she replied leaning against the wall beside me. 

- He said he was going to talk to his friends but so far he hasn't returned - I couldn't hide my indifference, because I never had to hide anything with her.  

Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine

Grab my sister and whisper: Yo, this one's mine

- I know he wasn't your first choice, so who is it? I’m willing to know - his gaze left me and scanned the party full of people, looking for who could be right for me. 

- I wanted to make sure he was interested in me before I told you. It's George, from the first moment we arrived here for the first time - I didn't try to hide my smile or my passionate look when I finally found the redhead again. 

My sister made her way across the room to you (ooh)

And I got nervous thinking

"What's she gonna do?" (Ooh)

 In a moment, she was beside me with an expression I didn't recognize and a second later the brunette was walking towards the other side of the dancefloor. 

- Alexia, what are you going to do… - I didn't even try to speak out loud, because the music was incredibly loud for anyone but me to hear. 

To my horror, she walked towards the Weasleys and I

paralyzed. One of my sister's characteristics comes down to doing basically everything for me, I already knew that nothing bad could be in her intentions but that didn't relieve my nervousness. 

She grabs you by the arm

I'm thinkin ', "I'm through" (ooh)

Then you look back at me

And suddenly I'm helpless

 I couldn't look away even though I looked crazy to those outside, so the two stepped aside a few meters and I could hear my heartbeat increasing by the second. 

Would I like to be able to hear them? Certainly, but before I could think better about it. He looked directly at me. 

Oh, look at those eyes (look into your eyes)

And the sky's the limit

I'm helpless (I know)

Down for the count and I'm drownin '

Helpless (I am so into you)

 Few things in life have left me so nervous as that moment when George Weasley was walking towards me, with that smile on his face, the kind of smile I hadn't seen yet but perfectly matched his features. 

She accompanied him halfway and winked at me before returning to the dancefloor. I didn't know what to expect but I would thank her forever, if that was what my hopeless heart was telling me. 

Look into your eyes (I am so into you)

And the sky's the limit

I'm helpless

I know I'm down for the count

And I'm drownin 'in' in

 The night ended perfectly and I almost felt like it was fate, because his partner ended up dancing with my partner. So they didn't even care for a second about being "abandoned", not that I was going to let this opportunity just slip through my fingers. 

He was cute and kind, we danced and talked a little bit alone before going back to our friends. 

But this time it was different because we were never so close to each other, I couldn't help but notice his arm around my shoulder, making me stay even closer to him. 

That was my signal, the signal that this night meant something more to him too. 

One week later

I'm writin 'a letter nightly

Now my life gets better, every letter that you write me

 A week later, I had come to Paris with Ale to spend the Christmas holiday with our parents, but it didn't mean that we would lose contact. At that point it was past midnight when I was replying the letter I just received. 

The owl that brought it was barely able to flap its wings when it arrived here and as it was freezing outside, I left it in the cage with mine to rest. She drank some water and practically passed out, poor thing. 

- As I was saying, he really cares about you. Who wouldn't want someone like that? - she said after reading the letter I received. 

- You will find one of these soon, there is a whole group of boys waiting for the chance of their lives to show you that - I replied with a smile while thinking of the right words to answer, everything had to be extremely perfect.  

Laughin 'at my sister 'cause she wants to form a harem

I'm just sayin ', if you really loved me, you would share him

Ha!

- Yes, but still, it is not enough - she replied pouting but then smiled as if an idea had crossed her mind - we shared everything, why not that too? - She completed folding the letter and I just laughed. 

- That's the only thing we can't share in this life and you're too jealous to share someone - I replied laughing even more at the expression she made. 

- I'm going to sleep, just don't take too long to answer this letter, ok? Tomorrow we will all go out together, in case your little head has forgotten - she gave me one last hug before leaving, but I noticed that the light in her room was on for a while longer.

 Many other things happened afterwards, but my hand is hurting and my ink is running out, so I'll leave the rest for later, ok? I promise don't keep you waiting to know what's happens next. See you tomorrow, dear diary. 

Harry Potter Masterlist

[dadoroki]

Girl, That’s Not Me

Tomura Shigaraki x F!Reader

Warnings: fluff, spoilers for chapter 270, spoilers for Heroes Rising, angst

Description: Meeting you during a lookout wasn’t something Shigaraki planned on doing.

I couldn’t think of a title so I just used my fav line from Drama by Drake and Roy Woods lmao.

From the edge of the steep cliff, a lone Shigaraki looked down menacingly at the winged hero beneath him. His attention on Hawks, however, would soon be cut short.

Blocks away from the horrific disaster was a beautiful woman elegantly seated on a bench, feeding the group of white doves below her. The way her soft hair and white silky dress flowed through the wind in sync was almost unreal. The whole scene was unreal.

Somehow, amid the cataclysm of fire and flames was the sight of a goddess. The burnt buildings, flashing ambulances, and audible firetrucks were the background and you were the main focal point that Shigaraki couldn’t help but admire.

Your bag of breadcrumbs was now empty and you watched as the doves flapped their wings away into the sky. It wasn’t that you weren’t aware of your current surroundings. It was just that you chose to ignore it. Your eyes roamed around the area until it was set on Shigaraki who shamefully looked away. He walked into a black mist, fully disappearing and you couldn’t help but wonder who he was or why he was staring at you.

It had been long hours since Shigaraki last saw you and his mind was merely focused on the thought of you. Something about you was just so intriguing that he couldn’t help but want to relive the moment. But he had no time for distractions. His present goal was to confront Nine.

Shigaraki was teleported to an open field, the dark black mist that once surrounded him now reducing into air. He approached the weakened man, latching all five fingers onto his face and watching him disappear into dust. Shigaraki backed away, ready to get sent back to his next location until he saw someone. Even though he could only see the back of the figure, he knew your body too well to know it was you.

You sat on the meadow with your legs bent to the side, a finger raised to hold a white dove as many more surround you. He took careful steps towards you, stopping a few meters away. The distance didn’t secure his cover, as you were already aware of his company. You let the dove fly away, watching it leave with the rest of the pack. “So, we meet again.”

“Are you following me?”

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

You pushed yourself up and faced him, slowly walking a few steps closer. You took him in, as he did the same with you. Shigaraki thought he was hallucinating. The way your soft eyes glimmered at him, the way your hair and long exquisite dress danced through the wind, and the way the pink flower pedal’s streamed behind you was surreal. It was like a fantasy he was living in. A cliché romantic scene from a movie almost.

The smile on your face made Shigaraki’s heart tug and you raised a hand at him. He wasn’t exactly sure what you were trying to imply but he slowly made his way to you, placing four fingers on yours. You glanced down at his unsteady hand then back to him. “You can trust me.” After a moment of hesitation, he rested his last finger onto yours and to his surprise, your body was not affected in any way. You gave him a chance and he let you in.

Shigaraki was never alone after that. Wherever he went, he’d always be accompanied by you. You never left his side. It would get in the way of his work, as you’d try to prevent him from causing any severe harm or damage to others. He would still carry on with his daily routines, only minimalizing a bit of his full potential.

After forming the Paranormal Liberation Front, Doctor Ujiko promised Shigaraki that he could grow even stronger through a complex surgery. You were told that the process would last up to four months and would be indescribably painful. But the end results could potentially make Shigaraki even stronger than All For One. This was exactly what he wanted but for you, you disagreed with the idea completely. It could cause him immense pain and you couldn’t go through with that. But he could and he did. There was no talking him out of it and you were forced to give up.

Every single day, from morning to night, you’d watch over Shigaraki, locked in his glass container and hooked to a series of tubes and wires. You rested your palm on the cold glass from the opposite side of Shigaraki, wishing to take all his pain away. His eyes and body rested softly within the waters. You’ve never seen him look so at peace and it made you slightly happy. The scene made you trace away from the chaos outside of the location. Away from the disruption between Present Mic, Kyudai, and X-less a few meters behind you.

Inside Shigaraki’s mind, he was surrounded by several large hands and pieces of buildings. The sound of a little girl’s voice caught his attention and he later realized it was his sister. She told him that she was on his side and apologized for the past. More of his memories started to resurface, a larger version of his mother worried about his eyes and a larger version of his father yelling furiously at him.

Out of nowhere, a shadowy version of All For One appeared before him, telling him to come with him. As he goes to walk, his family reappears, stopping him and grabbing him in the same areas that he had placed their hands on originally. He ignored their pleads, letting them disappear into nothing. Another interruption stopped him from inching closer to All For One but this time, it was in the hands of someone he truly cared for.

He came to a cease, feeling your arms wrapped around his torso and your head resting on his bare back. You pulled yourself closer to him and tightly squeezed your eyes shut. “Please don’t go.”

“But I have to.”

Your grip slowly loosened, desperately trying to find a way to gain him back. “This isn’t you, Tomura.”

“But it is.”

Another failed attempt and his tone started to grow less without care and more monotonous. “You thought about what life would’ve been like with a loving family. If you left everything behind and we lived happily together. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes, but you’re not real.”

You slowly released him, backing away from his body. He refused to look at you as your body slowly started to crumble. “You’re just a pure imagination created in my mind.”

You wanted to scream at him. To tell him he was wrong. But he was right and telling you the truth. Would you have guessed that the most villainous person could be the most loneliest? You were just there because he needed to feel comfort and to feel loved. Everything he couldn’t get growing up. It started to make sense to you. You knew nothing of your past. Everyone had ignored you, not because they hated you, but because they couldn’t see you. You weren’t real.

From the beginning, he convinced himself that you were alive, wanting to believe that it couldn’t just be a coincidence. But as time went on, he gradually had to accept the harsh reality. All good things come to an end.

“Goodbye, (Y/n).”

Tears fall from your face as you slip into oblivion. Before disappearing, your crumbling face watched the man who you thought loved you walk over to the darkness, embracing the path of villainy.

[wangxiangiftexchange]

Lunar New Year Gift for dreamaholicsanonymous!

For @dreamaholicsanonymous <33

*****

all roads, they lead me here

Lan Zhan waited sixteen years for Wei Ying, he can wait for a couple more.

Or at least, that is what he told himself when Wei Ying had packed his things to explore the world.

Life passes by agonizingly slow without Wei Ying at his side. Lan Zhan thought his pining for him was most arduous during those sixteen years, searching and waiting for even a single glimmer of hope that Wei Ying was not gone. But now that he finally had him back—now that Lan Zhan has had the opportunity to bask in his presence once more, it felt even more harrowing not to have Wei Ying at his side. Knowing that he was out there, that he was alive and still Lan Zhan would miss him.

Lan Zhan waited sixteen years for Wei Ying, he can wait for a couple more.

He repeats it like a mantra, one that would keep him from running away from his responsibilities to go and find Wei Ying.

He throws himself into the responsibilities of a sect leader and of a chief cultivator. He takes time to teach the juniors, visit his brother in seclusion, and even goes to tea with Sect Leader Nie. (Even if those moments mostly consist of Nie Huaisang subtly sharing gossip and information with him while Lan Zhan sits and says nothing else.) He does everything he can and reminds himself that love is not about binding someone to him. His father did that with his mother—chained her to him, no matter how much he claimed it was for her own good—and it only ended in pain. Lan Zhan finally had Wei Ying back and he was taking no chance of letting it end that way.

The only indulgence he allowed himself was through correspondence. As it turns out, Lan Sizhui and Wei Ying crossed paths at one point in their travels. And after receiving a collaborative letter from them, Lan Zhan began exchanging letters with Wei Ying. Every missive like a balm to the ache of longing he feels.

Wei Ying writes of his adventures, of the friends he meets—both new and old. His last letter was written in Lanling, having been convinced by SectLeader Jin Ling to come and try his attempt at recreating his mother’s famous Lotus Pork Rib Soup. Wei Ying swears that it tasted similar and that he was amazed at how Jin Ling managed to make it without ever having tasted Jiang Yanli’s cooking.

Someday, he had written. If I find myself at the Cloud Recesses again, I’ll make some for you. It won’t be as good as shijie’s or Jin Ling’s, but it might be close enough.

The missive had only come three days ago, but the paper is already worn. Lan Zhan keeps it on his person at all times, fishing it out of his sleeve to read when he is growing tired or in need of something to lighten his mood. He would trace those very words carefully—longingly, his eyes glazing over with what could be.

In retrospect, what it could have been right now, if only he had not kept his mouth shut. If only Lan Zhan had told him—told him why those sixteen years were agonizing, why A-Yuan’s courtesy name is Sizhui, why he kept asking him to come back to Gusu with him—even just the name of the song. If he had told Wei Ying, perhaps there was a chance he would have stayed. Or even if he did not stay, perhaps he would drop by the Cloud Recesses regularly in between his travels, the way he did at Lotus Pier and Koi Tower.

Lan Zhan at least knew that Wei Ying liked having him at his side. That much was clear when he was faced with a crestfallen Wei Ying asking him if he was going to follow him on to the next adventure and he had to say no, of all things.

Someday, Lan Zhan thinks, betraying his responsibility-bound mantra for a mere second. For just one moment, he thinks, someday.

There is a whisper of a flute amongst the breeze.

Lan Wangji halts in his footsteps, startling the juniors behind him. The wind continues to blow, but there is only silence. Lan Wangji stays put, certain he could not have heard wrong. The sound of a flute is not common in the Lan sect, since most of its members prefer using zithers, but that melody was one of a kind.

“Hanguang-jun?” He does not pay mind to Jingyi, too busy straining his ears for the familiar notes. He hears another whisper before he turns a sharp look on them and they all fall silent. Only more silence follows and Lan Wangji nearly resolves that it was all wishful thinking when the light trill breezes through once more. And this time, it’s clear he’s not the only one who heard it.

“Huh, that sounds like a flute.”

“A flute?”

“That must be Wei-qianbei!”

“How are you so sure it’s him?”

“Come on, no one around here has played a flute since Zewu-jun went into seclusion. Besides, that’s clearly the sound of a dizi.”

“And who do we know that plays a dizi?”

“Only Wei-qianbei, of course!”

Lan Wangji ignores the collective sound of the juniors connecting the dots and wastes no time. He thinks they might not even hear or process that he has left them but he really could not care less. Right now, all he cares about is mounting his sword and following the sound of the dizi. Right now, all he has in his head is Wei Ying.

He follows it all the way to the same mountain they saw each other at last, his heart pounding faster even at just the sight of that red ribbon in Wei Ying’s hair.

Lan Zhan does not run the moment his feet touch the ground. He does not even dare to walk further than where he has landed, just staring at Wei Ying’s figure from a little over two meters away with his heart practically singing his name. Wei Ying is still playing on his flute, unaware that Lan Zhan stood just a little away from him and Lan Zhan wonders how to catch his attention.

There are so many things he wishes to say, so many things he should have said from the start and should not have to wait any longer. They all rush through his head—you’re back, i’ve been waiting for you, i wish we never had to part, i’m so glad you’re here with me, i love you—but nothing seemed right. Lan Zhan had never been good with so many words anyways, so he just says what his heart tells him to:

“Wei Ying.”

The music stops immediately. Wei Wuxian is still for a moment, not even putting his flute down. He turns with a look of disbelief. Lan Zhan’s heart stills with anxiety, wondering if Wei Ying had even meant to come here, and immediately begins planning a mean of escape. But then Wei Ying smiles, he gives Lan Zhan one of the brightest smiles he has ever seen and only takes one moment before running to wind his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck.

“Lan Zhan,” he says, tone just as soft and fond as Lan Zhan’s had been. “I’m back.”

Wei Ying spends a week at the Cloud Recesses.

His first order of business was to recreate the Lotus Pork Rib Soup, as he had promised in his letters. Lan Zhan, having never tasted neither Jiang Yanli’s or SectLeader Jin Ling’s version, really had no way of knowing whether or not it was in any way close to the original. He did, however, like it. It seems Wei Ying took care not to add too much spice in this one, even taking care to use substitutes for the pork.

(“I had to ask Jin Ling for help,” Wei Ying says, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck sheepishly. “It took us over a dozen tries, and we did our best to find a substitute for the pork that wouldn’t alter the taste so much—ah, it probably doesn’t taste so good—”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s voice cuts through, gentle and fond. “It tastes wonderful.”

Wei Ying had beamed and did not stop even as Lan Zhan finished the bowl right in front of him.)

Second order of business, apparently, had been to let the whole of the Cloud Recesses know he had returned. The moment they had stepped out of the Jingshi—one might say it was selfish, but Lan Zhan had wanted to spend the first moments of Wei Ying’s return alone with him. Which meant taking him straight to the Jingshi, where no one would bother them—Wei Ying had caught sight of Lan Jingyi and immediately began flapping his arms and calling out loudly to get the junior’s attention. Jingyi, of course, does not hesitate to flail back just as eagerly and greet him. (He does pause to compose himself a little in front of Lan Zhan, though.)

This caught the attention of any other junior that had passed and, inevitably, they all flock to Wei Ying. Lan Zhan is glad that he foresaw such events and went ahead with taking Wei Ying to the Jingshi first.

Wei Ying greets them all with enthusiasm, his smile bright with something that Lan Zhan just could not place. He pays attention to all their requests for stories of his adventures and for all their requests of cultivating tips, but his eyes always take a moment to lock with Lan Zhan’s. They’re warm and twinkling with a sense of joy that Lan Zhan had truly missed in the last year.

Even when Lan Qiren had passed by on one of their walks to the bunnies, he had stopped to ask how Wei Ying had been. He was curt and still had to hold himself back from yelling whenever Wei Ying made a remark he deemed inappropriate, but it was the most civil he had ever been when in his presence. It left Wei Ying dealing with whiplash and Lan Zhan with a very woozy Wei Ying.

(“Is your uncle feeling well?” Wei Ying had whispered, eyes wide as he watched Lan Qiren walk away. “I’m pretty sure I just heard him say welcome back. Welcome back. He said it like he didn’t want to throw me out on sight!”

“I suppose even uncle has missed you causing a ruckus here.” Lan Zhan muses, ignoring the subsequent squawks of indignation and disbelief from Wei Ying.)

Wei Ying had even hesitantly asked if they could take a moment to check on Lan Xichen in seclusion. Lan Zhan had agreed, he was off to go and see his brother anyway. And the moment Lan Xichen opened the door to Wei Ying’s small smile, he faced him with a wide one, immediately granting them entrance. Lan Xichen still smiled, albeit far less often, after the death of his sworn brother. But Lan Zhan has not seen his brother smile so much in one visit until Wei Ying had brought out every story he had from Jin Ling of the way he felt loved by his uncle Jin Guangyao.

Lan Zhan had said as much to Wei Ying after they had finally left to go get dinner and leave Lan Xichen to rest. Wei Ying only smiles softly and says, “Sometimes, you just need to be reminded that you weren’t the only one who cared about that person.”

And the final order of business was to reacquaint himself with the Cloud Recesses. Wei Ying lamented that while he had the chance to explore the Cloud Recesses a bit last year, they got pretty busy with the Yin Tiger Seal business and did not really get to see much more than he would have liked. And so Lan Zhan had taken him to every nook and cranny of the Cloud Recesses that he could.

Their last stop of the day—Wei Ying’s final day in the Cloud Recesses—is Caiyi Town.

“Caiyi Town is not part of the Cloud Recesses.”

“Ah, but Lan Zhan I haven’t gone to Caiyi town with you in over a decade! And you promised to show this feeble—”

“Wei Ying is not feeble.”

“—this feeble cultivator around! You’re not going back on a promise, are you, Hanguang-jun?”

Something about the way Wei Ying says his title really just will not allow Lan Zhan to say no to him.

“I remember,” Wei Ying says as they make their return to the Cloud Recesses. It was dark now, the moon gleaming brightly and surrounded by a sea of stars. They are far from Caiyi town now, but the lights still reach their path. They are now walking up to the gates of the Cloud Recesses. “This was the same path I took that night we first met.”

Lan Zhan does not say that it is the only path, instead he chooses to bask in the air of nostalgia Wei Ying was creating and hums.

“Up until that night, I had never crossed swords with anyone  that felt like such a challenge.” Wei Ying laughs.

Lan Zhan chances a look at him. Wei Ying is eyeing the scenery, his eye bright with mirth, enhanced by the light of the night sky above. Lan Zhan feels warm inside just watching a smile bloom on his zhiji’s face.

“It’s funny,” Wei Ying continues. “Back then, I remember saying how rigid the Cloud Recesses was and how if I had the choice, I’d leave and never come back. And yet somehow I always find my way back to here, no matter what path I take.”

Despite himself, Lan Zhan feels his heart sink just a little. The Cloud Recesses was not a place Wei Ying would call home. He had always known that, but it still stings a little to hear from Wei Ying himself.

“Well, I guess it’s true, what they say. No matter how much you change, no matter what path you take, it will always lead you home.”

Lan Zhan halts his footsteps. Wei Ying continues a few paces ahead of him, but pauses when he realizes that Lan Zhan is no longer in step with him. The gates to the Cloud Recesses are already just a few feet ahead, Lan Zhan knows this, but his head feels light and suddenly he cannot comprehend distance.

“Lan Zhan?”

What does Wei Ying mean by that? What change? And did he just say home? Is...is Lan Zhan hearing this right?

“Lan Zhan!”

This time, Wei Ying’s voice is close enough that it shakes Lan Zhan out of his stupor. Wei Ying has a hand on his shoulder, the other in his hair, threading through the strands gently. It is not something he has done before, but Lan Zhan does not mind. In fact, he would rather he continue if not for the turmoil in his head. He stares blankly into Wei Ying’s worried eyes.

“What do you mean by that?”

Wei Ying’s eyebrows only knit closer together.

“What?”

“What did you mean...about change and...and home?”

“Ah, well…” Wei Ying suddenly turns sheepish. He takes a step back and Lan Zhan immediately misses his presence in his space. Wei Ying turns away from him, just for a second, to glance at the gates of the Cloud Recesses with an odd smile.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think over the past year, Lan Zhan.” He begins. “I’ve been to many places, met new people. I did some odd jobs here and there, went on various night hunts. So much has happened in a year that you would think I’d have learned so much, that my thoughts would be running wild with what to do next.”

Wei Ying turns back to him and there is a gleam in his eye. Something both familiar and unfamiliar to Lan Zhan.

“Except, my thoughts were only ever of you.”

[sweetest-honeybee]

To Hell and Back

Chapter 30

Summary: Xisuma isn’t doing all that great to say the least and neither is Keralis

Characters: Xisuma, Keralis, Evil X, Hels

TW: Fighting (not an overly violent or gorey chapter or anything)

Notes: Don’t really like how this chapter was written but I rewrote it like 4 times ;v; Also, I’m like 99% Keralis’s name doesn’t pop up as just Keralis in the chat but I’m too lazy to see what the hermits usernames are in the game lol

———————

“What do you mean I’m being affected?! I’m fine!” Xisuma yelled, quite obviously proving Evil X’s point.

After what Ex said, the admin snapped at him repeatedly while he tried to explain what was happening. How Hels’s hateful personality was being used as fuel for Wels’s outbursts and if Xisuma let his anger get to him much longer, Evil X would be reaching the sickly state Hels was currently in. Hours ago when the knight was sleeping- it was probably nighttime in the overworld- he woke up suddenly complaining about pains he was having in his head.

In tears, might he add.

Obsessed with what Xisuma said to him, Ex took it as that he needed to help Hels. Unfortunately, that meant that he needed to get back to the overworld somehow and one elytra certainly wouldn’t carry both of them, he didn’t think. It would just break faster with the added weight. So, not wanting to ask the other Hermits for assistance since that didn’t count to him as ‘cleaning up his own mess’, he soothed Hels back to an uncomfortable sleep.

Throughout the next passing hours, Ex stayed awake. He had no problem with sleep, weirdly, he didn’t really feel tired even after being up for more than a full day. He watched as Hels slowly lost the color in his face and how he would start to shiver from The End’s everlasting breeze. That in itself was concerning since the knight never really was cold- radiating over 100 degree body heat had its pros for sure. Nonetheless, Hels had to prop himself up on the side of the mast to sit up and overall, he just felt awful. Every movement threw the world around him into a spin and something was mumbling annoyingly in the back of his mind. The Lord was probably punishing him with uncontrollable voices again. He was sluggish, for lack of a better word, because his counterpart was draining him of everything he had left in this vessel.

“Xisuma, take off your helmet,” Hels commanded hoarsely, giving the other his best glare he could muster. Unsurprisingly, Xisuma didn’t comply and only further made concerningly aggressive remarks about the situation. Mostly just saying how he got only a couple hours of sleep the night before and that he was just tired. Yet, none of them, not even Keralis, believed it for a second.

“Shashwamy, you’ve been acting weird the entire time on over here,” Keralis decided to comment. “I think they’re right.”

“Xisuma, if you keep yelling at everyone, I’m gonna end up just like Hels.” Ex stared at Xisuma, awaiting an answer. Growling- growling- at Ex, Xisuma popped the seal around his neck and lifted the helmet, intending to show off that he was just tired and irritated and didn’t, in fact, have red eyes.

Only he did. Very, very red eyes startled both Ex and Hels, the two crawling backwards away from the admin and drawing Hels drawing his sword. It nearly fell from his less than solid grip but he didn’t plan on dying yet. Keralis stepped back a few steps, not wanting to provoke whatever they saw. Xisuma turned to look at him over his shoulder and the man gasped at the sight, drawing his own sword as well.

“Sh….Shashwamy?” The blade wavered in his own grip as well.

Weirdly, it was so unnatural to see slitted crimson irises on the admin. His short, earthy brown hair, minimal stubble, and freckles crossed with an ‘X’ shaped scar across his face oddly supported his usually friendly demeanor. Now, he simply looked possessed and instead of being scared of how the trio fumbled to get away from him, Xisuma chuckled, a deep, sickening chuckle, at the reaction.

“Oh, this will be fun,” he said.

“Xisuma….” Ex muttered, making Xisuma’s head snap towards him. “Xisuma, you need to snap out of it!”

The admin stood, towering over the two still on the ground. Keralis crouched, awaiting some kind of attack or, if their luck happened to be any worse, The Lord of Darkness to appear and kill them all as well. Instead, he unfurled his elytra, speckled grey and white feathers stood out against the ship and he gripped his sword tight, firework rockets in his other hand. He had no intentions to hurt his friend, mostly since he didn’t want to lose him with respawn, but also that whatever it was in front of him, it wasn’t Xisuma.

“Xisuma,” he started, pulling the admin’s attention away from the pair on the other end of the deck. He swallowed the bitter lack of using the endearing nickname, but again, this wasn’t Xisuma. “You can take me on, but we leave the ship and we leave them alone.” He eyed the pair behind the admin.

Xisuma thought for a second. “And if I win?”

“If I die, you’ll be the one left with them here. But I can get you help, Shashwamy. You need to fight it.” The builder kept his voice even, softer than what he would’ve liked.

The admin’s gaze dropped briefly. With a blink, violet eyes were looking at him, but with another blink, they were gone. “You’ll regret trying this. Remember what happened to Tango, Keralis.”

Keralis swallowed thickly. “Yes, I know about Tango. Shashwamy, don’t let it get to you, you’re better than this.”

Xisuma then put his helmet back on, the redness of his eyes glowing through the visor. This time Keralis’s attempts had no effect on the admin. It made his stomach twist, but he stood his ground.

“Fine then. If I die, I come back for you, Keralis.”

The builder shuddered but both were in fully enchanted armor, thankfully, so he would take a few hits if it came to it and so would Xisuma….hopefully. He wouldn’t suffer Tango’s fate at least- Doc had told him and Impulse about it the day before.

Summoning his sword and spreading his elytra- deep green and black spotted pterodactyl wings- Xisuma pulled out his rockets, the pensive glare never leaving Keralis’s unusually large eyes. With that, he stood at the edge of the boat, falling backwards off of it, probably intending for Keralis to follow. He pulled himself up with a few flaps, the smoke of the rockets trailing behind him, and hovered directly over The Void. Keralis thanked everything that Xisuma was bad at PvP. Well, unless the weird evil force had more skill but he doubted that.

With a last glance at the pair on the deck, he fired off his rockets and flew off into the sky. He flew a bit lower than the admin, circling around him. Though, that hadn’t lasted long when Xisuma dived into his direction, already beginning to swing his sword.

He dodged the attack, maneuvering himself around the admin, taking a swing at his elytra to catch him off guard. Not enough to tear his wings, but enough to give him some fright. Keralis fired off more rockets and shot off into one direction. When he turned back around, the admin was coming at him with a speed he would swear was faster than an arrow. Xisuma successfully tackled the other and moved quickly to push his sword upwards into Keralis’s back but his hand was caught and before he knew it, a kick to the chest later and Keralis was flying off again towards the End City.

With yet another growl, the admin sped off towards him. They flew up and around the structure, some shulkers firing at them but the two weaved through the small attacks easily. Keralis flew off over The Void again, letting the admin follow him. Thankfully, the fight was more chasing than attacking and he was perfectly fine with that. Stopping just briefly, he fired off more rockets, flying back towards the city with a much faster speed than he had before. The builder didn’t look like he planned to stop, and Xisuma saw that the idiot was about to fly right into the side of one of the towers. The two were speeding up more and more and even Hels and Ex had no clue what Keralis was planning to do.

But that question was quickly answered when Keralis pulled up just before hitting the building and Xisuma was sent flying right into the side of it. Unfortunately, his armor must’ve given out at some point during the impact because the trio’s communicators buzzed as the admin turned to a puff of green, blue, and purple smoke.

Xisuma experienced kinetic energy

All of the items in Xisuma’s inventory fell meters down onto the endstone and Keralis tore his communicator from his pocket, typing furiously.

<Keralis> Nobody go see xisuma

<Keralis> You dont know whats happening but he and wels are being possessed and will kill you on sight

<Tango> Guessing you were attacked too

<Keralis> Yeah

Pocketing his communicator, and ignoring the various additional buzzes from it from what he assumed were the other Hermits, he flew down to the island. Sure, Xisuma had literally almost tried to kill him, but that didn’t mean the admin wouldn’t at least have his stuff saved. With a sigh, Keralis turned to the ship. Well, Xisuma did drop his elytra in the crash and it wasn’t hardly half broken by any means so Hels would use it to get back to the overworld. Agreeing to this thought, he fired off more rockets and made his way up to the ship.

For a second, Keralis wondered if either Evil Hermit was okay to fly such a long distance. Evil X was already beginning to lose his own color, but the knight was so far along in that process that Keralis didn’t even know if he was awake at the moment. Hels leaned against Ex’s side with a tired frown, breaths leaving in shallow heaves, and beads of sweat pooling over his face. He definitely wouldn’t be flying anytime soon.

Keralis debated with himself. He could see if Ex could carry him back to the overworld and just give him Xisuma’s elytra since they were a stronger set that could handle more weight. On the other hand, both Hels and Ex were probably at more risk of being attacked than the other Hermits but that could be prevented. Nonetheless, Hels needed help and Keralis didn’t want to leave the two to gather health potions….or harm potions. Poison? Did they work like zombie villagers?

He shook his head. Off topic, off topic. Right, well he could just contact the other Hermits, kind of explain what’s going on from what he knew. Though, Wels replied in chat earlier on so any plans would be watched and taken advantage of. He dragged a hand down his face with a groan, grabbing Ex’s attention. This was hard. He just wanted Doc and Impulse back here safely, too. And he wanted Xisuma as well, but that only brought on more worrying thoughts. Hopefully, when he respawned he snapped out of his weird trance. But that was a very iffy hope.

“I don’t know how to help,” he muttered, sending the pair a sad expression. “What do I do?” Ex, nor unconscious Hels, probably knew, but feedback was nice, he guessed. Even if it was the same statement repeated back to him.

Ex only mirrored his expression, turning to glance at Hels. “I….just want to help him. But I don’t know how to stop The Lord of Darkness. This just happens and I don’t think we can prevent it.” He turned back to Keralis. “There’s some people who can probably help but they’re not exactly….nice.”

Keralis perked up, interested in the possible solution. “Who?”

Ex rubbed at his neck, hanging his arm there. “The Evil Hermits. Mostly NPC Grian.”

Then, Keralis deflated. “Oh. There’s not like, a way we can convince them or….?”

The other shrugged. “That’s what I’m hoping Doc and Impulse can do.”

Well wasn’t that certainly news to Keralis. His eyes, already incredibly large as they were, widened at his statement. The fact that Ex said the very thing he was trying to figure out for more than an hour now so casually simply just annoyed him. Ex only rose a brow at Keralis’s increasingly ridiculous vague gestures while he stuttered to get his reply pieced together in his head.

“Wha- They’re in HelsCraft?! And you didn’t think to tell me this before?!” he finally yelled.

“You didn’t ask. You guys said The Lord of Darkness killed them and that they weren’t answering their communicators, so they’re probably in Hels. If we’re lucky, they’re not being tortured.”

Keralis rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but to worry at the thought of his friends being hurt by whatever kinds of creatures were in Hels. He could only think by what Doc said that Hels told him that everything there was so bent on the idea of killing. Though, if Doc and Impulse were there for a reason, they wouldn’t simply be killed. It made, unfortunately, a bit of sense that the people there would have their own fun with a couple of people from the overworld. And Hermitcraft at that.

He crossed his arms, deciding now Ex would be good enough to drag Hels back to the overworld. The man was still his blunt, questionable self and that was enough for Keralis.

“Right, right. Well, we need to get back to the overworld. You can carry him,” he pointed a twirling finger at Hels, ”back there.”

Ex only replied with a huff, then thinking for a second. “Keralis, where did he respawn? Because if I know anything about Xisuma, it wasn’t at his base.”

“Ah….Well, it was in his base but it was….” His eyes widened at the realization. “Down the hall from Wels’s cell. That’s where The Lord of Darkness was, in the cell I mean. I dunno if he’s still there.” He facepalmed internally. They really were just better off keeping him on the boat.

Hastily, Ex pulled Hels and himself up, keeping the knight leaned against his shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

[jaybear1701]

Chapter Summary: Raelle and Scylla get a bit, um, physical with their training before Scylla must leave on a new mission.

Scylla’s fist slammed against the punching bag, the blow reverberating up her right arm to her elbow and shoulder. She jabbed with her left, then followed it with a right hook and a left uppercut. Muscles burning, it felt good to release all the pent up frustration that had been steadily building over the past few weeks. Here, she didn’t have to think about the Spree, the Army, or the Camarilla. Didn’t have to think about Anacostia and her lofty expectations, or about Willa and her growing disappointment. 

And, most importantly, it kept her mind off Raelle.

She threw a particularly vicious right cross, powered by an unintentional Seed sound, sending her poor workout partner flying into the air. Cassidy landed a few meters away, the impact echoing loudly throughout the empty rough room. It was early enough that they would still have the space to themselves for at least a few minutes more before it would be crammed full of eager War College soldiers. 

“O-kay,” Cassidy groaned as she rolled to her side, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. “I think I’ve had about enough of that.”

“Sorry, Cass.” Scylla walked over, clasped Cassidy’s wrist, and helped pull her to her feet. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” Wincing, Cassidy palmed the back of her head, just under her ponytail. “Sadly, this’ll probably be the highlight of my day.” 

“Training’s going that well?” Scylla wiped sweat from her forehead with a small towel, and flapped her sleeveless gray shirt to cool off.

“I think that one mean sergeant with, uh, you know, the eyes… the scary eyes. Quartermaine?” Cassidy shuddered. “I thought she was for sure gonna liquefy me because they weren’t ready for the next mission. Actually, she’d probably do it anyway if she caught you and me,” she curled her fingers into air quotes, “fraternizing.”

Scylla chuckled. “Try not to let Anacostia scare you.”

“Is this where you tell me her bark is worse than her bite?” Cassidy gave her a skeptical side-eye.

“Oh no, they’re equally terrifying,” Scylla half-grinned, walking to the edge of a sparring mat and exchanging her towel for a water bottle. “Just try not to let her scare you, anyway.” 

“Great, thanks,” Cassidy muttered, grabbing her own drink and guzzling it down. “Between her and Collar’s kid, I’m not sure who hates me more.”

Scylla’s hand stilled as she brought the bottle to her lips. “You’ve, um, met Raelle?” She kept her voice light and uninterested, hoping it belied the way her pulse quickened.

“Met?” Cassidy grimaced. “No. But she gives me the evil eye every time I see her. What’s up with that?”

What, indeed. Scylla shrugged noncommittally even as her stomach fluttered. 

“At least I won’t have to see either of them for a while after today,” Cassidy said. 

Scylla’s brow scrunched up. “What do you mean?”

“It means you’re being dispatched in less than 12 hours,” Willa Collar’s voice cut in.  “Which you would have known if you’d bothered to show up to last night’s debrief.”

The hair along the nape of Scylla’s neck rose as she turned to watch Willa approach, lips pursed, boots clicking ominously on the hard floor. She was in uniform, crisp and neatly pressed. The perfect image of the perfect soldier. It was impressive, really, how well Willa could disguise herself in a lie. Scylla really had learned from the best.

Willa aimed a thin smile at Cassidy. “Do you mind if we have a minute, Cass?” It wasn’t a request.

“Sure thing, Boss.” Cassidy nodded, gave Scylla a look that implied behave, and headed out.

Scylla uncapped her bottle and took a long drink, if only to prolong the inevitable. The cold water did little to soothe the dryness in her throat as Willa peered at her in that unnerving way of hers, cold and appraising. Scylla still remembered when her blue eyes had been warmer and full of life. The past year clearly had not been kind. 

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Willa said when they were alone. 

“No, I’ve been busy with assignments you’ve forced on us.” Scylla set her water back down. “There’s a difference.”

“And how have those been going?”

“I thought you read all of my scintillating status reports.”

Willa lifted one eyebrow. “I want to hear it from you.”

“Most of them understand the basics of the Work,” Scylla said. “Craven and Moffett show the most promise, but none can maintain it under duress. Not yet.” They had all been frustrated in the last session when Scylla had dispelled their Work with a simple Seed of Disruption. 

“And Raelle?”

There it was. The real reason behind Willa’s questioning. All their conversations always came back to Raelle, eventually. Scylla was surprised it took this long.

“She should probably stick to Fixing.” That wasn’t exactly true. Raelle was no better or worse than the others, but Scylla wanted to get a rise of Willa. And it worked. 

Willa exhaled loudly, annoyance seeping into her already tense posture. “I mean, how is she?”

“Ask her yourself.” Scylla crossed her bare arms. 

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?”

“Try harder.”

Willa’s eyes flashed, dangerous like a stormy sea. “If you had just done your job to begin with–”

“And if you had just told her the truth,” Scylla interrupted, her own ire rising with the agitated beats of her heart. “You wouldn’t be in this mess. And neither would I.” 

“You know why I couldn’t.” Willa took an intimidating step closer and Scylla resisted the urge to retreat. 

Scylla did know. Knew all too well the lengths people would go to if it meant keeping their loved ones safe. But still… 

“I’m not helping you with Raelle. I thought I made that clear.” Scylla closed the gap between them even further. “I won’t hurt her. Ever again.”

Willa’s vice-like control over her emotions slipped. “She’ll be hurt if she stays in the Army. Or worse. You know that. She belongs with me. With us.”

“She’ll get hurt with us, too,” Scylla whispered, taking no victory when her words hit their mark and hurt rippled across Willa’s face. “But whether she stays or goes, that’s her decision to make. Isn’t that what you wanted? To give her the choice you didn’t have?”

Scylla stood her ground, planting her feet firmly on the proverbial hill she’d die on, neither of them wanting to be the first to flinch in their latest battle of wills. The double doors of the rough room burst open as several soldiers entered for early morning workouts. One stormed up to them. 

“What are you doing here?” 

It was Raelle. 

Willa blinked, and Scylla broke eye contact, head ducked down as they both moved away from each other. Yet another stalemate ended.  

“Having a conversation,” Willa answered, mask firmly back in place. “If you can recall how those work.” 

Raelle’s gaze was icy. “Seems you forgot yourself ‘bout a year ago.”

Like mother, like daughter. The two women stared each other down, reminding Scylla of two gunslingers locked in a duel at high noon. She took the rare opportunity to observe them both, noting the similar intensity in their profiles, the same conviction in nearly identical blue eyes. Together, they were Scylla’s past, present, and future, both evoking a complicated swirl of emotions within her. 

Willa lips flattened into a tight smile. “You can stand down, Private, I was just leaving.” She turned back toward Scylla, expression clear that their discussion was far from finished. “As for you, you’ll receive orders shortly.”

With that, she left them both. 

Scylla breathed out, long and slow. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, though tension lingered in her neck. Her heart rate remained elevated, far from calm now that Raelle had fixed her attention on her. 

“Are you okay?” Raelle asked tentatively, gloved fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeveless black shirt.

“I’m fine, thanks.” Scylla attempted what she hoped was a convincing smile, hating the awkwardness between them. They were friendly, but far from friends. Stuck in a limbo of polite caution where they revolved around each other at arm’s length, neither willing to disrupt their new status quo.  

“You sure?” Raelle licked her lips, an inscrutable expression on her face. “Looked like you two were about to throw down.”

“Yeah.” Scylla nodded. “You Collars are nothing if not fierce.” She began to undo the straps of her training gloves, pulling at the velcro with a sharp rip. 

“You want to work it out?”

Scylla paused, unsure if she heard correctly. “Sorry?”

“Release some steam.” Raelle self-consciously raked her fingers through her blonde hair. “If you wanted.”

Scylla’s pulse kicked up even more. “That’s not necessary.”

“Come on,” Raelle insisted. “I’ve always wanted to see a Necro in action.” She flashed a grin; nervous, but real. It reminded Scylla of carefree days long gone.

“You wouldn’t be able to handle a Necro,” Scylla scoffed, paying no heed to the way her stomach flipped.

“Then you’ve got nothing to lose.”

It was a bad idea. A terrible one. Scylla knew it. And yet Raelle looked so playful and expectant. She was trying . And Scylla couldn’t resist. 

“Fine.” She re-tightened the straps of her training gloves and walked over to the sparring mat, bouncing on the balls of her feet to shake off the nerves that crept into her confidence.

“You serious?”

“As a heart attack.” It slipped out, the phrase Willa was so fond of using, and Scylla inwardly cursed when Raelle’s easy gait stuttered as she took a position opposite Scylla. They both  assumed a fighting stance, fists up.

“Haven’t heard that in a long time,” Raelle said as she threw a few light jabs that Scylla deftly dodged.

“You can ask me, you know,” Scylla said as they circled each other on the mat. “About her. I know you want to.”

“Will you tell me the truth?” Raelle feinted a punch and followed it with a front kick. Scylla blocked and countered with her own combination of strikes, hitting only air until she finally landed a glancing blow to Raelle’s chin.

“Yes.” Scylla backed off from pressing her assault, breath growing short from the exertion and the fact that it was the first physical contact she and Raelle had shared since their reunion at the massacre site. “The more important question is: will you believe me?”

Raelle’s fingertips skimmed the spot where she’d been hit, just underneath her scar. Impressed, she smiled and put her guard back up. “You work for my mom.”

“ With her,” Scylla corrected. “But you already knew that.”

“When did you meet?”

“About two years ago. After my parents were killed.” Scylla managed to hold her emotions in check, stemming the tide that always swelled within her whenever she thought of that horrible night. “She told me her name was Wilhelmina Smith.”

Raelle paused momentarily, nostrils flaring. “Smith was my dad’s name before they got married.” 

Their dance of offense and defense continued, attacks quickly parried, breaths growing heavier. They seemed evenly matched, though Scylla wondered if Raelle was holding back, just as she was, both not wanting to hurt the other. 

“She found me a place to stay,” Scylla continued. “Where I’d be safe.” 

“With the Spree?”

Scylla nodded once.

“So you knew her for a while?” Raelle asked, a tick in her jaw, throat bobbing as she swallowed.

“No.” Scylla shook her head, managing to avoid Raelle’s attempt at a leg sweep. “She’d check in every once in a while, but I rarely saw her. Not for a year, at least.” 

Scylla could practically see the cogs turning inside Raelle’s mind as she calculated the timeline of her mother’s “death.”

“And then?”

“And then she sent orders remotely.” Orders to say the words and get conscripted. Orders to let the Army make her strong. Orders to stay away from the cell at Baylord.

“Like recruiting me?”

Scylla hesitated on her next punch, giving Raelle the opening she needed to grab Scylla’s wrist, and twist her body until she could seize Scylla from behind. 

“You didn’t know she was my mom when I was your target.” It wasn’t a question. 

“No.” Scylla struggled to break free, hands clasping at sweat-slicked skin and toned muscle that wrapped around her. 

“If you had, would you have delivered me?” Raelle’s breath was hot against Scylla’s ear. 

Suppressing a shiver, Scylla snapped herself forward, using Raelle’s own weight to flip her over her shoulder and onto the mat. Raelle landed with a hard grunt, the wind knocked clean out of her. Scylla took the advantage to swiftly pin Raelle’s arms above her head, and trap her legs between her thighs. When Raelle tried to buck her off, Scylla only squeezed tighter.

“No,” Scylla panted out, chest heaving and blood pounding in her ears. She was so close to Raelle, too close, that she could feel Raelle’s harsh puffs against her face. Could smell the familiar clean scent of the Army’s regulation soap mixed with the sharp tang of sweat. Scylla’s gaze darted from Raelle’s dilated pupils to her lips and back, a familiar ache beginning to pool deep in her belly.

A loud and exaggerated cough came out of nowhere. 

They both glanced up to see Abigail towering over them, arms crossed, a scowl on her face. Next to her was Tally, mouth dropped open and eyes so wide they could pop right out of their sockets.

“Excuse me, shitbirds, but this is a rough room,” Abigail quipped. “Not some cheap no-tell motel.”

Face on fire, Scylla immediately rolled off Raelle. They both refused to look in each other’s direction. 

***

The world seemed to tilt off-axis as Scylla stumbled through town, trying to reach the bus station before she met the same fate of her parents. She could still see the fear on both their faces as they had raised their hands in surrender; how her mom’s eyes had slid toward the garage in silent warning and love; the sickening thud of their bodies; the way the MPs chuckled after the execution. It was seared into her memory.    

A nauseating wave of anguish hit her and she retched on the side of a dark street. It wasn’t the first time that night, and it most likely wouldn’t be the last. 

Legs weak, Scylla rounded a building about a block away from the depot. She was a mess and she needed a new lighter as soon as possible, having left her favorite one in her bedroom. They hadn’t even been there a week before they were found, boxes still left unpacked around the house. 

Panic overwhelmed her already churning stomach the second she set foot inside the small station. The military was already there, with MPs stationed at each gate. As casually as possible, Scylla pulled the hood of her dirty sweater up and fixed her attention on the arrival and departure board, watching out of the corner of her eye as one bus unloaded and a few more soldiers joined the ranks. She had to get out of there.

Scylla waited until she could slip into a large enough group of departing passengers, blending in with them until she could peel away. She headed deep down a nearby alleyway, head pounding, eyes stinging, staggering until her back hit a brick wall and she slid down to the ground behind a green dumpster.

It was hopeless, she thought as she wrapped her arms around her knees and curled into a ball. She was only prolonging the inevitable. Maybe it would be better if she just gave up now and turned herself in. Join her parents in the afterlife. At least then she wouldn’t have to be alone.

“Are you okay?”

Scylla’s head snapped up and her heart stopped. A soldier approached slowly, hands up, placating. She was an older woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun.

Backing up against the wall, Scylla tried to remember one of the defensive Seeds that her parents had taught her, but was paralyzed with fear. This was it.

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you,” the woman said, azure eyes kind. “I just wanna help.” She slowly crouched down carefully to not spook Scylla. “I’m Wilhelmina Smith.”

Scylla couldn’t speak even if she had wanted, not with the way terror gripped her throat. She was shaking so badly that she was surprised her teeth weren’t chattering.

“Listen,” Wilhelmina said softly. “If the MPs are this deep in the Cession, that means they’re lookin’ looking for one of two things: deserters or dodgers. You don’t look old enough to be a deserter. What are you? Fifteen? Sixteen?”

Scylla managed a nod.

“Parents?”

Try as she might, Scylla couldn’t stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks. They answered Wilhelmina’s question for her.

“I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can get you somewhere safe.” She held out her hand. “We have to move quickly, though.”

Scylla stared at the proffered hand, weighing her options between a rock and a hard place. She could take a chance with this stranger, who could be leading her to a trap. Or roll the dice and run, risking capture.  

“Why…” Scylla’s voice came out raspy and rough. “Why are you doing this?”

“I have a daughter. ‘Bout your age. If she was in your shoes, I’d hope someone would help her too.”

There was something about this woman. Something calm and gentle. Something that made Scylla want to trust her even though she had every reason not to.

Scylla took her hand anyway.

*** 

Deep below Fort Salem, the Mycelium Wall stood as it had for centuries, opaque and shrouded in mystery. White wisps swirled in a crystalline mist, undisturbed by the experiment being conducted in its space. A distorted Seed sound wrapped around the participants of the cold, gray room. Although barely audible to the naked human ear, it made the witches present wince in pain. 

“This isn’t working,” Abigail huffed out, breaking her link with Raelle and covering her ears.

Izadora, whose face was scrunched up in similar displeasure, raised a hand at Scylla, who quickly shut the lid of a small wooden box. The noise mercifully ended, and the resulting silence soothed Scylla’s frayed hearing. 

“What the hell was that?” Raelle asked, fingers massaging her temples. 

“Something the Camarilla cooked up,” Scylla said from the corner of the room. “They’ve been layering it at the massacre sites.”

Leaning back up against a wall, she pointedly avoided Raelle’s gaze as she spoke. Whatever ground she and Raelle had gained with each other–in terms of getting back to…well, not normal , by any means…but to some sort of truce–had taken a major step back because Scylla hadn’t been able to say no to Raelle earlier.

“Bastardizing our Work with the dead,” Izadora crossed her arms in disgust. 

“And this is supposed to be related to the witch bomb?” Abigail asked.

“Not necessarily.” Izadora walked in a circle around where Abigail and Raelle sat facing each other in front of the Mycelium Wall. “But we had to eliminate the possibility that the Camarilla used it on the Altai Mountains, or that it played a role in your explosion.”

Abigail slumped into her chair. “So, basically, we’re back at square one.”

“Patience, Private Bellweather.” Izadora patted Abigail’s shoulder. “This isn’t an exact science. We’ll get there.”

“There must be something else,” Scylla said. “Something small you may have missed.”

Raelle shrugged up a shoulder. “We’ve been over it a hundred times. I got stabbed.” Scylla frowned. “Abigail tried to link with me. And the next thing we knew…”

“We were walking through mushroom land,” Abigail finished.

Scylla pushed off the wall and approached the Mycelium, drawn to the power in its murky depths. It resonated in the marrow of her bones, comforting and peaceful. “No.” She stopped a respectable distance from it before Izadora could object. “Something from before then.”

“We’ve established that Private Collar had contact with the Mycelium and somehow forged a link with it,” Izadora recounted.

“Yeah, she’s got a knack for touching shit she shouldn’t,” Abigail muttered, which earned her a kick to the shins from Raelle.

Scylla turned to face Raelle. “When did it happen? And why were you down here?”

Raelle’s eyes shifted to Izadora then back toward the ground. “It was a few days after the wedding. I thought I could find answers.” Raelle looked directly at Scylla, whose breath stilled. “About you.”

Ignoring the twist beneath her ribs, Scylla focused back on the wall. This wasn’t the time to unpack that tangled revelation. “Why did you touch it?”

Leaning forward, Raelle rested her elbows on her knees, idly rubbing at her left index finger. “I dunno. I just…” She shook her head. “It felt like the right thing to do. I can’t explain it.”

“And then what?”

Raelle turned up her hands. “Nothing. I had some of it on my finger, but it’s gone now.” 

“No.” Scylla began to pace. “Something else had to have happened between then and the Tarim mission.”

“She took a shitload of Salva,” Abigail offered.

“That has nothing to do with anything,” Raelle snapped, cheeks darkening. Scylla made a mental note to dig into that nugget of information later.

“Salva exits the system within 24 hours,” Izadora noted, eyes drawn back to the Mycelium. “The doses you took should have been lethal, but they weren’t.”

“Is there anything else?” Scylla asked. “Something you might have encountered, or anyone else you may have linked with?”

“I don’t know. There was Treefine when we learned about linking.” Raelle shot another look at Izadora, who only shrugged, unfazed. “Tally at City Drop.”

Abigail suddenly sat up in her chair. “Khalida.”

“Who?” Scylla asked.

“The Tarim refugee,” Izadora answered. “Private Collar cured her of the Camarilla’s poison when even our best fixers could not.”

“After you fixed her,” Abigail snapped her fingers, “you said you normally take on the disease.”

Raelle’s eyes widened. “But I didn’t.”

“Exactly. It just disappeared. Melted into the ground.” Abigail looked expectantly at Izadora, who rubbed her chin. “What if it went somewhere else?”

“The Mycelium,” Scylla breathed out.

Izadora walked quickly to her desk and pulled out a ledger. “Around that time, I observed an unusual phenomenon with the wall. It turned black for a few moments before reverting to normal.”

“Could Raelle have transferred the poison to the Mycelium?” Scylla joined Izadora to scan the notes. 

“It’s possible,” Izadora nodded, an eager glint in her dark eyes. “Did you have any other contact with the Camarilla’s disease?”

Raelle’s lips parted. “There was a boy in the mountains. I fixed him too.”

“Right before the bomb,” Abigail confirmed, swiveling in her seat.

“It’s possible the Mycelium absorbed the poison, converted it somehow, and then released the energy through Raelle,” Izadora hypothesized then let out a short laugh. “It’s the best lead we’ve had in weeks.” 

Excitement shot through Scylla. “Have you cured anyone else since then?”

“No one else has been sick,” Raelle said.

They all fell silent, weighing the potential implications of the connections they had forged until Scylla’s wristwatch buzzed, spoiling the moment.Scylla looked at the time. She would be late if she didn’t hurry and the last thing she needed was another argument with Willa. 

“I have to go,” she said apologetically.

“What? Now?” Abigail almost sounded disappointed. “We just got started.”

“Sorry, High and Mighty. But duty calls.” Scylla nodded at Raelle, who inclined her head slightly, brow creased. 

“Good work, Ramshorn,” Izadora gave her a small, proud smile before reaching out and touching Scylla’s elbow. “We need samples of that poison,” she added, her voice low.

“I’ll see what we can do.”  

Night had blanketed Fort Salem by the time Scylla emerged from the Necro facility and returned to her temporary quarters, gongs echoing in the distance to mark the start of curfew. Despite the adrenaline coursing through her, it had been a trying day, to say the least.Exhausted, Scylla ran a hand down her face, reminding herself it could have been worse. It always could be worse. 

She entered her room, wanting nothing more than to crash onto her bed and surrender to a long, dreamless sleep. But, no. She had to report back to Penelope Road. Eyeing the full-length mirror on the wall, Scylla moved to the closet and began shedding her uniform: unzipped and shrugged out of the jacket, unbuckled the belt, pulled off the shirt, and slipped out of the pants. She rummaged through the closet and fished out the jeans and light plaid shirt she had arrived in.

When Scylla was fully dressed again, she glanced at her reflection. A sense of freedom washed over her, mixed with an unexpected ripple of melancholy. Shaking it off, she tucked her Zippo into her pocket, then grabbed her journal and checked that the worn photo of her parents was still tucked safely within its pages.She pulled it out, reverently tracing their faces with the tip of her finger. Not a day went by that she didn’t wish they were still alive, wondering whether they would have approved of her path or would have been severely disappointed. Often, she feared it was the latter. 

Her mind drifted to Willa and Raelle, and their stubborness. How they had the luxury of taking new pictures, creating new memories, but would rather waste time and butt heads. It wasn’t Scylla’s place to make them see eye-to-eye. And yet…

Heart clenching, Scylla stuffed the picture back into her journal, which she placed inside a small backpack. Scylla didn’t want to leave anything of note behind, in case she didn’t make it back for a while. Or at all , her mind whispered.

The campus was quiet and still when she left the dorm, save for the occasional chirp from crickets in the grass. Scylla carefully avoided any patrols on the paths toward the pickup location at the officers’ barracks, cutting through fields and ducking behind trees when she needed. 

She was nearly in the clear, about a few hundred meters from her final destination, when a figure appeared at the end of the walkway. Scylla tensed up, expecting a dressing down by a clueless patrolwoman who knew nothing of Alder’s Accord with the Spree, only to relax when she recognized the soldier. 

Anacostia.

The sergeant, strolling with her hands linked behind her back, stopped in her tracks when her eyes landed on Scylla.

Anacostia eyed her civilian clothes and backpack. “Going somewhere?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t get the memo.” Scylla half-smirked as they drew closer to each other.

“Right.” Clearing her throat, Anacostia turned and fell into step beside Scylla. “Of course. How long will you… How long is the operation?”

“As long as it takes.” Scylla lifted one eyebrow. “Are you gonna miss me?”

“Oh, I’ll miss you like I miss a sharp stick in the eye,” Anacostia reassured her, and Scylla chuckled. 

A comfortable silence settled between them, their steps soft on the pavement. If someone had told Scylla a year ago that Anacostia Quartermaine would become one of her confidants, a steady rock amid turbulent waters, she would have laughed in their face. And Scylla would miss her while she was away.

“Is Willa Collar going with you?” Anacostia asked, almost hesitantly. 

“I’m not sure,” Scylla answered honestly, hitching her backup up higher. “But I doubt it. She’s too important to risk.”

“And you are?”

“Careful, Sergeant, I just might start to think you like me.” Scylla winked, drawing a scoff from Anacostia. “Does…” Scylla started to ask even though she knew she probably shouldn’t. “Does Raelle know?”

Anacostia paused. “No. But she’ll find out soon enough when we cancel your classes.”

Scylla’s chest twinged as she wondered if Raelle would even care that she was gone. Not that it would change anything even if she did.  

They reached the side entrance of the officers’ quarters, and Anacostia turned toward Scylla.  “How are things?”

“With Raelle?”

“With anything.”

“You’re full of questions tonight,” Scylla teased. 

Anacostia only blinked at her.

“It is what it is,” Scylla said because there wasn’t much else to say. “I have my mission. That’s enough. Izadora should have a promising update for you tonight.”

Anacostia’s lips parted, as if she had more to add, but instead she nodded and held the door open for Scylla, who paused before she crossed the threshold.

“Would you do me a favor?” She asked.

“I make no promises.”

“Fair enough.” It was a long shot, Scylla knew, but she had to try. Despite her many issues with Willa and Raelle, she felt she owed them at least this much. In case the worst happened. “Could you,” she took a deep breath, “talk to Raelle about Willa?”

Anacostia stiffened, grip tightening on the door. “Why?”

“Because our moms can’t come back from the dead, but hers did.” Scylla’s lips trembled slightly as she attempted a smile. “I know she’s hurt. Angry. And maybe Willa doesn’t deserve forgiveness.” Maybe I don’t either. She shrugged. “I don’t know. But Raelle could at least hear her out. Before it’s too late.”

Anacostia exhaled forcefully, tension evident in the rigid way she held herself, spine straight. “I’ll…see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” Scylla said, genuinely grateful.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Anacostia muttered.

Schooling her features once again, Scylla sucked in a deep breath as she turned to leave. “Wish me luck.“ 

She was out of earshot when Anacostia finally responded with a whispered, “Good luck.” And was long gone by the time Anacostia let go of the door, flicked open a lighter, and raised the flame to her face.

[oneofyatosfollowers]

One of a Kind- Chapter 8

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20191861/chapters/52293733

Fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13360973/1/One-of-a-Kind

Yukine unbuckled his seat belt and stood up in the middle of the ship. He started at Hiyori from next to Yato, who looked like he was just slapped across the face. Hiyori was going to ship them off? Back to Earth while she hunted for a missing bottle with crummy dirt in it?

"So, what? You're just gonna wonder around the ship by yourself? With all the Secur-T looking for you?" Yukine took a step off the ship, anger threading his words. Hiyori looked a bit taken back, but remained firm.

"I'll be fine. But Yato has been labeled a real threat to public safety! He can't stay here! And I can't go with you. I have an objective here. A mission for the good of all the passengers. I swore an oath!"

"You said you didn't believe the stuff that jerk said!"

"I don't!" Hiyori shouted. Yukine narrowed his eyes at her, but backed down a bit. Hiyori took a deep breath.

"But for now, everyone on the ship does, including all of the Secur-T. I need to focus on finding out what happened to the plant," she said. Her last words sounded like a plea, a hopeless plea.

"You think someone took it." Yato spoke from the transit. His words weren't a question, but rather, an observation. Yukine looked back at Hiyori, who didn't say anything. Her lip-biting confirming Yato hit the nail on the head. After a moment, Yato walked off the ship, his boots clicking against the hard floor. The Eve looked back at him, pinning him with a serious expression.

"Yato, you know how important this is to me."

"I know. That's why we're going to help you." Yato stated. Yukine nodded in resolve, coming to stand closer to the Wall-E. Desperate frustration bubbled up in Hiyori.

"I can do this, but it's become dangerous for you. I-I can't protect you and find the plant, I can't-"

"-I don't need protecting." Yato's voice was strong with certainty. He spoke with such conviction that the room fell silent, no argument possible.

"You'll need our help," Yukine piped up, "please, we're here for you. We're not going to leave you to do this alone." Hiyori looked up, glancing between them with wet eyes. She settled on Yato, who smiled as he always did. Her chest felt lighter and took a breath to say something. Behind her, the keypad made a couple bleeping noises, and the door unlocked.

Quickly, Hiyori rushed to click the lights off while Yukine shut down the shuttle. They both then shoved Yato behind the rack of space suits. Yukine ducked behind some boxes. Hiyori huddled behind the white oxygen tanks. The door opened and the LED lighting of the hallway streamed through, casting a shadow over the large figure. The trio held their breath, the face of the co-pilot coming to mind. But once the lights switched on, they were shocked to see the Go-4 standing there. The group stayed hidden as his bulge-y eyes suspiciously scanned the room. When he didn't find anything, he made his way to the control pad, one hand coming out from under his poncho to mess with the controls.

Yato made eye contact with Hiyori and Yukine, the latter closest to the door. On cue, Yukine looked towards the door, then turned to his friends with a desperate, pleading eyes. Hiyori shook her head, hold her palm to him, telling him to stay still. She did the same to Yato who became distracted by the whirling of the engines starting back up again.

The Go-4 made his way to the open door of the ship, stopping just where Yato once stood. Bending over, his other hand emerged from under his poncho, holding a small brown object. Hiyori's opened wide like saucers while Yato's narrowed sharply. The Go-4 exited the ship, the plant in the glass bottle, sitting perfectly in the center. Hiyori glared at the cyborg as he made his way back to the control panel and shut the shuttle doors.

"Self destruct sequence: activated." The feminine robotic voice announced to the room. Hiyori sucked in a breath, it took everything not to jump out and reveal their presence. Another sound came from the Go-4 who glanced at the screen on his forearm, the face of the Auto could just be made out.

"Kugaha, is the plant in position?" Kouto asked.

"Yes sir," Kugaha hit a large yellow button, "I just shipped it off." The ship doors slammed shut and the individual ship was fired from Heaven's Sun like a cannon ball. The walls slammed shut behind it, quickly vacuuming shut.  

"Good. Come back to my quarters for your next instructions, that Wall-E cannot continue to roam my ship any longer." The Auto cut the feed and Kugaha made his way out, turning the lights off as he went. Once the doors slid shut and the room was silent, Hiyori and Yukine jumped up.

"The plant!" The screamed in unison. Hiyori ran to the control pad, trying to bring it back or stop the destruction sequence.

"Uh, Hiyori?" Yukine chocked out from behind her. She did a double take over her shoulder at his horrified expression. The Eve followed his eyes to the screen above her to see the video feed from inside the shuttle.

"Yato!" She shrieked. The Wall-E was sprawled out on his back, neck bent up against the door. In one hand the glass bottle, the other rubbing his head. At her call, he sat up and blinked rapidly.

Yato scrambled to his feet and looked out the back window to see the ship getting smaller and smaller in the distance. He let out a curse and made his way the transport's control panel, this one seeming much more complicated than necessary. In front of him, a screen turned on and showed the equally panicked expressions of Hiyori and Yukine. Yato hit a small button with a microphone on it.

"Hello! Hello? Can you hear me?" Yato shouted

"Yes, we can hear you! What were you thinking, you idiot?" Yukine leaned in close to the camera and shouted back. Hiyori nudged him aside.

"Yato, listen to me- stop hitting buttons that's not going to help! Yato, behind you is the emergency exit." Hiyori spoke calmly but her voice still shook. Yato doubted her training covered Wall-Es flying in a bomb with a inflatable boat on top and a broken parachute flapping behind him.

"I don't have a helmet! My filter only works if there's oxygen!"

"Under the control panel is a helmet just like Hiyori's." Yukine cut in. He continued giving Yato instructions on how to get it and put it on while Hiyori tried hitting more buttons.

"Self-Destruction set for one minute." Both the ship and the launch room echoed at the same time. Yato's heart soared to new heights, he threw himself against the exit and tried pulling on the curvy red bars.

"Uh, uh, I-I, how do you open this thing!" Yato's eyes darted frantically over the foreign writing, his sensors on overdrive from the stress and lack of knowledge. One thing was familiar, fancy looking boots that matched his helmet.

From the ship, Hiyori clicked a button on her helmet and ran to a garbage shoot. The inside opened up, the pull of space vacuuming out the air.

"Wha-Hiyori! What are you doing?" Yukine shouted in alarm as Hiyori put her hand on the side button.

"I'm going after him. You tell him how to get out."

"But-!" It was too late. The trash door was shut and the vacuum tube ripped Hiyori out of the ship and into the blackness of space. Hiyori flipped her boots on the highest setting, she rocketed faster than her suit could adjust. The frigid atmosphere hit her nervous system causing her teeth to grind.    

"Faster Hiyori! You got ten seconds!" Yukine's frantic voice sounded from her helmet. Hiyori couldn't even formulate a response, her mind only on one track. Go faster. Please go faster. Yato was in there and he needed to get out. She needed to get him out. Yato needed to be out here with her.

The indivdual spaceship was starting to look less like a star and more like a moon. The red hazard lights were turned on making it look like a giant baseball. The insides were red too, illuminating the Wall-E swinging his compactor into the thick glass window. Hiyori zoomed closer as the count down started from three.

The pod exploded. Like a dying star, light stretched soundlessly from a ball of fire. Hiyori scrambled to a stop, floating alone in space. Her brown eyes reflected the glare from her helmet, darting over every inch of the scene.

"No." The Eve whispered like a breath. The pieces of the ship floated out in all directions, not one of them the body of a cyborg. Hiyori numbly tapped her helmet and asked Yukine if he had anything different. She didn't receive an answer. The blonde teenager was balled up on the floor behind the control pad, hand trying to contain his hyperventilating, eyes screwed shut.

"No, Yato. No, no, please." Hiyori said a bit louder. She kicked her boots back in high gear, rocketing towards the fire her sensors warned her to avoid. A couple tears leaked from her eyes. She should have kept a better eye on him. Yato was clever, but he followed her out of his element. He was just trying to help her fluff her arrogance so humans could go back to a planet that had no hope of sustaining them! She tried to protect him. To warn him that she wasn't strong enough. Hiyori chocked back a dry sob.

"Yato," Hiyori morned.  

"Hiyori!" Yato's voice sounded directly in her head. She stopped, heat of the blast just warming her body. The Eve looked around for the source of the call, trying out his name again. Her helmet crackled again.

"Hiyori! Down here! Or is it maybe up?" Hiyori looked towards her feet to see Yato floating some meters away. His new white spacesuit was stark against the black background and his eyes shown just like the stars that surrounded him. He was floating upside down- from Hiyori's point of view- and had his legs out towards her.

"Yato!" Hiyori cried in joy, flying towards him with a bright smile.

"Hiyori!" Yato laughed, her excitement contagious. He held his hands out to her, then fired on his own boots, sending him further away. Yato's surprised face was priceless. Hiyori laughed and flew past the former ship after him. Yato bent his knees and tried the boots again, this time sending his body forward. Hiyori's face morphed into one of playful fear, she held her arms out and leaned back.

"No, no, no, Yato! Wait!" Hiyori let out a puff of air when Yato crashed into her chest, laughing. They were sent spinning like a wheel, cheering as they clung to each other, helmets clanking together. The spinning slowed, their space shoes off leaving only their laughter and gasps of breath.

Once they calmed down, Hiyori pulled back to look him, smile so wide her cheeks hurt. Yato looked the same, when her hands came to hold the sides of his helmet, he returned the action. Yato's thumb moved against the glass, subconsciously trying to wipe the water filling her eyes.  

"You're okay." The Eve's voice was sweet and she blinked away the would-be tears.  Yato's smile was still wide and it crinkled his bright, bright eyes. He nodded and held her gaze, that same feeling from their first meeting bubbling back up. It felt the same as it did now, floating in warm nothing, ignoring everything that surrounded him except her.

"Yeah. I'm okay," Yato said like a secret just for her.

Hiyori felt it too. She never felt this before- maybe a brief moment during their movie night on Earth- but not this deep. It was real, she felt heavy and light at the same time, warmth spreading across her cheeks. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck and her smile softened. Yato followed her lead, arms just barely wrapped around her waist, resting on top of the gun. Their hooded eyes dropped close as they leaned in and pressed the glass of their helmets together. Contentment evening out their breaths.

"Yato! Are you okay?" Yukine sounded from both their helmets. Hiyori jumped back from Yato, who tried to do the same but ending up spinning around. They laughed and Hiyori clicked the microphone button over her ear.

"Yes Yukine, Yato is just fine!" Hiyori reassured him. Yukine sighed in relief over the speakers.

"Thank the stars! I'm so sorry, I didn't want to look or-or to hear but I saw you hug him and I thought-"

"Daw," Yato cooed from his own helmet, copying Hiyori's method, "You do care!" Hiyori giggled and listens to Yukine's responding tangent. She agreed with his point on Yato being an idiot and sneaking in a bomb.

"Oh come on! I'm still in one piece! You did a great job with the instructions!" Yato grinned from his now upside-down position. Yukine practically steamed on the other line, pride ruffling his hardy agreement. Yato suddenly jolted, catching Hiyori's attention.

"Speaking of." Yato flew back towards the still-exploding wreckage and plucked his compactor out of the stars and swung it towards Hiyori. The cube opened up and allowed a plant in a bottle to roll out.

"Yato!" Hiyori gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.

"Ta-da!" Yato presented with wide arms and an even wider smile.

"The plant!" Yukine cheered. Yato folded his tool back and put it away. Hiyori reaches her hands out with wide eyes and grasped the frail object carefully.

"Yep!" Yato crosses his arms, proud. Hiyori squealed again and flew into Yato's arms, which were ready and waiting. All three of them let out breathy laughs and the Eve blinked back tears.

"Quick, bring it here!" Yukine said.

"What? Why?" Yato asked, separating again from Hiyori.

"Cause there's no air in space, idiot!" Yukine chided. The two outside the ship jumped at the realization. After some failed attempts, and a lot of giggling from Hiyori, the two flew back towards the ship.

"I didn't know you knew stuff about plants, Yukine." Yato said, looking towards the speaker. He sounded impressed.

"Well, uh, yeah. I, uh," Yukine stuttered in the speaker, "have a friend in the agriculture department." Yato and Hiyori gave each other a look like someone just told them cats were lethal to elephants.

"A friend! My kiddo has a friend? That's wonderful news! You should invite them over for a sleepover! Did you hear that Hiyori? My prickly peach has a-"

"Shut up idiot! I've been friends with him longer than I've been your kid, so!" Yukine hissed from the transport room. The two reached Heaven's side and the flat door where the individual ship once was. Hiyori put the plant back in the shoot she came from and told Yukine to reverse the pull. When she went to step inside too, Yato held her back.

"We'll catch up with you later, kiddo! No use getting your friend in trouble helping three fugitives." Yato said floating away from the ship, winking at Hiyori who's blush returned full force. Yukine pathetically tried to deny he was a fugitive, then demanded they meet him in the cleaning closet in an hour.

"We will! I'll make sure, I promise." Hiyori said and drifted away from the ship as well.

"Okay. Be careful." Yukine clicked off the control panel. Hiyori turned around to Yato, only to see nothing but empty space. Movement above her to the right caught her eye. She looked up to see Yato twirling across the ship like a ballerina. He stopped when he felt her looking at him, smiling.

"Come on, Hiyori!" Yato pushed off the ship and flew like Superman. The Eve laughed and gently levitated towards him.

"I see you got the hang of those boots." She remarked. Yato was now on his side, like he was about to be drawn as a French girl.

"Yeah, I hooked them up to my computer and tried to update. It was a bit complicated, and my system's a bit out dated, but it's still ones and zeros in the end. I mostly got the settings and commands." Yato scratched the back of his helmet as he rambled. Hiyori was, nonetheless, impressed.

"You hacked a system more advanced and converted it to match yours?"

"Uh, kinda?" Yato made a face like it was hard to explain.

"I couldn't do most of it, I've only been at it for a couple minutes now, but that basically the gist," he puffed out his chest, "but lucky for you I'm a master hacker!" Yato reached up to rub his finger under his nose only to bonk it against the clear glass. Hiyori laughed at his antics, Yato laughing along with her.

"I didn't know you knew programming, Yato?" Hiyori said.

"It was one of the things you had to learn in cyborg academy." Yato explained. He then faced the front of the ship and tucked his legs in, looking to the side at Hiyori.

"In fact," Yato smirked at her, "I bet I can kick these babies up a notch faster than yours." He took off towards the front of the ship in a blur of white. Hiyori cranked up her own boots and clicked on her audio.

"Oh you're on!"

[thedistantstorm]

Keep On Rising (Until The Sky Knows Your Name) 06

Found Family | Zavala is Tower Dad | Father-Daughter Relationship | Childhood Trauma and Recovery | Canon-Typical Violence | Amputation

A story about how an orphaned Amanda Holliday comes to belong in the Last Safe City and the family she finds along the way.

(Or, the story of how Commander Zavala finds himself responsible for one Amanda Holliday.)

Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05

This time: The foster family. They’re good people, but they’re not HER people.

-/

They're nice people, Amanda supposes, the first time she meets them. They want to see her do good things, to send her to a nice school for 'gifted' children like her. Wouldn’t make her change her name unless she decided she wants to.

Zavala said she needed to give them a chance. Said he liked them. Said he'd vetted them himself. Whatever that meant.

But she could tell something was wrong, the entire time. He didn't sound like it, didn't look like it, and if somebody asked, she couldn't really give them proof. She just knew. She'd been around enough people trying to convince others of things they didn't wanna believe themselves. Trying to inspire hope in others so they wouldn’t feel so hopeless themselves.

He had asked her to agree to it for herself. To give herself the best chance. It won't be permanent right away, he'd said. Not until you're ready.

Amanda knew she would never be ready, but she knew she had to give him - and Matron Karena and the houseparents who kept telling her this was what was best option she had - proof. That would be the only way to show them she was better off not adopted at all. So, reluctantly - but far easier than Zavala had been expecting, she could tell - she agreed.

-/

Mr and Mrs Baumsol - her foster parents - were kind enough. The mom was far less stern than Ma ever was, and the dad was a City worker who had long hours and was mostly tired and subdued when he was home. Their son, Benji, was their pride and joy. The two of them had lots of structured play time, but also had their fair share of chores.

Really, Amanda didn't mind doing the work. Kept her busy and out of the way. Mrs Baumsol kept asking questions about her Ma and Pa when she was in the same room, so she'd trade Benji for garbage duty, tending the garden and sweeping the walkways. He seemed to enjoy cleaning things better than being outside anyway.

He was a quiet boy, not mean like the boys at the orphanage, but not particularly nice, either. He didn't seem to mind her, so long as she didn't hog too much attention. Which was fine. It didn't feel right when they - her foster parents - showed their affection for her. It didn't feel warm or safe.

Didn’t feel like… well, no use thinking about that. That wouldn’t happen. Couldn’t. He’d been sure to remind her of that, the last time they’d seen each other. Sometimes, late at night, she curls up in a ball and thinks about what safe feels like to try and fall asleep. Tries to think of Ma and Pa, but it’s not the same. It’s not real. She can’t have that. But, when she lets herself think about kind blue eyes and a gentle voice, and pillows the blanket he’d given her under her head like it’s his sweater… 

It was difficult trying to sleep at night. With her bedroom near the front garden, she could hear everything that happened at night. Vehicles, people walking home or exercising their pets. She's always been a light sleeper. That was sometimes the difference between life and death.

Some nights, she heard things. The sound of old shows playing too loud in their neighbor’s living room: they’d fallen asleep on the couch again. Sometimes it was quieter, almost cricket-like chirping that reminded her of the wilds, of…

… Fallen, in the distance.

She started staying up, listening. Sure, she was tired, but there was no way she’d sleep easy without knowing. Kept an eye out during the day, listened, when she and Benji walked back from their primary school together. About a week into it, she’d heard a sound she couldn’t unhear: arc pulses.

Benji yells at her, flapping his arms when she drops to a crouch next to the storm grate, eyes narrowed on the pavement and both hands cupped around her ears. This was just outside the Baumsol’s house. No wonder she could hear it at night. She wasn’t wrong, she thought, the touch of pride at being right overshadowed by sudden fear that came with it.

Rising quickly, she clings onto his arm, dragging him away. “Is your mom home,” She asks him, when they’re a few meters away from the grate.

“She went shopping, she sent me a message on my tablet.” Amanda didn’t have one of those. Benji was three years older than her, and he’d saved up for his communications device all on his own. Amanda might be able to have one when she got older, they said.

Honestly, Amanda had been done with these people since the first time she met them. She knew they were nice and good, but they weren’t her people. “Look, there’s Fallen down there, in the sewer.”

“That’s insane.”

“There is!” She tells him, defensively.

Benji laughs. “Momma says you’re not sleeping at night. I think you’re losing your marbles.” He drops to his knees in front of the vent. “Helloooo, Fallen? Anyone in there?”

Amanda squeals and yanks him up, hard. “Don’t do that! They understan’ common-speak!”

His sandy brown hair sways as he laughs. “Oh, please. There aren’t any Fallen in the sewers.”

 “I can hear them at night, too!” She continues dragging him along, face pinched in frustration. “They’re definitely down there. I know that sound.”

“Is that why you’re not sleeping?” Benji looks a bit sad, almost. “If you’ll sleep better, you can have my room.”

“No, I - You don’t get it!”

“No,” Benji answers, exasperatedly, “You don’t get it. I’ve lived in this City my entire life. Momma and Dad, too. We’re safe here. I heard them say that you’ve never been safe before. But this is how it is. We’ve always been safe. We’ll always be safe.”

That doesn’t stop her from telling both of her foster parents, the very moment they return home. She explains the sounds in the night, tells them to come with her, quietly, they’ll be able to hear the movement in the drains. But both of them have the same kind of mindset. She can hear her Pa’s voice, soft but honest, his lessons loud and clear in her mind.

That kinda thinkin’s what gets people killed.

Those aren’t rats in the gutters, or the sounds of fruit bats that must be nesting in the rafters of some house nearby. She’s not just some ‘cutie’ with an ‘overactive imagination,’ like they say at first, or, weeks later, when she still won’t let it drop, ‘a poor, tortured soul,’ and ‘a troubled girl.’  

She is Amanda Holliday and she did not survive this long by ignoring clear warning signs.

[theamberfang]

NitW: Day 7, Evening; Harfest

Upkeep

After having to delay this post for a few days*, I’m continuing with Mae’s seventh day back home, completing her first full week. In my last post, I had covered her afternoon activities, primarily running around town and talking to everyone.

(Wrist pain after writing part 1 left me less keen on continuing right the next day, and the weekend was taken up with other things.)

Suiting Up

Last time was the first time I’ve ever saved and quit when Mae wasn’t sleeping in bed. (It had always felt so natural to wait until then, and you’re even told to “Hold esc to save and quit” and it only ever works in bed.) I came back into the game right where I left off: with Mae standing in her room. This still leaves me uncertain about whether it’ll save any position, or if you always end up back in Mae’s bedroom and I just happened to be there already.

Regardless, the only thing I had left to do was examine Mae’s mirror to get Harfest started. After a taking a brief moment to admire her regular clothes, she dons her outfit for Harfest: Witchdaggah! Or rather, Witchdagger, a band that Mae may (heh) mentioned once before. She does have a Witchdagger poster in her bedroom, featuring the same likeness as her outfit: a cat in robes and a dagger-pierced witch’s hat.

Costume adorned, Mae heads downstairs. I attempt to see if the costume has triggered any new messages around the house, which alerts me to the fact that Mae can’t jump when I try to get past the stairs to where the bird cage and bookcase are. Fair enough that she wouldn’t be jumping around in costume.

Making her way all the way down the stairs, Mae notices that her parents aren’t around; it would normally be innocuous enough, but it’s somewhat worrying after Mae’s argument with her mom earlier in the day. Mae brushes it off though, assuming her parents had just made their way out to the festival before her.

Harfest

Heading out the front door, the player is greeted with “Harfest” as a scene title, of sorts, and cuts straight into the town, right next to the tunnel entrance and the bulletin board—neither of which can be interacted with. There are way more people here for the festival than Mae usually sees in town, some she that recognizes—like the man that always tells Mae to stay away from his porch and the curmudgeon that Mae claimed to be mayor to; quite the grumpy pair—and many that she doesn’t recognize. Either way, she isn’t able to—or interested in—talking to anyone.

The first thing Mae can interact with is an opening in a tent. The first is labeled “fortune teller,” and a second something along the lines of “dunking booth.” Heading into that first flap, I’m greeted with what seems like one of those unique minigames: there’s a big wheel front and center and a meter off to the right. From off-screen somewhere, Mae has a conversation with whoever is running this contraption—something about the wheel saying sooth and such. Once the “game” gets going, a little bar shows up on the meter, rapidly increasing and decreasing, reminding me of power-gauges in golf games. I end up with a weak spin, and Mae gets a lame fortune for it: she’ll live, and then she’ll die eventually.

Before Mae walks over to the next flap, I notice that there’s something going on in the foreground. It looks like a marching band, and they’re followed by vehicles that make it apparent this is a parade—a small one, but a parade nonetheless. Someone (Mr. Chazokov?) is singing from the back of a truck, and I’m sure it’s something spooky. Following is... some sort of emergency vehicle? An ambulance maybe? It’s just a darkened silhouette in the foreground, so it’s hard to tell. After that is a car pulling a cart with a really big pumpkin in it. Trailing the back is the rest of the marching band.

Speaking of the band. the music for Harfest is a banger. I mean, a lot of tracks in the OST are, but this one really stands out while playing, almost as much as the dream ones. Parts of it actually remind me of music from Paper Mario.

Anyway, moving on to the next flap of this tent I’m greeted with what looks to be another minigame: there seems to be some sort of stage (as in a play), and Mae’s hand is in the foreground holding what might be a ball? From offscreen, or offstage rather, someone seems to be complaining to someone else—Coleen? One of those city council members. The bird that is very interested in historical preservation comes out first wearing a big board that has a ghost drawn on it, hopping along the stage in a simple predictable pattern, and Mae gets to throw what are actually water balloons at him. The hits are scored up top, and after enough time, he swaps with the fox lady, who I think is Coleen. She’s a witch with a more complicated movement pattern. Following her is is the grumpy-looking blue...bear? He unenthusiastically hops around as a pumpkin. Last is the gator lady as a skeleton with the most unpredictable pattern. All the while, each of them says whatever they think would be appropriate for their characters, and it’s a good show of each of their personalities—especially when it had otherwise been difficult to think of them as anything but a unit. The whole thing has endeared me to them a bit, so I’m trusting them a bit more to actually help Bruce and not throw him under the bus for the whole mural-vandalism thing.

The Harfest Play

The next stop was the Pickaxe, which was hosting the Harfest play this year, though it seems that Mae needed a reminder. Bea is seems pretty frazzled with only 10 minutes until the play starts... and she has to resort to asking Mae to be part of the play: three people were no-shows. Mae’s confident that she’ll do fine, because she memorized every line for this play when she was younger, but it turns out the play has changed a bunch in recent years to make it spookier: it’s, like, 20% history and 80% spooks now.

The actual play opens up with the Pickaxe’s newest employee and an older gentleman I don’t quite recognize (he may be one of the telemarketing employees, but in a fake beard?) performing as beaver fur traders that have taken a break from their travels to drink from a spring—likely the eponymous spring of Possum “Springs.”

I believe the year they gave was 1783, so combined with what we know of the town’s history of coal mining, I figure someone better versed in United States history might be able to come up with an actual place that Possum Springs is based on. Based on my own limited knowledge (I’m not quite there yet in my US History studies on Khan Academy), I’d place Possum Springs as still being close to the Appalachian Mountains and closer to the north, so maybe around contemporary Ohio or Indiana? Mmm, Pennsylvania might be closer. I wouldn’t place it in the New England area because Bruce does say he came from the northeast, though I guess he could still have come from Canada.

Anyway, once these fur traders settle in near this spring, that’s when Mae shows up. Conveniently, she didn’t even have to change because she seems to be playing a witch. Also, I decided to choose the second option for all of Mae’s lines, because they seemed to be all of the incorrect lines—the extra chaos feels appropriate for a “Gregg-run” of the game. The correct lines seem to be about the witch having cursed the spring, while Mae’s made-up lines are about the witch cursing the traders for being “rude young men.” Despite Mae’s incorrect lines, Bea, as narrator, swiftly fixes things so that the play can move along—I’m sure she can’t be too mad because Mae has literally only had 10 minutes to skim through the script.

The next scene has one of the fur traders running off for help since his brother, the other fur trader, had died to the witch’s curse. He comes to who seems to be a regular townsperson, played by Gregg, and Mae’s correct lines are about the witch having cursed the spring, which means that even the regular townspeople, like Gregg, are also cursed to die.

The final scene is of the forest god, played by the repairman from the bus station (way back from the beginning of the game), confronting the witch. Interestingly, even though I seemed to get the response for continuing to choose incorrect lines (at least, I think that’s what the reaction-sound meant), the repairman seems to go along with things just fine. My headcanon at the moment is that the repairman, like Mae, was also a last minute replacement—which is why he isn’t in any sort of costume at all—and he happens to be very good at improv: perfect for someone filling in last minute and to play off of Mae’s nonsense.

This final scene, I think (I didn’t seem to absorb the details here as clearly), was that the witch was supernaturally immortal, so the forest god corrected this blasphemy of the natural order, effectively killing the witch, but still leaving her as a spirit. I figure that this ending plays into Possum Springs being haunted, and it shows that the forest god turned target dummy had a basis—and wasn’t something purely of Gregg’s creation, though he may have still been the one to build the thing (although, it feels less likely the more I think about it.)

It’s interesting to wonder what this founding story originally was, before all of the changes to make it spooky. Based on context, my first guess would be that the “witch” was originally a Native American—more a “shaman” perhaps—and that there wasn’t a curse at all, or if there was, the “shaman” had nothing to do with it. Instead, the fur traders and other townspeople did, indeed, become ill, so they sought the help of the “shaman” who communed with a “forest god” to cure everyone and un-curse the spring. At the least, this sort of story sounds more like something that would end with a town being founded. The spooky version sounds like the origin of a ghost town instead.

That Night

To my surprise, the Harfest play ended Harfest. The fortune telling and water balloon throwing prepared me to expect everything to throw me back out into the festival afterwards. I might not have missed much, but I didn’t get to explore and see if Bruce came or if Germ and his friends did. It’s unfortunate, but I guess I’ll know for another playthrough (whenever that may be.)

Mae asks what Bea and Gregg are up to for the rest of the night, hoping to hang out for longer. Gregg says he’s heading home since Angus is cooking dinner, but it would be awkward for Mae to come since it’s a date-night kind of thing. Bea is going out to a buffet, over by the Ham Panther, to eat with people from the Chamber of Commerce; whether as the polite thing to do since she had volunteered to host the Harfest play for them, or to actually discuss recompense.

This left Mae without much to do, so she just hung around while she contemplated her options... until she saw some teen, who was sitting around looking at their phone, get attacked and abducted by some tall cloaked figure. Mae takes a moment to see if anyone is around for help, and seeing none, she gives chase herself. She chases the figure all the way out past the abandoned Food Donkey, only to find that they’ve made it past the fences, preventing Mae from chasing any further.

Aunt Molly arrives then, but it doesn’t seem like she has seen the figure. Mae tries to explain, but Molly quickly takes Mae home...

But. after the transition, the player doesn’t find Mae at home. She seems to be in a dark forest: so dark that none of Mae’s features are visible; she’s practically a walking shadow. She walks to the left—a strange direction to be walking for anyone familiar with side-scrolling video games—into those dark woods. Noise comes from the forest, and the deeper Mae goes, the louder the noises become. Mae comes upon a well...

And I find that Mae had been sleeping all along. It was just a nightmare: a dream unlike any other thus far. It was likely influenced by what she had witnessed the night before, and I’ll just have to wait until next time to see what else it might mean.

[fantasymouse]

Our Ordinary Life - 2

Word count: 6k

Tags: ot7 x reader | monster!au | fluff | mature themes

Summary:  When a hapless human named y/n is inducted as a “volunteer” into the government exchange program, her world is turned upside down. 

Previous | Masterlist | Next

The sun beamed brightly outside, clear skies and calm wind. It seemed to be a perfect day to do some laundry. After folding the damp clothes from the washing machine and putting it in a laundry basket, you headed upstairs and out to the balcony. Opening the glass door leading to the open space you saw Jungkook hanging clothes. A drying rack standing in the middle. The large naga hummed happily to himself as he easily hung up the soggy clothes from a green basket beside his black tail. “You’re in a good mood. What happened?” you curiously asked when you stood beside him, placing the blue basket on the ground. He turned to you with a dreamy smile “Oh, princess. You’re so shameless!” he exclaimed before hitting your shoulder playfully.

Unfortunately, he underestimated his strength and his playful nudge was more like a heavy hit on your shoulder blade. “Ow!” you whined while rubbing the now sore area. Of course, Jungkook didn’t notice your painful expression as he hugged the towel he was holding. A small blush covered his cheeks, the black scales on his jaw getting a pinkish tint. He sported a coy smile as he answered “of course I’m in a good mood. You were so sweet yesterday” he looked into the distance, remembering how you’d jumped in front of him and knocked out the man that had been incredibly rude to him.

“I won’t let anyone hurt Jungkook~” he giggled like a love-struck schoolgirl as he repeated what you had said to him last night. You glared at him mumbling “I don’t sound like that.” Jungkook ignored your statement and continued swaying back and forth on his tail. Happily dreaming of how cute you looked yesterday.  After hanging up the towel in hands, he slithered his way back inside. Before leaving the balcony he turned to look at you “if you’re ever in trouble, I’ll protect you” after promising this he went inside. You couldn’t help laughing at him, unable to look away from his retreating figure, you didn’t notice the looming shadow that suddenly emerged above you. Until that something grabbed you by the shoulders, you screamed in confusion when whatever had clutched you, lifted you from the balcony with ease. Hearing your scream, Jungkook quickly returned to the balcony “princess!” he shouted as he watched in shock at the creature that was clutching your shoulders. Brown feathers swirled through the wind as they fell from the winged beast.

A demihuman with talons for feet and wings instead of arms stood on the railing, his talons clutching your shoulders tightly. “Hey! Princess!” Jungkook called after you when the winged creature took off and flew away with your now unconscious body.

Slowly you opened your eyes, grunting in pain as a piercing headache made itself known. You found yourself hanging in a tall tree. You recognized the area as a park from your neighborhood. Your breath hitched as the creature that had kidnapped you, was hovering in front of you. His features were young and soft, leading you to believe that he was in his late teens or early twenties. He had big, russet-colored eyes. With ash brown, messy hair that gave you the strangest urge to run your fingers through his soft looking locks. He was wearing beige shorts and a black tank top. His arms were substituted with falcon-like wings, the wingspan reached approximately 4 meters, when he realized that you were staring at him, he asked: “are you awake?” Confused about the current situation, you couldn’t think to ask anything other than who he was. He smiled with childish innocence and answered “Jimin! I’m Jimin Park. Jimin the harpy.” Still puzzled you adjusted your grip on the branch holding you up as you asked “what? Jimin who?” he flew closer to you with a large smile, responding with what sounded like a question of his own “Harpy the Jimin. No, wait. Parky the Jimin? Jarmi?” His wing folded, a small bat-like digit on the ‘palm’ of his wing allowed him to scratch his chin, while he contemplated what his name was. “Jimi Jimin Jimin? Jimin Jinim Jim?” His mannerisms seemed so childlike you didn’t think he actually meant you any harm. Giving up on learning his name you said “anyway, where’s your host family? You’re not supposed to be alone” He flapped his large wings again and landed on a branch beside you. His talons dug into the wood as he gracefully balanced himself. Jimin smiled excitedly and exclaimed, “that’s why I brought you here!”

You stared, astounded, at him “you kidnapped me for that?” Jimin didn’t answer your question. His attention now on an ice cream truck parked nearby. Jimin's eyes lit up at the brightly colored truck, a small family standing to buy some of the frozen goods “huh? What’s that? Is it food?!” annoyed that he blatantly ignored you, you yelled, “listen to me!” Before you knew it, Jimin flew skyward and easily grabbed your shoulders again. He plucked you from the branch and placed you on the ground. After joining you on the ground, he linked his wing with your arm and dragged you towards the ice cream truck. Barely giving you enough time to catch your balance as you stumbled after him. Jimin managed to take three steps before he suddenly stopped. He turned to look at your linked arms and then at you with a blank stare. Jimin pulled his wing away from you “huh? Who are you?” shocked at what was happening you nearly collapsed. You realized just how much of a birdbrain this guy was.

You bought both of you ice cream and guided him to a bench. Hoping to get some information about his host family. Jimin held his vanilla ice cone with both of his wings since he didn’t have hands he struggled a little with holding on to it “I’m not allowed to go out until I memorize the Interspecies Ceremony” Jimin explained. “You mean ‘Interspecies Exchange Bill’” you corrected him. He offhandedly remarked “it’s too difficult for me to remember, though. So when the terminator wasn’t looking...” while he was playing around with the cone you half-heartedly corrected him again “you mean ‘coordinator’” he continued talking ignoring your remarks “I ran away!” Shocked at what you were hearing, you exclaimed, “that can’t be good!” Jimin offered you an untroubled smile, while gleefully reassuring “don’t worry! I’ve run away a few times, but I didn’t get in trouble” a frown appeared on his joyous face when he remembered something.

“But they said next time I ran away, they’d abort me. What does that mean?” struggling to keep up with his bad memory, you once again corrected him. “I think you mean they’d ‘deport’ you! You’re in huge trouble!” His face visibly paled as he repeated “trouble…” at that moment he dropped his ice cream. It almost seemed to fall in slow motion, before splashing across the ground in a cold puddle. He cried out “I hadn’t even had a single bite yet!” he sank to his knees while crying, “it’s so hard to hold!” With hands like that, it’s no wonder. You felt bad for him and looked at your own ice cream. Sighing, you offered it to him “do you want this, then?” his whining stopped immediately. Jimin turned towards you, an excited smile on his plump lips. “Okay. Thank you!” He put his mouth around the ice cream and started licking it. Unintentionally making loud slurping noises as he sucked on the icy treat. “Um, could you hold it yourself?” you suggested when you noticed how other people in the park stared at the scene. He looked up at you with big, innocent eyes, “I might drop it again” Jimin muttered, with the ice cream still in his mouth. It had started melting slightly and dribbled down his chin.

Jimin moaned happily as he continued eating the ice cream “it’s so good!” A small blush appeared on your cheeks when slowly, you realized that him, kneeling in front of you while moaning.... looked kinda like… “What are they doing?” someone whispered, but still loud enough for you to hear, everyone was looking at the scene unfolding surely thinking that you were participating in something less than innocent. “She’s a pervert,” someone else remarked. A mother even covered the eyes of her child as she chastised “don’t look” and sped away from the scene. Flustered, you quickly pulled the ice cream away from him “t-time’s up! No more ice cream!” in your haste to pull away from him, some of the ice cream splattered onto his cheeks and chin. Making him look wickedly sinful, as the white treat vaguely resembled something else. He whined “I’m all sticky” Jimin looked down at himself and coughed. Once again, your mind was thrown into panic. “You need to clean up! There’s a faucet over there!” you pointed towards your destination, turning back to make sure he had followed you. Your heart nearly stopped “what are you doing?!” you exclaimed, as he threw off all of his clothes and jumped into a nearby fountain. He looked at you over his shoulder and smiled like he wasn’t standing butt-naked in a public fountain. Casually he answered “bathing!”

Struggling to construct a proper sentence you stammered “n-no, I mean your clothes!” Jimin cheekily turned around and stretched his wings “don’t you know you’re supposed to bathe naked?” you were speechless as the birdbrain made fun of you. Your patience was running thin, “just get out of there!” you shouted, Jimin ignored you and tossed himself into the water, peacefully floating on the surface while happily exclaiming “this feels great! It’s so nice that you have baths in the city” multiple women around the park were staring, with burning faces at the handsome and very naked guy, minding his own business in the fountain. Not that you could blame them, he was undoubtedly attractive. You ground your teeth and growled “this guy is clueless about human society. Even as a bird, you can only be so airheaded!” you were starting to sweat, from the stress this guy was giving you. Suddenly, three sharp talons grabbed your shirt and pulled you into the fountain. Gleefully Jimin exclaimed “don’t just stand there! Play with me!” his foot remained on your shoulder, keeping you submerged. You managed to get your head above the shallow water, and yelled “stop! Keep me out of this!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice bellowed “I found you!” turning your head towards the sound, you saw Jungkook. Relieved to see him, you hollered “Jungkook! How did you know where I-” his expression made you tongue-tied. His mouth was fixed in a permanent snarl, showing his sharp fangs. His hands were clenched and shoulders stiff. His expression of someone who was out for blood “you bird brat! You kidnapped my princess, and now this?” He hissed angrily, Jungkook glared at your current position, between the legs of a very naked male. His tail coiled and started thrashing around with anger as he looked at you. Jungkook made his way to the fountain, roaring “I’m the only one who can steal my princess and elope with her!” you took notice of how he was standing slightly higher on his tail, appearing bigger. Although, this didn’t seem to frighten Jimin who stood his ground “What?! You wanna fight?!” they snarled ferociously at each other, neither noticing you being trapped between them “wait, what are you two-” You weren’t fast enough to defuse the situation and Jungkook struck first. His tail coiled around the naked torso of Jimin and threw him into the air. “You bird brat! I’ll make chicken soup out of you” Jungkook growled, while unintentionally squishing you beneath his tail. Jungkook was too preoccupied with Jimin to notice. “What did you say?! What was that about chicken!” Jimin swiped his large talons at Jungkook, ripping his shirt to pieces. Once again you were caught in the crossfire and got cut on the shoulder.

You stumbled back, grunting “you’re putting on quite a show, having a fight here…” They stopped their battle and you all turned to see how many people were staring at the spectacle you were causing. To your surprise, no one was paying any attention. Everyone stood huddled, with their backs turned to the fountain. “No one’s looking?” You directed your gaze to where the group of people was looking and saw a small girl, with wild, red curls. She was stuck in a tree. “Don’t move! Someone call the police!” a woman screamed, fearing that the girl would fall and get severely hurt. “Get a ladder truck!” a man yelled as they huddled closer around the tree in hopes of finding some way to get her down. The young girl had climbed up the tree to get her kite but had realized just how high up she was and became paralyzed with fear. She was crying for her mother while shakingly clinging to the branch supporting her weight. “She can’t get down?” Jimin and Jungkook immediately forgot about their fight and moved towards the child. “Put some clothes on!” you mumbled, making Jimin realize that he was still standing in his birthday suit. He quickly put his clothes on. “Is she okay?” you wondered out loud, while you looked at the small child. How did she even manage to get up that high?

Jimin turned to you with a determined smile.  “Don’t worry. Leave it to me! I’ll peck her until she falls” he stated and then took off, running and flapping his strong wings “don’t do that!” you yelled after him. Just as he jumped to take off the ground, he unimpressively fell flat on his face. Jimin looked at his soggy feathers and moaned “I can’t fly because my wings are wet…” Jungkook exclaimed with confidence “leave this to me! Nagas are good at climbing trees” he swiftly slithered towards the tree and wrapped his long, black tail around it, easily climbing it. Much like actual snakes climb. As Jungkook crawled towards the top he mumbled to himself “okay. I’ll save that girl and impress my princess” unexpectedly there were an incredible amount of leaves, completely obscuring his view. Where was the girl again? “Ouch! They’re sticking to me!” he complained when the branches cut his skin.

The young girl had closed her eyes, still whimpering for her mother. When she heard the rustling leaves in front of her, she opened her eyes. She screamed when glowing, amber eyes peered back at her from the foliage. Jungkook hissed “found you” unintentionally scaring the girl senseless. Causing her to lose her grip on the branch. Shocked that the girl fell, Jungkook thrust his tail forward but barely grazed her fingertips, as she fell out of his reach and closer to the pavement. Everyone around the tree gasped when the girl fell. Without thinking twice you jumped to catch the girl. You tried shielding her fall with your own body when suddenly you were enveloped by soft, mahogany feathers. “My wings are too heavy!” Jimin groaned as he protected both of you. He landed with a sharp grunt, successfully managing to secure the safety of you and the child from getting hurt. You sat up and stared down at Jimin as you straddled him. “you saved me?” He nodded in response, too winded to answer you. Gratefully, you praised “good job, Jimin. That was cool” his eyes lit up at your approval and a red tint dusted his cheeks. The mother came running to her child while thanking Jimin for catching her.

You moved to stand beside Jungkook who was pouting at not being recognized for his efforts “I tried, too...” he mumbled. You smiled sympathetically and brushed the leaves still stuck in his hair away. “It’s okay. I know.” A police officer came up behind you both, looking around puzzled. “Oh? I heard a child was stuck in a tree…” Jungkook scoffed “too late.” Jimin carefully walked up to your side, looking at the officer with a proud grin “This one got her down safely,” you said while patting Jimin’s back. “Really? Thanks for your help” the officer seemed surprised but was grateful nonetheless and saluted him. Jimin beamed at the praise and saluted the officer back “thank you!” The officer then looked at Jungkook and back to Jimin. “By the way, you’re non-human exchange students, right? Where are your host families?” they both turned to you, Jungkook responding “I have my princess…” before looking to Jimin. “Are you going to abort me now?” Jimin asked, looking perplexed. Quickly you corrected him “I told you, it’s ‘deport’! You’re going to be kicked out of the country” he turned pale and whimpered “what?!” Jimin clung to your arm as the officer suspiciously glanced between the three of you.

Seeing how scared Jimin was, it made your heart feel like stone. Without thinking of the consequences, you boldly stated “I’m his host family. They’re both staying with me” Jungkook was amazed by your kindness, he gazed at you with affection. “Okay then, let me see your papers, please” all three of you winced. Realizing that Jungkook’s papers were still at home and you didn’t actually have any for Jimin. The officer’s glare hardened considerably. He questioned your nervous reactions “are your papers….” the officer was interrupted by a familiar voice announcing “they’re right here.” Beside you stood Namjoon, with a small passport-like paper, with Jimin’s picture on it.

You all returned home, where you sat and admired Namjoon. “That was amazing. How did you get papers for him on such short notice?” he took a sip from the coffee you’d offered and smirked, replying “I already had them” followed by a wink. “huh, why?” you questioned while glancing to Jimin who was sitting on the armchair, carefully holding a cup of cocoa with his wings. Jungkook stood slightly behind him, chuckling at the harpy’s cuteness. Namjoon continued explaining “I couldn’t find anyone who’d host a repeat runaway. So on my way to force-” he awkwardly cleared his throat “I mean, ask you to take care of him, he ran away” your eyes widened when you connected the dots. “You’re the coordinator Jimin ran away from? Wait. You mean-” Namjoon turned to Jimin, completely ignoring you “so on that note, Jimin, this is your new home” Jimin excitedly leaned forward in his seat as he exclaimed “really?!” while Jungkook loudly exclaimed “what?!” in disbelief.

Namjoon turned to you, sending another wink while saying “y/n’s technically the master of this house, so make sure you listen to her” Jimin kicked his avian legs back and forth while promising to be good. Jungkook frowned at the new addition to the house. You stepped forward asking “wait. Can they both stay at the same time?” Namjoon shrugged. “Why not?” You sighed heavily and placed down your own coffee cup “Namjoon, you really are careless aren’t you.” he peered over the edge of his coffee mug, once again ignoring your comments, instead opting to address Jimin once more. “Jimin, don’t run away again” Jimin quickly shuffled towards you, embracing you with his large wings “it’s okay. I don’t understand complicated stuff, but I did learn one thing. I just need to stick with Master from now on, right? Take care of me, Master!” he was smiling so brightly his eyes had become crescents.

“Hey, Master, let’s take a bath! Let’s pick up where we left off! Come on, come on, come on!” Jungkook watched, still somewhat dumbfounded, while Jimin pulled you towards the bathroom “don’t pull, and actually…” you looked to Jungkook, silently searching for his permission. You didn’t want to hurt his feelings. His sour expression turned to a soft smile “why not? Princess, keep Jimin company” you mumbled okay, letting Jimin lead you towards the bath. Very surprised that he wasn’t making a big fuss out of it. Namjoon pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and said “Jungkook, you’re taking this surprisingly well. I thought you’d object.” Jungkook closed his eyes, ignoring the feeling of jealousy bubbling in his stomach. “I-It’s no big deal. I’m a little upset a nuisance has found its way into the love nest I share with my princess… But Jimin’s a child. Also, he’s a child. And most of all, he’s a child. An adult like me can handle him” Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest haughtily. Namjoon raised his hand to get Jungkook’s attention “oh, my. Jimin is older than you, actually.” this fact struck Jungkook like lightning, his cool and calm composure completely thrown out the window.

Namjoon dipped his head with a knowing smirk “harpies evolved to have smaller bodies so they could fly, so they’re often older than they look” Jungkook had stopped listening, he was already storming towards the bathroom. He kicked in the door, startling both you and Jimin as he practically roared “princess, never mind! I’ll keep him company!” After you had been kicked out of the bathroom and they were sitting in the bath. Jungkook was harshly scrubbing Jimin’s hair while snarling “listen. Princess is my princess. Lay a finger on her, and you’ll pay” Jimin glared at Jungkook responding “I don’t have fingers” making Jungkook growl “that’s not what I meant. If you do anything to my princess, you’ll pay.” Meanwhile, you were sitting completely stunned in the hallway as you considered if you could even survive to live with two demihumans.

Surprisingly, you woke up early. It was still relatively dark out and you took this moment to relish in the quiet and calm. Silently you made your way down the hall and peeked into the boys’ bedroom. Thankfully both guys were in deep slumber. their soft snores making you giggle as you looked at their position. Throughout the night, Jungkook had slithered his tail around Jimin’s body and was blissfully cuddling the other male. Jimin sported a somewhat pained expression when Jungkook cuddled closer. From past experience, you could empathize with the poor harpy, but then again you couldn’t deny being very thankful that Jungkook had found a new cuddle buddy to unconsciously strangle. It had been a few days since Jimin moved into your humble abode and you were very happy that both of them were getting along. Careful not to make any noise, you closed their door and headed to the kitchen. A heavy feeling of exhaustion hit you the second you opened the fridge. As you had suspected and feared, it was completely empty. If you thought feeding Jungkook before was troublesome, adding Jimin to the mix certainly didn’t help. You decided to get fully dressed and wrote a small note to the boys, explaining that you had gone to get groceries. You pinned it to the table, making sure they could find it and headed out.

By now the sun was up and the cold breeze combined with the morning sun was a pleasant feeling. Thankfully you didn’t live far from the store and was able to walk there within ten minutes. You noted that there stood a small sign, warning customers of frequent purse snatchings in the area. Too tired to pay it any mind you continued shopping. When you finished buying groceries, you stood with two completely filled bags and groaned “I can’t believe I’m going shopping first thing in the morning. Both Jungkook and Jimin eat a lot” you couldn’t help sighing loudly while you questioned if your budget could handle this for much longer. Your tired mind didn’t have time to register the thundering sound of hooves rushing towards you before it was too late. You just barely managed to turn your head in time to witness a massive body running straight toward you. The force was so powerful that you were propelled to the ground, your groceries flying all over the sidewalk as well. 

An unfamiliar voice spoke intensely “I can’t believe we actually met. It must be fate!” Fully awake at this point you stared in disbelief at the centaur towering above you. His lower horse body covered by a black stable sheet and his upper human torso wearing a plain, button-up shirt. His dark brown hair revealed large equine ears that stood attentively. “My name is Hoseok Jung. I’m a member of the dignified centaur race. Are you the one destined to become my master?” Once he finished his introduction, Hoseok finally noticed that you were sitting on the ground looking like your soul had left you.

“Hoseok? He’s allowed out on his own by a special exception. Centaurs have a tradition of finding their own masters.” Namjoon’s tired voice explained through the phone, “masters?” you questioned very confusedly about this entire situation. “It probably means his host family. While he’s here, his host family will be…” you couldn’t hear the last part of Namjoon’s sentence as he stopped talking to let out a loud yawn. “Namjoon?” you could faintly hear the rustling of his sheets as he most likely turned around on his bed. He exhaustedly mumbled “sorry, but today’s my day off. Could you take care of him? Goodnight” despite your quick refusal Namjoon ended the call. “He’s so careless.” Hoseok offered to help carry the bags which you gladly accepted. “Why are you running around this early, anyway? You could have caused a traffic accident! I nearly died” Hoseok stammered as he tried explaining himself, while also apologizing for running into you. Meanwhile, a woman walked past the two of you, hardly able to keep her eyes off the spectacle you and Hoseok were causing.

“Well, because…” Hoseok was interrupted when the woman screamed at a man driving on a red scooter, who grabbed her bag while yelling like a madman. “Move it, move it, move it!” he roared at you as he showed no sign of turning, Hoseok swiftly grabbed your elbow and shouted, “watch out!” Hoseok held you to him while he glared at the thief driving off. “Damn you. Committing crimes?” Hoseok growled, you feebly tried stepping away from Hoseok. He was hugging you so tightly that nearly couldn’t breathe. Startled at your close proximity he jumped away from you. A dark blush covered his cheeks and nose as he apologized. You glared at the scooter stating “that’s the guy who’s been snatching purses around here lately!” Hoseok’s face contorted into a similar scowl as your own. He pulled out a sword from the holster strapped to his waist. “What? As a proud member of the centaur race, I cannot ignore this. I swear on my blade that I will capture him!” After a second he put the sword back in its holster and grumbled “but according to the Interspecies Exchange Bill, I cannot touch him. That’s why I’ve been looking for a master to fight alongside me.” shocked that he even had a sword you wondered if he wasn’t already violating the Weapons Control Law? Hoseok suddenly grabbed your wrist, regaining your attention.

With a determined look in his eyes, Hoseok said “It can’t be helped, however. It matters not if you aren’t my master. Come with me.” He started pulling you, his long strides too quick for you to follow. “Okay, okay I get it! I’ll ride you” You managed to get your wrist free and went to jump onto his back, the second you touched his back, Hoseok yelped and kicked his hind leg out. Narrowly missing your head. You heaved in shock, astonished that Hoseok might actually have killed you just then. But, your fury of nearly dying dwindled once you saw his face. It was completely flushed as he wore a scandalized expression “what are you doing? I’m not a horse! If you’re not my master, then cease your rude behavior.” He scolded crossing his arms in disbelief as he took a step away from you. “How am I supposed to go with you, then?” You exclaimed.

Before you knew it. You were hanging off his side. Desperately hugging his waist while Hoseok sprinted at full speed to catch up with the thief. “Stop right there! Otherwise, you’ll taste the weight of your crimes on the edge of my blade!” Hoseok confidently shouted once he spotted the thief. A light blush persisted while he glanced down at you and grumbled “touch me inappropriately, and I’ll throw you off, got it?” his warning flew somewhat over your head since you were currently in a mild state of panic to not fall off. “Slow down!” you yelped in fear. Unfortunately, the thief only sped up on his motorcycle not giving a second glance back. “You won’t escape!” Hoseok yelled and started racing in full gallop. As you chased the thief down, he rounded a sharp corner, the thief managed to easily drift through it. You, on the other hand, was struggling like hell not to fall off of Hoseok, who showed no hint of slowing down either.

“I’m falling! I’m falling!” you screamed, terror fueling your limbs to move on their own in order to get a better grip on Hoseok’s body. “Stop flailing, you fool!” Hoseok yelled angrily. Ahead of you, the thief drove over a pile of water jugs causing them to fall directly towards you and Hoseok. With ease, he pulled out his sword and sliced through them. Unfortunately, this meant that the water absolutely drenched both of you. Your white t-shirt quickly became see-through, although you hardly had time to notice as you desperately tried to stay on Hoseok and not fly off. “Too easy. Is that the best you can do?” Hoseok yelled mockingly at the thief ahead. By this point, you had been jostled so much that you were practically sitting on Hoseok’s back. Of course, Hoseok noticed this as well, he also noticed the state of your now completely see-through shirt. Giving him a full view of your struggling bra, fighting with all it’s might, to keep your boobs in place as they bounced violently with every step Hoseok took. A heavy blush quickly flushed Hoseok’s face, trying to focus on running. They reached an intersection, the thief, without fear, drove across a small platform allowing him to jump the steel fence onto another road. “See you later, horse boy!” he hollered while cackling like a madman, he thought he was finally getting away from you both. “How insolent. Is that all you’ve got?” the harsh yet determined glare on Hoseok’s face gave away exactly what he intended to do. “Wait, you’re not gonna-”

Without warning, Hoseok turned to dodge cars and jumped with all his might. You screamed in terror when you both flew through the air. Hoseok landed right behind the thief, swiftly running up beside him, causing the thief to swerve. “You won’t escape” Hoseok growled, placing his sword by the thief’s throat. “Hey, you. I need you to-” Just as Hoseok was asking you to do something, you finally managed to get a good grip on him. You pressed your legs tightly to the rib cage of his horse body. Which effectively seated you on his back. “I thought I was going to die” you exhaled with panic still evident in your voice. The sensation of having someone ride on his back caused Hoseok to cry out. Mortified, Hoseok nearly screamed, “What do you think you’re doing, idiot?!” Hoseok suddenly started kicking with his hind legs, making you lose balance once again. “If you keep kicking, I’ll-” Your words cut off, as you clung to Hoseok, hugging his broad chest as tight as possible. Your boobs unintentionally rubbing against his back. Once Hoseok realized what that warm, soft feeling on his shoulder blades was, he outright moaned. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Damn you… Not only are you riding me, but now you’re doing something so shameful? You’ll pay for this later!” Once again you didn’t really pay any heed to his words, busy screaming your lungs out from nearly falling off of him again. As if it wasn’t enough, you accidentally ripped a few buttons off his shirt. Making you practically grope his, smooth chest. The thief thoroughly distracted by what was unfolding before him didn’t notice the large pile of boxes of paint and drove headfirst into them. The loud clatter of the metal cans snapping you out of your panicked state just long enough to notice that Hoseok was running full speed towards a large metal gate. “Hoseok, Watch out!” you screamed too late because he was completely frozen, in his flustered state. Unable to react in time.

When Hoseok crashed, he literally dented the entire gate. Making it warp to the shape of his large body. You, on the other hand, flew to the skies. Landing on a bunch of old cardboard boxes, that somewhat softened the blow. “Damn you… I’ll stain my blade with your blood” Hoseok threatened, but when he reached to grab his sword, he found nothing. Hoseok glared harshly, when the thief stood before him, clutching his sword. The thief was completely covered in various colors of paint. “D-Damn you, horse boy… I’ll slice you apart!” He screamed in blind fury while raising the sword, ready to strike down at Hoseok. Without hesitation, you ran to stand in front of Hoseok, your small body shielding him from any harm. The sword sliced through your shirt as if it was wet paper. And this was how you died…

“Or so I thought, but I’m fine. It’s a fake sword, huh?” you told Namjoon over the phone. You sat securely on the couch, at home, wrapped up in bandages. Even though the sword was fake, the blunt hit of it had bruised you. It also hurt, a lot. “He can’t walk around with a real one. Trying to catch that thief was a crazy thing to do.” Namjoon scolded you. “It’s not like I wanted to do it. Hoseok wanted to chase after the scooter, so…” Namjoon interrupted you, sounding uncharacteristically concerned. “Scooter? You didn’t ride him, did you? One of the centaur commandments is, only the one chosen as your lifelong master may ride you.” A heavy feeling of dread suddenly settled on your shoulders while the severity of your actions became clear. “From his perspective, it’s a lot like marriage. If you forced him to let you ride him, then… That would be like rape. AH! My pasta!” Namjoon ended the call. Your entire body was shaking with regret and shame, you turned your head to find Hoseok standing by the doorway. With so much force you nearly tumbled over, you slammed your knees to the floor and bowed your head as far as it could go. 

“I’m sorry, Hoseok! I had no idea it was so important! I didn’t mean any harm… Hoseok?” not hearing a response you carefully lifted your head. He was sitting right in front of you, and internally you questioned how he walked so silently. You expected fury, anger. What you didn’t expect, was the soft look of devotion. “Instead of Hoseok, I want you to call me Hobi. That’s what my close friends call me.” Extremely confused as to what was currently happening, you tilted your head to the side. “I’m the one to blame. I got you caught up in that fight with my selfish sense of justice. On top of that, I hurt you...” Not wanting to burden him any further, you reassured “no, it’s not like I tried to refuse. You don’t need to be so considerate.” Hoseok abruptly took your hand in his and placed it over his heart. “Nonsense! Can’t you feel how my heart is pounding? I can sense my destiny! You really were impressive back there… I truly have met the one destined to be my master.” Hoseok’s blush deepened considerably while he elaborated “since I arrived in this country… No, Since I was born, that was the first time anyone’s sacrificed themselves to protect me.”

With a renewed determination, Hoseok looked deep into your eyes and declared “therefore, I, Hoseok Jung, acknowledge you as my master and swear lifelong loyalty to you. Master, will you accept my loyalty?” by now, a warm blush had found its way onto your own cheeks, you stared at the centaur in front of you with wide eyes, hardly believing what you were hearing. “H-Hobi...” A loud bang to your side alerted you that you were no longer alone. Jimin and Jungkook had entered the living room. Jimin looked utterly confused, while Jungkook looked more than offended “Princess, did you get another boyfriend?” Jimin mimicked the angry tone except his mind was not on Hoseok “master, I’m hungry!” Hoseok flushed at being caught during such a vulnerable moment. But steadily returned Jungkook’s glare “Princess? Who are these guys? This is improper, Master!” Jungkook instantly dismissed Hoseok’s presence the second he noticed the bandages covering your shoulder and upper torso. “Princess, how did you hurt yourself?” Jungkook’s voice was etched with concern.

Jimin ran up and tugged on your arm “is dinner ready?” he whined cutely. Not wanting to be in the middle of a fight, you hastily served them all some food. At the dinner table, Hoseok was the first to speak “listen up. Now that I’m here, things will be different. My master comes first.” His voice was stern, as he glared daggers at the two other males. Jungkook responded with annoyance “I always put my princess first.” which Jimin hastily agreed on. Meanwhile, you were sulking in the kitchen, mentally crying out for help with the housework.

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[aj-the-psycho]

The Band of Rotten: Chapter 3

THE LOST SCIENTIST

Summary: Logan tried to get his briefcase back after it was stolen. From there, the two surprisingly came to an agreement. An interesting agreement.

TW: None

Ao3 Link

England 1860

He ran past through the crowd, jostling through shoulders in the packed City of London. It was rather fortunate his briefcase was not stolen in the middle of the city as it would be more crowded. Then it would be nigh impossible to keep the thief in his sight. He jumped over the drum of wine toppled before him and managed to gain balance before his shoes slip on the muddy street. From the distance, he could hear the cheer of a woman.

“Yes! Get that rascal!” the woman yelled as he rushed past.

Logan had always been a fast runner. His gaits were longer than most people, which made sense considering the fact that he towered over most people he knew. Even so, people back home never cared. He held on to his hat as he jumped over another toppled drum, finally starting to catch up with the tricky thief. That briefcase was his whole life. He had nothing else aside from his work—which he desperately needed if he ever wanted to find a job in Britain.

He quickly realized the thief’s mistake of wandering into the city. There were a few policemen on patrol, so the thief halted in his step for a split second before sharply turning left. This seemed to be another mistake as he was now faced with tightly knit houses with only a few meters of gap between them. Logan followed the thief into the narrow pathway until they were trapped in a dead-end.

“There is no way out,” Logan said as he drew a deep breath. He blocked the exit way with his body, trapping the thief in the back of the alley. “You will give me my briefcase, or I will go back and report you to the authority.”

“Mate, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Why not? Theft is illegal. And by your speed and skill with slight of hand, you must have been a thief for a long time. And seeing you have made the mistake of going into the city where the police would patrol, as well as trapping yourself in this alleyway, I would assume your territory of theft is in the outskirts of the city rather than inside.” Logan rambled on, observing the thief standing nervously in front of him. “You do seem to have adequate knowledge of ways inside the city—as you gave me directions earlier—so you must be from this very city. Familiarity does not come in an instant.”

The thief rolled his eyes in a show of nonchalance, though his mind was drenched with anxiety. Who is this man that he knew details of his thieving? He could imagine someone creating a detective-type character based off of this man. His name would be something weird and unusual, like… Sherlock Holmes or something of the like. He still had an iron grip on the man’s briefcase, sweat starting to form under his palm with how severe his grip was. Keeping an eye-contact with the man, he opened the clasps which kept the briefcase sealed and flipped the leather flap open.

“Hey! Do not touch anything in there,” Logan barked in an attempt to stop the thief to stop. He could have wrestled the briefcase out of the thief’s hand, but seeing an outline of a knife through the thin fabric of his pants, Logan couldn’t risk his own safety. At the same time, he didn’t want any amount of his work to be destroyed by accident by a filthy thief. “Stop, or I will shout.”

“Alright, alright!” Still, the thief looked down into the briefcase to see nothing but papers. He sighed in disappointment upon finding no money or food. “What are these papers? An intellectual, aren’t you?”

“That is, I believe, none of your business. Now please give that back to me.”

“Oh dear, no one has ever spoken politely to a simple thief such as I,” the thief spoke mockingly with an easy smirk. To Logan’s surprise, the thief held his briefcase for him to take.

“You’re just going to give that back? This seems a little too easy.”

“Alright, do you want me to make it difficult, mate?”

Sighing, Logan squinted his eyes with uncertainty and took his briefcase back. He had to restrain himself from clutching the briefcase against his chest dramatically and perhaps rock it like a baby a few times. He straightened his posture, observing the delinquent in front of him with distrust. Turning his back, he took careful steps, mindful of the small-but-deep puddles scattered throughout the small pathway leading out to the main street. Everyone seem to have already forgotten the ruckus about a thief who had just dashed through the street as everyone seem to be behaving normally.

Looking back, he saw the thief trailing along behind him. Logan paid him no attention as he walked down the street, looking left and right for any policeman in patrol. When he saw a man with a police uniform, he raised a hand, ready to call out when suddenly he was pushed harshly against a wall. His head hit the rough brick wall, though not hard enough that he lost consciousness. A hand was placed against his mouth—and it smelled rotten.

“What did I say about not calling the police?”

Logan ripped the smelly hand off his face, breathing in the polluted London air. “Well, there’s no reason not to report a criminal like yourself.”

“Ah, ah, you don’t have a rule over me. I know what you are. So many stories of people like you around the city.” The thief glanced down at the briefcase—now clutched protectively in Logan’s arm. “What are you? A scholar? Scientist? Some sort of… intellectual?”

“It is none of your business to know.”

“Oh, right. You’re definitely not from around here, so you must be looking for something here, right?” The thief took a step back, making a show of looking at the smartly dressed man from his hair down to his toes. “What is it? An opportunity, maybe? Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to make a name for yourself where you came from, so you came here. London is known to be full opportunity after all. Looking for work? Study?”

“That’s enough. I have no time to waste talking to a lowly thief.”

Logan shoved past the thief, walking away from the center of the city. He had heard of a scientist residing in London. His old teacher back home had told him of having a job as an astronomer in a lab in London. From there, he took what remained of his money and sailed to England, leaving everything he knew behind. Lucky he had had the chance and intellect to study multiple languages when he was still in school. Surviving in this new city shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Hey!” The thief called out. Logan took a deep breath as he heard the splashes of puddles behind him getting closer. “Listen, smarty, you know—”

“What do you want? You saw in my bag I have no food or money, so I suggest we move on with our lives,” Logan said with a stern look. “Oh, apologies, you don’t have one.”

“Alright, no need to be rude. What place are you looking for?”

Knowing the young thief standing in front of him will not leave, Logan chose to answer. He closed his eyes in contemplation for a second, wondering how he got so tied up with a thief.

“I’m looking for Professor Alan Bennett. An astronomer, I believe.”

“Oh, oh I know him. Stole a lot from him. Old man never finds out, though. I imagine some of his telescopes have no glass now.”

“You—why steal the glass? Stealing the whole telescope is far more valuable. Those things cost a lot of money.”

“Now that’s an idea.”

“Alright, where does the professor live?”

“The graveyard. He died two years ago. Some accident with a horse or something.”

Logan looked at the thief in shock. His face went pale as he sucked a deep breath, trying to keep calm. He had left everything he knew back home. He had no more money to travel back, and his only hope was to find the professor—who was dead. It was useless now. He couldn’t do anything else. All those studies he had taken with his father’s money were wasted. Where else was he supposed to look? ‘This is the truest meaning of doom,’ Logan thought to himself.

“Um, are you sure about that? Surely, he’s not dead.”

“Mate, I saw his tattered body after he was hit by a horse. You want to bet?”

With a groan, he placed a hand on his head in despair. There was nothing left he could do. ‘This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is—’

“Alright, mate, let me interrupt you before you turn into a machine that could only spew out the words ‘this is bad’ over and over. Allow me to inform you of—”

“I said that out loud?”

“Uh, yes. How can you possibly not notice that? And as I was saying, have you ever heard of America?”

“Yes, I have. What does that have anything to do with this?”

“Well, I heard from some people around here who’ve been to America. They say the New World has new opportunities. Particularly with business and perhaps even studies.”

“While it does sound like a good idea,” Logan said with distress in his eyes, “I do not have enough money to journey there. I must stay here and do what I can.”

“Name’s Virgil. I have an idea on how to go to America.”

The thief—Virgil—turn his back and walked back towards a less crowded area of the city. It was quite a wonder how people inside the city were still bustling with life while other parts of the city seem dead. Logan followed the little thief, trailing behind him cluelessly as a lost dog would. He couldn’t trust this Virgil fellow, but it’s a start. America was once a colony. The country is nothing powerful, but the land is vast and holds new beginnings for people. His own aunt had gone to America before, never coming back. Though she still wrote to his mother every few months, but she was never heard from again after three years. Perhaps she became too busy.

“How much money do you have?” Virgil asked with glistening curiosity. Logan only squinted his eyes before pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his briefcase. “Oh, should’ve checked there before.”

“As I said, I don’t have money enough to go anywhere too far.”

“Do you have enough to sail across the channel?”

“The channel?”

“Yes. The English channel. Sailing to America from France is cheaper.”

“And how do you know this?”

“You see,” Virgil started, “thieving has a lot of quirks. You get to eavesdrop on merchants planning their sailing routes.”

“You steal from merchants?” Logan asked, appalled and amazed at the same time. “Quite bold.”

They continued their walk through the dead streets of the city. There, they sat below Virgil’s tree. The cool breeze of the night felt colder with no one around them. Virgil wrapped his stolen coat tighter around his skinny frame, trying to ward off the cold. Having been living on the streets for years he should be used to cold weathers, but that wasn’t the case. He had always hated the cold. Winters have to be the worse time of year, what without having a shelter. Especially during snow storms. It was a wonder he was still alive at all. Usually, he would hide near the warm walls of factories around the city. It wasn’t easy to find a spot, but once he find one, it would be his home for the next three or four months. He looked over at the man sitting next to him. He never did say his name.

“What do they call you?”

“Logan. Logan Kosko.”

“Where from?”

“Parga,” Logan answered with sentiment—to which he grimaced. “That’s in Greece, if you didn’t know.”

“Well, Logan from Parga, do you want to go to America?”

“I thought it was obvious I do.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“First of all, no. Second of all, I don’t have enough money for both of us. And third, also no.”

“Don’t worry about money. I’ll get some.”

“How are you goi—of course. You really should fix your moral compass, Virgil.”

“Now, go to sleep.” Virgil climbed the tree with ease, settling on the thick branch he had laid on not an hour ago. “Find somewhere comfortable. That bush will do,” Virgil said, pointing at a thick bush a few steps away from the tree.

Logan sighed, walking towards the bush without a word. He kicked it around, trying to get one side to be flat for him to lay on. The thin branches and rough leaves did not provide comfort at the least. He had hoped he could find a lodging, but he needed the money for travel. Of course he had a reason to go to America, but what reason did Virgil have? He didn’t need to be weighed down by a stranger—a thief, no less. He could see Virgil’s faint silhouette in the dark, lying on the branch seemingly asleep. It wasn’t easy for Logan to just fall asleep. He felt a sharp sting in his chest. He longed for his mother, but she cannot be with him anymore. Nor his father. Putting his briefcase under his head as a pillow, he tried to get comfortable to no avail. The leaves and thin branches brushed at his neck uncomfortably, leaving a trail of itch.

As much as he was suspicious about Virgil, he can see that having the little thief on his journey to America might be useful. He could see that Virgil, while uneducated and rude, was not a stupid fellow. He had his tricks and ideas. Besides, his skills in thieving may prove to be handy—not that that’s important. When morning comes, there will be things to do. The day will be busy. He wondered what Virgil had in mind when he said “sailing to America.” It seemed he wasn’t the only one with a goal in mind. He took his hat off, putting it over his face.  After hours of tossing around, he finally slipped into a restless slumber.

**********

There was a buzz—sometimes loud before going away and coming back again. He swiped his hand over his ear, trying to get the annoying buzz away only for it to come back stronger than before. He swiped again. The buzz came back. He finally opened his eyes, closing them again when the sun pierced through his vision. He groaned, sitting up and slowly opening his eyes again. The buzzing by his ear was louder than before. He turned, looking for the source of its annoying sound, finding a bee right by his face. He jolted up to stand with a yelp only to stumble his feet on the tangles of leaves and branches by his feet.

“Very graceful, smarty.”

He looked up to see Virgil leaning on the tree with two apples in his hands. Retrieving his hat, Logan slowly stood up, rubbing his aching neck. He tried to retain what amount of dignity he had left after falling flat on his face. In the morning light, Virgil looked a lot dirtier than he remembered last night. His cheek held a trace of dirt while his tunic and pants were splattered with mud—some dry, some not. His shoes were grey with dust and mud. The coat was the only thing clean he could see.

“I brought breakfast.” Virgil threw him an apple. “We still have to walk for around two hours. That’s where the port is. Start walking, smarty.”

Logan trailed behind Virgil as they walked around a crowded and bustling market. The tree was no longer visible, only a speck in the distance, covered by tents and buildings. They walked quickly at the edges of the street, close by the tents. He observed Virgil from the back, seeing how his slim figure moved gracefully through the crowd while Logan himself was struggling to remain on his feet among a sea of people. He wiped the apple Virgil had given him on his coat, making sure it was clear of dirt. It was sweet and perfectly juicy.

After they had been out of the marketplace, Virgil held a map in front of him for Logan to take—undoubtedly stolen. He had another apple in his hand which amazed Logan—he didn’t remember seeing Virgil swipe an apple from a stand. He took the map, opening it to see.

“We should be outside the city in another hour or so, judging by the distance,” He said. “Your estimation of two hours was inaccurate.”

“So, how long?”

“About three more hours of walking…”

“Great. Let’s get provision.”

“I’m not letting you steal again.”

Virgil shrugged, turning away. “Then I guess you’ll be miserable for the next three hours.”

Logan folded the map in a haste. He frowned and groaned, pulling his hat down over his face to shield his eyes against the sun. This was going to be interesting. Difficult, and perhaps annoying, but also interesting. And Logan likes interesting things.

Prologue Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9