#chapter 001.

[ncrthron]

@ironforged (wylla manderly). near the encampment of the northern houses, night.

Theron had admittedly not been prepared for events to take such a dramatic turn as they had. It seemed that one moment, they had all been enveloped in festivities; the next, the city had been draped in mourning. He could not quite decide whether it made things more interesting, or even less appealing, though he did know one thing for certain: it spelt danger for everyone.

He had seated himself by one of the roaring campfires, considering his thoughts as sparks flew into the sky, when a glint of platinum hair had caught his eye. He knew immediately who it was, and stood without thinking of it to follow, his long legs quickly catching up to the liege's stride.

"Wylla," he called, a certain tension to it. Despite the fact that they had all been camped so close together, he had hardly had an opportunity to speak to them, and so he availed himself of it now. "You ought not be walking around by yourself at this hour." He knew very well that they were more than capable of taking care of themselves, and yet he still felt a protective instinct. "Are you well?" He paused, and then added, a bit more hesitantly. "And the boys?"

[iamumbra195]

!Teenage Mercenary Chapter 168 Spoilers!

So 003 is someone who likes to take the easy way out, especially when it benefits her. She has a silver tongue-- using words to persuade and manipulate her enemy into doing what she wants. She tries to do this with the numbers in this chapter but they all recognize her attempt at manipulating them after years of seeing her distinctive brand of cruelty.

016 calling it her trying to psycho-whatchamacallit them made me laugh lmao. I'm not really sure what he was trying to say but it was hilarious.

Also, it makes sense that 002 was so wary of her and took care to pay attention to her words when she was talking to them in the last few chapters. He was obviously wary but it's pretty clear that the fact that she was the one who betrayed them hit him pretty hard when we look at what he says to Ijin at the end of the chapter.

I think the fact that Ijin, who was their leader, was able to live a normal life and smile with his family gave the numbers hope that maybe they don't always have to live like this. Constantly watching their backs and running away. Maybe they do have the chance to have the life that was taken from them when they were young.

And 003 crushed that hope. They'll never be able to live normally because they're not normal. They have nowhere safe to stay-- they can't even fully trust one another. It's an exhausting way to live and 003 knew that and that's why she offered to make that mercenary business. Offering them a safe haven. A trap to lure them in before she killed them.

The exhausted look on 002's face when he says "We're all like that" is heartbreaking. Stop for hurting my babies, 003!

Anyway, this adds more to my theory that she's working with Iron to kill all the numbers, who are all pretty much loose cannons at this point. She's allowed to live as long as she kills the others.

This would add an interesting twist because, in the little flashback, she tells those men that she'll let them live as long as they become her subordinates and then asks if they really believed her when she kills them. I think that's probably how she's gonna die. Idk, that's the feeling I'm getting about her.

I'm curious to see the fight between her and Ijin when he was running away as well as Ijin's impression of her because he seemed pretty shocked that she was the one that killed the rest of the numbers that night.

Also, that number that told Ijin to run far away from camp and thanked him for all the time they spent together made me tear up a bit. They were all people fighting to survive in the camp, they weren't weapons or monsters. They were just people desperate to survive and there's something so gut wrenching about that and the connections all the numbers must've had.

Anyways this is me right now:

[vampiricgf]

so in the knight au i decided to open kinda really fuckin weird I hope that shit lands otherwise this one's really for me n maybe like one other person lmao

[molter-writes]

The character thinks she’s a bird. It’s up to her boyfriend to convince her she’s not. She cries when he leaves the house.

IS THIS LINE FROM LOVE IS COMPLICATED A REFERENCE TO THE NEW NIGHTBITCH MOVIE 😭😭😭 the one where amy adams is convinced she's turning into a dog

i'm sorry the WHAT

[ncrthron]

"There is no need of that, my lady, though I do admire your confidence." There is an air of amusement in Theron's expression as he watches Erena there in the water. He knows her only vaguely, but he knows at least that she is of the North, as he is, and that she is loyal to the Stark banner.

He sits on the edge of the river there and watches her wade, shaking his head. "I don't know how you can stand it. Being amidst all that filth," he muses. "I know you come from the swamps, but this city is a different kind of foul altogether." He wrinkles his nose. "Hot, crowded."

🐸 erena reed - day two evening, in near the blackwater rush. open starter ( 0 / ? )

the blackwater rush is infamous for its various ( irksome ) smells and though the crown has, undoubtedly , tried their best in purging it - river’s core can not simply be perfumed over for the sake of delicate lords and ladies who do not know the true smells of nature. erena knows and adores all that smells and looks naturalistic, so a simple boat cruise was not enough to quench her thirst of meeting the river first - hand. with this knowledge , under the veil of the hour of ghosts , erena greets the river. she is waist - deep in the water , her leather boots , layers of cloths and the length of her hair soaked as she stares past her reflection for a movement of fishes that have yet not gone to sleep. moss the frog sits on her shoulder whilst fungi the frog near the crown of her head. glancing over her shoulder briefly , she greets her newly acquired company with a confident statement. “   i think i can catch a trout for you.  “

[magnoliabutters]

• AS THE WORLD BURNS •

pairing: kas!vamp eddie munson x (she/her) reader

summary: the consequences of love are not always easy...

warnings: 18+ content, mdni, adult language; canon divergence, season 4 spoilers, violence (vecna level), gore (blood), choking, angst/hate, near death scenarios, toxic/anti-hero relationship, y/n count: 1, etc.

word count: ~9.2k

reblogs, comments, & thoughts are so so shmo appreciated

• stories of eddie munson series • season two • previous part •

note: herro! it feels so good to post again! lots to unpack in this part and its quite long! i apologize if its a bit confusing with referring to some memories. as always, feel free to share your thoughts or ask any questions you may have! i did want to share that my characterization of vecna is probably on another level and die hard v-daddy fans may not enjoy this version - fair warning. nonetheless, i hope you enjoy!

Screams. Screams gargle out of your throat before you even notice. Your heart beats heavily within your chest. The pain shoots up your thigh and into your stomach, as well as down your entire right leg. Your hands push against his head fiercely. You are desperate to rip his teeth off your thigh. You feel his mouth latch harder onto your skin, causing a screech to escape your lips. The blood slowly trickles down your leg, an uncomfortable and nerve-wracking feeling. You scream, “Kas,” as you struggle against him. 

Your head shoots up, looking for something to help you - anything. You reach up to grab a baluster off the staircase. You pull as hard as you can in hopes of ripping it off the handrail. With eyes desperately searching for a weapon, your gaze falls upon Vecna. A sickening smile before you. His eyes completely fixated on Kas and his heavy bite against your thigh. Your stomach drops as you stare into the burned pile of flesh before you. He is enjoying this. It disgusts you. Anger slowly fills your body as you struggle against holding the wood above you. 

With a yell, you release all your undeniable anger. Your body tensing. Your muscles firm. You rip the baluster out from the stairs and drop it heavily against the back of Kas’ head. He shuffles back on his knees. A hand quickly pressing against the mark you made on his cranium. The blunt weapon falls from your hands as he releases his grasp on your thighs.

His eyes slowly raise to you. Those brown chocolate eyes now indiscernible. Red replaces his honey - his sweetness, his innocence. Another stab in the chest, reminding you that Eddie is no longer. You hope he found peace, and that you will see him soon. 

“You bitch,” Kas hisses out. “Fuck you,” you mutter with heavy annunciation on the f. Fueled with anger and pointing towards Vecna, you add, “Funny you’re calling me the bitch when you’re so clearly his. You’re a fucking puppet and a fucking disgrace to Eddie.” He stands up, a finger to your face, as his nostrils flare. 

His quick movements scare you as you wince in his presence. He steps forward in your space. You try to hold your ground, but you step back defensively. “Watch your mouth,” he demands. “Why? Aren’t you about to kill me? I’m going to do whatever the hell I want to do with my last moments,” you scream back. The anger now rings true throughout your body as you take a step forward.

Kas steps back, sucking his tongue to his teeth as a slow smirk appears on his right side. “You have no control here,” he says calmly. Your eyes squint with rage. “You don’t get to decide whether or not you speak before you die. I could just as easily bite off your tongue or rip away a chunk of your cheek,” he lists off as he runs a finger down your cheek bone. You pull away sharply, only making him smile more. “I’d like to see you try to speak then.” You breathe out heavily through your nostrils as you struggle to keep your body from shaking. You refuse to let him see the fear he causes within you. 

“Oh, and one more thing, darlin’,” he states. His index finger and thumb squeezing your chin as he pulls your attention back on him. You struggle to pull away, pain radiating across your jaw, but he holds you right where he wants you. “Eddie was the fucking disgrace. Everything he did and everyone he loved led to him being left to die on that floor,” he continues with a laugh. He takes another step forward, only a mere inch or two away from your face. “What disgrace? You couldn’t even save him. Where were you, huh?” he taunts. “Where were you when he was dying on that slab of concrete? Where were you when he was calling out for you, desperate to have you sit by his side as he left this world? Where were you when he was screaming your name-”

You slap him, hard, before you even knew it. The burning on your palm fuels the hate you feel so deeply within your heart. Kas is stunned before you. His hand retreating as it applies pressure against his face. Shock courses through your mind that he was seemingly bothered. You can barely see out of the tears piling within your eyes, but a part of you worries if you went too far. That very same part replays the unforgivable words spoken, and you are reminded of your hate.

“You disgusting bastard,” you mutter. “Why does it bother you SO much when I talk about him? Is it the constant reminder that, even though he’s gone, he is and always will be a better man than you? Is it because you know the love we had and how you’ll never have it?” A smirk suddenly falls upon your face. Your own eyes turning red, if they could. “Or is it because you know how much better he is at fucking me? That I faked it-“ 

Kas’ hand immediately rushes to your throat. You gasp, letting out your final breath. The pain is excruciating, but completely worth it. You give him a deep smile as you watch the anger flow into his eyes. “Do you ever stop talking?” he spits out through gritted teeth. “Fuck you, Munson,” you grumble out, twisting the knife in his side. He squeezes harder in retaliation and you immediately feel faint. You choke, heavily. Fear in your eyes as you feel the blood halting at your neck, disconnecting from your brain. 

You are going to die, but you already knew that. You haven’t said everything you needed to say. One last love note to beautiful Eddie before you see him again. 

And almost like a switch, Kas’ eyes widen at your reddened and horrified face. He pulls back his hand violently. You immediately collapse to your knees, choking out heaving breaths as your finger nails dig into the hardwood floor. 

Kas steps back, a traumatized look to his face. Never once has he felt regret. Never once has he experienced the fear that spreads like wildfire in his victims’ eyes. And he did this to YOU. The one person in this world that he doesn’t hate with every fiber of his being. Your words stung, hurt like a mother fucker, but he knew they were just words. He loves you, but you make him so angry. And he feels everything so deeply now - now that he knows. He regrets it. He regrets hurting you like that, despite having every intention to kill you at that very moment. 

“Kas, what did I say about playing with your food?” Vecna asks amusingly. His voice careless, as though he has better things to do. It pulls Kas out of his thoughts, which was his intention. You shoot your head towards him, giving him the deadliest stare you could muster. “I am not food, you fucked up burnt pile of shit,” you scream. You are tired of him, tired of him enjoying your death. There is no way in hell you would be letting anyone minimize your existence, certainly not this skinless fuck. 

Vecna’s eyes fall on you sharply. The muscles of his brow pulling together as his haunting stare consumes you. You gasp in response as your heart races. His hand slowly raises. With that, Kas’ face turns pale. He immediately turns to you, trying to push you out of the way, but it was too late. An invisible force floats you in the air. Your breath halts as you attempt to tremble, but you can’t even do that. Your arms are spread from your torso as your heels click together. Your eyes peer down at that horrible face, seeing nothing but absolute ruthlessness.

Kas watches a tear fall down your cheek as you struggle to grasp an understanding of what was occurring. His heart sinks as he watches you raise. He knows what happens after this. He usually enjoys the brutality, mentally taking notes, but as he watches you there, bright flashes wrack his head. 

He pins his chin to his shoulder as he receives painful glints of a blonde girl. He is brought back to the living room that will never be the same again. She floats above, just as you are now. He feels the fear, the terror envelope his body. An involuntary hand hits his chest. Screams, he is screaming. 

The girl he has known since the fourth grade is dying right above him, and he cannot do anything about it. She is the nicest girl, always has been. Anger, resentment, the need to have justice fills his soul. She did not deserve this. She was innocent, absolutely innocent. 

Like you… you didn’t deserve this. 

It did not matter how much you hurt him. How much you broke his heart. How much he despises your existence. How much regret he holds from saving your life that first night. You were innocent. He should have never brought you here. He should have left you alone. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Kas stands beside Vecna with eyes of horror. His widening gaze peering up at your body as he attempts to process the sight before him. You are conscious. Why is Vecna leaving you conscious? His eyelashes fluttering as tears well in them. What the fuck can he do? You pissed Vecna off, the god of this shithole. He is scared, horrified even. In the face of death, he suddenly realizes he can’t lose you. He won't lose you. 

But he is frozen, frozen with absolute fear. Upon seeing that memory, on top of the anger, resentment, and justice, he feels fear. Vecna destroyed such a precious life so viciously. What could he do with Kas’ meaningless life? He brought him back into the world. He could surely take him out of it. 

Vecna slowly walks up to you. His clawed hand almost encompassing your chest. His head tilts to the side as he watches your terrified eyes. “You are mine, little girl,” he whispers. You tremble as you struggle to bring your eyes to the deadened form below you. Your chin held up by the invisible force. Do you regret what you said? Hell no. This pile of uncured meat is the reason your entire life went upside down. 

“Fuck you,” you muster. 

Suddenly, you feel like your bones were lit on fire. An unbearable wound against your shin and knee. The pain is overwhelming. Enough that your body is so overloaded that you didn’t even notice you were screaming again. Screaming at the top of your lungs as you still struggle against a force holding you against nothing. 

Nerve endings wrack your skull. Your body falls in and out of consciousness. You try hard to let yourself fall out of it, but HE keeps you in. You can feel him deep in your mind. His fingers wriggling within. Any control you had was surely gone. A sickening feeling you wouldn’t wish upon anyone. You truly were his, whether you wanted to be or not. You seek repulsion against the feeling of him in your veins. 

Kas watches you in absolute terror. A memory come to life once again. He can see your snapped leg out of his peripherals but he desperately keeps his widening eyes on your face. He shakes. He shakes as he sees your face pale. His lips tremble. He reminds himself that he did this to you. It may not be his hands, but he put you in this situation and now he is forced to watch your execution.

“Which one next?” Vecna asks lightheartedly. He slightly turns his head towards Kas. His eyes still glued to you, but he manages to pull away. Kas notes the increased excitement in Vecna’s eyes. He despises it, but can’t look away. If he does, then he would have to look at you. However, he can’t escape your crying, your pleading, your begging ringing in his ears. The sound somehow converts into daggers at his side. It causes a worse wound than his death AND rebirth. 

“Please!” you scream with a voice ripped right from your chest. Kas bites his lip as he stares at the floor. The damage to his system abundant in his face. “Just,” the word falls out of his mouth before he could stop it. Vecna turns faster than the word is spoken. “Just what?” he says slowly. He faces him now, full on. Kas could see you starting to fall unconscious from your pain in his sidelines. He is beyond thankful. 

Kas takes a deep breath before drawing his glance back towards Vecna. “You need to stop,” he says. He decides that honesty, something that does not come naturally for him, is his best path ahead. “Something inside me cares for her and I-I can’t have her die like this.” His eyes fall to the ground as he inadvertently becomes vulnerable. He relinquishes his power as he slightly bows before his alpha, his “savior.”

Vecna’s human eyes fall into the depths of hell as disappointment claws across his face. “She left you for dead,” he spits out with a waver to his voice. With a quick shake to his head, he reaches his arm out, undoubtedly to break another one of your limbs. Kas catches his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. He quickly looks at your resting body, ensuring he did not do anything within that fraction of a second. “She is the only thing that’s made me feel alive since you brought me back,” he musters. “You will not take her from me.” 

A deep, grumbled scoff falls from Vecna’s scorched lips. He pulls harshly from Kas’ grasp, as though his touch was poisonous. Kas awkwardly places his hand back at his side, still ready for the offensive, but suddenly extremely careful with where his hands were. “You are telling me you haven’t had any fun since I brought you back?” he clarifies with a laugh. “I saw you smiling while a man’s blood fell from your lip. Your laughter now haunts the New World, as does mine.”

A wince squeezes his face as Kas shakes his head. “Killing is different from living,” he whispers. “You don’t get to decide that,” the deep and overpowering voice emerges. Vecna hasn’t used this voice since they first met. He hasn’t heard him like this since Kas last asked a question or attempted to have any semblance of autonomy. “The only way you can live is if you kill her,” he continues. “Kill her for me.” 

Vecna closes the space between them, leaving Kas to shudder at his increasing voice volume. “Kill her, for me,” he says as he steps away from your unconscious body, still floating above the ground and destined for death.

A haze of a memory as you slowly open your eyelids to watch the two below. Just a few moments and you will cease to be. “I’m crazy about you, Eddie,” you whisper.

And then everything went dark. 

Your cheek rests against a warm and soft surface. It is comforting, familiar. Squelches are heard from, what you assume to be, mudded ground beneath you. Normally, you would be overly curious as to where you were, where your body was headed, who you were with - but not today. You are beyond exhausted, beyond lethargic. Your mind shattered in a million pieces, accompanied by a wretched headache.

A cheek bounces off the warmth as your body sways. The taste of metal fills your mouth. You smack your lips, attempting to get the taste off your tongue. Immediately, a giggle fills the small area between where your head and hand rest against the firm skin. This peaks your interest as you slowly open your eyes, peering your chin up naturally. 

You see the beloved curled locks you long for gracefully brushing against your forehead. A strong jaw line as it clenches, painfully holding back any more laughter. A quick movement of the Adam's apple as he swallows. You curl deeper into the warmness. Nuzzling deeper into his skin as a little grumble leaves your lips. Why would you ever pull away? 

“God, you’re so cute,” you hear Kas’ voice echo within the space. Your mind immediately panics, wriggling your limbs about until he drops you flat onto the ground. The pain resonates through your right hip, but you quickly push the thought away and prepare yourself for his attack. You spin upon your knees and grab hold of a nearby rock, throwing it at him. Naturally, he laughs as he dodges your attempt easily. “I like you better when you’re asleep,” he mutters with a thick upper lip. 

Your eyes rapidly scan the area around you. You find yourself in the woods, but recognize that Vecna’s demonic presence has not impacted the beauty of the nature around you. Were you out of Hawkins? You turn around and note a large plain of tall winded grass and a grand scene of bright light blue across the sky. Freedom. “We’re almost out,” he announces with a deep and confusing sigh. We? you question in your mind. Last you knew, he was about to kill you and now there is a “we?” 

“How did we get here?” you ask, returning your determined eyes upon him. Your body remains defensive, ready to strike if deemed necessary. Kas looks to his feet, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth. The top of his shoe hits against the sole of his other. His hands resting at his back, exposing his bare chest. He stands awkwardly, uncomfortably … vulnerable in front of you. Your breathing intensifies as your eyes meet his. “Last I remember, you were about to kill me,” you say quietly. Your hand slowly crawling towards the next nearby rock. 

His eyes widen before you as he takes a step forward. Your body involuntarily shudders at his approach. Your grip tightening against the rock, almost painfully. “I was never going to kill you,” he replies softly. His body language retreating, as he leans heavily against the trunk of a tree. “Bullshit,” you throw out as your teeth grind. Anger reverberates throughout your body as you struggle to keep yourself calm. 

Kas pushes off the tree with closed, tightened fists. “I was never going to kill you,” he enunciates. “As much as I wanted to,” he whispers under his breath. Your breathing heavies as you watch him begin to pace. “Am I supposed to thank you?” you spit out, terrified to stand from your kneel. “I wouldn’t mind a thank you,” he says sarcastically. “But I also wouldn’t mind you believing me.” You immediately laugh, following his words closely. “Believe you? You must be joking,” you huff with a lowly chuckle. “You left me to die,” you say sternly. The rage within your chest builds your courage as you stand before him. 

“Left you to die? God, how dramatic are you?” he mumbles, throwing his hand up in the air. You step forward, your hands clenching. You forget the rock piercing your palm. “You left me, crying - devastated,” you yell, tears welling in your eyes. “Are you serious, y/n?” he says sternly, entering your space. 

His rage boiling over, equal to your own. The way he says your name is unfamiliar, uncomfortable. “You thought I was him!” he yells. His face is so close to your own that you could note the small hints of pain within his eyes. “You said you didn’t know him,” he growls, his upper lip lifting on one side. 

“I said, I didn’t know who you were,” you yell. Your frustration is as clear as a bell. You push against his ribs, giving yourself a bit more breathing room. Kas’ devilish smirk, the one you swear is plastered to his face, disappears. His body halts after taking a step or two to gain his balance. A cold rush flows from his head to his feet. You find yourself curious, almost concerned, but you quickly remind yourself of the pain he’s caused you. Your worry just as easily turns into enjoyment. 

“You’re right,” he mumbles. You scoff, the words sound absolutely foreign coming from his obnoxious mouth. However, he stares at you. He stares at you blankly - with no indication of what he is thinking, what he is feeling. Your smile slowly forms into a line. “I didn’t know who you were,” you repeat softly. His eyes solemnly rake over your body until they fall upon your lips. He avoids eye contact as you continue your thought. 

“I knew the man, I-,” you start to fumble on your words. “I knew who you were talking about.” For some reason, you feel the need to be truthful, to clarify his twisted idea of what occurred. “I knew you were asking if I knew Ed-” you take a sharp breath. His name hurts - a new sensation that you immediately despise. “Eddie,” you let out in a sigh. The only way the name would fall out as you exhale from the pain it causes. “But I knew you weren’t him, even in that first moment. I lied to myself, I can see that now.” You peer down at your anxious fingers as they dig into your nail beds. “I wasn’t ready to accept the truth, but I didn’t lie to you,” your voice growing more clear and confident as you end your statement. 

A wave of emotions floods Kas’ brain. He can’t ignore the pain you caused. The crack in his heart that caused him to leave you in a puddle of your own tears. But can he really blame you for what you did? For thinking he might have been the man you loved. For being confused. Exactly how he is not to blame for the intense fire within his chest anytime he catches a glimpse of you. 

Eddie may be dead, but there is a part of him that is fresh and beating within Kas’ chest. He loved her. Loves her? He squeezes his eyes shut as he runs his fingers through his hair. He slowly lowers into a crouch as he ponders over her words. He tries desperately to keep Vecna’s out… She did this. She left you to die.

“Now, it’s time for you to tell me the truth, Kas,” you demand with a wobbling voice. “What the hell happened back there?” He pulls his head out from his hands as he looks back up at you. You try to suppress the anxiety that presents at the bottom of your throat. “You loved him,” he whispers as he grips harshly against his chin. Any reference to Eddie also pains Kas, like acid in his mouth. 

With a quick movement, Kas stands before you, straight and tall. “When you would sleep together,” he starts. Your eyes harden as your brows pull together. Upon the sight of you, Kas chuckles. “When you were actually sleeping, darlin’,” he corrects with a smirk. Your face softens as you nod in encouragement for him to continue. He looks off, behind you, almost as though he can see a picture of the scene before him. 

“You would always wake him up with your snoring,” he laughs, biting his lip. “But he was grateful. It always gave him a chance to watch you. You - you looked so peaceful, you know?” His smirk transforms into a smile of remembrance as his eyes quickly pan over to you. “He loved pushing this silly strand behind your ear,” he says as he slowly reaches for your face. You instinctually pull away, but slowly allow him to touch a piece of hair dangling before your face. He places it behind your ear with a gentle finger. 

“He was crazy about you,” he says softly, as though the words mean nothing. But you know better. Those words mean everything to you - to you and Eddie. Those words are gut-wrenching to hear, but you do your best not to show it, still unwilling to expose your vulnerability.

“In the cafeteria, he would watch you. Always making sure that his girl was alright,” he chuckles. “Even before you were really his.” Your face twitches in confusion as the feelings coursing through your veins continue to contradict each other.  “He always watched you,” he says as he closes his eyes. “Catching glimpses of your smile in between the chaos of that room. He didn’t even know your name yet.” His face contracts, as though he is also confused. “How did he know he loved you without even knowing you?” he asks as he finally opens his eyes. Genuine curiosity fills those deadly chocolate eyes.

Brown, they’re brown - not red. Not anymore. 

The silence brings your attention to your wobbling bottom lip. Your brows push together. You are sure there is a wrinkle forming between them. “He told me he was always curious about me,” you start self-consciously. You wanted to know more - to hear more, but you didn’t want to give Kas any more than you needed to. 

“I remember the first time he saw you,” Kas starts with a lighthearted breath. Part of him hated this. Hated talking about the man he could never be. Another part felt happiness, an overwhelming feeling that floods through his body. It grows as he recognizes the same happiness within your eyes. Even though he is split, he must continue - for you. 

“You were this nervous girl, tightening the straps to your backpack when you walked down the hallway,” he continues. He gestures a line between them as though he is mapping out the school’s halls. You watch his hands intently. “He was a junior. He knew he shouldn’t even be looking at you - fresh meat and all.” He immediately acknowledges the confusion on your face and clarifies, “Dibs go right to first year Hellfires, but you…” He chuckles with a shrug. He tsks between his cheeks as he beams into a smile. “For you, he’d break all the rules.” 

Kas analyzes your reaction. Concern washes over him as he watches a tear stream down your cheek. To his surprise, a smile immediately follows. A smile that he is sure you are not even aware of, which makes it that much better. He could see why he loved you. Why he fell for you the second his eyes landed on yours. You are beautiful, despite your annoying, strong headed attitude. 

“Then that night, you called him up on your birthday,” Kas adds with amusement. “He was shocked that you even managed to get his number. He was devising a plan to get yours for the past year and a half.” His eyes widen at the sound of a small giggle falling from your lips. You are still enthralled with the memory, not yet ready to fall into reality. Fall back with Kas. You wanted him. “When he finally got to talk to you, he knew,” he shares with his smile closed and pulled to the side. “I don’t know how, but he did.”

He stops speaking, leaving silence to fill the air. He watches as you slowly flow back into real life. He notes the point where your happiness dissipates. Your eyes fall upon his, leaving that visual imaginary world depicted by his words. You are reminded of where you are now, and how much you wish you could go back. Go back to that opening in the woods, to that bench. You are hesitant of the memories he has shared, of their purpose. But above all, you are grateful. 

“Thank you,” you whisper as you nod, looking everywhere but his eyes. “You’re welcome,” he responds with a hint of confusion. 

After a brief interlude of awkward silence, you say softly, “Kas, can you please tell me how we got here?” You take a step to approach him and his tree. He straightens up, hopeful of you closing the distance between your bodies. Finally, your eyes scan his chest and note the many pink scratches across his skin. Taking another step, you slip upon a branch. Your weight shifts quickly and you feel a soul-crushing pain exude up your right leg. The pain brings along the memory of you floating in front of your two killers. 

In a panic, you immediately look down to note that your leg is fine, and that you, too, have a pink scratch against the side of your shin. “What did you do to me?” you scream as fight or flight ensues. You squeeze your eyes closed, begging for your memories to share some insight into what happened to you - desperate not to depend on just Kas’ recollection. 

Kas stands with eyes to the ground once more. You begin to notice this guilty tell of his. “You don’t need to remember that. You should just go - go now,” he encourages. His palms towards you as he approaches, turns you around, and attempts to walk you out of the woods. “No!” you exclaim as you pry his hands off of you. His solemn face drops as he realizes there is no getting out of this.

“Tell me what the hell happened, Kas! Now,” you demand as you point to the ground with a stomp. Your entire body fuming as you struggle to find peace with what you have learned. “Okay,” he says calmly. “But promise me, after I do, you’ll leave this place.” You take a deep breath, biting your lip as you watch him with fury. After he tells you what happened, you would have no reason to stay here. To stay in this fucked up version of Hawkins. You would finally be free from this never-ending shit show. Finally, you would be free to grieve. To mourn.

“I promise.”

“Kill her, for me,” Vecna booms with excitement in his eyes. Kas could not help but notice the odd interest he had in him. Almost as though every interaction was an experiment meant to be further analyzed and studied. Usually, the words ring true in his mind anytime Vecna speaks. But this time, the words were rotten. They were impossible to follow. An impenetrable idea in his heart and in his mind that the girl before him cannot die. And most definitely not by his own hands. 

Kas has never disobeyed an order. He killed as easily and as quickly as the words fell from Vecna’s mouth. He did it without regret, without remorse. He killed with laughter, enjoyment. Just as Vecna taught him. He particularly enjoyed the fellow students who recognized his former self. Each one assumed that he would help them, save them. Yet, they all called him a freak, a satanist, a murderer. They were right about two of those things anyway, and he made sure to prove it to them with their slow deaths.

But now, he is stuck - desperate for a way out. Unsure of the safest path forward. The path that will bring you to the sanctuary you deserve. He caused your pain, the least he could do was get you out of it. His eyes travel from the horrific sight before him to Vecna’s melted flesh. A twinge of pain in his brow as he attempts to gather the words. Naively hoping that maybe, just maybe, Vecna will understand and let you go. 

Before he can do anything, Kas hears a simple whisper fall from your mouth. A whisper so sweet, so soft that it sounded like it came straight from the heavens above. And with those words, the words you thought would be your last - “I’m crazy about you, Eddie,” his heart filled with undeniable love. 

A flash of your smile floods his mind. Laughter that he would be lucky to listen to for the rest of his life. A moan so sexy and daunting that he had to hear more. Another flash and he stumbles back, almost in pain. Hands rushing to his head as he presses the base of his palms against his brow bone. He is transported back in time. Back to you...

“Hey, don’t forget the popcorn, babe,” he says while munching on the last kernel. What appears to be an action movie blasts loudly across the screen. Kas recognizes the space - it’s HIS trailer. He looks to his right and lands on your beautiful smile. He almost doesn’t notice that you were wearing his t-shirt, strawberry printed panties, and fuzzy long socks bundled at your ankles. You jump over to him in excitement. The popcorn nearly falling out of the bowl. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” you say with increasing volume. Your hand rests lightly upon his chest as your other hand gestures towards the tv. Your eyes are on the movie, but his are glued to you. “This is my favorite part,” you gleam as you softly pat his chest. “I’ll be back,” you imitate in a low-toned and thick accent. 

This was the moment. The moment he knew, without a doubt, that he loved you. From that moment forward, he had every intention of making you his life partner - his wife. He had met his soulmate and he was beyond thankful, knowing that not everyone is as lucky as he. 

“I’m crazy about you, girl,” he whispers as he pushes back that familiar strand of hair that always falls in front of your face. Your smile grows as crimson rises to your cheeks. Your chin pins to your chest as you express a sweet mix of appreciation and embarrassment. 

“Oh, my love,” you whisper as you cup your hand to his cheek. He could feel your warmth. He leans into it. In this simple embrace, you have given him everything he has ever wanted. “I’m crazy about you, Eddie.” He rushes into the kiss, almost as though you may disappear before his very eyes. His hands grip tight around your waist and lower back, determined to never let you go as long as you wanted him. He loved you from the day he saw you, but this was the day he knew you loved him back. 

Kas winces, pulling out of the memory as he stumbles a few steps back. An ambiguous streak of concern riddles Vecna’s face. Save her, a familiar voice rings clear through Kas’ mind. Vecna immediately replies, “No, you must kill her. Kill her for me.” Kas could not even comprehend that Vecna was answering his thoughts. His heart shreds, splitting in two as he struggles to find solid ground. Save her, the voice enunciates once more. 

His eyes flick up towards Vecna. Eyes glowing red as they stare into the soulless being. A subtle shock is depicted upon Vecna’s face in response to Kas’ physical defiance. With a quick outward throw of his hand, Kas’ energy propels Vecna out of the home and straight into the ground a few meters down. Broken wood falls everywhere. Insulation slowly seeping from the cracks.

Kas stares at this hand curiously. He did not know he was capable of such power - power comparable to his. He never needed to use it. Most definitely not when met with Vecna. With a quick glance to his incapacitation, Kas jumps towards your still floating body and wraps his arms around you. His forearm supports your neck, while his other holds your knees. He tries his best to avoid the sight of your damaged leg. It evokes a confusing and distinct feeling within that pangs his sternum.

He holds you tight against his chest, primarily for his own benefit. The warmth you exude transcending deep with his own skin, providing the comfort he desperately sought for. Before he could step out the door, Vecna gracefully lifts from the ground with ease. He lands gently before the two of you, despite the fury building within his expression. 

All Kas could do was watch in horror. He has never once felt vulnerable before, and yet, here he is - with the most important being in the world within his arms - within harm’s way. With a simple firm hand, Vecna flings Kas against the living room. His back bounces off the wall as a ragged and pain-filled grunt drops from his mouth. 

A vengeful force pinning his head against the peeling and painted walls. Your body left rigid and exposed across the floor. He tries so desperately to pull his crown from the wall’s surface, but the power was too strong. All he wanted was to ensure your safety. 

Vecna comes into view. Those blackened eyes piercing right into Kas’ soul. “What have you done?” the low, booming voice echoes within the space. It leaves shivers down Kas’ spine. “Let us go,” he spits out through grinding teeth. Suddenly, Vecna raises his clawed hand, causing pain to electrify each and every one of Kas’ pain receptors. Open wounds spread across his chest. The oxidized air stinging the bloodied rips. A scream stills the room, a scream that only the two of them can hear. 

“Us?” Vecna says with an amused tone. He pulls his hand from the traitor’s face. A displeasing taste in his mouth. A sudden shift to his voice and Vecna’s anger appears ten-fold. “You don’t even know who she is,” he whispers as he leans into Kas’ face. His eyes admiring the pained response of his clenched jaw. “I don’t,” Kas struggles to say. He squeezes his eyes shut, hoping that it may distract from the pain. “I don’t know you either,” he manages to let out with a gasping breath. 

Vecna’s eyes harden as he stares within Kas’. A slight head tilt and the pain disappears. Kas takes in a heavy breath, still pinned forcefully against the wall. “You know me,” Vecna mutters as he turns back to your lifeless body. He wishes he could kill you right here. Snap all your bones until you were an unidentifiable pretzel. But in order to do that, he would need to make you conscious, just for the sake of enjoyment in your death. But the thought of your aggravating voice was enough to put the pleasure of torture out of his mind. “No, I know what you want from me,” Kas whispers back. 

With heavied breaths and a tightened neck, Kas manages to lift his head from the wall to stare down onto Vecna’s burnt skull. A slight uptick of Vecna’s brow revealed the impressiveness he saw within Kas’ strength. Impressive, yet worrisome. A slow burning smirk and he returns his hollowed eyes back to the man before him. “And what do I want from you?” he says amusingly as he slowly returns his hand to Kas’ face. 

Kas immediately makes eye contact with the daggered fingers. His heart racing as he takes a loaded breath in through his nostrils. He returns his eyes towards Vecna’s, courage pouring from his irises. “You want a lieutenant. Someone to lead your armies,” Kas spits out with disgust. “You want someone to stand beside you as the world burns.” A bellowing laugh erupts from Vecna’s chest as the hand carelessly falls from Kas’ cheek. “I don’t need someone to lead,” he laughs effortlessly. The words falling without care. “I can lead.” 

Twisting his head, Vecna pushes in closer to Kas’ face. Kas still manages to hold his head a mere inch away from the wall, but nothing more and nothing less. Only what Vecna allows. “Then why did you bring me back?” Kas hisses. His nostrils flare as he stares down his lifted chin. He desperately holds on to any autonomy he can get. 

“I need a partner,” Vecna answers softly. The bit of disdain within his voice can almost be mistaken as vulnerability. He pulls his eyes from Kas’ before he could recognize the twinge of pain within them. He walks back towards your unconscious body. He rakes over you, questioning what Kas saw in you. “You were right about one thing,” he continues as he speaks over his shoulder. “I do want someone to stand beside me as the world burns.” 

Vecna swiftly turns back to Kas. The quick movement almost berating his body with an impenetrable force that flew his head back against the wall. A soft hiss falls from Kas’ lips as he sears from the blunt pain. “What did she do?” Vecna asks as he takes another step towards him. “What did she do that made you give up on everything that we had?” 

Kas begins to feel a tightening against his neck. He coughs as he struggles to gather his breath. He tries his best to calm his body, not wanting to show any response to Vecna’s abuse. “Nothing,” he whispers with a strained voice. “She did absolutely nothing to pull me from you.” 

After a laugh of disbelief, Vecna sucks his tongue against his bottom teeth with a clenched jaw. “She had to do something, Kas,” he says with pseudo-encouragement in his tone. His boisterous attitude disappears just as quickly as it emerged. A wash of despair falls upon Vecna as he slowly realizes what you gave Kas. A thing that he could never give. Kas scoffs, enjoying the pain that resonates on the face before him. 

“You kill innocent people,” Kas asserts with a hindered voice. Now it was Vecna’s turn to laugh. “Innocent? There’s no such thing as innocent people,” he grumbles with another painful chuckle. Kas’ lips form into a solid line as hatred fills his lungs. “Chrissy Cunningham was innocent,” he spits out loudly. Vecna grumbles as a slow smile forms on his face. “Who?” he asks sarcastically. Kas hisses immediately, almost as though he was ready for Vecna’s dismissal. “The girl you killed in front of me,” he retorts. 

Vecna’s back immediately straightens as he stares at Kas in incredulity. “You remember?” he asks quietly. “No, no. You were perfect,” he attempts to understand by speaking aloud to himself. Kas lets out another bustling laugh despite the pain it caused in his wounded body. “How many times did you kill me before I was perfect?” Kas asks nonchalantly. 

The words penetrating Vecna’s thick armor as he stumbles a step back. “How long did it take you to realize that I remembered before you sicked your bats on me? Before you brought me back again and again?” Kas lets out a simple chuckle, feeling the strength holding him against the wall weaken. He stretches his neck, hearing a clear crack in its side. “You killed me and then expected me to call you my savior,” he mutters in disgust. 

As anger boils the blood that courses through his veins, Kas pulls harshly away from the wall. The feeling no different than peeling his skin off of a burning stove. He struggles to muffle the scream forming in his throat, but his eyes are set upon Vecna. He lands harshly onto the floor, evaporating the force that held him up. 

Vecna’s expression rests in a fixed state of complete bewilderment and determination. “You may despise me, but you do love her,” he whispers in a clear monotone. His quick disconnection from reality settles in as his hand slowly raises - and you along with it. Kas’ eyes widen as he watches your lifeless body raise behind Vecna’s shoulder. 

“Would you like to feel the pain you just caused me?” Vecna says carelessly as a sadistic smile pulls to the side of his face. Kas’ eyes quickly scatter between yours and his. His entire body fuels with adrenaline as he watches your body destined for death within the hands of his “savior.” “Wait,” he pleads. His mouth immediately fills with regret as he slowly returns his eyes to the soulless pair before him. “Don’t.” 

Vecna continues to stare into Kas. He internalizes the twitches of his face, all the pained lines drawn upon his skin. A small part of him wonders if Kas will ever care for him as much as he does for you - if he ever has. The words drop as quickly as the thought fades from his mind. “Don’t what?” he mocks. Kas winces as he begrudgingly returns his sorrowed eyes to Vecna. “Don’t hurt her,” he whispers with a lack of intonation to his voice. “I will stay with you, but only if you let her go.” 

A heart flutters faster than intended. Faster than he ever remembered it could. Vecna swallows his pride as he slowly lowers the desolate girl behind him. “Take her to the border,” he instructs as he steps out of Kas’ direct path towards you.

Kas nods as he rushes to your side. His fingers gently brush the hair from your face as he desperately searches your skin for abrasions. “You’re okay. You’re okay,” he says softly and repeatedly. He tucks his arm underneath your neck. Another arm hooks beneath your knees as he slowly lifts both your bodies up from his crouch.

As he heads towards the door without any intention of looking back, Vecna adds, “If she returns, I will kill her.” Kas slowly turns around, following the ear closest to Vecna as he ingrains the threat into his memory. “If you don’t return, I will kill her.” Fear pangs his heart. It is almost audible as his eyes fall to the ground. He slowly turns, careful not to make sudden movements, as he and you both escape death. Vecna watches him as he carries your undeserving being through the threshold. 

As soon as he made enough headway from the now demolished house, Kas bolts into a sprint to create as much distance between you and his maker. He takes you to another piece of the fallen Hawkin’s border. Your body often smacks against his chest within his haste. The sounds are almost reminiscent of the previous night, but he pushes the thought far from his mind. 

Finally, Kas finds an abandoned church along the way. “Saint Jude’s,” he reads aloud as he walks down the stoned pathway. He finds irony in the idea but pushes through the big double doors with you in his arms. He lightly lays you down upon a pew. Another finger brushes the soft strand out of your face - a now involuntary and automatic act of care. His eyes rake your body, assessing the damages. The majority of your skin was racked with bruises. However, the biggest concern was, of course, your broken leg. 

With a heavy breath in preparation, Kas finally takes in the sight of your distorted leg. The image hurt him more than he could have ever imagined. Seething in hot breaths, he raises his wrist and bites harshly against it. Softly, he raises your head to his inner wrist. Your pretty mouth resting nicely against his wound. 

In your woozy state, you push him away. Some part of your consciousness awakens as adrenaline bursts through and your fists begin swinging. He holds you down, despite the blood falling from his forearm. “God, you’re unbearable even when you sleep,” he grumbles. Your defenses slowly soften as you slip back into unconsciousness. He raises his wrist to your mouth once more. His other hand slowly caresses the back of your head as his fingers trace through strands of your hair.

As soon as a drop of blood falls upon your lips, your body craves it. Suddenly, your hands were holding the back of his wrist and pressing his forearm against your face. He tries his best not to find the interaction incredibly arousing, but your embrace, light sucks, and little nibbles make his head swoon. You took as much of him as you needed, falling back in exhaustion once finished. 

Kas hovers over you for what seemed like hours, but is truly only minutes. A smile forms on his face as he watches the bruises slowly disappear from your beautiful skin. “You’re okay, darlin’,” he whispers. The words finally feel true. He places a gentle kiss on your forehead. A kiss you will never know of. 

With that, he carries you up to his chest once more to finish the trek to the border. He cannot help the smirk that plagues his cheeks as he feels you nuzzle against him. A clear, but subtle smile forming on your own lips. 

“And then he let us go and I healed you with my blood,” Kas states matter-of-factly with a shrug. His back still leaning heavily against the tree trunk. Arms and ankles crossed as he slowly raises his eyes onto yours. 

You stumble back, placing a hand against your stomach. Nausea washes over your head as you attempt to process the information provided. You quickly drop to your knees. The movement is sudden enough that Kas jumps from the tree, desperate to catch you. “I’m okay,” you say as you swat his hands away. “I-I just,” you start, breathlessly. “I just need a second. That-that was a lot.” He steps back slowly and hesitantly. He gradually falls into a squat in front of you as he mindlessly picks up random leaves to play with - giving you the space you asked for. 

Your mind feels fixed, almost as though you cannot trust your own memories. What Kas says happened sounds familiar, yet unfamiliar all at the same time. You also cannot forget that the truth does not come so easily from those particular supple lips. You push your fingers through your hair, trying not to burst into sobs over the lack of control. It is not easy to accept being a toy in someone else’s game, to accept no longer being the main character. 

From what Kas shared, you should be safe. You should be free, yet - you feel anything but. Something was not right. “Kas,” you whisper, breaking the silence. His head pops up almost immediately. “So, Vecna tried to kill me. He-he broke my leg,” you attempt to recollect. The words all feeling familiar. “You both fought and then he just agreed to let us go?” you ask in disbelief. Kas nodded, gesturing a compressed shrug with his hands. 

“I don’t believe you,” you say lightly with a shake of your head. 

Kas scoffs as he pushes his curly hair back. The smile almost juvenile as he looks back at you with distrust. “Believe what you want, darlin’,” he shrugs once again. He stands up, making his way back to his trusty tree. “No,” you say abruptly, standing yourself. “There’s no way he would let us go without anything in return,” you murmur to yourself, thinking aloud. “What did you do?” you ask with horrified eyes. 

He deadpans as soon as your question hits his ears. With a deep breath, he whispers, “I got us out.” You walk towards him with a stubborn, determined pace as your palms press against his chest. “What did you do, Kas?” you ask again as you watch him stumble back from your push. With a look of annoyance, he rushes you with a finger pointed in your face. “I saved your life and this is the thanks I get,” he yells with hands out to his sides. “God,” he scoffs, pulling away from you and throwing a hand up. “I did what I had to,” he mumbles as he adds more distance between you two. 

You follow him, a gentle hand to his wrist as you turn him around. Those gentle brown eyes that you know so well staring back at you. This time you recognize Kas within them. “Kas, what did you do?” you ask calmly. His gaze falls to your hand. He slowly lowers your fingers and intertwines them with his before flicking his eyes back to you. “I have to go back,” he whispers, like an innocent boy admitting his wrongs.

You take a sharp breath as you try your best to keep calm, but your head is already involuntarily shaking no. “It’s okay,” Kas murmurs as he tightens his palm against yours. “I’ve made my peace.” Your eyes swiftly fall upon his, tears welling. “No,” you muster. “You don’t have to.” The unbearable weight pressing against your chest has only just lifted, and yet, another hundred or so pounds are added on. A man who pained you so harshly, who then saved you, is going back to hell for you. The words are beyond confusing to think about, but it does not change the feeling of hope you have towards your new ally. 

“You don’t have to go back,” you whimper as your other arm rests against his back and pulls him into a hug. The warmth of his embrace confirms that bit of his story within your own memory. “If I don’t go, I am setting up some other miserable fuck for hell on Earth,” he whispers in your ear as his chin finds a spot upon your shoulder. His hand pressing against the base of your skull, supporting you. “I won’t do that to someone else.” 

You pull away, shaking your head again. His forehead falls against the crook of your neck, almost naturally. “Aren’t you supposed to be the bad guy?” you ask incredulously. His head lifts as confusion presses his brows together. “Why do you care what happens to the next guy?” A smile pulls to the side of his face as he presses his hips against yours. The largest space between you two rests between your chests as you hold each other tightly at the waist. “You must be rubbing off on me,” he mutters softly. 

“Come with me, Kas,” you say as you break away from the embrace. Your fingertips brushing against his as you attempt to walk into the field. The sun is starting the set and the light blue sky fills with orange. As you continue to step into the field, you swear the air tastes different. “I can’t,” he whispers as you pull away and he chooses not to chase you.

The act stops you in your tracks as you look back at him. You take the second to think, to devise a plan. “If I promise you that we can kill him, maybe not today or tomorrow, but some day we will come back and kill him - then, would you come with me?” you ask hopelessly. You have absolutely no idea of how that might happen. How you two might accomplish such a feat. You have never known the need for revenge until meeting Kas. Nothing will stop you from finding out how to put Vecna in the ground, and suffer as you do it. 

Without thinking, the words fall from your lips all with good intent, “I promise you. Will you come with me?” You walk back to the border, only a step away from the impending doom that is Hawkins. Your hand extended for someone who is just as capable of that same doom, and yet, you pray he will take it. You hope he will join you in this world and that he will help you defeat your lover’s killer. All you can do is hope. A hand falls into yours, breaking your string of thoughts. 

“I will,” Kas says softly as he steps into the orange glow of the sunset.

note: how we feeling? what are we thinking? we have 3 more parts to go and best believe the gang will be making an appearance! thank you for taking the time to read 🤍 i hope you will share your thoughts!

next part • feeling everything •

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• nav • no-no plagiarism • series • requests open •

[ofwrxth]

+ ODESSA / SCOUTING

"Still nothing?" Beckett asks as he approaches the cliffside perch beside Odessa. He's secured the area for the second time in two hours, and moves back to the space beside her. It could be selfish to want her with him on these scouting missions, but there's no one he'd prefer to have beside him. If only because he's confident no one can protect her the way he can, even if she's a formidable force on her own. Beck still feels better when it's the two of them. It's the thought that crosses his mind when he settles back on his stomach next to her, brushing a kiss to her temple as they lay low to avoid detection. "I didn't see anything either, but they'll be approaching soon." He guesses before he shuts his eyes and splays his hands on the ground to check.

It's a subtle art, one that requires patience and focus, as though chasing a thread before he catches it. Only then can he feel the rumblings coursing up through the earth, sinking into his palm from miles away. Like his very hand is an extension of the cool, damp ground beneath it. Once he feels the tell-tale tremors, blue eyes flash openand he grabs his binoculars. "They're definitely getting close." He asserts, peering at the tree line far below their perch. The only shapes he makes out are those of animals scurrying away, rather than people. "Fifteen minutes. Maybe less." Beck conjectures, based on his interpretation of the shaking ground.

Another moment passes before he pulls back, handing his wife the binoculars so she can see. Odessa is as keen as they come, and if he misses something, Beckett is confident she won't. "Once the caravan passes, we'll had back." He says, observing her now even as she looks through the lenses below. When he focuses on the damp tresses clinging to her temple, Beck reaches out to adjust her hood. "Are you good?" Conditions are still hard with the weather in this part of Canada. But he'll take rain over snow for ease of travel, even if he doesn't prefer either when it's this cold. @rviner

[thehopefulwonderlandcollector]

The Mage and The Master-Original A03 Crossover

Sixteen months after the Krang’s failed invasion of Earth, the Turtles and their loved ones have their victory and recovery interrupted and jeopardized through another series of inter-dimensional arrivals.

Chapter Titles & Release Dates:

Chapter One: All We Wanted Was Some Pizza (Released March 19th, 2024)

Chapter Two: You Remind Me of Some Boys I Know (Released April 10th, 2024)

Chapter Three: Past and Present vs. Future (Released June 15th, 2024)

Chapter Four: Hunting The Demogorgon (Released August 1st, 2024)

Chapter Five: From Papa to Mama (Releasing TBA)

Chapter Six: Battle Nexus: Upside Down (Releasing TBA 2024)

Chapter Seven: My First Home Was A Lab (Releasing TBA 2024)

Chapter Eight: Endlessly Reaching Into Your Mind (Releasing TBA 2024)

Chapter Nine: This Is Where It Ends (Releasing TBA 2024)

Chapter Ten: Old Enemies, New Meanings (Releasing TBA 2024)

Chapter Eleven: Hopper-Hamato (Releasing TBA 2024)

[manteaublanc]

opens red dead

gives arthur a mustache trim

gives arthur a bath and hotel room

closes red dead

repeat forever

[code01746]

almost 6 months later, i'm finally starting to put my disorganized ramblings & notes together for my fic idea so i can actually start writing the damn thing and not just think about it and hope it materializes. god bless.

[vaeles]

𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  ...  day  one,  late  evening      𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  …  the  deck  of  the  salt  wind      𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡  …  quenton  (  @weirfyre  )

the  dusk  is  tepid,      the  weather  of  warm  summer  months  yielding  to  an  evening  gale  as  he  steps  out  to  haunt  the  air.     he  needs  solitude,      sleep  that  hadn’t  truly  shown  its  full  body  since  he’d  returned  from  the  north.      he  is  skin  and  bone,      like  the  white  husks  of  frost  and  ash  left  in  the  winter  valley.      and  stifled,      he  sets  himself  apart.      he  listens  to  the  stillness  that  sits  heavy  before  the  storm,      the  occasional  sounds  of  salty  wind  slapping  banners  like  ripped  sails      —      a  targaryen  pennon  that  tears  and  glides  into  the  lead - dark  sea,      the  night  sky  soaked  black  and  unrecognisable.      on  the  deck  where  he  waits,      he  watches  the  standard  slip  from  its  spire,      but  his  stare  does  not  linger.      his  palms  come  to  rest  atop  the  salt - scored  rail,      violet  eyes  studying  the  clouding  atmosphere  as  the  surf  belts  the  shore.      sgaeyl’s  shadow  swallows  the  vessel  as  she  soars  before  the  tempest,      her  great  wings  stretched  across  the  expanse  of  stars  above  him,      scales  twined  like  the  rime  in  the  northern  pines.

tonight,      the  soldier  of  him  has  been  stripped  bare,      riding  leathers,      armoured  baldric  and  grimed  boot  all  exchanged  for  garments  befitting  noble  birth      (  a  keen  set  of  knives  still  lined  beneath  the  fabric  ).      it  is  a  role  he’s  learned  to  wear,      but  not  wholly  fit.      an  impostor  to  the  few  who  know  him,      the  stern  set  of  his  jaw  and  muscle,      the  war - weary  nature  of  his  body,      the  calculated  glint  of  his  eye  all  divides  him  from  the  youth  of  a  spoilt,      spoon - fed  prince.      and  for  all  his  play  at  finery,      his  silver  crown  remained  mussed  and  wild,      the  thick  of  it  windblown  and  tousled.      a  heavy  exhale  bleeds  tension  from  dual  shoulders  when  the  silence  suddenly  turns  kinetic,      like  air  that  seems  to  ripple  when  solitude  is  distorted  by  another’s  presence.      quenton.      he  tears  his  eyes  from  the  narrow  sea,      setting  the  quiet,      inquisitive  weight  of  his  attention  upon  the  figure  who  moves  from  the  shade  rear  of  him.      the  slant  of  his  cranium  permits  a  single  light  strand  slip  into  the  line  of  his  sharp  vision,      the  collar  of  his  black  tunic  shifting  with  the  action.

[brights-place]

Shopping¡! z★° ୭ ₊˙ ★﹗˚ ༘ 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐗 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫: Follow Y/N Quinezel in the borderlands and see what she's up to with her wife Quinzel 002. | next | masterlist

SUMMARY 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐀 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟒 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥;~ 783 ᴡᴏʀᴅs

send an ask and i’ll add ya to the taglist! @justmare @beekeepingageissome ~ ★ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ★

Ivy smiled staring right at Y/N who was showing her a cute outfit she found in the abandoned mall "America's most wanted women on a shopping spree" she said putting her hand on the girls cheek "Cute" Y/N shrugged "Yet A psychopath" she said back giggling and putting the clothes in the cart and started to roll it while chatting to Ivy "I heard in Roppongi there will be a game either spades or Clubs most likely" Ivy said exiting the shop Cart filled with supplies.

Y/N started pushing the cart to the exit while Ivy pushed another cart that was filled with plants and other items of Ivy's choice continuing each of their steps to leave Y/N smiled brightly while walking through the exit and smelling the fresh air Ivy following behind using her plants to carry them to there hideout/home they found it like it was before they were sent here.

Setting Down there items each of them having their own personal half of the room for just themself Y/n jumped to her bed bouncing on it and laughing with joy, while Ivy on the other hand went to look after all her plants talking to them sweetly while morning light shined through the windows.

Y/N couldn't help but grin looking at her new found outfits "Ivy There's another arena nearby you think I can go there while you check out the one in Roppongi?" The girl asked flooding the new clothes she had just brought home Ivy raised an eyebrow "Why?" Y/N shrugged "I have a gut feeling on something" she whispered while changing clothes.

Ivy spoke up after throwing a piece of meat to a large Venus flytrap "Okay but be careful... I know you follow your gut feeling just be safe" The H/C girl nodded as Ivy stood up from her side of the room and headed towards the bathroom door "Love you Quinn" Y/n blushed and smiled "Love youuu" she said back and grabbed a pair of her clothes and grinned "this is what I want to wear today" She said grinning holding up what appeared to be leather pants, a jacket with one cut-off sleeve over a red crop top with black trim, and a black and diamonds on her leather pants. Y/N sighed while staring at Her hair it was was messy and wild abit grabbing a brush she started to brush her hair to make it look better than when she went out.

Y/N pulled it all off and hummed looking at herself in the mirror posing "Gorgeous as always!" She said to herself grabbing a piece of paper and writing a letter to Ivy and heading towards the door but froze remembering she forgot to bring a weapon.

Rushing quickly back to her and Ivys gigantic room she grabbed a Chiappa Rhino 60DS gun while staring at it intensely and grabbing Two butterfly knifes as-well and standing up quickly putting the knives in her front pockets and stared at the gun she held. The revolver has white grips inlaid with a gold Joker emblem onto it, gold decoration on the barrel shroud, and the cylinder has alternating "Love"/"Hate" gold decoration on it.

She continued to stare at the gun gripping it tightly and started to head back to the front door unlocking it and headed off to where her gut told her too Ivy walked out of the bathroom in new clothes and read the letter Y/N wrote down before she left.

___________________________

Heya Red! I'm heading off to that thing the voices and gut told me to do so see you in a bit Good-luck In your game! Bye byeeee!

___________________________

Each step she took she still had a smile the sunset behind her as she continued to stare happily forward to wherever she was going hopping onto a railing and walking on it while humming to herself.

Thinking off all sorts of things and wondering on what she had a gut feeling about she loved adventures and this one she had a good feeling that urged her to go forward while stopping when seeing a blinding light of a screen "Game This way" Pointing to wherever it was.

Y/N grinned "Let's do this!" And started running to where the signs where leading her with an excited looking grin she stopped really quickly by a seven eleven and took 10 Packets of bubble gum and stashed it in the inside of her leather jacket and running off again to find wherever she was going.

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact!

[iamumbra195]

!Mercenary Enrollment Chapter 169 Spoilers!

The translations are still pretty bad rn but I think we're getting really close to the arc where Ijin gets exposed.

From what I understand, the President of SW (Granpda Shin) is now going on an overseas trip. I'm going to assume it has something to do with the Vorrei family (you know Sophia and her bro) cause there was no mention of a contract being finalized between them and SW when they visited Korea so that might be what's happening now. From what the guy with black hair from Iron said and what we've seen, they've been trying to get in SW's way for quite a while because SW is getting bold in its expansion and as such, is facing retaliation from other companies. Iron got Forest to send Anna and Alice in an attempt to thwart SW however, they failed on both fronts. The black-haired Iron dude is working for someone and they're obviously disappointed with his failures however, a new opportunity presents itself which will allow him to make up for it.

SW security will be working with outside help-- another team in order to strengthen security measures thanks to all the shit happening (Yeona and Jiyeh's kidnapping, Sophia almost getting kidnapped again). And that team just happens to be from Forest as it was revealed. They'll be sending Alice who is on probation, under the threat that they'll kill her brother if she doesn't behave.

Now I'm sticking to my guns, 003 is working with Iron and that's why the Iron black-haired guy believes their plan, whatever it is, will work this time. Forest may not be working with her like I once believed since Scar guy doesn't seem to know who she is when she waltzed in like she owned the place lol but I still think she's working with Iron and she's the ace up their sleeve. Forest is being forced to work with her this time since Iron commanded it but they aren't happy about it. She will be a part of this team along with Alice.

I'm really curious to see how these two will interact-- a girl who thinks only about herself and her well-being and another who sacrifices herself to let her little brother live a normal life, even if she didn't get to be a part of that life. Plus, I wanna see more interactions between the girls in this manhwa there are wayyyy too little girl characters.

Anyways with 003 on the team that will be working with SW, she and Ijin will obviously cross paths and that's why the fact that he is 001 and 001 is alive will be discovered by Iron, who are obviously trying to get rid of all the numbers. Maybe she'll be ordered to kill him, make it look like an accident while completing whatever mission they have planned to harm SW and Grandpa Shin. Two birds with one stone.

Given what I've seen, 003 hates Ijin. I'm not entirely sure why but @seasilver17 mentioned on Discord that she might have been from the faction of ppl who wanted 002 to be given the rank of 001 because she could manipulate him more easily than she did Ijin and when Ijin was appointed 001, she had way less control over the numbers. Or something like that.

Either way, she hates him and obviously knows he's alive because she let him go, so I'm curious to see more of what she thinks about him. He obviously didn't have a bad impression of her and felt betrayed when he found out that she was the one to kill the numbers. I really wanna know more about her and what she's been doing

And Happy New Year! 🥳🥳🥳

[madibyrd]

@reclusiveharry attracts her victims ( @hananzaki​; @stranded-mik​ and @madibyrd​) into the jungle and once the three find each other, they have to get out.

"The beach is no good for learning," Harry said, as she lead Student towards the Bridge. Vines lashed maliciously out towards them, just out of their reach. "If you want to learn, we need to go in." Harry looked over her shoulder to Student, shifting the weight of her pack on her shoulders.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan wasn't sure about this, it didn't feel like the right time but maybe that was just it. There would never be a good time to learn, not on Meridium. "Sure, but we're not going too far in right? Hey, Harry, can I ask you something, how do you control your headaches?" Hanan asked, sparing a glance at the vicious jungle still not sure about it, but if Harry said it was now or never, she trusted her.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

"Yeah nah," Harry replied, shrugging her shoulders. She cast a glance at Student, pursing her lips together. "Not too far, eh?" Harry promised.

"You get used to them," Harry said as Student asked about how to control the headaches that weighed constantly on Harry's brow. "Footsteps are the worst. Distracting." Thus the need to get away from the beach. "It's better in there. More peaceful," Harry said, even as the jungle floor thrashed like a rug being shaken out.

"Come on," Harry said, kicking off her clogs and flattening the earth in front of them, creating a path through sheer force of will. "There's a place I scouted out."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Yeah nah. Hanan squinted, not sure which of the two she was supposed to believe, but Harry's actions spoke far louder than her words. The promise of it being better inside the jungle, that she did believe, even if she simultaneously didn't. Hanan had found peace in the Labyrinth with Libby, but hadn't that been a different time? The jungle wasn't a sleeping beast anymore.

Maybe Hanan was a little enamoured by Harry so casually flattening out the earth before them, halo'd by the morning light through her cleared path. "I'm coming..." She affirmed, believing it as soon as she'd said the words. Except Hanan kept her sandals, on, to save her from a headache. "Where about's is this place? Does it have special powers?" Hanan asked, powered up by Harry's newfound chatter as she followed her into the jungle.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Student didn't put up much fuss once Harry had cleared their way forward, put just enough bait into the trap to ease her inch by inch forward. Harry tied her clogs to her pack and lead them into the jungle, erecting an earthen wall as a bunch of vines tried to lash at them.

"It's near a waterfall," Harry said, pulling from an old memory. A happier memory, surprising her brother with a wall of orchids. "The noise will help with your headaches. Like... getting sea legs, eh?" Harry said, just as the jungle floor groaned underneath them, rotating them 90 degrees. Harry turned her feet firmly away from the distant pitter patter of the southern beach, and trudged forward.

"Tell me when you feel the river," Harry grunted, giving Student something to focus on. Though even for her it was difficult, the trees swaying around them sending up sharp pains into her gums, like a rotting tooth.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

"Yeah like getting sea legs..." She echoed, as if to reassure herself that this was correct, and that everything all would be okay once they'd made it. Hanan glanced back over her shoulder, but realising it was best to be forward thinking powered on. "Everything is really...noisy..." Hanan said, doing her best to isolate one tremor from another, but she couldn't distinguish anything. It was a barrage of sound and a clash of cymbals in her ears.

The nausea didn't dissipate even as they delved deeper in, if anything Hanan felt more disorientated. Everything went fuzzy and she felt a tinge of dizziness as the ache married up with the chaos to pound in her temples. Hanan did her best to focus on the good. The good being that Harry was teaching her, again. "What....what are you going to teach me today?" She asked, half a step behind Harry as she cleared them a path through the jungle. Saving them from the onslaught of attacks.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Student, despite her palpable anxiety, was easy to reassure. Harry hummed as she repeated Harry's points back to her, driven forward by the promise of alleviating her headaches. "You have to tune everything else out," Harry explained, pushing them an unrelenting path forward. Without her explicit attention, the path behind Student was neatly swallowed up by the jungle.

They came across a little clearing, though the tree branches ahead moved ominously without wind. "Tell me where the river is," Harry ordered, turning around to face Student. "Close your eyes and focus. Feel for it, the vibrations of it. River's like a train, deep and steady."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

It was evident there was no turning back, not unless she wanted to hack back through the jungle. Hanan watched Harry for a moment the effortless way she carved their path, no different to how she’d weeded the carrots. Harry was a marvel.

Hanan had fallen back to being quiet as if the trade off for her being out here with Harry was her silence. She mutely nodded as Harry doled out fresh instructions. Closing her eyes to try and wade through the clamour of tremors. It was like an orchestra, only no one was on tune and no one was on beat. Underneath the high pitched tremors she could feel a steady thrum. “I-I think I can feel it Harry…” She pointed towards where she thought the sound came from.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry said nothing in response to Student's question. She'd said nothing as she'd walked silently away, her footfalls melting into the jungle floor. All she had done, as the speck that was Student disappeared out of sight, was smile.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan waited. Expecting some sort of prompt from Harry. Nothing. She counted the deep vibrations as if to make her teacher proud that she could distinguish them, and then opened her eyes to find she was alone. “Harry….?”

— ✿ ❀ ✿ — — ✿ ❀ ✿ — — ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry banged her fist onto the wall of the little hut, near the doorway. As best she could tell, this was the hut closest to the boxed beehive. "Hey!" she called out, voice raspy from disuse. "The bees are swarming!"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi was out in the back, trying not to think about the carnage that her home was on the inside when she heard somebody banging on her home door, and then yelling about-- swarming? She frowned - the sounds was worried, so she headed out to see an unfamiliar, disheveled woman. "Hi. Uhm, hello, swarming isn't really a bad thing. Are you-- is it just swarming?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry blinked in surprise as the woman suddenly appeared from the gloom of the house. There was a stale smell about her, but given the dirt caked into Harry's fingernails she wasn't one to judge. Harry jutted her chin towards the beehive, bereft of bees, shrugging her shoulders. "Saw them flying towards the trees." Which was a true moment of serendipity, for Harry's gain.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi frowned, blinked, tried to process the information. "Did they just... fly in that direction? Or did they fly in there?" But even though that thought didn't sit well with her, it wasn't anything to be concerned about. "That's-- I mean, swarming isn't a bad thing, it's natural. Are you-- are you afraid of bees? It's totally okay, it's totally normal, I'm sorry if they scared you."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry pressed her lips into a tight line, quiet as she evaluated the woman in front of her. "Saw them fly in. I can show you," she offered, a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Thought you were the beekeeper," she muttered under her breath.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

"I-- yeah, I am the beekeeper, but them flying--" Madi bit the inside of her cheeks, trying not to be too rude, but also not really wanting to disturb the mechanics of the bees themselves. "Flying in doesn't mean much, it just means they are probably finding a new home on its edge. Really, swarming isn't too big of a deal, it's totally normal, I promise."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry grunted, gritting her jaw together as she always did when faced with someone stubborn who didn't do as she wanted them to. She let her annoyance show, rolling her eyes, puffing out air through her lips. "Nothing on this bloody island is normal," she sniped, letting that snide comment guide her. "They were flying in... in patterns," Harry explained, her fingers twitching as if to show what she meant. "And the vines... they were trying to smash the bees, anytime they landed."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

The woman just seemed to get all frustrated on Madi, and really, she didn't know what to do with it, how to handle it - Madi wasn't trying to be difficult, not even the slightest, but she didn't really know what to do with any of this either. Until--

"The vines were trying to smash the bees?" It was pointless and stupid and nothing they could really do about it for the most part, Madi was aware of it, but at least it was doing something and maybe-- maybe this was some kind of cover for something else the woman needed help with just couldn't quite find the right words for it. Madi just needed to tag along and then she could figure it all out once they arrived. "Okay. Okay okay, can you show me the way?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Finally, that seemed to get the woman's attention. Harry jerked her head down, a sharp nod followed by a hum. Yeah, the vines had tried to smash the bees, there wasn't any point in repeating it. "This way," Harry said, tilting her head first and then swivelling on her feet, towards the trees.

Harry lead Beekeeper towards the entrance of the Labyrinth, where a patch of lashing vines reached out at them and thrashed violently. Harry tsked and shifted the earth, parting them a path in between the vines and deeper into the Labyrinth. "In here," she said, crouching low as she moved into the jungle.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi followed the woman, feeling kind of awkward, looking around as they headed towards the treeline of the jungle. "So, umm... I'm Madi, by the way. And you are...?"

And then they arrived and the woman easily opened up the jungle and moved in. "So, where are the bees again? Is it smart for us to go in while the Labyrinth is all throwing a fuss and everything?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi, that was an easy one, one that even Harry should be able to remember. "Harry," she offered in return, mumbled over her shoulder as she guided them to the jungle.

"The bees are in there," Harry repeated, jerking her head in the direction of her path. She gritted her teeth, throwing up an earthen wall as the trees lurched back towards her path, striking at her. "Do you want to help, or not?" Harry sniped, snarling at Madi. "I can't hold this forever."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

"Harry. Harry is a nice name, it's-- it's nice to meet you," Madi gave a small smile to the woman. At least she got a name. That was something, right? She didn't seem to be that into talking in general, and the rest of the walk was quiet between them (only increased Madi's awkwardness).

Madi looked down, feeling embarrassed, "Yeah, yeah, sorry, I do wanna help." Maybe one of her friends got into trouble and that was why Harry was more snippier than-- than what, she didn't even know the woman. Maybe it really was just the bees and she was reading too much into any of this. "Let's go, sorry, I don't-- I don't want to make things difficult for you," she said and she headed in, expecting Harry to be following her.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Harry stared, her eyes hard and immovable as Madi balked in the face of Harry's order. So that was what made the woman march to attention, guilt that so easily bubbled to the surface. "Go on, then," Harry said as Madi lead the way into the darkness of the jungle. As she walked past Harry's path, Harry felt the familiar rumblings of the Labyrinth, a great shifting that foretold that this section of the jungle was about to move rapidly.

Harry smiled to herself, and let her path cease. She stepped back to the safety of the beach as the jungle hungrily closed the gap she had made. Within seconds Madi was gone, out of sight, and the Labyrinth seemed to sigh.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Something was moving, Madi could feel it, and so she instictiely turned around to get out - they could wait a bit for when it was more safe and really, she wasn't itching that hard to go into the labyrinth anyway, maybe she could help Harry some other way -, but by the time she turned around, Harry was gone, along with the beach and a clear way out.

She was stuck. She messed this up real bad, that was for sure.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ — — ✿ ❀ ✿ — — ✿ ❀ ✿ —

"Nick! Where are you?" Mik called out to the darkness of the jungle. His voice was raw and rough from shouting for the last few hours, on and off. "Nick!" he belted out, out of his mind with worry. The lady, the bird from New Zealand who didn't want to chitchat about the All Blacks, she'd come up to him out of nowhere and said something about Nick being taken by the vines... "Just answer me, Nick!" And Mik had followed her to the Bridge, followed her inside when she said this was where he had been taken. "Come on..." She'd pointed to something, and when he'd turned back there'd been no trace of her.

"Jupiter, can you hear me!?" Mik called out, desperation rising. "I can't... I can't stay in here," he muttered to himself, breath short and sharp. Mik touched a patch of moss and the dampness sizzled at his touch. "Okay, okay cool down Mik... Oh Mickey what a pity you don't understand..." Mik hummed to himself, because if he didn't hum a song he was going to burn down the jungle, which was maybe (?) the better scenario rather than losing his memories again, or going mad in a completely different way. "Is there anyone out there?" Mik bellowed, a final effort.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi needed to get out of here, she knew that, but Harry and the beach disappeared so fast, along with any signs of a way out, she didn't know where to even begin. The Labyrinth shifted and trapped her in and Madi had absolutely nothing with her.

She wasn't really sure how long she stood there, trying to listen and look (maybe it would just shift back to how it was - a dumb hope, but Madi was trying to be hopeful and optimistic) but nothing. Nothing, except...

"Mik?" she muttered, looking around. Could she have heard him? She listened and then heard his voice again so Madi moved towards him automatically. "Mik? Is that you? Can you hear me? Where are you?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

This was not the first time she’d been in here, this was however, the first time she’d been this deep without any real sense of direction. Hanan had cried herself hoarse calling after Harry, she was gone, lost. Swallowed up by the jungle. Hanan had backtracked through the undergrowth, or what she had presumed to be backtracking. In the end it appeared as if she’d looped around to the same spot. Harry had spoken about a river, water, a spot where her headaches would be lessened. But now with the jungle encroaching on her she couldn’t distinguish one vibration from the next.

The jungle was heady, intense, the rumbling and ever shifting earth made her teeth chatter. Hanan walked, and then eventually crawled to stoop under a low fern, huddling up out of sight momentarily. The pain had dripped down from her temples into her jaw, and the crux of her shoulders. Her head was swimming in a humid fish tank, and through the haze of it all she thought she heard voices. “…Hello…?” She called, straining against the staccato pulse at her temples. Surely it was just her imagination, or one of the monkeys above taunting her.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Someone called back to him. That or the hallucinations were already starting, no it took more than a day for those to start, right? "Hey!" he called back to the first voice, heading towards it immediately. "Madi?" It sounded like her, hell he hadn't seen her in weeks though. As he approached, crashing through the undergrowth he thought he heard another noise, this one to his left.

Mik stopped, looking in both directions, unsure what to do next. Was this just another island trick? The same thing that had yoinked away the woman who had lead him in here? "Madi! Can you come to me? I think there's someone else..."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

For a few long, agonizing moments Madi wasn't sure if she actually heard Mik or not - maybe it was all just a hallutination, it was nothing more than the island and the jungle toying with her. But then the voice came again, familiar, even though she hasn't seen Mik for a while (honestly, she's been isolating herself pretty badly lately), and it was such a huge, overwhelming relief, she started heading towards the direction of the voice even before Mik called for her to.

"Mik?! Mik, I am coming, please keep talking," Madi called back, but even without the voice, she set on a direction and rushed over, her eyes glancing around over and over again to make sure there wasn't anything hidden in the shadows, until--

She stumbled right into Mik. "Hi, sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to-- please don't take this the wrong way, but I am really glad to see you," Madi let out a small, relieved sigh. "Did you hear Harry? What direction is she in? I lost her so fast, Mik."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

There were general rules, when faced with dilemmas like these. Hanan knew deep within her that if she didn’t move then this might as well be her final resting place. She wasn’t ready to give up yet. Hanan crawled on her hands and knees despite the fact it hurt unbearably so. If she clenched her teeth she could focus on that over and above the thundering pain of the ever-shifting jungle.

It felt as if she had a live band playing over and beyond maximum volume, just a hiss of screeching white noise in her ears. The taunt of voices came again, distant, could be monkeys, could actually be someone – maybe it was Harry? “Harry?” She pleaded.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi replied to Mik, and it was intelligible and made sense to what he was saying. "I'm right here!" he called back, relieved beyond words that he'd stumbled upon another person out here. Even if the thought that thought was also terrifying. Madi crashed through the bushes to his right and practically fell into his arms. Mik helped them both right themselves, grinning madly at having someone else's help. "No, I get it. Bad scenario, good to see you." Mik's smile faltered as Madi talked about Harry (that was her name, wasn't it? She'd been pretty reserved talking to him, apart from this morning's chaos). "She said Nick was in here, she'd seen him been snatched in by the vines..." Mik looked nervously at the jungle above them, the canopy that stretched endlessly high like a super skyscraper. "I lost her... We should..."

Mik trailed off as he heard something again, a voice calling for Harry. Wait, really? "Did you hear that?" Mik asked Madi, glancing nervously between her and the direction of the voice. Without waiting, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey! Are you real?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Finding Nick felt like such a huge relief, it was hard to describe, but thankfully Madi saw the same relief flash through Mik's expression, and that calmed her a bit. At least she wasn't alone. The Castaways survived for years in here, they can figure out how to get out and survive for a few hours, right? That is, if they only had to spend a few hours here...

Madi pushed the thought away, tried focusing on getting out and what Mik was telling her. "Wait, Nick is in here too? And Harry told you that...?"

Something felt off, though Madi's brain didn't quite put the pieces together yet, not before her focus was snatched away by another voice calling out. "Hello?! Who is that? Are you lost too?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan was so sure it wasn't real, that it was in her head, or really she didn't know what to think. Which way to look. Everything was just a little too intense and a little too much. She crawled though, knowing that this was it, she had no way of navigating her way out. If the voices were real. They were hope. Hanan collapsed into what seemed to be a clearing but her vision was a hazy blur. "Harry? Harry? If this...if this....is a test...can we stop..." She wasn't so fond of this.

On her knees she realised with a few blinks, it wasn't Harry, but the voices actually weren't in her head after all. Because that influencer guy, the one from the beach, was looking down on her and someone else. "Wai–-"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

There was a crashing, lumbering sound from the jungle as something came closer, a figure, a woman. Mik raced towards her, too slow to stop her collapsing to her knees. "Oh shit," Mik slowed his approach, crouching down so he was on her level. "Hey, Hanan, we found you yeah? We got you."

Mik looked up from her to Madi, confused, and struggling to put the pieces together. One part of his mind worried that Nick was still in the jungle too. "Did you say Harry? Have you seen her?" he asked Hanan.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Madi snapped her head towards the voice and saw a woman stumbling and Madi was moving towards the woman fast. She didn't recognize her, but that didn't matter. Mik at least knew the woman. "Hey, hey, we've got you, it's okay, you're going to be okay."

Her eyes met Mik's for a moment before she looked back to Hanan. "Are you hurt? What happened to you? How long have you been here?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan wavered, she felt a little silly on the floor of the jungle looking up at them but her head was still swimming. And that guy, what was his name, Mikey-something? No it was – "you're Mik?" Hanan blurted. He was the pyramid scheme guy.

She blinked, "er...I don't know..." She rubbed her temples and tried to focus her muddled thoughts into something more coherent, but everything felt like she was wading through waist-high mud. Who knew earth-sickness could be worse than elevation sickness.

"Harry was going to teach me at the waterfall... for my earth attunement but like she disappeared and I lost her? I have no idea where she's gone. Have you guys seen her?" Hanan said, quick-fire as if that was the remedy. "N-no just, my head, this place is soo loud."

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan still remembered him at least. If Mik had been in a better mood, he would have been pleased at the brand recognition. Mik instead nodded when she asked who he was, inclining his head to Madi. "This is Madi," Mik said, and before he could stop himself, he added, "Oh she's gay too." Forever the lesbian wingman, even in the worst of times.

Harry was going to take Hanan to the waterfall, Harry was going to take Mik to find Nick. "Harry said... Harry said she'd seen Nick get taken by the jungle... And Madi, you said something about losing Harry too? Do you... Do you think she's in trouble?" Mik asked the two women, because that question was nice, and was the far nicer alternative to the more sinister thread that was running through their encounters.

Mik turned to Hanan, pursing his lips together. "Can you stand? I... I could give you a piggyback?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Introductions quickly turned to Madi's face turning as red as a tomato. "I-- I am, but I-- this isn't-- hi, it's nice to meet you, sorry it has to be while you're in so much pain," she turned to Hanan instead, trying to ignore the redness of her face or that Mik was trying to play wingman right now.

Thankfully he moved on, though, and while Mik was voicing the kind, worried version of possibilities, Madi kept playing and replaying her interaction with Harry. "She wanted me to come to the jungle so much,"she muttered, instead of replying to Mik's question. "I didn't get it, but I thought-- I thought she just needed some help but she couldn't actually say it, so I followed but-- she just wanted me to come here and when I originally questioned it, she started getting frustrated."

Hanan was still on the ground, though, and that momentarily distracted Madi from her thoughts, "Oh, yeah, that's-- that's a good idea, Mik could help." Technically she could too, but after Mik's declaration of her lesbianism, she didn't want it looking like she was hitting on Hanan or something right in the middle of things. "But yeah, did you guys-- did she try to urge you guy in here too? Try to speed things up so you guys could get close to the jungle or even in the jungle?" She paused, but she had to say it, somebody had to say it and she's been the bad guy in many people's eyes these days, so why not. "Do you guys think-- she wanted-- you know, to get us in here for some reason? Intentionally?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Between them both Hanan felt a little lost. It wasn't their fault, not at all, she just felt like she was sat on the violent end of an unruly seesaw. Hanan slowly pushed herself up to stand, a little adamant perhaps not to need a piggyback ride off of Mik. "N-no I'm all good." She rushed through, looking between them both, Mik and...he'd said her name was Madi? She seemed to be just as embarrassed as Hanan was, "hey, no all good."

"Do....do you think Harry is still out here? Wait Mik did you say someone else is out here too?" Hanan rubbed at her temple, maybe the piggyback ride wouldn't be so bad of an idea. Get her feet off the ground. Hanan just wanted to lay down in her tent, shielded by several layers of plastic, ideally face down. "I don't know, why would Harry do that though? Do you guys know a way out?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Maybe it wasn't the time to play wingman to both of the girls he'd run into whilst trapped in the jungle. But in his stress he'd fallen back to easy, old patterns, which meant making sure everyone was friends with one another. Mik smiled sheepishly at each woman, especially poor Madi, going bright red like a cherry.

Madi told of how Harry had approached her, tried to get her to come to the jungle, asked how they had come in. "I mean, she just came up to me all of a sudden and said that Nick... that Nick had been taken by the jungle." She'd been only too eager to show him where, bend the jungle to her will to let them both slip into the dark undergrowth. Mik's perpetual smile fell as he considered Madi's point, and then Hanan's tempering. Why would she do it? "I... I don't know why but... Everyone's been on edge lately." Tomas had ordered Emre to destroy his gym, Tamyra had insisted that Nova had come to the island, then there was the drama with Lina, and Ned... Mik rubbed his stubble, feeling dirty for even thinking ill of someone.

"Don't know a way out, but we're going to find one!" Mik changed tack, all insipid optimisim and charisma once more. He had to be positive, because the alternative was that he was going to lose his mind in the jungle again, and Nick was going to sulk that he'd gone missing once more. "Are you sure you don't want a piggyback?" he asked Hanan again, who looked practically green around the gills. "It might help us move faster." And moving faster meant getting out of here faster.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan insisted that she was feeling okay, but Madi still stayed close to the woman in case she had to jump in to help quickly. She wasn't the best person to go to help for these days, but she was still strong, she could catch Hanan if she was falling.

"I-- I don't know, it seems kind of impossible, but she was-- she seemed so weird, when she talked to me and asked me for help, and then I came inside and Harry was just-- gone. Quite quickly, almost like she didn't even come in and-- and you got in here while being with her and Mik did too and just-- this couldn't all be a coincidence, right?" She stopped for a moment, really thought about what she was saying. Was she really trying to suggest that some old-timer on the island suddenly felt the need to play deadly games with them by drawing them into the jungle or even the Labyrinth? Madi could never quite tell the difference. "Okay, no, never mind that thought process, I am probably just overreacting, Harry couldn't-- nobody could do such a thing, right? But that also means-- we need to find her and Nick too."

"And a way out. Which I am not proficient in, never really could navigate these places, but we can just--" hope for the best, Maid wanted to say, but that would have probably sounded way too stupid. So instead she wrapped her arms around herself, tried to hide the twitching of her fingers, and said. "There are some moss on the trees there, that shows the way to North, right? So we gotta go the exact opposite to get to the South Beach? Or is the moss thing not actually even a thing?" She didn't know, but she needed to get out of here. Fast. "No chance either of you guys have a flask with some alcohol with you, right?" No harm in asking at this point.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan really, really, didn’t want to lean on Mik for a piggyback. Part out of stubbornness, part because she didn't want to be a hindrance. Then again, no matter which way she was going to be deadweight. A bleak thought. She didn’t know who Nick was unable to sift through old memories that linked him and Mik together, but she could agree that they needed to find Harry. Even if Madi was suggesting something altogether more sinister. “Harry wouldn’t do that, would she?” Intentionally luring them into the Labyrinth – what did she have to gain from that?

No, Hanan believed it had to be some freak accident, but even if she clung to that optimism it felt foolishly naive. “That’s just a myth…moss will grow anywhere that has water.” Hanan recited, when she’d been little her baba had told her the story that moss only grew on the northern side. Only for her to find out later he’d spun that myth to have a story to tell on hikes. “You…do either of you per chance have an air attunement?” Or an earth attunement that wasn’t sporadic and untamed.

"No...I don't have anything on me." She'd left her day pack at camp, wait – Hanan's brows knitted together. Was Madi asking for alcohol? Hanan put it down to a blip, she must've misheard it, the tremors messing with her hearing.

“Okay…” Hanan said, just as worried if not more worried that Madi seemed terrified, or freaked out by all of this. “Maybe if we start walking? Nick and Harry can’t be too far can they? If we’re altogether maybe we can figure this out.” As determined as she was to walk on her own two feet, every shift never mind step sent a thundering ache up through her jaw. “I-I…might take you up on that piggyback Mik. If I’m too much though just say.”

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Mik didn't like the way Madi was insisting that there were too many coincidences, and how she had a point. Bugger it, but they'd all been lead in here by Harry. He'd been so worried about Nick, ruled by a base-level of anxiety unhelped by the fact that Nick had yet again failed to leave a message saying where he was going. All it had taken was for Harry to come up to him and tell him what she'd seen for him to follow her blindly, trusting. "Madi if you're right... Maybe Nick isn't even here?" Mik suggested, only because it was a positive thought. Nick wasn't here, Harry was playing some kind of sick game on them all... Mik brightened. "You know... She seems a sandwich short of a picnic, yeah?" All animalistic grunts and... she did kinda smell. Worse than everyone else on this island with no deodorant.

Mik stayed quiet as Madi and Hanan bickered about moss on trees, which wasn't apparetnly a thing. Mik hadn't even known it was a thing that needed to be fact checked. That was the trouble with being a city boy. "Right... We're both fire attuned," Mik supplied for Madi, trying to keep the nerves from his voice. "So we have a few days before we start like losing our memories and and hallucinating and..." Mik trailed off, breathing slowly out from his nose as he felt his temperature spike. "But we're going to get out before that happenens-"

Mik turned to look at Madi as she asked for a drink. He didn't blame her, really. She did look a little peaky, now that he was looking at her. "I don't drink, and I left my water bottle on the beach." Mik smiled tightly, because he was so fucking unprepared for surviving the Labyrinth and he didn't want to fucking die.

"No, you won't be too much," Mik said with forced cheerfulness, slapping his thighs as he crouched before Hanan. The sooner they got out of here the better-

The noise stopped. There had been so much noise before, bugs and frogs and birds, branches and leaves moving in the wind, creaking of tree trunks, the rumbling shifting of the ground far away. Now, it was silent. Eerily so. Mik felt fear prickle cold at the back of his neck. "Right, I think I've had enough nature for today, what about you guys?"

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Hanan dismissed her original idea like Madi did, but Mik found some merrit in it, and Madi wasn't sure how she felt - somebody intentionally luring people into the jungle. It had to be-- some kind of bad horror movie trope thing, not true, right? "Let's just-- let's keep our eyes out, make sure we aren't leaving them in here." Except if this place wanted to, it could keep anyone hidden from them and they would never know, right? She didn't want to think about that.

Okay, so the moss thing wasn't a real thing, good to know. They still had to start walking, though - and now without any sort of guidance. But standing still felt even worse than going the wrong direction. Madi looked up - some sunshine was shining through, it wasn't pitch black. "I think-- I am not an expert, but I think on some degree we should be okay a little bit longer. I mean, the Castaways had fire attuned among them and they didn't go totally crazy either, so you know, maybe, hopefully, we can get out of here before that becomes an issue." She didn't even think about the sun madness, if she was being honest, but she was trying to be optimistic. She wanted a drink, but she could keep being optimistic while wanting one.

No water, no alcohol, nothing. Nothing on them. This was going to be rough. "It's fine, we'll be fine," she reassured them and then hovered over Hanan while she gotten up onto Mik's back for that piggyback ride. "If you get too tired, I can-- I can take over, too," she offered to Mik as they started walking.

They didn't get too far, though, because suddenly there was silence, and Madi stopped too, listening. One, two, three moments of long, aggravating nothing and then almost like something was bulldozering towards them, a loud ruckuss started and Madi's eyes widened. "RUN. RUN RUN RUN," she screamed and pulled Mik along with her. She wasn't sure what was behind them, but they needed to get to safety and fast, because it was absolutely faster than they were.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

No sooner than Mik had offered, and she had gotten onto his back, did the jungle turn into an eerie awful silence. If Hanan knew anything she knew that total silence was rarely good – most especially here. The island was constantly chattering back and forth. Hanan slid her arms around him feeling slightly awkward to being clung to his back, but it was better. So, soooo, so much better on his back than it had been on the ground. Mik seemed to act a little like a buffer. Absorbing all the shockwaves that would’ve sent her into a mind-numbing fizz.

That was until the silence gave way for something altogether monstrous. The sound of the unknown tearing through the jungle behind them was enough to make her scream. Hanan would only be a hindrance like this. “Please! I can run!” She urged, desperate for Mik to drop her and let her run for herself. Even if the second her feet touched the floor it sent an instant jolt through her. There wasn’t time to be deterred by pain, and perhaps that was one thing Hanan was adept at. Pushing through pain. She ran, following the other two and either it was some miracle, or the jungle literally pushing and spitting them out – they tumbled into sunshine.

Hanan did so, quite literally, it was as if her legs had simply given up as the dense overhead jungle grew lighter and lighter, until fluorescent moss turned to sand. Hanan collapsed, exhaustion and the pressing weight of feeling everything so sharply, the thunder of their collective feet, the jungle and the island screaming. “Are…” She pushed herself up, feeling once again useless curled up on the floor. “Are you two okay?” Either the earth-sickness was playing with her fitness, or she was more unfit than she thought she was, as she practically doubled over to catch her breath.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

Mik let Hanan down as soon as she asked him to. He did look back over his shoulder to make sure she did keep up, that he hadn't abandoned her to whatever was chasing them. It sounded huge, the size of a house, a bulldozer. Mik's body knew what to do, the nimble, zippy run of having the rugby ball tucked under one arm and the try line right in front of you.

Except it wasn't a try line this time, it was light through the trees, a beach of golden sand. Mik slowed down as they emerged, turning to wait for Hanan and Madi to come out. "I... I think we're free," Mik said, breathlessly laughing, giddy at the thought.

— ✿ ❀ ✿ —

It almost felt too easy - the three of them running and running and running right out of the jungle and onto the beach. Hanan switched over to running herself somewhere in the middle of running but they mostly all made it out of the jungle all okay and free and Madi felt like collapsing, but instead she just leaned against a tree. And then after a few moments, she jumped back up and took several steps away from the tree and the jungle. She could stand or collapse but she wanted to stay away from the jungle.

"Yeah, I think-- I think we got lucky this time," Madi summed it up. Things were weird on the island, sure, but the jungle and the Labyrinth was the worst. It didn't even occur to her that the island might have wanted them out here, on the beach, while the dopplegangers were running around. They were ready for the picking.

[mishanand]

reaffirming their stance | ishika & mishal [001]

location: garde manger cafe, santa cruz timestamp: saturday mid-morning

"Of course ma'am, there is no chance of his mistress obtaining the items listed on our petition... absolutely, I will ensure that his lawyer is advised. You can enjoy your weekend, this is what I am here for— yes, thank you, goodbye." Mishal Anand hung up his call, writing a few details in his planner and getting ready for his next meeting. Although it was a Saturday morning, the divorce lawyer had no interest in taking a break. That was what evenings were for, and he wouldn't change his habits for anyone.

In any case, this was also a type of break from his typical routine. He would either be in his office or in a meeting room, setting up future meetings plus appointments with potential clients. While he had an assistant, he still preferred managing his own time. Something that his bosses tolerated but also understood. Mishal's time was expensive and he had no problem in turning people down. However this particular meeting wasn't about the money, for once. He was representing this person due to his connection with one of his fri— colleagues and the person themselves weren't at fault. He was relishing the chance to prove his mettle with some very senior attorneys.

Standing up for a moment, Mishal undid his blazer button and slipped it off, folding it neatly to be rested upon his lap. He nodded at one of the waitstaff who finally brought his long black and set a latte on the opposite side. Although the lawyer was strict with protocol, in particular punctuality, the delay afforded him the chance of another phone call.

"Zaheer, relax brother. You're not late and I've already got your... what is it— matcha latte sitting here." Mishal shook his head and gestured for his client, Zaheer Malik, to be seated. It didn't escape his notice that his client looked slightly confused, but before he could say anything, Zaheer had already begun walking over to another table. Mishal looked over and cocked his head, wondering who this mystery person was... until he saw Zara Khan-Malik seated with... oh dear lord, not her.

The lawyer stood up again, and walked over himself even if he knew he should have avoided any chance of unwanted conversation. But how could he pass up the chance to irritate Ishika Kapoor?

"Zaheer, so wonderful of you to ignore me. But as it is your Zara bhabhi, you're forgiven. Zara, a pleasure to see you again. Ah and I shouldn't ignore your guest. Ms. Kapoor."

[vmendes]

keycards and first meetings | saher & vinnie (001)

location: hotel room somewhere in bangalore timestamp: friday afternoon

Although this wasn't Vinayak's first time in Bangalore, the hotel was brand spanking new and he was still trying to figure out which elevator he was meant to take. It didn't help that his teammates had decided to hit the gym for the second time that day, when all he wanted to do was sit and breathe. He knew his belongings were already in his room, but he still preferred to do an initial once-over to ensure nothing would be missing. There were too many people who had a vested interest in stealing something of his whenever they could.

Finally realising he had been standing in front of the correct elevator section for the past few minutes, the cricketer shook his head and pressed the up button, looking down so that he wouldn't be recognised as quickly. His height didn't help but if he just kept his sunglasses on, maybe no one would start gasping at the thought of meeting Vinnie Mendes. At this point he was Vinayak and until he stepped onto the grounds, that wasn't going to change his mood. At least he hoped so.

The elevator doors opened up and he awaited it to be empty before stepping in and scanning his hotel keycard for the right level - Level 14 if he remembered correctly. Thankfully the elevator button seemed to agree, and he relaxed minutely, grateful that he was alone for the moment. If one of his team had joined him, there would have been a continuation of the morning's conversation about how Vayu Raghavan should be made twelfth man on account that he had almost missed their flight again. The man had still arrived with them and he couldn't care less about the team order. That was Arvind and Niranjan sir's decision, not his.

Lost in thought, he scarcely recalled the elevator door opening and walking out towards his room. A room that had a young lady standing in front of the door, frustrated that it wasn't opening. Shit, I was meant to walk the other way! Quickly realising his mistake, Vinayak did an about turn and hurriedly walked away, not wanting the young woman to think he was trying something. It didn't occur to him that she could have been at the wrong door.