#does it matter that we never look away from the living room with the corpse? does it mean something this happens in real-ish time?
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hotvintagepoll · 15 days ago
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Oh no I missed coffee night!!!!
I wanted to ask you about Hitchcock 😔 If you're willing to answer, which movies of his do you think are overrated and which do you think are actually good? He's my most watched director (because film school) but I only genuinely like a few of his films and always disagreed with my classmates about which ones were the best
I feel like I'm holding up a Daffy Duck style sign that says "shoot me" because Hitchcock is so well thought of by cinephiles versus me, the basic horny mod who watches movies with hot people in them. With that said, I remember Rope, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, and To Catch a Thief all left me a bit flat, because I felt like he was prioritizing pushing technical limits or creating extravagant images over deeper characters and relationships. I love a good technical limit-pushing, but it needs to serve the story! And sometimes I feel like he has an idea he wants to try or an image he wants to show and puts so much focus on developing it that characters' reality and interest kind of falls by the wayside—they become pawns navigating his situations, instead of interesting characters in their own right.
To be fair, this is more a characteristic of his later work than his early work—The Lady Vanishes is one of my favorite movies, and I remember Notorious and Spellbound both being enjoyable when I watched them a few years ago. Again, basic film watcher here. Don't show this post to the Criterion collection.
#putting down the shoot me sign and backing away v fast#i just want to be clear i do NOT have cinephile movie taste. i like crowd pleasers and musicals and very silly movies.#i would be shot out of a film school in a cartoon cannon the minute they mentioned the word ~images~#with that said i am right and i should say it :) he is not that good of a director when it comes to storytelling :)#rope should be SO GOOD and....it is not. technically interesting. but not good!#posts that will get me murdered fr#asks#edit for more thoughts in the tags because this grinds my gears. lady vanishes works for me because there's lots of spookiness and a few#“wow!” pushing the limit things for film nerds. (the train noise is continuous & that was a big thing at the time)#but the train noise being continuous is SMART because it adds to the rising tension and sense of containment. essential to the story!#whereas rope does a similar trick (continuous looking shot) but it doesn't tie into the story in any way.#does it matter that we never look away from the living room with the corpse? does it mean something this happens in real-ish time?#you can make an argument it does textually but emotionally i never felt like rope's 1 shot was tying into *this* specific story.#like i thought it was called rope because the literal rope emotionally ties into the metaphorical rope of a neverending shot! but no#the tension never builds for me in rope and i think it's because not enough focus was spent on its characters or making sure the shot#echoed & or developed a point being made onscreen. you could make rope w/conventional cuts and edits and i dont think you would#emotionally end up with a significantly different movie. (it doesnt help that there are obvious seams in the shot at random places.)#all in all sometimes it feels like hitch is making a movie for people who understand what trick he's showing off#versus a movie for basic bitches like me who just want to hang out with some hot strange people for two hours#anyway. i feel like i have lost all my cred in one post. oh well. sorry hitch. lady vanishes is still great
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frostbitebakery · 1 year ago
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THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR JUST DES(S)ERTS
a Gooey-Wan story
Sitrep.
Cody stares at the tableau in front of him.
Palpatine’s body has gone cold and kind of more shrivel-y, still in that terror-filled, agonized fetal position.
A mouse droid steadily bumps into the corpse as it cleanses up nightmare sludge residue. The usual wails of eternal torment and stalking mimic of the hunted under the whirring of the little droid are almost a comfort.
The galaxy is saved from a madman’s nightmare visions by his own, custom-tailored nightmares in between a lot of impressive lightsaber acrobatics and surprisingly few dismemberments, considering.
“Huh,” Fox says next to him and takes a sip from his “Second Best Commander in the GAR” mug that Cody had helpfully corrected and improved.
“There were,” Obi-Wan pauses, visibly ruminating on his next words, “a surprising amount of tookas involved in the dreams. And those little… do you recall those little fluffy critters we encountered on Therenx VI?”
“Huh,” Cody echoes. He does remember the small bear-like animals. Mainly because they tended to shoot lightning out of their fuzzy little bellies unprovoked. Perma-banning them from the Negotiator after singed eyebrows and electrocuted equipment had involved a lot of tears and attempts at mutiny secretly sponsored by Cody’s General.
“So,” Fox drawls out, “that’s it?”
General Windu frowns. “With the reveal, there are certainly more issues to be resolved. But for the moment? Yes, it seems so.”
“‘Kay. I’m going on vacation. Toodles.” And with that Cody watches Fox go away with a careless gesture.
Cody waves after him before he realizes what he’s doing. He shakes his head and turns back. “You okay?”
The pulsing, thick smoke is slowly absorbed back into the heavy cloak. Obi-Wan is flickering once in a while, the sclera of his eyes a black hole for the stars in his pupils. He drags a hand through his hair but the stubborn strands just fall back across his forehead. “That was quite the outing,” he says cheerfully. “Never did like Taungsdays very much.”
Cody raises his eyebrows, still waiting for an answer. He doesn’t do anything to suppress or hide the smile tugging insistently on his lips.
“Frankly, I could do with a cup,” Obi-Wan admits and cracks his back with a satisfied groan that does it for Cody very much. “I do feel a bit matte.” He tilts his head back a bit, strange, beautiful eyes seeming to stare into the galaxy’s matter itself. The black tongue laps at his lips, quick and away. “And very full. The Chancellor’s dreams provided indeed.”
The sing-song voice is back and Cody shivers despite himself. It’s…unnerving. The one thing that makes the hair rise on Cody’s arms. That tells his hindbrain that there’s nowhere he can hide, nowhere he can crawl into, nowhere to turn to, because what is looking for him can find him in ways beyond his control.
Obi-Wan shakes his head, black bleeding out of his eyes, and leans forward on his knees with another long groan. “I want a nap.”
General Windu shakes his head with a fond look, and leads him away from the body with a steady hand sinking into a smoky shoulder. “Master Mundi is bringing some trusted Senators here.”
“Very well,” Obi-Wan nods and looks at Cody. “Commander,” he starts and Cody straightens instinctively as he receives the last orders from his General.
.
“Force, this is exactly what I needed,” Cody hears around the entry to the small kitchen. He takes his mug back to the living quarters and drowns in the sofa cushions next to Obi-Wan.
Nightmare sludge is happily sopping into the bowl placed under black clawed hands.
“Feel better?” Cody asks, sipping from freshly brewed caf made from real beans. The luxury feels endless. Smoke gently curls in between his fingers, dancing and playing around when he wiggles his hand.
With a mischievous smile Obi-Wan turns his head to him, burrows into his side. “Hmhm, that shower was rejuvenating.”
Cody has to agree. Feeling the grime and battle and literal nightmares washing off his skin, Obi-Wan’s skin, under hot water and hotter breath, the calming smell of the soap steaming against the tiles - it feels like a happy ending like in the holo movies.
“How are you?” Obi-Wan asks, shaking nightmares off one hand into the bowl.
“You know,” Cody tips his head against ginger hair and closes his eyes, “I feel really good.”
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for @deathdovesong
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theyanderebin · 4 months ago
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Yantober Day 2! Fate!
I had a bit of fun with this one! I like making creatures :)
A dress and some stockings are mentioned like once but other than that the reader gender is pretty ambiguous, i think-
(Prompt from @Ozzgin's Yantober list, it's a very good one, if you haven't looked you should go check it out!)
it's about 1.5K words
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How many? How many times!? How many times did it have to find you like this! Your body cold, lifeless. Blood pooling beneath your soft body. Your pretty eyes glazed over. It's blood boiled as it gently scooped up your corpse in it's large arms, silently carrying you away.
It buried you. Carefully and lovingly, in a delicately carved coffin. As it does every time. It stared out over the plot of land, grass a lively green. Unlike the stones laid in it. Each and every one, a grave of it's lover. A reminder of every time it was too late to save you. A low growl left it's snarled lips, thick tail whipped in frustration. It vowed not to fail next time. No matter what it had to do…
There's a prophecy passed through many generations. A cruel one, some might say. A prophecy of a powerful monster and it's lover. That if they were ever to reunite the world would crumble into an end, or so it says.
You're family, knew this prophecy well. Being that they were one of those to be tasked to destroy every reincarnation of it's lover and they did. Along with many other families, many times over. Despite your family heritage, your own training, you couldn't help but feel sour about the whole thing. "It kind of sucks, doesn't it?" You'd say to your siblings. They'd both only shrug, "That's just how it is." And you could only sigh in reply.
Your apparent sympathies for the monster had always drawn concern across your mother's face, her brows furrowed, lip pursed into a thin line. "We have to." She'd start, but by the second time you'd stopped her. "I know we have to, doesn't mean it sucks any less though…" Now only she could sigh "You're too good, for your own good."
It always took forever for the families to find each reincarnation. Even despite how wide spread they were, how many people were dedicated to staving of the crumbling end. Even so they managed. Your family having kept notes on small things about each and every version they'd slaughtered, did make it easier?
Well judging by the frantic energy, the answer would be. No. If anything you were beginning to think they were too obsessed with the little details. They found patterns in traits, likes, features, wherever they could. Kept drilling it all into each and every one of their heads. You'd found yourself staring into your grandmother's notes on few occasions, never particularly seeing whatever it is that they raved about. None of it ever really lined up for you. Clearly there was something though, right? They hadn't failed yet.
One thing that you'd noticed on your most recent perusal of the notes, flipping through old thin pages. The dates they had written, when they'd found and slaughtered the right person. They were becoming further and further apart. They were getting harder to find. "Maybe, we're a little too focused on the details?" You thought, "It's like they're all forgetting there's a picture at all…" You kept reading, noting briefly that man that's a lot of child murder- flicking the page to the most recently dated. A few weeks off 25 years ago. You huffed a laugh, "Wow, it's taking a real long time. At this rate I'll be dead before they figure out who it is." Closing the book, leaving on the table you meandered out of the archive room.
Weeks went by and before you knew it it was your 25th birthday. You looked yourself over in the mirror, outfit? Check. Personally you think you did an excellent job styling yourself. A cute dress and stockings that hugged your plump thighs. Picking up your bag off of the end of your bed. Phone, wallet and keys? Check, check and check! Phone pinging, you could hear the car outside.
Sat underneath an umbrella with your friends, at the outdoor table of your favourite lunch spot. The cafe wasn't exactly the busiest but the fact it was nice and kind of quaint was always what drew the lot of you to it. The outside of the cafe had a selection of garden bed with multitudes of flowers in a range of colours. You always made sure to put them in every photo you all took together. Even while you giggled and chatted away with the group. No matter what you did, something was off. An odd feeling in your stomach, it made the hair on your neck stand up. It was like something was watching. No matter what you tried, using your phone camera to look behind you. Nothing. Going inside to get a napkin. You could still feel eyes on you. No matter where you went. As long as you had people around you were good, right? It'll be fine. So you stayed with your friends all day, like you'd all been planning to. Listening to their shenanigans and ignoring the pit in your stomach. One of them lamented the time last week that they had to take their dog to the vet.
"I got in the car, started driving," She pushed her hair behind her ear, was that a shadow behind her? "And i drove myself all the way there. Like the full 45 minute drive. Without realising," Her roommate snickered and they shushed them. You could of sworn you just saw a pair of eyes around the corner of that building down the street. "The worst part. I'd parked and everything! Look back? Oh!" She throws up her hands, "No dog!" Their roommate giggling maniacally at her misery. "I'd just fully forgotten the dog! How do you even do that?" She huffed and you let out a small exhale.
The feeling never did go away. Instead it began to stay longer, like it was waiting for something. Out of the corner of you eye some days, there was something. You never managed to catch it. It never mattered how fast you whipped around. Your mother had seen you do it once or twice one day. "Are you okay?" She asked, her brows furrowed in worry. Never one to want to worry your mother "Uh! Yah! Yeah. I'm.. I'm good. just flies." You grinned awkwardly. Whatever it was you were pretty sure you could deal with it. "Flies?" Blinked your mother. "Yep." "Right… Well if something IS wrong you can tell me" She said, placing her hand on your shoulder "You do know that right?" "Yeah. Yeah um, thanks…" You breathed.
You never did end up mentioning it.
Breathing heavily you hauled yourself around the corner of a brick building, you weren't even sure where you were going. Everything was starting to blur into colours. Your lungs burned and your legs were going numb. Well if you survived this you'd have news for your family! It's resurfaced! The path changed around you. Unable to stop your momentum to put your hands out to cushion yourself and push off of the newly placed brick wall in front of you. Only you turned and collided with the fuzzy chest of the creature that was hunting you. "Shit." You thought. Fur coated reptilian tail wrapping around your waist, it's big arms enclosed around your shoulders, hand on the back off your head and pressing you closer to it.
You were the one. It could smell it. It could feel it. It could feel it in how perfect you felt in it's arms. You could only blink in confusion as a rumble emanated from it's warm body. It was kind of nice, almost comforting, familiar even… "Oh." You belatedly realised as it purred into you hair "Oh no." Your thoughts were very interrupted by it lifting you carefully off of the ground. "Finally…" It mumbled, "You are safe. I will protect you this time. I swear it" You tried to wriggle your way out of it's arms, this only resulted in it holding your soft round body that little bit tighter. Bordering on uncomfortable, it wasn't letting you go. It purred practically the whole time as it took you away, claws gently running over your scalp.
It kept you safe and tucked away in it's home, far into the woods. A simple home. You stayed there, far away from everything. The bed it gave you was far softer than anything you'd ever had in your life. Staying with you every night and curling it big fur covered body around you to ensure you're safe and warm. You weren't even sure of the actual state the world was in, you couldn't tell if anything had gone wrong. So you stayed and let it play with your hair and press kisses to you round face and chubby belly. You stayed and let it rest it's head on your thigh in the lounge room while you petted it behind it's ears that were somewhere between a fox and a cat's. All you felt like you could do was stay inside that house in the woods and let it love you almost reverently. Like the world was one big cat in a box that you didn't want to open.
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weirdraccoon · 1 year ago
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Til Death Do Us Whole
Tom Riddle was to wed Omega Malfoy to help his family and, unknowingly, the Omega's family. Both sets of parents had plans for the marriage, never mind that Tom and Draco never crossed a single word beforehand. It didn't matter. This was all business after all. So, it shouldn't be that difficult for the Alpha to exchange vows and tie their lives forever, or at least until death do them part.
Plans get complications when Tom finds himself married to a dead Omega.
Or - Tomarry Corpse Bride AU
Chapter 2
Merope was biting her nails nervously, looking out the window in the hopes that she’d be able to see her son arriving any minute now. Tom Sr. was similarly nervous, pacing the room from one side to the other. He had a short letter in his hand, in which the Malfoys expressed their worry regarding the young Riddle’s whereabouts and demanded rather than asked the return of the young Alpha in time to marry their son.
“This isn’t like him,” Merope broke the silence, looking at her husband with concern. “He usually returns before dark. Should we go looking for him in the forest? What if he got injured?”
Tom Sr. shook his head.
“He’s always careful. If he hasn’t returned, it is because he doesn’t want to,” he expressed grimly. “Maybe we shouldn’t have pushed him to marry Malfoy. We did never ask what he wanted for life,” he mussed.
“But he understood why he had to marry him,” Merope protested, thinking about her good and obedient son. “He agreed our family needed one last push to be included in high society. Everyone expects us to fail. Marrying Omega Malfoy would have shown all those stuck-ups that we are their equals.”
Tom Sr. sighed tiredly and sat next to his Alpha, taking her hand.
“I suppose having the Malfoy name at our backs would certainly help,” he agreed. “However, we’ve come this far on our own. We may have gotten a bit too enthusiastic when Lord and Lady Malfoy sent their proposal. As I said, we didn’t even stop to think what our son wanted, or if he wanted to marry at all.”
“Of course he does,” Merope frowned. “Maybe not now but he will,” she conceded. “This way he won’t have to worry about finding a partner on his own. And with an Omega, neither us nor the Malfoys will worry about grandchildren to pass on our legacy.”
Tom Sr. chuckled. As a Beta, he didn’t get all that concern over mating and breeding. However, he had to admit he wanted the best for his son, and a family of his own wasn’t a bad idea. Tom was a passionate soul, though, he wondered if Omega Malfoy was a good match, emotionally, for him.
Besides, he had his suspicions about why the Malfoys suddenly wanted to marry their heir to the son of a merchant.
“He’ll come back,” he promised his wife. “I’m sure he’s safe. We just have to keep the Malfoys occupied while he finds his way back home.”
Merope sighed and rested her head on her husband’s shoulder. Her eyes were firmly on the window, still waiting for her son.
Meanwhile, Tom was finally awakening in the strangest of places.
The young Omega with green eyes he thought he dreamt was peering at him from above, and there was a man hovering next to the Omega, also looking down at Tom with a slight smirk on his lips.
“Seems like he’s back, lad,” the pale man said, walking away. “A round on the house. To the newlyweds!”
There was a happy exclamation from around, several people cheering and offering their congratulations. The Omega, grinning, offered a hand to Tom to help him stand up.
“What a wedding night,” the young man said, dusting off Tom’s shoulders. “My new husband spent most of it unconscious!”
“That’s normal, dear!” A woman cackled from afar. “Now it’s when the fun begins!”
“To our young bride!” The man from before started a second toast. “Now a gorgeous wife!”
Tom gaped at everyone, pulling one hand free from the Omega’s grip to rub at his eyes. It didn’t help to clear his vision. He was still seeing corpses all around him!
“What is going on!” He demanded, looking at the Omega at his side and pulling his other hand free when he noticed the Omega’s arm was only bones. “Who- what- where am I? Who are you?”
“I’m your wife, silly,” the Omega chuckled, smiling softly. “Or don’t you remember? You spoke your vows oh so splendidly!” He showed off his left hand, where Tom’s ring rested peacefully on his finger. “I admit you caught me off guard, but I vowed all the same things to you after you fainted,” he finished sheepishly.
“What?”
“Here, you look about to faint again,” the pale man said, pushing a mug filled with something smoky into his hands. “Just careful. The stench of death is hard to swallow the first time.”
Tom dropped the mug and took a couple of steps backward.
“I must be dreaming,” he muttered. “All the stress of the wedding is catching up on me. That’s it. I’ll wake up any moment.”
“You’re fun,” the Omega said, suddenly back at his side. “This is no dream. This is the land of death! Do you like music? You’ll love it here. Every night is a party!”
“What,” Tom repeated, dazedly.
“Well, everyone ends up here, you know,” the man from before explained, leaning on what looked like a bar counter. “And we’re here for the rest of eternity so we figured why endure an eternity of boredom and sadness when we can enjoy ourselves?”
“And we have something to celebrate tonight!” The woman screeched, wrapping one bony arm around the Omega’s shoulders. “Harrykins has finally married! This party will last centuries, I tell you.”
“I’ll take my head off if I could, dear Harry,” the man grinned, bowing to the Omega and showing his nearly severed head. It hung for a second before the man stood back up, pushing another mug into Harry ’s hands. “Drink up!”
The Omega grinned and did as told, getting another round of cheers from the rest of the patrons. Then he returned swiftly to Tom’s side and offered him his mug.
“I’ll pass, thanks,” Tom said, eyeing the smoking liquid with trepidation.
“Your loss,” Harry grinned and downed it. “It’s actually good once you get used to the burn.”
Tom only nodded, still trying to figure out how to wake up.
“I’ll show you around, come!” Harry claimed happily and pulled Tom behind him. “That’s Nick, his brother tried to behead him but the ax wasn’t as sharp as it could’ve been,” he shrugged unworriedly. “That one’s Bella. Husband pushed her off the stairs one too many times and she landed wrong,” the woman hugged Harry, whispering something in Harry’s ear that made him laugh before going back to drink with other people. “Oh, and that one’s Ron. His bullies went too far near a lake.”
The redhead waved at them from his table. Tom could see what looked like rope burns on his wrists and neck and he gulped. Bella had an open wound on the side of her head and Harry… When Tom paid attention, he could see a stab wound right over his heart.
“Did everyone here die a violent and horrific death?”
“Well, I guess,” Harry hummed. “How did you die? Oh, and now that I think about it, what’s your name? We skipped a few formalities before getting married, right?” He chuckled and grinned up at Tom.  “I’m Harry.”
“Tom,” Tom drawled. “And I’m not dead,” he frowned. “Unless you gave me a stroke in the forest, that is.”
“Really?” Harry peered at him curiously. “Hey, Nick! Tom doesn’t know if he’s dead!”
Nick came over and poked Tom in the ribs, ignoring his annoyed huff. 
“Well, most don’t stop breathing until after some decades. Habit, I think.” Then he put his head over Tom’s chest. “Oh, dear. This one’s beating still. Where did you say you found him, Harry?”
“Over my grave,” Harry said simply, and Tom almost choked at the idea of standing over someone’s remains unknowingly.
“Oi, Harry!” Ron called from his table. “Come here a second!”
Harry glanced at Tom and smiled apologetically.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised and scurried off to the redhead’s side.
Tom took the opportunity to look for an exit but was stopped by a hand over his forehead. He forgot Nick was studying him.
“Yes, yes, you are very much alive,” Nick was muttering to himself. “How did he manage to drag you here?” He shook his head. “That boy, always doing the impossible.”
“Harry?” Tom asked, pushing the man off him.
“Well, yes,” Nick nodded. “Not many can walk from and to the living world as easily as he does,” he explained. “And of course, no one has ever married or dragged a living person here. I bet he didn’t even realize he did it, not if he thought you were as dead as him.”
They were interrupted by a piano. Tom recognized the song immediately, it was his favorite. He looked up and found Harry sitting on the piano near the bar with his redhead friend shushing everyone else. Then Harry started singing, and Tom felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head.
He was awake.
He was in the world of death.
He was married to a dead Omega.
“Many talents, Harry has,” Nick smirked knowingly.
Tom took a deep breath and noticed an incredible scent covering him. Seems like Harry didn’t waste a minute in marking him. He looked at Nick but the man didn’t mention anything.
“How come he has a scent if he’s dead,” Tom asked. “You don’t smell of much,” he winced at the tactless comment. “Sorry.”
“Oh no need to apologize,” Nick waved off. “And we didn’t know Harry had a scent. We don’t breathe anymore, see, and we don’t particularly care about scents or biology. We’re all equals in death.”
Tom frowned at the lack of answer and continued watching Harry. He was honest with himself, the Omega was gorgeous, and he could only imagine what he looked like when he was actually alive. His dark hair was messy and his green eyes were bright even in the afterlife. His short stature and thin figure made him look innocent, which was a direct contrast to the mischief in his eyes and smile.
And his voice was beautiful.
Tom was truly enchanted.
“What happened to him?” He asked softly when Bella wandered over to his side.
The woman was humming along the song, but she stopped as soon as Tom’s question left his lips. She pursed her own and looked sadly at the younger man at the piano.
“Let me guess, he gossiped about our deaths but he forgot to explain his,” she sighed, rolling her eyes in a caring kind of way. “Harry was the heir of a rich family,” she began to explain, lowering her voice so no one else could hear her. “One day, he met this one Lord. Tall, dark, and handsome. Also mysterious and edgy as fuck if you ask me but well, I only know him because Harry told me about him. The poor lad doesn’t even want to utter his name, calls him he-who-shall-not-be-named.”
“And?” Tom asked, getting her back on track.
“And Harrykins fell fast and hard,” Bella explained with a tired exhale. “He-who-shall-not-be-named said he shared the Omega’s affections, but Mommy and Daddy didn’t really approve of the relationship, so they decided to elope. Harry had to steal a good sum of money and jewels from his family and meet his Lord in the forest. They would leave town and find their happiness for themselves,” she paused dramatically. “Except, Harry didn’t meet his true love in the forest.”
Bella stopped suddenly, looking behind Tom with a glint in her eyes. Tom turned and found Harry watching them with narrowed eyes. He looked serious for a moment. Tom missed the grin and mischievous air that surrounded him earlier.
“I met my death,” he finished. “ He stabbed me in the back, metaphorically, and broke my heart, literally,” he looked at Tom and his face lighted up again. “But it doesn’t matter now. You found me and married me and we’ll live happily ever after!”
Tom gulped. While he didn’t have many problems with that, seeing as he could still smell the Omega’s rich scent and found him not at all ugly, he still had to think about his parents and his responsibilities back in the living world. He was still part of the living world!
“Harry, I,” he began but was interrupted by Harry’s other friend, Ron.
“Harry! Can’t you sing another song? They all loved it!”
“Actually, I feel tired,” Harry said, eyeing Tom from the corner of his eye. “Maybe later. We have time,” he joked. “I’m going to show Tom around. This bar is not the only place in the world of death, you know.”
“Yeah, but we all spend most of our time in here anyway,” Bella winked. “Enjoy your honeymoon, lovebirds!” With that, she pulled Ron with her to a table.
Harry turned to Tom, and Tom imagined that if Harry could blush he’d be as red as an apple right then. Tom offered his arm and Harry happily took it and led him out of the small pub to what appeared to be a colorful village where the death… lived.
“So, Tom,” Harry grinned up at him. “You ever played twenty questions?”
Tom rolled his eyes and followed his Omega around town. He’d skip any questions about Harry’s death, but it was a good way of getting to know each other, he conceded.
Unknown to him, he wasn’t the only one playing twenty questions.
Back in the world of the living, Lord Voldemort was drilling Lucius and Narcissa about the young Alpha who escaped his wedding rehearsal.
“And do you really think he’s a good prospect for Draco?” He asked, looking intently at the Omega’s parents. “Sure, he’s an Alpha, but that doesn’t even matter in this day and age. If the lad proved to be incompetent during the rehearsal he must be as incompetent in providing for his family.”
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged looks. It was the only way they’d be saved from embarrassment. Of course, they weren’t about to tell this Lord Voldemort any of that.
“You seem so… passionate,” Narcissa commented drily. “Lady Voldemort must be a lucky mate.”
“Oh, no, no,” Voldemort shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid it’s only me. I confess I’ve been enjoying myself thus far. Traveling, exploring, and spending my fortune on myself. However, now that I’m back for good I’ve got to know the feeling of loneliness. This in part, is why I don’t understand why that young Alpha could up and disappear when he had such a gorgeous Omega practically handed to him,” he sighed dramatically. “If it were me, I would absolutely cherish Draco to the end of our days.”
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged another look. Lucius nodded once and Narcissa cleared her throat. Voldemort hid a smirk and offered all his attention.
“We should consider that Tom Riddle may have run because he didn’t accept our proposal,” Narcissa said slowly. “in that case, to avoid shaming our family and poor Draco, we could as well accept another offer of marriage, as long as it is in Draco’s best interests.”
Lucius cleared his throat too.
“We knew Riddle was not as trustworthy as we hoped,” he agreed with his wife. “They didn’t teach him enough about business and contract arrangements. I’m sure Draco, on his part, is perfectly aware of his role in this world.”
Narcissa nodded slowly, looking at Voldemort in the eye.
“We are open to discussing any sort of proposal you may have for us, Lord Voldemort,” she spoke clearly.
Draco, who had been eavesdropping from the top of the stairs, rushed back to his room and locked the door. He shook his head and looked into the mirror. He had hoped his marriage to Riddle would save him from his parents and his so-called role . However, if they married him to another Lord, there was no way he’d escape that sort of life.
He’d be no longer his parents’ perfect Omega, he’d be his husband’s perfect Omega.
He wished he could be only Draco like he felt when he was talking to Tom that very morning… Even if they didn’t have much in common, or if there was something off about the Alpha’s scent, Draco knew the Riddles wouldn’t mind some “rebellious attitude” from him.
“Where are you, Riddle,” he muttered, looking out his balcony towards the forest.
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thronelessking · 9 months ago
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The moon calls to the ocean. Calls for the friend that has long sunk to the very bottom of the waves; the cold corpse of a giant that life has grown in. The life that grows within old bones picked clean cannot answer for that which once was, that which once nurtured it, loved it. The life that lives within does not hear the moon, the lives that thrives and coils, makes old bones a part of itself - its new thriving existence - cannot answer the pleas for understanding.
As ever, Pontus in his death remains silent.
The life which has grown and thrived in the grief and anger left behind, that fills its lungs with with a sorrow that will never breach the surface, squirms under the rough treatment. Xartsa'aga's strength could move mountains, crush boulders to stone, and stone to pebbles. Beneath him, she feels as if he is trying to grind her into the dirt to prove a point; his might has earned her respect, and with it can he silence an argument. It does not stop her from slapping, batting, at the mans hand. The woman jams her claws beneath scales with a biting irritation but does not dig.
"May our Mother take me into the endless night before your sentiments ever take root." The words are sharp, but reflexively. Defensively. There is no true anger there. "If my heart bleeds and aches like yours then we will get nothing done ever again. I will be too preoccupied at every roadside weeping over this and that." The crocodile hisses and rumbles but does not lunge, does not open it's jaws to rip and tear. Instead Okishur inhales, sharp, and sighs. "I do not do things because I am kind, I do it because it is right."
There is a difference, in her mind. There is no drop of kindness in her, to be kind would be to undo her in her entirety. Okishur is a good person, but there is nothing within her that she sees in Aeron or Xartsa'aga. That she sees in Vohti, or Evi. They are good people, kind people, the embodiment's of the gentle shadows that bring sleep, in no ways is she the same. In no way could she ever be.
As it swims, the crocodile cannot see that which is above or behind, only ahead. It can only ever go one way. She is much the same. Should her path take jher through kinder waters, then it is by coincidence, not her own doing.
With a roll of her eyes, she yanks the man's hand downwards with a scrutinizing gaze, purses her lips with displeasure. "Go clean your damn hands. Playing in the dirt is grinding your damn scales down to a polished stone." There's another swat to his hand, playful this time. She moves the conversation away from the tenderness of herself with force. "Mother did not bless you with such to disregard them. Or do I have to force you down and do the damn deed myself?"
Okishur would, out of fondness, do so with a smile. But she has her reasons to speak as such, the weight of kindness is not one she wishes to put upon her shoulders. There is no reason for this change to mean anything to her, there is no reason to listen to the way Aeron speaks of her no matter how true. If she has changed, then she has changed for them, not for the world she treads and runs across. There is no room in her heart for more.
A dead woman's heart does not beat on it's own.
When Aeron does not move as fast as she pleases, she takes her frustrations out on him again, slamming into his side with her own in a playful shove. "Come on you, get a damn move on." Not once does Okishur look up at him as she barks at him. "Or do I need to cover your eyes and steer you like a startled horse across the plains."
Xartsa'aga looks at the small mound of dirt, but Aeron is who replies. If you ask him - if you ask them - if there is something worth fighting for, then you should fight it.
So they pick battles. They do not belong to the fragmented moon, but people pray feverishly for solace. For hope. The darkest night, the gentle illumination that is necessary then. Battles, battles on top of battles. Battles until he shatters and picks himself up again. Never backing down, no matter what.
Aeron knows that he cannot stop. One day, lying on snowy fields and looking at the blindly white sky at dawn, he had realized: a peaceful death was not in store for him. The heavy mantle of heroism, ever so weighty on shoulders. Other adventurers would eventually find that retreating back to the safety of a home is what they desire.
Xartsa'aga would rather die on the vast expansion of the steppes, a welcome return to a first home. Aeron knows his death is at the end of a long tunnel, haunted by trials that no man can imagine.
They pat down the grave, making sure it will not be disrupted. Quickly, they hide it behind foliage: masking smells and assuring a peaceful rest. If a hungry animal is intelligent enough to see past all of this, then it was deserved.
He would starve to see other people thrive. In his own way, he shapes the world. Differently from Okishur. Different from Vohtii, from Okiqara. From Evi. Kindness and sacrifice. One step at a time. Aeron would tear his own scales with his own hands if needed. He would bleed on the floor if the cause was just enough.
Okishur has repeatedly warned him against it. He pays no mind. The falcon has ever been stubborn, hard-headed fool. The heart soars, bloodied as it is.
A smile.
"You are kinder than you know, daughters of ocean and night. When the sword is not enough - when the axe and magic might are not enough - that is when we grow. That is when we allow ourselves to change. You have done things for the sake of people you barely know; this would be impossible years ago."
Because there is love, the heron replies at last. Because there is love. For this world, for the people around us. Open your eyes and see. Hear it. Every small voice, every smile. Some of them opportunists, yes. But they are insignificant.
Hear the relieved sigh of the child who was reunited with their mother. Listen to the uncontrollable sobs of the woman who received her final mementos from her late husband.
Hear, hear. The chorus of nature, the raging storm inside you. The one outside. In that moment, you two are one. In that moment, no matter how mundane or hurtful a task, you have earned gratitude.
You have earned love. And so you love in return. The world. The people. The star. And so that moves you. And so that brings forth miracles - soaring impossible heights. The miracle of life and the somberness of death. Can you hear it?
Aeron stands, finally. The smile is still on his lips. One hand is raised, and he ruffles her hair. Roughly. Much like two wild animals playing. They think it is funny how Okishur's hair looks disheveled.
My dear friend, can you hear it? The ocean sings your praises.
"In this moment and until you decide to rest, you are alive. Our Mother has made you brave, but it has also made you kind. Behind that bravery that shall never shelter, I can see the change. You are not the same person you were when we first met."
The power to conquer even the darkest despair. My friend, can you hear it? Dear Pontus, can you hear me?
"A warrior of the Steppes you might have been, but now you have something more. Something you did not possess before. Until the end, your tears will be our tears.
You have learned to raise your axe for others. Not only the people close to you. Know that there will be people who will also find solace in darkness, as we now both know."
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ilici · 4 years ago
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that’s my sister.
Summary: Sapnap and Dream go to visit George in the UK when they go out clubbing, Sapnap has a one night stand with someone he thought looked familiar.
(There will be a male version to this one soon !)
NSFW MINORS DNI
Warnings: degrading, choking, oral (giving), sir kink, thigh riding.
Word Count: 2498
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Sapnap leaned back in the passenger seat, and propped his feet up on the dashboard. “I’d appreciate if you didn’t dirty up the rental car.” Dream spoke up, glancing over at Sapnap before he turned his attention back to the road. Sapnap only scoffed, but kept his feet propped up. “I am aching Dream, we’ve been in every type of vehicle you can think of in the past 12 hours.” Sapnap whined, wanted to finally be able to relax. “Shut up, I’ve drove two of those hours, and the rest was on an airplane where you slept the entire time.” Dream said, shaking his head at his friends whinny behavior. “Yeah? So what? I was still in a vehicle.” He said, shaking his head, and looked at the passing buildings.
“How long do we have left till we even get to George’s house?” He asked, and Dream looked down at his phone that was on his lap giving him the directions. “About ten minutes.” He confirmed, and Sapnap felt relieved he only had to be inside the car for ten more minutes. “Thank God.” He mumbled, and looked over at him, “Didn’t George recently move out of his mom’s house and into his own place?” He asked, and Dream nodded. “Yeah, if he was still living with his mom we would've done been there 20 minutes ago.” He admitted, and Sapnap mentally cussed George out. “Does George live alone?” He asked and Dream shrugged, “He’s mentioned he has a sister that comes and visits a lot, so I would assume so.”
After a long ten minute drive, they pulled up to a gated house. “He seriously has a gate?” Sapnap said, and Dream looked at him, “Our house has a gate dumbass.” He said, and Sapnap laughed, “True true.” He nodded his head, as the gate opened for them. “He must’ve seen us on his camera or something.” Dream muttered under his breath as he drove up the driveway. “This house is huge holy shit.” Sapnap said, gawking at the house. “Well yeah, Brighton has better houses than Florida.” Dream said as if it were obvious, “It’s like a whole three stories.” He said, as they parked. George’s figure came into view and he excitedly waved at them. “Hey guys!” George said as he walked to the rental car, planning to help with their luggage. “Hey George.” Sapnap said, as he grabbed his suitcase and some of his duffle bags. Dream greeted George with a hug, and grinned. “I’ll show you two to your rooms.” George said, grabbing what was left.
As the three walked in, Dream and Sapnap were smacked with the smell of French toast. “Did you cook?” Dream asked bewildered, “No, my sister made food for us before she left to go home.” George explained, and the other two nodded. “She seems sweet.” Sapnap said, and Dream nodded in agreement, “She has her moments like every sibling would.” He explained, and Dream mentally agreed thinking back to his sisters. “Sapnap your room is on the second floor and to the right, Dream yours is on the third floor and to the left.” He informed them, and Sapnap instantly looked at George, “Why can’t I be on the third floor?” He asked, and George stared at him blankly, “Because I’d prefer you fall down two sets of stairs then three.” Dream laughed at this and Sapnap attempted to flip him off, straining his arm in the process from all the weight.
Walking up the stairs and into his designated room, he placed everything down and took in the room. “What the..” He whispered, seeing how clean everything was. The room was a dark grey, and had a huge window as a wall on his right, letting him see the clear vision of beautiful mountains. He found himself staring at the scenery, it took his breath away, “Sapnap?” George asked waving a hand in front of Sapnap. Snapping out of his thoughts, he blinked repeatedly and looked over to George, “Yeah?” He asked, and George scoffed. “I've been calling your name for the longest time.” He said waving his arms about, exaggerating. “Yeah yeah whatever.” Sapnap said, waving him off. “Get dressed, we are going to eat then I’m taking you to the club because Dream said you needed to loosen up from all the traveling.” He said, shocked that Sapnap wasn’t jet lagged. 
Sapnap nodded and practically pushed George out of the room. Getting dressed, he put on black jeans, a corpse hoodie he received from Corpse himself with a note that said, “I apologize for not knowing you.” Slipping on his shoes, he walked out, not really caring about his appearance too much since he never really mattered to him in the first place. As they all finished eating, it was nearing 8 pm. Getting into the car, Dream made sure George didn’t drive, especially since it was night time. “Just because you got your license a month ago, doesn't mean I will trust you.” Dream said, as George sulked in the passenger side. Sapnap just looked at the scenery as they drove to the club. Feeling the car come to a halt, Sapnap looked up and he grinned, “I am going to get so wasted. I am so glad the age limit is different in the UK.” Sapnap said, and Dream laughed, “You turned 20 like two weeks ago, you’re crazy.” He said shaking his head as everyone got out.
After 4 cosmo’s Sapnap was wasted, and was now on the dance floor as Dream was drinking nothing for being the designated driver. “I hate babysitting.” Dream said, looking at George who shrugged, since he didn’t really like alcohol that much. “At least someone is having fun.” George mumbled, trying to find Sapnap in the mass amount of people. Without any luck, neither of them spotted him. Sapnap on the other hand, was now dancing with a girl who was wearing a rose gold satin dress. Her features seemed similar but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Her E/C and H/C was what threw him off, everything else seemed like deja vu. 
Her pale smooth skin, and her full plump lips, that he was dying to kiss so badly. Grabbing her hips, the two were grinding on each other. He loved the way her dress clung to her curves, “You’re beautiful.” He whispered into her ear, and the girl blushed. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?” He asked, and she nodded, “I’m going to go tell my friends that I am leaving. My place or yours? I live with my friends, so if you live alone your place is the better option for more privacy.” He said, slurring his words a tad. “My place.” She finally spoke, and her voice sounded silky if even possible. It sounded gorgeous, grinning he lightly spanked her ass as he told her to wait for him outside. Walking in the direction of his friends, Sapnap saw them. “I’m going with a girl, you two can go home.” He said, and the other two just shot up ready to leave.
Sapnap rushed outside, calling an uber as he walked out. “Let’s go.” He said, grabbing her hand, the two stumbling about. Both were drunk, but they knew what they were doing. When the uber arrived, the girl told him her address and Sapnap couldn’t keep his hands off of her. He was either touching her thighs, or subtly kissing her neck, he felt intoxicated by her. Y/N on the other hand was growing frustrated at the touches, her sexual frustration was getting to her. “Fuck this.” She mumbled, and climbed over to straddle Sapnap, ordering the uber driver to keep his eyes on the road. “God you’re so hot.” Sapnap whispered to her, and Y/N crashed her lips on his, the two feeling intoxicated from each other. 
Pulling away, Sapnap groaned, “I don’t know if it’s the alcohol in my system, but I could get drunk off your lips.” He said, biting her bottom lip and tugged on it. Giggling Y/N shook her head, and gasped when she felt her hips being rocked. Leaning her head back, she bit her bottom lip holding in a moan as she let Sapnap guide her hips on his thigh. “Someone likes thigh riding, don’t they?” He teased, and Y/N whined nodding her head too embarrassed to say anything. The fact that the uber driver could hear and see everything made her so much more excited. Speeding up his movements, Sapnap flexed his thigh and Y/N let a moan slip out. “Fuck that was hot.” He said watching her, as her face contorted into one of pleasure as she was growing close. 
Speeding up once more, he pushed his leg up, and that’s what set her off. Letting out a strand of curses, she felt herself cum. Sapnap watched the sight in front of him, watching her unravel was the prettiest sight ever. Hearing a throat being cleared, the two looked to the front, and noticed they were now at her house. Y/N mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ as the two stumbled out of the car. Y/N paid the uber driver double since he had to witness everything. “Come on doll.” Sapnap said, picking her up and placed her down once they made it to her front door. Fumbling with her keys, she quickly unlocked the door. The two rushed in and in a matter of seconds, Y/N was shoved against the door, Sapnap kissing her deeply and passionately. “Off now.” He mumbled against her lips, as he unzipped her dress skillfully. Pulling away, Y/N let the dress fall to her ankles. Sapnap looked her body up and down hungrily, the matching soft pink lace undergarments made him groan. 
“I can’t even wait to get into your room. I am going to fuck you, right here, right now. Understood?” He said, reaching up grabbing her neck as Y/N whimpered nodding her head. “Since I let you have your moment in the car, you’re gonna give me a reward.” He said pushing her down by the throat and Y/N licked her lips in anticipation. Sapnap eagerly took off his hoodie and shirt, throwing it across the living room. “You do it.” He said, motioning for her to unzip his pants. Nodding, she started unzipping his pants, and unbuttoned them. “Use your words doll.” He said, caressing her jawline, and Y/N bit her bottom lip, “Yes sir.” She said, and Sapnap smirked, “Good girl.” He said, and he hissed a bit when he felt the cool air hit his now free dick. Y/N looked at his dick, it was long and thick. She didn’t know if it was going to be able to fit. 
“Go on.” He urged her, and Y/N nodded snapping out of her trance. Grabbing the base of his dick, she gave it a long lick and Sapnap groaned leaning his head back at the sensation. Grabbing her hair, he made it into a messy ponytail. Slowly she licked the precum off the tip, and finally wrapped her lips around his dick. Bobbing her head slowly, Sapnap let out a small moan, as he looked down at the beautiful girl. “Eyes on me doll.” He said, and Y/N looked up at him with her innocent looking eyes, which made him want to destroy her right then and there. Not wanting to waste time, he started thrusting into her mouth. Y/N on the other hand, was special as she had no gag reflex. This; however, caught Sapnap off guard completely. “God such a good little slut you are for me.” He said, biting his bottom lip.
He was amazed by her even more, she let him face fuck her, and he felt himself growing close to his climax. Shoving his dick down her throat as he felt himself cum, he slowly pulled out of her mouth. “Swallow.” He ordered, and she obediently swallowed. Picking her up quickly he shoved her against the wall, pulling her underwear down. “Are you ready Doll?” He asked, and Y/N eagerly nodded her head. “I’m ready please just fuck me.” She whined out, and Sapnap quickly thrusted into her not giving her time to adjust. Y/N let out a strangled moan, as he wrapped his hand around her throat again. “God you’re so tight.” He groaned out, thrusting up into her roughly. Y/N was a moaning mess, she kept trying to hold in her moans, but they kept escaping no matter what. Feeling herself growing close once again, Sapnap smirked, “Cum on my dick Doll.” He whispered in her ear, leaning down to add hickeys on her neck. 
The way Y/N’s body was so pale and empty, it was as if she was an empty canvas waiting to be painted on. So he took it upon himself to make sure she had hickeys every where he could reach. Feeling her clench around him, he realized she had came. Pulling out Sapnap felt himself cum, and watched as it landed on her ass. Groaning at the sight, he scooped some of it up on his fingers and demanded her to lick his fingers clean. Y/N soon felt herself being picked up, and a wet substance being rubbed on her body. She assumed it was a wet washcloth, mumbling out a small ‘thank you’ she felt her upper body being covered by an oversized hoodie. Sapnap sat her on the bed, and helped her put on new underwear, he slipped on his own underwear and laid in bed. The two quickly fell asleep.
“What the hell?” Sapnap heard, and he groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he finally remembered where he was. Looking over he saw her still peacefully sleeping. Growing confused at the voice, he looked around and saw nothing. Looking over he noticed the beautiful stranger also had a window for a wall showing a beautiful forest instead. He wouldn’t mind waking up to that every morning, and the girl beside of him. Slowly getting up, he walked downstairs, hearing hushed voices. “Sapnap?” He heard, and Sapnap whipped around to see a red face George, and a hysterical Dream. “I told you that was his shirt!” Dream said in between laughs. George paid no mind to him as he pointed a finger at Sapnap, “You slept with my twin sister?!” George yelled, and Sapnap chuckled. “So that’s who she reminded me of.” He said, and everyone went quiet when they heard soft pattering of feet walking down the stairs. Sapnap’s heart melted at the sight of Y/N tiredly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “George?” She asked, and George visibly calmed at her voice, “Y/N you slept with my best friend Sapnap?” George asked, and the two looked at each other. “Y/N.” “Sapnap.” The two said at the same time, finally knowing their names.
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getouswh0re · 4 years ago
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pairing: gojo satoru x reader
genre: yandere, unhealthy relationships, mentions of violence, blood & gore, mass murdering, obsession, slight manga spoilers
synopsis: he would tear the entire world apart with his own hands, just to keep you by his side evermore.
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Love is a lethal bliss.
Bearing semblance to momentary sweetness, it warms the cockles of your heart; yet before one could even savour it for long, in its honey-like aftertaste is a deadly poison — seeping through the branching veins and killing every cell of the living host within its reach. Soundlessly, life is sucked out as one discovers themselves teetering on a tightrope of death.
i) The ambience of the atmosphere between you and Gojo is silent, deadly — akin to the calming weather before a raging storm. As the two of you stand at opposite ends of the living room, eyes refusing to meet with the sorcerer’s as an expanse of sky blue smoulders holes into your soul. Feeling your limbs trembling from the intensity of his stare, cat got your tongue. The words you’ve meant to say are stuck at the back of your throat as the taller male shifts a step forward, and you unconsciously leaning back against the wall.
“Do we have to do this love?” You cringe at the feigned pain interlaced in your ex’s tone. “You know you don’t have to do this. This is painful for both you and I, and knowing how much you love me, you certainly don’t want to put both of us through all of this. Don’t you?”
You bite your lip, eyes downcast. 
You wish all of this isn’t necessary, that everything that has happened is nothing more than your imagination regarding the red flags displayed before your periphery. Still, you have to do it having mulled over it for a while. It is about time that all of this come to an end. 
Ever since a certain man called Gojo Satoru meandered into your life, everything changed as your feelings for the male blossomed, like fresh buds on the bare branches with remnants of snow thawing into tinges of spring. It didn’t take long for the two of you to reciprocate one another’s feelings, yet cracks gradually surface on what seemed like an all-too-perfect fairy tale, breaking the crystal ball of illusion that you had been trapped in throughout all these months. 
For as long as you could remember, Gojo has been acting out of character; sure enough he retains his childish personality and insufferable god complex, yet there are times when you could barely recognise him. On occasions he would whine for hours, desperate to gain your attention, and there were moments when he’d follow wherever you went. Initially dismissing his clinginess as his way of displaying affection, you didn’t think much about it. That was until his demeanour underwent a 180 degree shift; being overbearing was one thing, yet the sorcerer had the audacity to dictate your life and your social circle, stepping his foot way past the boundaries that even you thought was too much. 
It wasn’t like you didn’t give Gojo an opportunity to change for the better. You did; it was him who failed to reflect on his own mistakes, to take things for granted without realising he had been in the wrong all along. With those alarming signs of the relationship spiralling into a toxic one, it occurred to you that you should end things fast before circumstances aggravated. 
Love is a beautiful pain.
To relish its fleeting vestiges between their fingertips, one must endure the torment of its thorns. Not everyone has the courage to sacrifice their sanity for something so transient, but one — or maybe few, who are more than willing to pay for their price, would do anything to hold onto such evanescent reminisces close to their heart.
ii) “Come on y/n. You know you don’t want to break up with me, stop lying to your heart.” 
As if his saccharine smile isn’t enough to make bile surge up your throat, the lovelorn white-haired man stares at you with such adoration, making you revolted than ever; before you could even blink, he is already inches away, bringing up his slender fingers and caressing your cheeks with utter delicacy. 
“From the moment we met, it’s like the red strings of fate intertwining, akin to two worlds colliding.”
Feeling his breath tickling your frigid neck, goosebumps laminate your skin as you shudder underneath his lasting touches.
“Your heart belongs to me, and mine yours. It’s like the universe wants the two of us to be together — forever. Just stop denying your feelings, okay? I can hear your heartbeat ... it’s beating crazy, just for me.” 
“Gojo, you need to stop all of this —“
“Oh honey, don’t say that ... I know the look in those eyes.” He presses on, his insufferable ego refusing to give in. “You might be pushing me away, but your body does the exact opposite. You’re still in love with me. You care for me, I know you do.”
Perhaps that is what makes terrifying about the sorcerer. Wearing his usual smile on a deceptively charming face, his true thoughts are inscrutable beneath the unfazed facade; worst of all, you never know what would drive him off the edge, not until you experience triggering a ticking time bomb by accident.
“Gojo, hear me out.” You push the towering male away, determined than ever to cut ties with him for the sake of your own safety. “What you do is not love anymore. It’s ... obsession! And it’s suffocating me! If you truly cared about me you would’ve respected my wishes and opinions — but you didn’t. No matter how much you love someone, this is far beyond acceptable. I ... we need to break up, for the sake of both of us.”
Stunned, the remnants of hope flicker in the sorcerer’s azure eyes before dissipating into darkness, along with his despondent heart that has plummeted into abysmal depths of a bottomless void. Hands retracting from your skin, you heave out a sigh of relief when spine-chilling chortles echo from Gojo’s throat.
“You think that’s it? That I’ll let you go?” The crazed glint in his burning stare convinces you even more that breaking up with this delusional man is the only option to save yourself. Slowly backing towards the door, you have prepared yourself for the worst, making a potential run with a bag filled with your valuables.
“You cannot run away from me y/n! You know you can never escape from me. I will flip the world upside down to find you — and hunt you down! Want me to prove that? I will tear the entire world apart by my hands, just so that you won’t run away from me anymore!”
You finally make your run, sprinting out of your shared apartment as fast as you could whilst ignoring his shrilling screams, deciding to leave everything behind for good.
Love is an unprecedented enigma.
Like a never-ending Möbius strip, the red strings of fate intertwines people's fates — yet at the same time, it looms over everyone's lives like a doom of death, mercilessly tearing loved ones or those held dear to their hearts apart within the blink of an eye. Callous as it seems, it reminds people how minuscule acts of gratitude allow them to appreciate the present before they lament or carry their regrets later on in life. Unfortunately, with the complexity of destiny, nobody could ever foresee when karma would dawn upon their heads. Not even you.
Little would you know that doomsday would be awaiting you so soon.
iii) For what feels like going through hell and back, you finally manage to rid yourself out of the psychotic sorcerer's hands and his devious manipulation. For what it’s worth, there is no guarantee about your life returning to normal. Knowing that it is nearly impossible to escape from Gojo (knowing that his sixth eyes can instantly locate where you are), you eventually make the decision of moving away with a heavy heart, considering that it would be what it’s best to solve your issues with your controlling ex. 
Having settled the documents and errands, all that’s left is for you to leave the place filled with nothing other than sad memories. As if it seems like a fresh start is extending its outstretched hands towards you, freedom is just within hand’s reach.
Not until all hell breaks loose on October 31st — the day of your departure. 
Copper tinges beckon indigo skies at twilight, remnants of the setting sun shining through the windows as you take a last, rueful look at the apartment you’ve resided most of your life before grabbing your belongings and heading towards the train station. With the day being Halloween, it isn’t surprising at all that the streets would be crowded, flooded with jovial citizens who want to enjoy themselves during the spooky season. All you have to do is make your way onto the designated train. 
Yet that never happened, because havoc descends among the living like a catastrophic plague. 
Just as you writhe your way through the streets and making your way towards the train station, screams erupt when a massive quake demolish the surrounding buildings into shambles, tearing the festive merriment in the atmosphere apart as people turn and run in all directions without warning — leaving you extremely perplexed about the current state of Shibuya. Horror is evident in every onlooker’s eyes whilst they dash for shelter; the city is in absolute chaos — danger looming, asphalt pavements ensanguined with blood, distressed cries resonating into the night. 
“Hey!” You call out, grabbing onto a random passerby. “What the hell happened?” 
“Danger ... curses ... sorcerer —“
Your blood run cold upon the mentioning, and it didn’t take long for you to figure out the entire situation and who has been responsible. In hindsight, you should’ve had followed the rest and ran away from the scene immediately, but you don’t — standing there amongst the quiet streets in utter terror. And before you could even lift your legs and sprint for your life, there he is, stained from head to toe in blood — an inebriated stare full of nothing but infatuation for you. 
“Honey! There you are ...” Skipping over mountains of corpses humming a joyful tune, Gojo happily pulls you into his chest, nestling his face against your squirming shoulders, his grip a vice against your futile efforts of struggling to break free. “I was so worried about you ever since you left! I ... I feel like my world is falling apart, and I just cannot live without you you know!” 
“Get. The. Hell. Off. Me!” 
The sorcerer chortles at your demand, ignoring your protests as he hugs you closer to his throbbing heart. 
“Darling ... we could’ve been so happy together. Yet you have to do all of this. For what? If you had given me your heart and soul, none of this would’ve happened —“
“Oh, so this is my fucking problem now?” You hiss, shoving the taller male off. “You really are crazy — Gojo Satoru. But I never regret the decision I’ve made, and I will do it again and again if I need to!” 
That is when he activates his domain expansion. 
All of your sudden, your mind is a blank — staring into the sorcerer’s cerulean eyes as it overwhelms you like a raging hurricane, sucking you deeper and deeper until your entirety sinks into his infinite void. For once you finally fear the strongest man on earth — of the dangers he possesses and what would’ve happened had he decided to break your mind the hard way. 
“To be honest, I don’t care ~” Silent tears roll down your cheeks once you recognise the drop in the man’s usual carefree tone, feeling the remnants of sanity being ruthlessly stripped away from you as you fall limp in Gojo’s loving arms. 
“The seas can rage, the heavens will rumble. But no matter what happens, I’m never going to let any of this take you away from me — for you and I are the honoured ones, destined to be together ...” 
With his voice dwindling to a hushed whisper, the sorcerer slips a shimmering ring onto your finger, declaring in utmost adoration his vows of undying love. 
“In time and evermore.”
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tiramisiyu · 3 years ago
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Tears of Themis: Xia Yan/Luke 【妄夜之魇】 Looming Nightmare - Date Translation
Translation Masterlist | Xia Yan Masterlist | Unsubbed Video
Transcript below cut:
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Part 1
Forest
In the morning, a group of villagers walked slowly through the forest’s rocks and mud.
Nearby, a young man dressed as a knight noticed them.
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Luke: Please wait!
The young man pushed aside the dense branches, rushing over to the villagers.
Villager Captain: You are…?
Luke: My apologies for troubling you all. I’m Luke Pearce, a knight.
As he spoke, he balled up his left hand and placed it before his chest, displaying a standard gesture of courtesy to the villagers.
Villager Captain: So you’re a knight. Greetings, is anything the matter?
Luke: I’d like to ask you all if there is anyone who knows where the evil dragon is?
Villager A: E-evil dragon?!
When they heard “evil dragon”, a momentary fear displayed on all the villagers’ faces.
The whispers among them gradually grew louder, and the originally calm group gradually began to lose control.
Villager A: W-why are you searching for the evil dragon…
Villager B: Why are you asking about that beast’s whereabouts?! Are you trying to get it to come over here again?!
Villager B: O-our village, it…
Villager Captain: Calm down.
The young captain placed a hand on the shoulder of the middle-aged man to calm him down temporarily.
Villager Captain: We were impolite. Sir Knight, none of us have malicious intentions. It’s just…
Luke: Were… you all also attacked by the dragon?
Villager Captain: Indeed…
The young man sighed.
Villager Captain: We originally lived in a nearby village. Three days ago, our village was attacked by that dragon.
Villager Captain: The flames it breathes, and its massive wings that kick up gales when they beat…
Villager Captain: That’s how our houses and fields were thoroughly annihilated.
Villager Captain: Many villagers that couldn’t escape were left forever in those ruins.
Villager Captain: But that dragon didn’t stop there. It… even carried off lots of innocent people.
Villager Captain: That’s what happened to my wife and that grandma’s only daughter.
Villager Captain: We don’t even know if they’re still alive.
The young man spoke until his voice faded. The hands that hung on his sides were tightly clenched, like he was trying to control his emotions.
Villager Captain: Like us, lots and lots of villages and cities have been destroyed by it in the past several days.
Villager Captain: Those attacked by it can only flee in search of a temporary safe place.
Villager Captain: We…
Luke: … I’m sorry for making you recall such horrible things.
The young knight lowered his head in apology.
Luke: On my journey, I’ve also heard lots about its terrible actions.
Luke: When I saw you all from far away, I thought you were all normal passersby. I didn’t think…
Villager Captain: It’s alright. We do have to learn to face this eventually.
Villager Captain: Although, Sir Knight, why are you looking for that dragon?
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Luke: Because…
A flash of desolation appeared on the knight’s face.
Luke: Because I’m looking for someone who is incredibly important to me.
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[Flashback]
Fortune-Telling Location
The fortune-teller fiddled playfully with the crystal ball in her hands. The lights floating in the air moved as she did.
With a sliver of curiosity on her features, she lifted her gaze and looked over her visitor, then placed her hands piously in front of her chest.
Fortune-teller: Esteemed Sir Knight, may I ask why you are here?
Luke: …
The knight’s rigid body leaned forward slightly, an unconcealable urgency and distress in his eyes.
Luke: I want to find someone. She’s vanished, and I have no idea where she is.
Fortune-teller: Oh? Find someone? Who might it be?
Luke: Someone… that grew up with me since childhood.
Fortune-teller: Someone that grew up with you?
Luke: Yes.
He released a deep sigh.
Luke: It’s been eight years since the start of the war.
Luke: The day I left for battle, I promised her that I would return home safely and live with her forever, never to leave again.
Luke: But after the war ended and I returned to the village, all that welcomed me was an empty house.
Luke: I asked everyone around about where she went, but they all said that she suddenly vanished one day.
Luke: Only after did I find out that everyone had thought that I’d died in battle.
Luke: She…
The knight grasped tight on the longsword in his hands. The ruby on the hilt flashed faintly in the darkness.
The fortune-teller leaned against the table, holding her chin with her hand.
Fortune-teller: Have you ever thought that she just couldn’t keep waiting anymore, or that she might have moved elsewhere because she thought you were dead?
Luke: She wouldn’t. We’ve lived together for so many years. I know best about what sort of person she is.
Luke: I know that even if I made her sad or if everyone said I was dead…
Luke: As long as she hasn’t seen my corpse, she won’t give up, and she’ll keep waiting for me…
Luke: … Something must have happened for her to choose to leave without a farewell.
Luke: So, I want to find her. I want to know what exactly happened.
The young knight’s voice gradually weakened, until it was nearly inaudible.
The fortune-teller tittered quietly.
Fortune-teller: I understand. Then, please wait a moment—
She placed her hand on the crystal ball. As the lights and shadows drifted, an image of a dragon occupying the plains gradually appeared.
Luke: This is…?
Fortune-teller: Do you know of the legend of the evil dragon?
Luke: Evil dragon?
Fortune-teller: Yes. This dragon runs amok over the continent, scattering destruction and annihilation everywhere…
Fortune-teller: Its evil reputation is now common knowledge among all people.
Luke: But what does that have to do with her?
Fortune-teller: I am unsure of the exact connection it has to her, but based on the image in the crystal ball…
Fortune-teller: You just need to kill the dragon and obtain the treasure chest it protects to discover the way to find her.
Luke: …
Luke: Are you sure?
Fortune-teller: Of course. My divinations have never been wrong. If not, Sir Knight…
The fortune-teller unconsciously knocked a few times on the crystal ball, and a clear sound reverberated in the room.
Fortune-teller: Then you wouldn’t have come to find me, correct?
Luke: … They say that you are the greatest fortune-teller on the continent, and that there’s nothing you don’t know.
Fortune-teller: Which is even more reason for you to believe me, no?
Luke: …
The knight nodded ponderously.
Luke: I understand. Where is the dragon right now?
Fortune-teller: That’s for you to find out.
Fortune-teller: However, there is something that you must think over first.
Fortune-teller: You are a brave and martially skilled knight, but the path ahead may be much more dangerous than you imagine.
Fortune-teller: Even if so, will you still proceed?
Luke: Yes, I must.
Fortune-teller: Even if the price it requires is your everything?
[Flashback end]
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Luke: So I can only do as the fortune-teller instructed, travelling as I search for clues on the dragon.
Villager Captain: It seems like the person you’re looking for… must have been captured by the dragon too.
When he finished listening to the knight’s story, the captain gave a quick conclusion.
Villager Captain: The young lady you’re looking for isn’t the only one. In the past while, that dragon has already captured many good girls.
Villager Captain: Many noble ladies and wives in the city weren’t even spared.
Luke: Then… has anyone ever returned among those who were captured?
Villager B: No – no one has ever seen them again after they were taken.
Villager B: Whether the dragon has hurt them, whether they’re still alive, or where they’re kept… no one knows anything.
Luke: No one knows anything, huh…
Luke: If no one knows, that means there’s still hope, right?
The knight suddenly lifted his head, looking firmly at the villagers.
  Part 2
Forest
In the forest, the young knight faced the villagers, his gaze firm.
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Luke: If no one knows, that means there’s still hope, right?
Villager B: This…
Looking at the villagers’ somewhat hesitant expressions, the knight smiled slightly.
Luke: I understand your concerns, but to me, as long as there is still one thread of opportunity, I will definitely not give up.
Luke: So…
Luke: Please, do any of you know anything at all about the dragon?
Villager Captain: …
The villagers looked at each other. The young captain tilted his head as if trying to recall something.
Villager Captain: I don’t know much about the dragon, but…
Villager Captain: Three days ago, when I was fleeing the village, I think I saw that dragon flying towards the highest mountain peak on the northeast of this forest.
Luke: The peaks in the northeast…
The knight looked towards the direction that the villager captain was pointing towards. He could vaguely see the shape of a mountain peak there.
Villager Captain: Yes, but that mountain is farther from here than it looks.
Villager Captain: Plus, there’s also a path full of thorns at the end of this forest that normal people can’t get through at all.
Villager Captain: Currently, not many people have gone there, so I can’t be sure if the dragon is actually there.
Luke: Is that so… but it’s worth a try.
Villager B: Uh… I’ve also heard a little about the dragon.
The formerly irritable middle-aged man, possibly being moved by the words earlier, hesitated for a moment before he spoke.
Villager B: That dragon probably does live on that mountain peak.
Luke: Are you sure?
Villager B: Yes. Two weeks ago, an artisan from the city went with his brothers there.
Villager B: But several days later, aside from a young man, no one in that group returned.
Villager B: That young man said that they were attacked by that beast on the mountain…
Villager B: But sadly, his wounds were too grave, and he passed away a few days later.
Villager B: After that, no matter how much money the city nobles offered, no one else dared to go put their lives on their line.
Villager B: We also…
The middle-aged man sighed.
Villager B: We’ve… given up already.
Luke: …I understand. Thank you all for giving me so much information.
Luke: It’s not that early anymore, and I need to head for that mountain, so I’ll be heading off.
Villager B: Sir Knight, are you really going to look for that dragon?
Villager B: With how massive and brutish that dragon is, it’ll kill you!
Villager B: You don’t know how that young man who returned…
Luke: Thank you for your concerns, but this is a promise I made with her. No matter how difficult the path forward is…
The young knight looked straight at the group in front of him, his voice firm and resolute.
He spoke each word emphatically, answering the question earlier, yet seeming more like he was telling himself.
Luke: No matter how difficult the path forward is, even if everyone has given up, I will not stop moving forward.
Villager B: …
Villager Captain: …
The villagers fell silent for a moment.
A long moment after, the young captain spoke.
Villager Captain: Sir Knight, since you’ve made your decision to go, we have no reason to continue trying to persuade you.
Villager Captain: The road ahead will be difficult, and defeating the dragon is sure to be no easy task…
Villager Captain: All we can do is to pray that you find the one you love quickly and return safely.
Luke: Thank you, everyone.
The knight made a sincere gesture of courtesy again towards the villagers, then turned around and walked into the depths of the forest.
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Plains
After a long trek, the young knight bypassed that rumoured thorny block and arrived at the wilds outside the forest.
Luke: …
Though it was called the wilds, all the plants had long been burned into crisps. Black dust had settled densely over the rocks.
A massive mountain stood at the edge of his range of vision. A dense black fog lingered over the peak, quiet and strange.
At the foot of the mountain, many volcanoes and short rock mounds created continuous undulations, extending to the horizon.
Luke: …
He lifted his head and looked towards the faraway sky. The red light of the pre-sunset sun was harshly dazzling.
Luke: A precursor to the solar eclipse, huh…
Luke: Maybe it really is as the person before said…
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[Flashback]
Villager B: Sir Knight, before passing, that person who returned said…
Villager B: On the day of a solar eclipse, it seems like the dragon’s strength will weaken.
Luke: Weaken?
Villager B: Yes, that person kept repeating this before he passed, so I remember it very clearly.
Villager B: If you really must get near it, maybe you can choose this day.
Luke: … Understood.
[Flashback]
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Luke: …
Luke: Based on the appearance of the sun, the eclipse will only start tomorrow…
Luke: The volcanoes around look pretty unstable right now. Now is definitely not the best time to act.
Luke: I’ll build a temporary residence near the forest and wait for a chance.
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Temporary Residence
In the wooden hut, the knight was in the middle of pre-battle preparations.
Luke: …
He cleaned his sword in the firelight. When his gaze brushed over the ruby on the hilt, he fell into a momentary trance.
Luke: …
Luke: …
Luke: Soon, I’ll be able to see you again.
Luke: Right?
Luke: …
In the empty room, the only response he received was the crackling of burning firewood.
The young knight lowered his head.
The emotions that he had continuously restrained quietly trickled out where no one could hear, under the comfort of the moonlight.
Luke: I’m sorry… I couldn’t contact you even once for so long…
Luke: You must have been so worried during then…
Luke: …
Luke: I wonder how you’re doing right now, and if you’ve encountered any danger…
Luke: Were you scared, facing that dragon alone? Were you injured?
Luke: Don’t be scared, I’ll save you very soon.
The wind blew past soundlessly. In the quiet hut, the knight’s voice became clearer and clearer.
It seemed as if a burning flame had ignited in his eyes. The moonlight shone in, casting light over the entirety of the room.
Luke: We promised that no matter what happened, you wouldn’t leave, and we’d always be together…
Luke: I won’t let you bear everything on your own anymore.
Luke: It’ll be tomorrow… wait for me.
He smiled, his fingertips brushing over his own reflection in the ruby.
Luke: Goodnight.
The knight placed his sword by his side and sank into a shallow sleep.
Just like all the nights in the past many years.
Part 3
Garrison Camp
Troop Leader: Hey, Luke, you returned with perfect timing.
Troop Leader: Just finished bringing over the new delivery of rations. I brought you the letter from the one at your home.
When he saw the person who was placing the letter on his bed, the knight shook his head helplessly.
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Luke: Leader, we’re still in the troops right now. Even if you want to address her…
Troop Leader: Alright, alright. The letter that your wife sent, does that work?
Luke: We haven’t gotten married yet…
Troop Leader: Hahahahaha—
Troop Leader: Hey, honestly though, Miss MC really does treat you well.
Troop Leader: I have no idea how she managed to get that many rations and letters sent over here.
Troop Leader: If I remember right, she’s just a commoner, right? The type without even a fief. Tsk tsk tsk, she really is good.
As he teased him, the leader came up to the side of the bed, jokingly bumping against the young knight’s shoulder.
Troop Leader: Luke, I feel like she’s even more proactive than you. Bring out your knight’s spirit already!
Troop Leader: Though we can’t contact the outside world, I’m cheering you on inside, yeah?
Luke: Thanks, leader.
Luke: Although there’s something you’ve gotten wrong. Though I can’t send her replies…
He layered the letters together, placing them in the closest spot to his heart in his armour.
Luke: This is my answer to her. My heart is always with her.
Luke: The day the war ends, I will return to her side, safe and sound.
Luke: When that time comes, I won’t leave her ever again.
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Forest
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Luke: …
When he saw the multiple letters in front of him, the young knight sunk into his memories.
To prepare for the nearing battle, he came to the riverside at dawn to change the medicines on the wounds he received in the war.
Luke: Back then, I thought that I would be able to reunite with you after the war ended.
Luke: We’d then be able to be like thousands of other normal people, living out our lives healthily and safely.
Luke: But I never thought…
He couldn’t help grasping tight on the letter papers.
Luke: Did you know that during those eight years, I kept thinking about you over and over, speaking on my own, just like this?
Luke: I remember every single thing you wrote to me about.
Luke: You said that the neighbouring auntie’s puppy stepped all over the rose garden at the doorway again.
Luke: You said that the honey that a friend gave you was very sweet, and you wanted to see the bee yard too, but you didn’t go because you knew I wouldn’t agree.
Luke: And so much more… I’ve remembered every single thing perfectly.
Luke: I… really… miss you.
The knight couldn’t help covering his face with his hand, as certain crystalline things fell slowly between his fingers.
A few minutes later, he took a deep breath, then put down his hand.
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Luke: This is bad, I lost control of my emotions for a moment.
Luke: I wasn’t even that sad last night, but maybe it’s because I saw you in my dreams again, so I…
Luke: Now isn’t the time to be sentimental. I’ve got to bolster myself to face the upcoming battle.
The sunlight shone into the forest, past the gaps between the swaying leaves, falling dappled on the knight’s armour.
Far away, the sun displayed a light that was different from normal.
Luke: Is it coming…
He quickly put on his clothes and grasped onto his sword again.
Luke: Wait for me.
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Plains
Because he had already crossed over the forest once, the knight arrived at the plains much faster than before.
Clouds smothered the originally-blue skies. The roars of the dragon resounded nonstop at the horizon, and the air was heavy enough to make breathing difficult.
Luke: …
Suddenly, the roars of the dragon became unusually clear. A massive black shadow rushed down from the mountain peak, gradually nearing the centre of the plains.
Luke: !!!
Luke: This is my chance!
The knight immediately broke into a sprint towards the black shadow.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
The moment he arrived at the centre of the plains, the dragon was landing with two young villagers in its claws.
The two people tossed on the round tumbled a few times. Tears covered their faces, and their hands were tightly clasped.
Luke: !!!
Luke: Run!
The knight threw a wooden gun towards the dragon, then yanked out the dagger at his waist and threw it backhandedly on the ground near the forest.
He loaded an arrow as he sprinted towards the dragon.
Luke: Take that dagger and get out through the forest now!
Luke: I’ve left markers on the path. Follow those!
Female Villager: O-okay… tha-thank you!
The pitiful villagers tremblingly picked up the dagger and ran towards the forest as they supported each other.
They passed by the young man, kicking up sand and stone. The two sides of the battlefield changed in a flash.
Luke: …
The knight did not look back to the already faraway villagers. He calmly set his hands on the bow.
The dragon roared furiously at him, spitting a ball of fire.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: …
The knight stepped swiftly off the rocks in front of him, resolutely loosing an arrow towards the dragon, sidestepping the close call of the fire.
Luke: This won’t do. It’s too fast.
Luke: I won’t be able to dodge at all with speeds like that…
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: !!!
Without giving the knight room to think, the dragon launched its second attack.
It looked again at the person in front of it and spat out a large amount of fire. The flickering firelight lit up the entire desolate plains.
The knight dodged the attack. The winds surged, the glint of the blade shone, and the surroundings continuously heated up.
Luke: …
Luke: This is how strong it is when it’s weakened?
Luke: If this keeps going, I’ll lose all my footholds.
Luke: What do I do…
His brow wrinkled tightly, looking at the dragon that had built up its power and was waiting to attack again. His hands held his hilt tight—
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Evil Dragon: Roar—
The dragon opened its mouth wide, flying towards the young man.
Rocks were sent flying from the intense movements of the two opponents. The knight planted his feet on the shards of rock, both of his hands gripping his longsword.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Want to kill me? Keep dreaming!
As if he couldn’t hear the dragon’s roars at all, he was completely focused on looking for a chance to attack.
Luke: If it’s the instant before it breathes fire… as long as I grab that chance…
Luke: If I can strike your vitals…
Luke: I’ll still have a chance!
Evil Dragon: Roar—
The dragon threw back its head, releasing a long roar towards the skies.
Luke: Now!
The knight lifted the sword and sprinted up to the dragon, slashing down on the dragon’s neck with all his strength.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Blood sprayed, and the massive creature struggled, writhing, and finally spread its wings, flying off towards the heights.
Luke: Don’t even think about escaping!
The young man ran up, and three arrows cut through the air.
Howling winds blew as the eclipse fully set in. On the faraway peaks, the contours of a black castle could suddenly be seen.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
The dragon dodged the arrows, roaring in pain, then escaped in flight towards the faraway castle.
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Luke: It all ends here.
The young knight discarded his longbow and gripped at his sword, planning to chase after the dragon.
However, right then, a pattern of lights shone from the astrolabe he was carrying.
He froze for a moment and thought back on what the fortune-teller had told him before—
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[Flashback]
Fortune-Telling Location
Fortune-Teller: Wait.
Fortune-Teller: Keep this with you.
The fortune-teller called out to the young man who was on the verge of leaving and handed a metal astrolabe to him.
Luke: This is…?
Fortune-Teller: If the astrolabe starts flashing, it’s a warning from me to stop fighting immediately.
Luke: … I am well aware of when I should stop.
Fortune-Teller: Sir Knight, you do indeed have lots of fighting experience.
Fortune-Teller: But I am the only one who can help you, so trust me, alright?
Luke: …
[Flashback end]
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Luke: …
Luke: Ouch…
The knight frowned in pain, as if he had finally come to his senses from the tense atmosphere, and looked over himself out of habit.
Luke: !!!
The dark armour had long been stained in blood, and some of the parts that were exposed were covered in wounds of all sizes.
Luke: I was… injured this badly?
Luke: Sure enough… that dragon’s strength…
He ultimately decided to stop.
  Part 4
Temporary Residence
The knight closed the door to the residence.
He leaned on the wall, like an injured little animal.
Luke: How could this be…
Luke: Is the difference in strength between me and that dragon that big?
Luke: How am I going to save her at this point… I…
The astrolabe beside him shone again. Then, after a flash of white light at the doorway, the fortune-teller pushed open the door.
Luke: It’s you?
Fortune-Teller: Sir Knight, I hope you have been well since our last meeting.
The fortune-teller looked over the person in front of her, her eyes squinting slightly.
Fortune-Teller: Looks like you listened to what I told you. Well done.
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Luke: …
Fortune-Teller: This expression… were you not willing to give up?
Luke: None of your business.
Fortune-Teller: None of my business… haha, do you remember what I said back then?
Luke: …
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[Flashback]
Fortune-Teller: You are a brave and martially skilled knight, but the path ahead may be much more dangerous than you imagine.
Fortune-Teller: Even if so, will you still proceed?
Luke: Yes, I must.
Fortune-Teller: Even if the price it requires is your everything?
[Flashback end]
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Luke: …
Fortune-Teller: Has reality now changed your mind?
Luke: No. No matter when, I will not change my mind.
Fortune-Teller: Will not change? Then… what can you do?
Fortune-Teller: You must have realized the natural difference in strength between you and the dragon from battling.
Fortune-Teller: It looked like you won the battle, but what are the results?
Fortune-Teller: Even while it was weakened during the solar eclipse, the only effective attack you landed was that single slash.
Fortune-Teller: While you…
The fortune-teller looked at the young knight’s right arm, mottled with blood and some burn marks.
Fortune-Teller: You’re covered in wounds already. How much longer can you hold on for?
Luke: …
Luke: I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t give up. I must get that treasure chest and find her.
Luke: I don’t want to think about anything else.
Fortune-Teller: … Is it worth it?
The fortune-teller went silent for a moment, then asked this question suddenly.
Luke: It is.
Luke: I promised her that I’d return to her, that I’d safely tell her that everything had ended, that we would never be apart from then on.
Luke: I think about her every day, and I look forward to seeing her again every day. I’ve reread each of the letters she sent too many times to count.
Luke: She is my everything. I won’t just give up like this.
Fortune-Teller: … So you plan to seek out that dragon again?
Luke: Yes, and I don’t only plan to find it…
Luke: As you said, I will defeat and kill it, no matter what the price is that I must pay.
Fortune-Teller: … I understand.
Fortune-Teller: Then let me tell you one more thing.
Luke: ???
Fortune-Teller: Do you know why that dragon always flies towards that castle?
Luke: Do you mean that the treasure chest is…
Fortune-Teller: Yes. It’s because the box that it values the most is in the castle…
Fortune-Teller: When it is attacked, it will naturally return there.
Fortune-Teller: In ten days, the eclipse will end, and the sky will return to normal.
Fortune-Teller: The skies before daybreak are always the darkest…
Fortune-Teller: In ten days, when the sky is lightening, the dragon’s power will be at its weakest.
Fortune-Teller: It will also lose the ability to breathe fire.
Fortune-Teller: If you must go, go on that day.
Luke: !!!
Luke: Thank you.
Fortune-Teller: No need for thanks, but Sir Knight, let me give you one last warning.
Fortune-Teller: The path you have chosen is full of the unknown. I hope you will not regret this in the future.
Luke: I am sure that I won’t.
Fortune-Teller: That would be best.
The fortune-teller looked at the knight, smiled strangely, then left.
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
After the knight cleaned his wounds, he finally had some time to rest.
Like usual, he stood his sword by his side. When he looked over the ruby on the hilt, he suddenly stopped.
Luke: This ruby… you gave it to me.
He gently stroked it, his warm breath leaving a mist on the gem with his movements.
Luke: I remember on the day I set out, you stood at the very front of those who were sending off the troops, a total mess of tears.
Luke: I was the one who was leaving, but you were even more agitated than me.
Luke: You kept reminding me to take care of myself, to not force myself.
Luke: Then I held your face with a smile, telling you that it wasn’t like I wouldn’t return.
Luke: …
The knight suddenly turned away.
Only when he was able to smile again did he turn his head back, as if everything before had just been an illusion.
Luke: Before I left, you took off a ruby from the mirror you always used and embedded it on my sword.
Luke: You said that a highly skilled person gave you that mirror, and it had magical power.
Luke: Especially these rubies, which represent inextinguishable fire and burning vitality.
Luke: We made a promise together, and then you watched me mount the horse, but I never looked back.
Luke: I thought that I would be able to see you soon after the war ended.
Luke: But now that I think about it, I should have taken one more look at you back then.
A slight bitterness appeared on the young knight’s face, but it was soon replaced by his usual expression.
He laid down on the bed, looking at the fluid moonlight in the sky.
Luke: Did you know that there’s something that I didn’t tell you back then?
Luke: Rubies don’t only represent fervour and life. They also represent love.
Luke: I told myself that after the war, I would confess to you, and let this ruby bear witness to our love.
Luke: So, please wait a little more for me.
Luke: There are still ten days.
Luke: No matter what the price is, I will be the victor.
The knight mumbled as he slowly closed his eyes.
Outside the hut, a black mist rose, then vanished in the silence. The moment that the smoke dissipated, a woman’s quiet laugh seemed to sound from deep within.
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
Plains
Ten days later, as the fortune-teller said, the young knight made his way towards the old castle.
But he did not successfully reach his destination, because on the plains under the castle…
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: …
Luke: Are you here to obstruct me?
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Looks like the fortune-teller was telling the truth. The treasure chest really is in the castle.
Luke: So it must also be true that you’re at your weakest today.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
As if in response to the knight’s words, the dragon snarled in fury. Its massive claws beat heavily on the ground, drawing up plumes of dust.
The knight retreated a few steps, held up his longsword, and stood in battle stance.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: …
Luke: You sure look enthusiastic.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Perfect, then. Let’s have a fierce battle this time.
Luke: This is the last chance. I won’t let you escape again.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: …
At the edge of the sky, the black sun that had persisted for ten days started to “move”. The light of tiny stars shone through the air, casting light on the person and dragon.
The knight lifted his sword.
Luke: Let’s start.
Dust flew as the shining sword blade cut through. Both human and dragon soon were immersed in intensive battle.
Their battlegrounds shifted several times, from the plains to the mountain peak, finally arriving to the front of the castle’s door.
The eclipse was slowly retreating, and the dark sky was beginning to show its original hue.
Compared to last time, the battle this time lasted for a very, very long time.
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
Old Castle on the Peak
Luke: Urk…
The knight brandished his longsword, pushing himself to block the dragon’s attack.
The originally flat field had already been ruined to the point where it was difficult to stand on. Thunder boomed intermittently as dark clouds accumulated above.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
The massive dragon moved again.
Luke: Ow…
Luke: …
This time, the knight’s resistance started to become sluggish.
Scorching blood sprayed out. He lost his footing, falling brutally onto the ground.
Luke: Ugh…!
Luke: No… I can’t fall yet…
He stabbed the longsword into the ground with difficulty and stood staggeringly up again.
He looked at his enemy, his bloodied, dirtied face full of resolution.
Luke: Ha… what sort of battle is this? Just a bunch of mutual killing attempts…
Luke: But did you think I’d be scared? Stop kidding around.
Luke: You have no idea what sorts of emotions I put behind each slash.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Although, you don’t need to know, because…
The knight suddenly brandished his sword and rushed at the massive dragon.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
For an instant, the heavens and earth shook. Dust and sand flew as the world was submerged in chaos.
Only the knight’s shouts cut through the air, transmitting into each and every crevice.
Luke: Even though – even though there’s no way you can hear this right now…
Luke: But, I’m sorry… I’m sorry!
Luke: I’m sorry for leaving you all alone for these eight years. I’m sorry for letting you face the dragon yourself after the eight years.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Do you know how scared I was when I returned to the village, yet didn’t see you at all…
Luke: I was scared that I would never see you again. I was scared that I couldn’t save you…
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Let me see you again, alright?
Luke: Even one instant, one second is enough!
Bang--!
After an enormous sound of collision, the young man was knocked through the air onto the ground, sliding to a faraway cliff, to the very edge.
But this time, it seemed like he didn’t have the strength to stand again.
Luke: …
Luke: Does it… all end here…
Luke: But I… you…
Boom—
A downpour of rain suddenly started.
  Part 5
A downpour suddenly started.
Rain struck against the ground audibly, falling on the young knight’s body, flowing towards where the blood and water had accumulated.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: Am I just… going to lose like this?
The knight couldn’t control his gasps.
Luke: But…
Luke: I still… can’t bear to give in.
Luke: I still haven’t found her… I still haven’t seen her… I …
His voice was full of an unrestrained frustration and helplessness.
He tried, or even forced, himself to keep his heavy eyelids open.
Luke: …
Silence suddenly descended.
It seemed like the rain had weakened, and a small sound was resounding through the air.
Luke: !!!
The knight suddenly opened his eyes wide.
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Luke: Is that you?! Is that you, MC?!
He struggled, reaching out into the emptiness.
The black mist suddenly surged over from all directions, winding around the knight’s hand, as if in a gentle “embrace”.
The knight suddenly smiled.
Luke: Are you trying to comfort me?
Luke: Mhmm, I’m not scared. Whether they’re happy things or painful things…
Luke: I don’t care about any of that anymore.
He slowly stood his sword upright, staggeringly standing up.
Evil Dragon: Roar—
Luke: I will… keep going until the final moment…
Luke: MC, you are my strength, and I will fight for you until the end of my life.
Evil Dragon: …
The dragon’s movements suddenly stopped.
It looked at the human in front of it without moving in the slightest, and it seemed as if a light had flashed in its terrifying eyes.
Luke: …
Luke: Now!
The knight brandished his sword for the last time, stabbing it deeply into the heart of the dragon.
This time, the dragon did not struggle nor attack back. It remained in its spread-winged posture as it toppled with a boom.
The turbid blood flowed out from the wound, and soon, its breathing stopped completely.
Luke: H-has it ended?
The knight slowly walked up to the dragon’s corpse. After repeated confirmations, he released a sigh, as if he had been freed from a heavy burden.
Luke: Next… I just need to find the dragon’s treasure chest to find you. Wait for me.
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
Old Castle Interior
The knight pushed open the door to the castle.
Just as the fortune-teller said, there was a treasure chest placed in the centre of the large room.
Luke: …
He knelt with one knee to the ground, brushing off the dust on the chest.
The moment he opened the chest saw what was inside, he displayed a shocked expression.
Luke: This is…?
A mirror inlaid with ruby sat quietly on the top of the chest.
The knight reached out with both hands, carefully holding the item in front of him.
Luke: Isn’t this the one you usually use…
Luke: Ah!
Suddenly, the gem on the mirror flashed with a dazzling light.
As if induced, the ruby on the hilt of the longsword beside the knight started to shine too.
They shone together, blindingly bright.
Luke: …
Amidst the light, multiple images gradually appeared in the mirror, like a light carousel—
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Luke: !!!
In that familiar village, the young woman suddenly lifted her head as she trimmed the plants, her scissors falling onto the ground.
Her face was full of shock and disbelief. Tears slid down her face, finally vanishing.
Luke: !!!
She then left the village on a journey. She walked to all the ends of the world, as if in search of something.
She traversed deserts and snowy mountains, wearing out pairs and pairs of shoes, and her originally fair skin gradually became rough.
But on her face, all there was, was day after day of ever-increasing defeat and pain.
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Luke: No… I’m here, I’m still alive! I’m right here!
Finally, she arrived at this castle.
Seeming like she’d lost all hope, she collapsed on the found. Tears and blood fell, droplet after droplet, on the ruby of the mirror’s upper part.
Then, a light suddenly flashed, and the girl in the mirror vanished.
The black mist filled the mirror, and a vicious dragon flew out of the castle.
Luke: !!!
The knight’s entire body trembled.
He dropped the mirror and sprinted out the door, as if he had gone mad.
Luke: No… not possible… no way… it can’t be…
Luke: How could you have been the dragon?! No way, I couldn’t have killed you…
At some point, the storm had started to rage again.
The figure of the dragon had already vanished. What replaced it was a figure that the knight was as familiar with as could be.
Luke: No way… why…
Luke: Why!!!
He held the girl’s corpse in his arms, then howled in despair like a wild animal.
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The girl’s body was as covered in wounds as the knight’s was.
The rain struck their bodies, rushing frigidly over each of their wounds, as if mocking them.
Luke: No, no way…
Luke: This isn’t real… this isn’t real…
Luke: MC--!
The knight held the girl tightly. His throat was already raw, and all the light had left his eyes.
Luke: Is that why you stopped right then? Did you recognize me?
Luke: Why didn’t you escape? Why did you wait for me to kill you?
Luke: Please open your eyes, alright, answer me!!
Luke: Why?! Why?!
Luke: Ah--!!!
The rain descended in torrents, finally trickling down to the ruby, which had lost all its shine.
   Part 6
The storm raged, and the knight’s heartrending cries never once stopped.
The air distorted for an instant. Right after, the fortune-teller stepped out from nothing, walking up to the sobbing Luke.
Fortune-Teller: Pitiful Sir Knight, you still ended up at this point.
Luke: !!!
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Luke: It’s you… it’s you!
Fortune-Teller: It is indeed me, Sir Knight, the one who pointed you down this path.
Luke: Pointed me down this path… right, you know everything!
Luke: Let me ask you, did you already know that she was the dragon?!
Fortune-Teller: Yes, I know everything.
The fortune-teller looked at the young man, her voice gentle and tantalizing.
Luke: Then why did you have me find it - have me kill her?!
Fortune-Teller: I had you kill her? That’s quite an unfair accusation.
Fortune-Teller: I am a mere fortune-teller. All I can see is an established truth.
Fortune-Teller: This is her and your fate – you two are destined for an ending of death.
Luke: !!!
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Luke: No way! What fate, what ending – I don’t believe any of it! There must be a way to save her!
Luke: I’ll keep looking. I’ll keep looking. I will definitely find it. I will definitely find it!
The young man clutched at the corpse in his arms and forced himself to stand.
The ground was slippery. He fell one time after another, yet he stood again, one time after another.
Fortune-Teller: …
The fortune-teller stroked the crystal ball, looking at the girl who was gradually getting colder in the rain.
Fortune-Teller: There is a way that might be able to save her, but…
Luke: What is it!
The young man shouted hysterically, but his voice was already so hoarse that he was nearly incoherent.
The fortune-teller paused, then looked at him again, her lips curving slightly.
Fortune-Teller: Simple. Make a deal with the devil, using your life.
Luke: …Deal?
Fortune-Teller: Indeed. As long as you offer your heart, she will be able to live again.
Fortune-Teller: But she will lose all memories of you…
Fortune-Teller: Perhaps she will love someone else and live a happy life, or perhaps…
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Luke: What do I do?
The knight cut her words short.
Luke: Can you bear witness to the contract?
Fortune-Teller: … Of course.
Luke: Tell me what I need to do. We start immediately.
Fortune-Teller: … Alright.
The knight’s resoluteness far exceeded the fortune-teller’s expectations. After a simple explanation of the ritual, he finished his preparations.
Fortune-Teller: Will you not say any last words to her?
The fortune-teller placed the crystal ball in front of her, looking towards the silent knight.
Luke: …
The knight lowered his head, looking at the girl in his arms.
Luke: I never would have thought that our last meeting would be like this…
Luke: But at least you can continue to live…
The corners of the knight’s mouth lifted with difficulty. He reached out, pushing aside a lock of hair aside on the girl’s face.
Like a deep, yet wordless, farewell.
Luke: There are some things that I didn’t have the time to say before, but it shouldn’t be too late to say them now…
Luke: I…
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The knight closed his eyes.
He slowly lowered his head, solemnly and gently kissing the hair of the girl in his arms.
Luke: Goodbye, MC. I pray that your life from today onwards will be happy and joyful.
He looked at her face, looking as if she were in a deep slumber, and said this to her for the very first and very last time—
Luke: I love you.
Right after he spoke, he stabbed his sword into his chest.
Bright red blood covered the marks that had dried on the sword. Thunder boomed as rain fell in torrents.
His heartbeat’s sound gradually stopped.
Fortune-Teller: …
Fortune-Teller: Hahahaha, hahahahaha—
The fortune-teller suddenly burst into laughter.
A black mist gradually wrapped around her. Her body and clothes changed form, finally turning into the form of a witch.
Witch: Hahahaha, what fate, what ending, what deal with the devil? Utterly foolish, truly, ridiculously foolish!
Witch: Although… thank you both. I found this drama quite the satisfying watch!
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
MC: …
My consciousness gradually awakened.
MC: Luke! Don’t do anything stupid!
MC: She’s obviously doing this deliberately! Don’t get tricked by her!
I tried my best to call out his name, yet I anxiously noticed that I could not even make the slightest of sounds.
MC: Luke!
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
Luke’s Home, Third Floor
*Tira’s note: The date itself said it was the second floor, but his living quarters (the background shown) are on the third floor, not the second.
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MC: Luke!
I sprung awake from my dream.
And because of this tiny movement, Luke instinctively popped off the sofa, standing upright on the floor.
I lifted my head and looked hazily at Luke, and my consciousness gradually returned to reality.
MC: …
Luke: …
We looked wordlessly at each other for a few seconds, then couldn’t help laughing together.
Then, Luke gently sat back down beside me.
Luke: What happened? Did you have a nightmare?
MC: Mhmm…
As I gave an affirmative, I moved my body a little, realizing that my arms and legs had become a little numb. My chest also felt somewhat stuffy.
MC: (Huh, was I sleeping in a weird pose? I don’t think so…)
Just as I was thinking, Luke started to rotate his shoulders too.
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Luke: Why are my arms this sore all of a sudden… I’m sure that I slept pretty well…
MC: …
Luke: Huh? What’s the matter?
MC: I figured it out…
Luke: What?
The only reason why our arms were so sore… probably was because Luke was holding me the whole time while we had an afternoon nap.
MC: (So that nightmare… probably also happened because of this…)
I felt both a little frustrated and amused, and seeing Luke’s dubious expression, I couldn’t help laughing aloud.
Luke: What’s the matter?
MC: Nothing, I just hadn’t woken up completely from my dream yet.
Luke: Alright, you’re fine now. I’m here with you.
Luke: If you’re still scared, then should I sing a song for our great lawyer?
MC: Sure!
I knew Luke was just teasing me, but I felt like either way, it would be pretty nice to listen to him sing for me again.
Luke: Then sit comfy first.
MC: Mhmm.
I shifted over a bit, and Luke sat down beside me, covering us up again with the blanket.
Then, he gently wrapped his arms around me.
Luke: Then, what does the great lawyer want to listen to? Twinkle Twinkle again?
MC: Yep!
I looked up at him, and then Luke started to tap my shoulder like a metronome as he began singing.
Luke: Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Luke: How I wonder what you are…
MC: …
As Luke sang, my emotions gradually calmed down.
Amidst this relaxation, I couldn’t help thinking of the scene in that dream again.
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MC: (A ten-day eclipse… man, the weird stuff I come up with.)
MC: (Did the earth stop spinning or did the sun just check out of work? So ridiculous…)
MC: (Plus, how could Luke be tricked by someone like that…)
MC: (Although…)
Though that was what I was thinking, I still knew…
Just like the knight in my dream, the love and protection Luke gave to me was always that silent, yet so etched into his very being.
But unlike the dream, we were now walking towards a happy future together.
I would hold his hand tightly, and I would never let go.
MC: …
The afternoon sunlight pervaded the room, and a slight breeze blew past. Everything was as great as always.
On the storage cabinet on the side, the mirror and sword model were stacked together. Under the sunlight, the rubies flashed faintly.
They looked somewhat familiar.
 Phonecall
Hi! Good morning, are you up yet?
Ah… I bought a medieval-themed game that looks really interesting, so I wanted to ask if you wanted to play it together.
This game also has dual-player co-op mode. We can hit new game records together, just like in the past.
The game plot? Seems like a knight went on a quest to slay a dragon to find his missing lover.
I feel like this story’s pretty remarkable, and the animations done for the fights with the dragon in the middle were done really realistically…
Huh, what’s the matter? Why do you have such a pained expression on?
You don’t want to play this game… why? Does the plot make you feel uncomfortable?
Huh?! You had a nightmare with the same plot? And the main characters were you and me?! And we didn’t even get a good ending?!
Pfft… silly, it’s just a dream, don’t take it to be real.
Plus, doesn’t everyone always say that dreams and reality are the opposite?
You saw a bad ending, which means that we’ll have a good ending. So don’t be afraid, it’s all fine.
Hm… if you still don’t feel at ease, then how about we work together to beat this game?
I’ll prove to you that we’ll definitely reach the Happy Ending!
215 notes · View notes
oh-mother-of-darkness · 4 years ago
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“Are you here all night?” Jason asked, “or are you planning to, you know, be a human? I think those go home sometimes.”
High above Jason’s head, a swarm of bats entered the cave, winding among the stalactites and screeching a kind of garbled response.
Dick, however, said nothing. He remained bent over one of the long tables on the cavern floor, examining a map Jason could barely see from his own seat a short distance behind, ignoring Jason and his sarcasm both. 
Jason didn’t enjoy being ignored. 
Fine. 
“I have some tasks you could take over,” he suggested, in his least helpful voice, “if you’re in the market for an excuse to keep working. I know you make those sometimes.”
Nothing.
“I have some weapons to clean, if you want to do that. You could type out all my old cases, if that works, because I only have the originals and those are hard to work with.”
Still nothing.
“Take out the trash?” Jason tried. “Wash the dishes? I put a load of laundry in a couple of hours ago, but there’s a wool jacket in the mix, so be careful what you put in the dryer.”
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Dick didn’t move. Jason was enjoying himself now.
“Write a sonnet? Map the White House?” Jason held up a finger Dick couldn’t see, like he had just remembered something interesting. “I think there’s a library on 8th that exploded a few days back, so if you could just grab the rubble from the street and rebuild it by hand, that would be great.”
No reaction. 
“Whatever,” said Jason, “I’m out of here. Get some sleep maybe? I know the whole work-to-outrun-despair routine is your ‘thing,’ or whatever, but it never looks good on you. Have you considered—”
Jason cut himself off as Dick finally turned away from the table. Looking him in the eye, Jason felt suddenly and inexplicably afraid. 
“Go on,” said Dick, quietly.
“I’m just… saying that it might make things worse, to shut off and—” Jason pointed at the mound of paper on the table, “obsess over this stuff instead.”
“You think?” Dick asked. “No shit.”
Jason blinked. “Wait, are you—”
“Did you think it never occurred to me,” said Dick, “that I might be spinning out?”
“I didn’t say you were spinning out.”
“Were you thinking that maybe,” Dick leaned back against the table edge and crossed his arms, carefully casual in a way Jason didn’t like, “hey maybe I, Dick Grayson, haven’t noticed how it feels to be forty-nine hours into a case and puking in the bathroom sink?”
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“I didn’t—”
“Maybe I just haven’t realized why my vision blurs out and I can’t think straight, and it’s weird how this happens—” Dick held up a hand, and Jason could see his fingers shaking, “—if I keep going for too long.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Wow, yeah, now that you mention it, this might be,” Dick said, flatly, “bad.” 
Jason glanced down at his boots to break the eye contact. “I’ll back off,” he said. “I’ll go.”
“It might be bad that I can’t sleep until I’m falling-over exhausted. Maybe I shouldn’t be taking all these cases—”
“I said I’ll back off.”
“Or writing all these notes or spending weeks on research, more than that on training—”
“Listen—”
“I probably shouldn’t be leading all these teams, huh?” Dick smiled in a way that reminded Jason of what he should have remembered before he opened his own mouth: that Dick could be very, very dangerous. “Can I get your opinion on that?”
“I’ll—”
“I KNOW!”
Jason stumbled back a step in shock. 
“I KNOW that I’m working too hard!” Dick yelled, “And I KNOW why I do it!”
“Okay!” Jason backed away again. “Okay, I get it!”
“I work so I don’t have to think! I’d rather drop dead doing this shit than stop for the millisecond it would take to feel again! Are you happy now?”
“Calm down, okay? I didn’t—”
“I don’t want to feel,” said Dick, gesturing around him, “so I’m going to stand right here over and over again.”
“Fine!”
“And I’m going to keep shutting down because it goddamn WORKS!”
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Dick turned away again, bending over the table like he hadn’t said anything at all. Jason stood frozen for a moment, staring. 
“Does it?” he asked into the silence.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Do you have something better?”
Jason looked down at his own hands and saw that they were shaking too.
“No,” he said.
“Then fuck off.”
Jason turned to leave, but Dick, it appeared, wasn’t ready to let it go. 
“I’m alive,” he said. “I’m standing and walking and doing all the things that matter.”
“Yeah.” 
“I’ve had enough of— enough of asking for help and getting—” Dick jerked an arm above his head, still turned away. “I don’t want to hear that the way I live is self-destructive. I already know. That’s why I’m here, that’s what I’m saying, that’s why I’m trying.” 
“Yeah.”
“Just… show me something better, or let me self-destruct.”
Jason fumbled awkwardly for something to say. “I’m sure— I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but whoever that is— I’m sure they’re… trying to help.”
“You weren’t,” said Dick.
“No, I wasn’t.”
“You were trying to land a cheap shot,” said Dick, “and feel like you’re better than me.”
Yes, that was true. Jason wasn’t sorry, exactly, but he regretted it, and those were different things.  
“I guess that makes me an asshole.”
“And a hypocrite.” Dick turned around again and leaned back in the same way, quiet, in control. “You never stop either… not since the pit anyway.”
“Don’t.”
“I mean it’s different, obviously, because I don’t think you’re trying to hide it. Me, I don’t want cracks to show. I don’t want all this grief and anger and— you said despair, right?”
“Stop.”
“I don’t want the despair to show because I want to look whole, but you—”
“You’ve made your point.”
“You want to look like a week-old corpse rotting on the concrete, and may I say?” Dick smiled. “Excellent performance. You look exactly like that.”
Jason didn’t say anything.
“It’s a world of difference,” Dick continued, “because I— I’m pushing through pain… and you’re pushing to feel it.”
For a moment, they stared at each other, and Jason found that it was difficult to breathe. 
“I could yell back for that,” he said. It came out softly, more soft than he meant, as Jason shoved away something very close to shame.
“Do it.”
“No. I think it’s funny when people call me the angry one.” Jason looked down at his shaking hands again. 
“I am angry,” he conceded, “but you’re just as bad as I am.”
“Thematic,” Dick snapped. “Get out.” 
“No. You opened this book, so we’re going to read it. You’re right.”
“Leave.”
“You’re right, I do exactly what you just said I do. Sometimes I don’t sleep for days, and it’s not because I can’t.”
Well, that might not be fully true, so Jason stopped to backtrack.
“I mean,” he corrected, “I don’t know if I could sleep, if I really tried, but that’s the point I’m making. I don’t try. I don’t want to sleep.”
“I said leave.”
“It’ll be four in the morning and I’m slumped sideways on my couch watching surveillance footage I don’t need to watch, because I know when I finally drag myself to the bathroom mirror, I’ll look like hell—”
“Get out!”
“—and I want to! I feel like hell, I feel like goddamn Brutus in the Devil’s jaws, and I want to look like it. If I look like death, that means my pain is real.”
“Get out or regret it.”
“Oh, I know it’s self-destructive,” said Jason, smiling his best unnerving smile. “How could I miss it when I’m blacking out in stairwells and picking fights on purpose, just to get kicked around?”
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That particular sentence, it appeared, caught Dick’s attention, because he stayed quiet this time, glaring from across the room.
Well then, Jason decided, it was time to push further. 
“Let’s get personal, shall we? Why do I live in this fucking city to see you or him or whoever else is living in the capes this week? I’m not shooting for reconciliation!”
“Well?”
“I’m going to stay here and cause problems until every single one of you hates me enough to shove me away. How’s my performance, by the way? Is it working? I’d love to get your opinion.”
Dick made a face that Jason couldn’t interpret, so Jason chose to press on. 
“It’ll hurt when I pull that off because I do actually care about you, but you know what? I’ll like that. Maybe someday all of this will kill me, and I’ll kind of like that too.” 
Jason paused a beat to let Dick interject, but Dick didn’t. 
“Your turn,” said Jason pleasantly. “Thoughts?”
Nothing.
“I like the aesthetic of self-destruction,” said Jason. “I’m going to look in the mirror tomorrow and see dark circles and scars, and it’s going to feel like being myself in a way that nothing else does.”
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In that moment, watching Dick glare, Jason felt very tired— not in a way that sleep could solve, and not in a way that anyone could fix. No matter what Jason did, no matter what he tried, he could always feel himself sinking. He was empty and heavy at the same time, somehow trapped in place, unable to do anything except lie in his own blood.
A rotting corpse indeed.
“I’m not judging you,” said Jason. “I don’t have the space for that. I won’t tell you to just… change. I’m sick of hearing that too, hearing that I don’t have to do this to myself, that I am doing this to myself.”
Dick nodded. Jason wasn’t sure at what, but it felt like permission to keep going, so he did.
“I know I’m holding on to something I shouldn’t,” Jason admitted, even though it hurt to say out loud. “I know, but I can’t let go when there’s nothing else to take. I don’t have anything profound to say. I don’t… know what else there is.”
That was it. That was all Jason had, so he shrugged and stared down at the floor, waiting.
“I think if I stop working I’ll fall apart,” said Dick, finally, “and this time I won’t be able to scrape myself together.”
“Yeah.”
“I think fine, so I don’t have to keep going. I don’t have to shove away the dark and force myself through, but what would happen if I didn’t?”
“I don’t know.”
“I would be a shivering, hollow shape on my floor, maybe forever. I don’t know what I want to be, but I can’t be… I can’t be only that.” 
Jason understood.
“It’s hard,” said Dick. “I always hear— and say, I say this to other people— that things can be okay. I guess it’s true, but does it matter?” 
“What do you mean?”
“Unless I leave the cave right now and never come back, this is my life. I have an apartment and a fucked-up family—”
“Thanks.”
“—and I spend every night jumping through smog and the ghosts of everything I’ve ever done.”
“Saving people,” Jason noted.
“Win some,” said Dick, “lose some. How many times have you watched a person die?”
“A few.”
“A few.” Dick shook his head. “I know too much, but I have too much to leave behind.”
“I have a guy who makes passports on demand, if you change your mind,” said Jason. “He’s amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“Prints while you wait.”
Dick shot Jason a flat kind of look.
“What?” Jason asked. “It would simplify my plans.”
Dick half-smiled at that, and Jason got the sense that they were done yelling, maybe, for awhile.
“I feel trapped, and I don’t know how to fix myself,” said Dick, “while I’m still… here.” 
“Yeah.”
“I’m just trying to stay alive.”
“I know. Me too.”
“It isn’t getting any easier.” 
Jason thought about that for awhile. It would be nice to have an answer— something simple to say, some match to light in their common ground— but Jason couldn’t find one, so he shrugged again and hoped that understanding would be enough. 
It had to be something, didn’t it?
It was the best he could do. There were times, Jason figured, to talk about breathing exercises and the mess of self-help books piled on his dresser, but he knew this wasn’t one of them. They could call it catharsis, he decided, and leave it at that. 
“We could say it’s Bruce’s fault?” Jason suggested, since he was out of other ideas. “I like blaming Bruce for the shit I do.”
“You do?”
“Fuck off.”
Dick smiled fully at that one. “I’m not above it either.”
“Great,” said Jason. “Can I leave a note saying we blame him? No context at all, maybe on a single post-it? I think it would be really funny.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll bounce after that, for real this time.” Jason spun a finger in a circle a few times, pointing around the cave. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Yeah.” Dick tapped a finger against the table a few times, like he was thinking. After a moment, he pulled a bag from the edge and started packing up his things. 
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, me too.”
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Fin.
---
art by @doc-squash​
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storiesforallfandoms · 4 years ago
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permanently ~ corpse husband
word count: 1456
request?: yes!
“Corpse husband x female reader. The reader is corpse wife but they keep there really private only a few people know that corpse is married, one day people start asking corpse if he is seeing someone and corpse doesn’t know if he wants to reveal he’s married because he worried she will get hate so he talks to the reader about it and his worries and the reader comforts him about his worries. Later corpse reveals in a video that hes married and everyone really happy and supportive of his marriage.”
description: in which he reveals a surprising secret to his fans after months of questions about his love life
pairing: corpse x female!reader
warnings: swearing
masterlist (one, two)
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It started when his fans heard her speak during a stream.
Corpse had been careful to keep his love life a secret for so long. He loved his fans, but he knew that if he even gave the slightest indication that he was seeing someone, the more extreme of his fanbase would go looking for her. He didn’t want any hate messages sent her way, she didn’t deserve any of that.
They had been so careful. (Y/N) would stay away from Corpse’s streaming room while he was streaming, or she’d sit next to him and make zero noise. Luckily, (Y/N) wasn’t famous, so they were able to share pictures and videos on her private social media accounts.
She had slightly pushed open the door to his streaming room one night, trying her best to make as little noise as possible in case his mic was on. Corpse noticed her from the corner of his eyes and turned to look at her.
“Mic off?” she whispered. Corpse chuckled and nodded. “I sent you a text but you didn’t respond. I’m gonna go get something to eat, do you want anything picked up?”
“I’m good for now, thank you.”
(Y/N) smiled and crossed the room to give him a kiss before leaving again.
For the half hour she was gone, (Y/N) lived in ignorant bliss, unaware of the chaos happening online.
When she got home, she found her husband pacing the kitchen. Concern was written all over his face, and it deepened when (Y/N) walked through the front door.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“The mic wasn’t off,” he said.
(Y/N) knew what he meant immediately, but she still couldn’t help but ask, “What?”
“When you came in during my stream, I thought I had shut my mic off, but I didn’t. My viewers heard us talking, and they heard us kiss. The chat went wild and it’s trending on Twitter already; #corpsesmysterywoman.”
(Y/N) grabbed her phone and went into Twitter. It was the top trend and it was flooded with tweets that ran from shocked to supportive and happy to, of course, hateful.
“On the plus side,” she started, “they’ll never be able to identify me just by my voice.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t try.”
(Y/N) sighed as she watched Corpse start to bite his fingers, something he did whenever his anxiety ran high. She felt bad for him. He shouldn’t have to worry about his fans having a negative reaction about their marriage, and he definitely shouldn’t feel like he was to blame if his fans found her, which she knew he would.
(Y/N) touched Corpse’s shoulder, causing him to stop and look up at her. She took his hands in hers, wiping away the blood he had drawn.
“It’s okay,” she assured him. “We’ll get through this. Besides, I’m a big girl. I can handle this if anything happens.”
Corpse nodded. “I know, I just didn’t want you to be brought into this.”
“It was bound to happen eventually. Could’ve been worse.”
Corpse wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She hugged him back, dreading the next time he’d have to go online.
~~~~~~
A week passed and the buzz around Corpse’s “mystery woman” did not die down. The hashtag trended for two days, and his fans were still speculating on Twitter. Corpse took some time off social media in hopes it would all blow over, but it became evident very soon that it would not. Everyone was still tweeting him about it, and it even began to escalate to people would ask Corpse’s friends during their streams.
Enough was enough, and Corpse decided it was time to address the issue.
He announced he would be doing a Q&A stream on his Twitter. Within seconds, the stream was trending.
(Y/N) sat on the floor next to Corpse’s chair as he set his stream up. She could see he was shaking with anxiety over the situation. She put a hand on his leg, bringing his attention to her.
“It’ll be okay,” she assured him. “I promise.”
Corpse gave her the best smile he could muster. He laced his fingers through hers, trying to calm himself down. Before he could back out of it, he started the stream.
The chat flooded with questions immediately, most of which were asking about her. Corpse was able to avoid these questions for as long as he could, until someone donated a super chat question specifically asking about Corpse’s relationship status.
“Are you taken?” he read. “Well, I guess I can’t get around it now. The answer is yes, I am taken, and I am taken permanently.”
The chat went wild at this. Corpse’s hands began to shake again and (Y/N) squeezed the one she was holding, trying to look up at him sympathetically. His attention was focused on the screen in front of him, trying to get the words out the best he could.
“The truth is, I was seeing someone for a long time. She isn’t a content creator or famous in any way, so I wanted to keep our relationship to ourselves. We’ve made it public with her friends and family, but as far as my YouTube life goes, I wanted to keep it a secret. At first it was because I didn’t want to announce the relationship and have it go south and we break up, but the longer we kept it a secret the more I knew I wanted it that way because it was just another aspect of my life I thought would be better to keep to myself. I didn’t want to bring her into a spotlight that she didn’t want, and honestly, I didn’t want any of my fans to know who she was.
“And marriage...well, it wasn’t something I ever expected to happen to me. We weren’t even dating all that long when we both got drunk one night and I just...I asked her. We both laughed it off at the time, but the next morning when we sobered up I realized I still wanted to marry her. So I asked her again, promised her I’d get her a ring when I could, and she said yes. Flash forward about a year and...I’m a married man.”
(Y/N) leaned her head against Corpse’s leg and smiled up at him. Through his nervousness and anxiety, she could see him reminiscing on the history of their relationship, the way she liked to do sometimes. Especially on the hilarious story of their engagement.
“I won’t be giving any more details besides that,” he said. “I will not stream with her if she does not feel comfortable, I will not be publicly stating her real name, I certainly won’t be posting her face on any of my social media. Especially without her permission as she has already said she doesn’t really want a life in the public eye. I am sorry I kept this from you all for so long, but I hope you can understand my reasoning, and I hope you will all treat my wife with respect. That’s all I really want.”
He continued with the Q&A. After enough time had passed for that information to sink in, you decided to check Twitter to see what the reaction had been. The top trend, within a matter of minutes, was #wearehappyforcorpse. The hashtag was flooded with kind messages congratulating Corpse on getting married and on finding the one. A few people were sharing Corpse’s wishes and warning the extreme fans not to go looking for whoever Corpse’s wife was until one of them made her identity public. There was very little negativity and, although (Y/N) had told Corpse this would likely be the case, she was relieved to know that it actually was.
When the stream ended, (Y/N) could almost physically see the weight that had been lifted off Corpse’s shoulders. She stood from the floor to sit on his lap. He took her in his arms and buried his head in her shoulder, letting out a long sigh of relief.
“That went well,” she said. “Almost like I said it would.”
“Don’t say I told you so,” Corpse said, lifting his head to smile at her. “Although, I also knew it would go fine.”
“Even if it went different, we would’ve dealt with it together. That’s what married couples do.”
Corpse leaned forward and kissed her gently. (Y/N) smiled as she broke away and kissed the tip of his nose.
“I’m so lucky to have you,” he said.
“You are.”
Corpse chuckled and playfully squeezed her as he kissed over her neck and face.
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gaydelusionaltrash · 3 years ago
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Printessa (dark!Wanda x reader)
Tw// Kidnapping, death, gore, gaslighting, suicidal thoughts, Stockholm syndrome
Hunching your shoulders, you joined the crowd of people getting off the ship. Drops of rain stung your head and neck. Your hands, wrapped in insubstantial gloves, were clammy and wet with rain. Reaching the quay, you looked around eagerly, searching for any sign of James. It had been nearly two weeks since you'd spoken to a soul, having kept almost entirely to yourself on board the ship. You couldn't wait to have your brother to talk to again.
He wasn't there. The piles of luggage, large crates, boxes, and even piles of fruit lined the dock. People ran past you, screaming in French and trying to cram into the train station to get out of the rain. You tried your best to keep out of the way as you searched. James was nowhere to be seen. 
"Miss y/l/n," the voice was deep and heavy with accent. The man moved to stand in front of you. He was tall, too tall for the top hat that sat elegantly on his head, rainwater collected in its brim. His large black coat swished at his feet. His face was oddly rectangular, he almost didn't look human when you combined that with his piercing eyes. They seemed to shine silver. You fought the urge to cringe away from him. He knew your name, maybe he knew your brother as well. 
"Yes?" you answer tentatively. 
"Your brother sent me. Come with me." 
"Where is he?" You asked, running to keep up with the man. He didn't answer. Just wound through the crowd with purposeful speed. He turned suddenly around a large pile of boxes, then crashed to a halt in front of a large black car. 
The door opened and a woman stepped out. Her reddish-brown hair framed her face. 
"Y/n Y/l/n?" She asked, although she already knew the answer. 
You nodded. The tall man helped the woman out of the car with the same speed and precision he had when he lead you to her. She popped an umbrella and handed it to the man, then turned to you. 
"What a delight to make your acquaintance at last. I'm Wanda, your brother sent me to accompany you to London. It's quite a long ride to make alone." 
You clutched your damp coat tighter around yourself. 
"I don't understand. Where's Bucky, erm James? Why didn't he come himself?" Wanda smiled at you kindly, 
"He got caught up at work, but he sent a note ahead for you." Wanda held out a piece of folded paper, already damp from the rain. You took it and scanned it. It was his handwriting, no doubt about it. He apologized for not being able to be there himself but gave his highest regards to Wanda, stating he trusted her to bring you to his house in London. 
You swallowed hard and slipped the note into your pocket, turning to the older woman. 
"Okay. Shall we get the porter to fetch my bag?" 
"It's all taken care of, dove." She snapped her fingers at the tall man, who swung himself into the driver's seat.
"Come now, let's get you out of the rain." Wanda helped you into the car, then gracefully got in behind you. 
"Settle in, Y/n, we've got a long ride ahead of us." 
SIX WEEKS LATER 
"Wanda would like to see you in her chambers Miss y/l/n." You set down the book you had been reading on the bedside table and turned, seeing the servant girl standing in the door, just as she did every day, always delivering the same message. In a moment you would ask her to wait in the corridor, and she would leave the room. Ten minutes later she’d return and say the same thing again. If you didn’t come obediently after that, the maid would grab you and drag you, kicking and screaming, down the stairs to the hot, stinking room where Wanda waited.
It had happened every day of the first week that you had been at the dark house, as you had come to call the place you were prisoner until eventually, you had realized that the screaming and kicking didn’t do much good. It just wasted your energy. Energy that was probably better saved for other things.
“One moment,” you said. The maid bobbed an awkward curtsy and went out of the room, shutting the door behind her. You rose to your feet, glancing around the small room that had been your prison cell for the last six weeks. It was small with cream coloured walls and it was sparsely decorated. A small nightstand with a lamp, the narrow brass bed where you slept, the windowsill where you kept your books- Wanda had realized you liked to read and began rewarding you with your favourites- and card table covered by a lace white cloth where you ate your meals. It had a small bathroom with only a toilet and a sink adorned with a small mirror. 
You smoothed down your hair. Wanda preferred you not to look messy, but besides that, she seemed to enjoy your appearance no matter what you did, lucky for you since the sight of your reflection made you wince. There was the pale oval of your face dominated by hollow eyes—a shadowed face without colour in its cheeks or hope in its expression. You wore the unflattering black schoolmarmish dress that Wanda had given her once you'd arrived; your trunk had never followed you, despite her promises, and this was now the only piece of clothing you owned. You looked away quickly.
Your reflection hadn't always made you wince. James, or Bucky as you had called him when you were little, had always been the pretty sibling. The one who had naturally been accepted as the one who'd inherited your mother's good looks, but you'd never minded. You were perfectly content with your smooth hair and steady eyes. You may not have been beautiful in your own eyes, but the boarding school nuns had said if a woman carried herself correctly, she would always look regal. 
You didn't look regal now though. You looked dirty and scared, like a human scarecrow. You wondered if Bucky would even recognize you if he saw you now. 
At that thought, your heart seemed to shrink inside your chest. Bucky. He was the one you were doing this for, but sometimes you missed him so much it felt like you were swallowing broken glass. Without him, you were completely alone in the world. There was no one at all for you. No one in the world cared whether you lived or died. Sometimes the horror of that thought threatened to overwhelm you and plunge you down into a bottomless darkness from which there would be no return. If no one in the entire world cared about you, did you really exist at all?
The click of the lock cut off your thoughts abruptly, but instead of the servant girl, Wanda walked in. 
"Printessa," the nickname was something you had grown used to. Wanda often spoke to you in Russian even though you barely understood it. 
"Printessa," she clucked again, demanding your attention. You looked up at her, trying to hide the tears brimming in your eyes. She took your face in her hands and wiped away a tear. 
"My dear sweet girl. Your brother may have abandoned you, but that does not mean you are alone." 
"H-he didn't abandon me," you managed to choke. Wanda shook her head at you sadly, 
"Oh, but he did. He wanted to sell you to the highest bidder." You stepped away from Wanda, shaking your head. 
"No. No no no, you're lying." She gave you a sympathetic smile, 
"I'm sorry little dove." You fell to your knees. What was left for you in the world? What was the point of continuing to live if there was no one to live for? Wanda knelt next to you. 
"You aren't alone, Printessa." She pulled you to her and you let her, melting into her chest. She kissed your forehead. 
"Bu-but Bucky..." you sobbed into her shoulder. 
"He doesn't deserve you." It felt as though you had been stabbed. A sharp knife of betrayal placed by your brother. 
"I-it hurts, Wanda. It hurts so much." She stroked your hair with her hand. 
"Don't worry, Printessa. I'll make it better. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again." 
Wanda was right too. No one would ever find you now that you had succumbed. Now that you were hers. All she had to do now was get you out of that house, away from the rotting corpses of everyone you had known. 
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thefanficmonster · 4 years ago
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Beyond Death
Alcina Dimitrescu x Reader (Gender Neutral)
Warnings: Death, Loss, Grief, Spoilers for RE8:Village, Swearing
Genre: Angst, Heavy Angst
Summary: After fighting triumph over Lady Dimitrescu in her dragon/monster form, Ethan thinks he’ll have to face one last threat before leaving the castle but said threat happens to be nothing but a hollow ghost carrying a broken heart.
Requested by Anon. Hi hun! Thank you so much for your wonderful and extremely heartbreaking request! So sorry that it’s taken me so long to write and post it but I still hope you’ll come across it and give it a read. If so I hope you enjoy it! Love, Vy ❤
It’s over. It’s finally fucking over.
Ethan Winters lets out a heavy but shaky sigh of relief that practically deflates him as though he had been holding it in - was holding it in during the entire duel against Lady Dimitrescu who is now nothing my an ashy corpse on the floor, leaving behind only a crystal sculpture to her name - the nine foot tall vampire lady that reigned over the village with a reputation stronger than the village’s actual ruler - Mother Miranda.
And now her and her daughters remain a memory - quite an unpleasant one - for the villagers, leaving one less Lord for them to fear yet remaining a figure they cower in fear just by thinking about her.
Pushing past the cloud of confusion, relief and disbelief, a soft sound that appears to be footsteps approaching reaches Ethan’s brain, kicking his heartbeat up and forcing him back into a fight-or-flight mindset. Of course he’s gonna choose fight, of course this fool is gonna see this all till the end.
But what if it’s not a fight the person approaching wants?
What if all they want is to have made it there a few minutes earlier?
What if they are no threat now and they never have been? What if that’s why the Dimitrescus kept them safe in the hidden chambers and quarters of their castle, places not even Alcina’s dear Miranda knew nothing about.
Y/N L/N Dimitrescu, Alcina’s one true love.
They were a neighbor of Alcina’s prior to the experimentation process. The two got along nicely - well, more than nicely. Pleasantly enough for Alcina to develop feelings for them along the way. Feelings that the pain and suffering of the experiments never managed to wipe away, ones that still resided with Alica even years later and only flared up stronger when Y/N recognized her on one of their ventures into the outskirts, near the Dimitrescu Castle.
“Alcina?“ They had said, their wide and confused eyes meeting the vampire’s terrified ones.
The typically fearless Lady Dimitrescu found herself at a loss of words, her throat dry, her stomach aching and her chest tight at the sight of the one last connection she has to humanity - her feelings for Y/N. But she was left on the fence, suffocated by the suspense of how Y/N would continue onward with the interaction. How they’d react to her drastic change? How they’d address her?
“Y/N...“ Their name was barely a shaky whisper on the tall woman’s lips, trembling hands clenched in tight fists to prevent from letting her emotions show.
“I missed you.“
That was what hit Alcina the strongest. That one single sentence had her assuming her true form - a pile of shard of the past, present and the many possible futures ahead. A pile of shards glued together with a weak glue threatening to give at any moment, collapsing the tough, graceful and untouchable façade of Alcina Dimitrescu. That’s how the woman knew she still had something human in her. Or rather with her as long as she had Y/N.
And so she kept them like a precious pearl in the palm of her hand and they never once neglected showing their gratitude for all she did for them. They never once hesitated to show their love and appreciation in return to all they received from her. But, the most important gift Alcina was keen on giving was the presence of her true self around Y/N. She never bothered with an act around them. Never lied, never put on a show. She was more human than ever around them. She was fragile, vulnerable, honest and bare before them. And they never made her feel any less than the feverous Lord she was despite her human side.
“It only makes you stronger.“ Y/N would say, referring to Alcina’s human side, “As a human myself, I can confirm we humans aren’t that bad and incompetent. Not all of us, at least. I remember you aren’t, that’s for sure.“
“Who are you?!“ Gun pointed at the pale figure moving barefoot across the room to crouch down next to the ashy corpse of Alcina Dimtrescu, Ethan can feel his blood starting to boil again. It’s not real fear but it’s most definitely a feeling of hostility fueled by massive adrenaline that seems to have taken complete control of him and has him in a death grip, leading him to do and say crap he normally wouldn’t. This behavior of his would be enough to get even Chris Redfield to take a step back but this person doesn’t seem to even acknowledge his presence let alone be intimidated by him.
Focusing their complete attention on the mess of crystals before them, they gently run their fingertips over the creature’s wing but sadly even their light touch manages to crumble a small bit of ash from it, the dust falling to the floor along with Y/N’s heart.
“Hey, answer me! Who the hell are you?! What are you doing here? Are you...are you like them? One of them?“ His voice becomes more and more uncertain, decreasing from an angry shout to a shaky whisper.
“You killed her. You took her from me.“ Is the response he eventually gets, spoken by a monotone flat voice that doesn’t go with Y/N’s appearance at all. Their eyes remain fixated on the tiny spot on the wing they touched seconds ago as if their gaze will bring it back to live.
Bring her back to them.
That on its own is enough to get Ethan to keep his mouth shut, gaining a vague idea of what’s going on here and who this person might be. What the deceased means to them. In his eyes, she was nothing but a monster, but in theirs, it’s obvious she was a lot more.
And so, when he approaches them and and tries to communicate with them one last time, he says and does the only thing he sees as even moderately right in this situation: he sets the crystal remains of Alcins Dimitrescu by their side. “Have this, I believe she’d want you to. It’s all that’s left of her that you can keep.“ He knows their face is emotionless and still but something about that stillness is the exact reason why he doesn’t want to look at them while he says those words. He can’t find it in himself to apologize, not that an apology would help him much in this situation anyway, so all he can attempt is pointless. All that matters to them is gone - that’s the price of him gaining a stronger chance at getting his daughter back before it’s too late. 
And just like that, without another word, the blonde man walks out of the castle, leaving the broken heart and soul that used to be a complete human being behind him. A complete human being in love with someone extraordinary. Their love for her knew no bounds, and not even death as they sit there by their lover’s remains, refusing to leave their side even when they are not both present in this world.
A lover’s true love and devotion is shown when tested - unfortunately, Y/N and Alcina’s love was faced with the ultimate test: death. And it hasn’t faltered, nor will it ever as it seems.
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thetargaryenbride · 4 years ago
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A break [Levi x Fem!Reader]
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Requested by: @emmaandemmal  Hi, I love your works! Can I request one where Levi and his fem s/o have been a couple since before they were captured by the scouts in the underground? After the deaths of Isabel and Farlan, the reader tries to convince Levi to leave the scouts with her to go and live together in a safer place, but he refuses saying that he believes in Erwin's vision of the scouts and the two begin to fight badly. The reader eventually stays in the scouts because she doesn't want to leave without him, but the relationship between Levi and the reader is getting colder and more detached. The reader begins to think that Levi is no longer interested in her after noticing his growing friendship with Petra and she decides to leave the scouts thinking it's the best decision for her and for Levi. When Levi finds out, he tries to find her, but without success. Only a few years later, he catches a glimpse of her in the crowd after the scouts have returned from an expedition and he follows her. Once they arrive at the reader's house, she and Levi make up and the reader claims that she has been selfish in the past and that she would like to return to the scouts to fight against the titans and to claim the deaths of Isabel and Farlan. Eventually the reader and Levi resume their relationship and Levi promises her that nothing would separate them again. I'm really sorry that it's so long, if you consider this idea feel free to modify it as you wish. Sorry for my English too... it’s not very good. Thank you so much, you're one of the best Levi writers I know! ❤️
I’m sorry for the delay, dear. I was struggling with a mini writer’s block and was focusing more on art but I’m slowly getting back on track! Thank you so much for the request and thank you for your kind words. This really means a lot to me! As far as modifying goes, the only thing I modified is the timeskip. Instead of a few years, I made it one year. I hope you don’t mind ^^
Words: 4.5K
Warnings: Very Brief mention of suicide, prostitution and self-harm
Hope you like it  ❤️ Feedback is deeply appreciated! ^^
Also, if Levi seems OOC, please feel free to correct me~ I accept constructive criticism ^^  
* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *
You were arguing.
You never argued.
But the situation that had befallen you made you feel all sort of ways and neither of you knew how to express those emotions, that stress, which is why it had slowly turned into a fight.
“You shouldn’t have agreed! We have no idea how the world above works! We’re going to fuck up, Levi,” you raised your voice, hands clenching into fists by your sides, levels of anger rising at Levi’s indifference at the situation. You knew that it was only a façade and that deep down Levi wasn’t indifferent. You knew he was probably worried just as much as you were. But right now you were so scared and you wanted him to just show some more emotion, fight back, shower you with words of reassurance, hug you…anything…not just stand with crossed arms, staring at you.
“So what, I should’ve let the bushy eyebrowed bastard send us in prison?” he raised an eyebrow as if challenging you to give him a good reason for your big distaste of joining the Survey Corpse. He couldn’t understand why you had exploded like that when he had agreed. It was the perfect opportunity for the fulfillment of your mission…Not that you had been very accepting of the mission either. Your paranoia and distrust always clawed at you, many a time ripping any semblance of reason and logic. But he couldn’t’ exactly blame you. He was similar in a way. He supposed that this is what living in the Underground did to you.
Living?
No. More like struggling, digging in the mud, to survive.
And the two of you had been doing this since you were kids.  
“I’d rather rot in a prison cell than a titan’s stomach. And since when do you trust nobles anyways? It’s mostly because of them that we all fester here in this dump,” you spat out and he pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh.
“If you are so against this mission, why are you even joining?” he shot back and you choked on whatever words you had the intention of spilling.
You took a deep breath as you slumped next to him on the couch, body completely slacking in defeat as your anger simmered down a bit.
“Do you even have to ask me that?” you muttered as you stared at the ceiling, the hands in your lap fiddling with your fingers. “It’s because I would never turn my back on my family…on you,” you murmured as you straightened up and turned to face him. “Even if it’s the stupidest decision which would probably result in something shitty, I’ll still stick with you. You are all I have…I love you,” you timidly uttered the last words, casting your eyes downwards as a slight blush spread over your cheeks. The man sighed before his hands went to grab yours, successfully stopping your fiddling and wringing, squeezing them reassuringly.
“Look at me,” he ushered you gently yet firmly and you lifted your head, locking eyes with his. “We’ll be fine.”
You let out another sigh before you leaned, letting his arms encircle your form as he rested his chin on the top of your head.
“I pray that you’re right,” you whispered and just when you thought you could have a moment of peace, Farlan entered the room with a constipated expression. You couldn’t blame him. You were all beaten and battered by the soldiers and your ego was bruised, even though you let them capture you. And now they were all standing in your home or surrounding it while you packed the little of your belongings, breathing down your neck.
It was suffocating.  
“We’ve packed everything. It’s time to go.”
* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *
You wanted to blame him.
You wanted to tell him – “I told you so.”
But that wouldn’t bring back Farlan and Isabel.
It wouldn’t stitch back their ripped bodies.
They were gone and the only thing you could blame was this world.
Because it was so cruel.
And the only beauty you found in it was your love for Levi and his love for you.
He had no fault. Nobody knew that things would turn out like this. That fate would decide to cackle in your faces.
The two of you stuck together like glue more than ever after that day. You even went as far as to disregard rules as you would sneak into the men’s barracks just to sleep with him because he was the only one who managed to chase away the nightmares and wipe your tears. And you knew, even without him saying it directly, that you were the only one who could comfort him when he was feeling the burden of the world crushing his shoulders. And Farlan and Isabel’s deaths really did feel like the whole world just crumbled on top of you two. The only difference was that you were more prone to emotions and didn’t find such a difficulty at expressing them unlike Levi who preferred to bottle everything inside, feign indifference and coldness and find toxic coping mechanisms like not sleeping which as time passed shaped into the ugly form of his insomnia, despite all the scolding you’ve done.
Time passed. The first weeks after Isabel and Farlan’s deaths, you had been inseparable. But that slowly began to change after the date of the next expedition was announced. Your paranoia spiked up one night after you had tried suppressing it for days and that resulted in a breakdown.
You wanted out.
You wanted to leave the Scouts.
You had even gone as far as to talk to Erwin and the Commander, literally begging them to help you with the citizenship matters and let you and Levi leave. But of course, they refused and Erwin even went to speak to Levi about this, not knowing that the man had no idea about your plans and wishes.
Levi was angry that you did something like that behind his back. He understood your fear. He understood very well because he was afraid too. He was afraid that he was going to lose you too – the only person he had left. But he didn’t appreciate that you hadn’t been straightforward with him regarding such a serious matter, only revealing everything you have done and felt at the heat of the moment.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl, hiding in the wardrobe, listening how man after man would use my mother every night. Dreaming about a life, safely tucked in the corner of the world, surrounded by beautiful nature, peace and quiet, alongside my beloved person... Is it so bad that I want this for us?” you had asked with trembling voice and Levi’s expression had softened, a sign that he had forgiven you for everything and that he didn’t want to argue anymore.
“As much as I want that too, we can’t have it when the titans are roaming everywhere, threatening to wipe out Humanity. If we don’t destroy them now, we are only delaying our doom,” he muttered as his hand went to softly caress your cheek, making you sigh as you leaned into his touch. “But that man, Erwin Smith, sees something that I don’t. He has a plan to save humanity and… he sees victory… That’s why I want to stay in the Survey Corps and fight,” he admitted and at that moment, you found yourself captured by that determination burning in his eyes.
His desire to fight for a better future.
Not only for the sake of you two, but for the sake of thousands of people.
And while you weren’t completely sure yet that you were ready to sacrifice your happiness and life for a bunch of people you didn’t know or care about, you knew that you were ready to sacrifice anything and everything for him.
And that’s why you stayed.
And he knew that. He knew you better than you knew yourself. But he chose not to call you out for this. Because he understood how you felt. He didn’t belittle you. He didn’t call you selfish or insensitive or a bad person just because you didn’t want to care about anyone else but him. What does selfish, insensitive or bad even mean? They are just vague concepts that are different from every person’s point of view.
And as more time passed, after every expedition, he could see why you wanted to leave. He could see why you didn’t want to fight. Every expedition, every death, left an impact on you, stealing bit by bit from your sunny personality and shaping you into a depressed, miserable person.
Even if you claimed that you didn’t care about strangers dying, deep, deep down, he knew you did. It was just the person you were, trying to convince yourself that you didn’t care about anyone but him in order to protect yourself. But on a deeper level you still cared and you were still affected and he knew that you hated feeling like this – it brought only chaos, confusion and misery to your mind and soul as you desperately tried to live up to your own expectations and build walls around yourself only for every brick to be broken as a comrade would send you a smile or compliment you or help you out with something. And after every expedition, he would gain a better understanding as to why you wanted to be selfish and leave. Why you wanted – why you tried forcing yourself – to stop caring about anything and everyone and run away with him – the one and only person who – you tried to convince yourself – mattered.
And he didn’t know why he couldn’t follow you. On many occasions, he felt the same. But somehow, for some reason, he would always find a way back to Erwin – back to the goal they shared for humanity. He didn’t know where that sudden loyalty for the blonde had come from – the same blonde who more or less had been the reason as to why Farlan and Isabel had died. But it was exactly this loyal bond that had formed between them that prevented Levi from following you and he hated himself for it because he could see how this life of soldiers was destroying you from the inside out and there were moments when he would lay at night and dark thoughts would cross his mind – of your body hanging from somewhere or him finding you drowned or with sliced wrists or a bullet stuck in the head.
It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to turn to self-harm as a coping mechanism and some even committed suicide.
The fight against the titans wasn’t something to be underestimated and it left an irreparable damage on everyone.
And he could see you were heading that way and he hated himself for not being able to put a stop to this and just grab your hand and run away from everything – as you wanted.
That’s why he decided to distance himself from you. He thought that maybe if he started ignoring you, if he was being cold and distant, it would put a rift in your relationship. It would make you think that he didn’t love you anymore. That you were a painful reminder of the past. And once your bond was severed, nothing would be holding you back. Nothing would stop you from leaving. Because he was the only thing, the only reason, as to why you were still sticking around. And then maybe you would finally be able to find the peace and quiet you had been seeking for ages.
His conversations with you became shorter. His answers – curt. His affection and acts of service decreased. It had brought you to tears, thinking that you had done something wrong and it tore him apart when he caught you crying one night. But it was for your own good so he had to grit his teeth and bear with it never mind how much it hurt that he was causing you this suffering.
Him being promoted to a Captain helped a lot. Now he didn’t need to find reasons or excuses to not spend time with you because he was genuinely so busy all the time. The stress was making him snappy too so he tried avoiding conversations altogether, not wanting to actually say something hurtful because then he would feel even more pain and regret and that would have his resolve crumble and he would go back to being loving and affectionate which was far, far from the goal he had.
Then Oluo and Petra had entered the picture – two members fresh into the Survey Corps, graduated from the same trainee squad with incredible talent and promising skills. He had taken them into his squad but he didn’t know that this would be the final straw to put such a rift in your relationship.  
It was true that Petra was a bit clingy. Her infatuation, devotion and loyalty to him were obvious. But he thought it was a childish, fleeting crush which is why he didn’t find it necessary to confront her about it. He thought it would disappear over time, especially with how both she and Oluo seemed like an old married couple more and more with each passing day. He didn’t want to push away the members of his own squad. He wanted to embrace them. To embrace their friendship. On a subconscious level, he was trying to fill the gaps left behind from the people he lost. The gaps oozing loneliness and pain. The gaps you couldn’t fill because he wasn’t allowing you to in his haste to push you away.
And when one day he went to have lunch with Erwin, as the two needed to discuss important matters in his office, he wasn’t expecting the blonde to deliver such mortifying news to him.
“Look, Levi…I’m sorry to say this but… Y/N left the Survey Corps,” told him the Commander with a sombre tone and Levi felt his entire world shift.
Suddenly, regret flooded him, chilling him to the very last atom.
Erwin saw each and every emotion flashing in his eyes. And even if he wanted to remind his friend of the words he had told him years ago, he couldn’t.
Because there were things in this life that were impossible not to regret.
Like losing a loved one because of your or their own demons.
It was one thing to lose a loved one to death. And completely another to lose them because of your decision.
Levi didn’t utter a word, pressing his lips in a thin line as he swiftly stood up and turned on his heel, leaving the office with ebony bangs covering his eyes, shielding him from his friend’s look of pity and compassion.
He needed to think.
He needed time.
* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *
You don’t realize how much someone or something means to you until you lose them.
No, that’s not exactly it.
Levi cherished you a lot. Levi loved you a lot. You meant the world to him. That’s why he wanted you to leave. He wanted you to find peace. He wanted you to live a good life away from that misery and bloodshed.
Even if it killed him on the inside.
Because if you truly love someone, you would let them go if it was for the sake of their happiness.
But now that he’s finally gone and done it. Now that he not only pushed you away as a lover but pushed you away from his life altogether, he felt lost.
He felt lost and miserable.
As if life was drained from any sound and colour, leaving him to float in some abyss, soaking in his own negative feelings.
The sorrow, the pain, the dread, the loneliness.
If he had to list them all, he would waste all of Erwin’s expensive parchment.
And as he laid there in his bed, after thinking and reflecting on everything for hours on end, staring at the ceiling with an empty bottle of alcohol shattered into pieces against the opposite wall – alcohol that barely got him tipsy – he realized that maybe he wanted to be selfish too. That, combined with the regrets of pushing you away, burned at his soul, melting any doubts he had, like a blacksmith melting steel, and solidified his resolve to find you and bring you back, like a new sword being forged.
So next day after he had gotten all his emotions, thoughts and feelings in check and after he had taken a decision, he approached Erwin and asked for your location.
He was unpleased when his friend told him that he had no idea where you went off to. Part of Levi wanted to be angry and yell at him. Accuse him of lying. But he was so tired after the emotional and mental battle he had wielded that he just gave up on his anger and frustration and decided that instead of letting such negative emotions rule over him, he would brush them aside instead and pave way for that same scorching determination he had for the Survey Corpse’s cause, now combining it with the determination of finding you.
And he didn’t stop.
Once he started, he didn’t stop.
He would visit every town, every village, whenever he was free from his duty.
He never stopped looking for you.
It took him roughly a year to scout most of Wall Rose’s lands.
But it was during one fateful evening, after the Scouts were returning from an expedition, when he spotted you.
The sun had just set, allowing the sky to be painted in purples and blues with shimmering stars being sprinkled onto the canvas. The street lanterns shone brightly and the comforting light spewing from them had illuminated a very familiar form.
A form that Levi knew like the lines of his own palm.
He hadn’t wasted time to jump from his black mare and chase after you. He didn’t want to approach and confront you right away so he just settled for walking at a slow pace behind you, trying his best to not be noticed or come off as some creep.
He seriously couldn’t believe his luck.
Knowing your thought pattern, he believed that you had run away somewhere far. Back in the days when you lived in the Underground, whenever you had arguments – which was very rare – you would always run away from home and hide somewhere far, knowing that it would be hard for him to find you and nearly giving him heart attacks because of it. But this time you had decided to hide right under his nose – near Trost district which was not far away from the SC HQ.
He counted himself outsmarted and he didn’t know whether to be annoyed by this or proud of you.    
You looked radiant even in the dusk. The cream dress you were wearing made you look like a vision, glowing in the dark. It reached a bit past your knees, revealing some of your calves while the upper part left your collarbones in the open. He longed to run his fingers over your skin. Through your hair. To touch you. To feel you. To hold you. To tell you what an idiot he was. How he wanted you back in his life because he couldn’t exist without you by his side.
To apologize.
“Are you going to keep following me or are you going to help me carry the basket?” your voice interrupted his train of thought and he cursed lightly under his breath. You chuckled and stopped in your tracks, turning around ever so slightly, eyes finally landing on the person you were so anxious to see again but didn’t have the courage to approach.
He wordlessly took the basket from your hands and began walking next to you.
All the way to your house you stayed silent.
He didn’t even comment when you exited the District and neared the woods, only lifting an eyebrow.
Your shoes and his boots clinked against the cobblestone pathway, the little door of the wooded fence creaking under your touch as you pushed it. His eyes scanned the yard, taking notice of the freely roaming chicken, a few lambs, one cow and one horse – your horse from the Survey Corps. He could vaguely make out a garden peeking from behind the house so he supposed you also had a backyard where you were growing your food. He almost flinched when a huge dog – almost as big as you and him – came running in your direction, demanding head pats which you gladly gave.
Levi was impatient. He wanted to enter the damn house already and talk. But at the same time, a part of him was happy about the delay. He almost gulped nervously at the thought of the following confrontation.
Almost.
At last, you unlocked the front door and the two took off your shoes, putting on slippers, and moved into the house. You took the basket from his hands and placed it on the kitchen counter before you grabbed a rag to wipe the table and beckoned the man to sit down. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, taking a step towards the chair before halting, looking at you rigidly, and resuming his journey until he was finally sat. You clenched and unclenched the rag before you threw it away and sat across him, fingers now playing with the soft fabric of your dress. You looked at the ground and he looked at your feet, noticing your toes curling and uncurling from nerves even through the slippers.  
“I-“
“Levi-“
You both said at the same time and you chuckled lightly at the cliché situation.
“You first,” uttered the man and you gulped, sending him a wobbly smile.
“I want to apologize-“ you took a short pause and an intake of air when you saw his eyes widening as his features twisted in a dumbstruck expression as if he was unable to process why you were apologizing. “-for leaving so suddenly without uttering a word. It was…childish,” you quieted down and he closed his eyes, sighing deeply. “You were walking further and further away from me, getting extra busy with being a Captain and…and then Petra came into the picture,” you muttered but were fast to wave your hands in defence, “Not that I ever doubted your loyalty! My trust in you would never waver but…I just thought that maybe we both needed a break. We needed to breathe and clear our heads and start thinking properly. That’s why I decided to leave and give us some space. I never truly intended on leaving the Survey Corps or abandoning you…You mean so much to me…but I’m still sorry that I-“
“Stop,” he rose to his feet and you quickly followed, anticipation and fear at his next possible words, building up inside of you, making you feel like burning. “You don’t have to apologize. You did nothing wrong.”
That calmed you down a bit, the fear leaving your mind, but instead, worry settled as you looked at the way he lowered his head and bit his lip.
“I acted wrongly…I was foolish by thinking that pushing you away would bring you the freedom and happiness you sought,” he muttered and your face softened. “I just,” he sighed as his trembling hand went through his hair in an attempt to ground himself. “I just saw how impacted you would get after every expedition…how you started losing that glow of yours, your bubbly and sunny persona…I saw how hard you were trying to force yourself to stop caring, to be selfish and leave, but you still couldn’t because…because you’re not like that… damnit,” he grit out as he tugged on a few strands before letting his hand fall and rest against his hip limply.
He kicked himself inwardly. He was never good at expressing himself. The moment he had seen you in the crowd, the moment he had set a goal to talk to you and sort everything out, he had been reciting in his head and thinking what exactly he was going to tell you and how he was going to explain himself and the reasoning behind his actions.
“I just-“
“-wanted me to be happy…So you thought that by being a dick and pushing me away, you would make me leave so I can find my peace and quiet somewhere far, far away,” you finished for him, deciding to help him out which caused him to halt in his speech and just stare at you, waiting for your next words, the terror of you rejecting him or telling him that you didn’t feel the same anymore felt like a nettle rope around his neck, getting tighter and tighter with each second, suffocating and scathing him. “Listen, while you might have been partially right, you were also wrong. Because even if I do find happiness away from all the bloodshed, it just wouldn’t be the same without you, silly,” you shook your head as you sent him a sad smile. “I’d rather endure all the pain and suffering in the world than be separated from you,” you finally took the courage to close the space between you as you laid your head on his chest, arms slowly sliding around his torso. He didn’t hesitate to return the hug, sharply bringing you closer, if that was possible, and squeezing you so hard you didn’t know whether to groan from pain or chuckle at seeing him express himself so openly and in such a sweet, boyish manner. It kind of brought back memories from the days you lived in the Underground and how he would hug you exactly like that when you would do something stupid that would put you at risk, albeit a bit more awkwardly since back when you were teenagers you both had no idea how to express your love for each other.
“Deep down I knew you were onto something. Because why would you start acting like that so suddenly? It just wasn’t in your style. But at the same time I felt…” he tightened his embrace even more and buried his face in your hair, inhaling your scent and letting it comfort his tortured mind. He had missed you so unbearably much.
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” he whispered and you sighed as you ran your hands over his back in a soothing manner.
“I forgive you, Levi…I understand that you did it for my own good. But believe me when I say that I can’t find true freedom or happiness without you by my side,” you placed a kiss on his shoulder before pulling away to look him in the eyes. “Don’t ever leave. Don’t ever try to make me leave. Let’s just stick together through thick and thin as we’ve done since we were kids, ok?” you asked and he nodded, leaning hesitantly. You met his lips halfway and you kissed gently which slowly turned into a passionate, hungry, heated and desperate make out as you tried to feel one another after a whole year of being apart. When you finally broke it off, needing air, you rested your forehead against his and let yourself soak in his presence. He did the same. You just stayed like that, foreheads touching, arms around one another as you swayed ever so slightly.
“Want to help me pack?”
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in-tua-deep · 3 years ago
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idk if you still do au ideas but what if delores was a real person in the apocalypse? how it woul dbe done i have no idea but i love all your aus and thought it would be cool
okay okay I don't tend to go for real!Dolores aus admittedly because I find her much more compelling as what she is: a reflection of five himself and a symptom of his crushing loneliness
but i started thinking about it and you know what?? i think five deserves a little socialization, as a treat
so say like, 0.5% of the population is resistant to abilities. Allison would really struggle to rumor them, Five wouldn't be able to jump with them, and, most importantly, whatever the fuck Vanya's ability does has like, reduced damage or something
and the og apocalypse isn't the moon apocalypse, so let's say that it was pure waves of Vanya's powers that fucked over the earth
so 0.5% of the population survives the apocalypse. though, let's be honestly, the real number is a lot smaller than that. People who might have survived Vanya's initial power wave (miraculously) did not survive buildings crushing them or survive the car/plane/bus/train/other transportation crashes or survive being left alone when they are too young to reliably look after themselves, or the variety of other problems that come with 99.5% of the population dying at once
So, Five arrives in the apocalypse and is met with ruin and fire and a whole lot of dead people. He finds his siblings, but it doesn't matter. They're dead. He doesn't even recognize them at first, these strange grown-ups who he identifies not by their faces but by the umbrellas on their wrists that match his own
As he realizes the full impact of his situation, he hears a voice that says, very succinctly, "holy shit!"
It's a girl a few years older than Five himself, maybe 15 or 16, and she is very excited to see another survivor.
And here's where I u-turn this au around bc i'm not all that interested in real!Dolores, but I would be down to talk about Five meeting survivors in the apocalypse, because if Dolores is real I don't buy no one else survived.
So Dolores shows up and see a Literal Child crying over the corpses of his family and assumes that Five is a fellow survivor, and she immediately grabs him up. Five is incoherent with grief at this point anyway, so he doesn't even protest when she basically hauls him away from the bodies. She's babbling at him, but he doesn't really hear anything she's saying
And then she takes him to her dad
(Why not, let's have the 1% potentially be a heritable thing)
and her dad, let's call him just some dad name. like Rick. it has been a fucking WEEK for him, okay. he had his daughter with him, his ex-wife is on the other coast for her work, and by some miracle he survived the apocalypse and so did his child, and he's been wracking his brains trying to figure out what the fuck to do next
and then his daughter shows up with a traumatized thirteen-year-old in tow
now rick is a good dude. he's a dad. they get out of five that his name is five ("what the fuck" dolores mouths to him over five's shoulder and rick can't help but agree) and the bodies he found were his siblings ("Dad and Ben and Vanya weren't there though," this child cries desperately and rick feels his own heart clench in response, "They might still be alive!")
"We can look for them." Rick assures his new adopted child, because he is an adult in a fresh apocalypse and this kid has presumably lost everything he's ever known (more than rick even knows at the time)
and they do. They each get wagons and they go out and find supplies and look for other survivors. Five is... surprisingly helpful and also surprisingly docile as he is able to rely on Someone Else to give orders while he attempts to (dissociate) process what the fuck has happened
and here's the thing: Five prides himself on being independent, sort of. He's independent for a child soldier, but he's used to taking orders from a male authority figure and Rick happens to be just that
The first time that Five does something dangerous and Rick yells is a revelation
(Rick isn't sure if he hopes that Five's dad is alive or not, because if they find that man alive then Rick might just kill the jackass himself. Also like, Five is bizarrely knowledgeable out survival skills, like way too knowledgeable about it, which is helpful for them but also very concerning)
they find a newspaper and Five finds the article that mentions his father's recent death ("Huh. Heart attack." Five says, and there is no emotion in his voice)
(Years later, years later, Five and Rick talk. "I don't think I wanted to find him, either." Five admits, softly because Dolores is asleep, "I think I was more scared of finding him alive than I was of finding his body. He would've been so mad at me, I think.")
this newspaper is how Rick and Dolores find out about Five being Number Five, Umbrella Academy Missing Person
"Dude, what the fuck." Dolores says, wide eyes, "You're like, thirty?"
"I'm thirteen." Five says, and then checks the date on the newspaper again, "Also I think I would technically be 29 if I lived through all of it, 'cause it's April and my birthday is in October."
"You... time travelled?" Rick asks, which is honestly the more relevant question, "Can you go back?"
And Five just,,, crumples on himself. Because he tried, he tried really hard. It didn't work. "I'm gonna figure it out. I'm gonna go back, I'm going to save them."
That, Rick thinks, is a lot of weight to put on one person's shoulders, but especially the shoulders of a child.
"Alright." Rick says, because what else can he say after finding out his new child has superpowers and is from like, 2004? "What do you need?"
("Oh my god I have so many memes to teach you." Dolores says later, reverently. Five blinks in confusion and Rick mentally prepares himself for the recitation of so many vines)
And it's easier, somehow. Five sometimes feels like it's a betrayal, but he settles into apocalypse life with an ease that surprises him.
He lets Rick fuss over him and help tie his scarf securely around his head every morning before he sets off on supply runs with Dolores. And they're kids! Five has never had a friend before, and Dolores is funny and smart and she's struggling just as much as he is.
"I don't know if my mom's alive." She says to him, in solidarity when he checks the face of every corpse to see if they're Vanya.
Five is practical in the way only a child soldier can be. He's economical with the room in their wagons, carefully examining what might and what might not be useful.
Dolores, on the other hand, constantly takes up space with what Five sees as useless shit.
"Excuse you," Dolores says, shoving a game of monopoly, the entire discworld series, and a pack of glitter gel pens into her wagon, "These are absolutely vital apocalypse supplies."
She challenges him, plays with him in a way no one ever has. "I bet you I can find more batteries today than you can," She grins at him, "Winner gets to pick dinner first?"
"You're on." Five says, directly before Dolores pulls two packs of 24 AA batteries from behind her back, like a cheat.
Dolores makes him take a ten minute break when they find a playground that has been mostly not-destroyed. They rummage around kids backpacks and mother's handbags for some good loot, too numb to corpses to even be bothered all that badly about the corpses they belong to.
"I'm getting on the swings." Dolores says when Five starts making noises about moving on, "I haven't been on a swingset in ages."
"What's the point?" Five grumps.
"Don't be sour because you can't swing as high as I can!" Dolores laughs, getting higher and higher as the swings creak ominously.
Five grumpily gets into the other swing and grudgingly kicks himself back and forth until Dolores takes pity on him and teaches him how to properly move his legs and body to get higher and higher.
Dolores jumps from the swing seat and lands with a flourish and smile. Five jumps out of his seat and then jumps, warping right in front of Dolores and making her yell and hit at him in outrage. Five smiles the widest he has all week.
This is how Five grows up in the apocalypse, with Dolores teasing him into taking breaks and leaning over his shoulder to look at his math and scandalizing him by stating that she'd only just started on matrices in her own high school math class.
Every night they huddle around Rick while he picks up whatever book Dolores picked out that day because it is a travesty that Five has never read hunger games or whatever, and then they read together because it would be a genuine blood bath if they all took turns. The first time Five accidentally mentioned a spoiler and Dolores genuinely considered murder was the birthday of this tradition
Some days the air is too smoky or there are dust storms or it's just plain too dangerous to go out, and they all stay in. Dolores regales Five with stories about public school, and Five tells them about his siblings.
Then they all cry
"I shouldn't be crying." Five sobs.
"Shut the fuck up," Dolores sobs back, "You literally watched me lose my shit over remembering my shitty eighth grade dance and listened to me sob-sing toxic for like four hours."
"In fairness I also wished you would shut up then."
"Let me hug you or I will start singing songs that I only remember the chorus for again you absolute fucker."
"I could always sing some -"
"No, Rick/Dad."
And Five grows up. Rick shows him how to shave very carefully in front of cracked mirrors. Dolores teases him every time his voice cracks. Rick tells Five in no uncertain terms that he loves and cares for him, and that Reginald was a little bitch. There are a lot of heartfelt conversations around that, honestly. Rick telling Five that he and the siblings deserved better, that they were children and deserved to have a childhood.
And that he has faith in Five. Rick and Dolores both do, they bring him back paper and pens and pencils and chalk and anything Five can use to write equations. They poke around any libraries for books on theoretical mathematics and quantum physics. Rick and Dolores go out scouting for food while Five stays home and can work longer.
They also make him take breaks, make sure that he's looking after himself.
They're a little better off than OG!Five when it comes to food, because some animals survive. Enough that Rick figures out how to hunt. Five is the first one to each bugs, and even though Dolores makes faces they all start eating bugs as well.
"Pretty sure there's loads of cultures that eat bugs." Rick says grudgingly, wondering if he should try stirfry the cockroaches and if that would improve the taste. "There's even, uh, cricket flour or whatever, right?"
"Plus you eat like, five spiders a year when you're asleep." Dolores says cheerfully, just to watch her dad's face scrunch up in displeasure.
"That doesn't sound true, but I don't know enough about spiders to dispute it." Five mutters, and Dolores gives him such a proud look that it makes him roll his eyes.
They're in their thirties when Rick dies. He's out foraging and hunting, and the rubble he's standing on gives way and he ends up with a gash in his leg. He manages to stop the bleeding, but the world is filthy and they don't have any antibiotics.
He gets an infection.
"It's okay." He tells both of his kids, "It's okay. I'm just so glad that you guys have each other, y'hear? I'm so glad."
"It's not okay." Five says, voice thick and choked, "It's not."
"Yeah, well, you're going to figure out how to go back, right? Go back in time and save everyone. Then I'll have never died, right?" Rick smiles, "And even if you don't, I'll be waiting for you on the other side and we'll see each other again anyway."
"I'm going to fix it."
"I know. I have faith in you, Five." Ricks says honestly, and that's more than Reginald ever said.
They sit quietly together while Dolores is out scavenging. They've been taking turns sitting with Rick.
"I won't remember you, in the past, will I?" Rick says rhetorically, but Five answers anyway.
"I don't think so."
Rick hums, "Well, doesn't matter. If you need help in the past, you come to me, y'hear?"
"You won't remember me."
"Doesn't matter. You come find me, and you tell me your crazy story until I believe you, and then I'll help you." Rick says firmly, "You're family. You're my son. Timelines? Don't matter. If you need help, with anything, even if it's just with - with filling out a bowling team or something -"
"I have never been bowling in my life and you know it." Five interrupts, but it makes him laugh just a little bit which was clearly Rick's intention.
"Well who knows what you'll get up to in the past! You'll be able to go bowling, you know. Get to wear those uncomfortable shoes. Hey, you go far enough back maybe you can go to Dolores's tenth birthday party and put me out of my misery."
"Was she bad at bowling?"
"Oh, she was wiping the floor with me. No contest."
"Honestly, that sounds absolutely accurate."
"Shut up, bowling just wasn't my sport. Regardless, the point was that I'm giving you a free pass to come and get me. Because I know you, I know how you think." Rick brings up his hand to tap his finger against Five's forehead, "You get it into your head that you need to go it alone, take it all on your shoulders. I'm telling you that if you do that I'll somehow manifest my memories and come smack you over the head for being stupid, you hear?"
"I'm not dragging you into anything." Five says firmly, "I'll have my siblings."
"Who were also children." Rick points out. "And dragging? Dragging is such a strong word for a volunteer."
"A volunteer who won't remember volunteering." Five shoots back.
Rick just shrugs, and then winces when the movement jolts his bad leg. "Five, I'm going to be honest with you here. And sappy. Can you handle a bit of sappiness for a minute?"
"No."
"Well too bad. Can't leave a dying man, you'd feel too bad. So you're stuck with me. But you listen good, okay? Because you aren't dragging me into anything. Whatever life you have, I want to have a part of that. Because you're my son. Wherever you are, whatever you do, I want to help because you're family. What you'd be doing by leaving me out of it is depriving me of someone I love, depriving me of knowing one of the best kids I've ever known."
"Shut up." Five says, choked.
"Nope, it's sappy time." Rick states, "Maybe asking you to come find me is selfish, but I don't care. No matter what version of me exists, I want to be in your life."
"My life is a walking joke, why would you want any part of that?"
"It has been my privilege to watch you grow up. To help you. To be here for you. Of course I'd want to be there to watch you grow up the rest of the way."
"But -"
"Shut up, just let me tell you that I am so proud of you. You never give up, and your heart is so big. You love so much and so loudly, and it's been the highest honor of my life to be included in your family."
Five pauses for a moment to collect himself before simply saying - "You're the best dad I've ever had."
Rick snorts, "Considering my competition, I'd sure hope so. That bar was so low old Reggie was practically limbo dancing with the devil. Now get over here and give an old man a hug."
They don't bury Rick, when he dies. They don't have time and the ground is too hard and they don't have the heart to move him. Instead the pack everything up and seal him in the shelter they'd lived in.
Dolores pulls out a bottle of ancient nail polish and painstakingly writes Rick's name on the wall with his birth year and an approximate current year. They aren't 100% sure though, since time blends together out in the apocalypse, but it's something.
They continue by themselves. They get older.
Dolores jokingly calls him her husband because the way his face scrunches up makes her cackle. They see other people very occasionally, usually passing through. Usually groups. Dolores and Five get to flex their hosting skills, though more than one group declines their cockroach stirfry.
("It's a family recipe." Five says with amusement in his eyes that usually manages to drown out old grief.)
"Jeeze, that kid couldn't have been older'n twenty-three." Dolores complains, "Makes me feels positively ancient."
"They wouldn't have known any world 'cept for the apocalypse." Five muses, pouring some boiled water into wine glasses because they might be living in the apocalypse but they can be fancy.
"Do you ever think about that?" Dolores asks, turning to him with no judgement, just curiosity. "When you go back, you'll be like, erasing them from existence."
Five shrugs, "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe this place will just split off into an alternate timeline."
"Maybe none of this is real." Dolores says, amusement coloring her voice. "Maybe you aren't talking to a real person at all. Maybe this is just a symbol of your insanity and cracked mind."
"Dolores, I literally have a scar where you stabbed me. Did I somehow manage to stab myself in the back?"
"Scraped you, I scraped you. By accident."
"So you maintain." Five says haughtily, swirling his water in his wine glass like a pretentious prick.
"I could totally be fake. You don't know my life."
"I know way too much about you, Dolores. Like, way way too much." Five scoffs, because Dolores and him have literally no secrets from one another at this point. Five even knows the truth behind what happened at Janet Scranton's thirteenth birthday party. Like, he said, way too much.
"Maybe you made it up. Maybe that's why you know so much."
"Dolores, I'm going to be honest with you right now." Five presses the tips of his fingers to his chin, "If you were a figment of my imagination, you would be so much better at math."
"Hey!" Dolores squawks indignantly, "I didn't even get to finish high school you pretentious prick!"
"Neither did I!"
"You didn't even go to high school, you brat."
"I'm fifty-two I think I've outgrown 'brat.'"
"Tell that to your attitude." Dolores says haughtily, "You're still younger than me."
"Won't be when I go back in time." Five says cheerfully, completely ignoring Dolores's venomous look.
"That's cheating."
"Sucks to suck." Five says loftily, taking another sip of his water.
Sometimes they talk about The Plan, with capital letters. What Five is going to do when he goes back in time, depending on when he pops out. Is he going to adopt his siblings? What about Reginald?
"You don't think I could kill Reginald?" Five says, holding a hand to his chest in mock offense.
"I think you should let me do it. I'll even give you control of tonight's music if you do."
"What are you doing to do? Bite his ankles? What if you're like, seven or something?"
"All the better to get away with it since I'll be too young to convict or whatever."
"Pretty sure that's not how the law works."
"How would you know? Just for that I'm playing Istanbul on repeat again."
"I don't know why you think that's a threat. That song slaps."
It takes a few more years before Five is close enough that the Commission comes to interfere. Because that's what I think happened - Five was getting too close and they stepped in because they might as well distract the man as much as they can with missions, right?
So the Handler shows up. And she offers Five a job, telling him that they have the ability to travel through time. And Five - hesitates.
"Give me some time?" Five asks, and the Handler graciously gives him 24 hours.
And he and Dolores talk it over, because now that his goal is more in sight than it has ever been and Five is scared.
"What are you waiting for? You have the chance to see your siblings again." Dolores says patiently.
"Yeah," Five says, and what he doesn't say is clear. But I won't see you.
"Five." Dolores says, and she cradles his face between her palms like he is something precious, "I have had so much time with you already. More than I would have ever. We have been so lucky, to have this time. How can I demand more than what we have already been given?"
"When have you ever not demanded the world, Dolores?" Five asks, his own hand coming up to cover Dolores's own.
"We've had decades together, Five. We're getting old. I was always going to lose you, one way or another. Nothing lasts forever."
"I don't want to lose you."
"I know. But if I had to choose a way, if I could decide where our story ends, this would be it. Letting you go, because this way you get to live. You get to see your family again. You get to save the world. I could ask for nothing more than for you to get your happy ending."
Five removes Dolores's hand from his cheek so that he can cradle it between them, "I'm happy here with you. I've never been happier. Isn't that silly? That I was happier in the apocalypse?"
"I bet killing Reggie would make you happy." Dolores laughs rustily.
"One day you're going to see the mysterious disappearance of a famous billionaire in the paper and feel a twinge of satisfaction and now have a clue why." Five laughs as well, shaking his head.
Dolores pats Five's hands, "Five, look at me. We've had our time. And you're going to give me even more of it. More time with my father. More time with my mother. I'll never know it, but you'll have saved me."
"What if this is - what if this is an alternate reality? What if I leave you here alone?"
"Then you'll be saving a 15-year-old girl from the same fate as me. Because as much as I love you, as much as I have loved this time we have had together, this is still an apocalypse. This should never have happened, and if you have a chance to go back and prevent it, then I want you to take that chance with both hands."
"Even if it means leaving you alone?"
Dolores smiles at him, "I'm not going to be alone. Far too many creepy crawlies in the apocalypse for that."
"Shut up, I'm being serious."
"Hmm." Dolores hums consideringly, "Maybe I'll head North, to that new settlement that last group said they'd heard word of. Sure they'd find some use for an old woman who's survived this long in the wilderness."
"You can have my half of the record collection." Five says, pulling her against him into a hug that she easily returns.
"As if I wouldn't have stolen them as soon as you left." She scoffs, but it's a little wet, and Five pretends his own eyes aren't leaking tears.
When The Handler comes back, Dolores gives him another hug. She also slips something into his pocket - some photos. They'd taken it a year into the apocalypse, when Dolores had found an ancient looking polaroid camera and towed it home despite Five's protests about practicality. The photos are worn and faded at the edges, but the smiles on Five's little apocalypse family's faces are undeniable.
"You'll have to see if they magically fade when you change the timeline." Dolores whispers to him with a grin, "Like in the movies."
"Okay." Five whispers back.
"You have the list of movies to watch, right?" Dolores says. Five rolls his eyes and nods because he wrote the list last night into his Vanya-book while Dolores hovered over his shoulder and critiqued his handwriting.
"And you promise to try a proper non-expired twinkie at some point?"
"That I do not promise. I think even looking at one would make me lose my lunch. I have twinkie-trauma."
"Shut up and get going." Dolores says, because the Handler is starting to tap her foot impatiently.
And off Five goes to become an assassin. Though - he's much more gentle this time. He's careful, he doesn't kill children and he usually takes jobs that don't require killing at all. He distracts and manipulates events as much as he can without killing.
He's actually much more well socialized, thanks to Rick and Dolores. Less feral child and more determined man on a mission.
Which is why he's so frustrated when he finally, finally manages to get the equations to work and falls through and falls - directly back into his stupid thirteen-year-old body.
"Shit." Five says, loudly, and revels in the surprised look on his siblings faces.
He strides into the kitchen, and they all follow him like ducklings. They look exactly the way they did when they died.
"Wow this is actually way harder than I thought it would be." Five muses, looking at their dead faces. But as Dolores would say, life is hard but you have to keep on trucking sometimes. "Whatever, what's the date?"
"Five, where have you been?" Diego demands, looking irritated. It makes Five snort in amusement.
"The future. The past. If you want like, an exact list of dates you'll have to hold your horses. I spent like, two weeks in Peru once. No souvenirs though, unfortunately."
They look taken aback, like they didn't expect Five to have quite this much sass. Oops. That is definitely Dolores's influence. Or maybe he was always a little asshole. In fairness, what teenagers aren't tiny assholes? He has an excuse.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Diego's eyebrows are furrowed in anger. It kind of takes Five aback for a second, because he remembers a Diego who stutters when he argued.
"When did you learn the fuck-word?" Five asks, raising an eyebrow before her can help it, "Grace ought to wash your mouth out with soap."
Diego immediately goes red, "Shut up!"
"Wow you're so easy to rile up. Aren't you like, twenty-something? Actually, I could figure out for myself how old you are if you gave me the date."
"I'm twenty-nine." Diego growls, like that was the point.
"Haunting!" Five says cheerfully, because that means there is way less time than he would like, narrowing his time down to a six month window.
It's extremely funny how his cheer makes all of them make faces.
It's Klaus who leans forward, "Why do you need to know?"
Klaus's face is open and curious and - (looks exactly like he did when Five found him all those years ago) - and Five can't help but answer him. "The world end on April 1st, 2019. No it isn't an April Fools joke, yes I have heard that joke like a million different times. I just want to know how close I landed so I can, you know, start working on how to fix that."
"Woah woah woah, roll it back." Allison says, holding a hand up, "What?"
"The apocalypse occurs on April 1st, 2019." Five says, slowly. "I have traveled from afar to prevent this from happening, because like, everyone dies."
"Everyone?" Vanya says weakly from the side.
She's clearly expecting to be ignored, so Five turns his head to address her directly by wiggling his hand back and forth a little. "Sort of. Like, not too many people survive at all. A handful of the human population, you know."
"But you survived?" Diego recovers admirably, if bitingly.
"Well, no." Five says rolling his eyes, "Wouldn't you just know it, Klaus here has managed to figure out a new ability!"
Everyone turns to look at Klaus, who immediately holds up his hands like he's being arrested or something, "I did not!"
"Wonderful! Now that we've established that I'm alive -"
"Why should we trust a word you say?" Luther says for the first time, looking pensive.
Five blinks, genuinely taken aback. "Because... I'm your brother? Because I can clearly and obviously time travel? Like, yeah, it would have been more convenient if I'd arrived in like, my old-body for proof-purposes, but like. I mean. Thirteen is still a pretty convincing age to be to prove time travel considering if I hadn't, I would be like, almost thirty."
"Roll it back again." Allison says firmly, "What do you mean by 'old body'?"
"Great question!" Five says pointing at Allison and smiling. Everyone looks at him weird again, and Five takes a moment to wonder if they've ever experienced positive reinforcement. Knowing Reginald, probably not. "Wait! Is Reggie alive? Wait, no, answer that in a second. Uh. When I time traveled I fucked up my body I guess, I was like, old. White hair and wrinkles-type old from spending decades in the apocalypse. But I fucked up the calculations and got booted back to my thirteen-year-old body, I guess. How, I have no idea."
"What?" Vanya says, still equally weakly.
"You have no idea how fucked up time travel is." Five whispers conspiratorially to Vanya, loud enough for the whole table to hear, "There are so many ways to die. Or permanently tear a hold in space time. But like, with life as we know if ending soon-ish, I figured I couldn't possibly fuck it up worse than it already was, y'know? Speaking of, anyone have the date again?"
"Wait, what was that about dad?" Luther asks, very focused.
"Oh, you still call him dad? Big oof." Five says automatically, because apparently his verbal filter is shot to hell after living with Dolores. It does make Klaus bark out a too-loud laugh.
"What does that mean?" Luther asks aggressively.
"It means Reginald sucks and doesn't deserve the title of 'dad,' what did you think I meant?" Five asks, and now both Diego and Vanya and both cracking smiles, though Vanya is covering hers with a hand.
"Have some respect for the dead." Luther growls, standing up and looking very large and threatening.
Five sways back, craning his head up, "Woah there big buy, sit down before I injure my poor growing spine looking up at you. Jeeze, did Reggie force feed you steroids or something? I wouldn't put it past him but like, I just want to know he at least went over the side effects of the drug with you. Also like, thanks for narrowing it down. Also terrifying! Seriously though, exact date please because if I have less than 24 hours I am going to break down crying and that is a threat."
"I love this Five." Klaus says reverently.
"March 21st." Vanya offers, finally.
"Wow! Terrifying!" Five says, clapping his hands together, "Hate that. Ten days, huh? Well, who wants to get on board the save-the-world express?"
Klaus immediately flings his hand in the air, Five points at his brother appreciatively. "Yes, excellent! I'll take the volunteer in the lovely skirt as my first team member. Any other volunteers?"
"Danke!" Klaus simpers, grinning widely like this is the vest entertainment he's had in weeks.
"I'm not just going to stand here and listen to you badmouth dad and boss us around." Luther slams his hands on the table.
"Well not with that attitude." Five snarks.
Diego raises his hand, "I would like to join team fuck dad as well."
"We can certainly debate team names later." Five says, nodding wisely as Luther gives some sort of scandalized gasp.
"Honestly, I just want to see where this is going." Klaus confesses.
Five shrugs, because he doesn't really care about the reason. "Don't you want to prove me wrong them? Prove what a well-adjusted young man Reginald Hargreeves raised?"
"Shut up." Luther grinds out, looking a moment away from throwing a punch.
"If this is all true, I have to get home." Allison cuts in, looking concerned, "I have - I have a daughter."
"I mean, if you want to give Claire a world to live in then I'd stick around, but that's just me." Five shrugs.
"You know her name?" Allison asks, obviously taken aback.
Five is almost offended, "Uh, yeah. I have her photo as well. Y'all get on like, a bizarre number of gossip magazine covers did you know that?"
Allison manages to outdo herself in terms of being taken aback once more.
There's a beat of silence, and then Five turns, "Vanya? You in?"
"Me?" Vanya blinks, looking shocked. "What can I do?"
"Yeah, what can she do?" Diego asks, crossing his arms and suddenly looking grumpy.
It baffles Five, who scrunches his nose, "Uh, like, a lot? I assume? I mean. I'm going to be honest here, just looking at y'all right now is a lot. In more ways than one! Hashtag trauma and all that, but like, name a single one of you that wouldn't be the most obvious person in the room as soon as you walked into it. Except Vanya, who somehow manages to look like a well adjusted adult, by some miracle."
"Did you just verbally say the word hashtag?" Allison asks, looking so deeply confused.
"More concerned about the trauma he tacked onto there, but y'know, to each their own." Klaus immediately cuts in.
"You think I'm well-adjusted?" Vanya asks, looking oddly touched.
"I would like to direct your attention to Diego's leather pants-scowl combo and Luther's general aura of daddy-issues." Five says pointedly, "I can practically smell the tragic comic book backstory in this room. If I'd jumped back a decade earlier this would have been Batman's wet dream of orphan selection."
"Alright! Game plan!" Five says, waving Diego's knife in his hand.
Diego's hands immediately go to his weird harness looking thing, "Hey!"
"Give me just one moment to get the tracker out." Five rolls his eyes, "Then I'll give it back, I promise. Also if someone could ask Grace for like, some antibiotics that would be good."
"What?" Allison asks, directly before Five stabs himself and there is suddenly panic at the table.
"Relax!" Five says, allowing Diego to remove the knife from his hands. He doesn't need it anyway and his hand immediately drops down to root in the wound.
"Five what the fuck!" Diego yells, but Five just pulls up bloody fingers and waves the tracker into Diego's stupefied face.
"What the fuck is that, Five?" Allison demands, looking very shaken.
"I literally just said it was a tracker." Five points out, "Now, I think our first team activity should be voting on whether we destroy it or take it out to bumfuck nowhere and ditch it to confuse the Commission."
"What the fuck is the Commission?" Diego barks.
"Man. Maybe I should just hit up Rick." Five muses, "This is going to take so much explaining."
"Who is Rick."
"So much explaining."
#survivors au#well adjusted five au#five actually has some social skills!#and an idea of what an actual parent looks like as well#klaus absolutely adores this version of five#who quotes vines and uses gen z slang with the best of them#five has been reliably informed that public education is worse than the apocalypse#but he's also pretty sure working with his family is worse as well#five: i have so much trauma lol#klaus: oh big same#vanya: mood#five is somehow the most well adjusted hargreeves#and the most responsible#he doesn't legally exist and he doesn't pay taxes but somehow he has his shit together#five showing up at rick's house: you don't know me but i know you in the future#rick: what the fuck#five: don't make me bring up bethany midler from highschool because you gave me so many embarrassing stories to convince yourself with#rick: okay okay i believe you and you are???#five: your son from the future lol what's up dad want to help save the world#five arriving back at the manor like: WHAT'S UP LOSERS RICK IS NOW YOUR DAD TOO BC GOD KNOWS Y'ALL NEED AN ACTUAL FATHER FIGURE#klaus calls rick a dilf and five kidney punches him hard enough that klaus can't even properly introduce himself#it's better for everyone that way#delores: 15 and ready to fuck someone up#delores: i'm not staying with this weirdo (diego) while you go off with my dad#five threateningly: don't make me bring up what really happened to dad's good suit in 2012#delores: i will stay right here#rick: wait WHAT happened to my good suit#five: unimportant don't you want to save the world#long post#far tua long
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thefanbasewhore · 4 years ago
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The Weeping.
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Prompt no. 4 from @wkemeup 's 9k challenge! - Character A is being held hostage. Character B offers to trade themselves in A's place.
master list || tag list
Summary || After you're taken from a mission, Bucky offers himself in order to insure your safety.
Paring || Bucky Barnes x female reader
Word count || 1,660
Warnings || abduction (kidnapping??), violence, gun-fire, mentions dead bodies and blood, angst.
Side note || clear eyes is Bucky and yours way of saying everything is okay and this is shorter then I intended it to be, I didn't have a lot of time to write it, so if it seems rushed, I'm sorry.
The mission was supposed to be simple - a quick in and out, retrieve the information and burn that place to the ground but even that seemed unattainable at the moment.
Bullets whiz through the air, penetrating the barrier of sound that make Bucky's ears ring. To anyone else it is frightening, usually follows screams of terror but it's something he lives for, the only familiar sound to stay with him constantly through the years. Adrenaline makes his body visibly tremble, chest conforming to laboring breath in order to stay quiet. Those crystal blue orbs narrowing, fine wrinkles bunch on the skin of his forehead as he nods towards you, on the opposite side of the room but still in his peripheral vision.
He nods once more - just to ensure that the hallway is clear. His heart is thumping against his chest right along with your own, fingers clenched the butt of your to bring it closer to your chest, raising it as Bucky moves in front of you with his own. The walls are splattered with red, fresh blood as you maneuver through the corpses' that lifelessly scatter the floors and the dark hallway seems almost endless, except the flickering light at the end of it. With every muffled gunshot it turns into darkness only to be unexpectedly brought to life again. "Stay low.." Bucky whispers as he follows your stance - back against the wall and a free hand reaching for the spare knife hidden in both of your boots but not before he extends his arm and fingers grasp the buckle across your chest with a gentle but meaningful pull, "Clear eyes?" "Clear eyes." Bucky nods softly as the cool vibranium finger sculpts the structure of your jaw with twinkling eyes. "Be careful in there, okay? You need anything --." He taps the shell of his ear with two fingers, and you nod in understanding. With one last glance Bucky turns towards the double doors, a hand pressing against the handle as he uses his body weight to push it open with ease and the moment he does more gunfire echoes the walls of the room. A sudden blur of motion catches his attention as his breath hitches as his arms wrap around you as bullets whiz through the air, only inches away from piercing your skin. Bucky uses the other door as cover as metal bullets ricochet. Smaller fingers clench into his flesh arm, forming indentations of small crescent moons as a means to seek cover. Bucky's arms wrap around you pulling you into his chest to shield you from any stray bullets but the heavy door behind his back is a strong enough metal to take the blunt force of the bullets without breaking through. His soothing hands find your hair, breathing heavily as he angles your face to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?" Your throat tightens at his worried expression but nods to confirm you were not hit. Bucky nods back, eyes setting in a hard line as he keeps you between his legs but peers over the threshold of the floor but a warning short from around the corner bounces off the walls. "Fuck." Bucky whispers as he reaches into the pocket of his tactical pants, but you don't need to look to see what he's got. "I'll go up the stairs, you go to the right." He pulls the pin out, rolling it into the room and waits until a thick, white cloud of smoke fills the hall, with one last nod he pulls his glasses down, fingers tapping the side as they click to life. You follow behind, gun raised in the air as you follow through sweeping the rather large room. The smoke is thick - suffocating, throat closing due to the inadequate amounts of oxygen, but you swallow the ball in the back of your throat while trying to maneuver through it, the glasses didn't help much. Footsteps cause you to jump, turning in every direction but the cloud is too thick and they near closer following along with your frantic motions to protect yourself with a mixture of anxiety and fear coarse through your veins. Something is mumbled to your right but it's too late, two rather large hands roughly grab at your hair, pulling it into a tight fist as another set of hands catch your leg - pulling into your fall onto the ground, hitting your head hard enough that dark, round dots cloud your vision. Before you could even manage to move - the cool surface of a blade touches your neck and your raise your hands in surrender as the weight of the man moves to crush your chest, face still veiled behind the white smoke. Without a word he turns you around, pressing your cheek against the floor with a rough hand as he pats down your suit, pulling the knives out with a snarl as his friend picks up your gun. 'Sweetheart, where are you?' Bucky's voice is muffled from the fact that the man's hand presses against it, but it vibrates his skin and it's yanked from your ear and crushed between two fingers. When the smoke dissipates the man brings you
to your knees, hands wrapped around your wrists with an unforgiving knee digging into your spine. "If you want her alive, come out now." A thick, foreign accent bounces off the walls of the room as the hand tightens, the other goon on your right holds your gun up as a blur moves in the corner of your eyes. Bucky's eyes meet yours in a panic as he rounds the corner, raising his gun to the man that holds your hair which only causes him to say something in a foreign language, digging the knife into your throat until it stings with pain. Every ragged breath the sharpened blade nicks the thickest column of your neck. "Let her go." Bucky hisses through clenched teeth, jaw clenching as seafoam eyes darken like the night sky. The man smiles evilly, a sick grin that reaches his eyes, makes Bucky's stomach drop inside his stomach as he twirls the knife around a dirty, unmanicured finger. "Didn't think we'd recognize you with that haircut, Soldat?" The skin of your neck burns as a yelp of pain fills the room, blood smears his fingers and invades your senses and the words make Bucky's eyes narrow, squeezing them shut at the words. The smell of smoke, gunfire and metallic make your head spin as Bucky lowers the gun to the ground, hands raised in the air. "Take me, let her go." "What use do we have for you now, Soldat? You are no longer our winter soldier; they have rid you of that." The man's sick chuckle causes him to shake his head, eyes wild with paralyzing fear. "That's not true - I feel him, he's still in here." He pauses, guilty eyes flicker to your own and back up the to man's, "Just let her go, don't hurt her." "No, no." You manage to mumble, tears stinging the waterline of your eyes as you grit your teeth in pain, he never lets the pressure of the knife go as you try to suppress a shiver. Bucky lowers his head with shame, in complete defeat as he lowers to his knees and moves the gun further away. "He's still in here. You can get him out. Take me instead of her, please." "Stop, no!" Eyes of guilt refuse to meet your own, the secret you have known all along and Bucky's urge to smother the winter solider completely blinded him from the fact that this could happen someday. It's been years since he's been so called 'freed' but some roots are so deep they can't be removed, the inside of his brain still tainted with the dark soldier who refuses to stop haunting him after all this time. "Bucky don't you fucking do it!" Bucky ignores the calls, squeezing his eyes shut with emotion. It's not fair, all those years spent brainwashed, tucked away inside his own brain just to end up there again. He barely survived the trauma then but now - he would never be able to, not without Steve, without the Wakandian's again. "Walk towards me, slowly." The other man commands as Bucky nods an understanding to stand on his feet but pauses as the knife presses into your skin more, "Let her go first." The instant the knife is gone is relief, hand reaching up to rub the burning skin and smear blood against your gloved hand and along your neck. Roughly the knee against your back pushes you from the position of on your knees to leaning against the man for support as his arm crosses against your chest, hand crushing the windpipe of your neck. "I will count to three and you both will walk, you towards me, her out the door. Got it?" With every number your heart pounds inside your chest, face turning red due to the harsh grasp at the surface of jaw as a cough follows suit, chest greedy for oxygen as he releases. Bucky takes the first step forward, edging you closer with his eyes that leave little room for argument. Close, slow steps until both yours and his arm brush against each other The fat of your bottom lip quivers as he leans forwards, hands still raise obediently in the air to press his forehead against your own. "Buck -." "Promise me, you won't come look for me." It is rushed as the men in front of him yell but inaudible as you shake your head as tears push past eyelashes. "I mean it, forget about me, they'll never stop. Okay? No
matter how much I try, they will never leave me alone." "How could you say -." There's a rough tug on his hand, pushing him forward but he uses the last second, he can spare to press one more heartbreaking kiss against your lips and before you could comprehend what coming next - a burning, red-hot pain radiates at the base of your skull and numbing darkness consumes you.
tags: @sugarpunch-princess, @old-enough-to-know-better73, @maxsaturdayhatesnarwhals, @Fajitasandfics, @devilswaldorf, @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123, @grubler, @SodDy030, @agent-catfish-kenobi,@scarletglowss, @abitchforbarnes, @xxlovingfandomsxx, @jewishdelis, @klorpski, @kaitieskidmore1, @peterpstuff, @akaaaaashiiii, @angelsandsorcery, @moony-is-bae, @yliumy, @watermelonsponge, @stolenxkissess, @peakascum, @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme, @crvecem, @likealadygodiva, @harrysthiccthighss, @burnerbitchh, @sergeantjamesbbarnes, @amelia-song-pond
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clanwarrior-tumbly · 4 years ago
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How about a monster tom x reader where tom dreamt about him accidentally killing reader and when he sees reader they straight up tackle them to the ground and keeps saying I'm sorry over and over until reader bushes them and they talk it out and hug and watch a movie.
"What the hell, [y/n]?!! You ruined Susan!!!"
"She only has a scratch. Relax." You rolled your eyes as Tom scowled at you from across the room, holding his bass guitar. "Edd has destroyed her on purpose before, but you're mad at me for scratching her by accident?"
Usually he wouldn't get this upset, but all day long he seemed annoyed by everything. And apparently this was the cherry on top.
"Because unlike that idiot, I thought YOU would know better than to touch my shit!! God, you're just as dumb as--!!" All of the sudden, he let out a grunt of pain, dropping the guitar and clutching his head. His eyes whitened with stress. "J-Just get out..."
"Tom?" Now you were less irritated and more concerned, seeing his skin turn a light shade of lavender.
Never before have you seen him freak out this much to the point of transforming. It was starting to scare you.
"Hey c'mon, stay with me." You attempted to reach out to him. "It's okay, we'll take her to a repair shop and I'll pay for-"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" His voice deepened as he slapped your hand away, though he heard a wince and saw that you were bleeding, before he noticed that his claws already manifested.
That only made him angrier. "See?!! YOU NEVER LISTEN!! YOU'VE NEVER LISTENED TO ME OR CARED ABOUT ME!! You think I'm a goddamn freak, don't you?!!"
'What the hell am I saying?!! I-I don't mean any of that...!!' Internally, Tom was panicking, confused as to why his mouth was blurting out these untrue things.
All of this over an instrument he can fix?
What was happening to him?
"N-No, Tom..I...I-I-" You were frozen on the spot, unable to defend yourself as he fully transformed, horns scraping the ceiling.
"Admit it..YOU HATE ME!!!"
'Don't listen to me, [y/n]! Please run!! FOR THE LOVE OF MACARONI JUST RUN!!!!' But despite his pleas, you had no chance to run away as the monster roared and tackled you to the ground.
No matter how much you begged him to stop, he could only sink his claws and teeth into your flesh. Pure rage and hunger fueled his instinct to kill, without realizing who he was killing to begin with.
Though when your screams were silenced forever, Tom blinked and got ahold of himself. He looked down at you, jaw dropping as he saw your mangled corpse.
'No..no, no, no!!!'
With a whimper, he tried shaking you, but you remained limp on the carpet floor.
This time he was the one screaming, covered in your blood.
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"And this is Ringo's feeding schedule," Edd smiled as he handed you a list. "I made it literally this morning so uhh..yeah just follow that if you can, please."
"Thanks. I promise she won't starve." You chuckled, waving goodbye to him and his friends as they went out for the day. Tord bumped into you, reminding you to not let the "Jehovah's witness" sleep in, but you pushed him out the door before slamming it shut.
With a sigh, you turned around and glanced at the list, making your way into the living room space. For once you and Tom had the house to yourselves, so now you just had to wake him up so you'd feel less lonely.
"Does Edd know he can just buy an automatic pet feeder-?"
You jumped as you heard a loud scream, looking up in bewilderment. 'That sounded like-'
Moments later you saw Tom race out into the room, his eyes white as a ghost. But the moment he saw you, he yelled your name and tackled you to the floor.
"Ouch!! What the hell?!" You snapped, trying to sit up as you felt yourself being crushed by his arms. "Are you trying to kill me-?!!"
"I-I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry!!"
"..huh?" It was then you realized he was crying, face buried into your hoodie as he violently trembled. "Tommy?" You hugged him back, letting him cling to you. That only seemed to amplify his sobs.
"A-All those horrible things I said..th-they weren't me! I couldn't control myself!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!"
For a moment you wondered what he might've recently said to hurt you, but you couldn't remember. You two never argued over anything serious. He had more fights with Tord than you.
Then you realized...
"Oh, Tom...you were just dreaming." You hushed, rubbing his back. "That's all it was. Just a dream."
"I-It felt so real, though. There was so much blood..y-your blood, and you weren't moving and I-I thought..I-"
"You didn't kill me. I'm right here, and I'm not hurt..physically or emotionally."
You could feel his fingers dig into your hoodie more. "Y-You're okay?"
"Yes. I'm okay."
That reassurance calmed him down, as he pulled away slightly to look at you, eyes going back to normal. You smiled and cupped his cheek, brushing away the tears. "Must've been a hell of a nightmare, huh?"
Tom just nodded, still sniffling on occasion. "Yeah..I just..had to make sure it didn't actually happen. Head gets a little fuzzy when I'm in that other form, y'know?"
"Don't worry, you didn't transform. Otherwise this whole place would've been trashed again." You chuckled.
"I'd rather have this place gone than ever hurt you."
"Awh, that's the most romantic thing you've said to me so far."
Now that you were both feeling better, you shared a kiss on the lips before embracing once more. "Good morning, by the way." You spoke after a few seconds of silence.
"Yeah..morning. So everyone else is out, huh?"
"For a few hours. Edd just gave me a schedule to feed Ringo. Maybe we could stream that new zombie robot movie you wouldn't shut up about?"
Tom looked at you with a sparkle in his eyes. "You mean Killer Zombie-Robots from Outer Space: The Prequel????"
"Uh...yeah. That one."
After you both got up, you went to the couch and turned the TV on, comfortably plopping down. Ringo joined you as well as she curled up in your lap.
As you looked for the movie, Tom cuddled up to you, head resting on your shoulder as he tried forgetting about that dream.
He was just glad nobody else was home right now.
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