#eternity anecdote

[sleeplesssmoll]

An-An Lee wants to incinerate a vampire in the microwave.

Did she and Vertin catch a vampire? Are they playing Good cop & bad cop, or is Vertin parenting again?

Carmilla mention hell yeah

[stari-hun]

[fishareglorious]

1.8! 1.8!

[ragnars-tooth]

Zanna averted her eyes. Her gaze was still fixed on Bonnington’s cat flap when she heard the front door close.

“Question,” she said to the listener, in dragontongue. “What colour were his eyes?”

“Brown,” it replied. Zanna swallowed and felt a sudden weakness in her back. When she’d first met Tam, she’d remembered them as blue.

I will never shut up about Zanna seeing the ghost of David in Tam and Tam having to act as his surrogate for most of books 4 and 5. He makes me insane in an evil way

i liked the sketch for this so you can have that too. miserable bastards, the both of them

[wwane]

brian was a friend that was the closest to unchanging, in a sense, just as eternity is OTL

[lndslorepuzzler]

Anecdote: Never-Ending Winter

01: Night’s Daytime Brightness: Opens with a nightmare. Li Shen sees himself with bloodied hands walking over dozens of bodies to come face-to-face with a child. Just as Li Shen “raises his hand, dark crystals once again forming on his palm—”

Li Shen wakes up on a plane heading towards the Arctic, where he will be going on a rescue mission at Mt. Eternal with the Evol Special Rescue Unit. The unit is stationed on the southern side of Mt. Eternal; before Li Shen can even get to where he’s supposed to be, he gets pulled into a cardiac surgery in a tent. Li Shen performs emergency surgery by way of Open-Chest CPR with his bare hand. The patient stabilizes, and no one but Li Shen notices that the Evol monitor had a sudden spike in activity. 

Li Shen reunites with William, another cardiac surgeon from the same school.*2 They don’t have any time to catch up, since the sound of Wanderer attacks can be heard in the distance, and it’s likely the 

.

02: Deathly Encounter: Li Shen, who can’t remember the last time he slept (and doesn’t even have the energy to have a nightmare if he did,) speaks with Captain Xander outside one of the medical facilities. He is called back inside to attend to a man he discharged the day before. Despite his efforts, the patient dies. 

William comes for the death certificate, and reminds Li Shen that there’s no way they can save them all, but they will do all they can. 

In a nightmare, Li Shen sees a man in a white coat standing in a mess of corpses, with dark crystals forming on his hands. Li Shen sees that the man is himself, and he is waiting to die. 

Li Shen wakes up  and reaches for a notebook under his pillow. “The cover’s indents now form a complete tally mark, one of which is from today./ Since coming here, three patients died under his care./… It’s impossible to save everyone. He knows this better than anyone else. Yet he still insists, persists. The Grim Reaper in his dreams mocks him for his folly, futility, incompetence. It wants to kill his desire to save everyone./ But he’s not planning to give up.*3

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03: Determination: A Wanderer breaks through into an active surgery; Li Shen dispatches it quickly, and moves the rest of the group to another room. The surgery ends with no complications, but William shows up to check on Li Shen, but their conversation is cut short by Li Shen’s mentor.

The hospital has instructed that Li Shen return, but Li Shen has already been tapped to head up Mt. Eternal and assist the team there. His professor is furious, but Li Shen is confident he’ll come back safe. “If he can’t save everyone, then he’ll go to the root of the problem and eliminate it.”*4

William welcomes Li Shen to the team.

.

04: Through Troubled Times: A week later, 30 members of a special ops team head into Mt. Eternal. While Captain Xander talks about safety, William asks Li Shen who he addressed his will to; Li Shen dodges the question by reflecting it, and William tells him he will introduce them, when they get back. 

“Despite being mentally prepared, Li Shen didn’t expect ‘getting back’ to become an unattainable luxury.”

Getting up Mt. Eternal is a fight in and of itself. Captain Xander decides that they have to destroy the Protofield’s center, in order to stop any more loss of life. 

William attempts to attend to Li Shen, and points out that throwing himself in front of hits meant for other people isn’t a great way to save lives, and asks what’s weighing Li Shen down. Li Shen doesn’t say anything for a long time, but gives in eventually. 

“Years ago,” he says after a long time. “I almost killed someone important.”  William is surprised. “What happened?” Holding the ice-cold air with his right hand, Li Shen lets it go.  “I lost control of my Evol.” That night, the blood in his hands kept dripping onto the ground, dripping into his dreams.  The summer when he was 12 was extraordinarily long. Every little thing—like the ivy climbing up the courtyard wall, the stall that sells popsicles, the swings in the park—is clear in his mind, as if it were yesterday.  A snowstorm ended that summer. It was the first time a black-robed Grim Reaper appeared in his dreams.*5 

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05: A Long Way Home: Less than half of the original team makes it to the valley. They set up the equipment needed to destroy the Protofield’s center, but the energy fluctuations cause Wanderers to gather. Li Shen uses his Evol to freeze himself in place, “(gripping) his right arm with his left.”*6

The Protofield is destroyed. 

Operations gets in touch with Li Shen, who does his best to communicate the state of everyone around him despite his own injuries. William is also still alive, and he’s heading toward the ruins of the bunker when Li Shen realizes that there is a blue glow on his chest, and crystals are slowly starting to spread out from it. 

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06: The Nightmare Worsens: William can’t seem to get the crystals off, even using his Evol. Li Shen attempts to approach him when the crystals accumulate and begin to physically break, warp and twist William’s body. Li Shen is thrown back into the snow, and when Li Shen attempts to freeze the crystals in place, it doesn’t work. He gathers himself for another attempt, but the crystals explode out from William. Li Shen continues to try and save William, but “his body begins to fail him.” 

William begs Li Shen to kill him as the crystals essentially consume and contort and wring out his body. Li Shen stubbornly continues to attempt freezing the crystals, until the very last minute. “The figures in Li Shen’s nightmares merge with William. Their expressions are distorted by pain, their bodies twisted into grotesque positions. Unable to speak, their minds gone, their eyes can only beg.” 

Li Shen kills William. His body dissolves into smoke. “The Grim Reaper stands in the distance, watching him on the snowy mountain covered in blood and death.” 

Three years later, Greyson brings Li Shen the Linde Award, which he had mailed to him, since he had an outpatient that day, and couldn’t go. It’s for the initial OC-CPR surgery, but he shoves the award into a drawer, with the award that belongs to William.*7

.

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*1, It’s absolutely possible that this is a reference to the Li Shen met in Still In Dark. It is a remarkably similar scene, save that instead of a single needle of ice, he produces black crystals instead which, to be fair, is something that Alternate Li Shen would have nightmares about.

*2, See World Underneath: Longly Flame.

*3, Adding to *1, in Still in Dark, the Alternate Li Shen is explicitly called the Grim Reaper. 

*4, Please welcome Li Shen’s Canon Control Issues to the ring.

*5, Alternate Li Shen’s ‘positive’ dreams began when he was 12. 

*6, This is normal for him, see Under Deepspace: Under Twilight.

*7, See World Underneath: Longly Flame. 

[necronomi-kun]

Toony Terrors Vincent Price 💀

[tspultradeluxe]

My reverse 99 cringe fail is having my dikke as my main healer despite having medpoc. I’m so sorry medpoc she has to make people atone in full

[inklingofadream]

vampire!Nikola is still giving dance teacher vibes and it reminded me of a story that is extremely funny in light of the au in question

i did ballet for the better part of a decade with the school where one of my mom's friends taught (and where all of the daughters of the friend group attended until i was the first to quit when i was 13-14 lol), and the founder of the school was an extremely nice woman but she was also extremely strict about the Behavior Standards for performances.

for the dancers the biggest one was No Food. the costumes were very expensive to be buying your 4-year-old, and the ratio of kids to chaperones was 5-8 per chaperone, there simply is not a way to keep that many kids from creating food mess without removing it from the equation. and we all really loved and respected the teachers! this was a pretty well-followed rule!

so imagine my mom's friend's shock one year when one of the girls she's chaperoning pukes to disturbing effect. she thought this kid was bleeding internally, because There Was No Food. and the kid didn't want to get in trouble

so our family friend got MUCH FURTHER into finding emergency medical care than she should have before one of the other kids narced. and informed her that actually, the puker was just eating contraband Swedish Fish

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Reverse 1999 and child soldiers (just rambling) (global friendly)

It doesn't take long for anyone to realise most of the cast (excluding awakened, entities like Voyager and AlienT, and people like Eternity) are young: ranging from most being 17-16 with adults around their 20s and Shamane currently being the oldest (excluding the above) at around 40. (Edit hes 45 thanks for clarifying)

Alright you say, this is a gacha game ofc the characters would be around these ranges and we hope every patch to get character that is above 40 (wdym someone like Tooth Fairy isn't 30? Same for Kakania and Isolde, how are they 19 and 18 respectively?For example). Hey I would like more older characters too, but I think the ages are partially intentional if we look into lore on a thematic level.

Ok. We already know the Foundation, Laplace and now Zeno (though it was ofc from Lilya) they produce child soldiers, workers and scientists:

Vertin is the Timekeeper at 12

Sonetto probably became a field investigator around 14-16 at best (correct me if we have a better frame of reference)

Ms Moission in her character profile apparently was a field investigator at 14. (I spelt her name wrong I think)

Mesmer Jr started working at the age of 12

As of the release of the Zeno anecdote we know Lilya around 14 was already in field missions and has seen the state of war.

(Probably could include X, Horrorpedia here but I don't have much info)

What am I getting at? Characters being young in their fields of work is completely intentional, one due to the Storm in the case of the Foundation as the first had taken nearly the entire workforce (plus Child Labour Laws) so in desperation to maintain numbers and order the age to become investigators, soldiers and scientists became much lower. I don't know if the SPDM existed before the Storm but the way it functions primarily serves to replenish those lost workforce.

And two: the perception of arcanists and the importance placed on the manifestation of their arcane skill as young as possible.

We see this in the case of Mesmer and Isolde/Trista.

Mesmer Jr once she was tested to see if she had her arcane skill immediately was set to manage mentally unstable patients at the age of 12. (She alongside Vertin probably needs the most therapy)

For Trista this was the seance her mother brought to at the age of 3, dying as a result and leading to her mother with Isolde to delay by 3 years. (Acting as if that was a mercy which it really is not)

There is an emphasis on an arcane families and arcanists maintaining their societal status/ relevance through children developing their arcane skills as soon as possible plus the idea of childhood and working is flipped on its head with the presence of arcanum.

Ok idk if worded that bit correctly but in short: our idea of when a child should be working (which is never) or the time someone should be in teaching before they get into a profession (TF, Kakania and Madam Z) is warped and absent in R1999. For Kakania, shes 19 but I would argue this is because of how she had dropped out and decided to be an unlicensed doctor. Most characters being younger is the result of arcanum being present in the world.

Moreover there is a general theme of lost childhoods/ forced to grow up fast in the younger cast. Exclude characters like Ezra, Matilda (so far) and Spathodea since they are relatively fine/ not deeply traumatised. Everyone else, Vertin, Sonetto, Mesmer Jr and characters like Eagle, Monlicht, Oliver Fog were forced to grow up fast despite their young age.

Summary: characters being in younger age ranges either being literal child soldiers or certain adults being relatively young is the result of the devastation of the Storm alongside the different perception of age in the arcanum world, there the manifestation of your arcane skill seems to be used as a sign of maturity and readiness to be thrown into work (Mesmer and Isolde being put om their respective career paths at a very early age) (or your Constantine celebrating the erasure of Child Labour Laws)

[sleeplesssmoll]

Eternity's Perspective on Time and Decay

This is the context of film maker Brian Finn's pursuit of creating the perfect vampire movie with a heavy focus on immortality and eternal beauty.

The final conversation between Brian and Winnifred (Eternity) revolves around the theme of time, memory, and the inevitability of loss. Eternity reflects on the cruelty of watching something cherished fade with time, highlighting the pain of witnessing the passage of time on both physical objects and the heart. She questions Brian's view of time and criticizes the idea of eternal preservation, suggesting that true existence involves the natural erosion of the soul by time. She doesn't like watching things precious to fade into nothing, but it's something she's seen too many times.

[stari-hun]

Hot lady anecdote?!

[xvysarene]

𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕐𝕠𝕦

Pairing: Zayne x Fem!Reader Prompt: Inspired by the quote “I love you in every timeline”, but with a twist Words: ~870 Genre: Eventual fluff Notice: Spoilers of Zayne’s ‘Tower of Secrets’ myth & ‘Still in Dark’ anecdote

[ᝰ.ᐟ MASTERLIST]

Throughout his entire existence, Zayne believed that Astra’s punishment condemned him to eternal separation from his true love; forced to either sacrifice himself or spiral out of control upon her death.

But was this truly his punishment, or merely an obstacle? A cruel way to derail him from finding the one.

Thus, when he managed to save his childhood friend without any further complications—without having to give up or lose himself because she survived—he should have felt relieved.

Felt a sense of completeness that he had dreamt for so long.

Instead, the hollowness, the whisper of something just out of reach remained.

“What more do you want from me?” he cursed Astra. Cursing His sick, twisted game.

And so, as he ventured back through his memories, aside from the occasional encounters with others, there was always one person who inexplicably found him.

You.

You, who managed to pick up his broken pieces as he lamented.

You, who brought a sense of comfort like no other.

You, who always mysteriously disappeared in the end, forgotten by him.

“Zayne?” a surprise gasp left your lips.

His fingers remained wrapped around your wrist, stopping you from walking out of his life for the umpteenth time.

The setting sun accentuated your silhouette, as if emphasising the answer he had blindly missed in every other timeline.

“Am I Astra's punishment for you?”

And you, condemned to stay by his side, an unattainable man whose eyes and life were always set on another woman.

“What exactly is His punishment to you?” he pleaded, begging to understand. 

He would be damned if he let you vanish again this time, not when he had finally found the one he was destined to be with.

A pang of remorse washed over him as he heard your answer: “To be the fleeting pillar for the man who never looks my way, destined to forget me eventually.”

Just like him, you bore different personas in every alternate universe.

While everyone had forgotten the Foreseer and the Tower of Thorns, they had also forgotten about you—the only other person who had befriended the Foreseer and kept him company in his loneliness.

It was your laughter that thawed the icy hallways of the tower, just to be silenced once a woman intent on stealing the Creatio Protocore arrived.

He then remembered the surviving nurse, living in the same decaying city as Dawnbreaker, patching him up after every chaotic fight with the Abomination and Wanderers, and comforting him as he washed away Georgie's blood from his hands.

“Every time she appears, your memory of me will fade,” you whispered, eyes searching his in disbelief. “How have you not forgotten about me now?”

Oh, how bittersweet it was to continually forget the one who first taught your heart to love.

Unable to resist any longer, Zayne tugged you into his embrace, fearing that you might slip away.

In his arms, you fit perfectly, like the last chapter of a series, completing him.

“How could you remain so kind, when all I ever did was take, and take, and take from you?” The growing lump in his throat nearly choked him.

“If anyone needs a shoulder to lean on, it's you, Zayne. I've never regretted being there for you.” With a gentle touch, your palm came to rest on his heart. “There must be a reason I'm meant to stay by your side, even if it’s momentary.”

For the first time, he felt warm. A different kind of warmth that spread through him like a soft flame kindling deep within his heart.

“All my life, I've always set my sight on the wrong woman. My punishment is to be separated from you, not her.” Gazing at your eyes, bright with unshed tears, was like a punch to his sternum. “I wish you hated me now.”

“Why?” you murmured.

Lifting your chin, he lowered his gaze to your lips, closing the distance between you slowly. “Because then you’ll push me away, knowing that I am unworthy of this.”

And as your eyes fluttered closed instead, mouth already anticipating his, every fibre of restraint shattered.

Both of your lips locked without hesitation, releasing pure longing that had been confined for so long, now unleashed in a wave of intense emotions.

The world dissolved into the intoxicating sensation of lips moulding together. One of his arms pulled at your waist, fingers gripping your curve, drawing you even nearer. 

He realised right then and there that he would never have enough of your taste.

“Do you think this is Astra’s wicked scheme? That you still remember me after all this time, yet impending misfortune awaits us?” Traces of doubt were evident in your hushed whisper, lips lightly brushing with his still.

“Astra be damned.” The condemning words rumbled deeply from his chest, causing you to look at him in surprise. 

“He may test me, but he’ll not take you away from me. Never again.” Strong hands cradled your face, trailing gentle kisses from your forehead, down to your nose, and finally to your lips. “As long as I draw breath, I'll spend every moment fighting for you.”

In every possible timeline, he had loved you first, and in this moment, his love for you remained unwavering.

⤷ ᝰ.ᐟ MASTERLIST

[lemonturquoise]

Home

Zayne x Reader

You couldn’t stay calm. You kept curling your hair with your fingers, desperately trying to distract yourself from the overwhelming anxiety. Why did you agree to this group dinner? You were on the verge of tears, barely holding it together, and the regret was hitting you hard. It was your first time socializing with your workmates outside the office. You weren’t close with them, and the thought of making small talk with so many people was exhausting.

As you sat at the table, you listened to them discuss upcoming projects and share funny anecdotes, but you couldn’t bring yourself to join in. You sat there quietly, eating, with your responses limited to forced smiles and brief comments. Your attempts at small talk seemed to fall flat, probably because your replies were so dull. You couldn’t shake the feeling that you weren’t contributing anything meaningful to the conversation, and your anxiety only grew.

The room felt like it was closing in on you. The background chatter was just noise now, and all you could think about was how desperately you wanted to be wrapped up in a warm blanket at home, away from all this social pressure. You glanced at your phone, still nestled in your bag, and made the decision to reach out for help. Your fingers fumbled as you pulled it out and typed a message to Zayne, asking if he could pick you up.

After what felt like an eternity, your phone vibrated, and you saw his message: he was waiting outside. A wave of relief washed over you, and you couldn’t help but smile slightly at the thought of escaping this anxiety-filled gathering. You bid a quick farewell to your workmates, making an effort to mask your eagerness to leave. Your heart raced as you stepped outside and spotted Zayne standing there. You immediately rushed into his arms, seeking the comfort and safety he offered. His warm, tight hug felt like a lifeline.

“You look like you’ve been through a battle.” Zayne said as he placed a kiss on your forehead. You gave him a weary smile and softly replied, “Let’s just go home.” He chuckled softly, nodded, and led you to the car. As you drove away, you finally allowed yourself to relax, breathing a deep sigh of relief as the tension began to melt away.

[inmyloveworld]

as usual (bradley "rooster" bradshaw x reader)

word count: ~3.7k

synposis: the time for you to meet the Hard Deck, and the Daggers frequenting it, has finally come. but some digs on the oldest aviator of the bunch in front of his younger partner leave a tension between you that begs to be broken.

warnings: age gap (unspecified but in my mind was about 10 years), assumed alcohol consumption, allusions to anxiety, use of the pet name "bunny", jake is an instigator

a/n: this was NOT going to be this long in my head but once i got writing i could not stop.. enjoy some more self-indulgent comfort angst from me!

As usual, Bradley pulled up to your apartment complex right after a long day on base. And as usual, you were standing in the window like a pup waiting for its owner to come home. He made the comparison in earnest. It melted him to know someone was that excited to have him near, that you were that excited to have him near.

He could barely make it out of the Bronco before you were bounding out your door and down the stairs. Bradley had just rounded the passenger side when you reached him. The sinking sun somehow made your eyes sparkle brighter. Butterflies flew in his stomach, and a lovestruck grin spread across his face. Gentle hands caressed your hips as his caramel gaze took you in closely.

"Did you manage to lock the door?" Bradley teased. You softly grunted at the dig, feigning annoyance in a half frown. The front door and you were nothing if not eternal foes, and Bradley knew of this conflict too well.

"I resent that, I really do." His responding laugh was all it took to break your weak facade. A smile overtook you as you lit up once again to be in his presence. Your hands found home at the base of his neck as your lips greeted each other. Seconds moved in hours whenever you kissed Bradley Bradshaw. He made the noise of the world lift into a soft hum with every touch.

It was understandable that you whined whenever he pulled away. "We're gonna be late," Bradley bargained. Your mouth fell into a soft pout that he was happy to peck away into a smile, and into giggles once his lips found your cheeks, and nose, and temples.

"I thought you said we'd be late!" you laughed as you batted him away to slip into the passenger side. He held the door open for you, like the gentleman Carole had raised him to be. Then he bent to kiss you more softly, like the gentleman his father was.

"You are always worth it." You couldn't fight the flush that broke onto your cheeks to crowd the makeup already present. Blush served little purpose with Bradley lighting your cheeks aflame every chance he got. Nor highlighter, with the glow you seemed to emanate since the day he walked into your life.

His hand found home on your thigh, yours placed atop it to toy with his calloused fingers. The Bronco drove off to the famed bar where he and his naval companions flocked. Such companions were eager to meet the girl who settled their "Rooster" into domestic life.

"Cupid's sure been hard at work," Phoenix remarked upon catching her best friend cheesing at the texts you sent him. Whatever force in the world brought you to him, be it Cupid or God or Nick and Carole themselves, he was grateful. Never had he felt so complete.

"How was work today, bunny?" Bradley asked. A simple question most would roll their eyes at, you jumped to answer. You were eager to tell him of every detail: the pesky clientele, the interdepartmental dramas, even how poorly the coffee was brewed. Excitement ran through you and, by proxy, to Bradley. "Bunny" was a nod to the energy that filled you and energized others, much like the battery mascot.

Your anecdotes filled the minutes driving through the bustle of San Diego rush hour. Bradley glanced over at you every chance he got, adding in commentary where he saw fit but mostly admiring the expressions taking over your face.

He could listen to you ramble for hours, he was certain, as you did for him in his own moments of boundless vigor. An equal partnership seemed unattainable with the women he'd met through the years yet came easily with you.

What place did age have to stall a feeling like that?

-

Some last-minute Bronco kisses had you and Bradley walking into the Hard Deck five minutes behind schedule. His arm was wrapped around your waist, his hand tucked into the front pocket of your jeans to keep you snug against his side. Still, he let you lead the way, content to follow you wherever you found your feet.

You gawked at the space already half packed with people in uniform, a few civilians bridging the gaps. Various signs and regalia littered the space between windows. The perfect sunset view of the beach was on every wall. Miniature aircraft figures crowded the ceiling in permanent flight.

"Is this place for real?" you remarked, earning a kiss on your cheek from Bradley.

"That it is, bunny. As far back as my pops and Maverick," he answered, stopping as he caught his first familiar face. Bradley took the moment to lead you, bringing you to an open space at the bar. "And now in the hands of this lovely lady here. You remember-"

"Penny!" The excitement in your voice brightened the owner right up. Bradley's heart performed somersaults at your cheer. "This place is incredible!"

Penny tried to humble herself under your praise. "Hey, it's the nicest Navy daycare I could imagine." You giggled at the quip, making her break a smile. You quizzed her on her run of the bar as she pulled a draft for Bradley and mixed a margarita for you. The two of you initially met when Bradley brought you to Maverick's hangar. She was just as endeared then as she was now by your bright spirit and compassion for others.

Once you were settled with your drinks, you attempted to tip her out. Penny was quick to push the cash back at you with a wink. "On the house for you tonight. Call it my welcome gift." You must have thanked her half a dozen times as you moved across the bar. A small table against the wall was your target; somewhere to ground your drinks for when you inevitably got spotted-

"Bradshaw!" The time came sooner than you predicted. A brunette tagged with a name you'd heard too many times to count found her way to you. A man in true aviator glasses followed closely behind. Part of you tensed in anticipation. Still, your outgoing nature won over any resistance.

"Phoenix? Bradley has told me so much about you!" You reached out a hand to her. Her eyes slowly followed the gesture as if examining it.

Phoenix took her time to speak up. "So you're the one who's got Bradshaw off in la-la land?"

You blinked, trying to read into her tone. "I-I think so?"

"Phoenix, play nice," Bradley warned. She scoffed at him, finally grabbing your hand to shake.

"I haven't seen the old bird this happy in ages," Phoenix said as she met your eyes. A real smile tugged at her mouth. You were quick to mirror it as you relaxed. "Keep him that way; he flies better."

Bob followed up with his own introduction. It was hard for Bradley to contain his joy at the moment, even with the slight brows Phoenix threw his way. He hadn't told her the details of the age difference in passing; he hadn't thought it important. Bob was none the wiser, simply offering a game of darts to share amongst the four of them.

"Oh, I LOVE darts!" you exclaimed. "But be warned, it's rare that I actually hit the board."

Phoenix chuckled. "Your boy's not too good himself. We ought to split you apart so Bob and I are more evenly matched." Bradley rolled his eyes, though the interaction had his heart soaring. You were happy as can be getting to know his closest friends. They seemed happy as can be getting to know you.

Questions were passed between throws, Bob asking about your work and Phoenix asking about your relationship. It was the kindest form of interrogation you could've envisioned. Meanwhile, the empty pool table behind you was beckoning another group of aviators in your direction.

The tallest of the trio, a man with a square jaw and dark eyes, was quick to single you out. "Now, who's this pretty young thing you guys rounded up to play?"

You turned to make his acquaintance briefly, your usual cheery demeanor receding some. No person with words like that would get the better of you. Instead, you drew in a breath as you threw the last dart of your turn, hitting a triple ring in the process.

"Bradley!" you squealed. He drew you in happily as you jumped into his embrace. "Did you see?! Did you see?!"

An answer was pressed to your lips, leaving you breathless in the aftermath. Bradley hummed at your slightly dazed expression. "That's my girl."

He felt the stares of Harvard, Fanboy, and Coyote burning holes into the floral print shirt he adorned. No mind was paid to any of them, though; not until you solicited it yourself. "You must be more of Bradley's.. coworkers?"

The man of middle height held his hand out for you with a charming grin. "Lieutenant Javy Machado, or 'Coyote' if you'd rather." You were introduced to the other two, with Harvard taking some quizzical glances your way.

"I can't help but wonder, how'd you get shacked up with this fossil?" The audience around you laughed, Bradley included. He had mentioned he was a bit older than his team, giving rationale to the jest and the 'old bird' comment Phoenix made earlier. Still, something in these remarks began to itch you. You were quick to table the feeling, certain it was only your misunderstanding among old friends.

You went on to indulge them in the story of your mildly embarrassing meet-cute. A few other aviators popped in to make their introductions, Payback and Omaha namedly. It seemed that each of them, in due time, had to take their shot at ragging on Bradley's age. He brushed each one-liner off in spades, settling any greater debate with an amused chuckle rather than a defense.

The itch in you was replaced by a gnawing in your gut. You worked to suppress it as best as you could, wanting to make a perfect evening for your partner: the one who kissed you when you shot well in darts and pulled you to the piano to serenade you front and center.

But the words echoing in your ears began to shrink you in your bearings. Suddenly, you had little to say in response to any harmless question. You certainly had less to say as Harvard and Hangman were questioning why you were with Bradley "of all people". Bradley himself had gone to the bathroom, trusting you would be safe and at ease in the company of his friends. It was only upon his return that he was made to see how wrong he'd been.

Bob, the perfect wallflower, had noted the shift in your behavior. He stood by and watched as the dazzling person he was first introduced to started to lose their spark. The WSO watched as you tried to fake smiles and laugh along to the jokes cracked. None of it reached your gaze that began to dart around, as if looking for refuge. Bradley was clueless, too caught up in the moment of his worlds merging to notice one was falling back.

He returned from the bathroom and attempted to dart to your side, stopped only by Bob's light grip on his arm. "Rooster, something's up with your girl." Bradley froze. He scanned the bar, locking onto where you sat with a pair of his friends. Confusion filled him. The night had gone so well. You were getting along with everyone, even Hangman. What could possibly be wrong?

"Just trust me," Bob pleaded, practically seeing the calculations Bradley was attempting in his head. It was seeing your hands nervously fiddling together that confirmed to him Bob was right. He clapped his friend's shoulder, uttering a gracious thanks before making his way over to you.

"Mind if I cut in?" It was nothing more than a courtesy. Bradley would not let you stew in your own head a second longer. "I think we ought to be heading out soon, bunny."

Bradley outstretched his hand to you, which you gladly placed yours into. He pulled you up from the booth with ease and waved his goodbyes to the pair left at the table.

Hangman would not settle for courtesies. "Aww, come on, old man; can't you let her stay out past curfew?"

You barely had a breath to react before Bradley did with yet another chuckle. If nothing churned your stomach that night, the sound of his amusement at this running gag did. You managed your goodbyes to everyone in passing well enough as you exited the bar. The Bronco was a relieving and suffocating sight at the same time.

Silence: that was all Bradley had been given as he led you to his car. A frown fixed on his face. You were keeping a firm distance between the two of you where normally there would be none. Your fingers danced with each other in a nervous rhythm where normally they were laced with his own. Something was seriously wrong, but he hadn't the faintest idea as to what.

Bradley held the passenger door open for you, as usual, and had to hold back a gracious sigh as you let him. You would not so much as look at him since leaving his friends, but he held onto the simple gesture as a sign of hope.

He dared to lean in to catch your lips against his, only to be met by the soft skin of your cheek. Bradley stuttered backward. You had turned away from his kiss.

"Take me home, Rooster." An icy cold poured through him. You had met him in uniform, full with his "Rooster" embellishment, but had never once used the name. And he was starting to wish you never had, for the distant feeling it brought chilled him to the bone.

Bradley hopped into his seat and got the Bronco in motion toward your apartment. Maybe you needed the fresh air and the sights of the city to cool off, he thought. However, with each mile, the tension was growing thicker. He felt it in the silence walling you from him. He felt it as your quad contracted under his subconscious grip, so much that he was growing nauseous himself.

Bradley was a worrywort by default. It's why he hesitated in the air. It's why he hesitated with almost everything in his life. You had been the one piece of his existence that brought him such thoughtless bliss. Had he been too thoughtless to not notice where things were souring?

As quickly as you had raced down, you were flying up the stairs to your apartment. The thud of the passenger door slamming startled him. Bradley barely parked by the time you were halfway up the flight. He locked the doors and jogged up in the path you'd made.

His stature made it fairly easy to catch up to you. That, and the fumbling of your fingers with your key in the villainized deadbolt. You were cursing silently to yourself as you tried and failed to get the lock to turn just right. Tears began to blur your vision, making the simple task even more frustrating.

Bradley's voice was gentle, apologetic already. "Here, let me-"

"Just go home, Rooster; I don't need a fucking babysitter!"

Your response comes out sharp and cold. Your use of his callsign half an hour ago might have chilled him, but this sudden outburst froze him from the inside out. It wasn't long until you froze up yourself and realized the words you let fly.

"Whoa.. where did that come from?"

Bradley didn't receive an answer; not verbally, at least. The only response he received from you was the clutter of your keys against the ground as you tucked your chin into your chest. Soft whimpers began to shake your frame. Within seconds, your resolve gave way to desperate cries pouring from your throat. Bradley's heart cracked.

He moved into action, tucking you into his broad chest and letting you lean your weight into him. Light shushes and repetitions of "It's alright" rushed to console you. Bradley held you upright with one arm as he bent over to swipe your keys into his grasp.

"Come on; let's get inside, yeah?" he cooed as he stood back up. You said nothing and continued to cry into his white tank. Mascara stains were sure to form, but he couldn't care less.

Bradley got your door unlocked in a single try. He propped you safely against the wall as he locked the entry behind himself. You felt like you were floating with his help to get to the couch. There was no resistance or fight in you; only fear.

His hands were on your knees, rubbing soothing circles against the bare skin your jeans exposed. Bradley knelt down in front of you. He waited for you, any tell that you were ready to talk, as long as you needed.

You gathered a hiccuped breath as your sobs faded to sniffles. Your trembling hands reached for him, feeling the warmth of his grasp almost instantly. Bradley gingerly kissed your knuckles on each hand. "Talk to me, bunny." Head lifting, you finally met his worried stare. "What's going on?"

It was a simple question that had a simple answer. Yet, as you tried to form the words, you felt a rush of embarrassment. How ridiculous was it to get so worked up over some lighthearted fun? There was no reason for you to have this sick feeling in your stomach over it.

"Hey," Bradley called, moving a hand up to hold your cheek. His thumb swept at the tears still pouring from your lash line. You hadn't noticed your line of sight drifting away from him with your train of thought. As you found his face again, you saw greater desperation. He ached to know, to help. "Talk to me. Please."

And you did. Grabbing onto his hand with both of yours, you released a heavy sigh. "Tonight was great. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. They all seem like really good people, a-and I'm glad you have them in your life to support you."

Bradley managed a sad smile. Even through your own pains, you were searching for the best to make of the situation for him. He squeezed your hands holding his to comfort you in letting the other shoe drop.

"But.. I-I know you're older than them. I'm sure that, that they make those jokes around you a lot, and did way before you met me. It just.." You stopped yourself, shaking your head as if to shake the thought away. "It's probably so stupid-"

"It's not stupid if it's got you this upset."

Oh, Bradley. The only man you'd ever encountered who genuinely yearned to empathize with you at every struggle or hardship. The person who encouraged you to feel things through in a healthy manner instead of immediately pointing blame at yourself for feeling it at all. No person at any age topped the level of emotional care and safety he provided you.

Your words started to flood out, mixing together in disarray. Yet, Bradley listened intently to every fragmented sentence you gave. "I care about you. So much, B; so much it's scary sometimes. And I don't ever think of the years between us because it's all meaningless, you know? The way I feel for you, and how I think you feel for me. We each have our shit sorted, there's no weird power dynamic bullshit going on."

He restrained a laugh at your frank vocabulary. It was one of the things he admired most about you. When your feelings spilled out, there was never a filter. You expressed yourself entirely authentically. That's why your earlier silence frightened him into his own.

That was not to say your troubles were easy for him to hear, because they weren't. Who wanted to hear that the person they loved ever doubted as such?

"All those jokes… I don't want your friends to not take me seriously. That I'm with you for any reason other than you make my life so much better just by being in it, and I hope to god I can do the same for you. I don't need you to take care of me, be my 'sugar daddy' or anything like that. And-" You pursed your lips as another sob caught in your throat.

Bradley leaned in to kiss your forehead, so tenderly it sent chills down your spine. Your lips parted to release that choked cry. "I-I was scared when you just.. just laughed with them, that, that you didn't take me seriously e-either."

The words were a knife in his chest. "Oh, baby, no," he nearly gasped. "No, no; I never have thought like that, bunny."

You began to cry once more; out of the feelings you'd held that evening, out of the faint insecurity you'd held the months you'd spent together, and out of relief to hear him reassure you. The mix of emotions was blowing you over.

"Can I come up there, baby? Can I hold you?" Your answer was in the frantic way you pulled at his hands. Bradley fell into your ragged loveseat in an instant, tugging you into his lap as you wept. He rubbed up and down your back and pressed kisses into your hair to soothe you.

His voice was warped with his own emotion when he spoke next. "I'm so sorry I ever made you doubt how I feel about you. You are worth so much more than your age." He cupped your cheek again to meet your watery gaze with his own.

"You're incredible. The way you navigate life so carefree and full of light, and how you pass that feeling onto everyone you meet. How you care about everyone you meet and effortlessly brighten their day. How you care about me so much that you're this worried that I don't know it."

Your tears rolled freely onto the skin of his fingers, your body jolting with hiccups. And Bradley thought you were every bit as beautiful as you'd ever been.

"But I do. And I will treasure that, I will treasure you, every day of my life." Your responding smile was the most welcome sight. It cleared up the dark clouds that were looming overhead to shine brightly on whatever was to come. As usual.

-

a/n: this was very VERY loosely proofread but i am open to feedback and suggestions! thank you all for reading <3

tags: @roosterforme, @avengersfan25

[aokozaki]

Thinking about how one of the core visuals of the Persona 2 duology is a lighter inscribed with the phrase "what's most important can't be seen with one's eyes".

It's a quote from the classic children's book, The Little Prince. Famous for an anecdote early on about how children and adults see the world differently - a child drawing an elephant being swallowed whole by a python; adults, less able to imagine the fantastical, see the brown color and the bulbous shape, and say "what a nice hat you've drawn".

The difference in child and adult perspectives is the entire core of Persona 2.

With how different the Joker Ritual is between games, Eternal Punishment's adult cast face a correspondingly more dark and difficult plot, than Innocent Sin's rather whimsical throughline of wishes coming true.