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cyllres · 5 months ago

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Devil | JJK x Makima! Reader

Chapter 20

Megumi stood by the gate, letting the rain pour onto him, his eyes scanning the distance anxiously. The oppressive energy from earlier suddenly dissipated, leaving only Sukuna’s ominous presence lingering in the air.

‘The Innate Domain’s closed off! The special grade is dead!’ Megumi thought, a wave of relief washing over him. ‘Now we just need Yuuji to return safely…’ His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an overwhelming presence behind him, a dark, oppressive force that sent chills down his spine.

“Sorry, but he's not coming back,” Sukuna’s mocking voice echoed behind Megumi, as he seemed to materialize out of nowhere. His tone was casual, almost playful, as if savoring the despair he was about to unleash. “Don't be frightened; I'm in an incredible mood right now,” Sukuna said, strolling around as if the battle had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “Let's chat for a bit.”

Sukuna moved in front of Megumi, his presence commanding and suffocating. “This is what he gets for trying to use me without any kind of pact.” He turned to face Megumi, who stood frozen in place, his body tense with fear and uncertainty. “Feels like he's having some trouble switching back. Still, though…”

Sukuna ripped off Yuuji’s hoodie, leaving the body topless, exposing the numerous tattoos that marked his skin. “So… I thought about what I can do right now.” With a cruel smile, Sukuna raised his hand to his chest and, with a sickening rip, pulled Yuuji’s heart out. Blood gushed out, splattering the ground as Megumi gasped in horror, watching his classmate's body betray its human limits under Sukuna’s control.

“Wh-what are you?” Megumi stammered, his voice shaking.

“I'm taking this beat hostage,” Sukuna laughed, holding up Yuuji’s still-beating heart as if it were a trophy.

“Hostage?!” Megumi repeated, his mind racing to grasp the full implications of Sukuna’s actions.

“Yeah, I can live without this,” Sukuna said, referring to the heart. “But that ain't true for the brat.” He tossed Yuuji’s heart to the ground with a careless flick, watching it land with a wet thud. “Switching out with me means he dies. Also,” he continued, raising his other hand to reveal one of his fingers, “for good measure.” With a smirk, Sukuna swallowed the finger. “With that, I’m free as a bird. You can be frightened now. I'll kill you. For no particular reason.”

Megumi’s resolve hardened as he faced the grim reality of their situation. “Our positions are reversed now,” he muttered, trying to steady his trembling hands. “You just don't get it.” He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the battle ahead. “He's… Yuuji’s coming back, even if that means he'll die.” Megumi's voice was calm, determined. “That's just who he is.”

“You give him too much credit,” Sukuna sneered. “This guy’s just a little tougher and fender than other humans. Just moments ago, he was scared out of his mind, on the verge of death, and prattling on about his regrets and all that nonsense. I know for a fact he doesn’t have the guts to kill himself!” Sukuna laughed mockingly, relishing in Megumi's desperation.

‘His arm is restored!’ Megumi noticed with a start. ‘He can use Reverse Cursed Techniques. Sukuna’s incarnated. Even if he can live without a heart, it would still be damaging to him. I'll make him heal his heart before Yuuji returns. I just have to make him believe he can't beat me without a heart in his body!’ Megumi's determination was unwavering, but his hands shook with the weight of what lay ahead. ‘Can I do that… when I couldn't even move with that special grade in front of me?’ He gritted his teeth, steeling himself. ‘It's not about whether I can.’ He placed his hands together, summoning Nue, the large owl-like creature with orange feathers and a white mask-like skull.

“I'm finally outside, after all,” Sukuna remarked, seemingly unbothered by the looming threat. “Let's use the open space.” He dodged every attack Megumi sent his way, his movements fluid and effortless.

“Interesting, you can use Shikigami, but you’ll still come at me yourself?” Sukuna taunted, dodging another kick with ease. “More,” he demanded, his eyes glinting with a sadistic thrill. “More.”

“More!” he repeated, grabbing Megumi’s hand and swinging him around with brutal force. “Put more curse behind it!” Sukuna shouted, pulling Megumi closer before slapping him hard, sending him sprawling with blood dripping from his mouth.

“Orochi,” Megumi summoned, a massive white snake that lunged at Sukuna, its jaws wide open. “Gang up on him!” he commanded, as Nue joined the fray, attacking with renewed ferocity. But Sukuna, despite being midair and held by the snake, dodged every assault with a smirk of amusement.

In a blink, Sukuna exorcised the snake with a casual wave of his hand, making Megumi’s eyes widen in shock. “Hey, what did I just say?” Sukuna asked, appearing right behind Megumi and clutching his jacket. “Let's use the open space!” With a flick of his wrist, he threw Megumi’s body through the air, following up with a barrage of relentless attacks.

Megumi was sent flying again, but Nue was quick to grab him, trying to lift him to safety. “What a nice Technique you have!” Sukuna praised mockingly, landing another blow on both Megumi and Nue, sending them crashing to the ground.

‘What should I do?’ Megumi thought, his face bruised and his body aching. ‘I used up one of my Shikigami to escape that Innate Domain. Demon Dog White and Orochi are both destroyed… And Nue’s at his limit too.’ He gently patted the bird’s head, making the decision to dismiss it before it could be destroyed as well.

“I get it now. So your Shikigami are created from shadows,” Sukuna observed, his interest piqued.

“So what?” Megumi shot back, standing his ground despite the odds.

Sukuna placed a hand on his chin, feigning deep thought. “I don't get it, though. Why did you run back then?” he asked, his voice dripping with mockery. “What a waste of talent. Either way, that won’t be able to fix this.” He pointed to his bleeding chest. “You're risking your life over stupid shit. This brat isn't even worth that much.”

Megumi stood up, a newfound determination in his eyes. Sukuna smirked, recognizing the shift. “That's it! So this is when you start burning through your life!” Sukuna began to step closer, his excitement palpable. “Now I see. Well, in that case… SHOW ME, Fushiguro Megumi!”

“Sacred treasure swing and ring, ring -Eight Grip-!” Megumi began to chant, his voice steady and unwavering.

“Sorry I'm late.” Your voice cut through the tension, startling both Megumi and Sukuna as you appeared almost out of thin air. “Rats are not easy to find around here,” you added, smiling widely despite the blood staining your body from neck down. You stood there, seemingly unaffected by your earlier beheading, a sight that defied all logic and expectation.

As you stood there, drenched in blood and rain, your usual composed demeanor was fraying at the edges. The controlled, calculating facade you wore like armor seemed to be slipping away, revealing cracks of raw, unfiltered emotion. A dark intensity simmered in your eyes, your usually serene smile twisted with a hint of something wild, something dangerous.

Megumi's eyes widened in surprise and relief at your appearance, but he couldn't shake the suspicion gnawing at him. Was this really you, or was it some curse masquerading in your form? The way you moved, the fury in your gaze—it was both familiar and alien. He had never seen you like this before.

“Y/n…?” Megumi called out tentatively, his voice laced with uncertainty. “Is that really you?”

You didn't respond immediately, your focus entirely on Sukuna. The anger in your eyes was palpable, almost tangible, as if it could manifest into something deadly at any moment. The air around you crackled with an invisible force, your power simmering just below the surface, ready to lash out.

Sukuna, standing a few steps away, was captivated. His usual smug grin widened into a full, predatory smile. He watched you with keen interest, his curiosity piqued by the raw intensity of your emotions. “Well, well,” he drawled, taking a casual step forward. “Look at you, finally showing some true colors.”

As Sukuna lunged at you, his movements a blur of speed and power, you responded with an almost instinctual reaction. You didn’t need to close the distance; instead, you extended your hand and unleashed a surge of invisible force, your power lashing out like a whip. The air distorted around you, the sheer intensity of your attack warping the space between you and Sukuna.

Sukuna barely had time to react, dodging your assault with a swift movement. He laughed, a sound filled with genuine amusement. “You’ve got some bite in you!” he taunted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “But what are you, really? Not quite alive, not quite dead… something in between?”

Your jaw clenched, a flicker of pain flashing across your face. “I’m not… just anything,” you snapped, your voice trembling with barely restrained rage. Another wave of force surged from your hand, this time more controlled, more focused. Sukuna blocked the attack with his forearm, his muscles straining against the invisible pressure.

“Interesting,” Sukuna murmured, his gaze never leaving you. “So, my guess was right. You’re neither dead nor alive. You exist in a space beyond both. Fascinating.” He moved with a fluid grace, closing the distance between you with frightening speed. “What are you really? A ghost? A spirit? Or something else entirely?”

You didn’t answer. Instead, you channeled your fury into another blast of force, more powerful than the last. Sukuna was pushed back slightly, his feet skidding on the wet ground as he laughed, clearly relishing the challenge you presented.

“Come on, show me more!” Sukuna demanded, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Show me what you are when you let go of all that control!”

Megumi watched the exchange with a mix of awe and apprehension. He could see the struggle within you, the battle between your usual composed self and the overwhelming anger threatening to consume you. This was a side of you he had never witnessed, a side that made him question everything he knew about you.

He took a cautious step forward, still wary of the possibility that you might be something more dangerous than the Y/n he knew. “Y/n,” he called out again, more firmly this time. “Is that really you? What’s happening to you?”

“I’m… fine,” you managed to say through gritted teeth, though the tremor in your voice betrayed you. “Stay back, Megumi. You're injured.”

Sukuna’s laughter echoed through the rain-soaked air, his amusement only growing. “Fine?” he repeated, clearly entertained by the internal conflict he could see playing out within you. “You’re barely holding it together.”

You snarled at Sukuna, your patience fraying. Another blast of force erupted from your hand, this time accompanied by a guttural scream of frustration. The ground around you cracked under the pressure, the rain turning to steam as it hit the invisible barrier of your power.

“Tell me, Y/n,” Sukuna said, his tone almost conversational despite the intensity of the fight. “What happens when you let go completely? When you stop pretending to be in control?”

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as you launched another attack. Your resolve was weakening, the edges of your carefully constructed persona crumbling under the weight of your anger and frustration. You were losing yourself, and both Sukuna and Megumi could see it.

“You see,” you began, your voice trembling slightly but holding a steely edge. You placed your hands together in a familiar gesture, calling forth a dark swarm of curses. “While those idiots focused on my brother, I was collecting aces.”

As you spoke, the rain-drenched battlefield erupted with the grotesque forms of Grade 2 up to semi-Special Grade curses, their malevolent energies swirling around you like a dark storm. A twisted smile curled your lips, and you continued, “I’m not someone petty who needs to explain what I am or what I can do. I want to show you.”

Instead of unleashing the curses on Sukuna all at once, you commanded one of the semi-Special Grade curses to consume the others. The scene was gruesome, a cacophony of shrieks and wails as the smaller curses were devoured. The consuming curse grew monstrously large, its form morphing into a nightmarish entity. It became an enormous skeletal figure, its body a patchwork of disembodied, screaming heads. Its arms transformed into massive rifles, and its lower half was replaced by writhing ammo belts that seemed almost alive.

The curse roared, shaking the very ground beneath it. You seized the moment, darting towards Megumi. Despite your own injuries and the blood streaking down your body, you scooped up his battered form, securing him on your shoulder with a strength that belied your appearance. You sprinted through the rain, dodging the hail of bullets fired from the curse’s grotesque rifles. Each shot tore through the air, exploding against the ground with bone-jarring force.

Sukuna, watching the spectacle, seemed more amused than threatened. His mocking laughter cut through the chaos. “Do you really think this is enough to make me regenerate your brother’s heart?” he sneered, his tone dripping with derision. He moved with effortless grace, dodging the barrage of attacks without breaking a sweat.

“It’s not,” you retorted, glancing back at the unfolding battle. The monstrous curse lunged at Sukuna, only to be met with a devastating counterattack. Sukuna’s fist smashed into the curse’s face, sending fragments of bone and flesh flying.

You pushed forward, determination blazing in your eyes despite the turmoil within. “But I know it’s buying us time. And don’t worry,” you added, your smile twisting into something almost sadistic, a flash of your true, darker self. “Someday, you’ll get to face my greatest creation.”

Sukuna’s grin widened, his interest piqued. “You really think you can keep me entertained with your little tricks?” he taunted, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light.

Ignoring his provocation, you continued to weave through the rain, your grip on Megumi tightening. Each step was a desperate bid to put distance between you and Sukuna, to buy just a few more precious moments.

“Hey, if ever my brother takes control you better stop your assaults or else I'd let Pochita eat you slowly and painfully!” You commanded at the curse which only paused a bit, whimpering at the threat right before continuing it’s assaults.

Megumi, though battered and bruised, managed to lift his head, his gaze flickering between you and the chaotic battle behind. “Y/n…” he murmured, his voice weak and filled with a mixture of awe and wariness. “What… what are you doing?”

“Saving your life, idiot,” you snapped, though there was a hint of softness in your tone, a fleeting echo of the facade you usually maintained. “Just hang on. We’re not done yet.”

Behind you, the curse roared again, a sound of rage and defiance as it continued its futile assault on Sukuna. The ground trembled with each impact, the rain mixing with the blood and debris that littered the battlefield.

Sukuna, undeterred, tore through the curse’s attacks with ruthless efficiency. He relished the challenge, moving with a lethal grace that was almost mesmerizing. Yet, even as he dismantled the curse, his gaze remained fixed on you, a glimmer of respect mingling with his amusement.

“You think this little distraction will save you?” Sukuna called out, his voice carrying over the tumult. “But remember, you can’t escape me forever. One day, I’ll see what you’re truly capable of. And I’ll be waiting for that day.”

You didn’t respond, your focus entirely on getting Megumi to safety. But inside, his words lingered, resonating with the storm of emotions brewing within you. As you pushed through the rain, the remnants of your carefully crafted persona fell away, revealing the raw, unfiltered rage and desperation that lay beneath.

The rain continued to pour, a relentless backdrop to the chaos around you. You could feel the weight of your actions pressing down, threatening to overwhelm the facade you had so carefully maintained. The control you prided yourself on was slipping, giving way to a fury that was almost feral in its intensity.

“Damn it!” you hissed under your breath, your grip on Megumi tightening as you navigated the battlefield. “Just a little longer…”

Sukuna, watching your struggle, couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Who are you really, Y/n?” he mused aloud, his tone more curious than mocking now. “What are you?”

Your eyes flashed with a dangerous light as you glanced back at him, the darkness within you fully surfacing. “You’ll find out soon enough,” you spat, your voice laced with venom.

Sukuna’s smile widened. “I’m looking forward to it.”

As the monstrous curse continued its assault, buying you precious moments, you realized that you were at a crossroads. The anger and frustration you had kept bottled up were now in control, threatening to consume you completely. Yet, even as you grappled with these feelings, a part of you reveled in the raw power they brought.

With a final glance at Sukuna, you turned your focus back to Megumi, determined to get him to safety. The rain pounded down, a relentless reminder of the storm within you. And as you moved through the chaos, you couldn’t help but feel that this was only the beginning of something far darker and more dangerous.

The chaotic battlefield was abruptly punctuated by a gasp from Yuuji. Sukuna's taunting expression faltered for a moment as Yuuji managed to wrest control of his body back, his eyes filled with determination and pain. Blood streamed from the gaping wound where his heart should be, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet.

“Y/n…” Yuuji’s voice was weak but clear, filled with relief. “I’m glad you’re back…” With that, his legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious and lifeless.

“Yuuji!” you said, your voice cracking with a mixture of terror and desperation. The monstrous curse you had summoned roared in response to your distress, but you quickly dismissed it, the skeletal figure disintegrating into nothingness. The battlefield fell eerily silent, the rain continuing its relentless downpour.

You gently placed Megumi’s battered body down, your mind racing. He was barely conscious, but his eyes followed you, clouded with pain and concern. “Y/n…” he whispered, but you couldn’t respond. Your focus was entirely on your brother.

You knelt beside Yuuji, cradling his lifeless form in your arms. The sight of his pale, blood-soaked body sent a jolt of fear through you, a sensation you had never truly felt before. You pressed your hands against his chest, willing your Reverse Cursed Technique to activate. White energy flickered at your fingertips, but it sputtered out almost immediately.

“No, no, no,” you muttered frantically, your eyes wide with panic. You tried again, summoning all your strength and focus, but the energy refused to flow. The wounds on Yuuji’s body remained stubbornly unhealed, the blood still pooling around him.

As you cradled Yuuji’s lifeless body, a crushing sense of helplessness enveloped you. This was supposed to be your moment of control, your chance to wield the power you had always commanded with such precision. But now, with Yuuji's life fading, you felt more powerless than ever before. The fear gnawed at your insides, threatening to consume you entirely.

Desperation gripped you. An idea, wild and desperate, flashed through your mind: if you could just place Pochita’s heart into Yuuji, perhaps he could be saved. You're willing to sacrifice anyone, or anything for Yuuji afterall.

“Pochita…” you called out, your voice breaking. Your eyes scanned the rain-soaked surroundings, desperate for the sight of the cursed spirit you had crafted. “Pochita, I need you. Help me save him.”

The rain continued to fall in heavy sheets, the only sound breaking the oppressive silence. Your call grew louder, tinged with hysteria. “Pochita! Come out! I need you!” The silence that followed was deafening.

Tears mingled with the rain on your cheeks as you clutched Yuuji’s body tighter, the weight of your helplessness pressing down on you. For the first time in your life, you were truly afraid. The control and dominance you had always wielded seemed meaningless now, useless against the cruel reality before you.

“Please,” you whispered, your voice breaking into a choked sob. “Don’t leave me, Yuuji. I need you. I can’t do this alone.”

You searched his face for any sign of life, any flicker of movement. But his features were slack, his skin growing colder with every passing moment. Desperation turned into a deep, hollow grief as you realized the enormity of your loss.

Megumi, despite his injuries and the chaos around him, walked closer, his hand reaching out to touch your shoulder. “Y/n… we’ll find a way,” he said, his voice strained but determined. “We can still save him. We have to.”

But his words barely registered through the roaring storm of your own emotions. The carefully constructed facade you had maintained for so long was crumbling, leaving you exposed and vulnerable. The fear you had always suppressed was now an unrelenting force, gripping your heart with cold, merciless hands.

In the depths of your anguish, you felt the darker edges of your true self rising— the ruthless, calculating side that thrived on control and manipulation. But now, even that part of you felt impotent, unable to change the grim reality before you.

You pressed your forehead against Yuuji’s, closing your eyes as if you could bring him back to life through sheer force of will. “Wake up,” you pleaded softly. “Please, wake up.”

But there was no response. Only the cold, unyielding silence of a world that had slipped beyond your control.

Your tears fell freely now, mixing with the rain. You hated crying, despised the vulnerability it revealed. But in this moment, all your anger, grief, and fear flowed out, unchecked and uncontrollable. The iron grip of your control had slipped, leaving you raw and exposed.

“Pochita…” you whispered one last time, your voice breaking. The silence was your only answer, and it felt like a crushing weight on your chest. You were alone, facing a reality you couldn't manipulate or command.

Megumi’s presence was a faint comfort, a reminder that you weren’t entirely alone. But even his determination and strength seemed distant, overshadowed by the enormity of your loss and the depth of your fear.

For the first time, you felt a genuine, gut-wrenching terror. Not just for yourself, but for Yuuji—the one person who had managed to pierce through your carefully guarded heart. And in that fear, a new, fragile emotion surfaced—a vulnerability you had long denied, a glimpse of the humanity you had buried deep within.

As the rain continued to fall, you clung to Yuuji’s lifeless form, your tears flowing unchecked. In your grief and desperation, there was a spark of something more—a flicker of the realization that even the most controlled and commanding hearts could break. And in that breaking, perhaps, a new strength could be found.

Kape?

#pochita #chainsaw man x reader #chainsaw man #makima #reader insert #yandere themes #platonic yandere #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk #jjk anime

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totallyradicalmucky · 1 year ago

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This is me giving you permission to talk about your SuperChargers AU!! Literally just anything about it!! I love seeing people’s different takes on what a Kaos redemption arc would look like. I still get so sad when I think about how Kaos just goes back to being evil in Imaginators. Like man c’mon. We could’ve had it all.

The power you’ve given me..unreal. But I think about a Kaos redemption arc pretty often since multiple people on here have talked about Kaos’s childhood and stuff like that.

Which is why I think in this Superchargers AU, instead of fighting Kaos before the darkness. You’d fight his mom.

I didn’t bring it up in this. But I wanted to talk about how maybe after Kaos’s button scene with the darkness. Kaos is still not entirely faithful to him, which means that the Darkness can’t get entirely in his head. To get everything he wants from him, for the absolute destruction of Skylands. Without that, Kaos is practically useless, not truely a devoted Kaos Clan member. Unlike his mother. Who at this point I believe the darkness could use as a manipulative way to get Kaos to do things for him and a threat, but only now sees her as a way to progress in his own plans.

The Darkness brings Kaossandra out of her prison, her devotion to the dark is far stronger than the absolute lack of affection she’d ever felt for her family. Taking away Kaos’s head-thing, they leave him with only the most weakest of magical powers on some random isle for him to hopefully die. You (The skylander) find him awkwardly standing there in his torn emperor robes, beaten up, and swearing to the ancients he hasn’t cried.

He doesn’t really have any other options other than to go with you, but he isn’t seen anywhere. Opting to stay inside the airship for a long while. Paranoid about the looming chance of the world ending at any minute, and the fact that it’s all his fault, missing Glumshanks. Flynn mentions him now and again, talking about how he’s feeling and not really eating. Cali doesn’t trust him, blaming him for their problems but she can’t help but feel a little bad. Hugo continues to assist with the next mission, fearing Kaos’s presence, but is curious about the lack of his usual ‘mark of darkness’.

Over the long run, which I mean Kaos being dragged along every trip and having to help Flynn and Cali unload and reload the airship with things. He warms up just a bit, standing in the overworld. Never-not next to one of the two, as the citizens still distrust him. (And he’s not good at being normally social on his own, not a fan of small talk) He’s still strange and egotistical, but less- evil. Kaos finds it strange that he can still preform magic without the mark of darkness, frustratingly weaker than before-but still magic. He often “steals” spell books from the archive, much to Hugo’s minor inconvenience. Since he always announces when he’s taking one.

I don’t really know how the ending would go specifically. But I know that Kaos would be furious, fed up with the endless manipulation from both his mother and The Darkness. Using familiar voices and faces to try and get him back on their side, he just can’t take it. Trapping his own mother inside the rift engine, the Darkness laughs believing that it’s tricked itself into being free forever.

[que epic fight sequence for Kaos and the Skylander that I’m too lazy to describe]

Being knocked out of the darkness’s rift thing from the very end of superchargers- the Skylander is fine. Having the portal master’s power to help them. But Kaos is scarred. Once again landing on the isle below, his arms and back, inky black with…whatever it is. As if to silently let him know that the darkness would be coming back. He doesn’t rlly care though, just staring at his hands. Taking in every decision he’s made this far, he almost regrets it, thinking about his mother. Until the voices of Cali and the others finally snap him out of it, with Flynn’s coat being draped over him. He didn’t even notice how destroyed he had become. Damn. Wait…does this mean he has to relearn magic again?

#mucktalk #skylanders #kaos skylanders #long post #skylanders superchargers #Kaos #erm… kinda cringe but idk #I’m a bit crazy #i really wrote 5 paragraphs about skylanders #nobody reading this #i’m so sorry #skylander #au talk #skylanders au

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littlelovelyra · 5 months ago

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Chapter 6: The Inconvenience (The Change Series)

"... My patience is wearing thin and I would very much like to relax with my girlfriend, yes you heard me, my GIRLFRIEND. Now get out or you will die sooner rather than later.”

AO3

Notes: Sorry this took so long! I've been busy with work lol - also for my other fics if you are following them, I promise updates are coming <3

Summary: You and your companions are celebrating the small victory of finally killing Auntie Ethel, saving the young girl from a horrible demise and reuniting her with her mother. The location of your celebration is at the speakeasy Astarion had previously taken you to (the one that has some special infused wine for vampire spawns like yourself) - later that evening your companions head back to the Elfsong continue your celebrations while you and Astarion take a walk to the docks…. and end up getting kidnapped, again. Great.

For ease all my work is 18+ minors DNI

Warnings: torture (ish if you squint its very very short), fluff, blood, fighting, language, let me know if i missed anything?

____________________________

Tav:

Laughter and cheers fill the air of the speakeasy you and Astarion visit frequently, because why would you pass up the opportunity for free beverages? Especially when said beverages were infused with ethically sourced humaniod blood. Glancing around the room you see Karlach and Halsin arm wrestling to see who’s the toughest, no doubt Karlach will take the victory, Halsin may be huge for an elf, however, he is just a big softie. You watch as the sweat beads atop the druid’s brow as Karlach flashes a knowing smile. You can almost see the veins in his hands pulsing as he strains to pin her and against all his efforts Karlach flicks her wrist in one movement pinning his arm to the table. Halsin’s head rolls back and a rumbling belly laugh fills the room as Karlach dramatically kisses her muscles while she flexes. These moments are rare since you are all occupied with taking steps to defeat the elder brain, the destination seems eons away as you are trying to help all your companions with their battles. Cazador was just one abuser on that list… you still needed to aid Shadowheart, Gale, Wyll, Lae’zel… the list goes on and on. But today… today was a small victory and you owed it to them to have a small respite to celebrate.

“Evening Tav, you look beautiful as always.” Lysander, the very flirtatious barkeep leans over the counter giving you his best smile.

“Evening Andy, as always you are too kind to me.” You return his smile with your own, knowing that Astarion is watching. This was one of the fun little games you loved to play with him, he gets so very jealous of Lysander and you find it quite adorable. “How has business been? Anything interesting happening as of late?” You bat your eyes and slowly brush your hair over your shoulder.

“Business has been busier since your last visit m’lady. I have noticed more of our patrons are requesting our… infusions.” He presses his lips together and his brow furrows in mild concern.

“Is that so? Well, Andy, you’ve piqued my interest! What can you tell me about these new patrons?” You keep your voice light and flirtatious but a wave of anxiety courses through your body. You know Sebastian is waiting to strike at any given moment and while your other half is not worried, you certainly are.

“I’m glad you came tonight, there is something I needed to tell you. There were four spawns here two nights ago, asking of you and your… friend.” Lysander always refused to acknowledge Astarion’s connection to you, but you let it pass this evening and allowed him to continue. “I knew they spoke of you as the descriptions fit. I had told them that many people visit this establishment and I couldn’t possibly keep track of every soul who walked through my doors.” He offers a sheepish smile as his face reddens. “I thought you should know… If you are in any sort of trouble m’lady… Let me try to help in any way that I can?” His hand momentarily touches yours in a show of concern, however, he releases it as he sees Astarion stalking over to the bar.

“So lovely to see you, Andy. This looks like a fascinating conversation, mind if I butt in?” Astarion glances at you raising his eyebrow, a subtle smirk appears as he wraps his arm around your waist.

“Andy was just telling me he had some people here asking for us. But he graciously turned them away. He offered help if we need it.” You smile sweetly at the barkeep and his eyes sparkle at your acknowledgement. “If anything comes up again, please see me at the Elfsong Tavern. We have the whole upper floor. Thank you again for letting me know but my companions and I should be going.” You nudge your head to the group just as Gale drunkenly knocks over a bottle of wine and you give Lysander an apologetic smile. “I know my drinks are complimentary but please take this to restock.” You place a pouch filled with 500 gold coins and his eyes widen in appreciation and shock at your generosity.

As your group leaves the speakeasy to make their way home you and Astarion fall slightly behind after letting them know you will see them in the morning. The pale glow from the moon illuminates the quiet streets of Baldur’s Gate as you stroll hand in hand towards the docks, only the sound of the wind dancing through the sails surrounds you and for once you feel a moment of peace. The soft tap of your footsteps along the dock echoes out over the still water that reflects the clear skies above, looking as if the water were the stars themselves.

While admiring the star-filled water, Astarion's arms wrap around your waist from behind pulling you into him and he places his chin atop your head, gazing out at the water with you in a comfortable silence. Eternity… You get to be with this man, eternally. Tears sting your eyes at the thought and an uncomfortable lump of emotion builds in your throat. How far the two of you have come from the first moment you met. After all the obstacles you have faced together most people would have crumbled to the pressure, but not you. Your love seems to withstand anything, and although you are far from being able to live a peaceful life you think to yourself that it wouldn’t matter as long as you had each other.

You are not sure how long you have been standing there lost in your thoughts but you feel a slight shift in how Astarion holds you. His arms seem to have tightened, his stance has widened and he now stands upright while his head slowly scans the area.

“My love, it seems we have some… visitors” He calmly whispers into your ear and you mentally ready yourself for a fight.

_________________________________________________

Astarion:

There is something about the still of the water you find yourself staring at while you hold her. Perhaps it’s the inky darkness or the way it reflects the stars… or it’s because of both. You would not be able to see the stars had the water not been so dark and it comes to mind that that is what Tav is to you, the light in the dark. With all the darkness that has surrounded you throughout your journey, she has been the light. You wonder to yourself if you would ever stop being in awe of her and deep down you already know the answer is no.

Something snaps your attention away as you see a shadow shift behind a barrel from the corner of your eye. Cautiously you glance around the area and notice three shapes slowly sneaking their way to you and your lover. Mentally you scoff at their amateur attempt at staying hidden, they clearly need some lessons in the art of being stealthy and you doubt Sebastian even knew where to start. Nonetheless, your grip tightens around Tav’s waist as you adjust your stance and ready yourself.

“My love, it seems we have some… visitors” Your voice remains calm and kept to a whisper. You feel her breathing become shallow as anxiety settles within her chest. “I will not let you go, you’ve got this and I’ve got you.”

Three vampire spawns spring out of the shadows and surround you, two males and a female, their crimson eyes glowing with hatred.

“Sebastian requires your presence, Astarion.” The female hisses in your direction. You vaguely remember her, the half-elf you had found one evening at the bar in Wyrm’s Crossing. Her hair was a pale blonde back then but it seems she has since changed it to an inky black.

“I hate to disappoint but we will politely decline.” Tav’s voice flows through the air with an eerie calm as you feel her body tense against yours.

They do not bother to respond, instead, they inch closer to you grabbing both you and Tav sending you disappearing in a cloud of red mist. Gods dammit, not this again. You think in frustration as you both appear in a familiar part of the Underdark. The bloody Underdark, of all places… you let out a loud annoyed sigh.

The three spawns quickly bind you and Tav together back to back and usher you to sit inside an inactive Faerie ring. This looks… familiar.

“The Faerie ring, does this look familiar to you?” You send a mental note to Tav utilising the tadpoles link.

“Yes, we’ve been here before. If you go slightly left, that crevice leads to the Kuo-Toa.” She proceeds to send you a mental image of the pathway leading to your fishy friends. “How are the binds? Do you think you would be able to undo them?”

“With some time, I may be able to get them loose-.” Your thought is cut off as you see the half-elf female approach you.

“Well, it seems like this is my lucky day. Sebastian can’t make it here as soon as we had hoped, but, he told us we could have some fun as long as you were left alive.” She flashes a wicked smile and pulls out a dagger, pressing the tip to your cheek just hard enough causing a drop of blood to spill.

“If you touch him again, you will regret it.” Tav’s voice cuts through the air sharply, every word laced with a poisonous promise.

“Last I checked, you were the ones tied up.” The half-elf drags the dagger down your chest and you press your lips together to muffle the scream that threatens to escape your throat. You will not let them hear you scream.

Tav wriggles behind you furiously “You’re going to regret that! I’ll kill you!” Her voice cracks betraying her.

The half-elf drags the dagger slowly up your left thigh and you concentrate hard on holding back the screams of pain that are trying to claw their way out. You slowly wriggle your bound hands trying to find any weak points in the binding and realise that they have not been tightened enough. Amateurs. You mentally scoff.

“If this won’t make you scream… perhaps this will.” The female walks around and runs her blade down Tav’s arm and she grunts through the pain. A rage settles in your chest and you promise yourself that she will pay for this. “I can get these ropes loose, they haven’t tightened them.” You pass a mental note to your lover as you stealthily release one hand and work on hers. “Be prepared to run.”

“I have a plan. Follow me once we get free alright?” She gently squeezes your hands that are loosening her bindings and it’s not long before her hands are freed.

Tav spits in the half-elf’s face which sends her tumbling back in disgust “Detono!” She sends the half-elf flying back landing in the middle of a small group of spawns. The two of you jump to your feet and you ignore the burning pain shooting through your body.

“Ira et dolor!” An ominous black mist encases the spawns and between the whispers of the fog, you hear blood-curdling screams as they attempt to escape.

Tav grabs you by the hand and sprints toward the crevice, leading to the Kuo-Toa and you climb down the cragged rock with haste.

As you reach the bottom you sprint towards the creatures stopping in place once they all turn their attention to Tav.

“Mahkloompah!” They yell in unison and bow their heads in reverence to your lover.

________________________

Tav:

“OH great and mighty Mahkloompah, to what do we owe this visit?” The one you know as ‘Pooldrip the Zealous’ waves his arms about excitedly as he awaits your reply.

“I have come to… issue you with a test! My… chosen and I are being bothered by a few vampire spawn. I could vanquish them with a flick of my wrist, however, I realised, that this would be an excellent test for my most loyal followers!” You spin around dramatically stretching your arms out to the many creatures surrounding you. “Mahkloompah’s blessing will be upon any followers who aid us in our safe return to Baldur’s Gate!”

The creatures roar with cheers and chant your name. “Oh, magnificent Mahkloompah�� we shall pass this test! We will prove ourselves worthy of your blessings!” Pooldrip claps his hands together and bows his head. As you look toward the cragged rock you see the group of spawns closing in.

You dramatically usher their gaze towards the spawn and bow holding their stare outstretching your arms. A smirk spreads itself across your mouth “Kill them all. But leave the half-elf female for me.” As soon as the words leave your mouth your loyal followers descend, greatly outnumbering the ten spawn that have come to retrieve you.

As you look around the clashing bodies your gaze lands on the half-elf and you cock your head to the side. “Impero te.” The words slither out from you, snaking their way toward her and you watch her body lock into place as you dominate her. “Come to me.” You command and watch as she makes her way towards you, her eyes wide with fear.

As she finally stands in front of you a laugh escapes your mouth “Take out your dagger.” Another command fires out and she obeys. “Good. Now, do exactly what you did to my lover on your skin.” A rage bubbles under your skin remembering his muffled grunts of pain. Her eyes well with tears as she slowly carries out your order and an unfamiliar smile settles on your face.

You feel a hand on your shoulder and Astarion leans down to your ear “Tav, we can be better than this.” His voice is calm as he rubs your shoulder. “She hurt you Astarion.” Your words bite back and you feel a gentle squeeze.

“I know, I want to hurt her too for what she did to you… but… she’s angry, she has every right to be. I… took everything from these people.” The softness of his voice breaks your rage and you feel tears fall down your cheeks. “You did what you had to… he made you do this… do they not understand?” Your voice cracks as the sobs leave your body.

“I know, what’s done is done. Let her go Tav, it’s alright.” He kisses you softly on your cheek and wipes away the tears that have settled on your skin. You glance at the half-elf and release your hold on her. She stands there for a moment, blade in hand and you can see the thoughts running through her mind as she weighs her options. Astarion folds his arms around you and pulls you in close to his chest. “Go. Now. But know this, if you touch her again, I will not be willing to let you go.” With shaking hands he waves her off, before she leaves you see her eyes soften as she glances between you and Astarion and then disappears in that familiar red mist, the remaining spawn follow her lead and flee from the combat.

“Let’s go home shall we?” He whispers in your ear and places a soft kiss on your cheek. As you make your way toward the exit of the hidden cove Astarion turns to the Kuo Toa and clears his throat. “Mahkloompa is most impressed with your dedication, she finds favour with you all!” A roar of cheers and praise erupts through the air as you ascend and make your way to the nearest sigil.

In flash of purple light you and Astarion land at the top floor of the Elfsong Tavern and don’t bother filling in your companions of the recent events. You are both tired and in need of some healing, opting for the healing potions you keep in your private quarters. You notice the door to your room is slightly ajar and Astarion protectively walks in front of you using his arm to shield you as he pushes the door open and walks in.

“Oh for fucksake.” Astarion bites out. “Come to do your own dirty work now Sebastian?” Your body prickles with fury as you spin out of Astarion’s grip and stalk your way towards the spawn stopping halfway.

“You would know all about dirty work, wouldn’t you?” Sebastian spits back his eyes glowing with a red hot hatred.

“Shut your filthy fucking mouth.” A rage boils through you as you pull a dagger out from your boot as you throw it watching the blade slip through the air and land right next to his head, burying itself in the wall.

“What a temper she has Astarion. I must say, you chose well for that conquest, she hangs on your every word and is so willing to protect you. A smart move.” Sebastian chuckles softly as he looks at you with disgust. “He doesn’t love you, you know that right? Right?” He holds your stare and a smile plays on his lips. “Astarion… remember what we once shared? Why bother with her? Surely what we had is more… special?” You watch as Sebastian’s eyes turn seductive as if he was trying to lure Astarion back to him and your insecurities bubble within your stomach as he turns to face you. “Gods, you think he loves you, don’t you? Are you that stupid? Do you have any remaining braincells in that thick head of yours?” In a flash Astarion is at his side gripping Sebastian’s throat firmly.

“Do not speak to her that way again or it will be the LAST thing you do. What I have with her… transcends anything I have ever had.” He squeezes tightly and shoves his grip forward knocking Sebastian’s head back. “Now, what do you want? My patience is wearing thin and I would very much like to relax with my girlfriend, yes you heard me, my GIRLFRIEND. Now get out or you will die sooner rather than later.” Astarion’s eyes are ablaze with irritation.

Sebastian’s gaze flickers between you and your lover and you notice the unmistakable glimpse of envy that is soon replaced with humour. “Girlfriend? My how you’ve changed… very well, I’ll take my leave for now. However, this is not over until one of us dies and I assure you, it won’t be me.” He vanishes in that stupid red mist and you continue to stare at the chair he was once in.

“He was right there. We could have ended this.” Your voice is soft and void of emotion.

“It wouldn’t have stopped anything, he’s not the only spawn who hates me my love.” Astarion wraps his arms around you and pulls you into him, pressing your back against his chest. “Can we just take some healing potions, draw a bath and call it a day please? I refuse to let them get in the way.” He spins you around to face him and he puts on his best puppy pout. All the frustration leaves you and is swiftly replaced with warmth as you stare into those crimson pools, diving straight in and never wanting to resurface. You lift yourself on your tiptoes, wrapping your arms around his neck and you place a soft kiss on his lips.

“Girlfriend, huh?” Your smile presses against his lips and you feel him smile in return.

“Was that term not to your liking? How about… love of my life?” He kisses your forehead. "Wind beneath my wings?” He plants a kiss on your cheek. “The air in my lungs?” You feel a kiss on your jawline. “The beat of my cold heart?” A soft kiss meets your neck.

“Hmm, any of those will do, I suppose.” You flash him a playful smile as he arches his brow at you and his eyes dance to life. He goes to scoop you up but winces remembering the wounds that are still fresh on his body and yours. “Here, drink this.” You hand him a healing potion and take one for yourself chugging down the contents, already feeling a warmth spread over you. “Let’s get a bath going, we can pour a small extra healing potion in it as well to help speed the process.”

After a few moments you and Astarion are lounging in a warm tub. He sits behind you and you lean back into him resting your head in the crook of his neck with your eyes closed. He exhales slowly and wraps his arms around you pulling you in closer. “I love this.” He whispers out as he rests his head on the lip of the tub. “Me too.” You whisper back, your eyes still closed as you inhale deeply and release the air.

“Astarion?” You shift your head slightly to look at his face.

“Yes my sweet?” He glances down at you smiling.

“I never thought to ask… if you had thought about being with Sebastian when you first saw he was alive?” You are not necessarily worried about the answer to this question… more curious than anything.

“Little love… nothing compares to you, to what we have. When I saw him, I briefly wondered what I would do myself… but that would have meant losing you to chase something from my past that I have come to realise was not even close to love. What you and I have… its unlike anything I have ever experienced and I don’t ever want to lose that.” He continues to stare into your eyes as if searching them to see if his words have landed in your heart.

“I love you.” The three words spill from your mouth as you shift yourself around and pull him into deep long kiss.

“And I love you. We’ll get through this spawn situation, we’ll find a way to deal with it. We always do, but for now lets just enjoy some peace and quiet?” You nod your head in agreement as he pulls you in tightly and kisses you tenderly.

As you both finish your bath you pull a book from your dresser and hand it to Astarion as you climb into bed. He walks to the other side and props up some cushions to support his back as he sits up on the bed. You snuggle yourself in as he begins to read to you and the two of you spend the rest of your time like this until rest finds you.

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nocturnal-phantoms-fandoms · 7 months ago

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C A T for the ask game please hehe 😻

Cat!! My dearest Shrutual <3333

(Im going to answer alphabetically. Also this got so long omg)

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

I do have OTPs :D wolfstar and stucky (also previously: klance but im not into them as much anymore)

I even have a meme for this occasion:

other ships from the marauders fandom:

wolfstarbucks <333 wolfbucks and prongsfoot are alright too but not in the long run, I think I prefer them as a trio (everyone is there and all is well and everyone is happy. I get sad when R isnt there and im worried about S's whereabouts when he isnt there, so. Trio)

jily - i wouldnt call myself a jily shipper per se, but its also very dear to me <3333. Would choose a fic with them as a supporting ship over alternatives when reading r/s , thats for sure.

james & sirius friendship but also remus & james friendship!!

basically... sirius and remus and sometimes james an lily. in any configuration at this point

(there are other ships I like from hp, mcu and other fandoms but im not into them that much at this very moment)

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Oh boy. Do I have to choose just one?

Stony.

... Ok that wasnt that hard.

I dont like Tony, I dont care about him, I dont like their relationship we saw in the films (tho i havent read the comics so im judging just the films), Im not into enemies to lovers, there is nothing for me there. zero, zip, nada.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Thats a really hard question bc apart from fighting "mainstream" fanon with canon info i dont think im that invested about most headcanons? so, i will try. i will not elaborate tho.

if sirius was into any muggle subculture it would be punk

black brothers weren't tortured with cruciatus every other day for any minor inconvenience they caused. sirius was abused psychologically and emotionally and until the last second walburga hoped he would come back and take the role of the heir he was supposed to.

regulus wasnt forced into becoming a DE, but he did it bc he wanted to prove himself

alphard was gay and had muggle lover(s)

sirius would become a curse breaker, a social worker, an activist, a mechanic or an engineer or something like that. idk why but i dont like it when he's a healer/doctor. However I can see sirius joining the aurors with james, but i think he would resign not long after finishing training when he realises he cant fix the system from the inside. idk if james would resign tho.

if we assume that the marauders form a pack, its not remus who is the alpha, even while in wolf form

the last one im adding just bc i saw a post about it right before i started answering this ask: the full moon doesnt make remus horny. its a traumatic experience for him and he associates it with everything he fears - pain and loosing control. for a few days before the full he feels sick and weak and he hates everything and sirius has to fight tooth and nail to just get him under a blanket for a cuddle. right after the full he is exhausted and in pain. the further from the full the easier it is to get him in the mood, basically. (i feel like im the only one. at least on this one post every response was the opposite. i read just one ff with a similar thing - where its the new moon that makes werewolves horny.) i am not opposed to remus being horny right after the full tho

las one I just remembered: the hogwarts express has more than two stops. for gods sake. those kids arent travelling to London from Edinburgh just to spend the whole day on the train on the way back. (check out this map) all of the stations have platforms like 3 ⅓, 2 ⅚ and so on of course.

ask game

#cat tag #ask game #sorry i kept you waiting #it took longer than i expected #the one ff was to trust the wolf by puuvillaa btw

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troublesjunkyard · 4 months ago

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Trouble, I kinda feel like an asshole.

Over the time I've been on Tumblr, (almost a year) I've gotten quite a few asks (over multiple accounts) from random people asking me to donate money to them for whatever reason.

I usually just delete the asks and move on with life, but I'm starting to get really tired of them.

There's about a 50% chance that they are just trying to scam, and the other 50% of them are actually struggling and need the money.

But those random people who randomly select my ask box annoy me a lot.

Like, I get it, you're struggling, but so am I!

I can barely afford to take care of myself and you want me to donate money (that I don't have) to you?

I'm struggling just as much as you are but you don't see me randomly selecting askboxs to ask for donations.

Then again, I hate asking for help.

That's part of the reason I have such a hard time at school.

Because when it comes down to it, I feel like a burden when I ask for help; whether I'm asking for help with my math or something more important like a bad injury.

If I fell down a 10-foot hole and couldn't get out without help, I would probably die in that hole because I didn't want to ask someone for help because I would feel like I was an inconvenience and a burden.

Anyway, I got off-topic.

Do you think I'm an asshole for getting annoyed at the donation asks?

My worries come from the people who send asks and are actually struggling.

I probably shouldn't be so harsh about it, but as I stated, I'm struggling too.

Maybe not in the same way that they are, but struggling I am.

I want them to stop sending me those donation asks, and I feel horrible about it.

I don't know why either.

Maybe it's because I've seen firsthand with people struggling- my brother, Tylre, he was in a tough spot; he didn't have any money, and he had a toddler and an infant to take care of.

My mom took in Tylere, Shay, (his girlfriend) and their two kids.

She didn't ask him to pay her money for staying there.

My mom took in him and his family for free so that he could get a new job and save up to move out on his own again.

Tylre has moved back in and moved out at least 3 times since the first time he moved out after becoming an adult.

My brother Alex has moved back in and moved out 2 times since the first move out.

I've seen firsthand of people struggling; and not just any people but family members.

And my mom has always been there to help them, even when she herself is having a hard time.

...

Why do I feel so bad about this?

Why do I feel so bad about not wanting people to throw donation asks into my askbox?

Is it because I've seen firsthand of people struggling?

Or is it another reason entirely?

Oh.

See, I typed all this out, then checked my notifications.

When I clicked on your ask, I half expected it to delete all of this.

I wasn't actually expecting it to put me right back here with all of this still typed out after I hit post on your ask.

...

Oh well. :/

Hey Dakota, I still hope you're okay.

First of all, I can understand your struggle. It's hard to see if something is a scam or someone who really struggles. I always look up if this person is a vetted donation. At least it's what helps me with deciding.

Second of all, don't forget you're a minor. Some things are hard for you to manage or to help. You don't really own your own money.

And your family is struggling. You don't have the resources to help even if you want to help.

That don't makes you a bad person. Just because you can't donate doesn't mean that you don't care. So no, you're not an asshole.

You're feeling bad because you know how it is to be at the limit. At least it's how I see it in your text. You guilt tripping yourself.

Please look out for your mental health because I can read how this affects you... Talk if it gets too much. You know where to find me.

Take care and try to get some sleep

(^-^)/💜

#trouble speaks #moots in da box

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autisticgirliesbracket · 2 years ago

Text

What makes Delmin from Show by Rock!! Mashumairesh!! the autistic girlie ever of all time? Here's what the people have to say:

Delmin-related asks/reblogs: x This post will be updated after each round!

Image ID in alt text and under the readmore.

[Image ID. White slide with a screenshot of Delmin from the Mashumairesh!! anime in the top right corner. She has a text box next to her which reads,

"from op: I'm aware that maybe not many people will be interested in the spinoff anime to another spinoff anime based on a mobile rhythm game published by Sanrio. but show by rock is one of MY special interests so Delmin gets to be on the bracket <3 she truly feels like a character that was made for me in terms of how autism she is... Delmin has a flat affect, her safefoods are fried egg and potato croquettes. she is intensely attached to her stuffed animal which others think makes her seem childish, but it has a lot of sentimental value for her. she goes "shubi" because that's a vocal stim for her. a big part of her character arc in the anime is feeling like an outsider wherever she goes; she's too small to fit in with the other Devil-Dragon Myumon, but she's too awkward to fit in with city Myumon. she lives alone and is so shy she barely ever answers the door. Delmin doesn't understand social etiquette in general actually, she outright states that "i don't really understand what it means to be friends" and will do things like try and quantify friendship into numbers, telling her bandmates that she is glad they are "100% friends" because of what they've faced together. she also does things that are #weird but she doesn't realise, like how she carries around a flute which is carved from her dead grandpa's horn and she plays it when she wants to show he trust someone deeply. her friends are like, girl what!! but they appreciate the gesture. also Delmin can shoot a laser from her horns, literally Autism Beam!!! which she threatens to use at any minor inconvenience or against anyone who has slighted her friends. a very ride or die kind of person. her relationship with Ruhuyu is very charming and isn't explicitly stated to be romantic, just "me and the bad bitch I pulled by being autistic" vibes, but the twist is that they're both autistic." End ID.]

#autistic girlies bracket #autistic girlie masterpost #show by rock!!#show by rock!! mashumairesh!!#Delmin #might add some screenshots to this later. doing my part as part of the Delmin nation (and the nation is just me FHSJDF)

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ashrillvenheim · 2 years ago

Text

Awakening Past

Chapter 8 (part I) (divided in 2 because it was too long for Tumblr XD)

Quick note: The songs I use on this chapter and will use in future ones might not be set chronologically with the Fic's story date, but don't mind it, please

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR or feel uncomfortable with any of these genres or ships, please DON'T keep reading, thank you.

Archive of our own / WORK LIST / Awakening Past Masterlist

prev/next (Part 2)

The young man changed his position on the couch for the fifth time. The man in front of him was staring at him, so much so, that he felt like he was going to die from tachycardia. Those blue eyes looked like cutting edges trying to look under his skin. The ashen brown-haired man subtly tilted his head to one side.

“Is something wrong?” he asked suddenly.

The boy on the couch was startled and with his pulse racing he answered as best he could.

“N-nothing”

“You look nervous.”

“You've been staring at him without blinking.”

The sapphire orbs rotated to the girl next to the accused.

“But you're so calm.”

“Should I be nervous?”

“I don't know, should you? I could arrest you.”

The woman looked at him and began to feel uncomfortable. Suddenly her heartbeat quickened and when those blue eyes turned to her, as if he could hear them, she felt the cold sweat run down her back.

It looked like he was going to subject them to an intense interrogation.

The second boy, who had not yet spoken, glanced at the door nervously.

“Don't even try.” That deep menacing voice made him startle. He lowered his brown eyes to the small table in front of the sofa, where their ID cards rested.

Then he heard a click, causing him to raise his head toward the sapphire-eyed man.

The world fell on top of him. His heart stopped when he saw the gun. His breathing became even faster and he looked pleadingly at the impassive man, whose orbs darkened menacingly.

“Where should I start?”

***

2 hours earlier ...

He took a quick shower after his morning workout and left the coffee brewing while he got dressed.

He organized the living room a bit and sat down to keep an eye on the emails. Looking at the calendar he stared at the date.

It had been two more weeks, almost a month since he'd been there. Since his first interaction at the university, everything had gone on more or less the same.

With more or less referring to those times when they were unlucky enough to cross paths with Carla and when he had to restrain himself from giving that spoiled brat a hard time.

On the days when they had peace, Ashley used to go to the library to study. Leon used to stay with the janitor and curiously he had told him a lot about the bad tongues that existed in the university, after all, no one paid attention to the man who prowled the corridors, but he was not deaf.

Unfortunately it seemed he had become a recurring theme as well, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, he didn't want to be an inconvenience to Ashley.

And so the third week went by as well, between the running with the dogs before class, the study sessions to prepare for finals and the work Narsson was doing with Ashley, it had been fun to be honest. The dogs, Ashley, Patrick, Maria...everything felt calmer and Graham made him feel at home, as if everything was as normal as it could be.

He answered his scheduled call, his voice echoing through the walls, calm and serious.

“ Is he still suffering from amnesia?” the agent asked over the phone as he peered through the curtains.

“He's starting to recover some memories, but nothing is clear yet as to who hired them. By the way Leon, how's it going over there?”

Leon let out a chuckle.

“ With all due respect Mr. Graham, you are shameless.”

A chuckle was heard on the other side and the agent smiled subtly.

“ I wanted to surprise you both.”

“ Sir, you lied to me.”

“ I told you half the truth, that's not lying, is it?”

Leon sighed heavily seeing now where Ashley got the ability to twist his words. He decided to let it go if he didn't want to argue with a stone wall.

“ All good, I have to admit I never expected to meet her like this. You cut me a lot of slack when you told me that she had improved.”

The soft chuckle he heard this time was not humorous.

“ Maybe, after all, there are times when even I find it hard to know if she is telling the truth. In the environment we move in there are a lot of snakes and some see weaknesses very well.”

“ I wouldn't say Ashley looks weak.”

“ And she isn't, but she has had to learn to hide some of her fears. I don't... I don’t know what your mind must be like after living through something like this, but I know there are wounds that leave very deep scars and some people have to adapt before those wounds finish closing.” he paused with a sigh. “ When you asked me to separate you from her I thought it was a bad decision, but I have seen the good it has done her, that is why I have assigned her to you, because I know that whatever decision you make will be for Ashley's sake, even if it is hard. I trust your judgment.”

Leon stared at the floor, his blue eyes lost in a distant point as his lips parted.

“ Don't you have too much confidence in me sir? There are agents more experienced in social relations than I am.”

“ But no one but you knows what she's been through and that's why I know you'll help her.”

Leon gave a faint smile, somewhat embarrassed by the flattery.

“ Bring me up to date on the situation at the university, come on.” the president changed the subject. Leon raised his eyes to the window.

“ So far so normal. Narsson's old workshop is still closed and some students are continuing their classes remotely.” He paused to add the results of his latest research. “ I checked the profile of Carla Hoffman.”

A grunt sounded on the other end followed by a heavy sigh.

“ Ah yes, Hoffman. Honestly, I never expected the daughter of one of my opposers to be on that campus.” explained the man, exasperated.

“ I can understand then that you will be familiar with her...courtesy.”

“ I am very familiar, yes, how is Ashley doing?”

“ Honestly?”

The president hesitated for a second.

“ Yes,” he finally replied.

“ I think I have to worry more about what she might do to Hoffman than her to Ashley.”

A chuckle echoed on the other end, drawing a smile from the agent.

“ Something like that was mentioned to me by Maria and James a while back. I hope it's not inconvenient.”

This time it was Leon who laughed.

“ Don't worry, she's keeping me entertained for a change. I haven't been around students since high school.”

“ Ah what time those were, I remember…”

A clattering sound reached Leon's ears, still, with the president talking, he turned to the window and saw a figure. His heart skipped a beat and he violently pulled back the curtain to find Ashley hanging from a harness.

“ Ashley? What the fu-”

“ Is something wrong Leon?” the man's concerned voice rang through the phone.

Leon looked at Ashley who simply replied with a big smile.

“ Uh, no, nothing, Ashley... called me to help her with some boxes.”

“ Oh, well, I won't keep you then. I'll wait for your end-of-the-month report.”

“ Yes, sir.”

“ I'll see you soon.”

“ Goodbye.”

He hung up and threw the phone on the sofa to open the window in a hurry.

“ What the hell are you doing?!”

Ashley turned to him holding the window cleaner and a sponge with a spray bottle.

“ The glazier is down with low back pain, so I've offered to go upstairs and clean the floors while he does the downstairs.”

Leon looked down the street to see a man in uniform cleaning the doorway and then turned to her. He saw the climbing harness strapped tightly to her body. The safety ropes were tied to various places on the building in case of a fall and he could see in the looseness of Ashley's body that it wasn't the first time she'd done it.

“ It's dangerous.” Leon worried, staring at her.

“ Crossing the street is dangerous and you don't tell me anything.”

Leon rolled his eyes, how could he discuss it all? He stuck his blue orbs into her amber ones, who gave him a simple smile.

A gesture that made him sigh in defeat. He promised her he wouldn't be so paranoid after all.

“ Be careful, okay?”

She nodded and proceeded to clean the windows. Leon went back to his chores but with one eye on her.

He may have been too suffocating so far, he had to learn to respect her and give her more credit. She could defend herself now, but the protective part of him couldn't help but worry.

Bit by bit.

He sat down at the table to go over the paperwork, but in his head, the president's words were still echoing.

In part he was relieved. That the decision he'd made two and a half years ago, to walk away from her, had helped her get better, he was glad.

But...he hadn't done it just for her.

It may have been selfish, but a part of him didn't know what to do, didn't understand how he felt. Having the plaga inside his body had triggered so many conflicting emotions, that when they came back... he still felt like he was lost.

Every time he saw Ashley when they were in quarantine, something stirred inside him, a tingling that he didn't know if it was transient from the plaga... or not.

He needed to clear his head or... run away.

That little voice in the back of his mind told him he had run away. He was afraid that this confusion would hurt Ashley, that it might fuel a need for him, which would have caused neither of them to move forward.

The question was...had he managed to find himself these past two years as Ashley had?

His pen stopped writing and he looked at the unfinished line on the sheet of paper.

His mind traveled back a year and a half when he was asked to accompany the BSAA unit they had deployed to Spain. All he had to do was lead them on a reconnaissance, and make sure the area was secure.

It was pretty simple.

And he almost didn't make it.

Chris Redfield managed to save him and get him to a nearby hospital.

Forty-degree fever, a broken leg, several cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and infected wounds all over his body.

He was still wondering how Chris had managed to get through those narrow tunnels. Sometimes he asked him, but Redfield would only reply "with a lot of effort" and change the subject.

One thing Leon had learned since meeting Chris was that he couldn't lie.

Mind you, he may not have been good at lying, but that didn't mean he was going to tell him the truth.

Trying to convince him was like trying to blow down a wall.

It just wasn't possible.

Cries brought him out of his thoughts...Mint?

He grabbed the keys off the counter and passed Ashley's house. Mint turned to look at him sitting in front of the window, crying because he couldn't see Ashley. Pepper was lying on the side of the couch, staring at the agent without looking up.

“ Hey Mint, don't cry, come on.” he reached over to pet the dog. Pepper jumped up and put his muzzle in Leon's other hand. The agent laughed and nodded to them.

“Come with me.” The big puppies looked at him doubtfully and Leon added, "I have meatballs.”

They started running around him and barked as they went to the other apartment. He opened the door for them and they entered without question. He had them sit in the living room and wait while Leon prepared their food. He had definitely butchered the meat and it was unchewable.

When he finished he set their plates on the floor and watched them eat for a while.

It was funny how familiar they were with him, even from the first day. It almost seemed as if they had known him before.

Maybe it was simply their nature, but there was something in the back of his mind, that just like with Chris, didn't fit.

He pushed those thoughts aside and sat down on the couch with the laptop to continue with the emails.

He was reading silently, taking deep breaths and occasionally paying attention to the clacking of the rings on Ashley's harness. He still couldn't believe he'd found her hanging outside.

Really, one of these days she'd scare the hell out of him.

He sipped his coffee and felt the dogs approach him, watching them quietly climb up and lay down on either side. Mint curled into a ball and Pepper subtly rested his head on his thigh. He stood still for a few seconds before lowering his hands on each dog and sinking his fingers into their fur. He couldn't help but smile. He wouldn't deny that he liked being asked for attention, it didn't come any better for him to be affectionate with them.

She let go of the ropes and loosened the leg loops of her harness. She ran the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead and smiled.

“ You are an angel from heaven Ashley.” the man said, immensely grateful.

“ Don't worry, you know I like to do it, take your time to recover from your back.”

The man nodded and began to pick up the cleaning supplies and put them in the van.

“ By the way.” the blonde turned to him. “ That guy you were talking to at the window, is he your boyfriend?”

Ashley choked on her water and coughed loudly at the sudden question.

“ No, no.” she waved her hands vigorously. “ He's a friend.”

“ Oh.” a mischievous smile tugged at the man's lips. “ Is he that kind of friend? He's so handsome, you had him well hidden from us.”

Ashley froze. What did he mean by that kind of fri…?

Blood suddenly covered her face.

“ Eric! Please! What part of "friend" didn't you understand?!”

“ You young people wear that thing a lot now, friend... with benefits you call?”

Her heart was about to burst.

“ I should have let you go upstairs. And no, he's just a friend who came by after the campus incident.”

Eric's smirk vanished.

“ I heard about that, how are you doing about it?”

Ashley patted her chest theatrically.

“ I'm tougher than you think.”

They both laughed as they put the material away and Eric headed for the driver's seat.

“ And Ashley, the thing about your friend wasn't to make you uncomfortable, but you're gorgeous and with a heart of gold, I'm just surprised you don't have suitors lining up.”

Ashley smiled at him.

“ Believe me, I prefer it that way, before I came here... it wasn't very nice to feel persecuted.”

Eric nodded, noticing the look on her face and patted her shoulder.

“ Cheer up and thank you very much for the help.” He got into the car and rolled down the window with that teasing smile again “ well, be careful with your friend, there are already rumors going around, don't let them steal him.”

“ What rum-”

He said goodbye starting the car and waving his hand out the window, leaving Ashley with words in her mouth.

She let out a long sigh and walked into the building. She walked up the stairs and into her house to realize the dogs were gone.

“ Pepper? Mint?”

She left the harness on the hanger and took off her dungarees as she sniffed the air. He followed the trail into the hallway where she saw Leon's door ajar. She tapped a few times with her knuckles and shyly stepped through.

Blue eyes turned to look at her. Ashley's golden orbs watched her bodyguard between his two dogs, totally surrendered to him.

She rolled her eyes.

“ Even the dogs.”

Leon looked at her, confused.

“ Is something wrong?”

“ Can you turn it off?”

He looked at her, puzzled.

“ Sorry? Turn what off?”

Ashley waved her hands at him, pointing at him in general.

“ You, whatever you do to make people chase you, turn off your sex appeal please.”

And there was the man's lopsided grin.

God, how she wanted to hit him.

“ Oh, you think I have sex appeal?”

Ashley wrinkled her nose looking at him in disbelief. She growled in exasperation and lay down on the carpet in front of Leon and the dogs.

“ Oh shut up, you know damn well you do, don't play dumb. I've got half the neighborhood wondering if you're my boyfriend.”

“ Or friend with benefits.”

She turned violently, watching him take another drink looking at the screen.

She knew he wasn't doing anything.

“ When-how much did you hear?”

“ Something.” his blue eyes lifted for a second from the computer.

Ashley's face began to turn red, her mouth hanging open, and unable to retort. Embarrassment raced her heart violently and she knew Leon could hear her perfectly.

Why was he getting on her nerves so much? She put her hands to her face and stifled a frustrated scream that elicited a chuckle from the agent. He had to admit he liked that angry side of Ashley. It was very entertaining.

“ I'm going to put up a sign to get you adopted.”

“ Are you tired of me already?”

“ Not of you, of people who are interested in you.”

Leon felt a prickle and tingle run through his stomach, causing him to close the computer and subtly lean forward.

“ Are you jealous?”

The look Ashley gave him clearly was one of “ are you kidding me?"

“ Leon, 6 people at the university have asked me for your number in two weeks.” she sighed heavily. “If they're interested, let them ask for your number directly, I don't want to be in there.” he watched her close her eyes.

“ Not everyone is as direct as you.”

She arched her eyebrows without peeling back her eyelids.

“ You taught me well.”

She heard a chuckle that made her smile too.

“ You've learned a lot from me in the short time we've been together.”

“ I'm a quick learner.”

“ Or I'm a splendid teacher.”

Ashley scoffed starting to feel her body heavy with sleep.

“ Take those moods down, it seems that having suitors has raised them.”

“ It's not my fault to be so irresistible.”

A moment of silence reigned between the two. Leon looked at Ashley who still had her eyes closed, had she fallen asleep?

“ I swear, if you ever brag about your irresistibility again, I'll beat you.” Her voice sounded huskier and sleepier.

“ For that you'd have to catch me first.”

Ashley's breathing was starting to deepen, causing her to take twice as long to respond this time.

“ I... can find... you... even if you're... underground.” her voice was barely a whisper, words clouded by sleep.

Leon smiled at the far-fetched idea.

“ Come on, you’re exaggerating.”

“ It wouldn't... be the... first... time....”

Her words died as she finally surrendered to sleep. Leon watched her and sensed her slowed heartbeat, her paused breathing and her relaxed body.

He pondered her words. Was her sense of smell so good as to find someone underground?

There were things he still didn't know. He hadn't told her anything until they went to the appointment with Petrov. Had he thought of telling her at some point? although... Who was he to reproach her? He hadn't told her anything about his hearing either, let alone Spain. I guess even if they felt close there were still things that were hard to say.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a while.

Maybe... maybe they could sit down and talk about them and these last two and a half years.

But the whole exposing himself thing...it was something he didn't handle well. And seeing how quickly Ashley had had to adjust, he didn't think just opening up would be the easiest thing for her either.

Maybe they needed more time. To get to know each other as two simple people.

He didn't know if it was the familiarity with which Ashley treated him or the fact that he no longer saw her as the scared girl from Spain that he felt more like a companion than her guard.

He sighed rising gently from the couch and grabbed a thin blanket. He knelt down beside the blonde and covered her. He watched her relaxed features for a few seconds.

How tired should she be to fall asleep on the floor so easily?

Although now that he thought about it, she might not have told him, but he knew she prowled around the house at night. For the past two weeks he used to hear her wandering in the early hours of the morning, only to repeat her long daily routine the next day.

This was the last weekend before exam week, so she would have to be exhausted.

He, on the other hand, had been sleeping much better, hardly having any nightmares. Since he arrived his mind felt calmer.

He got up to go back to work when he heard footsteps and rustling at the bottom of the stairs.

"Do you have the key?" he perceived someone say.

Leon approached the door.

"Didn't you have it?" replied another.

" I have it, let me." the footsteps approached their entrances and stopped in front of Ashley's. He heard the sound of the key going into the lock and a soft click open it. They turned the handlebars silently as if they didn't want to be heard.

As if they were thieves.

Leon reached out to the small table at the entrance, where his gun rested.

Like a shadow he looked through the peephole in the door and saw three people in front of Ashley's dwelling.

" Hurry up."

"When is she coming back?"

" On Saturdays she goes to the mountain, she should be back by noon."

Did they know Ashley's schedule? Leon frowned tightening his grip on the gun. He rested his free hand on his doorknob and waited.

He heard the final click and saw them enter the room. his pulse became steady and he held back a few seconds before opening his door.

How he would enjoy catching those little thieves red-handed.

Like a shadow, he quietly opened his door and slipped through the front door. He took a deep breath and listened.

"Do you know where she leaves the cups?"

" Fuck, look around, I'm just as lost as you are."

He turned the knob and stepped inside.

The three faces stared at him puzzled and felt a shiver run down their spines as they met those knife-like blue eyes.

The two boys looked at the woman with them, questioning, as if their expressions were asking "Wasn't there supposed to be no one there?" and the grimace on her face simply answering " How should I know!"

“ Sit down.”

The gravelly voice startled them and they turned to the agent with closed throats.

“ Who are you?” the woman managed to articulate with all the courage she could muster.

The agent did not blink. His brow furrowed slightly and without taking his steely gaze from her, he locked the door behind him.

“ I said, sit down.” He emphasized the order and as if he had condemned them, the three of them sat down on the couch.

“ T-this is a misunderstanding. We are Ashley's friends. W-”

The thump of the chair in front of him silenced him abruptly. The man spread his legs apart on the seat backward, resting his forearms on the wooden backrest.

“ I ask the questions.”

Silence reigned between them and Leon didn't open his mouth. He just stared at them, watching their every gesture and movement, sensing their accelerated breathing and racing hearts.

“ IDs, on the table.”

They hesitated for a second but then pulled out their wallets and set them on the small table in Leon's direction. He watched them from his position and silently looked back at them. He just fixed his eyes on them.

The woman, with copper-blond hair, looked away, the boy in the middle, with short black hair and brown eyes, was shaking like a pudding, and the one on the other side of the sofa, a brunette with a clear gaze, just stared at his feet, unable to raise his eyes.

We would see who would give in first.

A thump woke her up. She looked up at the ceiling, realizing she was not in her room. She inhaled deeply and that delicious cologne filled her lungs. She had fallen asleep in Leon's living room, but... he was nowhere to be found. She got up with a groan and saw the dogs on the couch. Where had he gone? She got up to look over the seat in the kitchen. He wasn't.

She took off the blanket she was sure she hadn't put on and put her shoes back on. She yawned loudly and cleared her nose.

Then her body froze.

Wait a minute. She knew those smells.

Her brain began to spin at full speed. With his heart in a fist, he grabbed his keys startling the dogs.

"Where should I start?" she heard in the distance.

Violently she stormed out Leon's door kicking hers open.

She saw him, then the gun, then the three victims on the couch, the IDs, back again to the boys, the gun, and those blue eyes.

She exploded.

“ ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!”

“ Ashley!” cried the poor guy.

“ You stay there.” Leon threatened him, turning around violently.

Ashley looked at the agent in bewilderment.

“ Leon, they're my friends!”

“ Are friends the ones who sneak into your house?”

The blonde gave him a stunned look and then turned back to the group who looked away in embarrassment.

“ You have wha-” she shook her head at Leon” I'll talk to them about that, you don't have to threaten them with a gun.”

The agent shrugged his shoulders.

“ I didn't threaten them.”

Ashley took a stride toward Leon who calmly stood up, stowing the gun in his lower back.

“ You're enough of a threat as you are.”

The two stared at each other. He knew she wasn't angry, but annoyed. Ashley held out her hand and Leon didn't understand at first, only to realize she was asking for the gun. He hesitated.

He had never given Ashley a gun before, so, her asking him for it surprised him. Wasn't she afraid to hold it? He held her amber gaze for several seconds until his curiosity won out.

He drew the gun without taking his eyes away and held it out over his palm. Ashley felt the weight of the cold metal, but something Leon didn't know yet was that it wasn't the first time she had experienced that sensation. To the agent's surprise, Ashley closed the safety and pulled the magazine out with great ease.

One that can only be acquired by repeating it over and over again.

What the hell had Dana taught her?

“ I thought you hated guns.” he whispered to her with a faint tinge of concern.

Ashley noticed and softened her gaze.

“ No, I don't.” she said calmly.

She broke eye contact and went to put the gun down on her study table as Leon turned back to the intruders.

“ Well, it looks like you weren't lying when you said you were Ashley's friends.”

The boy in the middle looked at him in despair.

“ We were telling you, why would we lie to you?”

“ Are we done with the interrogation?” asked the woman next to him.

A sly smile formed at the corner of the agent's lips.

“ Oh I just star-”

A book hit his head.

“ You're not going to interrogate anyone else.” Ashley sentenced.

Leon grunted looking at her.

The three smiled at being released, but the blonde turned to them with the eyes of the devil.

“ He is not going to continue with his interrogation.” She paused, crossing her arms over her chest, intimidating, earning the approval of the agent who smiled inwardly “ What the hell were you thinking?”

“ We wanted to leave you a surprise invitation to meet us at the club.” confessed the boy in the middle.

“ Sergio! you just told her the fucking surprise!” exclaimed the woman.

The brown-eyed boy mouthed quickly, but the woman next to him sighed in exasperation.

“ You know text messages exist, right?” Ashley asked, cocking her head to one side.

She looked at the three of them until she stopped at the woman next to Sergio.

“ Casey, tell me this wasn't Emily's idea.”

The copper blonde turned to look at her with her cinnamon eyes.

“ It wasn't Emily's idea.”

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose.

“ It was one hundred percent her.” She sighed, "John, you usually stop Emily's bad ideas, what happened?”

John closed his eyes, sinking his fingers into his brown hair.

“ I fell into her trap.”

“ She brought you Dorothy's sweets, didn't she?”

The man growled reddening with embarrassment, feeling weak for falling into temptation. Ashley sighed and then started laughing helplessly.

The three on the couch looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, only to see her open her arms to them. They threw themselves at her like children frightened by Leon. Ashley laughed, hugging them tightly.

“ I missed you guys.” she whispered warmly.

“ We've been planning this trip for a month.” Casey smiled, pulling away from her. Ashley looked at her mischievously.

“ What about sneaking into my house?”

The three of them were speechless until John managed to get something to appeal in their defense.

“ Emily told us that on Saturdays you usually go to the mountains so you wouldn't be home.”

“ But we didn't realize that you're still with the finals and…” Sergio turned shyly to Leon, who was looking at them like a wolf while drinking a glass of water. “ We didn't think about him.”

Ashley turned to Kennedy and Casey frowned in her direction.

“ Who is he, your boyfriend?”

Leon held back muffled laughter to keep from choking and watched as Ashley rolled her eyes.

“ I swear I'm going to put a sign on my forehead.” She looked at Leon who was hiding his smile behind the glass. “ He's not my boyfriend, he's my bodyguard, Leon.”

The three were surprised and turned to him as if they had just met a legend.

“ Are you Leon Kennedy?”

He arched his eyebrows at Ashley, who blushed subtly.

“ I still go by that name, yes.”

“ Did you teach her to do that suplex move?” Sergio was so excited he looked like someone else.

Leon blinked and looked at the blonde who had frozen.

“ Did you learn how to do it?” he asked. She scratched the back of her neck.

“ After seeing you do it so many times I felt the urge to try it when I recovered from my back.”

“ Well, well, so you decided to ignore my advice.” the agent scoffed, remembering that he told her, two and a half years ago, that he wouldn't teach her that move because of how dangerous it was for her.

“ Maybe, but I'm pretty good at it.”

Leon leaned against the counter with a grin and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other three.

“ And you guys, I think you owe an explanation.”

Ashley brought the dogs from Leon's house and offered them coffee and then the five of them sat down at the dining room table.

Casey was the one who decided to explain the situation. She glanced sideways at Leon still intimidated and then turned to her friend.

“ We want to take you out tonight. Emily told us about a little pub in Springfield to celebrate your graduation.”

“ But I have exams next week.” laughed Ashley, to which Casey waved her hands dismissively.

“ Well as a celebration for making it to finals, God knows how hard you worked for this.”

Ashley smiled taking a sip, watching Casey turn to Leon.

“ So you're the famous Leon Kennedy. The fact is, you're actually nailed to Ashley's description.”

“ I seem to be a pretty recurring topic of conversation from what I can see.”

Graham sighed.

“ Casey, please, you're going to inflate his ego even more than it already is.”

“ Excuse me? It's not my fault.”

Ashley gave him a sideways glance.

“ It's totally and utterly your fault.”

Casey laughed.

“ She told us that you were with her during her treatment in Europe. I have to give you my condolences for having to put up with her.”

“ Oh please!” Ashley threw her hands in the air and then pointed to the man next to her. “Give me condolences for having him as a guard.”

Leon gave her a gentle nudge.

“ Hey I got you out of a few ones.”

“ Yeah, and I would have given them back to you until you decided to help me during rehab.” she turned to Casey. “ I swear I thought he'd kill me.”

“ You're overreacting.” Leon replied, taking another sip of his coffee, clearly amused by the situation, and added. “ But I guess for someone who's never done squats in her life, it was agony.”

The one who laughed this time was Sergio.

“ Well, it's hard to believe, seeing what she trains now.”

Ashley smiled a little embarrassed by the compliment, but happy that they appreciated her effort.

“ What I do see you have trained is your nerve.” Kennedy grinned mischievously.

“ So says the calmest, most polite, and least cheeky man on the planet.”

Leon snapped his fingers.

“ You hit the nail on the head.”

She sighed, took another drink, and decided to change the subject.

“ When did you want to meet?”

Casey looked at the clock.

“ They open at eight for dinners, is that okay with you guys?”

Ashley turned to Leon.

“ Is that okay with you?”

The agent looked at her puzzled.

“ Why are you asking me? I go where you go.”

“ You're not a dog Leon, I don't want you to go with me if you don't want to.”

Leon appreciated Ashley's kindness, for not thinking of him as a mere tool. He still remembered some escort mission he had to do in the last year, where he felt like nothing more than a disposable rag. He was precious, after all, his experience was something not everyone had, but they saw him as a weapon, not a person. Maybe that's why he felt so calm around Ashley and his father. They treated him as someone, not something.

“ Fine by me, princess.”

Sergio gave John a glancing glance with a smile on his lips at that "princess." John nodded with a teasing twinkle in his eye. They would have entertainment at the club.

“ It's settled then. I want you to come in something other than that tracksuit.” she pointed at Ashley. “ Do you still have that lipstick I gave you?”

“ I haven't worn it in a while but I do have it.”

“ I want you to look ravishing, I could let y-”

“ I'm not wearing heels.”

Casey was speechless.

“ I'll leave you one of seven centimeters.”

“ Casey, if I can't run in them, no, I almost broke your old ones by kicking the door.”

“ You almost made a hole in it.” laughed Sergio.

Ashley looked away.

“ It was a very soft wood.” she mumbled.

Leon watched the three of them laugh as Ashley's cheeks reddened hopelessly.

He had to admit that picturing Ashley in heels kicking in a door was a pretty funny scene.

Now that he thought about it, he had never seen her in heels. Not that she'd had moments to be able to wear them, but in the few days she'd been at the White House he hadn't seen her in ones either. He was so self-absorbed, he didn't notice that Ashley had turned to him, while the other three were debating among themselves.

“ Is something wrong?” she whispered so low that only he could hear it.

A malevolent smile tugged at the man's lips and his sapphire eyes glinted mischievously. Ashley blushed, knowing what was in his head.

“ I’m not wearing heels.”

The smile widened with one of the arched eyebrows "are you sure?" expressed his gesture.

“ Leon” Casey's voice caught the attention of the agent, who turned to look at her. “ Please try to convince Ashley.”

It took him a few moments to look at the blonde, whose pleading gaze got the better of him. He couldn't when she did that to him with those eyes.

Really, when had he ever gotten so soft?

“ I guess in case I needed to get her out of there for an emergency, it wouldn't be too efficient to run in heels.” He heard the sigh of relief beside him and Casey grunted at his thwarted plans.

“ At least you'll wear the lipstick, that's good enough for me.” she muttered in defeat. Sergio patted her on the back and then turned to the two of them.

“ We're sorry for trespassing. Emily only gave us the idea, we're the idiots who did it," he looked at Leon fearfully. “ We're sorry.”

The agent stared at them, then leaned back in his seat, finishing his coffee.

“ I've been too soft. You should be begging for forgiveness on your knees.”

A slap almost made him spit and he gave Ashley a puzzled look. She stared her golden orbs into his oceans, defiantly.

“ Am I supposed to remind you that you threatened them with a gun in my house?

Leon held those glowing eyes as long as he could, until he ended up snarling.

One day, one day he would make her back down, but today was not that day.

They gathered up the traces and decided it was time to leave if they wanted to prepare for the night.

“ Do you want a ride home?” Ashley asked them in the doorway. The three turned to see Leon behind her staring at them.

"Don't even think about it" they understood his wordless expression and refused their friend's offer.

“ See you tonight.” Casey whispered, giving her one last hug and hurrying down the stairs. Ashley closed the door and stared at the doorknob for a few seconds, then turned to her bodyguard.

“ Don't do that again.” The woman's voice was blunt.

She wasn't furious, but her sentence was serious, enough to make Leon unable to answer her.

He understood why she was telling him. To have left her out when someone was coming into her house.

Leon sighed.

“ I'm sorry. I know you've been studying at night for quite a few days and for something that I could fix without a problem I didn't want to bother you, but I've done wrong, I'm sorry.”

Ashley received the most sincere look of regret she could have hoped for. Leon's eyes weren't lying, he wasn't happy about what he had done, not after the talk they had. And those eyes broke down all her defenses.

She sighed resting her hands on her hips.

“ I appreciate you worrying about me, but just as you want me to warn you, tell me too, okay?”

Leon nodded and watched Ashley return to the table to reassemble his gun and hold it out to him. This time Leon couldn't help but ask.

“ I guess Dana told you to learn how to disassemble weapons?”

Ashley denied.

“ I asked her.”

The answer surprised the agent.

“ I thought you never wanted to know anything about guns again.”

“ I may not like them, but I wanted to be able to have some chance of escape even if they put a gun to my head.” she paused, remembering. “ They won't catch me off guard again, not like Krauser did.” her gaze wandered for a few moments as Leon approached her to gently caress her arm.

“ This time I'm here to help you.” he gave her a squeeze to comfort her. “Between the two of us I'm sure we'll break their faces if it happens again.”

Ashley smiled and looked at the time to change the subject.

“ It's still early, I'm going to make the food for the week.”

Leon left the gun on the table and approached the kitchen.

“ I'll help you.”

Ashley gave him a smirk.

“ So you can burn the food like your meatballs and then feed it to my dogs?”

“ Hey, don't be so hard on my culinary skills, they've been more grateful than their owner.”

Ashley slapped him on the shoulder gently laughing and got down to business. Maybe this was a good time to talk about her friends, after all she hadn't told him much.

The blonde started chopping the vegetables while Leon cleaned up the rice. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, his short-sleeved shirt showing off his strong arms marked with some scars. Water slipped through his fingers and the muscles in his forearms flared every time he turned his wrists.

How could they not ask him for his number? He himself was a sin created for people to desire without remedy.

“ What did you think of my friends?” she had to stop thinking about it if she didn't want Leon to hear her heartbeat.

“ They definitely have no future as thieves or swindlers, Sergio is incapable of lying.”

“ Come on, don't be like that, you almost gave the poor guy a heart attack.”

“ And how much fun I had?” his mocking smile made the woman tingle.

“ You're a government agent, not a detective.”

“ Do I remind you that I joined the police department?”

Ashley waved the wooden spoon.

“ You're right.”

She remembered the nights they spent in quarantine when Ashley told him about her mother's accident and Leon...told her about his family.

That day she woke him up from a nightmare. She'd knocked on the glass with her knuckles until she managed to wake him up.

She still remembered those frightened blue eyes, with dilated pupils and agitated breathing. The sweaty locks stuck to his face and the pale skin. She recalled his expression of uncertainty, which made her realize that it hadn't been a nightmare like the previous ones.

"Do you want to talk?" was all she asked him in the darkness. He looked at her uncertainly, as his heartbeat calmed down and his eyes regained their blue. She knew Leon didn't like to show his vulnerability in front of others, but for some reason, in front of her, he was able to open up more easily.

That's why she was the first person he told about that nightmare.

The first time he told her about his family.

The night he first felt terror.

“ Ash?”

She blinked several times, finding those blue jewels.

“ Yes?”

“ Finally, you answer, is something wrong?” his words tinged with concern. She smiled at him to calm him down.

“ No, I was just thinking.” she paused, smiling a faint, shy smile. “ It's... been a while since you called me that.”

“ I'm sorry, I never asked if it bothered you.”

She denied, feeling her face heat up at his words.

“ I like it, I don't mind.”

Leon looked at her now with rosy cheeks not knowing what to say. He dried his hands with the cloth.

He was confused by those moments when he was at a loss for words, he, who always had an answer or a comment, but sometimes, Ashley managed to make his mental list go blank.

He heard a giggle.

“ How about I call you Lele?”

“ No fucking way.”

***

He plunged his body into the warm water letting out a deep grunt.

He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a bath.

He leaned his head on the edge and looked up at the ceiling.

This situation was a little... strange.

He didn't dislike it at all, it was just that after Raccoon... he had only been training and going on missions. Ever since he joined the DSO that was his life and for him to be taking a bath to get ready to go out to a club was... surreal.

You could call him crazy, what part of going out partying on a Saturday was abnormal?

For him, everything.

Used to being away from home for weeks at a time and then coming back with a broken body on the verge of collapse... going into a routine of sleeping, reading emails, working out, and chatting... It was weird.

But he had longed for some normalcy.

How long would it last? an amber gaze made its way into his thoughts.

Leon sighed with a smile.

Ashley was the one who managed to make everything feel so normal. Even if she had been attacked, she was still joking around, not hiding behind him or looking terrified around every corner. She walked beside him.

He liked their arguments, no matter how stupid they were or the moments of silence when they were simply grateful for each other's company.

And that smile.

He hadn't realized how much he had missed her smile until he saw her laugh for the first time that day, in the middle of the street, almost a month ago.

He sat up to reach for the conditioner and spread it all over his hair, taking in the delicious coconut scent.

He had been more aware of his body odor lately, to tell the truth, he felt somewhat embarrassed when he discovered Ashley's fine sense of smell. He wasn't dirty, but if it was as fine as she claimed...he didn't want her to smell him when he had those moments.

She already told him that smelling her dogs' pheromones when there was a female dog in heat was horrible. He didn't know if by horrible she meant the headache it gave her or that literally the smell was unpleasant.

Whatever it was, he didn't want her to sense his weaker...moments.

He was an agent, but also a person who needed to get his carnal needs met from time to time.

He sighed getting up as the tub began to empty to rinse his hair.

Companionship, yes, sometimes he missed it.

He had dated, but nothing serious since Racoon, what did he expect in that line of work?

There were times when he envied Patrick for having a crush on Hunnigan. He didn't have to lie to her or hide information from her, just like he did at his dinners.

He threw the towel over himself and looked at the sink where a silver bracelet with a red jewel rested.

She was so easy to be around...no lies. And that's why he wanted to keep that friendship without compromising it with uncomfortable situations.

He treasured her and didn't want to lose the few people who were able to see him as he was.

He opened the closet and ran his eyes over different options. There weren't many, he was a simple man, but hey, no one would take his jackets from him.

He pulled out some black jeans he hadn't worn in a while and a dark brown short-sleeved t-shirt. He spotted the jacket Claire had given him three years ago, a beautiful navy blue denim with gold thread embroidery. He hadn't had many opportunities to wear it, after all, when he was at the White House he usually wore a suit and when he was sent somewhere else he preferred to take the more worn leather ones, for fear of ruining the new ones. He had two other gifts also from Hunnigan and Chris, which he hadn't used much since he lost the one Patrick gave him when he went to Spain for the second time... he didn't want to lose any more.

He calmly got ready and took advantage of the little time he had to tidy up the living room before stowing his gun under his jacket and grabbing his house keys. He closed the door behind him and rapped his knuckles on Ashley's door.

“ It's open.” he heard in the distance. Leon turned the knob and walked in being greeted by the dogs. He petted them looking around and down the hall, he saw the light from Ashley's room door.

“ What are you going to do with the dogs?” asked the agent as he scratched Pepper's chin.

“ I'm going to leave them with Daisy from the second. She's usually home alone, so she's looking forward to some company.”

Leon smiled, now petting Mint.

“ I see you've made good relations in the neighborhood.”

He heard footsteps and drawers close.

“ They are nice people. It was a little more complicated at first, but they let me be part of the community when they saw I had no problem getting my hands dirty.”

They were both silent. Leon caught the smell of shampoo wafting from the bathroom, a pleasant scent of lavender and pine. He heard the lights click off and looked up when the door opened.

His heart punched him in the chest and knocked the air out of him for several seconds.

He ran his eyes down those long legs, wearing black side-laced jeans that rode up from her ankles to her hips, subtly showing off her tan skin between the strings. Her athletic torso was left in the air, with the top giving her a sleek figure with a semi-transparent V across her chest. She raised her strong arms and saw on her right bicep the bracelet with the stone. His eyes ended on her face, simply made-up with mascara for her long eyelashes and deep, full maroon lips.

Leon stood puzzled for a few seconds, unable to look away from her figure. His heart pounded and he was glad he hadn't forgotten about the cologne.

“ My eyes are up here, Leon.

The voice brought him out of his surprise and he raised his irises to her amber ones. He saw a faint blush on her cheeks from the deep look he had given her. Leon smiled trying to hide his nerves.

“ Sorry, it's just that…” he paused, encompassing Ashley's whole figure with a gesture of his arm- wow, princess, you caught me by surprise.

"Calm down Kennedy." he had to keep his manners, it wasn't like it was the first time he'd seen a woman.

Ashley sketched a smile putting her arms on her hips.

“ I have to tell you too, you look very handsome.”

Leon looked at himself and smiled adjusting his jacket.

“ I guess it's okay to change once in a while.” He smirked "although, compared to you princess, I've come up short.”

Ashley's heart skipped a beat and she prayed Leon wouldn't notice. It was so hard not to feel altered by that sapphire stare....

She thanked him for his compliments trying to calm herself and turned toward the walk-in closet. It was then that Leon could see both ends of the scar on her back. The top came up to her waist and left her arms in the air allowing him to see part of the marks. Maybe she still didn't feel confident enough to show all her scars, after all, it wasn't a small mark and it showed a part of her that not everyone could accept. Just as it had happened to her in college.

He saw her pull out a nice tight leather jacket, which flattered her silhouette and grabbed her car keys.

“ Oh, you won't need them.” he hurried. Ashley looked at him blankly and saw him pull other keys out of his pocket.

“ They lent you a car?”

Leon's devilish lopsided grin appeared again, making the woman tingle.

“ Something much better.”

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solarsavoy · 2 years ago

Note

Chia Jasmine Ivy

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

These are hard to think of on the spot, although I'm sure I've a lot of them. How about an unspoken rule instead.

So, for this example, I'll use Minecraft, but this applies to anything and everything. Deo dies a lot. He'll lose all his fancy supplies, the diamond pickax and armor. The cobalt hammer. Three full squares of food. All the time. We just shrug it off because it's normal now, however... if I die once, he will come to my aid and help me replenish all my shit because otherwise, my mood will destroy everything. I never die. I always mass produce food and supplies and like to dig and build and I'm really good at avoiding fights, so I usually die from sudden creepers, and even that's rare. (We always play on survival. It's too boring otherwise.)

How it applies to other things:

Deo - computer crashes and he loses all his information and games, etc. "Darn. So you're going to be spending the next day or two getting it all back?" Said nonchalantly.

Me - my computer goes to sleep once (which is actually an issue, it doesn't like to wake up and I'll have to restart it.) Deo drops everything and is on standby until I've restarted the computer and confirmed I didn't lose anything or it's not going to be a happy day.

So I guess it's kind of an inside joke. Deo's so used to losing his information or dying, it's not a big thing, but I almost never lose any, ever, so me losing even that one paragraph I just wrote before the laptop went to sleep is such a monumental loss in comparison. I kid you not, the amount of full information restarts Deo has gone through on the regular is unfathomable. He just recovered from one four days ago because he's "mad at Windows". I don't know what this means, I just know it's a minor inconvenience. (Constant, but minor.)

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

An Olsen Twins mystery adventure that I read growing up. It was about as long as a Goosebumps book and I remember really liking it, but even back then it was a guilty pleasure. Now, I don't even remember what it was about and I can only imagine it being stupid and annoying. (Sorry not sorry.) I still have my favorite Goosebumps book though, and actually read that some time in the past 2 years. Just as good as I remember. ^^ (I Am Your Evil Twin by the way, in case you were interested.)

ivy ⇢ what are your ‘tells’ for your emotions and moods? how can someone tell you’re happy, annoyed, upset or tired?

When I'm happy, I'm usually more chatting. When I'm upset, I'm more short and curt because I don't want to talk to anyone. Tired, I'm more likely to ramble or unable to focus on one thing. (So online I'll probably go from chatting to watching something and completely forget I was having a conversation with someone. 😅 Different from avoidance, which I do for almost anything.) Annoyed.... I probably look like I want to talk just so I can agro out for a while, where I just want to raise my voice and talk hatefully about the thing that upset me. That's more extreme annoyance. If I'm just slightly annoyed, I'll probably do whatever I can to deflect whatever's annoying me, either by trying to include someone else into the conversation and then changing the subject and then switching to the other person. (This happens at work when an annoying coworker talks about annoying things. Very easy to "mistakenly" include someone else into the conversation as we're always walking around doing something.)

Thanks for the ask, Hailey.

Ask thing.

#solarsavoyasks

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looneyleyle · 1 year ago

Text

doctor ~ minho

synopsis: minho's been through it all. he's grown accustomed to the torturous visions wckd pumps into his brain everyday. so why is this doctor not doing the same?

warnings: angst, implied character death, medical talk, violence

words: 2567

note: from my wattpad account, written june 21 2021

minho pov

as terrible as it sounds, i wish i could forget about my friends. i wish that they would disappear from my memories. i wish that they would go away because every day, i see them die. i see them getting shredded limb for limb by grievers. i see them as a hoard of cranks bite into their flesh. i see them slowly give into the madness of the shucking flare.

guards escorted me through the pristine white hallways for the millionth time, ready to do more testing, to fill my brain with more images of my friends being slaughtered. i didn't even try to resist, i had grown too weak to even try. as they opened the door to my torture chamber, three doctors came to the door right next to mine, presumably where the doctors observed me. there were two large men, with a much smaller woman between them. she looked extremely uncomfortable, her arms drawn tightly to herself. i couldn't bring himself to feel bad for the woman. she was obviously with wckd, she deserved much more than uncomfortableness, or whatever she was going through. the three stopped at the door, the two men poking the woman.

"go on pipsqueak. it's about time you start doing something around here." one heckled. i paid no mind to them, making my way into the room, the guards staying positioned outside.

as some man hooked me up to the machine, i tried to brace myself for what today's visions would be. they recently found the memory of newt's fatal jump, and they liked to use that memory against me. before i could think up more potential scenarios, my mind went blank.

when i 'woke up', i found myself in the homestead, laying in my hammock. looking around skeptically, i didn't see any signs of peril. cautiously, i got out of the hammock. i saw the normal breakfast crowd around the tables, talking, flinging food, and getting ready for their chores. there were still no signs of danger. i walked up to frypan to see bacon, toast, and eggs. i made light conversation with frypan as i grabbed a few pieces of food. looking around, i saw newt, thomas, chuck, and gally all sitting at a table together. newt waved me over, scooting over to make room for me. i went by the boys and sat down, waiting for something to happen. the four stared at me weirdly.

"what's your problem shuckface?" gally growled, digging into his eggs.

"you seem a bit on edge there." newt observed, taking a bite of toast. i just shrugged, not wanting to give wckd any ideas of what to do to me.

breakfast was calm, the boys all joking around with me. it felt like i was truly back in the glade again. just as i was about to get my pack for my daily run in the maze, i woke up.

looking around, there was the woman from earlier unhooking me from the contraption. getting a better look at her, i realized that she was hardly a woman, she was my age. she helped me down from the device and opened the door, letting the guards come in and take me back to my room. i gave her a questioning look, but she simply watched as i walked past.

this continued for a little less than a week. i would come to the room, have a fairly normal vision, be unhooked from the machine by the girl, and then would be on my way back to my room. the visions would have minor inconveniences in them, like me scraping my arm on something, or gally tackling me to the floor in his little fighting ring. but there was no cranks, grievers, or death in any of them.

one morning, i woke up to the other kids in my bunk being escorted out. when i got up to get out, however, i was told to stay.

"you're to stay in here. doctors orders." that was all he said before slamming the door in my face. left with more questions than answers, i paced around the room, trying to find something to do. i opted for a light workout to get my mind off of everything, and to maybe start getting my body back in shape.

i was given a week or so of rest, still with no explanation of why. today, they were going to check to see if i was fit enough to continue testing. instead of the normal room, i was taken to a room with a medical chair, a swivel chair, and counters full of medical supplies. on the swivel chair sat the same female doctor i had been given for the past couple of weeks. she looked up when the guards threw me into the room, but she kept quiet, gesturing for me to sit down in the chair. i did so hesitantly, not knowing what she was going to do.

"what are you trying to do here?" i asked harshly. she just continued to wipe off a little plastic stick with an alcohol swab.

"why aren't you talking ba-" i was cut off by her lightly holding my jaw open, the plastic stick being used to move my tongue around as she looked into my mouth. she let go of my jaw before continuing a couple of basic tests.

"you know, ladies would kill to be where you are, checking me up." i smirked, retaining some of my old sass. i noticed a small smile sprawl across her face as she put some sort of cuff and pump on my bicep.

"getting a little touchy there i see." i continued, my smirk not leaving my face. as i continued to observe the girl, i realized she was quite attractive. i hadn't noticed when i first saw her with the two men. true to her demeaning nickname of "pipsqueak", she was fairly small, at least, compared to me. i could easily take her in a fight. in fact, i could probably pin her down within a couple seconds if i really tried.

i felt a cold sensation on my arm that brought me back out of my head. she had some sort of circular thing on my arm, which was attached to her ears through some wires. i remembered jeff using one to check my heartbeat after i got injured in the maze once. i felt the cuff on my bicep start to get tighter and tighter from some hand pump the doctor was using. after a couple of pumps, she stopped. before she could move, the doors bursted open, revealing two faces i thought i would never see in real life again.

"newt? tommy?" the two nodded, wide smiles on their faces. then, thomas noticed the doctor right next to me. thomas aimed the launcher at her, but she didn't flinch. in fact, she paid no mind to it at all. instead, she removed cuff and stethoscope from my arm and handed me a first aid kit. she then turned to thomas and put her hands up, confusing the two boys.

"c'mon minho, we don't have all day" newt complained, looking rapidly around to make sure no one was coming. i got up to follow them out, but once i reached the door, i looked back at the doctor. she still sat there in the chair, simply watching us leave.

i don't know why i did what i did next. i had no reason to trust her. i knew that. she knew that. the boys knew that. wckd was our sworn enemy. still, a part of me felt wrong leaving her there.

"take her," i told thomas, causing both boys to look at me in shock. i added, "as a bargaining chip," not wanting the two boys to think anything more of it. the two looked at each other before warily nodded, figuring that bringing the girl with wouldn't do too much harm. i quickly grabbed her arm, as gently as i could without seeming weak or soft, and dragged her along with. she didn't put up a fight. she gave me a confused look, but i ignored it, continuing to follow newt and thomas.

we continued to run through the long hallways, and i was surprised with the lack of guards. doctors and other wckd workers ran every which way, holding onto large files and bags of medical supplies. before long, we felt the floor under us starting to move.

"shuck, what do we do now?" newt yelled, mostly to himself. the girl next to me spoke up.

"there's an emergency exit stairwell up ahead." with that, we sprinted forward a bit more until we came across a door with a bright "exit" sign above it. the doctor used her card to open the door, and sure enough, there were stairs in front of us, leading us out of the crumbling building. the building itself was getting hotter, only making us run down the stairs faster.

"the door on the left will get you out of the building. it leads into an alleyway." she told us, jogging down the last flight of stairs. we pushed open the door to find a dark path ahead, distant screams in the background. from above, we could hear wckd workers coming down the stairs.

"go!" i whisper-yelled, pushing the two boys out of the door and grabbing onto the shebean. we ran through the alley, shedding off some of the layers we were wearing due to the heat. once we found a main road, we watched as buildings collapsed, people screamed, and chaos broke out. some were screaming in joy, finally taking down the people who had held out on them for so long. others screamed in heart wrenching pain as they lost friends and loved ones.

"the berg is this way, come on!" thomas yelled, ushering us in one direction. we followed his orders despite the pain in our legs and lungs. i felt the doctor behind me starting to slow.

"c'mon shortie, we're almost there." i told her, pulling her towards me, trying to urge her to run faster. she nodded and ran as fast as her little legs could take her.

the buildings around us were all in flames, some of them starting to crumble. before i knew it, something collided with me, pushing me.

after being shoved harshly forward, i turned around to yell at the girl, only to watch in terror as a large pile of rubble separated me, newt, and thomas from the girl. through the fire and smoke, i could see her look around, panicked, trying to find a way out. however, when she looked up, she locked eyes with me.

"go!" she screamed. for some reason i'd never admit out loud, my heart wrenched as i started to back away from the scene. i watched as tears steamed down her face. the doctor was quick to realize and accept her fate, and instead, spent her last moments watching us as we ran away. i was still somewhat facing her, jogging backwards. i could still sprint back to her, but i think we both knew deep down that it wouldn't do anything. so, the girl simply waved to me with a solemn look on her face, and i did the same as i turned around and ran to catch up with my friends.

once we got to the berg, newt started to shake. it was the moment everyone was dreading. thomas tried to hold down newt, begging him to fight the madness. my arm became heavy, and i remembered the first aid kit the doctor had given me. i opened it and looked for something, anything that would help my best friend. that's when i noticed the blue substance inside of a syringe. quickly pulling it out, i rushed over to newt, despite the boy's thrashing and protesting, and stuck the syringe into his arm. he still thrashed around during and after the substance was injected into him, but after a couple of minutes, newt calmed down, heaving for air.

"where did you get that?" thomas asked in amazement. i held up the kit.

"she gave us the cure. there's a couple more vials in here." as we waited for the others to get back to the berg, i looked back towards where we came from. where i left the girl who saved not only my life, but the life of my best friend as well. once again, i found myself wondering if i should go back. maybe she'd still be alive, trying to make her way out. maybe she had found a way out and was looking for him. my thoughts were cut off by brenda, frypan, and everyone else coming into view, sprinting for the berg. i saw the heartbreak in thomas's eyes as they swept the crowd for teresa, but deep down, the boy knew the answer to his unasked questions. everyone filed into the berg and jorge took off. silence swept over the berg, everyone deep in their thoughts. my mind couldn't help but get caught up on the girl that saved me, but whom i had failed to save. i didn't even know her, and yet, she did so much for us. i mentally kicked myself for not doing more. if i had ran a bit fast, pulled her a bit harder, then maybe, just maybe, i could have saved another innocent life.

3rd person pov

minho still couldn't believe that they had reached the safe haven. for all of his life -at least, the parts he could remember- he was under wckd's control. now, he was free. they all were. he watched as his friends carved the names of their fallen friends and family into a large rock. he couldn't bring himself to read the names. no, he was a strong person. at least, he had to be strong for the others, and he would be anything but if he looked at the names. to think about all of the gladers he joked around with and practically helped raise… and to think about the fates they faced… he swore that he wouldn't cry, not in front of everyone else.

that night, when everyone else was making their was to bed, minho went up to the boulder. there were torches around that dimly lit the area, making it just light enough to see the names. picking up the tool that was used to carve in all of the other names, minho raised his arm to write, only to feel stupid. he had never gotten the girl's name. all that she did for him, and he didn't even bother to find out who she was. he tried to recall any indicator or slight interaction where he might have heard her name, but he couldn't remember. the only time he heard her being referred to was when the other doctors called her "pipsqueak". after thinking for a moment more, he got to work on the stone.

the next morning, as newt made his rounds around the haven, he found minho asleep in front of the rock. examining it, he noticed a new name. near teresa's name was the name "pip". newt smiled sadly, being able to make a guess at who the person was.

"thank you, pip."

#minho #maze runner #minho x oc #fanfic #death cure

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