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skeletinmoss · 3 months ago

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The Curce Of The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 27: The ruins of Noctura

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“So, I always kinda knew that we lived far from the capitol. But… If you think about it, we had to ride all night to get from the nearest inn to home. And the only other thing between home and the border is a set of ruins at the very edge,” Patton listed.

“Your parents took you as far from the council as they physically could without abandoning the country entirely,” Virgil told Roman.

“I’m trying to remember if I’d ever seen these ruins in use… But I realize that might be futile,” Janus said a bit miffed.

“Can’t we try to fix his memory now?” Patton wondered.

“There is a myriad of memory spells that could have been at the base of the missing memories,” Logan explained. “And since Janus’ was applied so sloppily we’d have to take extra care in restoring his mind or risk causing irreparable damage. If it was the… If it was Gustav Noctura who applied the memory spell, then we’ll be most likely to find out the finer details in his home. If we don’t find anything in the ruins we could return to the tower. We might find something new on a second search. Originally I had fully expected to spend a few weeks identifying and organizing the tower before deciding on our next move. When we found the box, I thought we might have stumbled into a break trough. Sometimes the right answer is the most obvious one.

And I suppose we did…” Logan said. A bit saddened.

“I still kind of hope that it turns out to be all a big misunderstanding,” Roman admitted empathetically.

"Me too," Virgil sighed. Roman silently protested his guilt. From what he saw, Virgil likely had the least to do with the path Gustav Novtura chose if it was as dark as they feared.

"As for the ruins. I'd need to see them to be sure, but they are likely the remains of a mage outpost. This close to the border, it could be from us or from the neighbors. The boiling river is not that far from our destination. It was not always there, though. So its creation might have made claiming land past it strategically unwise and defending here a waste of revourses, leaving the fort without purpose until Gustav deemed it a good place to live," Virgil explained

"That makes sense," Logan mused.

They rode on with idle chatter amongst themselves for a while, all nervous at what they might learn.

Ocasionally laughing at recollections of past antics and gasping at old scandals.

"I have been thinking... about Mister Remy and Mister Emile. You said they had died a few times before becoming high mages?" Patton mused as they stopped to eat.

"Yes," Janus said, curious what would come next. "Well. That means that they didn't come back because of being high mages, right?" The farmer's son stated.

"Astute conclusion," Logan agreed.

"And you figured we've heard that brought up in a zillion conversations already and have come to every possible conclusion?" Remus guessed, proud it seemed. Patton nodded, smiling appreciative.

"Well, what is yours, let's get that one out of the way," Virgil suggested.

"Well. I think it means that, after we have paid penance for our wrongs, the ocean sends us on to be reborn again. I think that remembering, and being recognizable to those who knew them in a previous life, is unique to the eternal lovers. Caused by their magical bond to one another. But I think that souls can return in a new body," Patton explained.

That sounded interesting. The elder mages nodded.

"That's the accepted consensus among high mages. Some think that the more lives you've lived, the greater your natural talent in magic. If that were true, you three must've lived quite a few," Virgil mused.

"And you too," Roman teased fondly.

"Oh good, he's on our side," Janus quipped.

"Maybe it also depends on the quality of life," Roman added.

"If you lived one life as a very good and kind person, you'll have more aptitude than someone who's spent 10 being cruel and selfish," he reasoned.

"I like that. Sounds like an arrangement the gods might come to," Patton said.

"There are some who thought that Love simply liked them so much as a pair that when they died the first time, she begged the ocean to give them another chance. And apparently, he has a hard time saying no. And after they became high mages their souls left their bodies out of habit rather than necessity. I agree with the last part. I am fond off them both, but it is very in character for them," Janus pointed out.

"And some think they were so disgustingly cutesy they got kicked out of the afterlife to give the other souls a break!" Remus snickered. Though there was fondness in his remark.

"That's just you Remus," Virgil laughed.

"I am good leaving it a mystery. Personally speaking. The one mystery we shall never solve," he mused.

"I think it would be nice, if the first one is true. It could mean we have known each other and loved each other before," Roman pointed out.

Virgil smiled. "That is a nice thought," he agreed.

"Oh! What of you were the captain? And now you are back and rescued him, and you can get married this time," Patton gushed, swept up by the romance.

Virgil smiled and kissed Roman sweetly. "Whatever the case may be. I know that I love you in this lifetime," he whispered. Roman turned red and felt light with giddiness at the same time.

"It is a comforting thought, I suppose. That our loved ones might meet us once more in the future," Logan mused as he got up, helped Janus up, who was endeared by the gesture.

Remus got up and scooped a giggling Patton into his arms to carry him to his horse.

"They definitely shared a dream," Roman said as he righted himself and offered Virgil a hand, which was gracefully accepted.

"Definitely. And they have communicated quite clearly their wants and needs, it seems," Virgil agreed. Roman pulled him up and stepped in a touch closer for a long kiss.

"Yes, you are in love, we know! But we are losing daylight!" Remus complained.

They chuckled and let go.

"Are we?" he asked, the answer clear in his heart.

"Terrifyingly so," Virgil assured them. And he meant every word. Roman gave him a quick kiss in comfort before heading for their horses.

The rest of the ride they distracted themselves with wild plans for the future. Far of journeys, great feats of magic, creating a brand new flower...

But as the sun lowered Roman and Logan, who'd gotten to talking about how different they felt now at the front, halted their horses abruptly.

"You feel that too, don't you?" Logan asked tensely.

"You mean like my blood is colder, the air thinner and there is an unnatural pressure against my skin?" Roman asked.

"Yes," Logan confirmed.

"Glad it's not just me. I worried for a second I was about to die from something mysterious and take out our horses with me," Roman said in an attempt to make light of this awfull feeling.

"Everything alright?" Patton asked as he joined them where they'd stopped.

"You don't feel that?" Roman asked, baffled at how it could be missed.

"It seems we guessed right. What you two feel is the edge of a high mage's territory. Of one who didn't want uninvited guests. Patton will likely feel it a bit further in," Janus offered. That made sense.

"Are we going to feel like this the whole time?" Roman asked, not looking forward to trying to work like this.

"Will they, Virgil?" Remus asked.

"What are you asking me for?" Virgil huffed.

"Quickest way to deal with the ick is to be invited in by someone who's welcome," Remus pointed out.

"And you were very favored by him," Janus agreed.

Virgil sighed, got of his horse and moved to the front, passing the invisible line without flinching.

He raised his hand and seemed to grab hold of something.

"Virgilious gantes invive di cique gestan!" He called out. Something in the air shifted. For a moment, something moved layers of shimmering fractals dazed Roman's senses. And then the air felt... not welcoming, not normal... but not hostile, either. Reluctant acceptance, maybe.

"This man has issues," Roman decided.

"Agreed," Janus huffed.

"Let's go. The ruins can't be that far. We should leave the horses behind though, the magic here will only distress them more," Virgil said, a little tense.

They secured their horses a little off the path and put a protection on them to keep them save from predators.

Roman joined Virgil at the front, worried. “Remember when Thomas warned you that trying to get into my home could be dangerous?” Virgil asked.

Roman nodded. Virgil looked on ahead. “Gustav… Was more familiar and comfortable with offense as a defense… We better be ready for anything coming up. And remember that he might have set his home up to defend against high mages specifically. He can’t kill us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t go ‘missing’ on this mission. So to speak,” he explained.

“Missing how?” Roman asked.

Then a growl echoed through the woods, making Stardust whimper. “Puppy scared,” Buddy told them worriedly.

“It’s going to be alright Bud,” Roman promised.

“Everyone in a circle around Buddy and Star, don’t leave your backs open. Seems Gustav had some guard dogs that are still roaming his territory,” Remus said, retrieving his Scissor blades from his satchel. Janus pulled out a whip, Virgil retrieved his daggers, Roman brandished sky cleaver, Logan aimed his crossbow at the darkness and Patton readied his staff.

Roman flinched back as he caught glowing eyes in the darkness and then saw the darkness move.

“Shadow wolves,” he stated.

“Yeah, that’ll do it,” Virgil agreed.

“Aren’t those, extinct?” Logan wondered as the pact circled their group, looking for the weak link.

“Apparently not. Gustav must have preserved a pack somehow,” Janus stated, reluctantly impressed.

“Bad doggies?” Buddy asked.

Roman almost gave him a full chested yes, but he paused. “Don’t know bud. But they might want to hurt us,” he explained. Teaching Buddy a black and white vision of the world was not how he wanted him to go through the world.

“No hurt,” Buddy concluded.

“We’ll try our best,” Roman chuckled.

“Eh, just in case,” Patton said, followed by the sound of a bottle uncorking. Before they’d left Patton had made a few second breath potions. They all hoped he wouldn’t have to truly test if they worked as intended today. And Roman still hoped they wouldn’t see the potion in action.

But he was glad that there was some kind of protection over Patton should things get out of hand.

“I wish it wasn’t night,” Virgil mused.

Of course. The darkness probably made the shadow wolves stronger. Roman looked up, the canopy above them was unusually thick, even in broad daylight, it would be fairly dark here.

“Buddy, give us some light,” he ordered.

“Light!” Buddy agreed, and the next moment the pack whined unhappily. At the very least they lost their cover now.

“Maybe they’ll leave?” Patton wondered.

The pack got closer. “Worth a try,” Roman sighed. “Keep it up for a bit longer buddy. This shouldn’t take long,” he promised.

There were roughly ten wolves for five high mages, one great mage, one cosmic wolf and one homonculus.

Buddy was at the center, ready to interfere wherever things looked dire. That also meant that none of the wolves would be able to attack him directly even if they wanted to.

So that meant that three of them would have to deal with an extra wolf.

Roman was ready to defend his friends and his creations with all that he had.

The issue with a fight like this, you can't see how the rest of your group is doing as easily, and there is not much room to aid them. In front of him, a wolf got entangled in vines, a spell cast by someone he heard whining from a few wolves. He wasn't sure how many. He didn't have the time to wonder. One was attacking him. He swiped his spear at him, making the wolf jump back. He smirked and swiped again, this time triggering the distant attack effect he'd discovered in the temple. The wolf flinched away to avoid him and then whined as he got struck by seemingly nothing.

Buddy's light was putting them at a disadvantage and clearly they knew that too.

Behind him, he heard Remus speak in a tongue he didn't understand. It wasn't old Axillan. It sounded too different.

"I don't think they are in the mood to talk it out!" Patton concluded. Had Remus tried to convince them to leave?

"Fuck it then," Remus huffed. Roman heard a roar, a bleat, and a hiss. Remus had taken his guide form.

"Not an option for us," Virgil grunted as he warded off his wolf.

Roman felt his reluctance and made a decision. His wolf was still limping and reassessing the threat he posed after the last attempted attack. So Roman took a calculated risk, and on his next jump, he stabbed the wolf in his upper front leg. Not a deadly wound. But it would probably make it think twice about attacking again.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed. The entrapped wolf had gotten loose and dug his teeth into his shoulder. The cold was setting in. Roman heard his name called. He rushed forwards to the first wolf wo attacked him

He felt Virgil's wolf jump on his back. He heard Buddy call out for him. He got to his destination and embraced the cold. "Chase off the evolves save my friends," he prayed. And his magic consumed him. He was magic he had no definitive shape. He was a living fire and wolves, magic or not hated fire.

And so the wolves left as fast as they could, their mission abandoned.

Roman landed on Buddy's shoulder, humming comforting.

"Papa bird. Papa ok?" Buddy wondered. Roman let put a confirming caw. "Papa. Friend hurt," Buddy said, gesturing to where the group was now gathering around... Patton?

Roman flew over to join them, caring in concern.

He looked bad. Blood was staining his tunic fast. A claw mark in his side the cause.

"He was fine a second ago! I don't get it!" Remus insisted panicked.

"One of the wolves you knocked out of the way circled back around and managed to injure him before he or I could react. Roman's aid came but a blink of a moment later," Logan said.

"I have dome herbs that could help," Virgil mumbled, looking in his satchel.

"His potion thingy will save him, right?" Remus asked.

"It's a dice roll I'm not willing to make," Virgil insisted.

Roman, meanwhile, found himself entranced by the wound. He lowered his head to patton's side and sang.

The sound out of his beak was nothing like the usual squad. It was a sound clear like bells and harmonious and soothing. And as he sang, the wound closed and Patton's hazy gaze cleared up and a small smile graced his lips.

"H-Hey there," he said weakly.

"Phoenix song," Virgil gasped in relief. "How come I didn't think of that?" he muttered, frustrated with himself.

Roman shook out his feathers and found himself kneeling at Patton's side in human form.

He reached across to Virgil and held his face, recalling the worry and the guilt Virgil felt. He looked at the place where they'd both stood equally hindered in doing something to protect Patton. He looked back at Virgil with a quirked brow. Wondering if Virgil thought he should be blamed as well.

Virgil sighed and shook his head, relaxing into his hold.

"Aw, so sweet," Patton sighed.

"I don't think they will come back," Janus stated.

"Between Buddy's sunlight and Roman's reincarnation, they should need a long time in total darkness to recover," Logan agreed.

"Speaking of... I say we make a protective circle, rest, and then move on," he declared as he rose.

No one objected to that.

When they settled down, Roman and Virgil sat back to back, fingers intertwined. Stardust curling up next to them, needing rest as much as the rest of them.

"I will dream of sailing off to faraway lands to bring you the most peculiar, things I can find. Just to see your eyes light up when I present you with a new curiosity," Roman offered teasingly.

Virgil chuckled. "Then I shall dream of showing you the most delightful places in our kingdom and kissing in the rain," Virgil promises in return.

Roman quite liked that. A little reprieve before they got to the ruins.

He did dream of the ocean. He was sitting on a beach looking at the sun set. He considered the fact that he'd never seen the ocean in person. Would he like the scent? The feeling of the wind sweeping his hair? The sand under his feet? Would it make him mis a life he might have never lived.

"Where fo you bring them after they leave us?" he wondered out loud.

In his heart, he knew the answer. Home.

He awoke to Stardust nudging his face. He chuckled and rubbed his neck. "Good boy. The adventuring is almost over," he promised. He got up and found everyone was dusting themselves off and eying the road ahead nervously.

This area did not welcome their presence. That much had been made clear. Roman was just glad they'd left the horses somewhere protected. The stress alone might've killed the poor creatures.

"Let's go," Virgil breathed as he took Roman's hand and led the group forward.

It was not five steps later before Roman realized that Virgil was feeling apologetic. Roman squeezed his hand. Virgil m leaned over. "I have been. Relying on you to get my act together all day. I'm not usually so... dependent," he admitted softly.

"Emotions have been running high. And what lies ahead likely won’t be pleasant. I am more than happy to support you," Roman promised.

"I forgot you'd be fine. And I forgot the Phoenix song. What if I am more liability than asset today?" Virgil argued.

"We managed. You are not the only one who can fix everything. You might not be dependent, but depend on us anyway," he pleaded.

Virgil smiled at him and squeezed his hand appreciatively.

As they walked on, they passed a few inactive golems. Buddy clearly didn’t feel very comfortable walking past them.

“You’ll be okay bud,” Roman promised.

“I’d feel better about that if we could get somewhere with natural light,” Janus admitted, receiving a glare from Roman, Patton, Virgil and even Remus.

“Better be nice to my cousin there pall,” Remus warned. “I did not mean any offence. Apologies, seems the tension of the situation has me a bit tactless,” Janus promised.

It wasn't that much longer before they arrived at the ruins. It was warmer here, thanks to the boiling river. Excellent climate for the colorful and fragrant plants that grew around the outpost before them. It appeared in disrepair. There was a plaque Roman would assume commemorates a battle or some other great historical event. But it was in a script he couldn't even read let alone decipher.

"A puzzle," Janus noted.

"Oh, that would be Lo's thing," Patton said.

Logan came forward to study the plaque.

"Perhaps if I could read it and understand it with the nuances of its original..."

Janus kissed his temple, making Logan look up flustered and shocked.

“What, may I ask, was the purpose of that?” he wondered.

“Look again,” Janus urged.

Logan turned back to the plaque and gasped. “It’s the same, but I understand it… Hmmm… I see… too bad for you I am familiar with three of your cyphers and I think I know how you think… Yes… hm, wordplay… Okay that is a clever prosaic misdirect… I see…”

“It is quite fun to watch isn’t it?” Roman chuckled.

“I’ll say. This is like watching Virgil mess around with potions,” Remus snickered.

“Shhh, he almost has it,” Janus chided.

“I do!” Logan stated triumphantly.

“The key is his mother’s name,” he announced.

“Fuck!” Remus cursed.

“Oh that’s just great,” Janus huffed, rubbing his temples. “Maybe it’s somewhere in an archive? We can contact the king and ask him to have someone look,” he mused.

“It’s Delia,” Virgil stated, a bit disapproving of his friends.

Something in the air shimmered and suddenly the fort didn’t look like it had been abandoned for centuries, not even a few decades. The exotic flowers were still plentiful but planted with more purpose. The garden was a bit overgrown but not as much as one would expect.

“Well. Welcome to Noctura manor, I guess,” Virgil announced.

#sanders sides #virgil sanders #ts virgil #roman sanders #ts roman #prinxiety #patton sanders #ts patton #ts remus #remus sanders #the dark phoenix au #intruality

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deerlybelov3d · 4 months ago

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For the AU!! Kids need stimulation. Which means toys. Who has what for toys and how does Lucifer handle the inevitable consequences of a missing/damaged toy? Lol

Omg thank you for another really good question! This one is so much fun! I’m gonna go through each of the kiddos in turn!

Alastor: For one thing, I think he would much prefer wooden and paper toys, and would hate anything made with plastic! I think he’d throw it across the room and refuse to play with it if it was made of plastic! XD I also headcanon that when he was a kid, his mama couldn’t always afford new toys but Alastor would be content just make himself things to play with out of paper or sticks or rocks, and he’d be more interested in playing outside and helping his mama cook than having many real toys anyway! I also think his favorite possession would’ve been the radio, so similarly, Little Alastor’s favorite things to carry around with him would be a radio (Lucifer found one of Alastor’s smaller ones somewhere and enchanted it to play reruns of his show, conveniently excluded all the screams lol!) and of course his little microphone, which I think would be baby-proofed so it isn’t able to broadcast across the airwaves, so Little Alastor doesn’t quite literally broadcast his weakness to all of Hell! But I think it would amplify his voice a bit if he speaks into it and it could play music, more operating as a comfort toy he carries everywhere than a powerful magical tool! If either his radio or his microphone were to break, or get lost, or be taken from him, the meltdown would be legendary! XD I also think Lucifer would make him a wooden kitchen set, because Alastor is always wanting to help around the kitchen and make food! (it’s one of the few things Alastor is eager to do with Lucifer without trying to be a little menace!) Alastor is a bit peeved that it isn’t a real and working kitchen with real knives and a real working stove, but the set being a replica of what a kitchen during his time would have looked like, and having the ice box/refrigerator enchanted to have any ingredient he needs in it if he announces what he’s going to be making, makes up for that! He loves to make pretend food for everyone to “eat!” We know Alastor canonically draws a good bit too so feel like also just a simple pen and some paper could keep him entertained for hours! Ooo and maybe Luci could even make him a wooden replica of his radio sound board so he can use his kidified microphone and pretend he’s doing a real broadcast! Also, Alastor asked for marbles to play with once, but when Lucifer glanced over at him to see how the game was going, he saw Alastor eating them and had to ban marbles entirely! XD

Charlie and Vaggie: I’m putting them together because I imagine they’d always love to play together! One of their favorite things to do is play house, so they would love to have some intricate dollhouses and beautiful little dolls to play with that they can dress up, brush their hair, and pretend to feed and such! They do love to play with Little Husk or Niffty as their baby when they can, but when they’re not available, they simply get immersed in their plotlines and stories they make up with their dolls! Charlie, of course, would also love rubber duckies and would have a whole bunch of them from her dad! And she’d also love to have stuffies all over her half of the bed to cuddle with! She says she doesn’t like to pick favorites and she loves all her stuffies equally, but she does have one in particular that she favors more than the others and is extra comforting, probably a ducky one! Not necessarily a “toy,” but Vaggie would also love having ballet shoes and a bar and some leotards to dance, since we know she’s canonically a dancer! (I don’t think she’s been confirmed a ballerina but that’s my headcanon! All that we know for sure is that she’s trained in synchronized dance of some kind, I’m pretty sure!) They would also love having a little toy replica of the Hotel and all its residents so they can play out little storylines involving redemption and found family and those sorts of long, sweeping, intricate narratives that only kids can come up with! XD Though they don’t fully remember that the reason they’re at this hotel is because Charlie and Vaggie created it to be a place for sinners to find redemption, I think they more so think of it as Charlie’s dream that Vaggie would love to help with! We also know that Charlie canonically draws a lot too, and would love to have paper and one of those huge boxes of crayons with the sharpeners in the back! XD And omg I bet Vaggie would love to have a pretty little music box with a spinning ballerina that Luci specifically designs to look like her! 🥹

Angel: I feel like he would be such a stuffie kiddo and would have such a big collection all over his room (that Luci checked and double checked and triple checked had been made kid-friendly and SFW lol!) If anyone tries to hurt his plushies or take his plushies or if any of them end up lost it is not going to be pretty, poor baby will be inconsolable until the problem is remedied! A lot of them would be based on his favorite animals, like pigs, of course, and also blob fish and angel fish, which Viv has said in the past would be some of his favorite animals! I think he would also love to have a fashion trunk full of outfits and accessories and jewelry and wigs and kid-friendly makeup sets that he can try on and put on little fashion shows with! I also get the distinct vibe that he would love a good fidget toy, like the pop it things or the little snaky tangles or squishy stress balls! I think he’d love the textures and having something to do with his hands! He wouldn’t really play with slime though because it would get all stuck in his fur!

Husk: Little Husk would love things that are similar to the things he loves now, but kidified! Like those big foam dice that he can throw and hold and smack together, little blocks he can stack, things he can chew on and suckle, like teething toys and pacifiers and bottles, and I could see him really enjoying playing with flashcards, as well, which would also serve as a good way for him to communicate, since he’s nonverbal! He would always want something to suckle on and would start to get increasingly fussy the longer he goes without, which is mostly, of course, because adult Husk is an alcoholic that’s always got a drink in hand! He would also love to have an actual deck of playing cards and can sometimes be found playing his own improvised and toddler-brained version of Solitaire! XD

Niffty: I think Niffty would also love to have teething toys for those sharp little toofers! And so she doesn’t use everyone else as her personal teething toys! And, specifically, she would love hand-sewn dolls that have obvious, sloppier stitches and resemble Alastor’s creepy lil shadow guys and/or Alastor himself specifically! She’s somehow very picky about that even at her very young age and will gleefully toss a doll she doesn’t think fits the bill! XD She would also want little rattles and wooden toys that specifically resemble cleaning products, so a little bleach bottle with rattles inside, a little swiffer with soft fabric strips for the the sweepy part, a little mop with more soft fabric at the end and a matching bucket to dunk it in! And, of course, she would want little toy roaches that Lucifer would make plush and soft and cartoony! XD

Cherri: She would, of course, love explosives and fire but that would be a big no-no from Lucifer! She would be given some party poppers and some time to use them daily or weekly, so long as she does it outside and does NOT throw them at anyone! But I do think she would also balls! Bouncy balls, basketballs, volleyballs, soccerballs, tennisballs, she just loves all the different kinds of balls and throwing them, kicking them around, the like! She would also love warfare toys like nerf guns and water guns, but Lucifer had to ban nerf guns too when immediately upon being given one she shot Angel right in the eye and THAT was a whole ordeal! Water guns aren’t banned, so long as they’re played with outside with willing participants only and please please please do NOT aim for the eyes or faces! XD She would also sometimes like to join Angel in dress-up and fashion shows, and they love to do each other’s makeup and hair too!

Pentious: Penny would loveeee building toys, things he can put together himself with moving parts and gears and motors and such, like Lego-style building blocks where he can create anything he’d like and make some really complex builds, tinker toys where he can use real working gears and motors and engineering things that I’m very unfamiliar with! XD And he would also love train sets where he can construct his own tracks himself, maybe even construct the trains himself, and then watch the trains go along his tracks!

When there‘a a lost/stolen/damaged toy, Lucifer takes it very seriously, knowing firsthand how things seem silly to others are important to him, his ducks among them ofc! He’s always a bit frantic and bumbling at first, his mind like, “Crying child! Oh no! Child is crying what do I do child is crying oh no oh no!” But once he flounders a little bit for what to do, he tries to comfort the kiddo first and assure them that they’ll find it, or fix it, or he’ll tell so-and-so to stop taking it, but this tactic works better on some than others! Charlie, Vaggie, Angel, and Pentious would take the assurances to heart, and it would help soothe their meltdown some to have the assurance that they were being taken seriously and that Luci was going to help them! Alastor would not be soothed by the assurances, in fact, they may just make him even more upset because he feels like he’s being patronized! He may try to hit Lucifer or may keep throwing things and knocking things over and pulling out his own hair (and even though everyone’s powers are rather suppressed as kiddos, in meltdown would be the time that some of Alastor’s start going haywire, with piercing radio static high enough and loud enough to be painful, emitting from him, his microphone, and every radio in the Hotel! And there’s bursts of green magic from his hands that help him throw things harder, and the lights start flickering!) and Lucifer is always at a loss about what to do about a meltdown Alastor, because everything he does or says seems to be the wrong thing! This is when Rosie would be especially helpful! I think there’s a lot of reasons why Alastor would rather listen to Rosie than Lucifer, among which include the vague impressions of memories that Lucifer is an annoying jerk that’s bossy and insulting, and that Rosie is a lovely, kind lady who shares common interests and is kind to him! Also the memories of human life, and how he doesn’t like his dad for whatever reasons you could headcanon or theorize, but he loves his mother and is much more likely to want to listen to someone who’s similar to her, even if they’re saying and doing a lot of the same things Luci already tried! I would love to see it get to the point that Lucifer and Alastor’s relationship improves bit by bit and he is eventually able to calm Alastor down on his own! Husk and Niffty would be similarly a bit tricky to calm down with just assurances and comforting touches! Niffty, being so young and unable to truly verbalize her emotions outside of babbled words, would be inconsolable, and Lucifer would be trying to feed her, to hold her and pat her back, to check her diaper, but nothing would seem to work and he’d be growing increasingly frazzled and distraught himself until he eventually learns she’s distressed because of a mess (maybe Angel or Al tells him that!) and he’s just got to let her help clean up her food mess, or her toy mess, in whatever way a baby Niffty would consider helping, and then she’d usually stop crying! If she doesn’t, he’s just got to put her next to KeeKee or Little Husk and she’d calm right down! Little Husk would also not be assured just by words or comfort, because if he’s really distressed, it’s likely from full overstimulation, where everyone is talking too much, and touching too much, and grabbing too much, and expecting too much of him, but luckily, Lucifer absolutely gets that too from experience, so what he does to help calm Husk down when he’s having a meltdown is to just put him somewhere dark and quiet and small where he can curl up and just be alone for a few hours! Cherri would probably be similar to Alastor where she gets extra angry and starts to throw things and knock things over and cannot be calmed with just words or a hug, but what does seem to work wonders, as Lucifer found out, is humor! If he just slips and falls or knocks himself into something or makes silly sounds and faces or shows her funny rubber ducks, soon enough she’s crying from laughter instead! Angel is a good help to calm her down since he knows his bestie well!

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lavendertom · 2 years ago

Text

The Neighbor Across the Street pt. 3

Mike Schmidt x Babysitter!f!Reader

part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6

wc: 2.4k

warnings: mentions of garrett’s kidnapping + mikes trauma from that, fluff, tiny age gap barely mentioned (as always, lmk if there’s anything i’ve missed)

summary: the neighbor across the street needs a babysitter, so you take the job, not knowing what’s in store for you as you grow closer to the siblings. AU where nothing bad happens at the pizzeria

quick note, as mentioned this is an AU, but mikes trauma is still there from garrett’s kidnapping but i won’t go down the wormhole of lore for this bc that’s not necessarily why i’m writing this

——————————————————————————

The cool breeze of a spring afternoon could be felt as you made your way to the Schmidt’s house. It was a Saturday and technically you weren’t supposed to be at their house today.

Abby was found knocking on your front door just a few minutes earlier, asking if you could come over and play outside with her. You had a good feeling she’d been asking Mike all day, but he refused to call you and ask himself because you’d “probably be busy with school work.” So, the young girl took it upon herself to ask.

“Mike got me a huge box of sidewalk chalk we can draw with.” Abby told you as you walked to the house together. “I also have a bicycle, we can go on a bike ride together! Well, not you, you’re too big for my bike. But you can walk.”

You smiled at yourself, hearing the girl talk and talk about all of the things she was excited to do with you.

“Abby, what’d I say about going to y/n’s house?” you could hear Mike say when you reached the outside of their garage. He looked like he was cleaning some shelves full of random tools.

“She said she wasn’t busy!” Abby said, defending herself.

“It’s okay, I didn’t have much homework this weekend. Anything for my favorite neighbor.” you said in the midst of doing the handshake you and Abby made up one time while you were babysitting after her.

“I thought I was your favorite?” Mike said, pretending to sound offended.

“My second favorite. Get it right.” you said with a small smirk.

Before you could continue conversing with him, Abby dragged you by the wrist with a box of chalk in her other arm.

The two of you combined ended up drawing enough pictures to fill up a majority of the driveway. Granted it wasn’t long, but you ended up making a masterpiece out of the broken up concrete.

“It looks like your room threw up on the driveway, Abby.” Mike said walking out of the garage to assess the damage that was done.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Abby said grinning.

“Yeah, when’s it going to rain again? Or I can just grab the hose and–”

“Be nice!” you said, playfully hitting his arm.

“I want to go on a bike ride now!” Abby said as she ran to pull her bike out of the corner of the garage. She had a habit of quickly moving on from one activity to the next with little room in between.

“I’ll go with her.” you said with a smile.

“I’ll come too.” Mike said, already closing the garage door behind him before you could object and say something like “You need a break, go rest.” Abby already made her way down the drive way, riding towards the sidewalk.

“It’s nice out today.” you said in an attempt to make small talk as you guys followed behind Abby. You guys haven’t spoken much since that night he returned home from his first night shift. You’ll never know what compelled you to give him that hug and what compelled him to give you one in return before you left.

“Yeah, I was finally able to get some stuff done outside today.”

“That’s good.” you were taking in the sounds of the birds chirping, some trees were finally blossoming again after the weather started warming up a bit. After a few seconds of comfortable silence you spoke up, “How’s the job been?”

“As good as a night shift job can be.”

“You getting much sleep lately?” His eyes still looked tired as the day you first saw them, if not more.

“When have I ever.” he paused for a moment, not sure if he was ready to enter this conversation with you. “Sleep has never come easy for me.”

“You can say that again.” you said with a small chuckle.

“Has your mom told you much about our situation?” he said at a slightly softer volume than earlier.

“Not really.”

He took a deep breath before he began talking. “When I was about 12 years old, I had a little brother. His name was Garret. He was taken and we never found him. I was there when it happened.” he stopped for a moment, you looked at him and saw the hurt in his face. “I still have nightmares, every night. I just wish there was something I could’ve done. Anything.”

“I’m so sorry Mike.” you said quietly, you were shocked. You never knew the reasons why this family had it so hard, it made you feel almost guilty that you didn’t take the time to know them earlier. Neither of them asked to be put in this situation.

“It’s okay. It’s just hard thinking back on it. I feel like it’s my fault. Parents told me I needed to watch him. I let this happen.” he was fidgeting with his thumbs, taking in a deep breath. “Anyways, mom died a little after Abby was born, dad died not long after. I had no other choice but to take custody of Abby and become her guardian.”

Everything made sense to you now. Mike had his hands full all of the time and not by choice. No wonder he was always working.

“Are you doing any better now?” you asked.

“The nightmares are still there. I don’t think they’ll ever go away, but I put on a brave face for Abby. She knows very little about Garret, kind of want to keep it that way.”

“I understand.” you said looking down at the pavement beneath your feet. “Thanks for telling me this by the way.”

“You were going to find out one way or another. Better talk about it now than later.” the two of you looked ahead and saw Abby stopped at a street corner.

“You guys are too slow!” she shouted.

“We’re coming!” you shouted back. “If it means anything to you, you’re doing a hell of a good job. She cares about you.” you smiled softly, looking over at him.

“I hope so. Doesn’t seem like it sometimes. She’s a pain in the ass when you’re not around.” he mumbled.

“Really?” you asked, genuinely surprised. “She talks about you like you’re her entire world when I babysit.” The two instantly remembered what the girl had said to Y/n that one night, Y/n not knowing Mike heard all about it the next day.

“You would be a good princess for Mike.”

“Give her some time, she’ll open up to you one day.” you said reassuringly.

The rest of the walk you guys talked about random things. You told him all about your college courses which he found incredibly interesting, although not understanding much about what they entailed. He told you about some of his craziest encounters when he was a mall security guard. The two of you laughed so hard over one of them you almost tripped over the uneven pavement, making you guys laugh even harder.

When you finally returned to his house it was beginning to get dark out. Abby somehow was not tired one bit, despite having ridden her bike for almost 45 minutes.

“I promised Abs I’d let her make s’mores tonight. You can join us.” he said putting his hands in his pockets. It was starting to get cooler out as the sun set. “If you want.” he added at the last second.

“Sure, why not.” you had enjoyed getting to know him better, you didn’t really want to go home yet anyways. “I’m just gonna run home real quick to grab a hoodie, it’s getting co-��

“You can just borrow one of mine.” he interrupted.

“You sure? It’s not that big of a deal I can just run inside real quick.” your heart racing at the thought of him letting you wear one of his hoodies. He’s just being nice you reassured yourself, nothing more.

“Y/n, it’s fine.” he said with a chuckle. “You can go through the gate on the side of the house, Abby’s probably already back there.”

He went through the front door as you walked to the back of the house, and sure enough Abby was already back there placing a handful of s’mores supplies on a little table on the back porch of the house.

“You’re staying for s’mores, Y/n?” Abby asked, excitement beginning to fill her.

“Yeah.” you said smiling. You saw a stack of camping chairs leaning against the house. “Wanna help me grab the chairs?”

The two of you grabbed the chairs, placing them around the campfire pit. You heard the door open and saw Mike stepping out holding hoodies for both you and Abby.

He handed you one, you gave him a tight lipped smile after thanking him. You slipped it over your head, it was just slightly oversized on you. It smelled just like he did the night you gave him the hug, you thought you’d never get over that scent. Your hands were tucked into the pocket of it as you took a seat on one of the chairs, waiting for Mike to finish starting the fire.

“Okay Abs please don’t burn every single marshmallow this time, I want Y/n to actually have an edible s’more.” Mike said looking over at his sister who was already putting far too many marshmallows on a long stick.

Mike sat on the chair next to you. The moment felt peaceful as Abby skipped over holding a stick with marshmallows, holding it over the fire. You watched as Abby toasted the marshmallows, trying her hardest not to turn them all to charcoal. The sun had finally set and the sky was clear, the stars becoming more visible. You noticed Mike was looking up at the sky.

“Have you ever seen a shooting star before?” you asked, both of you now looking up.

“No, have you?” Mike replied.

“A few. When I was a kid, I used to sit out back and just watch the sky until I’d see one. I ended up being able to see a few because of the insane amount of time I’d be out there.” you were still looking up.

Mike turned his attention from the sky to you, watching how your lips formed the smallest of smiles as you spoke. He watched the way your eyes lit up from talking about something so important to you. He felt himself begin to smile, too.

You kept talking, not realizing that he wasn’t looking up at the sky anymore. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, not when your face lit up with joy from just talking about something as simple as the stars. The way it seemed like your hair fell just perfectly and his hoodie seemed to fit you just right didn’t help the situation either.

You finally turned your head back to him realizing he had been looking at you the whole time, a small smile still on his face.

“What?” you said with a nervous laugh.

“Nothing.” he said with a smile, shaking his head slightly as he turned his attention back to the sky.

“Here’s your s’more, Y/n!” Abby said as she suddenly popped up next to you. You almost forgot she was even with you guys anymore, her focus was entirely on making the most yummy s’mores. That left little time for her to ask you all of her usual questions.

“Thanks Abby.” you said, smiling at her as she handed you a messy s’more. She ran back to grab another one, handing it to Mike.

“Thanks Abs.” he said, giving his sister a side hug before she could run away again to grab her own s’more.

The three of you spent the rest of the night snaking on many more s’mores and talking more about the stars until Abby fell asleep in her small camping chair. The fire was dimming, barely alive anymore. You and Mike continued watching the sky, pointing out constellations and attempting to see a shooting star with no luck.

“I should probably take Abby to bed.” Mike said as he stood up, making his way towards Abby. He picked up his little sister as gently as possible making sure not to wake her.

“Yeah I should probably head home now.” you said also standing up. You grabbed the chairs you all used to put them back where you found them.

“Thanks, Y/n. You didn’t have to.” he said as he made his way to the back door.

“No problem. The least I could do after those s’mores Abby made.” you smiled.

You followed him into the house as he walked towards the front door, Abby still peacefully asleep in his arms. He slowly opened the front door for you.

“See you Monday?” he asked.

“Yup.” you replied, and before you knew it he pulled you into a side hug. His two favorite people were in his arms now and he didn’t want it any other way.

“Have a good night, Y/n.”

“You too, Mike.” as you pulled away from his embrace, you put a hand on Abby’s shoulder. You gave the two a small smile which he returned as you walked out of the door.

And you bet he stood there until you were across the street, just like he did every other time you left their house.

When you returned home to your bedroom, which was still decorated like it was when you were 13, you felt warm inside. A different type of warm inside, the feeling you have when you care about someone so much and they care just as much back. All you wanted to do was make sure he knew you cared for him and Abby so much.

You looked at your bulletin board next to your door that had a photo of you and Abby from one of the first times you babysat her. She begged you to bring your polaroid camera and she took advantage of it, snapping all sorts of photos of you and her.

It wasn’t until you saw the photo that you realized you were still wearing Mikes hoodie he lent you. You looked in the mirror next to your door, admiring the hoodie. It wasn’t anything special, just a plain black hoodie, but it felt special. You were determined to continue changing their lives. Making sure their days were brighter, months filled with more happy days than sad ones.

You crawled into bed, too tired to take off the hoodie. You took in the smell of it one last time before you drifted off to sleep thinking about the memories you made today, hoping you’d never forget them.

——————————————————————————

jules jewels (tag list! lmk if u want to be added or removed 🤗)

@balesita @universi8 @browneyedgirly93 @prongsprincessworld @k3nnlolz @mxrvelouss

#fnaf #fnaf movie #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #abby schmidt #josh hutcherson #five nights at freddy’s movie #fnaf fic #five nights at freddy's #mike schmidt x y/n #mike schmidt x you

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chvoswxtch · 5 months ago

Note

Hi Court!

Can I get a screening of a romcom about the college hijinks of Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson? Where there moments that, in retrospective, could have clued Foggy into the fact that his feral cat of a roommate is a ninja?

Thanks!

FERAL CAT OF A ROOMMATE LMAO

that's actually very accurate, and hilarious, bc foggy did pretty much adopt matt like a stray cat that became family (and a menace to his life)

headcannon below the cut

legally blonde starring matt murdock & foggy nelson

foggy knows that his roommate is blind, and he knows from doing research that blind people's other senses tend to be a bit heightened after the loss of their sight (you can't convince me that foggy didn't do a deep dive into how to love and care for his new bestie that he referred to, and I quote, as a "really, really good looking guy")

SO he doesn't find it strange that matt is more sensitive to smells, like foggy's dirty laundry that's been sitting in the corner for a week, or that his taste is also sensitive, which is why he doesn't like certain foods. he doesn't play his music too loud, and if matt is trying to study in their dorm, foggy will opt for headphones. and he spared matt the torment of having to wear one of his mom's homemade ugly christmas sweaters bc he told her matt was sensitive to textures (an excuse he wished he could use)

however, every now and then, foggy does notice strange things about his best friend

matt always seems to know when someone is being dishonest. when they have mock trials in their law class, matt always seems to know if the person he's going up against is bluffing, if they're lying about the evidence, or if they're bullshitting about laws that matt knows like the back of his hand. foggy just thought he was a really good lawyer

he'd also noticed that matt got around really well for someone without sight, sometimes even better than foggy did. there were times foggy got lost on campus, and matt had to guide him. but he chalked it up to matt just having a good memory

matt also seemed to have bat ears. if foggy missed something a professor said in class, matt heard it and recited it for him. if foggy mumbled something under his breath about matt being an insufferable stubborn dick, matt would just smirk and say, "I heard that"

but then there was the time that foggy got sick thinking he just had a bad cold and matt had cocked his head to the side (you know, how he does) and his brows furrowed as he suddenly informed foggy he had the flu. sure enough, matt was right, and when foggy quizzed matt about how he knew that, matt just stumbled over an excuse about his symptoms and then promptly walked out

oh and then there was the one time they went out drinking and foggy almost tripped and fell down the stairs outside their dorm, but matt had caught him just in time and pulled him back, with a surprising amount of strength. foggy still wasn't sure how matt knew they were right next to the steps, but he was drunk, so he figured maybe he remembered it wrong

he'd also found out that matt liked to box, and that he went to his dad's old gym when he needed to relieve stress. he never mentioned it to matt, but he was always curious about how that worked. matt did seem to have incredible reflexes, but foggy thought perhaps his dad had shown matt a few things back before he'd lost his sight, and it was just muscle memory

but the thing that caught foggy's attention the most was how matt always seemed to know where the prettiest girls in the room were. he was like a magnet for attractive women, which worked out in foggy's favor bc they always had pretty friends, but still...it was almost eerie. he also seemed to attract women that were the absolute worst for him, which foggy hated, but matt being the whore he was, they never lasted long enough to do any real damage (except for to foggy's ear drums which led to them coming up with a silent communication for when one of them matt was busy being a slut in their dorm room)

#court's 5k followers celebration #court's 5k friends celebration #movie night at mine #matt murdock #matt murdock headcannon #matt murdock request #foggy nelson #foggy nelson headcannon #foggy nelson request #daredevil #daredevil headcannon #daredevil request

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delimeful · 2 years ago

Text

not always what they seem (5)

warnings: misunderstandings, remus-typical mentions of gore and cannibalism, swearing, arguing, lmk if i missed any!

Their captors were up to something.

Janus studied the far side of the room with narrowed eyes, ignoring the pulsing headache that had slowly been developing over the past few hours.

By all accounts, he should have woken one of the others up for a watch shift far before now. Instead, he’d seated himself behind them and watched the aliens unerringly.

A large part of his job required him to observe people. The way someone moved and gestured and reacted physically while conversing with others gave away more than most knew, and Janus was well-practiced in the art. He could read practically anyone like a book.

These creatures might have been from an entirely different library, so to speak, but he’d never let something like that stop him before.

Logan was the easiest, because he had the most to work with and his features were… not quite the most human, but certainly mammalian in nature.

Janus had met many a stray cat whilst lurking totally non-suspiciously in dark alleys, and he found himself appreciating the experience when he observed the way Logan’s ears flicked and flattened in response to certain conversations or actions.

Ever the instigator, Remus had provided his own contribution in the form of thoroughly disturbing the aliens. He’d likely made them think their specimens were damaged with his little shoulder stunt, and while Janus had been quick to point out the potential pitfalls of the behavior, he’d also taken careful note of the way Logan had reacted— their pupils had gone still and slitted, their ears nearly vanishing with how flat they’d gone, and their tail lashing behind them.

The whole mess had at least tapped a wellspring of useful information: Patton’s hands went still and their voice low, while Roman had begun to audibly buzz, rising up on their toes. Clear tells of concern and stress were worth his weight in gold in this sort of situation.

It was extremely tempting to let Remus do whatever he pleased just for the reactions, if it weren’t for the concerningly high odds that the behavior might get him slapped with a defective or diseased label. Janus didn’t have the same preoccupation with panic that Virgil did, but he was still very aware of the ways the situation could turn sour.

Janus wasn’t fond of feeling helpless, and in a situation like this, every glimpse of the aliens was accompanied by the looming knowledge that he was utterly outmatched on nearly every level. Resources, physical power, environment, presence— they held far too many of the cards.

Luckily, they didn’t know they’d picked up someone who was more than experienced at pulling cards from thin air.

He would scrape and gather every sliver of control he could get, and eventually it would be enough to get them out of here.

For now, however, it was vital that he bide his time and pay attention.

Thus, when piles of boxes began to accumulate across the lab and the aliens abandoned their prior workstations to begin setting something up behind a divider, he’d immediately started tracking their movements.

There was nothing overtly morose or angry in their movements, which was a relief in more ways than one. The way they were testing had shifted a few times, and the last thing Janus wanted was for them to decide humans were simply out of their expertise range and better off under a different lab’s scalpel.

Better the devil you know, after all.

Plus, Janus had already memorized a bunch of their tells, and would be incredibly annoyed to have to start fresh with a new gaggle of terrifying giant scientists.

Thankfully, there was no sign of that yet.

In fact, they seemed almost enthusiastic, chattering between themselves as they moved boxes from place to place, or opened one and pulled some strange apparatus out before moving out of sight again. Whatever they were making, it was exciting to them.

Of course, that could mean very bad news for the resident lab rats.

Janus was attempting not to let Virgil’s catastrophizing or Remus’s… imagination infect his plans, but he ended up watching for any sharp-edged implements anyhow.

It was only once they started cleaning up their mess, shuffling boxes and packing items away, that Janus finally reached over to wake up his companions.

“Rise and shine,” he said, opting for a wakeup call that was more obscure and hopefully, harder to translate.

None of the aliens seemed to be in easy hearing range, but better safe than sorry. He still wasn’t sure whether or not they were being recorded by default, after all.

Earlier, he’d tried using a variety of complex synonyms to teach Virgil what he’d learned of their language, only to receive an exhausted, dead-eyed stare.

“I write for a living, but even I can’t handle the ‘swallowed a thesaurus’ vibe you’re putting out right now,” he’d said, and Janus had reluctantly conceded.

Now, Virgil’s body reacted much quicker than his mind, which seemed to be a pattern with him. He jolted awake the second Janus tapped his shoulder, inhaling sharply before flailing away from them to land in a disoriented heap a couple feet away. He attempted to scramble even further back, head whipping from side to side like he expected to be jumped from every angle at any minute.

Janus held his hands up non aggressively, firmly planted in his spot, and watched as the fog of sleep slowly lifted from their youngest member’s eyes.

“A graceful riser, aren’t you?” he commented dryly.

“Shut up,” Virgil muttered, but the tension seeped out of his shoulders quickly enough that it was a little flattering. There was some trust there, after all. “What’s goin’ on? Did– Did nobody wake me for a shift?”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Janus lied smoothly, ignoring the little pinch of doubt in Virgil’s brow. “Our gracious hosts seem to have something planned.”

The distraction worked; Virgil immediately swiveled to glare across the room at where the giants were tidying up.

Still played out on the ground like a ragdoll, Remus cracked open an eye to stare up at Janus. He undeniably knew Janus was full of shit, but didn’t bother saying anything about it as he pushed himself from laying to standing in one move, yet another freakish display of flexibility.

“So,” he said, slinging one arm around Virgil’s shoulder and failing to sling the other around Janus, “what are we thinking? The alien version of a Hawaiian-style barbeque, or Saw-style torture chamber?”

Virgil elbowed him in the gut, but didn’t actually take the opportunity to wiggle out from under his arm. “Stop speaking forever.”

“Aw, but then how would I seduce the aliens? I know I’ve got a smokin’ hot bod, but sexiness is only skin-deep or whatever.” Remus perked up slightly. “Ooh, that’s an idea! What I actually need to show them is my gorgeous skeleton. That settles it, I’m voting Saw trap.”

With all the unfortunate timing of a bad sitcom, Patton approached, carrying one of those transparent cells they’d first awoken in. Virgil took a few steps back just seeing the thing, and Janus wondered what it was specifically about the item that upset him. Claustrophobia? Acrophobia? A simple hatred for the reminder of how very trapped they were?

Regardless, this was the sort of negotiation that he could handle.

“Hello,” Patton said, setting the cell down on the table near them. They said a few other things, too, none of which Janus caught, but the meaning was clear enough when they slid the lid to the cell off and held an expectant hand out.

“I don’t suppose you learned how to say ‘hell fucking no’ in alienspeak yet?” Virgil muttered, edging a little closer to Remus without even seeming to notice he was doing it.

“The next lesson, perhaps,” Janus shot back dryly, and then stepped forward but stopped short of actually climbing onto their hand.

“No cell,” he spoke carefully, pointing to the clear box and then shaking his head firmly.

He wanted to keep as much of their language secret as possible, yes, but there were some words that they definitely wanted the aliens to understand. First and foremost, the word ‘no’.

Patton hesitated, hands freezing in place in a way that Janus expected meant uncertainty, but Virgil clearly saw the stillness as a precursor to attack. Shaking himself free of Remus’s willowy form, he edged close to Janus with his eyes locked on Patton and a snarl that seemed mostly like a baring of teeth.

Janus was fairly sure that biting would have little to no effect on the alien’s craggy, tortoise-like skin, but it was the sentiment that counted, he supposed.

He didn’t react to his impromptu emo bodyguard, keeping his attention locked on Patton, and simply held his hands out, cupped and palm up.

After a moment, Patton reached a second hand over to mimic the posture, and Janus stepped close to it. “Virgil, if you’ll step forward and touch that first hand?”

“If I’ll what.” The glare was practically audible.

Janus sighed. “Work with me here? Unless you’d prefer the box. It would certainly mean less effort for me.”

A short beat of silence, and then Virgil reached forward and tentatively touched his fingertips to Patton’s hand. Janus nodded shortly and then beckoned at another one of Patton’s hands and held his hands out in demonstration again, hoping the intent would come through even with the difference in body language.

There was a pause as Patton looked over at where the other two giants were waiting, and then lowered a third hand into range.

“Remus,” Janus said, and glanced over his shoulder with barely hidden amusement. “Do I even need to ask?”

“You had me at hand stuff!” Remus responded brightly, skipping up to the upheld hand and hopping slightly to casually seat himself on it, like he was boosting himself up to sit on a counter or oversized stool.

Janus took a steadying breath as subtly as possible, and then climbed on himself. This was the first test of how much influence they had. It was better to know now rather than later, especially with an opportunity involving such low stakes.

“We’re really doing this, huh,” Virgil said, and scuffed his hands through his hair roughly with a groan before visibly steeling himself.

To Patton’s credit, he remained patiently still even as Virgil hauled himself into their hand at a snail's pace.

Once they were all settled, Patton lifted them up with all the due diligence they’d used with Janus previously, and glanced over at the cell.

“No,” they echoed the English thoughtfully, and then turned away from it, watching their reactions closely.

The way Virgil relaxed slightly, his expression evening out into something like relief, likely spoke for itself, but Janus nodded slowly in approval anyhow.

Hm. Perhaps their chances of getting out of this alive weren’t as dire as first assumed.

—

Patton turned around slowly, holding all three of their small, skittish guests with an astounded tint to his skin.

“Tell me the recorders were on,” he demanded, his free hands twitching visibly with the urge to fidget. “Tell me you guys saw that!”

His voice went a little too high-pitched, Logan’s ears flattening back slightly, but both he and Roman seemed just as delighted as him.

“We weren’t close enough to catch most of what they said, but the outcome speaks for itself, I think,” Logan said, watching Patton’s hands almost as intently as the Nilh was.

“I’m so jealous right now, you have no idea,” Roman announced. “How did you convince Purple to let you hold them?! They hissed at me!”

“I didn’t,” Patton replied, moving slowly and smoothly towards them. “Yellow did.”

The three of them looked at the tiny alien in question, who didn’t balk but grew the slightest bit tenser on Patton’s palm.

An experienced deceiver, Patton thought sadly, and couldn’t help but wonder just what their former specimens were actually feeling about the situation.

“There must be something that allowed Yellow to take a directive role in the group,” Logan mused, voice rumbling. “They have been leading the other two from the beginning, remember? They were picked up from entirely different locations, but from the beginning there has been a sense of cohesion between them all. It may be worth checking for hivemind organisms, parasitic or symbiotic.”

“I doubt it,” Roman replied. “I caught a hivemind bug in my youth, and the way they move just doesn’t have all the signs. They’re on the same branch, but they’re not interwoven pieces of bark, you know what I mean?”

“I suppose,” Logan said.

“Not really,” said Patton, who hadn’t grown up in a biome with populous tree life.

“Anyhow, if you two will scoot out of the way, I have a feeling that our test chambers will provide some solid evidence against the hivemind theory,” he added, still carefully monitoring his passengers for any sign of fear or unbalancing.

Once the path was clear, he moved forward and then paused at the entrance to the chambers.

They’d been designed with the specimen sect in mind: the entrance had grooves for the box to slide neatly into, at which point they could remotely open the door to the connecting hall and allow the specimens easy access to the space on their own time.

They weren’t dealing with specimens anymore, though, so this could be solved simply enough!

He set the three of them carefully on the stretch of table in front of the first chamber’s entrance, and manually slid the door open.

“Patton, is that… wise?” Roman asked tentatively.

“They seem to respond best to being given choices!” Patton replied. “... Maybe be ready to intervene if they head towards the edge of the table, though.”

—

“I am not doing another death maze. I’m drawing the line in the sand, man,” Virgil announced to the room at large, despite the fact that only half of the occupants could understand him. “The real line in the sand was like, one abduction ago, but I’m drawing a new, deeper line in the sand. Screw this.”

Remus rubbed his hands together in purposefully cartoonish glee. “Y’know, I could get used to this whole space lab rat thing if they keep throwing so much enrichment into my enclosure. I haven’t gotten to destroy the same thing twice in a row since they gave up on rebuilding the local billboard in my town.”

Virgil sighed. “…I don’t even wanna know, man.”

Janus, who had not had the privilege of entering the death maze so far and had no plans of changing that, turned on his heel and started walking the other way.

Only seven steps in, Patton’s hand drifted down to block him from heading any further in that direction.

“No,” the giant said, and gave a solid attempt at shaking their head. Another string of alien syllables, and a flat-handed gesture towards the open doorway.

The other two aliens hovered closeby. Janus considered for a long moment, mostly just to test a few more boundaries before acquiescing.

“Tell me you’re joking,” Virgil groaned, watching him turn around and walk back that way.

“I don’t want to set a precedent that it’s normal or tolerable to ignore a ‘no’.” Janus shrugged. “We can save that for when it’ll be more useful.”

“Useful like avoiding a literal electrified rat race, maybe?” Virgil snapped back, but when Janus showed no signs of stopping, he trudged after him. “Okay, sure, whatever. I’m not jumping in front of any spike traps for you. Your funeral.”

Virgil had already jumped in front of far scarier on Janus’ behalf, but he had enough sense not to say so aloud. Not yet, anyhow. It would make for invaluable teasing material later.

“Can’t spell funeral without fun!” Remus added in cheery anticipation, having waited by the doors expectantly.

He seemed to have understood the sort of boundary-testing Janus was going for quicker than most. It appeared he certainly was keener than his lackadaisical and outright deranged demeanor would imply.

Janus wasn’t typically the kind to take point, but he supposed he had led them into this mess. He was fairly sure at this point that there wasn’t anything intended to harm them inside anyhow. And if there was, well, he’d bluffed his way through worse odds before.

With the same false confidence that carried him everywhere, he led the way through the doors and down the narrow hall into the first room. To his surprise, the doors didn’t immediately slam shut behind them. The lights flickered on, revealing… a floor utterly swathed in fabrics?

“It looks like a laundromat threw up in here,” Virgil muttered, nudging at a pile of fabric warily.

Remus took a running start and cannonballed into one of the larger mounds, thrashing around in it for a moment before sitting up and scanning the room expectantly.

“No death traps here!” he announced to them after a solid ten seconds had passed. “Maybe it’s the alien version of a nice padded cell?”

“It would be a fairly poor cell,” Janus argued, motioning towards the clearly visible doorway on the other side of the room. “I imagine it’s a test of their own, though I can’t imagine what.”

Virgil paused. “Didn’t the big insect idiot take some of your clothes? Remus, don’t even start.”

Remus closed his mouth with a click, grinning.

“Yes, he seemed rather fascinated with it. Persistent, too,” Janus added, his tone distinctly non-complimentary.

The worn hoodie he’d been lent was surprisingly comfortable, but it didn’t change the fact that it didn’t exactly look professional. His appearance was something he preferred to manage himself, besides.

“I’d say maybe it’s a request for tiny clothes, but that’s stupid.” Virgil turned in a slow circle. “Plus there’s no actual sewing supplies.”

Janus glanced up, but the ceiling was opaque. However the aliens were monitoring them, it wasn’t through that.

“The far door is open. Let’s see if the next room can illuminate what precisely they want from us.”

—

“They didn’t pick any textiles!” Roman bemoaned as Patton tapped at his arm in a soothing pattern.

“I told you we shouldn’t have put it first,” Logan said with an ear flick.

“Give it more time,” Patton encouraged. “They’re probably going to go back and forth between rooms a fair few times. We’ll learn their preferences eventually!”

—

“I am never leaving this room. Ever.”

Virgil snorted, as though Janus was being facetious when he actually felt dangerously close to swearing an oath on the matter.

The next room was broken up into five smaller spaces, which turned out to be temperature-controlled.

Janus was currently in the warmest room, practically directly below the heating vent and he had no plans of exiting any time soon.

Remus, who had started sweating as soon as they got to the second warmest area, had already detoured to the coldest section and was currently exposing his pits— and by extension, his body odor— to the fans.

Janus wasn’t going in that section for love or money.

“Stop turning into a puddle,” Virgil demanded, kicking at one of Janus’s legs lightly. “You don’t even know how this thing is heated. We could be getting radiation poisoning right now.”

“Who needs warmth with a ray of sunshine like you in the group,” Janus asked, earning himself a glower. “You have no sympathy for the disabled. For shame.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Come on. I want to leave but I don’t want to get separated. That’s how they get you in every horror movie ever.”

Janus stretched out a little further, sighing as the heat sank into his bones. “Ahh, the horror.”

“Fine,” Virgil snapped, rising. “Don’t come crying when they start baking you like a pie.”

He stomped off with the energy of a twenty year old. Being an ancient five years older, Janus envied his spry nature.

He’d have to get up and keep moving after all. Just… in a moment or two…

—

They watched as two of the little aliens settled firmly on opposite ends of the climate choice area, with the third one storming off without settling in any particular one.

“…I rescind my hivemind theory.”

“Stars above,” Roman made a low buzzing groan. “This is going to make temperature control so unnecessarily difficult.”

“We’re certainly going to have to get creative,” Patton agreed, unable to conceal his amusement. “Two choices in and we’ve already got trouble on our hands, literally.”

He waved a few hands around to his teammates’ shared exasperation.

“A species with such variance in three samples alone… It’s going to be explosive when we share this footage.” Roman mused. “Nobody’s going to know what hit them.”

Looking down at their tiny guests, Patton couldn’t help but agree.

#nawts #not always what they seem #ts virgil #ts roman #ts janus #ts patton #ts logan #ts remus #my writing #sanders sides fic #g/t #space au #writing

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strwyofthesun · 2 years ago

Text

forgive me, goodbye [pt. 2]

pairing: re2r!leon kennedy x intern!reader

synopsis: after settling into the uk, you learn of the raccoon city incident and suffer a great loss. after graduating from med school and starting up your internship, you meet someone who you thought you've left in the past.

word count: 3.7k

cont: smut, unprotected sex, p in v, mentions of death, mentions of blood, hurt/comfort, there's so much stuff goin on idk anymore

a/n: i did not expect to write a part 2 of this but my best friend bitched about not liking the ending so i did this out of spite <3 also! this takes place after the re2 events and before operation javier. i did alot of research on the re timeline and other medical related things mentioned T_T last, leon looks so cute in the pic i choose that bc his outfit there is similar to his operation javier fit

part one here !

A week has gone by since you’ve moved in the UK and you had been feeling homesick. Even though you had settled into your dorm, made new friends, and gotten acquainted, nothing beats the company of family. Not only have you been missing family, but also Leon. Feeling distressed, you decided to call your family to see how they’re doing.

You go through your contacts and scroll down to find your Mom’s contact. You spotted her name and pressed dial. The phone lets out a ring that lasted for only a couple seconds as your mom had picked up the call.

“Hey mom… Is dad with you?”

“Hey honey! Yes, he’s over here!” Your mom called for your dad and you hear his voice in the background shouting back to wait for him. You let out a laugh hearing your parents shuffle around. “What’s up hun? How’s everything going there?” Your dad asked.

“Everything’s fine dad, I’m just a little homesick…”

“Aww, hun… We miss you dearly too… You’ve grown up into such a fine, successful, smart, and independent young lady. We couldn’t be any more proud of you. Call us anytime, we promise we’ll always answer the call at the first ring.” Your mom said.

“Hey mom…?”

“Yes?”

You gulped down the lump you felt in your throat, “How’s Leon doing?”

“Oh… I heard he’s out of town.”

“…Is that so?”

“You know who I miss?” Your dad suddenly chimed in.

“Who dad?” You asked curiously while smiling.

“You and Leon. You remind me of you and your mom back in the day.” Your smile dropped hearing those words from your dad. It made you miss him even more and your parents could tell by the silence on your end of the line.

Your mom nudged your dad and scolded him, “Hun! Come on! She’s trying to move on, don’t make it any harder for our baby.”

“I’m fine mom, really. I just wanted to know…”

“Well, alright… If you say so.”

“I’ll be going now, I have a class in a bit.”

“Okay, call us if you need anything!” Your dad reminded again.

“I will, I will. Love you guys…”

“We love you too hun.” They said in union and dropped the call. It was nice hearing their voices again. You opened a box filled with pictures, looking for ones of you guys together when you were suddenly greeted with tons of pictures of you and Leon together on top of the pile. A certain picture caught your eye and you grabbed it to take a closer look. It was a picture of the night you, Leon, and your parents celebrated your graduation from pre-med. Tears fill your eyes and drops of it landed on the picture, slightly damaging the ink. You try desperately to remove your tears stains from the picture but ended up smudging the photo and getting the ink over your parents’ faces. You threw the picture back in the box and curled up at the foot of your bed and sobbed silently.

You didn’t regret your choice of pursuing your dream of becoming a virologist but God, did you really have to go through this just to reach it? You tried controlling your heaving and sniffled as an attempt to quit crying because you had a class in a few minutes. You stood up and walked yourself to the bathroom to wash yourself up. Looking into the mirror, you realized that you’re already here and it’s too late to quit now. You’ve sacrificed so much of your time, effort, and relations for this. Quitting isn’t an option.

Days passed by and you drowned yourself in your studies. You were currently one of the best in your class and according to your professors, you had the most promising potential. Meanwhile, Leon was out of town just as your mom said and was wasting away in God knows where. All he wanted to do was get away from that town and escape the memories it held. He drank his sorrows away but no bottle of alcohol could ever fill the void in his heart. It’s as if you took a piece of his heart and left with it and there was no chance of ever getting it back.

During one late night, he received a call from his co- officer telling him not to go back to Raccoon City even though there was a current crisis, but Leon didn’t listen. He sobered up and immediately headed back to Raccoon City. The following events that unfolded are to be summed up and named “Raccoon City Destruction Incident” from then on.

While studying in a café with your earphones on, you realized that it’s been awhile since you’ve called your parents. You ring them up but they don't picked up.

“Weird, they usually answer at the first ring…” You mumbled to yourself. You try again and to no avail. “Again.” you said but call after call they didn’t pick up. Now you were really worried. Out of frustration, you take your earphones off and take a sip of your coffee when you start picking up on the sounds of the café. But what caught your attention made you drop the coffee cup in your hands.

“The US government declared Raccoon City 'beyond saving' from its residents that have turned aggressive and zombie-like. They ordered a missile strike to wipe out the city and later at dawn, it is reported that two non-nuclear missiles hit the city, clearing all of its 100,000 citizens, and completely wiping it off the map.“

Ringing filled your ears and your hands trembled at the news you had just heard. “This can’t be happening…” you thought. A waiter walked up to you demanding you pay for the broken coffee cup but you couldn’t hear him well. His words sounded like it was being drowned out by water. Your body went on auto-pilot and you grab whatever amount of money you had on you and shoved it into the chest of the waiter. You grabbed your stuff and exit the café while calling for a taxi cab.

You rushed back to your dorm and packed your stuff immediately. Things weren’t properly processed in your mind and before you knew it you were on a flight back to the US. You took a cab to the outskirts of what’s left of Raccoon City before you were blocked by multiple hazard signs, barricades, and police tape. You tried to get passed it but police stopped you before you could even step past the barricade. You stare at the massive crater left by the missiles and what remained of your old home. Streams of tears run down your face and you couldn’t stop it. The police tried calming you down but it was useless. They couldn’t do anything except escort you back to the hotel you checked in.

Once you were at your hotel room, you drop to your knees and wailed. You couldn't fathom the intensity of all the feelings that you were experiencing all at once. Everyone you knew and loved were turned into those… monsters you saw on the news. They were killed, wiped out, with no trace left. Your friends, family, mom, dad, and Leon, all gone. You cried even harder now that things have finally started sinking in. You recall your last call with your parents, them saying how proud they were, and them saying they love you, it was agonizing. And Leon... Oh Leon… you left him alone and heartbroken in Raccoon City. You blamed yourself for their deaths. You imagined your parents worried sick for you because you haven’t called them in awhile as well as Leon who was probably grieving still over the breakup. The image of them worried and scared for their life, was all you could think about. Tears didn’t stop flowing and you’ve lost your voice from screaming. You asked yourself, was this punishment for leaving? Did you deserve to suffer this much?

It's 2002 and four years have passed since. Not a single day went by where you didn’t think of your parents and Leon. You’ve let yourself grieve, gotten therapy, and took a break from med school for awhile. But in the end, you pushed through with it because you knew they would’ve wanted you to push through. You were a step closer to becoming a virologist and its something you’ve worked extra hard on this time. You promised yourself that once you finished everything, you’d dedicate the rest of your life studying the viruses that caused the Raccoon City Destruction Incident and find a vaccine for any virus that could turn people to what the Raccoon citizens became. But for now, you are currently taking up your one year internship.

It was a regular day at the hospital, nothing out of the ordinary. You examined patients, spent your time in the laboratories, and conduct medical procedures along with other doctors. Soon, the mundane day of yours came to an end, or so you thought. As you were about to clock out, a fellow intern called for you.

“Hey [Y/N]! Wait up!” They said as they grabbed onto your shoulder, puffing out heavy breaths.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” You asked in concern seeing that it was most probably urgent based on the face your colleague made.

“There’s someone out there asking for a CBC.”

“Okay and? You do it. Can’t you see I’m about to leave? I’m about to be overtime.” You replied feeling annoyed from being interrupted as you were about to leave.

“C’mon, do me a favour will ya? I’ll do your stool examinations for a week. Pleaseeeee…” your colleague said while giving you puppy eyes. You cringed at the sight of them and finally gave in to their request.

You rolled your eyes and gave an empty threat. “Fine, I’ll do it. You better stick to your word or else.”

They nodded their head ecstatically and hugged you before they left. “Ugh…” you thought to yourself. If you had just declined, you would’ve been home by now doing anything as long as you weren’t here in the hospital. You grabbed a folder and headed to the counter whilst keeping your head down.

“Hello, good evening, I heard you came in for a CBC?” You greeted.

“Yes, how long do I have to wait for you [Y/N]?” A familiar voice asked. You stopped fiddling with the folder and furrowed your brows. Where have you heard this voice before? Then, it clicked. It couldn’t be…

You looked up at the person opposite to you and met a pair of piercing blue eyes you know you’ve seen before. The tall frame, muscular build, dirty blonde hair. You couldn’t believe it. It was like staring at a ghost. The blood drained from your face as you step back in horror, refusing to believe that the Leon Scott Kennedy was standing right infront of you, alive.

“Woah, hey, are you okay?” Leon asked as he held his hands out.

“Am I okay…? Okay?! I thought you died?!” You screamed which caught the attention of other hospital staff and patients. You look around and apologized and looked back at Leon. “Look, I’ll do your CBC. But you have explaining to do.”

“I know I do, I’m sorry [Y/N]…” Leon apologized and looked down, feeling ashamed from being away from you all these years and suddenly popping out of nowhere.

You scoff and led Leon to a room to extract a sample of his blood. He took off his jacket revealing his more muscular figure. He looked different now. His eyes were as captivating as ever, but it lost its shine. You didn’t want to pry now, but if he escaped the incident back at Raccoon City, he must’ve seen some fucked up shit. You grab the tourniquet and start to tie it around his arm.

“Tell me if it feels too tight.” You instructed Leon and he nodded in response. “Is this alright?” you ask to which he nodded again in response. You start feeling around his arm trying to locate a vein. Your touch sent shivers down Leon’s spine, painting him a shade of pink. You'd almost miss it if his long hair blocked his face. You chuckled at the sight of Leon, “I’m barely doing anything. Did you miss me that much?” you teased.

“You have no idea.” He replied smiling.

Once you’ve located the vein, you did the standard procedure and in a blink of an eye you had a sample of his blood. You took of the tourniquet off his arm and patched him up. He stood up from the seat and put his jacket back on. The silence was deafening, as an attempt to break the ice, you asked, “So… Why do you need the CBC?”

“Just an excuse to see you to be honest.”

You quickly turned to face him, “Are you crazy?” you spat.

“Borderline. It’d be nice to know if I’m healthy or not though.”

“You wasted my time and equipment Leon.” You said while crossing your arms.

“Okay, okay, I’m kidding. I need it to update my health information for the government.”

“Hmm, okay. Do you want the results now or tomorrow?”

“It can wait. Come on, let’s head out now. My treat.”

“Don’t rush me!”

You finish up whatever’s left to do and finally clock out. You and Leon left the hospital and walked up to the parking lot.

“Here, put this on.” He tossed you a helmet and wore his as he started his motorbike. You put on the helmet and sat behind him.

“Hold on tight ‘kay?” You barely held onto Leon, still feeling off. He sped up on the road which made you nervous. Leon felt that you weren’t holding on properly and suddenly stopped, making you jerk forward and wrap your arms around his torso. “I told you to hold on tight didn’t I?” He smirked at you and you rolled your eyes at him. “Won’t say I told you so.” He said his final warning and revved the bike.

The streets were almost empty which gave Leon the opportunity to drive faster. This made you hold onto him tighter and Leon smiled at this under his helmet. “Not a fan of thrill rides huh?” You could barely hear Leon over the sound of the wind going past you. “I swear to God Leon, if you speed u—“ Before you could even finish, he drove even faster. You had a strong grip on Leon at this point and you could hear his muffled laughing.

Sooner or later, you arrived at a hotel where Leon was staying for the meantime. He parked his motorbike and the two of you got off. You punched Leon hard on the arm you took the blood sample from.

“Ow! What the fuck?” he said laughing.

“I hate you.” You said to him with a straight face.

“Aw, cute. You know you could never hate me. Even from the grave.”

“Haha, very funny Leon.” You said sarcastically.

The both of you walked into the hotel and entered the restaurant inside it. You both sat down and ordered food. And while waiting, Leon finally tells you about what happened four years ago.

“I want the truth Leon.” You demanded.

“Okay, please, keep an open mind alright?” You nodded in response and Leon recounts the events of the Raccoon City incident. You listened to him intently. It was hard to imagine him go through all of that. You were feeling thankful though that he is still safe and sound now.

“My parents, Leon? Do you know what happened to them?” you asked desperately wanting an answer. He shook his head and said “I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I really am sorry I didn’t save them…” You muttered a small “Oh…” and reassured Leon that it was okay. “I just wish I called them a bit more often… I think they were worried about me even up until their death…” You say quietly.

“[Y/N]… You are their only daughter, of course they cared. I’m sure they’re glad to know that your strong, healthy, and most importantly, you're safe now.” Leon said while holding your hand. You felt a tear run down your face and Leon used his other hand to wipe it off. He kept his hand on your cheek and gently caressed it. “I’m so sorry for the way things ended Leon… I didn’t want to… But—“ you were cut off by Leon.

“It’s okay… I forgive you [Y/N].”

“But I don’t forgive myself! There wasn’t a single day where I didn’t long for your presence by my side. I wanted you near me again.”

“I felt the same way too....”

No other words were said. You looked into each other’s eyes and reignited a spark that you thought died a long time ago. The moment was short but it felt longer than that. Too bad it was actually cut short by the waiter that brought you your food. You grinned from ear to ear and Leon let out a laugh. The both of you enjoyed the fine dining and soon you escorted him to his room.

“I’ll… be off now…” you said awkwardly to Leon while he stood leaning on the door frame.

“Do you really have to leave? It’s late at night. Stay with me for the night. It’s not safe out there.”

“Leon…”

“For old times sake…” Leon pleaded. He moved closer to you, grabbing your waist and leaning into your ear. “…Please?” he whispered.

You look at Leon, heat running through your body. He was a burning candle, and you were a moth that just couldn’t resist. Your lips crashed onto his and he slammed the door shut behind you. The both of you make it to the bed and swiftly take off each other clothes and threw it to the bedroom floor. Leon sat upright, back on the bedframe, while you were on top of him. You grinded on him slowly making him groan.

“Fuck, you don’t know how much I’ve missed this.” Leon breathed.

“Tell me Leon… How much did you miss me?” You said as you run your hands through his hair, tugging at it. You teased him, running your wet cunt along his hard dick. Leon breathed even heavier, you could feel his dick twitch as it longed to be in you.

"I'd think of you, when I touch myself... I missed you touching me, making you screaming my name, being inside you. I missed it all. Please, let me fuck you..." Leon begged. You held yourself up and positioned his dick under you.

You and Leon both moaned when he entered you. It took some time for you to adjust to Leon again. "So tight... You haven't been fucking anyone else have you?" He asked. You shook your head and he started thrusting into you, catching you off guard. You moaned and whimpered from Leon suddenly fucking you.

"Come on baby, use your words." he demanded.

You tried to speak but your words were slurred. "O-only... you... Leon. I've only f-fucked you..."

"Mhm, that's right. You're mine, got that? And I'll make sure people know that." Leon sucked onto your neck leaving hickeys on it, marking what's his.

He quickened his pace leaving you a moaning mess. Sounds of skin slapping against each other echoing in the room. You moaned his name over and over again like a prayer. As you feel your climax coming, your walls tightening around Leon's dick. He moaned your name into your ear. "You feel so fucking good baby."

"Leon, I'm close..." You managed to get the words out of your mouth. "Cum for me baby." Leon said as his thrusts get sloppier and rougher. A scream escaped your lips as you came. Leon finished inside you making sure every bit of cum filled you to the brim.

Leon looked at you and cupped your cheek. "Why don't we make up for lost time?"

The sunlight peaked through the gaps of the curtains and you find yourself in bed beside Leon as he sleeps peacefully. You admire Leon's beauty for a little while and brushed his hair to the side. His eyes flutter open and he greeted you in a raspy voice.

"Good morning love, did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby." You replied.

"Mhm, that's good. Come closer."

You move closer to Leon and lay on his chest. "There's something I didn't tell you last night." he said and you could hear his heart beat faster.

"Tell me..."

"I was recruited by the USSTRATCOM shortly after the incident at Raccoon City, and I'm a government agent now. These past 4 years, I've been training intensely. And in a few days, I'll be leaving for North America to my next mission."

You lay in silence, taking in the words Leon had just said.

"Say something please, [Y/N]..." Leon pleaded.

"Do you... want us to get back together, Leon? I want you to be realistic. If you're an agent, who goes on missions that you could possibly never return from, would you really want to be tied down to me?" You asked.

"I do want us back. God knows how much I want us back together. And I don't care about all that mission shit. I will return from every mission just for you."

"Are you sure Leon? Because this time, I'm willing to stay. I've lost you once, and I'm not making the same mistake again."

"I'm always sure when it comes to you. We'll make it work this time, I promise. I love you [Y/N]..."

"I love you too Leon." Those words coming out your mouth after years of longing for him gave you a feeling of euphoria and nostalgia all at once. Who knew that this time around, we'd fall right back into each other's arms.

#leon #leon kennedy #leon scott kennedy #leon s kennedy #leon x reader #leon x you #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon scott kennedy x reader #leon scott kennedy x you #resident evil #resident evil x reader #resident evil x you #leon kennedy smut #leon s kennedy smut #leon scottt kennedy smut #leon kennedy angst #resident evil angst

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ifitmeanslosingyouthenno · 9 months ago

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terrible things

day 2 whumptober prompt: alternative "shivering"

cw: mentioned stillbirth/miscarriage, car accidents, memory loss (not really but kinda)

aaron finds him in the back porch again, even if the rain has been going steadily for the past few hours

even from inside, through the glass door, he can see neil’s shaking

he doesn’t know if the shivering is from the cold or…

he doesn’t know if neil realizes he’s shaking

he doesn’t bother to grab an umbrella, before he’s putting on his boots and a thick jacket, hesitating before he’s grabbing kate’s for neil too

the rain isn’t too heavy, somewhere between drizzle and actual rain, but aaron isn’t sure how long neil has been standing here

knowing him it could be anywhere between 15 minutes and 3 hours before aaron found out he had left his bed again

“neil? can you hear me?”

to his credit, neil doesn’t startle, simply blinks his eyes sluggishly, taking a few seconds to focus on the man in front of him

“andrew?”

for all that aaron hated neil for years, for all that he thought neil didn’t deserve andrew, for all that he thought andrew could have gone for anyone but the most irritating man alive, his own heart skips a bit at the vulnerability in neil’s voice, so unfamiliar yet the only thing he’s heard for the past few weeks

“no, it’s aaron remember? you’ve been staying with me and kate for about 3 weeks now”

for all that aaron would have done anything to never interact with neil josten again when they were in college, the confused look on his face makes him miss when things were simpler

“i- where’s andrew? where’s my-?”

it seems an unconscious movement, the way his hands settle on his belly, and it makes aaron’s eyes sting

“why don’t we head inside neil? the rain’s cold and you don’t have a jacket, you’re shivering”

as if only now realizing, neil moves so that he’s holding himself, hugging his stomach tightly

“no, i’m not- i want andrew”

aaron doesn’t even know when he started associating college with simpler times

“he’s- he’s not here remember? he’s visiting nicky in germany, you’ve been staying with me and kate”

neil’s lips are trembling, and his eyes widen almost childishly, “when is he coming back?”

oh how he wishes he could turn back time

how he wishes andrew and neil hadn’t gotten in that accident as they headed to the hospital for the baby’s birth

how he wishes they hadn’t left the hospital with a wooden box instead of a baby, potentially permanent damage to neil’s cognitive state and a career ending fracture for andrew

it’s been months now, and aaron doesn’t know if what made andrew leave was the loss of the baby or the loss of neil

realistically it was most likely both

he wishes he wouldn’t have to lie to neil, but seeing as he doesn’t have the slightless idea where andrew was, it was too late for that

“soon, remember? he said he was coming back soon”

“soon, yeah, he’s- he’s coming back”

there’s so much certainty in his voice, aaron can’t stop a few tears from falling

“yeah, so why don’t we wait for him inside huh? let’s get you dry and warm, come on”

neil’s quiet obedience, and the way he mindlessly follows aaron’s direction as they head back inside, and aaron makes sure he towels down and puts on some warm clothes is so fucking wrong

this isn’t neil josten

he wishes he could fucking turn back time

aaron watches as he, once again, gets under the covers

“goodnight drew”

neil is still shivering

and now so is aaron

ngl i cried a bit writing this lol, like this went veeeery differently to what i had planned, like the idea was for andrew to find neil shivering on the roof after a nightmare and idk where the fuck this came from also yes neil is trans in this au because my mind said so in the middle of writing this and yes they end up in a car accident on the way to the hospital bc neil is in labor, and it's bad enough that neil gets traumatic head injury with bad damage that could or could not revert, and it's a stillbirth, bc they were rushing to the hospital bc neil wasn't neil his due date yet, and he could feel something was wrong, and in the end due to complications from the birth itself plus the complications brought by the accident just weren't compatible with the baby surviving :( and yes andrew is alive, he just couldn't stand everything happening to them, like aaron says, he lost his unborn child, he lost the man that he loves, and he got frustrated, he hurt too much and he left, but not before making sure aaron would look after neil this is probably one of the saddest things i've written lol sorry if it's too much and so very sorry for ranting here and yes the title is from terrible things by mayday parade

#aftg #all for the game #aftg fic #aftg hc #aftg headcanon #neil josten #andrew minyard #andreil #aftg au #aaron minyard #whumptober #whumptober 2024

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intpweb · 4 months ago

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The Weight of What Was | Park Wonbin.

TWs: wonbin as the ex, breakup, unresolved feelings, emotional pain, attending an ex’s wedding, themes of nostalgia and bittersweet closure.

Stranger by Olivia Rodrigo

The apartment was too quiet. Too empty. Y/n stood in the center of their once-shared home, staring at the scattered boxes filled with pieces of a life that no longer belonged to them. The walls still echoed with laughter, whispered confessions, and late-night conversations about the future they thought was certain. But now, those dreams had been packed away too—folded neatly like the clothes they once borrowed from each other, discarded like the promises they failed to keep.

Wonbin was on the other side of the room, silent. His presence still felt familiar, but there was now a distance between them that neither could cross. It was strange how love could turn into something so fragile, so painful. Neither of them had wanted it to end this way. But something had broken, something they couldn’t fix. And they were too tired to keep pretending otherwise.

“Take care of yourself,” he finally said, his voice heavy but steady. Y/n swallowed, forcing herself to nod. “You too.”

They didn’t fight. There were no grand gestures, no dramatic goodbyes. Just a quiet acceptance of the inevitable. And as she walked out of the door for the last time, she didn’t look back.

Years later

The city felt smaller than she remembered. Maybe because she had changed. Maybe because everything felt different without him. Y/n had returned home after years of staying away, throwing herself into work, convincing herself that moving forward meant forgetting. She thought she had succeeded. Until her mother handed her the invitation.

“Wow, look at this fancy thing,” her mother hummed, inspecting the envelope dramatically. “You know, for a second, I thought it was from the lottery office telling me I won a million dollars. But nope! Just your ex-boyfriend getting married.” y/n raised an eyebrow, taking the card from her mother’s hands.

“He even sent one to us? That’s bold,” her mom continued, shaking her head in mock disapproval. “I mean, at least send some money for emotional damages. I practically considered him my son-in-law already.”

Y/n huffed a small laugh despite herself, running her fingers over the embossed lettering. His name. Someone else’s name beside it. The date. The venue. The finality of it all. Her mother’s voice softened slightly. “Are you okay?” y/n forced a small smile. “Yeah. It’s been years. He deserves to find his own happiness.”

Her mom gave her a long look before nudging her side playfully. “Well, he also invited you. What do you think? Free food? Fancy cake? A chance to dramatically object at the altar?” y/n rolled her eyes. “Mom.”

“What? Just saying, if you want a dramatic moment, I’ll bring popcorn.” Y/n shook her head, but her smile lingered. She hadn’t planned on going. But maybe, just maybe, she needed to.

Y/n decided to come. she told herself she was here for closure. That it didn’t matter anymore. But the moment she stepped into the hall, memories came rushing back—of stolen kisses, late-night talks, whispered ‘I love you’s that once felt infinite.

She thought she had moved on. But something inside her still ached. And then she saw Wonbin’s mother. The older woman’s eyes softened the moment they met y/n’s, and before she could react, she was pulled into a warm, familiar embrace.

“I miss my daughter,” she whispered, and just like that, the walls y/n had built around herself cracked.

She let out a small breath, steadying herself. “I miss you too,” she admitted, her voice softer than she expected. And then, as if the universe wasn’t done testing her, she felt the shift in the air. The weight of someone’s gaze.

She turned. Wonbin stood a few feet away, dressed in the kind of suit they used to joke about him wearing on their own wedding day. He looked good. Happy, maybe. But his eyes told a different story.

For a long moment, they just stared at each other. It wasn’t like in the movies—no dramatic music, no slow motion. Just two people who had once meant everything to each other, now standing on opposite ends of a reality they never thought they’d live.

Y/n took a deep breath and walked toward him. It felt natural. It always had.

“Hey,” she said, offering him a small smile. Wonbin’s lips curved slightly, though his eyes remained unreadable. “Hey.”

She tilted her head, glancing at the guests, at the decorations, at the life he was about to step into. “You did well.”

“Did I?” His voice was calm, but there was something in it—something only she could catch. A flicker of hesitation, or maybe nostalgia. She nodded. “Yeah. You did.”

There was a beat of silence. Not awkward, not tense. Just the weight of all the things they didn’t say. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” Wonbin admitted after a moment. Y/N exhaled through her nose, something like amusement in her expression. “Me neither.”

He let out a small chuckle, and for a second—just a second—they were them again. The version of them that existed before everything fell apart.

“You look good,” he said, his voice quieter now. “So do you.” Another pause. A knowing look passed between them. They had loved each other. Deeply, honestly. And maybe a part of them always would. But life had other plans, and they had learned—sometimes love wasn’t enough.

Y/n glanced toward the front of the hall, where the ceremony was set to take place any moment now. “You should go,” she said softly. Wonbin held her gaze for just a little longer, as if memorizing the moment. Then, with a slow nod, he stepped back.

“Take care, y/n,” he murmured. She smiled. A real one, this time. “You too, Wonbin.”

And just like that, the past let them go.

#wonbin #park wonbin #riize #riize imagines #wonbin imagines #riize is 7 #Spotify

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aroaceweirdos101 · 2 months ago

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dream update: things are going well for once?!

I found song in a second experiment room. I couldn't attack because he had that damn forcefeild up but he was absolutely studying MePad.

I stayed in that room for what felt like hours just watching, waiting for an opportunity. I found out he has another trans-somnial chat log, but it's BROKEN. the implications of that are. wild?? I don't even KNOW what the implications are to be honest.

the things that he said. the fucking things that he SAID.

here's a few, and what he was doing:

(while looking at some files on a computer) "if it's not a new OS, then what is system link? "

(searching "system" in some long path from a file explorer) "it wouldn't be system32."

(viewing a list of what looked to be MePad's memories) "where is that. where is that red area. who are they."

but really he doesn't talk to himself/think out loud much when he thinks he's not being watched.

the thing is: in that room, laying powered off on a wheelable table, was MePad.

so I had a small change of plans. instead of waiting for an opportunity to kill song, I waited for him to leave the room. and eventually, he did.

so I immediately put MePad in a fireglass box and got him out of the building. although, while that didn't entirely go unnoticed, I don't really care to be honest. sure, the patrolling phones are now on high alert. sure, song knows I've been in the building. but MePad is safe, and that's all I really cared about in that moment.

so MePad is in the ship. and according to 🟪, he's missing his battery, but not damaged in any way.

I haven't heard anything positive from Taco, though. everything in that room seems to have a passcode, and she hasn't been able to bypass any of them yet.

but here's something strange. off the side of experiment room 2, there's what looks like a research room. conspiracy board and all. so many filing cabinets (before you ask, no, Cabby wasn't in there). papers scattered around tables and the floor.

but in the center of the conspiracy board, the largest thing with the most string connected to it, was a large polaroid of our system's headspace. and I think that's what "WHERE IS THAT.png" is too because the same words were written scratchily underneath the polaroid!

okay the polaroid is burned into my mind so I might as well describe it in detail. it seems to be in 3:4 aspect ratio in portrait mode, an image of our headspace. the floor is gray and the dome-shaped wall is a red, white and black static-like pattern. 🟩, 💗 and 🧩📺 can be seen. 💗 is holding up a chess piece and 🧩📺 appears to be talking to 🟩. the position of the photo implies the camera was about 6 feet off the ground angled very very slightly down, and there's two black bumps at the very bottom of the photo. the bumps are spaced about like this: | . . |

a picture of that machine covered in blood from yesterday was also on the board. except it wasn't covered in blood in the pic. but wh. WHAT IS HE DOING. WHY DOES HE HAVE A PICTURE OF OUR HEADSPACE.

I went back in the second experiment room but not before following song through the rest of the floor's hallways to get more mapping info. (he still never let his forcefeild down but at this point I don't expect him to do so willingly.)

he didn't seem to care that MePad was missing as much as I thought he would. he still had his battery though, and placed it in a machine that again seems to list connections or study something.

but then something ELSE good happened! his forcefeild generator. it gave a low battery warning.

he was able to swap it out with a fully charged one but I did steal the almost-dead one. unfortunately though I forgot to put a Cube of Silence around it and he heard the click of me unplugging it.

so I dropped my illusion of invisibility. the battle is tomorrow, and for once, I'm not the one on a timer.

it's me, my flight and fireglass vs him, his forcefeild and sword. (he has a sword thats blade resembles red electricity. perhaps the same kind of electricity X's attacks use?)

again though after seeing me, he said something weird. he said "I will cross the threshold." which. what. but honestly should I really care about the shit he says anymore? I laughed, then immediately woke up so I actually have time to think of a comeback. "actually, ashes can't cross thresholds.", perhaps?

- 💭💥

Omg, that is scary as HELL—whats even MORE scary is that I think what he meant by "crossing the threshold", is that he's trying to get to the real world(possibly by entering/going through your headspace).

Also, ooh yeah that sounds sick!/pos/gen

#ask #inanimate insanity #sam song au #this is arz btw

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namig42 · 1 year ago

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Finally another chapter done, and it's a longer one to boot! Come gather around for some soft comfort in this Wyllstarion fic!

Just One Yesterday (Ch. 16)

< Last chapter Next chapter >

Read it on Ao3

Summary: This is a modern AU where Wyll is a police officer and Astarion is a sex worker. Despite a problematic start, the two manage to find a connection and have it build in time into something more while also dealing with their demons.

---

Without his car and only his damaged body, it was a chore getting anywhere in the city. Wyll decided it wasn’t even worth going home to clean himself up. He had a finite amount of time to do something to take down Cazador and would need every possible second of his time to count. He dragged himself out of the police station and decided that the first thing he needed was information. Whatever he could scrape together, he needed to do it now and come up with some kind of solution, no matter how rushed or sporadic it may be.

It took him over an hour rather than the fifteen minute drive to make his way over to the library. On a Tuesday at nine in the morning, Wyll could only hope that the library was open. He needed to talk to find the smartest man he knew and come up with a plan with him. Gale was not only intelligent, but also kind. So kind, in fact, that Wyll could only hope he would have some sage words of advice and also not be immediately deterred by Wyll’s current state.

After stumbling his way through the city streets, Wyll finally staggered his way up the library stairs with a throbbing in his side that was only getting worse and worse with every step. Honestly, it was a miracle he was on his feet at all, but he couldn’t stop to rest. There was no time. Wyll forced himself up the final few steps and fell against the front entrance doors, delighted to find that they gave way to his weight and opened.

When Wyll stumbled in, he looked to the desk. Gale was missing, but thankfully there was another man there sorting through some books. The gentleman was even older than Gale with a thick head of graying hair pulled back into a neat bun and a wide, flat nose. He caught sight of Wyll, and the warm, welcoming smile quickly contorted into a look of panic. “My goodness, are you alright sir?” he asked in a deep, scruffy voice.

“Is Gale here?”

“He is,” the older man said, curious as to what a brutalized stranger could want with the head librarian.

“Could you please fetch him for me? It’s urgent.” Wyll was now leaning against the desk, grateful for the brief respite it provided from the pressure on his cracked bones.

“Certainly…” the older librarian said with a worried look. He hesitantly made his way into the office behind the desk, and after a few minutes, Gale came rushing out and saw the sorry state Wyll was in.

“Wyll! By the gods, what’s happened to you? What on earth are you doing here and not at a hospital?”

“Gale,” Wyll said with a pleading voice and a seriousness in his eyes that must’ve unsettled Gale by the intensity of the look. “I need help.”

“Of course you do! Just look at you! When were you hurt? Come along,” Gale continued to babble worried remarks and ask a great deal of questions as he came around the desk to help put Wyll’s arm around his shoulders and lead him to the back office behind the desk. As he raised his arm to drape it over Gale’s shoulders, Wyll couldn’t help but let out an immense wail of pain. Gale tried to distract Wyll from the frightening sensation with his words, though it could’ve also been a way to calm himself as well.

Gale continued to worry and question Wyll as they stumbled through the door into the back office. There were books piled high all around the room and boxes full of even more. A couple desks with old computers were tucked away in the mountains of books as well, and the whole room was covered in a thick layer of dust. Wyll did his best to distract himself from the pain that flared with each step by honing in on Gale’s doting words, almost motherly in their frantic concern, and the musty smell of the dusty books filling the room. He didn’t even notice that Gale was leading him towards a spiral staircase hidden behind the clutter of the office.

“I’m sorry for the lack of an elevator. Do you think you can manage a few steps?”

Wyll nodded and up they climbed. It was definitely more than a few steps though. By the time they reached the halfway point, it had felt like over a hundred steps to Wyll. Gale tried to laugh and make light of the trek, “I try to make this trip as little as possible these days with the state of my knees. It’s such a pain. You would think they would’ve installed a proper elevator at this point for distinguished, older gentlemen such as myself, but unfortunately not on the library’s budget.”

Wyll managed to chuckle a bit at that comment. “It may not be my knees, but you definitely have someone to share in your suffering.”

Gale smiled as they continued the journey up. “As do you, my friend. Come on now, almost there,” he spoke with a bit of a grunt.

A few more rotations, and finally Wyll was led directly into Gale’s tower. The walls were lined with dark green wallpaper and dark wooden shelves that were filled to the brim with all manner of books. There was also a couch and coffee table that were covered with even more literature and loose sheets of paper. An opening on the right side of the room led to the kitchen, and towards the center was a small hallway that must’ve led to the bedroom and bath. To the far left side of the room was a large stain-glass window, one of the ones that Wyll recalled looking up at each time he passed the library, that opened up onto a lovely little balcony. It was an idyllic spot, especially in comparison to Wyll’s humble little abode.

“First things first, let’s get you cleaned up.” Gale helped Wyll down the short hallway and into the bathroom. The style of the restroom was a bit outdated, something a person could imagine their grandparents having, but there was a comfort in the old sconces on the wall and the soft, cream colors of the ceramics. Wyll took a seat on the toilet lid with a heavy groan, thankful for the respite for the first time in almost two hours, and Gale promptly went to grab him an old towel after offering him all of his own personal grooming supplies.

“Wash up, have a shave, whatever you like. I’ll go find you something else to wear.”

“Gale,” Wyll spoke with a pained voice. Gale’s attention was caught and he froze in the doorway for a moment. “Thank you. You really don’t have to do any of this.”

Gale softly sighed and smiled. “What are friends for if not for the things that they have no business doing?”

He left the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Wyll alone to strip out of the bloody garments and step into the bath for a shower. As Wyll tried to stand from his seat, he nearly screamed at the newfound flare of pain in his side. The adrenaline was beginning to fade and left Wyll in a terrible state. It took nearly everything he had just to get himself back on his feet in order to take off his clothes. After a great deal of agonizing effort, Wyll managed to kick off his pants and was finally left with nothing on. He stepped very carefully into the clean, porcelain tub and turned the shower onto what he could only assume was an acceptable temperature. The shifting cold to hot water felt heavenly on his hand as he waited for the temperature to adjust, so much so that Wyll didn’t even bother to wait for the temperature to settle before turning around and letting the water hit his back. The warm feeling brought out a moan of pleasure that Wyll didn’t even notice in the midst of his euphoria.

Wyll stood and let the water run down his back for a while with his hands resting against the wall for support. It soothed the pain immensely and left his muscles somehow more relaxed than they had been in a long time, even after a crash like yesterday’s. Eventually, his pain subsided enough so that he could start to properly clean himself. It hurt to raise his arms any higher than his shoulders, so his hair would have to deal with just a rinse of water, but he managed to get the dried blood off his neck and arms with just a bit of scrubbing. He used Gale’s soap and was relieved to find himself able to focus on the strong smell of the lather in his hands. The smell of oudh permeating his senses reminded Wyll that Gale certainly was an older man because only a distinguished gentleman like him would desire such a heavy scent as this. Despite its intensity though, it was a welcome distraction in the midst of all the pain still coursing through Wyll’s body, even with the soothing water dulling a great deal of it.

It must’ve been nearly an hour before Wyll turned off the water. When he finally stepped out of the steaming shower, Wyll noticed a neatly folded pile of clothes on the bathroom counter. Gale must’ve snuck in at some point while Wyll was in the shower and left them for his battered guest. Wyll softly smiled in his appreciation for Gale’s hospitality as he examined what his host had left for him. There was a neatly knitted burgundy sweater and a pair of black slacks. The garments seemed a bit nice to be lending out to someone else, but Wyll didn’t think his blood spattered clothes from the previous night would be worth the extra attention later when he went to execute whatever plan it was he managed to concoct. It only occurred to him now just how insane he must’ve looked while limping his way to the library earlier. It was shocking that no one on the street had tried to stop Wyll, though maybe they were afraid of the crazy, bloody man that might attack them if they got too close.

With great difficulty, Wyll managed to get the sweater over his head. It was a touch loose, but quite soft and comfortable against his skin, especially in the increasingly cold weather of late autumn. The pants were loose as well, but with Wyll’s belt, they fit just fine.

Wyll looked at himself in the mirror once he was fully dressed and was surprised to see his own reflection. He was finally able to see the damage to his face for the first time since the accident last night and was surprised just how little he could recognize himself. Wyll sighed as he leaned forward on the counter in order to more closely examine his appearance.

He held a hand up to his eye and began to lightly touch the bruised, purple parts of his skin. The black eye, a bruised lip he hadn’t even felt, the many thin lines along the side of his neck from the dagger, it was a lot to take in. Wyll clicked his teeth more in annoyance than anything as he examined himself. It bugged him how much more damaged he became every passing day. Soon enough, if things kept up the way they were going, he wouldn’t even be able to recognize his own face.

In a moment of petty insecurity, Wyll couldn’t help but wonder if Astarion would be able to look at him with that same affection he did before as Wyll became more and more damaged. A few scratches down his face were bad, but salvageable. This though? He looked horrendous, even after the dried blood was cleaned off. If Wyll’s face was only beaten and misshapen more over time until he was a hideous version of his former self, how could someone as lovely as Astarion still look at him and call him handsome?

Wyll shoved the negative thoughts out of his head. This was no time for insecurity. He needed to focus on getting information and make a plan for tonight. Whether or not Astarion found him attractive after all of this should be the least of his worries. What mattered most was slaying the beast and freeing Astarion. After that, it didn’t matter what came next. Astarion deserved freedom, that was the only thing that needed to be focused on.

Wyll made his way out of the bathroom and back into the main living space. There were some clanking sounds coming from the kitchen and a heavenly smell wafting through the air of the apartment, like chicken and spices. Wyll turned the corner while supporting his weight against the wall and saw that Gale had apparently begun cooking while he had been tidying up. Wyll’s stomach growled and he finally felt for the first time how hungry he was. He couldn’t even think of the last time he had a proper meal and his mouth began to water at the sight of food.

When he spotted the younger man peeping at his culinary work, Gale smiled at him. “How are you feeling? Are the clothes alright? I hope they’re to your liking. Most of my clothes are a little larger these days, so I didn’t know if they’d be too unflattering on you.”

“It’s fine, thank you.” Wyll said, his eyes transfixed on the pots and pans on the stove.

“Good, good. Come, have a seat. It’s not much, but I made a lovely pasta dish with a bit of garlic and cream.” Wyll sat down at the small, circular dining table and watched Gale fitz about. After about ten minutes of the culinary performance, Gale brought over not only a plate of an alfredo that looked divine, but also a sliced loaf of garlic bread that was still hot from the oven and a small salad filled with the brightest colored vegetables. It was the nicest meal Wyll had seen in years.

“Go ahead, dig in. I hope it’s alright. I consider myself an appreciator of cuisine, but there are times my skills don’t always match my intentions.” Wyll barely heard Gale over his hunger. He dug into the pasta and melted at the taste. Whether it was Gale’s knack for cooking or this intense hunger, Wyll didn’t know. All he knew was that this was the best meal he had ever tasted. He devoured the pasta like it was his last meal on earth, then had a piece of bread and a bit of the salad. Gale stopped talking as he watched his guest voraciously appreciate the meal. At one point, he urged Wyll to slow down a bit so as to not make himself sick, but the words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Once the plate was cleaned, Gale offered seconds. “There’s plenty more if you’d like.”

Wyll was a bit out of breath after eating so quickly, but his stomach craved more. He hadn’t had a home cooked meal like this since he was a boy and wanted to savor it to his heart’s content. Wyll was a bit of a cook too, but he never had the time nor energy to make a nice meal for himself. He lived off of instant noodles and low effort meals mainly. If he had someone else to cook for, maybe he’d indulge in it like how Gale was now, but he didn’t think he himself was worth the effort.

Gale brought him a second helping, and this time Wyll ate it at a much slower pace, savoring the taste fully as the warmth and care of the dish filled his mouth. Gale seemed pleased to have someone so enthusiastic about his cooking. He barely touched his own plate as he watched Wyll eat. “I take it that the meal turned out well?”

“It’s absolutely incredible.” Wyll said after swallowing a bite, already twisting his fork and preparing for another.

“Ah, I’m so glad to hear. It’s nothing complicated, just an old family dish my mother used to make occasionally. If you’d like the recipe, I’d be happy to share it.”

Wyll chewed and swallowed another bite of pasta. “Another time, maybe.”

“Right, I assume that cooking wasn’t what you came to talk about. How did you end up in such a state?”

“I was attacked last night,” Wyll said with an exhausted tone. The shower and meal were a lovely, domestic distraction, but now it was time to return to the heart of the matter. “Do you remember that girl you caught staring at me yesterday?”

“Yes?” Gale said, incredulous how a timid little thing like her could’ve damaged Wyll so much.

“Well… she was actually an assassin.”

“Wyll,” Gale sighed, almost like a disappointed father. “Just what kind of trouble have you found yourself in?”

Wyll sat still in his chair and stared down at his half-eaten plate. He truly thought about the question for the first time since all this began. Though he often thought about stopping Cazador for the sake of everyone he’s hurt over the years, that wasn’t Wyll’s true motivation. The people that could be saved in the midst of everything were often his mind, but there was really only one person that Wyll truly cared about rescuing.

He really had found himself in the middle of a huge pile of trouble for someone who was barely more than a beautiful stranger, and even worse, had dug himself even further into danger solely because he wanted a chance to know Astarion better. He didn’t even know what Astarion really wanted or anything about him outside of a haunted past and a love for literature and revenge. All those fairy tales Wyll had indulged in during his youth seemed to have left him in one now: falling for a stranger and doing everything just for a chance at getting to know them better.

He really was an idyllic fool.

He continued to think, wondering if it was a good idea to tell Gale the truth. It may put the other man in danger, but Gale seemed wise and experienced enough to know not where to stick his nose when he smelled trouble. Maybe… maybe just talking to someone about the truth of it all would help him think clearly.

Wyll took a deep breath before finally speaking again. “Do you remember when you asked if someone I cared for was taken by the Szarrs?”

“Yes, I do.” Gale answered, leaning in and offering a look of sympathy.

“Well… it’s a bit more complicated than that. I’ve found myself falling for one of Cazador’s… hunters.”

“How long has this been going on?” Gale asked, a bit surprised at the sudden turn of circumstances.

“I’ve only known him about a month, but I don’t know why my heart won’t stop skipping at the thought of him. We spent one night together, and he spared me from being taken like the rest of Cazador’s victims. Then there were a few more nights where we got to know each other even more. Each time we’ve met, he’s kept me safe from Cazador, even at risk to himself. Every single moment with him has left me wanting to know him more and more, and now all I want to do is free him from Cazador. It’s short-sighted and idiotic, but all I know is that I have never felt myself care for another like this. This desire to protect him… I don’t know what it is or why it’s so strong.”

“Would you like to tell me a bit about him?” Gale asked with a kind smile and inviting, knowing eyes.

Wyll didn’t realize how excited his heart would be at the prospect. Before he could even think, he found the words pouring out of him. “He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, with silver hair the color of moonlight and softer than the finest silk. He has the most dangerous smile that would put any incubus to shame, and these eyes that are so full of expression and life. His voice could charm any harpy or siren, and the way he moves is like poetry brought to life. When I’ve seen him lower his guard and allow himself to be vulnerable and genuine, I have never found myself more drawn to another. There’s a warmth behind that cold, charismatic veneer he puts up to the world, and the brief glimpses I’ve had of it have captivated more than any of his other not so negligible charms.”

“My, you really have found yourself smitten.” Gale said with a fond smile as he watched his young friend gush about his newfound love.

“It terrifies me how quickly my heart has been taken, and I can’t help but wonder if it all happened too quickly and if these feelings can be true if they grew in such a short amount of time.”

“Well, when was the first moment you felt your heart skip?”

Wyll thought about it for a moment. “It was that very first night after a long discussion of literature.”

“Ah, yes. My heart would be stolen as well after such a titillating discussion.” Gale said lightheartedly. Wyll appreciated the comedic relief and continued.

“He was lying next to me, and as I looked at his face in peace, I felt… something, and when we parted, there was a warmth in the kiss he left on my cheek, and it left me longing for more time with him. The feeling only grew after the next time I got to enjoy his company, and even more the time after that. Still, I feel I know so little about him.”

“Well then, what do you know about this mystery man of yours?”

“Well… He was a lawyer once upon a time. He’s an older gentleman, though I can’t say for certain what age. Late thirties, perhaps? He enjoys a good glass of red wine and his favorite book is the Count of Candlekeep.”

“He sounds like he has excellent taste.” Gale said and smiled.

“He does,” Wyll said wistfully. “I also know that under that cold, lonely facade, he has the capacity to care for another, and I wonder if it’s too bold of me to think that I’ve been on the receiving end of that, to think that he might enjoy my company as much as I enjoy his, or if maybe I’m simply a reprieve from his cruel world or that my infatuation with him is only because it’s been so long since I felt my own heart stir.”

“But Wyll, does any of that matter?”

Wyll looked at Gale in confusion. Gale leaned forward and pressed on. “Does it matter, these questions? Do they change what your heart feels?”

“No,” Wyll said, unsure of where Gale was going with this.

“Does your heart stir any less at any explanation for these feelings?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Do you trust this man of yours?”

“I do.” Those words, Wyll spoke firmly. Even if his mind told him to doubt what was happening and if he could trust his own heart, Astarion’s actions proved to Wyll that there was no need to doubt the man he cared for. More than once, Astarion kept Wyll safe from Cazador, even if it would’ve been so much easier to let Wyll be caught. Wyll couldn’t fathom what punishments Cazador had concocted for Astarion, but if he knew of Wyll’s existence, there was a chance he knew of their relationship as well. The fact that Astarion chose to keep Wyll safe instead despite that fear… it was telling of his character.

“Then that’s all you need,” Gale said, leaning back into his seat. “If you have trust in the one you care for, then there’s no need to speculate on the reasoning behind their actions or yours. The fact that you’ve both taken those actions for one another should speak for itself.”

Wyll took a moment to let the statement sink in, and the sentiment invigorated him. It was nice having someone to speak to that could remind Wyll of how useless speculation could be. The outside voice was more than welcome in Wyll’s panicked, overthinking mind. “Thank you Gale. Truly, a friend right now makes this whole scenario a bit more tolerable.”

“Of course, Wyll. It’s been a while since I had another person to enjoy the company of besides Tara. Ever since I left Waterdeep, companions are difficult to come by.”

Right, Gale hasn’t always been the resident wizard in this tower. “Can I ask what brought you to Baldur?” Wyll asked out of curiosity.

“Just some difficulty after a messy divorce is all. Mystra, my ex-wife, she nearly ran me out of our home after a stupid stunt I pulled to try and resolve our differences.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“It’s quite alright, Wyll. I’ve managed to carve myself out a nice little pocket here in Baldur. It’s no Waterdeep, but I’m learning more and more to call it home.”

The two men sat at the table for a silent, tense moment, but it wasn’t long until Gale clapped his hands and ruptured the silence. “So tell me how I can help. I assume you didn’t come find me simply for a sweater and a meal. Is more research needed? What can the library offer you?”

“There’s no time for research,” Wyll spoke, remembering Mizora’s orders from earlier. “I need to figure out a way to destroy Cazador by dawn.”

Gale looked at Wyll incredulously. “Well, that’s a terribly short timeframe. Why the sudden urgency? Does it involve your lover?”

“No, it involves myself. I’m being… forcibly relocated for work, and I don’t know when or if I’ll be back in the city.”

“I never did ask what you do for work,” Gale realized. As tempted as Wyll was to confide in him about his own captor and danger, he knew it was against his contract with Mizora. He knew Gale wouldn’t be the type to get him into any further trouble, but even one slip of the tongue could result in Mizora ordering Wyll to make Gale disappear. It wasn’t worth the risk, not now.

“I work for an office,” Wyll said after a brief moment of hesitation.

“Really? Well, it seems like a brutal workplace to forcibly relocate employees.” Gale said with a hint of doubt.

“Yes, it really is brutal…” Wyll said with a small sigh, shrugging off Gale’s disbelief of his answer. It didn’t matter, so long as Gale didn’t know the truth about Mizora. “Still, I need to do something tonight, and you’re the only person I could turn to for help.”

“Well, I am flattered,” Gale said with a charming smile. “Do you already have some sort of plan in mind?”

Absolutely none. “I was hoping you might help me think of something.” Wyll said a bit sheepishly.

“Well, I did stumble across something interesting last night,” Gale said as he stood up from his chair and waved his finger. He walked over to the coffee table littered with pages and rustled through the pile while mumbling to himself. After a moment, he spoke up, “a ha! Here we are!” He came back to the dining table and offered Wyll a sheet of paper. There was a list of about thirty names that Wyll glanced over. “I managed to go through a few periodicals and noted a few of the names that stood out, and even had a bit of time to look further into a few of the names.”

As Wyll scanned the list, he noted the few names that were circled and had extra notes.

Sahed: Administrator at Baldur University. Only faculty that seems to be involved with Cazador and the school. Actually friends?

Zariel: Chief of Police. Cazador’s contact for police affairs. Connections to terrorist groups? (Tabloid speculation)

Raphael: Loan shark. Son of Mephistophales. Rarely seen with father.

The name that seemed to have the most focus was the next one.

Mephistophales: Prominent political figure of Baldur City. Seems to hold influence over all politics and most affairs in the city. Always on the winning side of elections for people and bills being passed. Photographed with many investors who seem to find themselves with some increased influence just a few issues later.

Mephistophales… Wyll recalled the name a bit from his youth. His father worked with many of the city’s politicians and kept up on them, but Mephistophales was not a man that he approved of. Wyll remembered his father reading the paper sometimes in the mornings while they shared breakfast and listening to his father’s commentary. Whenever Mephistophales was featured in the paper, he would scoff and complain to himself about how a devil like him was allowed to influence a city. “That bastard will lead us all straight to hell one day…”

What would Cazador want with Mephistophales? A taste for this power that he could provide? Did Cazador want even more influence over the city? If it was only a matter of money though, Cazador was known as the most prominent investor in town. Perhaps they made a deal already and this was all a thing of the past, but Wyll didn’t recall any newfound increased political power in his research of Cazador’s career the first time he was here.

“Any thoughts?” Gale prodded as he watched Wyll think intensely.

“The involvement with Mephistophales seems like a lead… though I would need to look into it deeper. I can’t think of anything here that could be of use right now, not unless I were to break into the manor tonight and try to find something incriminating…” Wyll pondered the thought and began to seriously consider the idea. There was always that cellar where Cazador’s victims were taken. Maybe…

“Wyll, if I may, is it Cazador you wish to stop, or do you simply want to break your lover free of him?”

Wyll’s concentration broke as he looked at Gale a bit baffled. Of course he wanted to stop Cazador. He had to. There was no way anyone under him would be free at this rate, not unless someone destroyed their captor.

Gale looked on in concern and continued, “under the limited time, I think the wisest use of it would be to find your man and run. If you’d like, you can even bring him here. I may not have much, but there are a few small assets in Waterdeep I could spare for you two to help.”

“Gale, that’s too much to ask of you.”

“It’s no trouble at all, really.” Gale insisted. “Helping a friend is never too much to ask.”

Wyll recalled Astarion’s story of the last time he tried to run from Cazador and the hell that awaited him upon return. It seemed unlikely that he could get Astarion to try and run again, but maybe last time they didn’t have any help. Maybe Wyll could persuade Astarion to try one last time if they had someone else to rely on.

It was a risk, but then again, so was everything else Wyll had done over the past month.

“I want him to be safe, but I worry about Cazador’s reach. He likely has connections outside the city.”

“I highly doubt that,” Gale spoke. “In all my life in Waterdeep, I never once heard about a Cazador Szarr outside of those vampiric tabloids. Mystra had plenty of connections, and even she never spoke that name. Once you flee the city, I’m sure you two will be safe. If not, think of Waterdeep as a first stop on a quest to reach somewhere else.”

Wyll considered the thought, but reminded himself that Cazador wasn’t the only danger at this point. When Wyll ran, Mizora would come hunting for him too. She would find a way to ruin everything for the two of them if she caught the two of them fleeing from her domain, and Mizora certainly did have reach outside of the city. The moment Wyll wasn’t on a plane to Menzoberranzan, she’d come hunting him down. Still, if he could get Astarion out of the city and free from danger, then his own punishment, no matter how severe, would be worth it. Even if it meant taking him away from Astarion for good, as long as he was free, then it would be alright.

“Okay…” Wyll said. “Okay, I’ll find him tonight and try to get him to run away with me. If all goes well, I’ll be able to give you both a proper introduction.”

“Wonderful,” Gale said elatedly. “Then let’s get some things sorted for tonight so you two can leave as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure that you’re okay with this?” Wyll asked. “If Cazador finds out that you’re an accomplice, there could be serious trouble for you as well.”

“Please, that man won’t be able to touch me. Mystra might despise me, but she’d never let anyone else punish me. That’s her favorite pastime.”

#bg3 #wyll ravengard #astarion #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #modern au #wyllstarion #bloodpact #fanfic #writing #mine #just one yesterday

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