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fallcrestrpg · 1 year ago

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lıllı Hotel: Merfolk Suite - Morning 12/26 ıllıllı

DYLAN

The relief she felt when the kids reverted back to their original selves. While it was interesting to be carrying around a mini Julian, it was not the same - not that she'll ever admit that vocally. "It's finally more quiet on this floor." She snorted, "Strange, but nice." She commented after months being surrounded by babies and their parents. Everyone clearly went their own ways to spend the day, which Dylan is very much thankful for.

FERNANDA

Fernanda simply gave her an unimpressed look from across the room. "It's not exactly like you couldn't have just asked to be moved to another floor at any point," she pointed out. The mermaid knew the woman wouldn't because whether she ever bothered to admit it or not, Fer and the kids were the only reason she was in Florida to begin with.

DYLAN

Her fingers stopped typing when Fernanda responded, looking up over her laptop screen. "Would you move up with me if I were to book the whole floor to ourselves?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Despite her time spent with the cousins, the whole family and friends gathering was still something out of her comfort zone.

FERNANDA

"At the time? Of course not. The entire purpose of me staying here with the rest is because I was part of the support network all adults came up with so we wouldn't be overrun by teenage-brained toddlers," Fer replied with ease, her tone as even as if they were discussing the weather. "_Now_, however? It would be a completely different set of circumstances. One of the key ones being that said toddlers have now reverted to their fully-grown, hormone-driven selves and Aunt Dee was wise enough to already book a room a floor below because she does not wish to be in the midst of _that_..."

DYLAN

Her eyes did not leave Fernanda's as she closed her laptop and set it off to the side. "So.. you are saying you'll be willing *now* because if that's a yes..." Dylan would get it all sorted out in a heartbeat if Fernanda said yes. Another thing to never tell Nox about. Because she doubt the kids still needed supervision if even Dee herself moved elsewhere. However, she took a pause when another thought came about. "This whole trip, you've been teasing me quite a bit, darling. I almost feel like this is one of those times as well."

FERNANDA

"If you book a different suite -I could not care less if the entire floor is included or not- I can assure you that I will certainly be following you to that suite." There was nothing in her tone of look that would indicate she wasn't serious. Not that this was much to go on, as Dylan had stated, the mermaid was a master for deception in that realm. But this time she was definitely serious in her intent...at least of moving. She would not commit to anything else just yet.

DYLAN

It was enough that her brother and Nox was going to tease her about it - she was legitimately a dead woman if her father saw how foolish she was acting over someone. Regardless, Dylan got to the phone and started making arrangement. She *could* have gotten someone to do it for her, but some things are quicker when done by herself.

However, the disappointment she briefly felt when she learned she couldn't clear a whole floor 'in such short notice' or so they said. Nonetheless, she did manage to snag one of the luxurious bi-level penthouse suites. "Shall we head up? We could send someone for our stuff later."

FERNANDA

She watched but made not motion or sound as Dylan had her daily little power-trip with the poor soul who answerd the phone. She did grin in response to her words and said, "Sure! It'll give me an early start to see if I want to claim the first or second level of the suite for myself."

DYLAN

Her eyes narrowed as she was just opening the front door. "Here I thought we were going to *share* both levels of the suite." As someone who learned not to have high hopes at an early age, she found herself strugging with the mermaid's words. Still, she pressed ahead and led the other towards the elevator which was en route to their suite. "Hmm.. not bad." She commented the moment she stepped in.

FERNANDA

"That's what happens when you make assumptions," Fer replied with ease. "Next time, consider asking if one other person you're going to share the space with believes two-levels are really necessary. Otherwise, I'm left to believe you made this choice so we each had our own space." She gave a hum of agreement as she walked in past and took a seat. "It's not entirely a loss. Think of it as a lesson in what _not_ to do if our future merger goes through. Making all the decisions yourself inevitably backfires."

DYLAN

"What's wrong with having a bi-level suite? We've got the common areas on the lower floor, and then one bedroom, lots of closet space, a large bathroom with a big enough tub if you wanted to let your tail out instead - there's a shower as well. A nice terrace." She hummed as she took note of the place. "Look at these tall windows too." She chuckled as she stood by the window, taking in the view.

"It's a vacation - a well-deserved break. Why can't we endulge ourselves a little?" Mostly she wanted Fernanda to relax since she was the one doing most of the work with the kids and the furry ones.

FERNANDA

She couldn't help but laugh a little at the response she got. "I'm sorry, I can see that your intentions are surprisingly genuine in their rather self-less root, _but_ you just sounded like a real estate agent trying to sell me on a place."

She stood up and we to pull the other into a hug, arms draped loosely around Dylan's neck. "My point, however, is that maybe you should start working on getting into the habit of _actually_ asking things," she said with a small chuckle and peck to the woman's nose.

DYLAN

Was she semi-sulking? Maybe, but that easily went away when she felt the mermaid pull her in. "...Right." She mumbled as her arms instinctively wrapped around Fernanda's waist. Asking people was definitely not something Dylan was accustomed to, ordering people? Yes but as experience had told her, one could not order Fernanda to do anything.

Dylan visibily relaxed when she got a little peck, smiling softly without realizing that's what she was even doing. "...But do you like the place? Because it is pretty nice, isn't it? If anything, I think the view is pretty worth it."

FERNANDA

It was one of the first times they were alone -truly alone- since...ever, really. Even before the kids had gone all baby-mode, they were still around. And when the kids weren't around, rooms full of old men and coworkers certainly were. Knowing that doing so in anything even remotely resembling a public setting, Fer opted to go ahead and voice her thoughts now.

"Yes, I do like the place. But I can assure you that the view outside the 'tall windows' is nothing compared to that of you just naturally smiling, without having felt the need to so something cruel or pretentious for the sake of revenge," she began, making sure her gaze met the others. "I like the place, yeah, but I want you to know that I also like _you_. The _real_ you. The you that was willing to leave the idea of making our relationship a game of one-upmanship and instead took the time to learn how to practically be a new person in order to help me with my cousins, to help me with work, and that it was something you _wanted_ to do."

DYLAN

Dylan could actually feel her cheeks grow hot when Fernanda revealed what she liked about her, describing them in ways that she would have never heard before. Even now, she didn't feel like the mermaid was describing her at all because it just felt.. so strange.

However, her eyes did soften when the younger woman elaborated what exactly Dylan did. "...hmm.. The real me, huh?" That was something that she didn't know herself since she had been the Dylan Waldorf that everyone else saw for so long. With their close distance, she stole a kiss on the lips before hugging the other tightly against her as a distraction to hide how flustered she must've looked. "Well, a lot of it might just be because getting on Dee's bad side seems to be a very bad idea."

FERNANDA

She didn't fight the woman's attempt to hide her face. Clearly Dylan had no idea that trying to hide how bashful she was being, was in turn making her seem _more_ bashful, and ever cuter. Instead, Fer just chuckled and said, "Stop doing that. Shifting the blame on being scared of Aunt Dee isn't going to change my mind. I've _seen_ the real _you_ now. And I find it far more attractive than the cold-hearted, power hungry facade you put up at the office."

DYLAN

Giving up the plan of hiding herself, she pulled away and maneuvered Fernanda to be in front of her so she could hug the woman from behind while they looked out the window. Any means to get her from staring so deeply into her eyes. "Well, that facade isn't going anywhere.." The board was filled with stubborn old men, some of whom who had voiced many times that they'd prefer if her father hadn't given Dylan the position. Even if Dylan was capable, it was hard to be 'nice' with them.

"Okay, enough of that. What do you want to do?"

FERNANDA

At the mention of Dylan's decision to keep her cold approach, Fer sighed and said, "Look, I completely understand why you feel the need to keep it around _some_ people, but at the risk of being told to get my own suite, I do think it's high-time you considered making amends for the things you've done to _some others_ under the sam guise." She shifted slightly so that she was looking at Dylan directly in the eye as she said, "Kieran may be far too kind to ever _demand_ an apology from you, but I'm not. My feelings for you do not overwrite my desire to see justice and fairness be the way that we all lead our lives, and no one was treated more unjustly and unfairly by you than her." It was a difficult topic, she knew, and would understand if suddenly her input on the plans for the rest of the day no longer mattered as much.

DYLAN

She was literally trained not to give herself away but with the close proximity and Fernanda's ability to read her so well, Dylan was sure she noticed everything when the half-demon stilled. "Would it even make a difference?" She stood up straighter while one arm fell back to her side. With how she used Kieran and given her personality, Kieran could probably see it from a mile away that it was because of Fernanda that she even remotely thought about apologizing.

FERNANDA

"The only way to find out for sure, is to do it," replied succinctly, before a slight look of disappointment crossed her features and she added, "Regardless, the point of apologizing isn't for it to 'make a difference', it's to give us the opportunity to let those we've wronged or hurt _know_ that we're aware our actions were _wrong_ and we would like the opportunity to make amends."

DYLAN

Dylan almost looked skeptical at the reasoning. To apologize and to make amends would also mean that one would have to *regret* what they did. Did she regret? Dylan would say no. of course, she was not about to say any of this out loud. "...Right. I don't see this going well." If anything, Kieran might not accept it and they'll call it a day.

FERNANDA

The mermaid looked at Dylan for a moment before the look of disappointment on her face was replaced by one of incredulity. Pulling away so she could turn to face the woman fully, Fernanda crossed her arms across her chest and let out a scoff as she said, "I get it now. It's not that you don't _know_ what the purpose of an apology is -second instance of me making an ass of myself today- but the reason you don't see a point to one is because you _really_ don't believe what you did was wrong. Or rather, you don't _care_ that it was." She let out a bitter laugh as she shook her head. "Wow, _first_ instance of me making an ass of myself today was clearly thinking that I'd gotten to know you, because obviously I got the whole thing completely backwards. The facade isn't what I saw initially, but what you've been showing me instead. I am such a fucking idiot," she exclaimed, already making her way to the door. "I'll make sure your things get sent up for you," was thrown over her shoulder as she headed back down.

DYLAN

The way her heart clenched in a way she never quite experienced before. The fear that gripped her before she gathered enough wit to go after the younger woman. "Fernanda." Whatever Waldorf mentality that was hammered into her soul went out the window as she grabbed the mermaid by the wrist to stop her from walking further, "Wait.. *Please*." When was the last time she, a Waldorf, begged anyone who wasn't her own father? "Don't go... I - I" She took a breathe before she continued, "I'm.. I'm sorry. Fernanda, what you've seen, it's not.. it's not a fascade, I swear.." It wasn't a lie during all those times when Dylan was trying to be a better person, but somehow it always ended up strictly reserved for the mermaid's family. It hadn't been the first time when her infamous Waldorf attitude came back at full force.

FERNANDA

The mermaid stopped at the touch on her wrist, but was sure to pull herself free almost immediately after. Stopping her was Dylan's choice, but staying would be her _own_. Though the hurt in her eyes didn't fully ebb away, it was significantly replaced by blazing anger. "How- _how_, Dylan, am I expected to believe that you won't eventually do something to hurt me or _my family_ and think nothing of it, if you can't even bring yourself to admit that getting someone who _loved you_ shot and almost sent to jail isn't _at the very least_ worth an apology?"

Fer closed her eyes for a moment and took a few breaths. When she glanced up at Dylan, there was a hint of understanding to her gaze. "Part of me knows, that you don't _actually_ believe what you did was even remotely right or that you truly _don't care_ that it was wrong at all," she began, "But until you reach a point where you realize that you don't _have_ to rely on that mentality and approach to retain your power, you're just as likely to repeat your actions."

DYLAN

It was another hit to that wrenching feeling when Fernanda pulled away from her. She couldn't blame the other for thinking so given her track record and she at least knew to look a bit ashamed by her actions.. and how she reacted while they were upstairs. For now, she kept silent because it didn't seem like the younger woman was finished.. And just as she thought maybe she thought wrong and opened her mouth - she immediately closed it again and listened to the rest.

"...A lot of what my family does..and what I did- What I *do* wouldn't ever be classified as *right*." It was no secret that they purposely do things to avoid the law after all. The amount of shady deeds she's done, however, had decreased ever since the mermaid started convincing her to get her company clean. That was hard enough on its own. All her life she was taught that putting fear in people was the most effective way and everything she's been doing with Fernanda was undoing all of that. She was really conflicted most of the times, being wary that word would go back to her father.

"...When I go apologize.." She dragged her words with uncertainty, "Will.. you be there?" She had a feeling they might find her to be a little too suspicious if she went up to them by herself.

FERNANDA

"I'm fully aware of that, _Dylan_. If you and your family were upstanding citizens, my uncles wouldn't have felt the need to do business with you," Fer reminded her. It was borderline insulting for the half-demon to be making note of the fact that she came from a family whose habits left much to be desired when obviously the mermaid would be aware that having come from a similar family herself.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, and once again took a moment to calm down. "Yes, a lot of our molding does come from our upbringing and surroundings, but we _all_ reach a point at which our decisions and choices become our own. As such, we have to _own_ them, be they right or be they mistakes." Fernanda shook her head slowly at the question. "No. You didn't need anyone's support or approval to cause Kieran harm, you'll similarly face the consequences of your actions on your own. If I go with you, I'll always be left wondering if the only reason you did it was to play the part of the 'good girl' for my benefit, and I don't want that. Kieran doesn't deserve it either."

DYLAN

"Yes, well.. Point taken." As expected, she was supposed to go by herself. Since she didn't want to disappoint the other again with her bad choices, Dylan just nodded. Kieran did sacrifice quite a bit ever during the time they were together. Despite her actions, it was genuinely a surprise when she took a bullet for her.

"I suppose that's my cue to first go find her then." Even Dylan was not going to push her luck any further than this. She was already grateful enough that Fernanda didn't walk off when she grabbed her. "... Where will you be?"

FERNANDA

The mermaid took yet another steadying breath before looking directly at Dylan once more. "I don't want to be your 'cue' to the right thing. As a matter of fact, I'm beginning to see that this entire thing was _my_ mistake. Doing the right thing should've been something _you_ prompted yourself to do, and the fact that after all this time you hadn't been bothered to do it, should've been _my_ cue to question your motives sooner."

She waved a dismissive hand as she turned to head towards the door once more. "I'm going back to spend the rest of the vacation with my family. You're free to do whatever you'd like in your new suite."

#discord thread #disney trip 01

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llycaons · 2 months ago

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I have a lot to say about 39 since it's the second to last episode so I'm putting it under a cut. spoilers!

at least xff is involved but 'getting kidnapped and threatening to disrupt the military activities of the evening by making her male loved ones upset' wasn't how I'd hoped :/ I know she can do better. why isn't she making xh her pawn like he promised?

wanning going 'hiefinally gets it...he really loves me 🥺' in response to what syr was giving her in an attempt to murder her. oh she is so sad

syr and xff standing so there are prison bars between them. ah, heavyhanded visual metaphors

oh fuck syr taking xff is HORRIFYING. if she was awake it would be a different matter but unconscious? he could go anywhere with her!

rain scene...MAN. wanning was murderous and selfish and desperate and cruel, but hearing syr speak to her like that...that was brutal

however framing him for her SUICIDE is insane. well I mean she thought he did kill her and he didn't do much to disabuse her of the notion. she was just trying to make it so that syr would face justice for it from her brother. and...hamstringing the rebellion, too? man, jgy's final moment has got nothing on this bitch (appreciative) she really said we're going down together so I'll see you in hell you piece of shit

I just wish wanning's downfall came about more directly because of xff's actions. but syr and wanning were together from the beginning - that's what started the whole mess

sy wanting to kill xh himself is SUCH a juicy drama plotline...my guy you are a SCHOLAR...

it's so nauseating watching syr so physically close to xff - holding her in his arms, carrying her, pressing their faces together - knowing how much she hates him and how much he's hurt her and how disgusted she is by his mere proximity. leave her ALONE!!!! don't TOUCH her!!!

lai biao IS very sexy and I like him so I'm glad he's here, but again. he's another man showing up to save xff. what an uninteresting plotline!

CONCUBINE LI....🥺 ah what heroism!!

omg!!!!

this seemed like a good plan with the army in his pocket but ngl prince cheng, killing any ministers who dare speak out in front of everyone might not be the basis for a stable new government

I mean...this is obviously just an excuse for a coup. the leader of the army just saw a signal and immediately turned and said HEY EVERYONE THE PRINCESS IS DEAD!! THE EMPEROR IS UNJUST! TIME TO OVERTHROW HIM! and they all just went without question. but it's obvious that this shit was all planned

I don't really care about who sits on the throne but I guess prince cheng is corrupt? but it's like, really what difference does it make...mainly the guys I like are all on one side tho.

getting wanning out of power is a great reason to root against the coup but she's fucking dead. SO

oh right a coup will cause unrest and fuck up the lives of the commoners innit

hey, wasn't this story about a woman named xue fangfei and her drive to live her life well and bring her enemies to justice after a betrayal from her beloved and trusted husband? what happened to that?

but no, now it's about xh's dad I fucking guess. wow, he drew a SWORD! okay!

there are plenty of stories with finales that are about very different things than they've started with, but I really liked xff's story and only really care about her, so all this faff is like...sigh. can we get back to her!

the military maneuvers and some of the fight scenes are neat tho. that lu ji!! he's spent the entire show being kind of a dummy but we get to see him in action as a legitimate competent and serious military commander which is neat

did the rebel general really get stabbed in the back 😭 what about HONOR...

okay like. it's not that I expect xff to pick up a sword, I know she's a non-combatant. but she couldn't help with strategy meetings??? she couldn't move xh like a pawn the way HE PROMISED...?

also if your mc isn't a combatant then maybe don't make THE FINAL SHOWDOWN a BATTLE???? for fuck's sake! she hasn't really DONE anything since poisoning wanning! girl your revenge!

GET IT OLD MAN JIANG

elderly minister on elderly minister violence...

blood on face xh...

no orders to bring xff somewhere safe huh. just 'protect the emperor!' and then rides off

STOP IS XFF GOING TO SHOOT SYR

xh and syr shouting insults to each other and talking xff is great. love to see her relevant again

I forgot she CAN shoot. hm!

#CONCUBINE LI!!!!!!!!!!#honestly tho things feel a bit messy im ngl #the double lb

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cjsinkythoughts · 4 years ago

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In Need of a Breath

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 4007

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, Zemo, Feelings, Another PTSD Flashback

A/N: So…Part 4 is going to have a couple parts to it. Maybe even three. I didn’t even make it half way through the episode on this one, mainly because I really wanted to fit in the Reader’s backstory and I wanted her and Sam to have a heart-to-heart again. I’m suuuuper tired, so I probably won’t be posting the next part for another few hours (it’s 5 am right now and I haven’t slept), BUT it’s my day off work and I won’t be doing anything I planned because my grandmother had a stroke a couple days ago so plans have changed and I’m staying in to help her, meaning I’ll mostly be writing all day.

This Part is kind of a mix between off-screen and shot-by-shots, but it’s mostly off screen/what’s going on inside Reader’s head.

I’m really excited about future parts and the characters that are being introduced! I will say that after these parts, I will be doing one shots of previous MCU movies with the Reader, due to the information that is being given about the Reader now. You kind of see more of how she was affected/how she affected the previous MCU movies and what she was doing during that time.

Like always, this hasn’t been beta’d, again it’s SUPER early in the morning, and I’m really tired, so please excuse any mistakes! I hope you guys enjoy this part! Stay tuned for more to come later today!

FATWS MASTERLIST

cjsinkythoughts MASTERLIST

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

“You know…I’m really starting to regret saying yes to this.” You huffed out, craning your neck and squinting your eyes against the sun as you stare at the facility in front of you, hating the skin-crawling feeling of being back.

“Would you relax? Whenever you’re nervous, I get nervous, and I don’t wanna be nervous about this.” Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Do either of you have a better plan?” Bucky grumbled, crossing his arms.

Gnawing on your lips, you finally take the lead and breathe out, “alright. Let’s go then.” You could feel the hesitance from your - what were they? Partners? Coworkers? Teammates? - the fellas before they started after you.

There was a sick twist in your gut as you entered the building, going through the lobby and security.

You had been there.

You had been there when Zemo impersonated Bucky. You had been there when Zemo unleashed the Winter Soldier at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building in Berlin. You had been there during the battle at the airport. You had been there when Zemo turned Tony and Steve against each other in Siberia. You had been there when Zemo tore the Avengers from the inside out. Your family. The only family you’d ever known.

But you’d always been good about pushing your personal feelings aside for the sake of the mission. It’s what you’d been born to do. All you ever knew.

“Hey. Doll. You hear me?”

“Hmm. What?” You looked up from the ground to look into those enchanting blue oceans Bucky had for eyes, staring worriedly down at you, eyebrows pinched and forehead creased.

“I’m going in alone.” You frowned, opening your mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “Sam already agreed-”

“I didn’t necessarily agree-”

“You’re an Avenger, sweetheart.” Bucky tilted his head, speaking softly, those eyes of his worried. Worried for you. It made your stomach flip. “And you were there in Siberia, and that almost makes it worse. Especially considering you went after him. Just…just let me do this, okay?”

You cracked your knuckles nervously as you thought. It was a terrible idea. But it was an idea. And it was all they had. “Okay.” You finally relented, shrugging as your hands hit your thighs and slid up to your hips. “But don’t do anything stupid.”

“Steve took all that with him.”

Knowing about their little inside joke, you scoffed. “Sure he did. Go before I change my mind.”

You watched him walk down the hallway, hands fidgeting with excess nerves. “I think you’re the only one he actually seeks approval from.”

“Good thing I’m so lenient then, huh?” You joked, turning to Sam with a strained smile. Your smile slipped at the curious expression on Sam’s face, his eyes darting to each of your features. “What?”

“Are you doing okay?”

You groaned, throwing your head back. You thought you got out of talking about your feelings back in Baltimore. “Oh my God, Sam-”

“I’m serious. You…you just don’t seem like yourself.”

You shook your head, looking down the hall to where Bucky disappeared before turning back to him. It was weird to have a self that people recognized. Your whole life you’d been searching for it and when you finally found it…everything went to shit. “Honestly, Sammy, the only time I’ve ever felt like myself was with the team. Zemo took that away from me and now we’re here, practically begging him for help.”

Sam hummed, leaning against the wall. “Have you thought of taking a break?”

“What?”

“A break.” At your bewildered look, he rolled his eyes. “Cher, this time last year most of us were dead. This time a few months ago you found out about Wanda. This time last week you were out looking for her. Maybe you should just stop and take a breather.”

Shoving your hands in your pocket and looking at the floor, you couldn’t help but snort at his advice. “I haven’t taken a breather since I was eighteen.”

He clicked his tongue. “That’s my point. FBI academy as soon as you graduated. SHIELD recruit by 21, undercover operations leader by 24? Slow down. You’re in your thirties. Next thing you know, you’re gonna be ninety something, lying on your deathbed, wishing you had stopped to smell the roses.”

“If I live to be ninety, shoot me.” He chuckled in amusement. “I’m so fucking serious, Sam. I will not be put in an old folks home to play Bingo and be pushed around in a wheelchair. It ain’t happening.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” There was that infectious smile, which you unconsciously grinned back at. “Y/N…I’m serious. You’ve been in and out of missions since you were a teenager. What’s the shortest undercover operation you’ve done?”

“I dunno.”

He gave you an unimpressed look. “Yeah you do.”

Licking your lips, you turned away and shrugged. “A couple months. Seven weeks and three days, to be precise. September to October in 2012.”

“And the longest?”

“August 2007 to May 2009. Twenty one months.”

Letting out a puff of air through his nose, Sam pushed himself off the wall and caught your chin between his fingers to make you look at him. “That’s nearly two years under cover. And I’m sure you went right back under after-”

“I was sitting at a desk for four months doing paperwork on it.” You defended yourself.

He shook his head, brows knitting together, lips drawn down. “You say that as if four months is enough time.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Sammy. I’m out. I’ve been out since Ultron and Sokovia. I haven’t been under in almost a decade-”

“A decade half the world was dead for half of-”

“I wasn’t!”

“I never said you were.” Sam sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. You were always amazed at his ability to keep his emotions in check. To stay cool under pressure. Sometimes you forgot how experienced he was with dealing with other people’s trauma. It was no wonder why Steve thought he’d be good for Bucky. “Listen. All I’m saying is once this is done…don’t go diving back into searching for Wanda. Don’t go running to the kid every time he calls - and I know you’ve been doing that-”

“It’s just been homework and stuff-”

“Y/N.” You stopped, biting your lip at the stern look he gave you. “Go home. Order take out. Binge watch TV. Go for a jog through the park. Actually meet your neighbors. Go grocery shopping. Just…live. If only for a couple weeks. Don’t worry about anyone else. Don’t pick up the phone, don’t drop everything because someone needs you. You need you.”

“I-I…” You shook your head, looking at him, sincerely apologetic. “I can’t. I wish I could. But I can’t. I’ve never had one normal day in my life. I’ve never had someone to care for, never had someone to care for me. I can’t let people I’ve come to…I can’t let them think I don’t care. I don’t even know where I’d go.”

“Whaddya mean?”

You winced, not thrilled for his reaction to your next statement. “I, uh, I sold my apartment in D.C.”

He gaped at you in complete disbelief. “You got it in December!”

“I know, I know. I liked it. I really did, but…I dunno. Nomadic life has always suited me better. It’s what I grew up with.”

He took a breath, making you cringe again. You don’t think you’ve ever legitimately gotten on his nerves like this before. “Have you ever thought that, instead of going with the flow and jumping place to place, putting down roots might actually help?” He cut you off before you could say anything, holding up a finger to stop you from talking. “I can’t imagine going from foster home to foster home like you did. I can’t imagine not having a home for as long as you can remember. Louisiana’s my home. Always has, always will be. But I understand your life has been anything but stable. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why you need some stability.”

You clenched your jaw, crossing your arms. “The Avengers were my stability. Steve was my stability.”

“Because you loved him.”

“I’m not doing this with you again.” You turned to walk down to the lobby to wait for Bucky there, but Sam caught your arm.

“You were in love with him! It’s okay! You two were super close! No one would blame you! Why won’t you just admit it? I’m trying to understand! Why won’t you-”

You tugged your arm away, finally snapping at him. “Because he could never be mine, Wilson! Is that what you wanna hear?!” Sam took a step back at your exclamation. You closed your eyes, swallowing the lump in your throat and pushing down the tears. “He could preach all he wanted about moving forwards, Sammy, but we all knew he was stuck in the past. He visited the museum every Thursday because her interview showed in his exhibit on Thursdays. He carried around that broken compass because her picture was in it.” You looked back up at him sadly, shrugging. “And I get it; it’s hard to move past your first love. I get it because…that’s what he was to me.”

There was a silence that blanketed the hallway, before he spoke up hesitantly. “What about Bucky?”

“I thought - I thought I was projecting my feelings for Steve onto him because I knew Steve couldn’t ever…”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “You thought? What do you think now?”

You cleared your throat. “I’m still figuring that one out.”

“If you ever need to talk, I’ll be here.”

You chuckled, nodding slightly towards him. “Back atcha. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you not being yourself lately, either.”

“It’s…a tough topic.”

You nodded in understanding. “Just know that I’ll support every decision you make as long as you think it’s the right one. Because I trust you. Steve trusted you. It’s all we can do to try to do what’s right. That’s what makes you a good man, Sammy. He gave you that shield for a reason, and if you think what you did was right…I’ll stand by it.”

The two of you stared at each other for a moment, calming down in each other’s presences and taking comfort knowing you’d be there for each other through thick and thin. “Thank you, cher.”

“Of course, Sammy. Now let’s go see what’s taking the old grump so long.”

He laughed at that, nodding in agreement, taking your offered hand and squeezing it as you made your way down the hall.

****************

“What?”

Bucky eyed you as you spluttered, coughing on the water you were drinking. “Please don’t choke, doll.”

“Break him out of jail?!” You repeated his words and blinked at him, absolutely baffled by his plan. “Oh my God.” You groaned as Bucky and Sam started arguing, moving your flashlight around the room. “Where the hell are we?” There was no response as they kept going back and forth.

“Zemo’s gonna mess with our minds! Especially yours! No offense.”

“Heelllloooo!” You tried again. “Where the hell are we?!”

Bucky turned on the lights, giving Sam a look. “Offense.” Glancing at you he quirked an eyebrow. “Stop worrying your pretty lil’ head, sweetheart. You trust me, dontcha?” Your breath hitched at his words. You quickly recovered, huffing and pouting - although you’d deny ever pouting - and crossing your arms. You stood between the guys like that, eyes darting to whoever was speaking, waiting for them to stop so you could actually think.

“Look. Let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I walk you through a hypothetical?”

You and Sam exchanged glances. “What did you do?”

“I…didn’t do…anything.” Bucky shrugged.

“How is it that you, one of the most deadliest assassins basically ever, are one of the worst liars I know.” You tilted your head at him, an eyebrow quirking up in confusion.

“Shush it you. Just, okay. The weakest point in any system isn’t the software, the hardware, it’s the meatware. The human element.”

The more you listened to Bucky’s “hypothetical”, the stronger the gut feeling telling you this was a terrible terrible idea got. You brought your hands up to your head, eyes wide as he spoke.

“I don’t like how casual you’re bein’ about this. This is unnatural.”

You couldn’t help but agree with Sam’s words, your head falling back and your eyes closing. “Sweet Jesus. Listen, God, I know we don’t talk much these days, but please, please don’t let this not be a hypothetical. I’m fucking begging you.”

A noise to your right made your head snap over. “Oh hell to the fucking no!” You shook your head as Zemo himself walked in, wearing a prison guards uniform. “Uh-uh! No way! Bucky, this was not part of the plan!”

“What did you do?!”

“We need him!”

“You’re going back to prison.”

“If I may-”

All three of you faced him, simultaneously shouting, “no!”

You held your face in your hands as your head dropped, shaking back and forth, your eyes squeezing shut, tuning them out for just a minute to think. Bucky had a point. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that, and the Avengers were technically disbanded, which was Zemo’s whole objective in the first place, but…God. You were good at compartmentalizing, but not that much. You were willing to put your feelings aside for the mission so Bucky could talk to him. Not for you to work with him. But he had connections, you knew he did, and he had information…

“Doll?” You looked up, Bucky anxiously licking his lips as he met your gaze. “I need you to say something.”

You looked to Sam, who shrugged, gesturing to Zemo. “What do you think?”

What did you think? What did you think?! You thought that it was the worst idea in the history of ideas and you should turn back and find another way! But…you knew this was the fastest, probably most reliable way to get information that you needed.

Dammit, since when were you the deciding factor?

You sucked in a breath, looking over Sam’s shoulder at Zemo, who lifted his hand in greeting. You raised your eyes to the ceiling, pointing your finger accusingly. “This is why we stopped talking.” Gaze dropping to the still waiting fellas, you gnawed on your lip, before hissing out, “ffffine…” Running a hand through your hair, you threw your hands up as you shrugged. “Fine. Okay. Fine.”

“Okay.” Sam nodded, taking charge again.

You couldn’t believe this was happening. Except, that was a lie. You could. You’d seen weirder. You’d experienced the impossible. Lived through the unbelievable. This…this was completely imaginable.

Which is why, with a lot of hesitation and very little confidence in this plan, you followed Zemo through the auto shop you were in until you reached a large room with a ton of different old cars.

Bucky’s hand found yours as Zemo explained what the plan was, rather vaguely, in your opinion, but at least he was explaining. Point for him. Not that it would make up for the level of distrust you held for him, but it was something.

You looked up at him, giving him a puzzling frown. He usually only grabbed your hand in front of other people when he was feeling anxious. Which, yeah, he had a right to be anxious right now, but it wasn’t the right kind. The type of anxiety caused by large crowds and loud noises, ones that startled him and threw him into a defensive mode.

But the look on his face made you squeeze his hand in reassurance. He was pouting, staring at you although he did something wrong - a puppy that tore up a pillow - and all you wanted to do was give him a hug.

“You’re mad at me.” He mumbled as the four of you headed out with Zemo in the lead.

“No I’m not.”

“Yeah you are.

“Bucky, I’m not mad.”

“Listen, if I had a better idea I wouldn’t-”

You brought your linked hands up to your lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his gloved knuckles. “I’m not mad.” You repeated more firmly. “It’s just…a lot for me, right now.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on, Buck, I-I just…” You thought about your and Sam’s earlier conversation and suddenly understood what he meant. “I need to breathe for a second.”

His features twisted into ones of uncertainty, eyes squinting as you stepped outside. “Do you…do you wanna leave?”

You shook your head, tugging his arm to stop him and grabbing the sunglasses on his collar, slipping them over his eyes. “No. I just need some time to think. Hopefully the plane ride to wherever the hell we’re going will give me that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, James. I’m sure.”

He lowered the glasses on his nose to scan you over the frames, before nodding and sliding them back up. “Okay. You ready for this, then?”

“No.” You breathed, turning back to where Zemo and Sam were still walking. “Let’s do this.”

*****************

Climbing onto the private jet, you raised an eyebrow at Sam, who shrugged, giving you a bemused expression. A Baron…huh…who knew? You feel like you should’ve, yet there you were.

You sat besides Bucky, across from Zemo, crossing your legs and leaning back while staring at him through narrowed eyes.

His butler seemed nice, which made you even more suspicious. You obviously didn’t know as much about Zemo as you wanted to. It was a habit you picked up after years of undercover work; once the mission was complete, that was that. There was no looking back on it. No sitting on it. It was over and you moved onto the next one. It was a bad habit in cases like this.

The moment you spotted the notebook over Zemo’s book you knew something was going to happen, yet you still flinched when Bucky lunged at him, grabbing his throat. You leaned back in your seat again, steadying your now racing heartbeat. You decided you were too tense, trying to relax your muscles as Bucky sat back down in his seat.

“I’ve seen that book. It was Steve’s when he came out of the ice. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book.” Sam seemed so proud of himself that something he recommended was written in Steve’s little book and it made you smile.

You remembered that; Steve and you were supposed to meet up for coffee after his run, but Fury called him in so you rescheduled it for when he got back. He asked you about Marvin Gaye. For your opinion. You told him to check it out and make his own.

You remembered asking him about that little notebook of his, and he just shrugged you off telling you about his list. He would read items off to you, but he never let you read the book yourself. You never found out why, and you supposed you never would now. The thought made an ache behind your ribs that you’d come to familiarize yourself with appear.

You smiled a little more as Zemo and Sam told Bucky how awesome Marvin Gaye was. “C’mon, baby. Back me up.”

Chuckling, you looked at Bucky. “They’re not wrong. But,” you quickly added before Bucky could whine at you, facing Sam again. “Neither is Buck. I mean, c’mon. You can’t find music like the 40’s anymore. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Fred Astaire. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.”

“Thank you.” Bucky grinned at Sam, who rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay. But, I mean, c’mon! Everybody loves Marvin Gaye.”

“I like Marvin Gaye.”

“Steve adored Marvin Gaye.”

Your face fell as Zemo started talking about Steve and icons and Red Skull, your mind once again slipping away from reality.

“Kids love you.” You giggled as you finally made it out of his exhibit. You’d wanted to show it to him since he moved to D.C., and you’d finally got an opportunity after coming back from being undercover for ten weeks. “You’re their hero, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just trying to do what’s right.”

You nudged him, scoffing at his answer. “You’re too humble. You’re a national icon, you know.”

Steve shrugged, looking around the museum at the planes surrounding them. “I never wanted to be.”

“Why not? Everyone loves you.”

“I’m sure not everyone loves me.” He rolled his eyes. “And…I just wanted to help. To fight. Protect my country and the people I cared about. I-I didn’t ask for…all that.” He waved behind his shoulder where his exhibit was getting smaller with each step they took away. “People were dying. Bullies were winning.”

You shook your head, spinning and walking backwards besides him to face him. “Sure, but you did that. And you became someone people could look up to in the process.”

He narrowed his eyes at you before asking, “why do you do what you do?”

“...because I’m good at it?”

“Honey.” He gave you a look. “Answer the question.”

You hummed in thought. “Because I couldn’t stand by, knowing there would be orphaned kids if I didn’t help any way I could.”

“Alright. Why do you do it in the dark?”

“Whaddya mean?”

He shrugged. “Why don’t you come out and take credit for all the lives you’ve saved?”

“Because that’s not why I do it. I don’t want that attention. I just want to know I’ve helped people. I’ve kept them safe.”

He gave you a soft smile. “I just wanted to beat the bully. I never wanted to be a dancing monkey, too.” You looked at him in a new light then, understanding where he was coming from. “Watch out, honey!” He grabbed you and pulled you aside before you could crash into a wall, arms wrapped firmly around your waist. He gave you that charming smile of his. “Wouldn’t want you hurting that pretty lil’ head of yours, now would we?”

“Y/N!”

You snapped back into the conversation, moving your eyes from the window to Bucky, who tilted his head, eyebrows pinched and eyes narrowed. “Sorry. So, Madripoor. That’s a fun place.”

You ignored the side eyed glances Bucky and Sam exchanged, Sam turning to you curiously. “You’ve been?”

“Once. Back in 2010 for a few months”

Zemo raised his eyebrows. “You’re lucky to have gotten out.”

You shrugged nonchalantly. “Lucky, maybe. Skills were a part of it, too, though.”

“Good.” Zemo nodded. “Because we’re going undercover…and if we blow it. We’re dead.”

You breathed out, shaking your memory away and getting your head back into the game. Because like the man you were severely wary of in front of you said, if you blew this, you were dead. And, sure, you didn’t want to live until ninety, but you weren’t even half way there yet. So dammit if you were going to die soon.

“Hey.” You looked over at Bucky’s murmur, his head tilting as he grabbed your hand and pulled you from your seat closer to him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Are you okay? You know you’re going to have to be-”

“I know.” He nodded. You watched his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallowed thickly. “I’ll be fine. Just…tell me right now if you need to step out for this one.”

You gave him a smile that you knew he didn’t buy, just by the slight narrowing of his eye, his lips pressing together. “No. No, I’m good for this. If you think I’m gonna let you two idiots go into Madripoor with him - alone - oil that cyborg brain of yours, because there’s no way.”

He squeezed your hand, eyes still filled with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”

“If there’s even a slight possibility that I can protect you, then yeah. I’m sure, Buckaroo.”

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rikalovesrice · 2 years ago

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Rika’s Wittle Review of Pokemon Violet (Spoilers ahead!!!)

I’ll go ahead and say that, aside from the atrocious framerate and occasional glitchiness, I had a blast playing this. It’s beautiful to see how far Pokemon has come in terms of immersion. With such a rich variety of Pokemon wherever you go in this vast landscape with different habitats, all interacting and exhibiting behaviors specific to their species (and even their natures!), I genuinely feel like I’m in the world of Pokemon. I love it so much >w< I quite enjoyed the three stories and the CHARACTERS. Ahhh the characteeersss I love them all so much lol

Now for the more spoilery bits in good old bulletins. These aren’t in any particular order but in general I’ll start with stuff I loved and things that were kinda eh. Let’s goooo~

There’s now a canon Pokemon character named Rika aaaayyyeee XD Feels a little weird, ngl

Unpopular opinion, but I actually love Meowscarada lol At first I was like, “Uuuggghhh of course they made it stand up” but the more I understodd what it was, the more it grew on me. She’s a jester, magician, dramatic sort of character and she’s a kitty........all things I adore lol

Arven is a precious bean who must be protected at all costs. Seriously, I adore him so much and his story was so saaaad T_T My poor baby...And then it turns out his dad not only wasn’t around but he freaking DIED.

AND YOOOOO SPEAKING OF WHICH I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Like bro, Pokemon actually went there. At first I thought Turo was stuck in the future or something and that’s why his transmission got all wonky. BUT NAH. HOMEBOY STRAIGHT UP GOT DEAD AND UPLOADED HIS CONSCIOUSNESS INTO A ROBOT LIKE???? Every time I saw his face on the screen I was like, “Why is his face so...stiff?” Oh. That’s why. AND MY POOR BOY ARVEN.

Also that final battle was legitimately a little terrifying. I loved it haha

Miraidon is electric Toothless and I loved him and we’re best friends forever uwu

I know some people may be bummed that Team Star didn’t turn out to be a bunch of hardcore criminals. But the fact that Pokemon decided to tackle a subject as serious as bullying in school? Big, big claps. And in my opinion, it was really well done and heartfelt. By the end of game I adored Team Star and little Penny. Seeing them go back to school and bumble their way back into society, awkward, shy, but being true to themselves, was so precious. (Giacomo is literally like, “Let’s yell at everyone so they know we’re friendly” and for that I cherish him)

I’d join Team Star in a heartbeat, facts.

Penny being Cassiopeia wasn’t immediately obvious to me but as soon as she mentioned her hacking skills I went, “....Waaait a second...” Might I add that when “Clive” first showed up I physically buried my face into my hands lol

Okay and then when Clavell “revealed himself” as Cassiopeia I went, “Huh?? That...How??? Makes no sense but ok...????” And then was like “just kidding” and I just...wtf dude XD

Can I just say I love Clavell’s character? He genuinely cares about every student with all his heart and shows compassion towards Team Star. He turned out to be such a good-hearted man who wants to do right by his students and I love that.

While I do love Nemona (what’s the girl version of a himbo? lol), I will say her character felt the least fleshed out, in my opinion. But I guess it could be all that energy conceals more subtle character traits? I liked how she mentioned that people mistunderstand her because she comes from a wealthly family and assume she was born with her battle prowess. When if fact, she’s just super passionate about battling and so became really good at it. Wish the game had leaned a little more into that but Nemona still cool lol Paradox Pokemon are gonna destroy the world and she’s just like, “ Can battle? :D”

While I loved Path of Legends and Starfall Street, Victory Road was the most....meh storyline for me lol There wasn’t much to it, really. And the Elite Four and Geeta were so easy. After the nightmare that was the BDSP League I was fearing for the worst but they were about as easy as the Kalos League. But that’s overall neither here nor there for me.

Picnics were fun but I wish I could get closer to my Pokemon like I could in SWSD and pet them like the Switch has a touchscreen whyyyy T__T Or just use the same format as the washing bit but with a hand :(

Welp, following Pokemon didn’t improve all that much rip Same issue of some Pokemon just being too dang slow. Or too dang fast to the point that they look unnatural cause they keep slowing down and speeding up so rapidly. I always have to ride Neon (my Miraidon) when I let Jellica (my Meowscarada) out cause otherwise she’s just constantly startin’ and stoppin’. Still a lovely feature but I just wish it was better. The Pokemons’ mannerisms are still adorable tho <3

This game removed a lot of little shortcuts (like using items on Pokemon, certain buttons when using the Boxes, switching Pokemon around, etc.) and I gotta say, not a fan lol

Customizatiooooon. I get it, we’re students. BUT WHY DOES PENNY GET TO WEAR HER LITTLE CUTE FIT HMMMMM?????

Socks, gloves, and shoes are fine, I suppose...I just wish there were more ways to customize the uniform at least. It would be cool if the school sold jackets, sweaters, t-shirts, skirts, scarves, ties, etc. Freaking Atticus’ little compadre bought NINJA OUTFITS from the school store. Where’s my ninja outfit huh????

Also Clavell said we shouldn’t let our Pokemon out inside the school and then there are Pokemon in the school at all times for the entire game lol Plus Arven, Nemona, and Penny get to have their Pokemon out in their rooms so why can’t I??? D:<

Side note MC, Arven, Nemona, and Penny gotta be my favorite Pokemon friend group besides the SWSD squad ^^ (That shot of all of us climbing aboard Miraidon before plummeting into the Crater was so precious holy Arceus my fwieeeends)

Ehhhh what else?

Sad to say that a lot of the Pokemon designs this gen weren’t really my taste. It was hard for me to put together a Paldean team cause I just...didn’t like how so many of them looked lol

Grusha has no right being that pretty. Also poor thing ;__; Would’ve loved to know more about him.

Larry. That is all.

All the Gym Leaders were so much fun. Wish we could battle them over and over like in BDSP.

History Class was my fav because looore.

I actually riverted back to a student mentality for a bit playing lol I was like, “M’kay, I’ll take my level 2 classes, explore, then move on to my level 3 classes before dark. Lemme fight this Gym and then I’ll take my midterms. What’s that, I gotta go the Great Crater and finish the story? I should finish my finals and graduate first.” Lol

The music in Area Zero o__o

Ummmmmm

I mean yeah, the framerate is awful but we all know this probably lol The game’s performance ain’t it, sis. Like I said, this would probably be my favorite Pokemon game to date if it ran the way it should.

Looking forward to patches and whatever new updates and shenanigans will ensue in the DLC hehehe

Those are the biggest things, me guesses. Loving the game and will definitely keep playing it~

#pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon arven #pokemon penny #pokemon nemona #pokemon scarlet and violet spoilers #pokemon spoilers #pokemon review #rika reviews #i'm hungry and sleepy

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sugarmint-farm · 4 years ago

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Friends

You sprint desperately towards the mine ladder, chased relentlessly by a shadow demon that reaches towards you, screeching with fury, it’s hollow eyes glowing with malevolence. Panic surges through your chest as your vision fades in and out as you climb. You begin to sob with relief as the cool fall wind hits your face, stumbling out of the mine entrance, collapsing against the dirt that clots your wounds, the midday sun blinding you after hours upon hours in the mines. You lay there, feeling like you’re going to fall apart, sobbing with relief because for a moment there you legitimately thought you might die.

You had thought you were safe, you had cleared out that level that night before you had set up your tent. You thought you were okay, but when you were woken up by a demonic screech and the rending of your tent and claws in your side, you knew you weren’t. You honestly weren’t sure how you made it out, with your side bleeding profusely and claws having raked across your back and legs and sides, but you did and you were so grateful. You didn’t know how you would get home, but you made it out of the mines. Your vision faded to black as you dimly heard Demetrius’ horrified shout of your name, and you passed out to the feeling of hands on your shoulders.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke up abruptly, hyperventilating as your hand went to your sword and found it absent. Cool hands wrapped around your wrist, and you flinched back.

“Hey, (Y/N). It’s alright.” Sebastian’s low voice came from near your ear, and you settled down from the blind panic at recognizing the pitch, heart slowing. “You’re safe.” He murmured, squeezing your shoulder. You nodded, reaching around for your bag. He pressed the strap into your hand, and you dug through it quickly to find the elixir Rasmodious had given you, wincing at the tug on your side. You drank it quickly, sighing in relief as your body healed up, wounds closing and pushing out irritants, aches and pains disappearing, headache fading away.

You reached up, undoing the bandage you felt around your head that blocked your sight, and you paled at seeing Sebastian’s shocked face.

“Ah... shit.”

“What the fuck was that?”

You laughed nervously. “I... heal fast?”

He laughed incredulously. “You nearly required an emergency blood infusion, that was not healing fast.”

You sighed. “I- It’s nothing. It’s fine. I’ll just be drained for a couple days, and then I’ll be right as rain.”

“Oh sweet Yoba, you’ve done this BEFORE?”

You wince, realizing what you just revealed. “Um… no?”

He laughs hysterically, frantically reaching for a cigarette and lighting up, taking a deep drag, exhaling as the tension releases. “Alright, alright, alright. God, I just didn’t want Sam to be sad, why did I let them put you down here…” He muttered, before inhaling and looking you in the eyes. “Alright. We’re going to sneak you out of here, and then you’re going to explain just what the fuck you did and what is down in those mines because I’m starting to think that was a real sword with real blood and shit on it, not just some random prop you carry with you.”

You grimace. “Do I have to?”

“Yes.” His eyes are alight in a way you have never seen, and even though you know it’s incredibly bad timing, warmth flares in your chest at how alive he looks. You groan, resigned.

“Alright, fine.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------

At the farm, smoke from another cigarette wreaths his frame as he paces back and forth. “So, you’re telling me, there’s ACTUAL MONSTERS down in those mines, magic is REAL, that weird old man who shows up in town once a year is an ACTUAL WIZARD, and you REGULARLY RISK YOUR LIFE FOR ROCKS?”

“Yes?” You reply meekly, inwardly screaming at yourself for being so attracted to him as he glares at you and rants at his worldview being shifted so violently.

“Oh my god, the Spirit Eve animatronics are real, aren’t they.”

You perk up. “Oh yeah, I actually get to help catch them this year!”

He drops his cigarette. “You what.”

You shrink back into yourself. “Not helping?”

He tugs at his hair. “NO!”

“Does it help that the monsters are really only in the mines?”

“You just implied they’re other places.”

“Ah, shit.” You slump over, and he sits down suddenly and begins to laugh so hard tears come to his eyes. You watch in a combination of fear and awe.

“Uh… Sebastian? You good?”

“Am- am I-“ He gasps for air. “You risk your life for entertainment and rocks and you look like a Yoba-damned kicked puppy at me pointing out how bullshit that is!”

You huff. “It isn’t bullshit!”

He grows serious, leaning forward to grab your shoulders, and your skin burns under his hands. “You are insufferable, and I wish you had never moved here. Now, you are going to check in with me every time you go down the mines, and every hour or so, so that I know you aren’t dead. Sam cares about you because he’s dumb like that, and I’m not making him bury your body. Get it?”

Your face warms at how close he’s gotten, close enough that you can almost taste the tobacco on his breath. “G-got it.”

“Good.” He leans back, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to the ceiling.

“Uh… are we friends now?” You venture.

He laughs dryly. “Sure.”

#stardew sebastian #sdv sebastian #sdv #stardew valley #writing #fanfic #sebastian x you #sdv sebastian x reader #sdv x reader #sdv x farmer

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gch1995 · 4 years ago

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I’m 25 going on 26 now, and I grew up loving the classic Powerpuff Girls cartoon series when I was a kid. Even now when I rewatch it as an adult, it’s still a cute and funny cartoon, especially now that I’m old enough to recognize all of the adult jokes. Like, there’s no way it was a coincidence that Professor Utonium’s despicably dishonest, greedy, lazy, manipulative, selfish, and sleazy former roommate from college was given the name Professor Dick Hardly by accident.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup actually are pretty relatable little girls who have believable flaws and insecurities. They make believable bad choices for little girls. Those issues actually get dealt with seriously, rather than just being brushed aside as no big deal with no negative consequences. They are still endearing and sympathetic in spite of their flaws.

While he had a few OOC moments of bad parenting in some bad episodes here and there, generally speaking, Professor Utonium from the classic Powerpuff Girls is actually one of the best dads in cartoons that I’ve ever seen, which is sadly pretty rare in most cartoon sitcoms, even the ones that are actually aimed at a children audience.

Most cartoon dads are abusive, lazy, neglectful, selfish, and stupid oafs. Granted, those type of dads in cartoon sitcoms can actually be entertaining and funny to watch when they are actually being well-written as shitty and slow-witted, but still essentially well-meaning people in regards to their families, such as S1-S8 Homer Simpson from The Simpsons and even S1-S3 Peter Griffin from Family Guy. However, the entertainment quality of those shitty, but well-meaning cartoon dads was mostly lost when the writers flanderdized their negative traits to the point of making Homer and especially Peter downright despicable with little to no redeeming or sympathetic qualities much of the time anymore. They went from being shitty, but essentially well-meaning parents and husbands to downright bratty and spoiled man-children who were much more intentionally abusive, childish, cruel, neglectful, petty, and selfish in regards to their families and others around them with little to no sympathetic or redeeming qualities much of the time anymore, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why The Simpsons went downhill in quality after S8, and why Family Guy went downhill in quality after S3.

Nonetheless, even as they were originally written on their shows pre-flanderdization when they were still well-meaning, but misguided parents and spouses, cartoon dads like Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin, weren’t good dads on the whole. There were still plenty of recurring plot lines and/or gags of them being abusive, lazy, neglectful, reckless, and selfish. Back in early seasons pre-flanderdization, it was more forgivable, though, because they also still had their fair share of kind and selfless moments with their families, and their shittiness as parents wasn’t intentionally abusive, malicious, premeditated, and selfish in nature, which balanced them out enough to still be entertaining and likable characters in spite of their flaws.

Realistically speaking, though, dads like Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson would be better off having their kids taken away from them by CPS. Their good qualities and lack of malicious intent, particularly in earlier seasons pre-flanderdization, would still not hold up as legitimate excuse as to why they should be allowed to keep their kids. Bart would have bruises all over his neck, fractures in his neck, and he could possibly be killed if Homer strangled him hard enough to actually break his neck and/or cut off his air supply long enough in real life just once. Meg, Chris, and even Stewie would not only be injured, but actually outright killed in real life from some of the abuse and neglect that Peter and Lois put them through in later seasons of FG. All of these kids, especially Meg, would have serious self-esteem issues for the rest of their lives because Peter, Lois’, and Homer’s abuse and neglect of their kids went beyond just a pattern of being physical in nature, but emotionally and verbally abusive as well.

So yeah, Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson are really not good fathers who you’d ever want to deal with for a parent in real life, even pre-flanderdization. The major reoccurrence of the abusive, bumbling, idiotic, lazy, drunken, neglectful, and selfish dad trope in cartoon sitcoms is exactly why I really love Professor Utonium from the classic PPG cartoon. I don’t necessarily mind it in absurdist cartoon sitcoms when it’s done well as a trope, but I’m also getting tired of mostly just seeing bad and stupid dads in cartoon sitcoms, and not enough good ones.

For the most part, the OG Professor Utonium is a great dad who goes above and beyond to make sure Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are happy, healthy, disciplined, and safe. He’s usually the parent most of us wish we could have in real life, if we don’t already. It’s refreshing to actually see a good dad in an animated sitcom for once.

Professor Utonium in the classic PPG cartoon is generally a very kind, loving, selfless, and supportive dad to girls. However, he also knows when he has to discipline them and be strict without ever being mean about it. He gives them good advice. He’s very selfless, and even though the girls are superheroes with superhuman abilities, he’ll still risk and/or sacrifice anything to protect them when they’re unable to protect themselves with their powers, including his own life. He didn’t need to be the stereotypical cartoon sitcom abusive, bumbling, dumb, and neglectful dad in order to be funny either. He was funny because he could sometimes be overprotective of the girls, and he could sometimes embarrass them by calling them sickly sweet terms of endearment and telling embarrassing stories that he shouldn’t have about them in public. He was socially awkward. These are relatable flaws in parents that even the best ones have.

While the girls don’t have a mother, Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane were very brave, kind, and intelligent strong women who were good role models.

Also, the Professor did many activities with the girls and chores around the house that get gender-coded as “mother’s work.” Some of these things include begrudgingly playing dress up as Bubbles to make her happy when she was playing PowerPuff Girls with Buttercup and Blossom on a rainy day inside of no crime when he saw that she was upset that no one wanted to be her, cooking, cleaning, and actually sitting down to talk with the girls, listen to them, emotionally support them, and give them advice. He’s also not afraid to be openly affectionate, doting, and emotional with the girls. There’s just not enough good dads in cartoon sitcoms, which is why I really like Professor Utonium from the OG PowerPuff Girls cartoon and movie. He mostly defied all the bad dad stereotypes, and was a really great one to the girls more often than not.

The main villains from the classic PowerPuff Girls cartoon are incredibly entertaining, especially MoJo JoJo. Him was always the creepiest to me because he was the most devious, insidious, and manipulative one. All of the psychological abuse and manipulation he put the girls and Townsville through was always the scariest to me when I was a kid because out of all the villains on the show, the torment that he wreaked upon the girls and Townsville by brainwashing them, gaslighting them, and/or exploiting their fears and insecurities often was played as dead serious with really scary results, especially in early seasons of classic PPG. While Him had a few human moments here and there, for the most part, he was pretty consistently played off as being seriously scary and dangerous.

MoJo JoJo was an egomaniacal asshole hellbent on destroying the PowerPuff Girls and world domination, and on a few occasions, he actually came close to succeeding. On a few occasions, he genuinely was more scary than camp evil. But he still had a lot of humorous, human, fallible, and relatable moments, too. My favorite MoJo moments are the ones where he is making jokes, irritably going grocery shopping to get eggs, getting too frustrated by the girls antics and childish behaviors and reactions to actually go through with his plans to destroy them at certain points, and getting angry and jealous enough to actually destroy the alien/robot invader from another planet who was destroying Townsville in all the evil ways that he always wanted to himself. He was highly intelligent at coming up with clever schemes and inventions with all his science and technology to take over the world, destroy Townsville, and/or destroy the PowerPuff Girls. However, his arrogance, impatience, and impulsivity always doomed him to fail to succeed in the end, though he did come pretty close on a few occasions, especially in the 2002 prequel origin story movie, and he did actually get to rule the world in “The PowerPuff Girls Rule the World!” Surprisingly, he actually was a kindhearted ruler who did good things, but then he gave it all up and went back to being evil because he got bored.

Originally, MoJo was a well-intentioned extremist who wanted to create a utopia ruled by primates where they would never be controlled or rejected by humans again. As much as Professor Utonium’s irritation with JoJo for being a destructive chimp lab assistant was completely justified, it’s also hard not to feel kind of sorry for Mojo Jojo and understand where he’s coming from in his motivations to become evil, particularly in the 2002 prequel movie because originally all he really wanted was to be loved by his owner, too. He understandably felt rejected when Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup became the center of his universe instead. Of course, that doesn’t excuse him for choosing to respond to the Professor’s rejection by becoming an arrogant, evil, cruel, hateful, hypocritical, domineering, manipulative, petty, selfish, and vengeful villain going on a quest for world domination, attempting to commit homicide several times, probably committing voluntary manslaughter of citizens several times that we didn’t see on screen when destroying Townsville all those times, turning the rest of the world into dogs to try to take over the world, and trying to destroy the girls. However, you understand why Mojo became the villain he did with his backstory. He’s relatable. Occasionally, he does have some genuinely sympathetic moments where he’s actually willing to be friendly with the girls, team up with them, and do the right thing.

HIM was just the personification of evil for no other reason than the fact that he was satan. While MoJo was a complex, human, and relatable anti-villain with his origin story as the Professor’s lab chimp, who gained genius-level human intellect from having Chemical X splashed on his brain, and then chose to become evil after feeling rejected by the Professor when he saw how he pretty much forget about him once the girls became the center of his universe instead, HIM was evil, manipulative, and hateful for no other reason than the fact that those traits were a part of his nature as the very embodiment of evil. Many times, a fictional villain being portrayed as one-dimensional with no sympathetic qualities or relatable motivations will annoy me, but with HIM being evil just because that’s who he is, it actually works because he is literally Satan. There doesn’t need to be a deeper sympathetic story behind why he is evil. Committing crimes, wreaking havoc, corrupting people, manipulating people, turning people against others, exploiting the fears of others, and deceiving others for his own amusement is just who he is, and in the early seasons of classic PPG in particular, that made him really scary to me when I was a six year old little girl watching the cartoon on TV.

You get the idea...The classic PowerPuff Girls was a fantastic cartoon, particularly the first four seasons. Granted, there was some series seasonal rot going on in the writing in S5 and S6 after the 2002 prequel movie, and Craig Mcracken and Gennedy Tartakovsky’s departure from the crew. Like, the characterizations of the characters and/or storylines in S5 and S6 felt comparably flanderdized, ooc, immature, inconsistent, pointless, shallow, and underwhelming at certain times to fit the plot, such as in the episodes “Keen on Keane,” “Pee Pee G’s,” “Seed No Evil,” “Reeking Havoc,” “Toast of the Town,” “Say Uncle,” “City of Clipsville,” “”Bubble Boy,” A Made Up Story,” “Mo’linguish,” and “Simian Says.” Even the good episodes of S5-S6 still didn’t ever reach the same level of greatness of the ones from S1-S4. However, the seasonal rot in the classic PPG cartoon of S5-S6 after Craig McCracken and Gennedy Tartakovsky’s departure still wasn’t nearly as bad as the seasonal rot on The Simpsons after S8, Family Guy after S3, and SpongeBob SquarePants post S3–S4 ish, so I’m still willing to consider most of S5-S6 of classic PPG legit canon.

However, it sounds like the 2016 PPG reboot fucked up everything that was originally good about it to go for a more slapstick comedic feel without substance without consistency, depth, and intelligence. Now, I hear that the CW is making a live-action TV show spin-off of the PowerPuff Girls being jaded and resentful young women who’ve given up crime fighting as result! No, no, no! Why? Why does the CW keep making dark, nitty, and gritty live action teen soap operas out of beloved childhood cartoons?

Yeah, the original PowerPuff Girls cartoon and movie had dark moments. The girls could be bratty and make bad choices sometimes. However, it was still very much a fun show about normal little girls born with superpowers, which they chose to use to defend their father, their city, and on some occasions, the whole world, from crime. No one ultimately forced them to be superheroes for everyone in the classic PPG cartoon and movie. They chose to do it because they had brave and selfless hearts. There was ultimately no obligation for them to be superheroes in the classic PPG cartoon and movie. Sure, they got tired of fighting crime at times, but they still ultimately enjoyed doing it when push came to shove. They weren’t weighed down by the darkness of the world, hatred, and resentment. They still were relatively normal little girls with happy, peaceful, and normal lives of little girls whenever they weren’t fighting crime after the events of the prequel movie about their origins. That’s what made the PowerPuff Girls classic cartoon so special.

By turning Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup into jaded young women, who have given up on being superheroes because they’ve grown resentful of “losing the normal childhood to crime fighting” that they basically are shown to have in the original series for the most part in their spare time aside from having superpowers that they chose to use to fight crime to defend their dad and Townsville from, anyway, where is the fun in that?

#ppg classic #ppg #PowerPuff girls classic was an amazing cartoon!#there was some seasonal rot bad writing in classic PPG after S4 and Craig McCracken and Gennedy Tartovsky’s departure from the show #also looking back at even some of the early seasons of classic PPG Buttercup tended to get treated as a butt-monkey in her few centric Ed #but the seasonal rot moments of bad writing in S5-S6 of classic PPG wasn’t THAT bad so for the most part I’m willing to give it a pass #mojo jojo #him #professor utonium #blossom utonium #bubbles utonium #buttercup utonium #sara bellum #mayor #ms. keane #anti the cw live action PowerPuff girls!#is nothing from the childhoods of those of us who grew up in the early to mid 2000s sacred anymore?#what’s next a CW live action spin off of SpongeBob Squarepants in which SpongeBob works as a drug dealer for mob boss Mr. Krabs?#a CW live action spin off of Johnny Bravo where fool JD is actually rewarded for hitting on women who are strangers?#a cw live action reboot of dexter’s laboratory in which dexter grows up to run a crystal meth lab?#a CW live action spin-off of Courage the Cowardly Dog in which Muriel is a terrible pet owner too?#a CW live action of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends in which Mac is diagnosed as a schizophrenic who hallucinated in the OG series?#omg! just let these beloved cartoons RIP please!#Come up with something new! Stop ruining good cartoons from the past by reviving them into something they were never meant to be!

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syeph0fuck · 3 years ago

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Jusy realized I should write more of Will with bad internalized homophobia like SHEEESH he's from Texas?? ZAMN.

My brother in Christ I interrupted a funny haha fic with some good ol' Will internalized homophobia yeehaw.

I literally just made Nico trans in it and went "sheeeesh I should rant about the Texas law- wait... Texas... Will Solace... From Texas... Naomi solace.... Texan... I do it." And wrote transphobic Naomi and it's so ooc that I appreciated wasting my time for it.

BUT ANYWAY do you ever wonder if Will has that? Like, even though he's pretty open about dating Nico do you ever wonder if one of the reasons he isn't as openly affectionate when it comes to talking about their relationship (mf I will count Nico not shutting up about him being his boyfriend as affectionate and you can fight me) is because of that? Like, when u think about it real good and hard him wanting to protect Nico is more of just,, a Will thing and not just because it's his boyfriend.

We're literally told by Apollo that Will is one of the most caring people alive, going as far as to buy clothes for Apollo himself out of the goodness of his heart, so to me it wouldn't be too far fetched to think he would protect everyone around him just because it's who he is.

Especially since he's a healer, he probably is always thinking, "I can't let these people get hurt, I can't lose them. I need to protect them before they even can get hurt." And honestly that has a lot of potential too. It's not entirely related to internalized homophobia but I think it adds a lot to him as a character to just naturally be protective of people, especially people he's close to.

I'm just writing Will Solace lore before the book comes out ain't I.

Anyway, in the new book I'd really like for him to talk about how even though he loves his siblings he feels a lot of resentment because of how they would leave all of the heavy lifting to him, and how they'd always leave patients to be his job. It's right there too, since he's the one with all the healing power and knowledge. But because of that people brush him aside as just the healer guy and don't even take the time to learn his name, and even if he saves someones life they don't appreciate him as a person, just what he did for them. And obviously it'd probably make people hate Kayla and Austin since they are some of the few named Apollo campers who aren't dead but it'd add flaws and dimension to them as characters, especially if we were to take into consideration the fact that compared to Will, they could have little to no healing powers at all and would be basically useless in that department, but even though Will knows that he still wishes they'd do what they can to help, since having to help so many people and watch them all die takes a fucking toll on the brain, so of course he'd want someone to for once help.

And honestly I think the fact that even in canon Nico actually does help kind of says a lot, since we aren't ever shown or even told that any other campers help, just that Nico does. If anything we're told Will does all of it. That's not even mentioning that he became head counsellor (or whatever it's called my brain is die) at a VERY young age, the dude was 11 fucking years old, he'd have to basically raise his siblings, year round or not. And if we are to go with canon and say that Naomi is a good mom, that would mean that Will stays year round, completely missing any time at his ACTUAL home and time with his mom BECAUSE he's the only healer. He's on the job 24/7, so to have him talk about (in dialogue or not) how legitimately stressed out he is and how he's genuinely angry at his siblings for leaving the hardest work to him would be good.

That's not even MENTIONING the fact that he might possibly hold resentment or even hate Percy for not giving him time to mourn Micheal because Annabeth was in serious danger and needed healing, which even though he knows that it was a GOOD thing he did and that it was better overall to save Annabeth, he'd still kind of hate him for that because he had just lost his brother and became the new counselor and now had all these duties he had before, he'd want some time to process that.

And I'm not even saying bash Percy I'm saying that it should be explored in the book because when someone does something that hurts you, even though you know it was good or because they just couldn't do what you needed them to do, you'd still be kind of angry at them. And I feel like him being the only healer would make him just that much angrier at Percy

But i'd also like for him to be somewhat okay with him, not the jealous asshole boyfriend he is in fanon.

But at the same time, I'd kind of like for him to get mad Percy did that whole choking Nico thing and how everyone on the Argo II treated him (including Percy) and for how he was kind of a major douche to Nico before Bianca died, not because "that's my boyfriend" but more like "Dude, uncool." And then a little bit of "you fucking WHAT?" To the whole choking thing even though he knows Percy was kind of lacking air so his brain wasn't working right, he'd still be like "Dude, what the actual fuck?" Not mentioning the fact that Percy low-key fucking hated Nico through the series (and I love Percy he's 😘 he's one of my favorites I love the man but my boy really hated this literal child for merely existing and being annoying) and kind of kept the whole "Nico is evil and dangerous" thing going which like,,, my man... That shit fucked Nico up BIG TIME and the one time even he was like "what if we didn't save Nico from the jar" bc I'm not over how the characters were willing to leave the man for dead for a bit. And how he got low-key annoyed at him for struggling to get out of the jar and when he got pissed at Nico for gasping for air when he was choking the mf (And that's not even Percy bashing it's just like,,, tf was that about and yes. I know he was relieved that Nico was safe and not dead. But that's the bare minimum because he still hated Nico but the whole "no I don't know you" thing when Percy had no memory was still weird and like low-key concerned about that. I would hope it wasn't so he can get in his pants for lack of a better word and is just like "I ain't fucking with this he's not gonna believe me. I'm out." Because my boy Nico would NEVER do that shit.)

Like Will getting genuinely angry at people is like,, fuck yeah. And we know he's VERY protective of Nico (as he SHOULD as he SHOULD) so I wouldn't put it past the man to do a Will Smith on Percy for the shit he pulled earlier in the series.

#solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo

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a-small-batch-of-dragons · 4 years ago

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Let's Call It Funny

Prompt: Hi! If you know about those gen z peter parker posts, could your write something based on that? With Steve Getting It (tm) because fatalistic nihilism in humor tended to show up during the world wars and we’re seeing a reflection of that now? Sorry- I just think it’d make great options for steve and peter bonding, and dad!tony but actual emotions (gasp!) You can totally ignore this if you want!

Don't ever apologize for giving me such a great ask

Read on Ao3 Part 2

Warnings: uhhh gen z humor

Pairings: none! all found family in this bitch

Word Count: 2529

Here’s the thing about humor. It’s not necessarily that one generation is any funnier than another, it’s just that high school kids are perpetually the funniest people alive. Something about being in a pressure cooker of an environment with a bunch of other people whose bodies are changing in new unpredictable ways whilst having very little say in how their lives go creates humor. Gasp of shock, right?

So basically what Peter’s trying to say is that he’s fucking hilarious.

Come on, not only does he have the default high schooler stuff, he’s also gay, which gives him an instant bonus. He’s trans, which opens up a whole new subset of humor for him to explore. He’s neurodivergent as fuck, and we all know that makes people funny as hell. And if that weren’t enough, he’s severely traumatized and he’s Spider-Man.

Peter Parker is funny as hell.

What is truly devastating—and really, it’s their loss—is that so few people seem to appreciate it.

Ned gets it. Ned’s not someone Peter would expect to not get it, just because hey, it’s Ned. They’ve met each other in the hallways and been like ‘hey! You’re still alive! Congrats on having a body!’ Only for the other one to go ‘hey! You’re alive too! I wish I had an intangible form!’

Because bodies are stupid and evolution really fucked us over but at least we’re not horses.

A solid 50% of their interactions are just quoting John Mulaney and Bo Burnham bits back and forth at each other. Peter’s never gonna forget the day they both had detention and had to watch that stupid Cap PSA—it’s propaganda, you Nazi fuckwits—and something reminded them of the ‘horse loose in a hospital’ bit and they just did it. Full out. Stood up and did the actions and everything. The rest of the room was either trying to do it with them—and failing, because they didn’t have nearly enough practice—or looking so confused. The security guard—Paul, he’s great—just looked at them blearily after they finished and went:

“I mean, you kids are right, but you’re not supposed to talk in detention.”

Well, excuse them for trying to make it more entertaining for everyone.

MJ gets it. If Peter’s being honest, he learned most of his humor from her. She is the master and it is an honor to study in her wake. He’s definitely hijacked the asking whether or not anything’s actually meaningful existentialism jokes and they’ve wormed their way into his day-to-day repertoire.

“Why are you late, Mr. Parker?”

“Time is a social construct, Mrs. B, none of us are ever late or early except in the subjective spacetime paths. The limits of our sensory perception make it so we can’t tell if anything is real, let alone whether or not they conform to some arbitrary definition of ‘time.’”

“…just sit down, Peter.”

See? It works.

Aunt May gets…worried.

Sure, they’ve actually talked about when Peter needs help and wants to reach out and when he’s just making jokes off the cuff because hey, humor’s a great coping mechanism or it’s just a joke and not that serious. Peter loves his Aunt May, so so so much, and the last thing he wants to do is really worry her. And she’s gotten pretty good at figuring out when he’s just joking and when he’s spiraling.

Sometimes, though…

“Peter,” Aunt May calls from the kitchen, “did you remember to stop by the store on your way home?”

Peter freezes halfway through the door.

“Peter?”

He swallows. “…no.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am too stressed and consumed by the swirling pit of blackness deep in my soul to remember my head is connected to my body, let alone remember to go to the store.”

Silence.

“…Aunt May?”

“Do you want to drop off your stuff and then go to the store?”

“…yeah, please.”

“Love you, Pete.”

“Love you!”

“Try to remember that you’ve got arms so you can pick stuff up.”

“Got it!”

See? It’s fine.

The Avengers don’t get it. Like, at all.

Natasha and Clint like, sorta get it? They make the same jokes all the time when they think Peter can’t hear them, which—come on, you guys are super spies, surely you know people are gonna hear you when they’re gonna hear you. Natasha will make a crack about something, Clint will laugh and shove her shoulder. It’s their dynamic, we get it. But when Peter does it…

“Hey, Baby Spider?”

Peter sticks his head up from the ceiling. “Yeah?”

“Where’re you crawling off to?”

“I’m gonna go hide in the garage.”

Natasha blinks up at him. “Why?”

“Because if I get crushed by the airlock doors then I won’t have to do my paper tomorrow.”

Silence. Natasha’s mask is too good for Peter to actually see what’s going on with her, let alone from this angle, but silence isn’t good.

“Nat—oof!”

Something blurs out of the vent nearby and tackles him down onto the couch.

“Clint!”

“Nope,” Clint mutters, wrapping Peter up in a hug as Natasha comes to join them. “You’re staying with us now, Pete.”

“Guys, I’m fine.”

“Peter,” Natasha says softly, “don’t joke about that, you’ll make us worry.”

“I don’t wanna do that,” Peter mumbles, “but it’s fine.”

“Coping mechanism, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s got too many brain cells to do that,” Clint says, ruffling Peter’s hair.

“Stark has a lot of brain cells, you see what good that does him?”

“Hmm. Guess you’re gonna have to stay awhile, Pete.”

There are worse fates. Definitely.

Thor just kind of gets confused by it. He acts like Peter isn’t going to be absolutely fine because there’s no need to do anything like that. No, Peter, you don’t have to put the bleach in first into your cereal, there’s plenty of milk left over. No, Peter, you don’t have to throw yourself off the roof because your laptop is freezing, Stark has so many just lying around. No, Peter, you don’t have to pack a rucksack and run away to the Alps and live like a recluse, come here and get a hug.

Peter suspects Thor’s playing dumb on purpose. The man is smart as hell, there’s no way all of this is flying over his head. And honestly, it warms his heart a little bit when he sees Thor’s sincere, concerned look when he thinks Peter’s not looking.

Banner and Rhodey just kinda shake their heads and move on. They’re used to it. They live and work with some of the most dramatic fucking people in the goddamn universe, they’re used to a little bit of extra humor. Occasionally one of them will give him a look that says he’s pushing his luck, but that’s not often. Less often now ‘cause he knows what he can get away with. He’s also seen them hiding smiles behind their hands or poorly disguised coughs. They’re not as slick as they think they are.

Tony.

Tony is the fucking worst.

Peter can’t get away with so much as sighing too hard before Iron Dad™ is swooping in all soft words and concerned touches. Jesus. You’d think he’d get it, he uses humor as a coping mechanism too, goddamnit, why is he so worried about Peter?

Okay, fine, he knows why.

MJ’s over at the Tower, having another one of her ‘sketch people in crisis’ appointments with Natasha. Peter is coming off of a 32-hour caffeine rush and is violently wishing for death. Tony is in the kitchen doing…something.

“Hey, do you think bleach would make a good smoothie?”

Tony wheels around to see MJ pulling a glass out of the cupboard.

“Kid—“

“Sounds like a filling breakfast,” Peter groans, “can you make me one too?”

“…I’m legitimately concerned,” comes Tony’s mutter.

MJ ignores him. “Who’s the bitch on your forehead?”

Peter rubs absentmindedly at the massive knot on his head, courtesy of a wall that rudely decided to move at the last second while Peter was attempting to walk through a doorway. “He’s called DJ Braindeath and he’s my only friend in the world.”

“Peter—“

“Oh did you meet him at the furry convention?"

“Technically it’d be a buggie convention.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?”

“The pantry doesn’t have good coffee, I’m going to Starbucks.” MJ grabs her bag. “You want anything?”

“A will to live?”

“Peter, what the fuck—“

“Oof, I’ve only got like…20 bucks.”

Peter lets his head drop back to the counter. “Then just leave me here to die.”

“Can I have champagne at your funeral?”

“I’ll be dead, I won’t fucking care.”

“God, I wish that were me.”

Then MJ’s gone and Peter gets treated to a 20-minute conversation with a very concerned Tony Stark that he doesn’t remember most of because hey caffeine crashes aren’t fun.

He definitely does it on purpose sometimes just to wind Tony up. Like there’s this one incident with an interview he does as Spider-Man and he gets asked what he thinks about Tony Stark’s newest intern, Peter Parker.

“That boy’s an embarrassment, just…complete failure. Can’t speak without stuttering through every other word and self-esteem issues all over the place. Also looks like he got dressed in the dark.”

The reporter had awkwardly moved on to another question. The interview aired later that day while Peter was at the Tower. Tony sat next to him on the couch about halfway through.

“You look good, Pete.”

Peter had mumbled halfheartedly, only to hear the reporter ask the same question.

“See, that’s the problem with having a secret identity, you don’t…” Tony trailed off as he heard the answer.

Peter snorted as Spider-Man finished talking. “Say that to my face, you bitch, get a real job. At least I don’t look like someone vomited silly string all over my spandex.”

“Are you okay?”

See? Fun.

The only one he’s made a conscious effort to not be this funny around is Steve.

Because, okay, here’s the thing. Steve’s disappointed look has no effect on him anymore. He’s immune, motherfuckers, he’s had detention too many times for it to still work. Here’s the other thing: Steve doesn’t actually use that tone of voice that often. It’s this meticulously crafted image he plays up in interviews because it catches all the bad guys so off guard when Captain America is suddenly swearing a blue streak at them and telling them to go fuck themselves in, honestly, quite creative ways. The sincere Steve Rogers disappointment and concern still very much works. Also doesn’t help that Steve does caring so fucking well, like…who gave him the right to say a few things and hold Peter like he’s something precious and do the quick one-two punch of saying a super sincere compliment and following it up with ‘I love you.’ Who did that? It’s rude. Stop it.

And yeah, Steve’s the resident Mom at the Ready. It’s a risk to even sit on your bed looking sad ‘cause here he comes, wearing something snuggly and saying ‘hey’ in that stupid, stupid compassionate voice. So Peter knows he’s just gonna end up crying from too much soft if Steve actually gets concerned. Which won’t be fair because he’s gonna try and explain that he’s fine and it’s just his sense of humor while crying. Yeah, like that’s gonna be believable.

So he’s trying not to but damnit it’s hard.

Then he walks into the kitchen one day to see Steve struggling with the toaster.

It’s one of Tony’s new prototypes—which means that anyone struggling with it is so fair—and from the looks of it, it’s managed to not only burn the bread to a crisp, but also mangle the slices beyond recognizable shape.

Peter’s not paying that much attention. He’s on his phone, heading towards his spot in the corner with the beanbag chairs and definitely doesn’t recognize Steve as he goes.

He only plops down and hears someone declare, in a completely deadpan voice: “There is no point to existing at all.”

“Oh, mood.”

He doesn’t think much of it. He doesn’t even know who said that, that’s how hyper-focused he is right now. He hears the others come in and feels Clint plonk down next to him.

“Hey, Pete.”

“Sah, dude.”

“Just vibing. Did I do it right?”

“Yeah, man you’re going great.”

“You teach Thor ‘yeet’ yet?”

“We’re getting there.”

“Steve,” he hears Tony call from the kitchen, “what the fuck did you do?”

“Language.”

“Don’t fucking talk to me about language when you’re making toast that looks like a goddamn welder’s table, what is that?”

“Your prototype’s work, I imagine.”

“How did you even—“

Clint chuckles next to him as the two of them start fondly bickering. Peter’s too busy speedrunning the five stages of grief in his head.

Did…did Steve say the thing about there being no point to existence at all?

No…no way.

He must be imagining things.

Then, of course, there’s a chime on his phone.

Ned: Did u do the bio hw?

There was bio homework?

Ned: yeah, due at noon

“I now know why God abandoned this timeline and when will death come to take me?”

The room goes silent.

Shit.

“Peter,” Clint says, “it’s gonna be fine, you can do bio homework in your sleep—“

“Are you okay?” Ah, that’s Thor.

“Kid—“

And Nat, and Tony’s probably rushing over here as he speaks.

Then there’s another voice.

“We can only pray the reaper arrives early for his appointment with us, kid.”

Peter’s head snaps up.

Steve.

Steve fucking Rogers raises a coffee cup at him in salute and takes a sip. He makes a face.

“…that was definitely salt,” he mutters, before shrugging and downing the whole thing.

…what?

Peter’s still staring at him until he catches his gaze and winks.

Oh, fuck yes.

“Steven Grant Rogers,” Tony says, hands on his hips, “explain.”

Steve just gives him a look. “I grew up in the Great Depression, Tony, and I was in the army. You don’t think I have a fatalistic sense of humor?”

“Plus the fact that most of my generation is resorting to types of humor found when death and stress are so ever-present that you have to joke about it says something,” Peter adds, “doesn’t it?”

Steve raises his cup again. “See? He gets it.”

And just like that, the bond between Peter Parker and Steve Rogers was written, formed, and sealed in salt and existentialist depression.

“There’s two of you,” Tony mumbles, “oh my god, there’s two of you.”

“Oh, you just wait ’til Buck and Sam get back.”

Peter can’t fucking wait.

#marvel #mcu #avengers #spider man #peter parker #fic #dragonbabbles

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chrstbll · 4 years ago

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miracles and lucky days| ben hargreeves

(gif not mine)

+tags: @lalisbitch @spaceclone-mom , @meowmeowrex23 @strangeyouthcrusade

plot: after coming back from the 60’s, instead of finding the sparrow academy, the group come face to face with a much more positive outcome of their actions.

The words of Klaus were diluted, inaudible and ringing loudly in your head. Your limbs could barely hold the weight of your body, and the nausea from jumping between timelines hitting your stomach didn’t quite put you at ease. All was blurry at first, not hearing nor seeing properly caused you to feel light-headed as well, but before your legs or your mind gave in, somebody strong arms held you up protectively.

- Are you good? – Diego’s gentle call for you brought you back to reality. He was always a little bit concerned about you. He didn’t show it in great actions, it was in the seemingly unimportant things he did for you. There wasn’t anything romantic involved between you two, instead of that it was a deep understanding of each another that made you appreciate the other significantly. You nodded to confirm that you were in fact all right, shrugging it off with a smile.

Klaus was right. After you successfully registered what he was saying, a wave of relief washed over your heart, mind, and soul. Your whole being. For once, all seven of you managed to successfully jump back to 2019 without any harm or mistake being done. It was quite unbelievable. A dreamlike scenario which proved itself to be nearly impossible to believe. Looking around the hall, everything seemed to be all right. It felt okay. The aura was intimately comforting, yet something was amiss. Different. Changed. It certainly was not a malicious ambiance that you discovered, but one new, something yet unexperienced thing. The others noticed it too, as all six of them were looking around suspiciously. Memories, feelings, and people rapidly invaded your mind, those you haven’t thought about a lot. Pogo? Grace? Are they okay now?

Luther suggested to enter the living room ahead of you, so that’s what you all mutually agreed to. Five was the one who went further on before you heroically and begged all of you to proceed with caution, because we don’t know what’s waiting for us there. The walk from the hall to the living room happened painfully slowly given that the feeling of uncertainty was sitting in one and all’s eyes and was at fault for your lack of speed. Upon realizing the academy was unnervingly noiseless, the anxiety birthed a huge lump in your throat, which you couldn’t swallow. Your heart was terrified from the possible negative outcome of this time jump. What if that moment of clarity and amenity was only a façade and was only felt because none of you faced reality in the short but drunk moment of arrival? Sometimes you thought about how nice it would be to just live without worry. To live in pure bliss, without a care in the world. Without a problem in the universe to solve. How astonishing it would be not to recall what loss, trauma, or sadness feels like. But then again, we would live in ignorance that way.

Turning towards the divans and sculptures in the living room, your attention automatically focused on the small moving figure, who was absentmindedly cleaning the shelves with dusting feathers. Recognition hit you like a truck, as the character of an ape appeared before you. Your breath hitched in your throat. Mercifully, it was a positive reaction, a sentiment you haven’t undergone in a long time.

- Pogo?! – Allison was the first one to call out their siblings’ friends’ name. Barely letting his name roll from her tongue, the sea of emotions instantly overthrew her, and tears stormed down her face. Their beloved guardian turned around in shock, he looked so puzzled, it was as he didn’t recognize the people in front of him. You feared that was the case. What if we screwed it up even more?

- Oh, children. I was waiting for you all to return – he’s spoken politely and gifted us with a kind smile, just like he always did. You almost forgot what a courteous and caring figure Pogo was. His scarce although deep voice reminded you of simpler times. A type of nostalgia which you subconsciously yearned for god knows how long. Everyone gathered around him in a matter of seconds, engulfing him in a suffocating hug. Pogo was still bewildered from the sudden act of affection, as you all were from seeing him alive and breathing, but in this instant of happiness, the questions why and how didn’t matter. What mattered was the present minute, what you currently knew as is.

And next, a voice broke the silence.

Who would dare to turn around first? Who wanted to confirm that the voice that was just heard from behind them, came from a legit source? On a serious note, was it even real? Your minds are only playing tricks on you. You were ecstatic for having Pogo back, but it would be too good to be true to turn around and see the possessor of the voice. We can’t have all the wonderful things. It never went that well for you. Your bodies turned stiff, and your feet were frozen on spot. But what made you fear to turn around? The horror of hearing something that’s not truly there or facing it bravely. Something…someone you haven’t faced in roughly two decades.

- What the hell took you guys so long? – the annoyance sounded so raw, hence genuine. You could hear and understand the words crystal clear; then why didn’t you believe your ears?

The group hug disassembled at a snail's pace and turned to face what they never expected to see ever again in their lifetime. You, on the other hand, had secretly wished for a moment like this. Your heart was aching for the chance, not caring about being rational nor delusional. It kept the faith in your soul steady.

- Please, tell me I’m not the only one who can see him – Klaus muttered.

- Ben – Diego confirmed in a hushed tone without letting out any more words as he didn’t need to. He was the bravest out of all of you to speak up.

So, there he stood in his monochrome outfit, with his black leather jacket hugging his form and a coy smile painted all over his face. The faint rosy cheeks, lively eyes and vivid emotions displayed told you everything. The Ben standing in front of you was very much real, and more importantly, alive, and well.

- All of you look like you’ve seen a ghost – he grinned from ear to ear, and his light-hearted joke legitimately freed your body from the tension which held you in your place so aggressively. Number Four didn’t hesitate one second longer, and slammed himself against his brother, who sweetly returned the embrace. Registering it, savouring it, then finally loving the physical contact, Klaus broke up in a hysterical laughter. The group succeeded to pull the strings in a way his death was luckily prevented. How the hell did we manage this? But he didn’t care. All that mattered was the present minute, what he currently knew as is.

- You’re telling me, man – his laugh slowly started to die down, but his joy only rose. Of course, a group hug was crucially needed and initiated effective immediately. Everyone surrounded him, and you held onto each other tightly, so he never slips away from your grasp again. You admitted it to yourself, that it felt heavenly, but more precisely, it felt so damn terrific. The others eventually backed away, but you stayed right in front of him.

- Hey, you – were all he needed to say for you to go flying into his arms – Where have you been? I missed you – his confession was a simple, warm, and loving anecdote, and it broke your heart in the best way possible.

You missed me?

Your loud sobbing, and ocean of tears was baffling and a mystery to him, and he looked at the others with a perplexed expression. They asked him to just let you be because they understood everything perfectly. Each tear was valid and every one of them had a reason. His arms were wrapped around your body, as he was shielding you from all the cruelty in this world. His embrace wasn’t tight, but fond and sensitive enough. You weren’t greedy at all; it was just all too marvellous. Hearing his stable beating heart as he held you close to his chest completely fulfilled you. A featherlight kiss was tenderly placed on your forehead by him, in an attempt to calm you down. It failed, as more droplets of salty water coated your apple-like cheeks. Even so, the kiss was given so compassionately, it must have come from heaven itself.

Maybe you were in Heaven. Maybe your life ended when you arrived in the hall. This isn’t real and I’m probably dead in Diego’s arms by now. But what if you accepted it as your reality now? You couldn’t believe it, even after feeling his touch and his kiss on your body. It might be because you thought you didn’t think your wish to see the person closest to your heart again would ever come true. After the horrific months you went through, it was certainly an impossibility to be gifted with something this enormous, significant, and joyous.

Maybe miracles and lucky days exist. Maybe they existed both on the same day in favour of you. I’ll accept this, I deserve this. You absolutely deserve to be happy and to drop the burden that’s been weighing on your soul for years. Nobody deserves to live their lives in inescapable guilt and grief. Having Ben back in all your lives meant the world to you. You were thinking about how you might have to fill him in on the details of the previous events, but that was a case for a later part of the day. For now, it was nice to bask in his love and warmth. You’ll care about every other issue later. This was the only feeling that mattered in that moment. Peace finally taking its rightful place back in your heart, which has been waiting for it for a long time now. He radiated pureness, an energy which was incomparable to anything else. Clutching his jacket was your anxiety making sure he doesn’t leave again. Maybe he was reading your thoughts, but at the same time he was realizing he’d never leave you even if it meant his life.

- I missed you too.

#ben hargreeves #umbrella academy #the umbrella academy #netflix tua #ben hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves imagine #ben hargreeves fluff #ben hargreeves fanfiction #tua x reader #the umbrella academy imagine

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kinktae · 5 years ago

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flesh and blood || 3 (FINAL)

You are living in a society that is just now picking up the scraps that the Great Outbreak left behind after the government killed off the majority of the zombies. Still, some remain, and fear still lies within society’s walls. So imagine your surprise when the very thing you’ve been taught to fear ends up saving your life, showing you that maybe two beating hearts aren’t always required when it comes to love.

pairing: zombie!jungkook x reader

word count: 8k

genre: post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, smut

warnings: murder, guns, renegade shit oh and ZOMBIE PEEPEE

A/N: inspired by warm bodies and the fact that I’m a legitimate crackhead.

01 | 02 | 03 (FINAL)

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PART THREE (FINAL) **UNEDITED**

Jungkook woke up with a jolt, eyes blinking hurriedly as they rushed over the room in disoriented panic. His breathing was erratic and loud, failing to settle down once he realized that he was safe on the couch of the apartment, not back in the abandoned building you had saved him from.

“Jungkook? Are you okay?” You walked out into the living room suddenly, concern lacing your features.

The zombie in question gave the room one final once over before sitting up, bringing a hand up to run through his dampened bangs.

“Yeah, I just… Bad dream.” He frowned.

Sympathy flooded you, realizing that this must have been another one of his recurring nightmares. You weren’t sure about the details, but you were fairly certain it had something to do with the group of zombies he once lived with. Jungkook hardly spoke about his past – the parts he could remember – but you could see the way the sadness lingered even after the nightmare had passed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.” He continued solemnly.

You shook your head, “No, no, I’ve been awake, I still have a few articles to edit for work. The deadline for the newspaper issue is– Are you sure you’re okay?”

The zombie man didn’t reply, his mind clearly elsewhere in this dark room. You bit down on your lip.

Jungkook’s blank stare shifted as your open palm offering itself to him came into view. He looked up to see you looking at him expectantly, smile warm as you gestured for him to take your hand.

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“It’s not quite outside like I wish I could take you but…”

“It’s beautiful.” He decided with a sigh.

You brought your knees to your chest, arms wrapping around them for some warmth. Naturally, there was a slight breeze as the two of you sat on the roof of your apartment building, looking over your night fallen town.

It was against Namjoon’s direct order for Jungkook to leave the apartment. Technically speaking, Jungkook hadn’t left the building. You were sure the small loophole you had carved could be overlooked. It just wasn’t right that Jungkook had to spend his days locked up in your dingy apartment.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You asked, gaze rolling over the half rebuilt city, certain parts still remaining dark and unilluminated.

“Not really.” Was his honest reply.

“Okay.”

You weren’t going to push him into talking about anything he didn’t want to. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of weight he must be carrying around within him.

Jungkook looked over at you in surprise, not expecting your understanding reply.

He let out a sigh, bringing a knee up to rest his arm against it. You watched as he clenched and unclenched his hand.

“They were my brothers.” His words came out as a soft breath, barely leaving his lips. Place your chin on your knees, you looked at him with understanding, urging him to continue.

“I don’t know how to explain it. We never said a word but… we were family. We looked out for each other.”

“I’d give anything to bring them back.” Jungkook admitted woefully. There was a certain guilt sitting in his eyes as he thought over his next words, seemingly unwilling to say them. “When those guys came in with all those guns… I panicked and hid. Even as they grabbed the others and dragged them away… I stayed hidden. I should have fought for them.”

Your chest tightened at his confession, leaning over closer as you shook your head adamantly.

“No, Jungkook, you’re not at fault. None of this is your fault! You’re a zombie, you could’ve been killed on the spot if the DEAD Team saw you as a threat. You did the right thing, please you have to know that. You were scared and didn’t have time to think–”

You fell silent abruptly, left speechless as Jungkook’s hand came down on the top of your head gently, patting it comfortingly.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. You don’t have to get worked up over me.” He hummed.

Heat was rocketing up your neck, burning at your cheeks as you sat beside him with a pout, “Yes, I do. I’m worried about you…”

He cocked his head, a smug grin on his handsome face, “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

Your cheeks grew warmer.

“I-I just… care about you, is all.”

Jungkook chuckled, “Sweet Y/N. Always thinking of others before herself.”

“Now you’re just making fun of me.” You sulked. You felt your breath falter as the hand on your head ran down the side of your face, his warm fingertips tracing your cheek. He could feel the way your skin burned under his.

“I mean it. I mean, you took me in without so much as a second thought. You didn’t care that I was a zombie.”

“The way you always want to help others…” His fingers made their way down your jaw, following the slight slope until it found your bottom lip, his touch just ghosting it. You didn’t dare breathe as his brows furrowed slightly. “...It’s beautiful.”

Your heart was pounding in your chest, frozen in place as if too afraid the moving would shatter the moment between us.

The same heart began to sink as he pulled his hand away suddenly, cheeks tinted pink.

“Jungkook–”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Gosh. You have to ask before you kiss someone, brains.” You turned away from him, tone of voice serious as if to scold him.

You were nodding yes before you could even contemplate his question, “Please.”

His kiss was slow, pulling away between each touch as if to savor the feeling of your mouth against his. You reveled at the feeling of his breathing synchronizing with your, his hands gripping your hips as he brought you onto his chest, pulling you impossibly close.

Despite how cold the night was, you felt like you were on fire, Jungkook’s touch warming every inch of you.

“You’re so beautiful…” Jungkook groaned as he broke the kiss, his hot tongue finding the base of your throat. You whimpered in response, admittedly growing embarrassingly wet on his lap.

Everything felt so foreign with him, your fingers running over each other for the first time. Something incredibly appealing knowing that you were still outside and that any relationship between you two would be decidedly forbidden. You urged his shirt off, fingers greedy and craving the feeling of his skin.

You swallowed back a moan as his hand found your thigh, digging into the soft exposed flesh, finger playing with the fabric of your bedtime shorts.

You had no idea just how far either of you was planning to take this. The feeling of his digits so close to the place where you were aching for him seemed to make your decision up for you.

“Jungkook…” You whined.

“Mm?”

You nipped at his jaw tenderly, audibly mewing at the sound it elicited from him. Thankfully, you didn't have to say a word, as his hand slipped between your legs without hesitation.

“You want this badly, huh.” He tutted, taking in just how wet you were for him.

Your face went hot, a small whimper of embarrassment escaping you, causing him to chuckle. He pressed a kiss against your cheek, timing the action perfectly with a roll of his thumb over your clothed clit.

“Don’t worry.” He hummed

Your breathing hitched as he ran his middle finger down your slit lightly, repeating the torturous movement until you were squirming in his lap.

Suddenly his unoccupied hand found your wrist, leading you to his crotch, “I promise you I want it just as bad.”

You groaned, tugging down the front of his pants clumsily, palming over his underwear. Jungkook’s mouth met yourself once more, tongue eager to meet yours and you both lost yourself in each other, passionate huffs escaping between you.

“Can I touch you?” You hiccuped, fingers pulling at the band of his underwear. He chuckled.

“I didn’t exactly ask you, did I?” He teased darkly. And with that confirmation, you dipped into his underwear, nearly shuttered as you wrapped your hand around his thick, hot cock.

What a sight it must have been for anyone who could see. What with you on top of each other, hands disappearing into the other's pants, soft chirps falling from you as his fingers rocked into you.

“Fuck.” Jungkook muttered, preening in the way you felt. At the way he felt.

Your hand pumped his cock, slowing down every now and then to hear him whine as you stopped to play with his leaking tip. He felt so hot and heavy in your hand; you wanted nothing more than to take it inside you. He looked too good to be true, jaw clenching with every swallowed, mouth falling ajar with every moan from him. But you knew neither had a condom. There was too much at risk, too much you didn’t know when it came to zombie-human interactions.

So this would have to do for now. Messy kisses and matching wet fingers – both of your hips rocking into each other, fervorously chasing your respective highs.

“A-Ah, shit.” You stuttered head falling forward as his thumb began its abuse down on your aching clit, having gone neglected for far too long. The feeling of his fingers stretching you out this way could never compare to the way you usually had to self serve yourself. If it didn’t feel so fucking good, you might have grown embarrassed and how noisy you were, sobbing wet and dripping.

There was something so hot about the way the either’s hands would shake when things started to feel too good, still clumsily working to get the either off.

“You’re taking my fingers so well, sweetheart.” Jungkook praised, voice shaking and uneven. He was close and you knew it.

“Feels, hmph, so good. So good. Want you inside me so bad.” You confessed, leaning over to mutter your words directly in his ear. You pressed a kiss against his neck and he groaned, clearly responding to your words well.

As if direct revenge, however, the pressure on your clit increased, his fingers curling up into you in a way that sent you straight to heaven itself. You reached your high with a cry, hand speeding up around him despite your own pleasure.

“F-Fuuuck, I’m gonna cum.” He choked out suddenly, and you reached clumsily for the shirt he had discarded beside you two. You pressed kissed into his jaw as he released himself onto the fabric with a groan of your name, sparing you from any unfortunate cum stains.

Jungkook let out a shaky breath, grabbing his shirt from you and chugging it aside, wrapping his arms around you. You were still shaking from your come down, resting your head against his shoulder as the two of you focused on your breathing.

Well, there was certainly no going back from that. You chuckled.

“Are you okay?” He grinned into the night sky, hand running down your back.

“Better than okay.” You admitted, bringing a hand up to rest against his rapidly beating chest.

Wait… Beating..?

Pushing your head off his shoulders, you turned your attention to your hand, moving it over towards the left side of Jungkook’s bare chest.

“What the fuck…”

“What’s wrong?” He wondered, confused as to your sudden fascination with his chest.

Hurriedly, you ripped your hand away, redirecting it onto the side of his neck, right under his jaw.

Jungkook watched in bewilderment as your eyes grew impossibly wide, head jerking up to meet his stare with an expression.

“Jungkook… you have a pulse!”

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Namjoon let out a noise of affirmation, pulling his two fingers away from where Jungkook’s pulse was pulsating against them.

“He has a pulse.” The scientist confirmed, raising an eyebrow.

You and Jungkook had rushed back into the apartment needless to say. You were an absolute mess, shaking your sleeping roommate awake desperately, needing to know you were just losing your fucking mind and that your zombie roommate actually had a pulse.

“How are you so calm about this?!” You scolded, arms crossing over your chest.

Namjoon gave Jungkook a sudden once over, “Why are you shirtless again?”

Your eyes went wide, mouth falling open as you moved to change the subject.

“T-That’s not what’s important! Can you focus, please?”

“Forgive me, you seem to forget I was just awoken from what ended up being a two-hour sleep after a ten-hour shift at the hospital. I’m a little out of it, okay? I don’t have postcoital dopamine flooding through me like some people.” He rolled his eyes, causing your stomach to drop.

He knew?!

“W-What are you… I don’t…”

“Oh please. Jungkook’s shirtless and his hair is all mess. Not to mention the scratches down his abs and the fresh hickey on your neck. I’m tired, not blind.” Namjoon rolled his eyes.

“I..” You stuttered.

“I can’t believe my best friend got freaky with a corpse.” He tutted, moving to sit back down on the bed he was so rudely ripped from.

“Standing right here.” The corpse in question reminded.

“He’s not dead.” You scoffed, glaring at your yawning best friend. “He’s... undead.”

“He’s also still in the room.” Jungkook said aloud, clearly talking to himself at this point.

Namjoon cocked his head from side to side, as if contemplating your words, “Mm, I dunno. Still screams necrophilia to me…”

“Shut up!”

Jungkook clapped his hands together, capturing his bickering roommates' attention, “Okay, so I have a pulse, right? Is it possible you just missed it the first time you checked?”

“Nope, you were definitely dead as a doorknob. No offense.” Namjoon added as an afterthought.

“I can’t believe he developed a pulse. How did you not think to check his pulse more than once?” You baffled.

Namjoon hummed, “Gosh, Y/N, I dunno, you discover a man has no pulse once and you just kind of expect him to uh, you know, stay dead.”

“Stop calling him dead!” You stomped a foot, growing genuinely irritated. Call it the postcoital dopamine flooding your brain but you had a hard time believing that the fully-functioning penis that you just had your hand around certainly didn’t belong to that of a dead man.

“I’m just teasing, Y/N. Honestly, I mean, other than the fact that he was once an unresponsive shell of a person, what makes him any different than you and I?” He shrugged.

“Joon…”

“I’m serious! Listen, I’ve been documenting his development since he first came to stay with us and there has been a total and complete revival of cognitive processing, specifically in concrete and abstract thinking. Not to mention the total resurrection of language comprehension and usage.”

Suddenly, an inquisitive looking Namjoon shifted his attention onto Jungkook.

“Hey, did you by chance grow hard?”

“Namjoon!” You shrieked in disbelief.

“Uh… Yes, I did.” Jungkook shifted his weight awkwardly.

“Was it difficult?” The sitting man pried, hand coming up to rub at his chin.

Your face grew hot, taken aback by your best friend’s question before reaching over him to grab one of his pillows, smacking him with it.

“What the hell kind of question is that?! I’m not as repulsive as you think I am, asshole.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that.” Namjoon explained, dodging your next swing. “The male erection is caused by blood flow expansion. I was asking because I was curious if his heart was actually pumping blood to his extremities– put down your weapon!” He pleaded, running over to hide behind Jungkook for protection.

You dropped the pillow back down onto the bed with a huff, running through your hands through your hair in an effort to calm your nerves. This was just too bizarre to wrap your head around.

“So what? Why Jungkook? What makes him different from every other zombie?”

Namjoon shrugged, “I mean, every individual’s genetic code is unique. Maybe there’s something in his genetic composition that caused him to react differently to the Immortous drug.”

“What if Jungkook isn’t the only one?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you really think Jungkook is the only zombie who isn’t eating some flesh eating monster? Isn’t it possible that there are more like him?” You pressed.

“Hm. The mass hysteria during the Great Outbreak certainly makes it seem like they all were flesh hungry but… yeah, statistically speaking, it's more likely that there is a small population of functioning zombies rather than him being the sole exception.” He nodded affirmatively.

“So then… where does the government fit into this? The DEAD Team… do they know? How do they know which are the scary zombies and which are like Jungkook?”

“No clue. Any chance you know a member of the DEAD Team we can ask?” Your best friend joked, rubbing at his eyes sleepily.

At his words, you a thought enter your head, pulling the corners of your mouth downward.

“No… but I know someone who might just know something.” You sighed, a sinking feeling falling over you, torn between the need to know and the fear of finding out.

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The rapping of your knuckles of the door rang out throughout the house.

You were sure he was home – his car parked out on the driveway, but you still couldn’t shake your nerves that he might not come to the door, leaving you, Namjoon, and most importantly, Jungkook out and in the open like this.

There were plenty of joggers out and roaming around your parents’ neighborhood, especially around lunch time. You had wanted to get here earlier but unfortunately, once Namjoon had fallen back to sleep, he had become an immovable brick, the effects of a disrupted sleep schedule taking its toll.

So the three of you had made your way out and over in broad daylight; poor Jungkook must be sweating buckets under the hoodie he had propped over his head, the sun sparing no expense today.

You nearly sighed in relief at the sound of the door’s deadlocks unbolting. You counted along to the sound of each lock turning.

The door swung open with a groan, the bewildered face of your father greeting you.

“Can we come in?” Your words came out rushed, earning a raised brow from your father.

“Good morning to you too.” He grumbled, taking the three of you momentarily before moving aside. “Yeah come in.”

The sight of everyone rushing sent him further into confusion.

“What’s with the surprise visit? Not that you aren’t welcomed but you do usually give a heads up.” He pointed out, offering Namjoon a smile. “Good to see you, bud.” Your father and Namjoon had always gotten along swimmingly.

“Where’s mom and Junny?” You ignored his question, eyes rolling over the living and kitchen area.

“Junny’s got a fever. Your mom just went to check on him and hopefully convince him to take some medicine.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. Your brother Junseo always had an adamant refusal when it came to swallowing pills. Getting him to take anything would certainly be no small feat.

Your amusement died quickly, stomach twisting anxiously as your father’s eyes flickered over to a still hooded Jungkook, a worried expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.” Your father greeted politely, eyes fixated on the stranger, something unreadable in his eyes.

Jungkook’s eyes flickered to you uncertainly, feeling quite anxious himself. You nodded at the zombie, and with your reassurance, he brought two pale hands up to grip at the edge of his hood, before throwing back and off his head.

You watched as your father’s face fell, his mouth falling ajar in shock.

“You’re–”

“Before you freak out,” you were quick to interrupt in, stepping between the two in case your father made a move. “He won’t hurt you. He doesn’t eat flesh. He’s lived with us for the past month. He has a pulse, dad. Not all zombies are monsters. We came here to ask you what you know about zombies like him. You fought during the Great Outbreak. Surely you must know something. They’re not all the same are they?”

You took a breath, slightly winded from quickly rambling. You knew your father was armed so the quicker he had all the facts, the less chance there was for him to come to conclusions.

The three of you watched as he backed up slowly, mouth falling and closing as if at a loss for words.

“Dad, he eats candy bars and human food.” You promised as he reached the back of the couch, taking a seat on its frame in case his legs gave way.

“He won’t hurt you, I promise.” You tried again when he failed to respond. It was then that Jungkook decided to speak up.

“Sir, she’s right–” He halted, however, at the sight of your father holding a hand up, as if to beg him to stop.

“I…” your father let out a shaky breath, hand coming up to rub at the back of his head. “I know.”

Silence fell over the room; neither of you or your roommates knowing what your father’s next words would be.

He let out a sigh, eyes falling.

“I prayed this day would never come. This should have never happened. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

You were at his side in an instant, “I am safe. Dad, he doesn’t eat flesh.”

“I know he doesn’t. None of them do.”

His words fell onto the room like a bomb, covering you head to toe in blinding debris.

“What?” You breathed. “What are you talking about?”

“Zombies don’t eat flesh. They never have.” His voice was monotonous but still sad all the same.

“I don’t...”

He pressed his lips together, “It’s a lie. All of it.”

“But… we’ve always been told– I mean there are government official documents of zombie attacks that are available to the public.” Namjoon stepped in, head shaking as he tried to make sense of what your father was saying.

“And they’re all fabricated. There is a reason why we are taught to run from a zombie and not just take care of it yourself. That the DEAD Team is the only one equipped enough to handle them. The government can’t risk anyone finding out the truth… they want us to think they’re dangerous.”

Suddenly, the story of the zombie girl and her family came to mind. Holy shit. The government really did kill them...

“Why?” Your voice found volume, a need to understand overtaking you. “Why are they doing this?”

Your father took a moment to contemplate his words, letting out a breath.

“Control. Those in power woke up one day to millions of undead, unresponsive humans and no way to control them. So they decide to get rid of them. All the world leaders went and spread false information that these revived people weren’t human… but some sort of flesh hungry monster who were contagious and dangerous. All the fear… all the hysteria of the Great Outbreak… it’s all manufactured. It was the only way to get away with killing all these people who had family and friends who cared about them. It’s easy for us to turn a blind eye when you think something’s trying to hurt you. We’re all just playing pieces in their game. I heard some of the higher-ups say it’s to prevent disease. Some say it’s population control. But it all comes down to power. They can’t have power over what they don’t understand.”

“How do you know this? You went and fought and… you knew this?” You uttered in disbelief, disgust seeping through your tone.

He shook his head, “I didn’t at the start. I would never have volunteered to fight if I had thought all these people weren’t trying to hurt us. Every zombie found is brought into the termination facility but not to be killed immediately. They’re studied in-depth before they finally executed them. It was just a matter of me wandering into the wrong room and reading some reports that I wasn’t supposed to.”

There was something guilty in his eyes that you couldn’t ignore, angry boiling up in you.

“You stayed.” You realized with a sharp tone. “You didn’t leave after you found out. All those people… you knew…”

“I had no choice–”

“Yes, you did!” Tears pricking at your eyes as you looked at the man that you once looked up to the most. “You could have walked away! You could’ve said no!”

“Don’t you think I wanted to?!” Your father shouted, causing you to flinch. Taking in your reaction, he took a breath, composing himself. “The second I realized what was actually happening, I felt sick to my stomach.”

“But I knew too much. And they found out just how much I knew. I had seen what happens to those that asked too many questions. And how easily the government covered it all up. I was young and scared… but I had a family to protect. You’re right. I had a choice. And I made mine… and will carry that weight with me until the day I die.”

You turned away from him, tears falling freely, suddenly overwhelmed.

“I never meant to hide the truth from you. I just wanted to protect you from what knowing the truth could do to you.” He urged you to understand, his eyes, for once, completely transparent.

“Y/N…” Jungkook attempted to reach out for you, but you turned back before he good, new-found composure falling over you. You still had questions.

“For how long? How long are they kept there?” You pressed, licking at your tears stained lips. Your father pondered your question for a moment.

“I remember seeing some people kept in containment for… two months, maybe three? They would run experiments on them, collect whatever information they needed before they finally terminated them.” He thought aloud.

You thought back to a month ago when you first met Jungkook, alone and hiding in a desolate building that his friends had just been taken from. They were probably still in the containment facility, being prodded and tortured by those monsters you were meant to believe been protecting you all this time. It was only a matter of time before they’d be discarded, a bullet through their head once the government had no use for them. Fury bubbled in your chest at the thought.

A loud shrill ran through the house suddenly, causing everyone to jump.

“What’s that?” Jungkook’s eyes went wide.

“It’s a reminder for families to stay inside. It’s the DEAD Team alarm. It goes off whenever they work within the area. Every house has one.” Namjoon responded automatically, only registering what that meant once he had stopped talking.

“Fuck.” He breathed.

“They’re not here for us, are they?” Jungkook frowned.

“N-No. There’s no way. I, uh… Yeah, I used an untraceable virtual private network, there’s no way I set off an alarm in their monitoring system. Besides, you never left the apartment.” Namjoon rambled nervously, nodding to himself.

“Oh, crap.” You gasped suddenly.

“Oh, crap? Why oh crap? Y/N, what did you do?” Your best friend urged, voice growing higher pitched. You hardly notice your father stand up and push past you three, making his way over to the kitchen window.

“I… Jungkook and I went out on the roof, and we were talking loudly… If someone overheard us… but there’s no way… I mean, it was so late at night, right? Right?”

“Oh god, we’re dead. We’re so dead.” Namjoon shrieked, hands coming up to clutch his head.

“You guys have to go.” Your father announced suddenly.

“What?”

He began to lock the front door, “They’re parking on this street. They’re heading this way.”

“I don’t wanna die!” Namjoon panicked.

“Everyone, listen to me.” Your father’s voice was authoritative and steady, grabbing everyone’s attention immediately. “There’s a briefcase behind the bookshelf by the laundry room. Grab it and sneak out through the back door. Run. Don’t stop and turn back for any reason.”

“Dad, hold on–” A banging on the front door sent everyone the room silent, the dread in the air almost palpable.

“Go!” He mouthed silently, and before you knew it, Namjoon had seized your wrist and ushered you towards the back of the house.

You met your father’s eyes over your shoulder for one final glance, for the first time knowing exactly what they had been hiding.

You could hear your mother yell out for your father in confusion, the sound of the second knock echoing through the house as Jungkook pulled out the metallic briefcase from exactly where your father had described, your mind buzzing and vision growing blurry as you heard your father call out towards the front door that he was coming.

“Let’s go.” Namjoon mouthed, hand turning open your family home’s back door as quietly as possible, Jungkook and you slipping out with him following closely behind.

There was a strange feeling that accompanied you as you began to run through the backyard you had once grown up in. What once had felt like the most carefree, safest place in the world now felt like a minefield, every second you spent sprinting through it was a second with a target on your back, exposed and visible, anyone in the house able to see the three fleeing renegades if they were to just glance out the back window.

Namjoon’s sprinting body met the fenced gate with a careless clash, cursing angrily as his uselessly shaky hands attempted to undo the latch that separated them from the thick of trees just behind the house.

“Open the fucking gate!” You hissed, every inch of your body on edge.

“I’m fucking trying!” He shrieked, louder than he should have, only freaking you out more. You had just opened your mouth to shout back for him to lower his voice when a sound stopped you cold in your tracks.

Bang!

Your mouth fell shut, the gunshot ringing in your ears as suddenly everything began to move impossibly slow. It was as everything around you had gone into slow motion, your blinking slowing down as you watched as Namjoon started to bark out words, yet no noise came out of them.

Bang!

Your ears were ringing; you couldn’t hear what was being said to you. Your legs felt so heavy that even as Namjoon yanked the gate open, you couldn’t move. You didn’t even feel as Jungkook wrapped an arm around your waist and ushered you through the gate and into the thick of the trees that bordered the neighborhood.

Trees flew past your vision, disorienting you mercilessly. Nothing made sense.

As the three escapes ran, no one said a word. No one spoke of how there were three shots. Three people in the house. How, within a matter of seconds, a family had been massacred — your family.

No one knew how long they had been running before they finally came to a stop, lungs burning, and bodies hunched over as they fought for breath, legs still trembling to keep them going forward.

Yet you stood there confused. Your surroundings wouldn’t stop spinning. You could hardly see. You were so confused. You thought for a moment that this disorder would never end.

But it did: The trees stopping spinning, your vision restored, and suddenly, everything was crystal clear.

You fell to your knees, a heart-wrenching sob falling with you.

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The sound of nylon material being pushed aside stole Namjoon away from his thoughts, the crackle of the fire harmonizing with Jungkook’s footsteps as he made his way out from the tent and over to the fire pit where the scientist sat in mute contemplation.

Namjoon let out a sigh as the emerging man took a seat beside him, a brief moment of silence passing between them.

“How is she?” Namjoon finally spoke up.

Jungkook thought back to the girl he had left back in the tent, the way she hadn’t spoken a single word since that day.

He knew what it felt like to lose the ones you loved most. He knew your pain. So he didn’t push you. He never pushed or tried to convince you that they might not be dead after all because he knew as well as you did that they were gone.

Namjoon had tried on several occasions to open up that conversation, insisting that not talking about it was not healthy – that you needed to let what you were feeling. But how could you? How could you put into words the inconsolable state of desolation that was your heart? How there was no way to speak the feelings that came with knowing your entire family was dead.

You hardly ever left the tent, not even for food, which Namjoon had driven out to buy the first night of your stakeout.

There was a campground an hour and a half from where the town you all lived in; Namjoon had suggested that it might be the best place to lay low until you all figured out the next plan on action. Thankfully, the scientist had an old tent still sitting in his car’s trunk, left over from his college years when he and his classmates would camp out overnight for field research.

Namjoon was quite the outdoorsman, Jungkook came to realize, pleasantly surprised at how easily he had set up camp and started the fire. The two boys would usually eat beside the crackling flames alone, Jungkook bringing a plate of food back into the tent for you once they were done. Thankfully, the once zombified boy had convinced you to eat somehow, for which your best friend was grateful.

It was clear that you and Jungkook had some sort of bond. At first, he thought it didn’t extend further than the apparent sexual attraction you each held towards each other. Still, as Namjoon slipped into the tent one night, fire freshly put out and a yawn on his lips, and found the two of you fast asleep and curled into one another, he realized the true nature of his roommates’ relationship.

So he let Jungkook have his time with you, confident that he could comfort you in a way Namjoon could not. As much as he wanted to, he simply didn’t know how. Your family meant a lot to him, too, having treated him as their extended son ever since you and Namjoon were little. His own parents were always far too busy to spend time with him anyway. He mourned alongside you.

“Same as yesterday.” Jungkook responded after a beat.

“Still not talking, huh?”

Jungkook picked up a stick that was lying beside his foot, digging an end of it into the dirt.

“It never gets any easier.” He shrugged.

“Hm?”

“Losing someone you love. The pain never goes away; you just learn to deal with it over time.”

Namjoon let his stare drift from the firewood onto the solemn boy beside him, for once noting the way his eyebrows furrowed when the air around him grew silent.

“I’m sorry about those friends of yours they captured. I can’t imagine what you must have gone through and how scared you must have been to be left all alone.” He frowned, watching as Jungkook’s gaze hardened, emotion washing over his dark eyes.

“I’ll never forget everything they did for me.” He said, more to himself than Namjoon.

“Do you remember your family? I mean, do you remember anything from your life before you turned?” Namjoon wondered cautiously. Jungkook nodded.

“It’s usually in small flashes – the image of someone’s smile or a room. Things I almost remember. Sometimes when the apartment is empty, I think I hear the sound of someone humming a lullaby.”

“Woah, what? Is our apartment haunted?!”

Jungkook chuckled at the taller man’s suddenly concerned expression. He shook his head. “Not a ghost. Just a ghost of a memory.”

The sound of someone slipping from the tent behind them quickly ended the conversation, your eyes flashing to the floor as two sets of eyes locked onto your approaching form. You took a seat beside Jungkook wordlessly, hands intertwining in front of you as you let the heat from the fire warm your numb fingers. It was always so cold this time of night.

Your sudden presence left the boys silent beside you, exchanging looks as they attempted to make sense of your unanticipated appearance. You offered no explanation, however, staring down at your digits blankly.

Namjoon was the first to speak, “Anyone hungry? Why don’t we get started on dinner–”

“I need the chart.”

The two boys nearly jumped at the sound of your voice, hoarse and wobbly as if struggling to find it’s footing, undoubtedly from having gone unused for so long.

“What?” Your best friend asked.

“The project Z chart.” You clarified with a steadier voice, eyes flickering to meet his. “Where is it?”

Namjoon glanced over at Jungkook momentarily, who had his eyes fixated on you unwaveringly. For a moment, he thought back to his first entry in the chart, back when Jungkook was a pulseless, unresponsive zombie. Looking at him now, it indeed was something to see just how much he had changed.

“I don’t have it with me. It’s back in the apartment.”

“Shit.” You frowned. “We can’t go back. They could be waiting for us.”

“Well, I mean, I have a copy of it on my laptop. It’s in my backpack.” He offered, pointing over his shoulder back to the tent. Your eyes widen, for the first time in a long time, lighting up with hope.

“All of it? The information about the zombie girl and her family too?”

“Yeah. I scanned all my research into a file… Why?” He inquired.

You let out a breath, turning back to the fire. From his spot beside you, Jungkook could see the way the flames’ light illuminated the cloud of your breath, disappearing into the night’s sky.

“I’m sending it to Seokjin. All of it.” You said firmly.

“Seokjin... your boss?” Jungkook pressed with a furrowed brow. You sent him a quick nod before readjusting your attention back over to your roommates.

“Joon, give me your laptop, I need to write all the information out, so it’s easier to understand.”

“Wha– Wait, Y/N, slow down. Why are you talking about?” Namjoon shook his head, needing further clarity.

“I’m done sitting around and doing nothing. They can’t get away with all of this. They can’t just kill–” Your voice faltered suddenly, eyes watering as you swallowed down your emotions.

You were done crying. For the past three days, you had spent every second of your solitude thinking over and over just how you could put a stop to this misrule and injustice. The society you lived in had been built on a gilded foundation; its history riddled with lies that you knew, from the day your family died, you’d spent the rest of your life tearing them down.

“So… What are you saying right now?” Namjoon spoke, tone hesitant and unsure.

You pulled yourself from your thoughts, forcing yourself to sit up straighter, disdain written all over your face.

“I’m saying we take them down from the inside out. Seokjin is the head of our publishing company… If anyone can make sure this ends up on the front page of every news outlet in town, it’s him. He lost his brother to the Outbreak. He can publish it anonymously. He’ll help us. I know he will.”

You spoke with fervor, stance unwavering.

“The people deserve to know that their loved ones are still alive. That they didn’t wake up dead, but still reviving. Jungkook… Shelby… we have proof that with time and social interaction, they all would have become human again. Our government killed them before they got the chance.”

Namjoon let out a breath, panic rising in his throat, “And what then? Y/N, if you publish this information, chaos and riots will break out. It’ll be total anarchy. Not to mention, it’ll only be a matter of time before the government catches wind that you are behind the article. I-I mean, there’s no going back from this! You’ll be labeled a traitor, o-or a domestic terrorist! They’ll kill you!”

“I know.” You breathed out, eyes shutting for a moment. ‘There’s no guarantee I’ll come out of this alive. But at least there’s a chance that the people behind all this bloodshed could be overthrown.”

You opened your eyes, a tear rolling down your cheek. “You don’t have to do this. I’m not asking you to risk your life for me. Not anymore. You guys can take the car and keep going. But I’m done hiding out. I’m doing this, alone or not.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jungkook spoke up finally, making his decision as he reached over and placed a hand over yours, dark eyes boring into your teary ones. You gave him a small but grateful smile, another tear escaping you.

And suddenly, both Jungkook and Y/N’s eyes were on Namjoon, as if waiting for his decision. His roommates were painted in moving waves of red and orange, the fire’s light cast illuminating your determination. He felt his shoulders fall as he took in the way your familiar eyes looked all the more piercing in this light.

“Fuck. Fuck, okay.” He cursed, hands coming up to run through his hair. “I’m in. Goddammit, I’m in.”

A small sob escaped you, your palm coming up over your mouth to mute it as your head fell forward, a mixture of solace and grief washing over you. Despite your words, and certainty, you were petrified. You were terrified at the idea of either boy leaving you to martyr yourself. You were so scared and had been the moment you had fled the scene of your family’s murder. But no amount of fear could sway your heart on its stance.

You just hoped you weren’t killing the last two people you loved.

“Okay.” You wiped away your tears with the back of your hand, hurriedly, taking a breath. “Okay, go get your laptop, please.”

Namjoon nodded, hopping up on his feet to head over towards the tent.

“Y/N.” Was Jungkook’s soft coo the second you two were alone, hand coming up to cup your cheek.

“You don’t have to do this.” Your words came out a whisper, a soft plea hidden behind your lips.

“You don’t either.” He reminded.

“They killed my family.” You looked back at him with sorrowful eyes. “And they’ll keep killing other innocent people if we don’t stop them. I can’t just do nothing.”

Jungkook smiled at you gently, “And I can’t leave you. You didn’t give up on me, remember? I would never be where I am now without you. You have me, Y/N. All of me. I’m not leaving you behind.”

Your lips found his in an instant, arms wrapping around his warm body on this cold night as if it could be the last time you held him like this.

“Ahem.”

Namjoon’s cough broke the heartfelt exchange short, Jungkook’s cheeks pink as you pulled away from him with a sheepish look.

“Sorry to interrupt.” The scientist mused, handing over the sleek black computer to you. You cleared your throat, prying open the device.

“Get your things ready to leave once I’m done.” You declared as you opened up a new writing document, mind already running over what you were going to say.

“Where are we going? Once we release this information, they’ll be looking for us no matter where we go.” Namjoon reminded you, seating himself back beside Jungkook.

You paused for a moment, the blank white document staring back at you as if curious as well. You let your brows fall, mind wandering as your eyes fell onto the dark-haired boy beside you.

“They were my brothers. I’d give anything to have them with me.” Jungkook admitted woefully.

You let out a breath, Jungkook’s head tilting at you curiously.

“Then we go to them.”

Namjoon’s eyes went round in disbelief, “Huh?”

“To their zombie containment facility. The briefcase my dad gave us is full of weapons. Besides, they’ll be so busy trying to hold back the humans that they’ll forget all about their zombies.” You recognized.

“You really do have a death wish, huh.” He gawked.

“Y/N…” Jungkook breathed out incredulously, realization washing over him immediately. You flashed him a soft, closed-lipped smile, watching the way his eyes filled with life.

Sitting there across from you holding your stare, he looked no less human than yourself, only solidifying your resolve.

“Let’s go get your family back.” You nodded, Jungkook’s eyes wet as he nodded back at you.

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Hi friends! Yes that was the last chapter :D i don’t plan on continuing this fic. I left it open ended so that you can decided what happens next. Feel free to tell me whatever endings you chose! And please don’t ask for another chapter skjsj I’m very proud of this story and happy to see it completed <3 LOVE U ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK

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