#if MC is dead can I have one of her men

[awesomeanimelover39]

Hii! Can I ask for Ikemen Revolution Headcanons for angst??? I'd like to see Black Army and Red Army reactions if MC was suddenly shot out of nowhere right on her stomach and it was an act of assassination? (I wanna hurt myself with this angst T-T)

I hope it's not too much! Have a great day! Ｏ(≧▽��)Ｏ

Of course I can! Ty for the ask! So sad, poor MC, poor everybody :’( But good for me since I love requests!

Requested by: @revolutionmc

Genre: angst

Red Army is under the cut

(Some spoilers for Seth and Edgar’s routes’)

Black and Red army, MC is assassinated:

Black Army:

♠︎ Ray Blackwell:

He was out with you on a date

You guys were heading back when a man started following you 

You were the one who saw the gun first, and noticed he was aiming at the two of you

You had jumped in front of Ray to save him

As soon as the man saw you had been shot, he ran away

Ray collapsed to the ground

How could this happen?

Why would someone want you dead?

Questions are swirling around in his head

But there are no answers for him

You were the one with the answers, and now you’re gone

He doesn’t even want to be the King of Spades anymore

He has no idea what to do with his life

Because you were his life

♠︎ Sirius Oswald:

You were helping him with his flowers

That was until he spotted a women hiding in the trees

He told you to wait there while he checked it out

Then there was a gunfire

He looked back at you to see you holding your stomach

Blood pouring out of you

He didn’t give it a second though before he was running towards you

But, he was too late

He wanted you to be buried with his violets since you had told him they looked like his eyes, and you often pointed that out

He tries very hard to stay strong

But half of his strength has disappeared

He visits your grave everyday 

And that’s when he cries

♠︎ Luka Clemence:

He wasn’t there when it happened

You were out alone

That was a mistake

Another soldier was the one who told him, and he was carrying your body

His cooking becomes so much more bland

He doesn’t even care if it tastes good

You loved his food, and you always had gotten seconds, sometimes even thirds

Now, he couldn’t care less who eats his food, or how much they get

He actually went to Jonah

He needed someone other than his friends this time

That’s how desperate he was to get you out of his head

He is going to find who did this to you

And god help whoever did it

He will never stop looking for them

He wants them dead

♠︎ Seth Hyde:

Like Ray, you were out on a date

Except this time, he saw the gun first

But you were quicker to push him out of the way

You actually ran at this person

But, you only had a sword, they had a gun

It was over before it had even started

Seth killed the person who shot you right after

He sat there in the streets holding you and crying

Why does he keep losing people he cares about?

All the strength he had in his muscles leaves him

He feels like a lost little boy

It’s almost as if he’s back in the magic tower again

But this time, no one is going to save him

He doesn’t smile anymore

He has become a mean man

He won’t let anyone else get close to him

He too afraid of losing them as well

He has pierced his ears and wears one of the earrings he gave to you

You wear the other in your grave

♠︎ Fenrir Godspeed:

He had turned his back on you for one second to talk to someone

Next thing he knew, a shot fired, blood dripped from your mouth and you collapsed on the ground

You had told him to smile one more time for you

You had even forced one onto your face

He couldn’t believe the love of his life was gone

His heart ached with sorrow and tears slipped from his eyes

How could you tell him to grin and be his careless self now?

Being carless is what got you killed

No

No more magic bullets on people

He uses those on himself to punish himself

He thinks it’s all his fault

He uses real bullets on the field

He’s even more deadly with them

The entire army misses you, and misses the old Fenrir

But he’s not coming back, and neither are you

Red Army:

❤️ Lancelot Kingsley:

Didn’t even know what or when it happened

You hadn’t returned from shopping and he was getting worried

So he went with Jonah to investigate

He found you dead in Central Quarter

He couldn’t stand up

Filled with rage and regret

He should’ve gone with you

He is going to kill whoever murdered his beloved

He doesn’t care if he dies from using too much magic

Then, he wanted to kill himself

Jonah couldn’t let his King do that

He almost killed himself and Jonah that day

Luckily, Harr had heard them screaming and stopped him

They thought he was the “Beautiful Beast”

Now he’s the Terrible Beast

Has no mercy on anyone anymore

❤️ Jonah Clemence:

Oh he was there

You guys had had a small argument

It was about dresses

When he stomped away you followed him

Telling him to stop

He finally turned around

You were about to say something when a man in a cloak shot you

You hands shot to your stomach and Jonah caught you from falling to thr ground

You could only spit out the words “I love you” before life drained out. in red blood

You could see the flame in his eyes

The man with the gun should have ran away while he could

Because Jonah screamed and came at him swiftly

That man was dead before he could be afraid

He feels like he’s suffocating

Why had he been so harsh to you earlier?

For the first time in his life, he hates himself

❤️ Edgar Bright:

He saw it happen, but he wasn’t beside you

He was simply patrolling the Quarter when yells and screams echoed

He had turned to you, but it was too late

You looked him in the eyes, pain etching through you, and fell

When he buried you, he tried so hard not to cry

But once everybody left, he couldn’t stop

Doesn’t even bother to plaster a fake smile o his face anymore

He is no longer a gentle demon

He’s just a demon

He is killing like a mad man, and can’t stop himself

And no one can stop him either

He really doesn’t care if he gets arrested

He doesn’t care if he gets killed

In fact, part of him wants to be

❤️ Kyle Ash:

Soldiers had come rushing to him with you

You had gone limp and yo were just barely holding onto life

He tried so hard to save you

But, he just couldn’t

He hates himself more than anything

He’s a doctor for god sake

Why couldn’t he save the one person who meant the most tp him

You thought he drank a lot when he was happy?

He drinks triple that when he’s depressed

Won’t go with Blanc or Oliver

He wants to be alone

He wants to stop being a doctor too

He claims he’s not up to the task anymore

He’s never hungover, only drunk

And even then he can’t keep you off his mind

❤️ Zero: 

He had found out from Kyle

You were somewhere secluded when it had happened

He only got to see you wrapped up in sheets

He can’t pull himself together

He is always by your grave

He pretends you are still alive

Almost driving himself insane with all the talking he’s doing to a dead person

He would give anything to get you back

Anything to have been able to save you

And anything that the roles had been reversed

But, he can’t go back in time

He tried to

He begged Oliver to make a time machine

But, it couldn’t be done

He has no will power anymore

[strawberry-cowmilk]

Mc gets slut shamed pt.1

So basically a scenario where Mc gets slut shamed by her close ones. The Mc here is female and I am once again writing late at night so apologies for the dogcrap quality. So not proofread.

This will only be for Lucifer, Mammon and Leviathan. I probably will do the rest some other time.

Link to part 2 with the other four brothers:

Content warnings: slut shaming, strong language, crying, verbal abuse, trauma

-----

Mc already started dreading the moment she’d leave as soon as Diavolo told her she’d get to spend a week up in the human world with her family, as the ones who are supposed to love her the most do not treat her right at all. Her mother, her father, her siblings were all the same. Conservative. Judgmental. Entitled. Straight up venomous. Mc tried to reason with Diavolo, tried to convince him to not let her go. But alas, her efforts were in vain. What did she expect? She didn’t even mention she feels unsafe in her family’s presence, she just told him she prefers the Devildom. The hardest part would not even be the fact she’d be cooped up with a bunch of asses again, no. Mc knows she will miss her demon boyfriend dearly.

It is currently day 5 of Mc’s stay in the human world. So far, she managed to avoid erupting a big overreaction from a family member by keeping her quiet most of the time. But this time would be way harder. ‘Let’s have a beach trip today!’ Mc’s mother suggested, to which everybody but Mc agreed to. Oh no, she could feel the hurtful words coming for her, she’d been burned too many times in the past.

There were many incidents when Mc’s family told her... things over the way she dresses, her choices, anything. That is why a beach trip is the worst. Beach trip means bathing suit. Beach trip means getting insulted. Even though she didn’t want to go, it wasn’t like she had a voice. She had just accepted her fate and went along with the plans. Mc decided to wear a light blue two piece swimsuit. Just a regular one, nothing special. She threw a long maxi-dress over it and headed to the beach.

What did Mc expect? Taking off her dress at the beach, as one in a bikini surrounded by assholes in full-coverage swimwear. She thought this time would be different, she is an adult after all and they are in public. Dead wrong. ‘Mc, I did not raise a slut. Go cover up, I’m embarrassed even looking at you.’ Stop. ‘Dang Mc, how many men did you open your loose legs for in the last hour? Gotta be at least five right?’ Please shut up. ‘I suggest we cut our trip short and take this bitch to the fucking ER to get an STD test.’ Can’t take anymore. ‘You whore! Quit ignoring me and listen!’ That was it. Mc grabbed her bag and ran back to the house they were staying in, crying. She hid in the bathroom and grabbed her D.D.D., not wasting a single second after having changed into the dress again. As fast as her trembling hands allowed her, she dialed Barbatos’ number and waited for him to pick up. 

The butler’s voice sounded from the other line. ‘Mc, hello. How may I-’ Barbatos stopped speaking the second he heard sniffling coming from the phone. ‘Barbatos... please come pick me up early I can’t do this anymore please I beg of you.’ Mc stopped for a while to catch her breath. ‘Please, Barbatos, I’ll do anything. Even if you ask me to-’ a gentle hushing noise made Mc stop speaking. ‘Mc, it’s alright. I’ll come right now, okay?’ His voice was gentle as can be. That was when he hung up.

Not long afterwards, a portal opened up in the middle of the bathroom and Barbatos emerged from the opening. His serious expression quickly softened upon spotting the human crying on the floor. He crouched down reached his hand out and gently rubbed her shoulder. ‘Mc, dear, what happened? If you do not mind my asking.’ Mc tensed up a little upon the sudden contact, but quickly let her guard down. ‘I- I can’t, Barbatos. They’re coming, we have to leave.’ Her normally melodic voice was now being corrupted by cracks and sobs. Barbatos decided to obey Mc’s wish and leaped through the portal with her.

To the demon butler, Mc seems o have calmed down a bit upon having left the human world. But that didn’t mean her crying had ceased to carry on. ‘If I go back to the House of Lamentation right now, there will be a ruckus, right? I can’t right now.’ the human female expressed her concerns, voice still trembling. Barbatos flashed her a sympathetic smile. ‘I understand, allow me to accompany you the demon lord’s castle then. I shall call your significant other afterwards, does that help you?’ Mc nodded weakly while playing with the skirt of her dress.

Turns out, Barbatos had already sorted out the possibility of Mc returning early with Diavolo, and therefore there was a guest room available and therefore he could come pick Mc up at any time. The butler noticed the anxiety in Mc’s eyes after having asked Diavolo to cancel the trip and spoke about his concerns to his master in advance. ‘Good afternoon. Something has happened in the human world, Mc is at the demon lord’s castle right now and appears to be upset. Would you come over to comfort her?’ Barbatos spoke on the phone but Mc barely paid any attention to his words. In her mind, she was reliving the memories of the abuse she had faced.

Not long after Barbatos finished the phone call, the one who came to the castle was:

Lucifer

The eldest brother dropped every single unsigned piece of paperwork on his desk the second he got the call from Barbatos. He arrived at the castle in 10 minutes after the call. ‘Where is Mc?’ He asked and Barbatos gave him the directions. Lucifer could already hear her crying from outside the door. He knocked a couple of times before gently opening the door. Mc looked up to him with bloodshot eyes and it broke Lucifer’s heart. He sat down on the sofa in the room and gestured for the human to come sit next to him. The first born expected Mc to get up and nestle herself in his arms quickly, but instead, she didn’t seem to be able to move from het position on the floor. This was the moment Lucifer knew that whatever had happened, deeply affected his lover. ‘Mc, come here. You can do it.’ The black-haired demon still attempted to get her to move and this time he succeeded. After a good ten seconds, Mc, who was still in tears, got up and allowed herself to be embraced by Lucifer on the couch. ‘Shh, good girl.’ Lucifer praised her after he placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. In response, Mc squeezed her smaller frame closer against Lucifer’s. He didn’t like to admit it, but some sadistic part of himself enjoyed seeing Mc like this. Completely helpless, completely depending on him. It stroked his pride in a way. ‘Do you want to tell me what happened, dear?’ he asked, with his deep voice hushed. Mc felt comfortable enough around him to tell the eldest brother her whole story. The shaming she faced and what had happened today. Besides, she had calmed down a bit from earlier. As Mc was explaining everything, Lucifer had to fight against going into his demon form with every cell of his being. He was mad at those disgusting people for upsetting his precious human, but he didn’t want to scare Mc either. When she finished telling him everything, Lucifer decided it was his cue to speak. ‘Listen, besides the point that those shameful creatures’ arguments are completely invalid to begin with, I need you to know you are much stronger than the mere insults those vermin that call themselves family throw at you.’ He stopped for a while to gaze into Mc’s eyes lovingly while smoothing a thumb over her eyebrow. ‘I am so proud of you for having stayed strong for so long and for not having lost yourself in the process.’ He grabbed one of Mc’s hands and placed a kiss on top of it, as if they were of royal blood. ‘I love you deeply.’

The next day Lucifer arrives at your family’s doorstep in his demon form with his trusty whip in his hand. The news channel is going to have a blast tonight.

Mammon

 ‘Barbatos! Where’s my human?!’ Mammon yelled as he barged through the doors of the demon lord’s castle. Mammon was already ready to bear some ass up the second he finished the call with the butler and won’t hesitate to make whoever made Mc cry pay. Barbatos led him the way to Mc’s residence and Mammon didn’t waste a single second and barged into the room to tackle Mc into a hug. ‘Don’t go being sad now. The great Mammon is finally here!’ Mc actually stopped crying for a bit at the sudden surprise. Once the shock faded away, she carefully hugged the demon back, which Mammon saw as a green light to continue talking. ‘So, who is it I gotta go beat up?’ He asked. Mc laughed a little bit at his adamancy to fight somebody for her sake, but in a good way. It made her feel loved. Her gleeful expression was short lived though. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she explained what had happened. Mammon stared at her in shock the whole time and actually felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes as well. When Mc finished talking, Mammon pulled out a small box from his pocket. ‘Here... I got this for you when you left. You better be grateful, you know?’ he explained. Mc opened the box to reveal a beautiful, golden necklace inside. It warmed her heart to know Mammon, the embodiment of greed, saved up to buy her a nice gift. ‘Mammon, thank you. I love it.’ She said. ‘Yea, well look, would what those bastards call you wear something as pure as this. No! So, they lie, you see. I am always right about this sorta stuff.’ Mammon explained. ‘You you better not waste your tears on them, understood? Cause they’re not worth it at all.’ Mc hugged Mammon tighter in response. He was right.

The next day Mammon goes up to the human world and steals all Mc’s family’s money to pay for a nice dinner date and maybe matching rings. Who knows?

Leviathan

Levi gathered some snacks and that one anime merch pillow Mc really likes and made his was to the castle. Barbatos was waiting for him at the entrance and quickly led him to Mc. Levi was nervous, as he was not good at comforting people at all, but he decided to give it his best shot. ‘M-Mc, I’m coming in.’ The third born’s heart broke upon the sight of the only one who accepted him for him broken and crying on the floor. He panicked, but didn’t let it show for the human’s sake. ‘I- I brought Azuki-tan. Here, cuddle with her.’ He said was he gently placed the pillow in Mc’s arms. Honestly, Levi eventually became jealous of the pillow because Mc cuddled it so much and looked adorable looking so. He wished he was the pillow, but didn't have the guts to express his desire. Eventually, when Mc seemed calm enough, Levi tried asking what happened. ‘I’d like to know who hurt the Henry to my Lord of Shadows.’ So Mc explained everything, and Levi felt pain piece his heart. He didn’t care anymore. He took the Azuki-tan pillow from Mc’s arms and placed himself between her arms instead. ‘Why would they tell you that?’ He asked himself out loud, to which Mc replied saying she didn't know. It’s been like that her whole life. ‘That’s not fair!’ Levi raised his voice. ‘They only lie to you because they’re insecure and know you’re better than them! Like in the anime about the demon girl and her landlord who is also her fast food delivery guy.’ Mc smiled at het boyfriend. ‘So, don’t be sad. You are enough.’ Levi said, blushing the whole time. He wanted to show Mc he can be as dependable as anyone else. ‘Thank you, Levi.’ Mc said. Then the two enjoyed the snacks in each other’s company.

The next day Mc’s family’s house floods. Nobody knows why up in the human world.

[reilliane]

✤ — Universe: Sister! ✤ — Concept: The twin travelers Aether and Lumine lament over the loss of their older sibling following their argument and the destruction of their homeland. Little did they know who awaits their presence in the realm of the Abyss. ✤ — Characters: Aether & Lumine (platonic), Paimon, Diluc, Kaeya, Dainsleif A/N: Look at what's finally out of the prison called my drafts lmao- Dishing out some delicious plate of sibling angst. Behold, (Sister)AbyssLeader!MC. Ah yes, Aether & Lumine need hugs, they're terribly sad. Now, let's explore a common misunderstanding between siblings :))

“Please just reconcile already.”

It's quiet—a poignant sound that demands to be heard through the dissonance. And it's heard.

“... Pardon?”

The clash of fiery bellows and icy roars meets again only to melt and vaporize in the wind. Silence is all that ensues until eyes start turning.

In the dead of the night, in a tavern now holding a few people in its belligerent-turned atmosphere, something breaks; patience.

There is a small, tentative voice. Shaken with understanding.

“Lumine-”

“Make up already! You shouldn't-” the blonde in question blinks as if she's trying to keep something at bay, “Siblings shouldn't fight. You'll regret it so please,”

The air is cold.

“Before it's too late... you need to get along.”

No one says a thing. They allow the gravity—the truth in her words to sink in.

But the female Traveler can no longer stand the idea of being in the same room with another pair of siblings who refuse to meet eye to eye.

It's far too similar, far too much in essence that she's the one that's hurting for their sake. So she leaves in a hurry, a sight to behold for a Traveler that's known to be composed.

Her twin brother follows without any ounce of hesitance.

The door shuts, leaving two men to ponder over their blazing glares and frigid tones that have now dissipated in an uneasy silence.

No one is awake on the eve of midnight to witness the Honorary Knights depart with faces contorted into emotions deemed impossible for them to even feature.

Their steps are heavy as they carried themselves past the gates of Mondstadt; a jolly city that isn't so jolly to them anymore.

What hangs in the air—a tension of their own—isn't addressed until their feet have crossed the threshold bridging Mondstat to the crossroads.

“I know what you're going to say, Aether, don't. I just can't help it, okay?”

They shy away from the blue moon and its light, heading towards the canopy of shades provided by the great tree in Windrise. The moon is too stark of a reminder that pains them still.

“Master Diluc... and Captain Kaeya,” two siblings whose bond fell out in their passing years, the same pair they've seen fighting just a while ago, “In the end, all they'll have is each other. If they keep fighting, then... a time will come..”

“You are my younger siblings, it's my responsibility to look after you.” “Don't be hasty, you two.”

“When they will regret it.”

“Were you two world-hopping again? How many times do I have to say that you should at least tell me? It's just the three of us.” “I can't bear to imagine a world without you two.”

Lumine allows herself to fall by the roots of the tree, the swaying of the tall grass reminiscent of the loving caress on her person.

Her throat starts to burn, “And- and..”

“It'd be too late.” Aether completes in his twin's stead, voice profuse with dolor.

Too late.

Two simple words with a meaning so irreversible, a weight too heavy to bear that it will capsize the mightiest of ships and collapse the strongest of towers.

This eventide is the famed and glorified Travelers' own descent into their void of great travail.

What's witnessed to be as firm as a primordial rock, as composed as the still waters, breaks with a small crevice on their form. At long last.

“She was crying, Aether. [Name] never cries, but-” her hands are trembling, unsure what to do with them until she settles for clasping them, “But our homeworld fissured before she can get to us.”

Warmth swarms them—and it's far from being the comforting kind. It is evocative of a time of old, of a time when a world burns.

The siblings hate how centuries—maybe even a millennium now—have already elapsed and still, the sweltering heat of the flames can be felt.

“We were consumed by the flames but we were still able to flee. [Name] didn't know that-”

“You don't know if that's true.”

“She didn't know that we survived! She saw us plummet and she was trying to get to us but we were already transported before she could!” her rising voice astounds her brother, “She probably thought we're still there.. probably stayed behind so she can look for us- she could've perished and-!”

A hand lands upon her shoulder, without a doubt to try and stabilize whatever rationality, sense, and composure is left.

“Lumine, calm down."

Yet even Aether is far from being composed if his shaky hand is anything to go by. Still, his gesture is appreciated, and his sibling mellows out her hysterics to tiny stammers.

It's a painful sight to see; Lumine caving in on herself, trying not to let the tremors seize full control as it did with her brother. Someone needs to- someone needs to have a clear head between them.

Though that's easier said than done.

“It's just that- I- we-”

And the high from emotions suppressed due to the sudden thrust into a different world, the fresh wound of an argument that can't be taken back, they have already made itself known.

The cracks are there and it's too late to hinder it. Now they're breaking.

And they're breaking apart.

“All she ever wanted was to protect us. Do you really think that [Name] would leave after not seeing us flee first?”

“Just tell me if you're leaving, is that so hard to do? I'm not belittling either of you.”

The same old misunderstanding, how many times have they gone over this?

Aether released a sharp, clipped exhale. He then lifts his eyes to stare upon the slightly larger form of his older sibling, her enormous wings, grander and mightier... and the powerful nimbus exuding off of her.

“Then why do you have to be there in each of our battles? If you could just let us finish, you would see how perfectly capable we are on our own.” it isn't a lie, after all, they were her 'students', too.

[Name] only blinks, face passive, seemingly indifferent. “I worry.”

Worry? The twins try not to think much of their sister's blank visage.

Try not to think that her concern is superficial and exists only for show—that in fact, she does not feel anything. Because they know that [Name] has always been a feeling kind of individual.

Underneath that front of blankness lies a person who feels too much- loves too much for them. Baring those emotions for everyone to see just never has been, well, '[Name]'.

“That's the thing! You worry too much!” Aether bursts, failing to ensure his sangfroid.

There is a gentle tug on his cape, succeeded with a whisper of his name and a 'calm yourself', and he sighs. That second, there is an attempt to assuage his thinning patience before the argument turns uglier than necessary.

But that's almost impossible.

“You're my little siblings. I want to keep you safe, cooperate with me, why don't you?” it's a gentle thing to say, delivered just as gently.

But the aggro that's been accumulating for plenty of years distorts how they perceive such benignity.

Gone is the loving sister they're so fond of, and in her stead is a being with the same face carrying a semblance of care. Such is how their psyche, suffused with spite, warps a supposedly pleasant image into a mockery.

The twins share a look before nodding, their wings lifting them off the ground with the intention to venture past their world once more.

[Name] tenses, blank face displaying a small crevice that leaks alarm as she asks where they're going.

“Far from home for now... just to, to compose ourselves.”

“I don't think you should leave,” her voice is evident with dread, “Lately something's amiss with-”

Lumine sighs, “See, [Name], this is why we don't tell you... you refuse to let us leave.”

A beat of silence.

Did it really come off like that? [Name] swallows with a blink of her golden eyes. I had no intention to... I only ever wanted to know where they're going, it's...

Not knowing where her siblings are is what shakes her to the core.

She lowers her head, the epiphany dawning like the sun, “I... My apologies. I'm sorry.”

“We'll come back,” Aether assures her, though his voice does little to conceal his desire to satiate his wanderlust.

“Don't leave... Aether, Lumine.”

There is a fissure in [Name]'s visage, showing concern and fear upon hearing those words. But her siblings are no longer there to see it.

The twins traveled far and beyond as they dreamt of, only flying to their homeworld after a set time to fulfill their promise of return.

But the world they come back into is no longer the world they left from.

Crimson paints the sky, bleeding with rain that fails to quell the raging inferno. Voices ring in a babel—a chorus singing a requiem in the crumbling, burning earth.

They have no time to wonder why everything's falling apart. There is only one objective. Where, where is—

“Lumine! Aether! Where are you?!”

It's a voice so uncharacteristically profuse with panic that has them veering their eyes from left to right. But the smog hinders their sights, the most they can do is to try and swerve away from equally distressed people who are in the middle of fleeing.

Aether flies through the haze with his twin following behind, hissing at the heat of the enormous flames.

There's another call of his name, nearer than before, and he turns to change course—but someone collides against him. Immediately, his balance is tipped and he's falling in the banquet of flames.

Lumine reaches for him with a yell, their bodies cloaking with a golden light as they descend further into the scorching element.

It's meant to be blazing hot, and they really would've burned if not for the sheltering gold that takes care in preparing to transport them to a faraway world. To safety.

But then [Name] appears just above the flickering tips of the conflagration, features contorted in horror as she continues her cries of their names.

Lumine gasps, reaching out her hand, “[Name]!”

But by the time their older sibling turns down, golden eyes dilating, the flames ravage the twins whole and they're nowhere to be seen.

“I miss her so much, Aether, it hurts.”

Rivers spill from both eyes and neither has any intent to stop them.

“We couldn't even- we couldn't even apologize.”

Although they are here side by side, together, they are incomplete; they're meant to be a family of three.

“She might be gone now and I hate to think that our last memory together was us fighting.”

Not two.

Lumine fidgets with her hands, unsure what to do with their tremors. She wonders if she should just hide her face in them, or clench them in a semblance of fortitude.

Doing neither, she opts to just clasp and wring her fingers together in an otiose assay to mimic her sister's firm yet gentle hold on it.

She swallows, voice tight, “We don't even have anything in her memory.”

Aether's chest squeezes in remorse as his remaining sibling takes to leaning on his shoulder. He deems it strange to suddenly be the pillar of comfort, a role that's once suited for his older sister.

“I miss [Name], too,” his voice is barely audible on purpose, afraid that it'll waver if it gets any louder, “I'm just as guilty as you are. But she won't like it if we're to keep this up... we need to be strong.”

That indeed is true.

“I'm sure that... she would like us to be that way.”

An older sibling wishes for nothing but the strength of their younger kin; strength to overcome hurdles, to keep their chins up, and to keep on living.

But when adversity comes that threatens one's mettle... when a situation is tailored to enervate you, strength and weakness come to play.

When at its face, which will reign supreme? Vigor or frailty?

Will you fortify—

The Abyss Herald falters under the might of the golden suns, its cursed life a mere second away from snapping into nothingness.

But before it can proceed, there's a swift blur of [c].

—Or will you crumble?

An arching sweep glimmering with stars cuts through the fracas of navy and marigold, deflecting the onslaught of attacks in an easy strike.

The twins skid far back in the violet-tinted site raging with abyssal energy, ears picking up on their recently acquired companion—Dainsleif—and his sharp demand of 'wait'. Followed by a name.

A familiar name that has them stilling.

Dainsleif vanishes into the portal—without care for the Herald—before the Travelers can see who he's chasing, and the portal closes behind him.

They reach an answer implying that his chase is all for naught, though, because whoever he's chasing has no intentions to be caught. And whoever that is is coming back.

No openings are visible until a second later, when a fissure breaks through reality and out saunters a figure whose direction is towards the inverted statue.

“King...” murmurs the abyssal creature.

The title, though perfectly heard, is not paid any attention. No, the siblings focus on the lone figure upon the demolished steps leading towards the forgotten statue.

Aureate eyes widen and settle upon the distant figure of a woman. The same person being lamented over since the twins' arrival in Teyvat.

Despite being sequined in violet and gold, despite being cloaked in the stars... there is no mistaking those [c] tresses. Nor the aura she carries with each step.

Can it be?

“[N]-” Lumine starts, her voice tiny, “[Name]... ? Is that really you?”

A question breathed in a whisper so hushed, yet, it is not unheard.

[Name] looks just as surprised as they are, though her reaction is much more mellow and composed—as if she's considered the thought of them being alive and has clung to that chance.

“Aether... Lumine,” her voice is uncharacteristically soft, opposing the rigidity of her features. “You're alive.”

But underneath that firm layer of coldness, the younger siblings know—they feel the relief. The mutual happiness.

Such can be seen in the glossing of [Name]'s golden eyes, the only similar feature she has with the two.

Hearing their respective names be called out for so long—after long, long centuries spent in unconscious grief—all but beckons the twins' eyes to water.

Sister... !

“We- we are!” Lumine, the first to snap out of her trance, steps forward with a trembling smile.

She cannot believe this- this miracle.

“We're safe. And- and we're complete!” she grabs Aether's hand in hers to add emphasis on the fact that they're all in one place.

Together. Like they used to.

As a family of three.

The blond reaches her hand out in invitation, “Come, let's—”

But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

The unexplained aversion of eyes and the slight change of direction to face the abyssal portal makes Lumine pause her words and drop her hand.

Something does not bode well.

Fraught with dread—and the desire not to ascertain the answer but alas must be done—the air grows colder.

Aether is the next one to step forward, having caught the appearance of a frosty expression on his older sister's face. It's so foreign, so unlike her, so different from the warm fondness on her otherwise blank visage.

What's wrong?

“[Name]?” he does not notice how afraid he sounded.

His approach has not heeded any mind, though, because [Name] is not batting an eye towards him—at them—at all. Instead, she is strolling to the open portal being looked over by the Herald.

She's not looking at them. She's not doing anything- she's-

Leaving?

Their other traveling companion—a sad thing to note that they've forgotten Paimon's presence—shrieks in fluster when Aether bounces to a sprint, hand outreached.

“[Name]-!”

The woman in question slinks to the side, eyes glazed over with a shadow that presages a warning.

Spears of glittering gold rain from above like judgements of the divine, falling around the twins in a circle. A cage.

They've seen it a hundred times, having known their sister's mode of fighting throughout their life. But something is amiss with these spears, they aren't as... gentle as usual.

For even if [Name] seeks to encase someone, she assures that nothing can harm them. Despite having a prisoner, she does not spill their blood in their cages, not until necessary.

But when Lumine seizes hold of the spears, she cries out at the deep, cutting sensation upon her palms. She starts to tremble in her endeavors of searching for the reason why, but [Name]'s eyes remain blank and cold.

It is then apparent that the woman has no plan to let her siblings go after her. Much like what she'd done to Dainsleif.

Which sets a fine line—a division, a rift between them. When supposedly, there should be nothing.

There have always been no such partitions between them, regardless of the mires and disputes. In the end, the three of them never fail to look past it.

“Why are you doing this?” Lumine whispers, voice strained, tinged with disbelief. Why are you turning us away?

Her hands remain motionless at her side, unsure what to do with them now that she can't grasp onto the spears lest she's wounded further.

[Name] blinks once, then turns away. Her eyes still encompass that faraway look, too distant as if she's locked in a time so long ago.

Then with a monotonous voice, she answers, “... To save.”

The twins go still. Save?

“The both of you are in no condition to be with me. Only after you have completed your journey will you understand.”

This particular statement flies by their heads, far too wrapped around the answer 'to save'. To save who? What?

Is it because they turned away from her wishes to keep them safe, that she decided to go astray and fixate on saving someone else?

“Wait- where are you going?!” Aether fusses with wide eyes, seeing the older one of the three beginning to enter the portal.

“Don't leave us-!”

“Where are you going?”

Is it because they couldn't apologize? Because they took her warning for granted?

Lumine makes a quick observation of her cage of golden spears, trying to find a way out, but no such thing is present. She's resigned to striking them with her sword, but it does nothing.

There's no time to think. No time to do anything.

[Name] is leaving and they don't know when they'll see her again, or if they ever will and it's terrifying to imagine.

Is this what she felt?

Lumine is almost powerless, what with her shaking knees. She's afraid, she's too afraid.

In their time in Teyvat, they come to know that it isn't any light-hearted world they know. Teyvat is a dark, dark world shrouded with false, feathery happiness.

[Name] being far too deep in verboten matters of this world entails risks, risks that may cost her life and they can't bear to imagine-

Strewn pride aside, Lumine shouts, “Take us with you! Sister!”

“Don't leave... Aether, Lumine.”

Chagrined, [Name] shakes her head. The distress in her siblings' voices fails to sway her resolve. Not to say that it would in the first place.

The fact is castrating to the twins, who grow cold at this epiphany.

Their hopes of seeing [Name] crumble into resignation dissipates when they realize that she only looks exasperated.

“Until the time to reunite comes, this is our farewell.” she says, only gracing them with one last look before resuming her amble towards the portal.

No. The thought rings through both of the twins' minds.

Reduced to mere whispers, Aether clenches the fabric of his pants, knuckles white as his hurting throat sounds out pleas.

“We're sorry... please, we just saw each other again, don't do this.”

Five hundred years apart, clasping on nothing but the memory of an argument that tore them asunder, their desperation is understandable.

But even their sorries do not touch [Name]'s heart.

When this is again realized, the fear in their chests intensifies.

“Wait.” Lumine murmurs, heart racing. “Don't...”

The Herald bows as its leader passes by, chin held high, unbothered, indifferent—uncaring.

Seeing it ripples the twins with such dread and desperation. They can't believe- they can't believe this.

It's so hypocritical to feel this fear when they too, often left their sister behind bearing the same insouciance. But they feel the fear, feel the horror, and the hysteria—because people only ever feel these when they are the ones playing the tragic role.

Vision befogged with mist, eyes stinging with water, Aether grits his teeth and grabs ahold of the spears.

Pain blossoms in his palms and blood begin to trickle, but that pain is little compared to seeing someone leave.

Turn around. He pleads, but no god hears his pleas.

“We can handle ourselves just fine, [Name]. Don't worry so much.”

“No... no, wait.. ! Sister! Sister!” he exclaims, eyesight blurry as tears start to spill.

He doesn't even know why—is it because lacerations have sliced his hands? Or because [Name] refused the idea of becoming a family again?

In his cloud of reflection, he fails to realize that the cage has disintegrated and his twin is racing with a speed he hasn't seen.

“[Name]!!” Lumine calls, fingertips brushing against the back of her older sister, but she merely passes through the cloak of blue and black—and the portal closes.

Defeated, she sinks to the ground, eyes wide, “Ah... no.”

Paimon does not know how to use her voice as the pair grieves on the stone floor, next to the portal that took their sibling away.

She left no traces, not even a glimmer of flaxen dust from the spears she conjured. Nothing.

Just another memory of her presence—of her departure.

Now, both Aether and Lumine are the ones to soothe the anguish in their hearts.

“... Come back.”

Now, they are the ones to whisper the same words they heard but paid no attention to.

a/n: yes, MC is referred to as a 'King' despite being a woman, this is because the title of 'King' is the highest (and thus most powerful person) in a reigning dynasty. And MC is stronger than the twins (granted we don't know how exactly strong they are but just envision-). So, er, Saber moment? 😆

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn @yasunamilk @uwu-dreams @yvechu @alana5021

[purplerain85]

Broken Promises

Pairing: Happy x Reader

Summary: Happy Gets taken by the Chinese….. and never comes home alive. You in your pain and heart break take it out in the SOA just like you promised if he didn’t come come home. 

Warnings: heart break, angst, fire set to a building/garage, swearing, fighting, arguing

A/N as Cricket @withmyteeth asked me “Why am I this way!” Honestly I don’t know

Tags 🏷️ @withmyteeth @yourwonkywriter @raewritesfiction @darklydeliciousdesires @darqchilddaydreamz @redpoodlern @redwood-orginals @reyeswritesmc @chibsytelford @twistnet @twistnet-reblogs @nestorsgirlfriend @nessamc @blowmymbackout @drabbles-mc @rebelwrites @jvalentinesworld-cokes-hyna @challengeahellcat @indefiniteimagines

You knew what you were getting into when you said yes to being Happy’s Old Lady. But this! This is not what you were expecting, Happy is the one who kills not the one who gets killed. You were shattered beyond repair, you knew you would never ever be whole again. Under the heart break was anger so much anger. 

Jax Promised you he would bring him home alive, he told you he would when you told him he needed to be brought home safely or you promised you would burn their stupid little club to the fucking ground. You terrified Tig (Tig doesn’t get scared often) he told Jax “we need to make sure we bring him home Jax. She is just as scary/crazy as Happy! As much as her crazy turns me on, I can guarantee you she will burn this place to the ground!”

“We will figure out a way to bring him home, the Chinese are not going to hurt him beyond some bruising and cuts. Plus she may be crazy as him but she has a habit of not following through, there is a reason she never does anything without Happy’s say.” Jax says. Oh how wrong he was!!!

When the Chinese drove up and tossed Happy’s body out of the van. Everyone was panicked Jax looked like he was going to drop right there. Chibs walked over and grab Jax by his shirt and said “You had better find some way to break this to Y/N! You promised her he would come home to her alive and you better hope we can keep her calm or we are going to be fucked, you may think she won’t do anything without Happy’s say. But Jax DEAD MEN DON’T TALK! She will be a ticking time bomb and unstable time bomb!”

Jax said he would but he couldn’t admit to everyone that he was scared to tell Y/N that Happy wasn’t coming home. So he made a personal club decision without asking the club. He called Y/N and when she didn’t answer he left her a voicemail “Hey Y/N we got Happy back but not how we wanted…. Umm I am sorry” 

Nero stopped by Happy and Y/N house to see if you needed anything and the door was partially opened, so he walked in and panicked for a quick moment. The house was a complete disaster furniture was over turned and ripped apart, lights were broken, the tv was shattered, it looked like someone broke in the house until he found you in the bedroom on the closet floor you were a complete mess. “What happened to the house Y/N?” Nero asked as he came closer to you. 

Your voice was hoarse “he couldn’t even be a man and tell me to my face! He pulled a cowardly move and left a voicemail and FUCKING VOICEMAIL NERO!” “I cannot even begin to even know where to start.” Nero gives you the saddest look you have ever seen and know there will be more. “Nero I just wanna be alone. I am not going to do anything stupid” 

Nero huffs but does get up and leaves and makes a call to Jax’s and asks where everyone is and he tells him everyone is at his house “ok I am just leaving Y/N house I will be at your place shortly” 

You heard that everyone was at Jax’s house, you got up and went to the back yard to grab all the gas cans and couple packs of dynamite that Happy had left. You were going to show Jax that leaving you a voicemail and underestimate you. You packed up the car and headed to the clubhouse. You see all the crime scene tape you figured no one was there but still did a quick sweep. 

Then you drenched the clubhouse and set up pieces of the dynamite, you said you were going to burn this place to the ground and you were going to make sure there was nothing left. 

Nero walks into Jax’s house and yells out for Jax “JAX!!!! What the fuck were you thinking!!! You left her a fucking voicemail! Telling her husband died you couldn’t be fucking club leader and tell her to her face!” Everyone is in complete shock and looking at Jax. Tig has a look of angry and shock and Chibs looks like he is about to murder Jax. “Be lucky that she says she won’t do anything stupid” Nero continues. 

“She won’t do anything Nero like I said before she doesn’t do anything without Happy’s say….” Jax had started saying 

But Chibs cut him off “You don’t understand Jax’s There is a reason she never did anything without his say! He Kept Her Sane! He Kept Her Grounded! Without him she is unstable and there is no saying…….”  Then there was a massive explosion that was felt all over Charming. Everyone ran out of the house and could see the biggest fire and the blackest smoke they had ever seen. 

They all knew it was the clubhouse. 

When they got to the clubhouse there were cops and firefighters and right in front was Y/N watching it burn. Some of the cops told the club that there was nothing they could do right now Y/N did so much damage that there is nothing they could do. 

Jax walked over yelling at Y/N and shoved her “What the Fuck Did You Do!” “Y/N the fuck were you thinking! I did the best I could!” You slowly turned to Jax and sneering at him and for a rare moment in his life he was scared. 

“The best you could! The best you Could! You Promised me that he would come home Alive! YOU DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR YOU! Not for the Club, Not for Charming, Not For me and especially NOT FOR HAPPY! You did what was best for YOU! You self centred Jack ass!” You and start hitting, slapping, punching Jax who took it for the most part tell your fist connected to his jaw and then he back handed you, “You stupid psycho bitch I said I would bring him home and even though he didn’t come back alive at least he came home!” 

Then you completely blacked Out and kneed him in the crotch and started going for his face then Chibs and Tig came over to separate you two Chibs ended up pinning you to the ground “just breath lass, I know you are hurting.” You fight and fuss against Chibs “Get him the fuck out of her before she kills him.” Chibs yells

“You wanna know the difference between you and I is?! You will never know the pain I feel, but it will be close and as Happy and I call it, it’s an eye for an eye! You better hope there is something left of her in there. You made the biggest mistake of not looking into my past you just took Happy’s word, unlike your brothers they know what I am capable of.” you sneer at Jax  

Jax looks at you and then at his brothers then to you with your sickly smirk on your face and then at the clubhouse before he mumbles “Tara” and drops to his knees 

[jakesduskwood]

take me by the hand

Pairing: Jake x Fem!MC

Genre: Hurt / Comfort, Post-Episode 10

Summary: Following the reveal of The Man Without The Face, MC is a little too worried about Jake. So she does the only reasonable thing she can think of. Heads to Duskwood to find him.

EPISODE-10 SPOILERS AHEAD!

[ A/N: Hello :)

I just started this blog to talk about my love for Jake / post fanfics I might have written after / during my playthrough of Duskwood. So if you would like to talk about the game / Episode 10 / theories / anything at all, feel free to send me a message / ask :)

Anyway, this is a fanfic I wrote Post-Episode 10. ]

I love you.

The realization hit me a little later than it probably should have, but I did. I loved Jake. Perhaps I knew before. No. I definitely knew before. Jake had told me he didn’t trust easily. He hadn’t. Not until me. Even then, it took time to break down his walls. Get him to trust me. Enough to tell me his name. That Hannah and Lilly were his sisters. His whereabouts. That he loved me.

What if that was the last thing we said to each other?

After everything—everything we’d been through, after Richy, after Jake’s promise to meet me in Duskwood when all of this was over—we were so close. So close. We had risked too much for it to end like this. He had protected me too much. And if—if he didn’t make it out of there, I would have nobody to blame but myself. After all, he had gone into the mine in my place. Gone into the mine to find Hannah, but Alan found Hannah and Jake was—No. I couldn’t think like that. It had only been minutes. Minutes since I’d heard Richy tell Jessy he’d been the MWAF. Minutes since Jessy’s cries had died down in my head. Since my own cries had died down.

Richy. Who I’d considered a friend. Who I’d mourned when he died. Who I’d told to go comfort Jessy when she was attacked by the Man Without A Face. Who I’d like I was responsible for. If I had only begged him a little harder not to go into the woods—but no. No. He was the one behind it all. He was the one who had kidnapped Hannah. Who drove Amy to her death. Who lied to the people who trusted him. Who betrayed us. And now—

Suddenly, a message on my phone came through.

CLEO: Richy’s dead.

My heart skipped a beat.

DAN: What?

CLEO: There was a fire. Explosion.

CLEO: Suicide, they think.

I leaned my head back against the wall. Richy was dead. I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t know if I wanted him to make it. If I thought it’d be easier. He had asked if I believed he was sorry, but my answer remained the same. I didn’t know. I didn’t think I could forgive him either way. But I did care about him. I did consider him a friend.

Jake.

My head snapped up. Jake was in the mine. Well, maybe. He told me he would text me when he made it out. My phone showed he was still offline. No time to panic. He would be nowhere near Richy. But—Jake was the one who told me the mine was in danger of collapsing. And even if he made it out, who was to say he wouldn’t be caught the minute he did? Alan was right. There was no way the FBI were there for Hannah. And they had probably placed men at every exit. He had promised me he wouldn’t be caught, but how sure could he be? How could he possibly know the next move they’d make when he was trapped in a crumbling mine with no phone service. A stray tear slipped down my face. If Jake didn’t make it—I would bring Richy back to kill him myself.

Your fault, my head screamed.

I love you.

I love you, too.

“Come on, Jake.” I whispered harshly. “Don’t do this to me.”

Jake is offline.

Shit.

Maybe it had only been a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Felt like he should have been out of that mine already. Felt like he should have been texting me to reassure me he was fine. That he’d made it out. That they hadn’t caught him and that we would see each other soon.

I needed to see him.

I needed him to take me into his arms and reassure me the way I had wanted him to since we had first started this thing. Sure, at first, he was a little suspicious. Maybe suspicious wasn’t the right word to use. Just…cautious. Like he didn’t trust people. But I had broken down his walls. Gotten to know him. Gotten to fall in love with him. I didn’t care that I didn’t know what he looked like or that I’d never heard his voice or that he was wanted by the government. I’d fallen in love with him—with who he was.

And he loved me back.

Well. Apparently, Jake didn’t know one thing about me. It would only take a few hours for me to get to Duskwood. I’d looked it up on my maps at the start of all of this—before Jake had begged me not to go. He would probably be mad at me. It didn’t matter. His life was in danger. That was something worth breaking a promise for. Besides, if I got to see him—I would take his anger and frustration with a smile. Kiss it off of his face.

I took a deep breath and texted the group back.

ME: They haven’t found anybody else, have they?

LILLY: No, [MC].

I didn’t know whether to be relieved or cry.

Well.

Forgive me, Jake.

But I’m going to Duskwood a bit early.

———————————————————————

The road to the Grimrock Waterfall was crawling with numbers of police. The aftermath was still fresh. I assumed Hannah was long gone, probably settled into the hospital with her friends by her side. I’d visit her eventually. Maybe I’d figure out how I knew her. If I even did. Perhaps she had sent the wrong number. Maybe Richy had set us up. Maybe I would just have to live with the not knowing.

It didn’t matter, anyway.

Hannah was safe. Richy was dead. If I repeated it enough times in my head, maybe I could make it sound true. Make the nightmare we’ve been living in go away. Maybe I wouldn’t have to look over my shoulder every five seconds, wondering if someone was watching me. If I would be the next victim. Maybe we would be free to live now.

I could have been in there. In the mine. Blindly feeling my way around. Maybe I would have met Richy at the waterfall. And then…would he have killed me? Maybe I would’ve seen his face and he would’ve taken me hostage too. Drugged me and put me on a never-ending video loop to play for Jake and the others.

A figure caught my eye by one of the trees. My breath hitched for a split second until I realized it wasn’t who I thought it was. But it was somebody. I made my way over, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my sweater. For late-May, it was surprisingly cool outside.

“Thought you’d be at the hospital.”

The figure turned. Wheels squeaked underneath him. “Too many people right now. Figured that I would…” He motioned down at the wheelchair. “This was as far as I could go. Think they would kill me for tryin’ to go further anyway. What are you doing here?”

I shook my head. “Don’t know yet.”

“I don’t know if I believe it.” Dan shook his head. “Richy. Didn’t think he could hurt anyone. To know that…and I was the one who—”

“You can’t think like that.” I responded. “Dan, he would’ve hurt somebody. You were just doing what you thought was best. Nobody can blame you for that. Besides, he had plenty of time to get help before he died. He did this to himself.”

He hummed. “Maybe.”

“How’s Jessy?”

“Went to the hospital with the others. She wanted to be alone, but I don’t think anyone was ready to let her. They were close, you know. Always felt like I had to compete with him for her. I think she would have picked him in the end.”

“She cares about you, Dan.” I promised. Then, after a minute: “And Hannah?”

“Thomas said she’s as okay as she can be. Think she’s more in shock than injured. To be held by someone you trusted, someone you considered a friend, that’s rough. It’ll take time. I think she’s also dealing with the fact that everyone knows about Jennifer now.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I reminded him. “It doesn’t make what Richy did right.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “You think he’s still here?”

“I don’t know where he is,” I answered. “He said he would let me know when he was out. It says he’s been offline for hours but…I don’t know.”

“You plan on staying here?”

I shrugged. “Probably, at least for the night. Guess we’ll see where it gets us. Don’t think I could sleep much either way. I still feel like I’m being watched. Like Michael’s going to turn up at any moment and say it was all a joke. That it was him.”

“I think that would be too easy.”

I smiled weakly. “Probably.” My smile faded. “Dan? I’m sorry, about—”

“I shouldn’t have asked.” He waved a hand. “I know I’m not the first person to. I knew you were involved with Hackerman. Just hoped you weren’t. But it makes sense. The truth is, I don’t have a reason to dislike him. Just think you could do better than a life like that.”

“I have my demons too, Dan.” I told him. “Besides—I think I would go anywhere in the world if it was with him. We can still have that movie night, though.”

He grinned. “I look forward to it.”

“I don’t know why I came,” I crossed my arms over my chest and rubbed them, suddenly feeling like an idiot. “He’s not coming out here, no matter what. There’s cops everywhere. I just thought he would text me and I could find him or—sounds like one of those stupid romcom movies now that I think about it.”

“Maybe stupid romcoms are your thing.”

“No, they’re not.” I laughed.

“Maybe they are,” He said again. “Don’t you wonder something?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

He looked up at me. “That guy over there’s been glaring at us for ten minutes.”

My heart skipped a beat. My head snapped up to where Dan’s head was tilted toward the edge of the woods. There was a figure, hidden just enough that you wouldn’t be able to see them without actually looking for them. Their dark attire blended into the trees. Their face was tilted down and hidden beneath their black hood. Still, I could tell that Dan was right. Their posture was rigid and stiff. Turned toward us like they were unhappy. At first, I thought it was Michael, maybe coming to laugh and tell us that it was him all along, that he had framed and killed Richy and that he was coming to kill me next.

But then my phone buzzed.

Jake is online.

No. No way. All of the emotion I felt inside of me came bursting out at once. Tears poured down my face no matter how furiously I wiped at them. Jake was alive. He was alive. And Hannah was safe. And Richy was dead. Richy was the MWAF. Michael wasn’t coming back from the dead to tell us it was him. And I hadn’t cried about that yet. No. I had. I had cried while I was on the call with Richy. Watching him bleed out from a gunshot wound. I’d cried as I watched Jessy come to terms with the realization. I’d cried when I realized I didn’t know if Jake was okay or captured or if he was dead and I would never see him again. I cried during all of it.

But not like this. I hadn’t felt my limbs shake with each gasping breath as I realized that my final words to Richy had been nothing but resentment. As I realized just how serious the situation was and that never seeing Jake again was an actual possibility. And yet—here he was. And that made me sob harder. The guy who loved me was standing there, and all I could think to do was cry and shake because drawing attention to him would cause them to find him and I could not handle that when I just got him back.

“Please do not pass out on me.” Dan warned. “It’ll be really hard to catch you.”

Somehow, that made me feel worse. I sniffled and wiped at my eyes, feeling incredibly weak and stupid for someone who just realized the guy she’d drove two hours to see was actually alive and not dead. My phone buzzed in my hand.

JAKE: I told you I would contact you when I got out.

JAKE: Please do not cry.

I snorted slightly. Yet—it gave me more comfort than anything had in a long time. To know that we did it. That we found the culprit. Sure, it was someone we trusted, and sure, we lost someone we considered a friend tonight, but it was over.

JAKE: Come here.

I looked down at my phone and then back at the hooded figure. I didn’t want to risk it, but when I saw him take a step toward me, I gave in and hurried toward him without even a quick goodbye to Dan. It was okay. He’d understand. I plowed into the figure at full force, nearly knocking him off of his feet and burying my face in his neck.

He was the perfect height. The kind where my head fit perfectly against him, where I could hear his pounding heart against my own, feel his face buried in my hair. I probably looked a mess but I didn’t care. I tightened my grip around him, burying my tears in his hoodie and soaking it with my face.

“Jake—”

“It’s okay,” he whispered back.

Oh. His voice was soothing. The kind you could fall asleep to. The kind you knew you were safe around. He kissed the top of my head and I melted. I remembered when I watched Richy die, the first time. I told Jake I wished he could take me in his arms. Much like he’d done now that Richy was actually gone.

I pulled back to look at him, reaching up to cup my hands around his cheeks. He moved his head to look at me and I got a glimpse of him for the first time. And—hell—he was handsome. I knew he would be but seeing it for myself was a whole different experience. The moon reflected off of his face and lit up his eyes, the soft reflection in them that gave me butterflies like I was back in school again. He gave me a soft smile.

“Hi,” He whispered.

I smiled. “You kept your promise.”

“I told you I would.”

I tightened myself around him again. Like, maybe, now that he was here, all my worries could go away. It didn’t work. Still, it was a nice thought.

“Did you read the group messages?”

He shook his head. “Haven’t had the time.”

“Richy’s dead.”

His hands around me stilled. “Oh. [MC], I am so sorry.”

“Jake, we were wrong.” The words felt weird on my tongue. “Michael wasn’t the MWAF. It was Richy. He—he kidnapped Hannah.”

“What?”

I shook my head. “I don’t feel as relieved as I should.”

He pressed another kiss to the top of my head. “I’m here now.”

“Will you tell me again?” I begged.

“Tell you what?”

I pulled back to whack him lightly across the chest. “You know what,” I told him softly. “I have to hear you say it.”

“I love you.” He tilted my chin up so he could press our lips together. It was short and sweet and made me crave more. There would be time for that later. “I would do anything for you.”

“Yeah, we have to talk about that.” I warned him. “We’re going to have to compromise. I cannot have you risking your life for me whenever you feel like it.” He laughed softly.

“We’ll talk about it.” He hummed. “So, you still want a life with me?”

I smiled. “Jake?”

“Hm.”

“I love you, too.”

[cursedcola]

Can I request an imagine of the dorm leaders chap 1-4 going to therapy after their overblot? How would they react to it and what problems would they work through? Someone help these boys :’)

Prompt: Dorm leaders go to therapy post-overblot Characters: Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ahsengrotto, and Kalim Al' Asim (ft. Special Guest) Warnings: Mentioning of emotional distress and disorders DISLCAIMER: This is not serious what-so-ever. This prompt will be taken in a light-hearted context for simple headcannons. I do not claim to have any professional knowledge of anything within this post.

Premise:

Dire Crowley does not want the reputation of NRC to fall because of a few "mishaps," popping up as of late. Rather than hiring a professional School Psychologist, he decides to call upon a ghost therapist to haunt one of the back rooms in Ramshackle Hall. Any student involved in recent, "mishaps," are "encouraged," to go seek counseling.

Oh, no. Not you MC. You're fine just as you are. Please tend to the "guests," in your home when they are on the premises. Since NRC's therapist is a ghost, they will need an assistant with posable thumbs to do the heavy lifting. Remember that you are staying in Ramshackle FOR FREE at the KIND GRACE of your beloved headmaster, yes?

One other thing. Be sure to share all the gossip with NRC staff when you're through. Have Fun ~

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

Riddle Rosehearts

Mommy Issues

Man has identity issues like no other. He's pulling traits from textbook definitions and does not think for himself

He goes into therapy thinking that he knows exactly what answers to give. Definitely the one to think that he is out-smarting all the "mind games" being thrown his way

He goes because it's "recommended," but is peeved that its a ghost. NRC is that cheap, really?

Gets told to go to anger management. Becomes angry at the suggestion. Cycle continues.

In all seriousness though, he definetly benefits from having an impartial person to talk with. "Dead Men Tell No Tales," like who is the ghost going to gossip to? They're bound to the dorm?

Nevermind assistant MC pssshh they're totally not listening in

More than being upset at his overblot, Riddle is thankful for it. It threw him on his ass for a wake-up call, and is now working towards becoming his own person

Kind of funny how his mother acted all superior in her child-rearing, when she completely ignored his mental state. Yeah. He isn't moving back in after graduation.

Leona Kingscholar

He has to be physically forced into therapy. I.E Crowley makes you trick him

He did not trust you much before, but now? Run. Lock the door. Take his magestone and DO NOT let him out of that room

Best listen through the door on this one because he can and will kill you

Anyways. Inferiority complex, anxiety, emotional neglect, stress - plenty to unpack for this one. It's a good thing that the therapist is a ghost, because Leona would have harasses the door key from them somehow

Funny enough, he talks plenty when mad. All the therapist has to do is edge him on and he's raving up a storm.

I don't need stupid therapy...this is all his fault... overblot? Someone say anythin'? why should I care then? Not like I have anything to be ashamed about

Very open-book, just in-directly

In all honesty? Leona's likely not going to get much out of the session. He'll be more willing to come back if it's mandatory since he has a feel for what it's like. I think he has a good sense of what's hurting him after his overblot, and it's not something a third party can fix. He needs to duke it out with his brother back at home.

Azul Ashengrotto

If you thought Riddle was bad, then Azul's cockiness is horrifying. He is seriously trying to act like he can outsmart a therapist with a lifetime of experience. All because he read a few Psychology 101 books.

He was told about the requirement the night prior to his appointment. Why? So he couldn't try to make a contract with the therapist. Also so he couldn't do any research.

Oh yeah. He tries that. The contract thing. It's not even five minutes into the session and he's attempting to swindle the secrets of other patients. After all, the ghost is dead, so private policy who???

Fails

It is actually painful to hear him conjure up a fake life-story. Did he think that Crowley sent the ghost in blind? He did. You filled them in. Azul really needs to take this seriously.

Which is why he is told to come back. Twice a week. Oh, you have a restaurant to run? You want to be expelled? Better show up.

He is the hardest nut to crack and the anxiety this boy holds is so intense-

Ghost therapist makes you go buy a heating pad. He's always got such tense shoulders

Overall, he benefits from the therapy. Ghost therapist has him doing self-affirmations and journaling every day.

They also work on his relationship with food. It's good that he wants to be healthy, but on terms of self-image there is a lot to be done. Azul needs to learn that enemies die quicker when you have thicccc thighs (tentacles) to demolish them with.

^ can be taken in many ways. It's up to you if MC decides to add on their own little affirmation hehe

Kalim Al' Asim

Couple's therapy

The session is more for Jamil, but Kalim has his place. Ghost Therapist is honestly shocked at how well Kalim has reacted to recent events

In short, identity issues again. There are sessions dedicated to Jamil, some for Kalim, and others where Ghost Therapist leads a conversation between the two

Well, for as long as Kalim sits still. He's listening, but gets side tracked so many times.

Jamil and Kalim definitely argue about MC being there. Jamil wants you out, and Kalim is all "do you just...not remember what you put them through? Not cool,"

On that day it was therapy for three

I want to believe that Ghost Therapist touches on Kalim's choice of only eating Jamil's food. Yes, he trust Jamil but that is a lot of pressure on one person. Youa re expecting them to make all of your food, being entirely dependent, etc

As for Jamil, they definitely go into his feelings towards his lineage. Jamil knows who he is, but he can't be that person with those familial blockades.

Yup. Couple's therapy. Hands down.

These two are the most compliant. It took some convincing, but the overblot incident has put strong tensions on both students' relationship with the school. They are not stupid. If it's mandatory then it is mandatory.

[aballadforbarbatos]

i sent a whole Thing to my friends a month ago and thought it would be a good idea to post it here, so:

mc, the anti-monarchist

diavolo is pretty confident that you’ll say yes when he asks you out. he IS, like, the most powerful demon in the devildom

(technically there’s his dad too but he’s not around rn so he doesn’t count)

the brothers get to spend more time around you BUT you always spend so much time with him so you SHOULD say yes right?!

not even barbatos could predict your answer

you look him dead in the eye. and say. “sorry diavolo, but i’d rather die than date a royal”

you like him as a person sure, but it’s not like you on your own can’t topple a demon monarchy so the only thing you can really do is refrain from joining it

diavolo’s face DROPS. all that confidence from before? GONE. you are staring into the face of a heartbroken man

your heartstrings are tugged but there will be other men and your beliefs are stronger than a cute prince

“why???” perhaps if he finds out the reason he can change your mind!

“well the human monarchies are just. they are just so bad. you know the english colonised so many countries they have enough to a mini olympics? and all that gold and jewels… i struggle to believe you got ALL of that from devildom…”

doesn’t really know what the olympics are but it sure doesn’t sound great in the way you’re using it

belphie is ruthlessly clapping you on the back, one of the seven sins should be selfishness the way he’s acting

lucifer scolds belphie for his behaviour but the damage is done,

diavolo’s only answer is “oh… okay… so no monarch bf for you then…” and it looks like everything settles afterwards

barbatos feels terrible for the prince but at the same time perhaps the man will get some work done. PLEASE get some work done the country needs it-

he’s relieved for exactly one day before diavolo summons him in and goes “what if i give up my title yes or no”

sorry, what. you’ve come up with some stupid ideas before but this is ABSOLUTELY the worst

“i was doing some research and there was this harry guy who gave up his title for his lover! that could be me!” diavolo shows him an article and it takes barbatos exactly five seconds to come up with a rebuttal

“the harry man had an older brother.”

“oh yea i guess i should wake up dad so he can make another heir huh”

all this stress is going to kill him. this is EASILY the worst thing he’s ever experienced

“i could wait for him to wake up on his own but like, what if mc is DEAD by then?!?? what if one of the brothers has taken her?? idk if i wanna risk that…”

barbatos needs to shut this idea down RIGHT NOW

“my lord, what the fuck are you talking about.”

“it’s a good idea!!”

“NO IT IS NOT WHAT THE HELL HAS MC DONE TO YOU. YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS DEVILDOM.”

“not if i give up my title i don’t! :D”

barbatos has no choice. he is dragging both lucifer AND you to talk some sense into the guy. nothing he’s saying is working clearly, lucifer is horrified at the suggestion and you’re thinking of ways to secretly escape the room

“DIAVOLO THIS COUNTRY WILL FAIL IF YOU DO THAT.”

diavolo wrinkles up his nose and everyone is concerned he’s had one too many bottles of demonus because he leans in and whispers “but have you considered: i love mc”

the whisper is not very quiet, actually it’s more of a stage whisper and you’re kind of standing there awkwardly. like you expected him to love you but taking this stance is kind of deranged and not improving your view of royalty at all

now everyone is staring at you and expecting you to say something. you have no idea what to say that could possibly be different to what the other two have said??

“diavolo. man. what the fuck are you talking about. have you been overworked or something go get some rest,”

a very confident (who’s apparently in a silly goofy mood) demon prince answers with “i am deeply in love with you and am sad that you will not be mine, but as long as i am not a royal it’s not a problem right??”

you’re speechless. like what is there to say to that. perhaps some time with simeon (and a lot of sleep) would shake him out of this but none of your thoughts are really working right now,

“yeah sorry guys you’re on your own with this one”

barbatos has decided that crucification should not just be for blasphemers but for you too

[harunayuuka2060]

*20 years into the past*

MC's father: MC, can you help your mother in the kitchen? Since we're almost done here.

MC: *9 years old* Are you sure? These logs are heavy.

MC's father: *chuckles* *has lost his arm while fighting for the safety of his country*

MC's father: Yes. Now go and help your mother.

MC: *nods*

MC: Mom?

MC's mother: MC, thank goodness. Are you here to help?

MC: Yes.

MC's mother: *smiles* Thank you. Can you wash the dishes while I breastfeed your baby sister? She has been crying.

MC: *nods* I'll continue doing all the housework, Mom. Please take some rests.

MC's mother: *pats their head* You're such a responsible kid. I'm sure your sister will be proud to have you as her big brother.

MC: *smiles* Just go, Mom.

MC's mother: *chuckles* Okay.

*at the dinner table*

MC's father: Honey, I've received a news from the capital. There are some bandits that trespass people's houses and— *pauses* *looks at MC*

MC: *listening to him*

MC's father: MC, can you go upstairs with your sister? I need to keep the conversation private.

MC: *nods* *gets their sister and do as told*

*once they're out of earshot*

MC's father: Honey, we need to leave this place.

MC's mother: Are you sure? I can protect this household.

MC's father: *shakes his head* The bandits are too great in number. I don't want to take the risks.

MC's mother: *smiles* I understand. Should we get everything ready before midnight?

MC's father: Yes. Thank you.

MC: *cradles their little sister*

Their little sister: *is still wide awake*

MC: Can't you sleep because I don't cradle you like Mom?

Their little sister: *giggles*

MC: *smiling*

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

The chief of the village: I know you're already out of service. But we badly need your help. We need every men to help us capture those bandits who have been caused of everyone's nightmares.

MC's father: *looks at his wife and kids*

MC's father: I'll help. If you promise that you'll put my family to safety.

The chief: I promise.

MC's mother: Honey...

MC's father: It's going to be alright. *then focuses his attention on MC*

MC: *has understood it immediately*

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

The chief: Just walk through to this tunnel and you'll see the others at the other side.

The chief: Please be careful.

MC's mother: We will. Thank you.

The chief: *watches as they disappear into the darkness*

The chief: Please forgive me.

MC's mother: MC! Grab your sister and escape from here!

MC: But Mom!

MC's mother: *defends herself and her kids from the bandits* Your mother can fight! Don't worry about me!

The bandits: *laughs in amusement*

MC: Mom—

*Someone grabbed them from behind*

MC's mother: *her eyes widened* MC— *got stabbed on the shoulder*

MC: MOOOOM!!!!

The man: Be quiet kid. If you want to live with this baby. *then pulls them away*

MC: MOOOOM! MOOOOOM!!!!

MC's mother: MC...

*when they're already at the end of the tunnel*

The man: ...

The man: *lets go of MC* Run, kid. Don't even try to get back inside.

MC: ...

MC: What happened to my mom? How about my dad?

The man: ...

The man: They're probably dead by now. The chief betrayed us. This is all a trap. *turns around, ready to go back*

MC: I'm going with you!

The man: LISTEN TO ME, KID! I'M ONE OF THE BANDITS! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR SISTER ONCE THEY SEE YOU!

MC: ...

The man: Now go. You still have a family to protect.

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

Simeon: Sister MC... *in a worried tone*

MC: *wakes up with tears in their eyes* Ah... Father Simeon. *gets up* *smiles apologetically* *wiping the tears off* Did I fall asleep while you're doing your sermon?

Simeon: Yes. Were you having a nightmare? It seems you've been calling for your mother and father in your sleep.

MC: ...

MC: I must be exhausted to have a dream like that.

Simeon: *touches their forehead* You have a fever, Sister.

Simeon: *gets closer* I wonder what you have been doing—

MC: *puts their hand over his chest to stop him* You're being too close, Father.

Simeon: ...

Simeon: I'm sorry. *makes a little space between them*

MC: *stood up* I'll ask Mother Superior if I can take a day off today so you won't be worried.

Simeon: *smiles* Okay. Have a nice day, Sister MC.

MC: *face him properly, bowing their head* You too, Father.

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

Lucifer: Are you alright, Sister? *hugging them from behind*

MC: *smiles* I don't know why you would be worried about me, Father Luci.

Lucifer: Stop calling me that. You know my real name is Lucifer. And as for those dreams,

Lucifer: I'd prefer not to relive them in your head.

MC: ...

MC: *chuckles* I'm going to hell. Those kind of dreams are to be expected.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: *buries his head on the crook of their neck* Sister...

MC: Tell me. What will happen in two years time?

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: Every people you cared in this world will die.

Lucifer: Including the high priest and the abbess.

MC: And there's nothing I could do?

Lucifer: Yes.

MC: ...

MC: *turns around to face him* I'll give myself to you completely, if you promise that tragedy won't ever happen.

Lucifer: ...

Lucifer: I have a friend who can alter the future. Do you want to go with me so you can talk to him?

MC: *smiles* Yes. That'll do. *puts their hands on his waist, pulling him closer*

Lucifer: *has this intense gaze*

MC: Shall we indulge ourselves again, Lucifer?

Lucifer: *smiles* My pleasure.

Simeon: *who's watching them secretly*

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

Raphael: You're back, Simeon.

Simeon: Yes.

Luke: How's meeting Sister MC?

Simeon: ...

Simeon: It looks like I'll be seeing them sooner.

Raphael: ...

Raphael: Yes. It seems like it.

Their sister: *approaches them* E-Excuse me, I've heard that my brother is... going to die sooner.

Their sister: W-Will he be here?

Raphael: Low-rank angels like shouldn't be allowed here.

The sister: I-I'm sorry... I'm just worried about my brother—

Simeon: Yes. But their destination is... unclear right now.

Their sister: ...

Luke: H-Hey! Aren't the other angels busy? We should go now! *dragging her away*

Raphael: ...

Raphael: That must be disappointing.

Simeon: No. I completely understand why.

Simeon: After all, MC didn't become a nun because of faith itself.

[floral-poisons]

Hey hi hello! If it’s okay with you, may I request the first year gang (separately) dating a male!MC and like it’s their first time dating another guy and like they’re figuring it out. Nothing angsty, lots of fluff, just the boys having a comedic gay crisis at how cute their boyfriend is.

hi anon!! of course you may request first year gang figuring out things with their male! mc boyfriend!!! honestly, there's not enough soft lgbtqia+ stories out there. thankfully things are changing now! i also just had to post this after i finished it!!

i also couldn't help but think of heartstopper when seeing this request. so of course i had to give one of the boys the heartpulling, tearjerking beach scene between nick and charlie. still have not watched it yet because of a lack of time but i will get around to it.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT

dating in general wasn’t something that crossed sebek’s mind. and of course all the media he consumed was centered on men and women. all dating advice was geared towards women. there’s just one problem.

sebek wasn’t dating a woman.

“it’s the fifth date! i have to do something nice.”

no one, not even malleus, could make him go through all this effort. and all this effort for a human? he wouldn’t even consider prior!

sebek was looking at flowers. there were a ton of choices! he was confused as to which ones to get. but then he thought about it. would flowers even be suitable for you, his date? maybe his boyfriend in the future? were flowers too much?! would you think he’s going too fast?! humans were so complicated! the endless possibilities of what could go wrong just by flowers was beginning to cause his eyes to spiral.

lilia put a hand on sebek’s shoulder. “don’t worry too much.” he smiled, as if reading sebek’s mind. “whatever you get (y/n), he will be very happy. he likes you a lot. don’t fret about it. besides, who doesn’t like flowers? if a man can’t handle flowers then he’s not really a man at all. and i think (y/n) likes flowers very much.”

“ah...okay...we’ll go with that one!”

sebek showed up at your doorstep a few minutes early, holding the large flower arrangement he had picked out. his weekly allowance, drained. but that’s okay. anything for you.

you opened the door, still wearing a face mask. you hadn’t anticipated for sebek coming early though. “sebek!”

“i...ummm...i didn’t know which flowers to get you so i got you these!” he exclaims, cheeks going completely red as he looked away.

“sebek! these are lovely!” you exclaim, taking them. you took a deep breath, allowing the scent of the flowers to flood your nose. “and these will do wonders for the dorm. it’s so dead in here. anyways, come in, come in. i just have to get this mask off and then do my skincare routine and then we can leave.”

sebek was just...in awe with your reaction. you were so cute! flowers were so romantic after all.

he didn’t need to worry.

ACE TRAPPOLA

today was just a night in for the two of you. ace was sitting down, scrolling on magicam until he noticed you bringing out a few comics he’s never seen before. he had to crawl over next to you to take a look. “what are those?”

“comics!” you exclaim. “i don’t know how they managed to come here? but these are the ones i had back at home! look! this one is about scarlet witch aka. wanda maximoff! she’s such a cool character. i wanted to be her for halloween when i was a kid once.” you rubbed your chin in thought.

“a witch? what kind of magic does she use?” he skimmed the pages. “whoa!”

“cool right? she can rewrite reality.” a devious expression appeared on your face. “if i could rewrite reality i’d make every food azul ate takoyaki!” your eyes turned into stars.

“(y/n)! that’s cold!” he exclaims. “how come i never knew my boyfriend could be this way?”

“because you don’t know me like i do.” you smirked. “oh! this one is the pride issue of superman aka. jon kent. he’s got a boyfriend! and this one is the issue for red robin and his boyfriend! they’re quite cute!”

ace took the comic books, looking at them and then you as you were pulling out comic after comic.

“this one’s the nubia pride edition. nubia’s my favorite hero alongside red robin! and this one is harley quinn and poison ivy! the original superhero couple! and i think i have a lot more...” you dug through. “oh! doom patrol is also great!”

you stopped, looking at ace who was looking at the covers. they were romantic, cute. they reminded him of the times where you guys had climbed onto the roof of ramshackle and you laid your head on ace’s lap, similar to this pride cover. “is something wrong?”

“no...” he looked up at you. his cheeks were dusted pink. “i...i’m not used to relationships you know. and you’re the first guy i’ve ever dated. but it feels a lot more right. if that makes sense! i mean i don’t mean any offense to the girls i dated before you i...you make me feel good. like this!” he pointed to the red robin cover. “this is us! and i don’t know...no one else makes me feel this way.”

“awww! you’re so cute!” you wrap your arms around his shoulders. “you’re the bernard to my tim drake!”

“wait but i wanna be the superhero!”

“no. that’s me.” you smile. “besides, i’m the one who saves you from danger most of the time anyways. which makes me your super-boyfriend!”

“super-boyfriend...i like that a lot.”

DEUCE SPADE

deuce had honestly spent too much time being a punk than dating. there was that one time in middle school when he dated a girl in his class. but did that really count? no one counted middle school relationships for a reason.

despite getting into a relationship, he was still focusing on his studies. the two of you were peers trying to study alchemy so you both can pass crewel’s class and not have to deal with the punishment.

except the two of you absolutely sucked at it.

after about an hour, you guys had basically given up. you fell asleep on your textbook after your brain refused to absorb the words on the page.

“oh. he’s got goosebumps...” deuce noticed that today was a bit chilly and you weren’t wearing too many layers. grim had said you did not believe in undershirts.

“i...do you put jackets on your boyfriend?” deuce questions. lots of men he’s encountered would say no. that goes against masculinity. but what’s the point of being masculine if you’re going to get sick? or just be uncomfortable in general?

there was something calming about the fact that you fell asleep in his presence. it meant you trusted him and that you felt safe with him.

deuce removed his jacket and placed it on your shoulders, making sure to have it on your body as much as possible. your shivering ceased.

“there. now i’ll clean this up...” he began picking up the books until hearing you mumble.

“mom...you should meet my boyfriend...you’d like him...” you turn your head. “he’s sweet...caring...got a bit of a temper but it’s more funny...i think you’d get along...”

his heart swelled upon hearing that. boyfriend!! boyfriend!! you called him your boyfriend! you were so cute too when you talked in your sleep.

“ah! wait that sounds creepy!” deuce’s face went red before he continued to clean up the workspace. the last thing he’d want is to scare you away.

you made him happy. and he didn’t want that to go away.

EPEL FELMIER

going to harveston was a lot better than staying back at the school for winter break, being left alone with the octotrio and grim in the rundown ramshackle dorm. you were surprised to hear from epel that his grandmother in particular wanted to invite you.

“how does she know about me?” you ask.

“well i...i told her about you in my letters to her.” epel’s face goes pink with embarrassment.

“well i hope you wrote good things!”

“don’t worry.” he smiles. “i only grot great things.”

your cheeks went hot. “i wasn’t expecting that.” you laugh.

epel was about to knock when the door opened, revealing his grandmother. “epel! (y/n)! you’re here! and you are just as handsome as i imagined you to be.”

“awww. well thank you miss. felmier.” your cheeks grow hotter.

“come in, come in.” she shuffled back inside. “epel’s told me all about you! well most of his letters were worries about how to impress you and what boys you age like nowadays. i told him to rely on the basics. they’re still around because they work!”

“grandma...” epel muttered as he closed the door behind you two.

“there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. you know, he was all tongue tied about confessing.”

“really?” you raised an eyebrow. epel was pretty confident approaching you. a little awkward but who wouldn’t be when confessing to their crush?

“he didn’t know if he should be more upfront or subtle. i told him upfront is always the best.” she poured you a cup of hot tea and handed it to you. “he also had a rather tough time figuring things out. in the end, i told him it’s whatever his heart desires. and if it desires you, then so be it.”

“awwww.” you turned to epel. “you’re such a softie~”

“i am not!” his face was red. “just...okay...only for you.”

JACK HOWL

beach dates were not your favorite. you disliked the sand getting everywhere, especially in your bags. and after you left and went home, you’d find sand in places where it wasn’t supposed to be. but a beach date with jack? it wasn’t so bad.

jack hadn’t thought much about dating you. it was his first time dating a guy, yes. and also his first time dating in general (middle school and elementary school didn’t count). sitting in silence, however, gave him the space to think.

you guys have been dating for a few weeks now...did that make you boyfriends?

but what if you didn’t consider jack your boyfriend yet? what if you wanted to take it slow? jack didn’t mind but thinking about the possibility of making you uncomfortable made shivers run down his spine.

that was the one thing he didn’t want to do.

“jack? jack?”

“huh?” he turned to you. you had opened the container of fruit you brought. he had watched you open up a melon with your bare hands and without breaking a sweat. it was very attractive and he had to go to the bathroom to put water on his face because it was so hot.

“you want some fruit? you said you were hungry on our way here.”

“oh...yeah. you don’t have to feed me you know.”

“why? you’re my boyfriend! i have to take care of you!”

“boy...boyfriend...” he blinked. you were smiling widely, holding a fork with a melon piece attached to it. “i like being your boyfriend...you’re my boyfriend...” he smiles.

your own cheeks go hot. “i am.”

“that makes us boyfriends.” his smile grows wider before he leans in and takes the melon piece in one bite. he tried to say something with his mouth full but you couldn’t get it.

“what was that?”

“i love being boyfriends.” he wraps his arms around you and buries his face in your neck. “it’s comforting.”

[hacked-by-jake]

⚠️BASED ON EPISODE 10 || Contains spoiler⚠️

A Ray Of Hope

Summary: Three days after the rescue of Hannah, there is a knock on the door of MC, and somehow she has already expected the visit, but the wounds are still fresh. But she has Jake to help her.

-> Pairing: Jake x Fem!MC // feat. two FBI Agents ->Genre: Angst/Fluff/ some Spice -> Words: 6.2k oops -> Warning: Well, at the end a little spice, which is interrupted. (I don’t know if you’ll hate me xD) // Cursing // some explicit language // It is based on episode 10 and covers the topics that happened there a bit. // And it’s cheesy, really -> A/n: Yes, hello. Well, I don’t know, I don’t even know how I got to 6 thousand words. The reading again and again was absolutely exhausting please apologized mistakes etc. And on top of that, English is not my native language, you know that stuff, I’m tired and I don’t remember what I wanted to say here. So have fun and hope you like the shit.💜💚

When the door was finally opened after waiting for minutes, all the color disappeared from the hacker’s face.

Shocked, he stared at the young woman in front of him, looking at her almost dead eyes. For a tiny moment, shock could be clearly seen on her face, but this changed as quickly as it had come.

Instead, she let her gaze glide over his handcuffed hands without emotion. Down the metal chain that led to the appropriate ankle cuffs that prevented him from running away.

Then she let her gaze slip behind the young hacker who was accompanied by two not hard to recognize FBI agents.

When she seemed to realize that he was being arrested, a gruesome laugh escaped her before she opened the door completely and then just disappeared back into her apartment. "It was clear that it could still get worse." she muttered with difficulty.

"Excuse me? Miss MC? May we come in?" one of the two agents called after her and his voice was clearly filled with slight skepticism.

"No, I always leave the door open so that the next murderer can just run into my house," her voice dripped with irony. And even if the hacker was clearly concerned about her condition, a small grin now scurried over his lips.

On the silent drive here, he had let any option, a reaction from her, go through his head, and exactly this reaction had been at the top of his list of possibilities.

"Move," the second agent directed the young hacker and shoved him in the back.

Jake rolled his eyes annoyed, but didn’t waste time entering the apartment of the woman he fell in love with.

With, for his taste, far too little distance followed the two FBI men and one of them closed the door when all three stood directly in the living room of MC.

She sat on a dark leather sofa in a sea of crumpled tissues. She sat cross-legged, her back against the back of the couch. Her back posture was straight, almost uncomfortably formal and tense, and her posture was somewhat reminiscent of his own.

Her chin was slightly stretched into the air, and she seemed a little superior to the men, her posture pointing to discipline. Maybe she even looked a little arrogant sitting there. But Jake immediately recognized the facade she used to make it look like she was not completely devastated.

The problem was, of course, that he could imagine why, but he didn’t have exact information.

Without paying a glance, the young woman asked the three men to sit down, which was immediately accepted by everyone. After all, this visit was none among friends.

Jake, of course, did not hesitate to sit down next to her immediately, he carefully settled down just a few inches away from her. His body was turned in her direction and he looked at her anxiously.

If his hands were not tied up, he would have taken her in his arms immediately, but unfortunately this opportunity was taken from him and he knew that the agents would not make an exception if he asked them.

But to his happiness, to his delight, the young woman immediately let herself fall against his body when she had the chance.

"Hey! Don’t tou-" one of the agents wanted to say immediately, but the other stopped him with a hand movement.

They exchanged a glance with each other, with which the second told him to allow it.

The young woman leaned her head against the hacker’s left chest and listened for a few seconds to his fast heartbeat.

The only thing Jake could do was to lower his head and put his chin on her hairline to return at least one less of her gesture. Also to his luck, found her hand his and automatically crossed their fingers together.

"Hello" she whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Hello, MC" he answered just as quietly.

"You got arrested?" she asked the obvious.

He nodded in response: "The fire that broke out in the mine doomed my plan to failure."

"Has anyone told you what happened?"

The two young lovers seemed to have completely forgotten after the first seconds that there were still two FBI agents among them, but the latter behaved calmly.

They knew that if they wanted MC’s help, they would have to accept some things.

"No, no one," he answered, and a little afraid that something might have happened to Hannah, made his chest tighten a little.

"Richy set the fire." she began: "Don’t worry, Hannah is safe, she’s fine, she’s back home." she explained and had probably noticed that he was a little tense.

"Why did Richy set the fire? All the evidence was there." his voice was quiet, but stunned.

Again she laughed and sounded so filled with deep pain: "Richy is-" her voice broke off. A violent tremor broke over her body and Jake’s heart contracted painfully.

Of course, he could already imagine what MC wanted to say and wanted to spare her from having to say it: "I’m so sorry MC" he whispered.

"He - he killed himself, killed himself and burned everything that would have proven his guilt!" she croaked and immediately began to cry bitterly.

"Shit MC," he gasped shocked and immediately wanted to put his arms around her, but the rattling of the chains reminded him that this was not possible.

He gave an aggressive look at the two agents, who were just sitting quietly, until the second sighed and pulled the key out of his jacket.

Jake didn’t care that they were the ones who put him in this situation at all, so he gave the Agent a grateful look as he leaned over the table to open the handcuffs.

MC had already parted ways with Jake and turned the other way to prevent them from seeing her face distorted by mental pain.

As soon as Jake’s left hand was free, he reached for the young woman’s shoulder.

When his right hand again had all freedom of movement as well, he automatically slid over to her, slapped his arms around her and gently pulled her back against his body.

To his astonishment and at the same time slight joy, the agent did not sit down again but stopped, followed by the second, and indeed the two left their place to disappear into the room to the left of the living room, which seemed to be the kitchen. However, not without first using the front door key of MC to lock the apartment door and take the keys with them. And a last warning look to the hacker.

If MC hadn’t been much more important, he would probably have go on them if they really thought he was leaving MC in this condition. And even the still existing ankle cuffs would make it impossible to escape, if he wanted to.

But there was no time for that. He had to concentrate on MC, who fortunately turned back to him, and had her arms tightly wrapped around him.

The young woman had her face buried in his neck and Jake could feel her hot tears running down his skin and then disappear into the fabric of his black hoodie.

Jake didn’t really think when he grabbed her thighs to pull her astride on his lap.

But she didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, she helped him immediately and then pressed herself so hard against him that he briefly felt that she was squeezing the air out of his lungs. But damn it, it didn’t matter.

He stroked his hand up and down her back while she sobbed deeply and cried bitterly. Her voice was so dripping with agony, and the young hacker hated himself for not being able to take this pain away from her. That he had no way to make her feel better, that he couldn’t protect her from the pain that poisoned her soul. He had sworn to protect her always and from everything. But he couldn’t protect her from the pain right now.

Then there was the problem that he didn’t really know what had happened. Because even if he had asked again and again in the last three days, no one wanted to tell him anything. But the black-haired man had the deep suspicion that Richy’s death was not the only thing that had to do with the mechanic.

Jake wondered if he should address his conjecture cautiously as he kept trying to somehow improve the situation with reassuring words like "I’m here, MC" or "I’m taking care of you".

For minutes they both just sat there while she cried in his hoodie without a break. Until she finally got what he had feared out of herself, interrupted by several sobs.

"Richy - Jake, it was Richy, all the while it was Richy," she squeezed out and started crying even more terribly than before.

And hell, it broke his heart into millions of pieces to see her suffer like that. It hurt him so much that even he felt he wanted to cry, but he held back his rising tears. He had to stay strong for both of them. If he started crying now, it would probably only make her sadder if it was possible at all.

"Oh MC," he breathed and swallowed once firmly: "I am- I know that these words do not help, make nothing better, but I am infinitely sorry that it has ended this way."

To be honest, he wasn’t even surprised by this fact, and he was sure it wasn’t a new thought for MC. Secretly, both had probably always suspected that the man without a face was Richy. They were just too good as a team, their thoughts too equal and Richy too suspicious.

Even though they had never talked about it, both had known it all along.

Which was probably also the reason why MC denied when he asked her if she believed that their culprit was really Michael Hanson.

And also, why she didn’t tell Jessy at the time, or rather the whole group, that the man with no face had told her that he had killed Richy.

Because Richy himself was the Man Without a Face all the time.

Jake had a hard time imagining what it had to feel like for her when she finally found out the truth. The betrayal she had to feel must have been terrible, so terrible that there were no words to describe how she felt about it.

He could feel her hands clawing into his sweater, as if she were afraid she might fall if she didn’t hold on. She was looking for support, for emotional support, and he wanted to be the person who gave her what she needed, wrapping his arms even tighter around her. He pressed her against himself and kept whispering in her ear that he wouldn’t let her go. That he was there for her and that he understood how she must feel. At least he could imagine it.

She moved even closer to him, even if that was almost impossible. Even her legs, which were to the left and right of his thighs, were pressed tightly together, squeezing him completely.

But it didn't bothered him. On the contrary, he saw, if he was lucky, the chance to elicit a little laugh from her, if she was not too broken.

"The agents don’t need to worry about me escaping, your clasping is stronger than any handcuffs in the world. I would never be able to leave if you continued to." he whispered into her ear.

And indeed, she went through another deep sob that paired with a little bit of amusement.

But she also loosened her grip a little, and muttered an "I'm sorry" as she tried to slip a little away from him.

But that was not what he wanted to achieve, so he immediately pulled her as close as she was.

"Not -" he said: "Please, I don’t want you to stop." His voice sounded more pleading than he had expected, and MC seemed glad he thought so.

Even though she strengthened her grip, she raised her head to look at him. But when he saw her, when he saw the pain in her eyes. When he saw and heard the desperate laughter that broke out of her as his eyes widened from her reddened and swollen eyes. When he saw her slightly bleeding lip, on which he could even see her tooth prints, it hit him.

In milliseconds his eyes filled with the already back-holded tears and already the first rolled out of his eye.

He quickly tried to regain his composure, blinked and didn’t want to let her see that he was sad too. But instead of getting better, it got worse and worse.

The second and third tears ran down his face and immediately MC sobbed again and her own crying worsened.

"I’m sorry to make you sad," she cried and hung her head.

The hacker took his arms off her back and put both hands on her cheeks to raise her head to make her look at him again.

"Don’t do this, don’t apologize, in no case." Even though he now sounded tormented himself, his voice still sounded firm and convinced. "You don’t have to apologize, MC, never for nothing, my heart breaks to see you like that, it’s true, but it’s not your fault. Not in the least."

"But -" she wanted to disagree, but he stopped her: "No, no 'but', none, it’s not your fault, it’s just, I can’t help you. I can’t do anything to make you feel better, and it makes me sad, I don’t want you to be sad, I want to see you happy. But right now, there’s nothing I can do to make it happen. My hands are just free, and yet they are tied to me in relation to your feelings."

MC sobbed deeply before she said: "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your voice is, and how sweet your way of talking?" Despite the tears, she smiled at him, she even looked a little less sad for a short while, but unfortunately only for a few seconds.

The young hacker had definitely not expected this answer from her, which is why he did not think of anything that he could return.

But even if he had thought of something, these words would probably have stuck in his throat either way.

Without warning, MC had leaned forward, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips pressed against his cheek to catch the tear that had just rolled hot over his skin.

His heart stopped for a few seconds. He widened his eyes in shock and his body tensed by itself, which led to the young woman immediately withdrawing.

"Oh God, I’m so sorry" she gasped and looked as shocked as he did. "I’m- Gosh, I’m sorry. I should have asked - I should have asked before - I - shit" she stuttered and her cheeks turned bright red while her eyes scanned his face to see possible signs of anger or the like.

But there was nothing like that, he stared deep into her eyes, still shocked. She had held her hand in front of her mouth, another expression for how uncomfortable she was and how surprised she was about her own action, over which she had no control.

When she still did not get a reaction from him, she wanted to continue talking, apologize again and even get off his lap. But that seemed to finally release the hacker from his freezing, and with the hands still clutching her face, he pulled her so fast to himself that their lips almost painfully collided. But both simply ignored it.

The kiss, which consisted only of pressing their lips on each other, had been so unplanned that both did not even had the time to close their eyes.

And a few seconds later it was already over again and they leaned away from each other. Jake’s hands remained in the same place, and the young woman slipped hers over his neck, his shoulders, up to his cheeks, where she cupped his face as much as he did hers.

Tears still flowed from the eyes of the two while they almost seemed to stare into the other’s soul.

Both, caught in each other’s gaze, looked for the small signs of doubt, discomfort or remorse. But neither MC nor Jake felt that way.

On the contrary, every second the two stared into each other’s eyes, the desire grew in them to feel again the feeling of their lips against each other. But this time prepared, this time right.

Both wanted to taste each other’s lips, feel the texture of them. Let every little unevenness burn into their brain so that they would never forget about it again. Both wanted to press their bodies against each other, wanted to inhale the smell of the other, wanted to feel the dizziness that would be triggered by the amount of endorphins in their brains. Both wanted the happiness they could give each other to flow through their veins and forget the pain for a few seconds.

In addition, both finally wanted to satisfy their longing for each other completely, which had now built up over weeks, while they had fallen in love. They had never seen each other before, until now they didn’t even know each other’s voice. MC, in particular, had not even an idea what the man she fell head over heels in love looked like.

However, he had seen at least some pictures of her from social media. And that was also the reason why it had frightened him when she had opened the door for the three men. Because in the pictures he had seen of her, she seemed different. When she opened the door, she looked exactly the opposite of what he had seen in the pictures.

Of course, they were pictures and it was on social media, the place where almost everyone just showed the happy side. But the atmosphere she had in the pictures was nothing you can fake, she seemed to shine in the pictures. Not like gold, not with beauty, even though she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her personality was what made her shine, her strength, her humor and her impudence. He could feel the mischievous side of her, he could see the sparkle in her eyes, he could feel how powerful she was. Not powerful in the sense of, she had the say, they had power over others. She was powerful because of her honesty, her openness, her impartiality, the respect she had for everyone. By her helpfulness, by the courage that had flowed through her veins when he met her.

Even if she had sometimes lost this courage, for which no one could blame her, given the circumstances in which they were. So she had never given up, no matter how hard it was. Yes, she had thought about it, several times, maybe she had even been close to it, but she had not done it, she had not given up. She had helped him in any situation, she had revived a whole Internet movement to protect him, to help him. She had gone through hell to save his sister, though for a while, she had not even known at the beginning that Hannah was his sister. Just like Lilly.

Even though he had kept so many things from her, even though he had kept her in the dark for so long. Although, without the background information, he may have seemed a little creepy to other people who didn’t know him, it had never stopped her from making her own picture of him. To get to know him, to hear a part of his story, which he had already hidden for four years.

Yes, she was so brave that she wanted to confront the perpetrator, the man without a face, Richy. That she would have sacrificed herself to save Hannah’s life, if Richy’s words were correct. Yes, it was also a little bit naive, almost a little stupid, that she had actually considered going for the deal, because she could have been killed.

Nevertheless, it impressed him so incredibly that she would have done it; he would never have allowed it, never wanted it. He would never have accepted it, but he was impressed, deeply impressed by her, from the very first second.

And all that, her strength, her courage, all that he could also clearly see in the pictures he saw.

She was powerful because her heart was in the right place.

But unfortunately there was little of it, until nothing at all, when she had opened the door and did not even give a real reaction. She seemed to be indifferent; she seemed to have already suspected that he was being arrested. She seemed to be broken by what had happened, and he could absolutely understand it; every human being would be broken by all this burden. Crushed by all the pain of the last few weeks, made less emotional by all the grief, maybe dead inside. Yes, that matched the impression she gave when the door was opened, dead inside, no real opinion, no real mind. So full of confusion and pain of betrayal that she had to experience through an actual friend. And he knew the feeling so well, he knew it too well, he was like that himself, through four years of escape. By the fact that he had lost everything and everyone that had meant something to him, by the fact that he himself had been betrayed. Betrayed by a long-believed friend, a friend who had taken advantage of him and acted only for his own good. From a friend who was to blame for the young hacker losing his life.

There was not much left of her true nature; the dark shadow had spread over her. And he didn’t want to know how bad it must have been for her the days before, how she must have felt right after. How she had survived the days without losing her mind completely; if he knew, if he had seen her that way, it would have destroyed him as well. But that wouldn’t have stopped him from doing whatever it took to help her at least a little bit. Unfortunately, this opportunity was not given to him because of his arrest.

But right now, right at that moment, he could see a small spark of what he had seen in her pictures.

Right now, at that moment, while they were both holding each other’s face, could see and feel each other. While they could look at each other, he felt as if he could see a bit of what he had saw from her photos.

And he knew that he was the reason, he was the reason. Just as he was now her reason to see a little life in her eyes, so she had been for him a few weeks ago. When she entered his life, in which she tore the door out of the hinges without consideration, and snuck directly into his heart. When she was suddenly in his life, treating him like a human being and understanding him, when he was at an absolute low point. As deep as never before.

He had lost everything four years ago, he was on the run from the law, from the government. Had no one in his life, no one.

A few years ago, when he contacted Hannah, he had hoped to someday be part of her family. At least of her and Lilly, but that went as wrong as he never thought possible, because she had fallen in love with him. So he had to cancel the contact and was sure that he would never hear from her again. After all, the beginning had ended before it even started. So he had to live with the fact that, after the death of his mother, he probably could never have a family again.

But then Hannah suddenly sended the email, out of nowhere, sought contact with him, a thing he had never expected. And although he had only seen it days later, the tiny spark of hope lit up in him that he might have a family again. And that was before he read the content of her email, and he immediately had the little hope that Hannah knows the truth. That he’s her brother, that they have the same father, and that she wanted to meet him now, him, as her brother. But when he saw her message, in which she had asked him for help, only concern spread in him, she sounded frightened. Even he could see it, read it out.

So he immediately grabbed his phone and called the number she had given him.

And barely a minute after she answered, he had to watch her abduction. Had to watch her get hurt in front of his eyes, heard her call for help, scream his name, ask him for help. But he could do absolutely nothing, nothing at all, and again his hope for a family was destroyed. He had to live with the fear that his sister might die, because he had no idea what had happened. Why she was kidnapped. He had no idea.

And then, then MC came. Suddenly, despite all the worry he had in his life, suddenly there was a ray of hope at the end of the dark tunnel. Suddenly there was a ray of sunshine that finally showed him the way out of the tunnel.

MC, who gave him the opportunity to finally see an end. A ray of hope that helped him not to stumble blind, surrounded by darkness through the tunnel, but to finally find the exit.

The ray of hope that helped him to see, and finally to give him a goal that was not only "survive". Because he set himself the goal to do everything necessary to be able to feel her light, and her warmth forever.

Even though everything was still dark around him, he was guided by this light. Finally, he had seen the sparkle of joy in his own eyes again.

And right now, she had to feel like he did, when he saw her, right now she saw him, actually. And it seemed to show her a sudden way out, a way out of all the pain of the last few weeks.

And damn it, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t proud to give her back what she had unknowingly given him. Hope, joy, love.

He was proud that he seemed to be simbolizing just that for her. So proud that he was finally not the shadow that took away the light from other, the one that dragged everyone into the darkness. But that he could be the light that helped her to see a little hope, just like she had done for him.

Three days ago, he had told her that he loved her, "MC, I love you" he had written to her, "I love you."

And she had answered him, "I love you too."

And it was absolutely right, true, he loved her, he loved her above all else in the world, with every fiber of his body, with every cell in him. So much so that it hurt, even if it sounded cheesy, it was the truth.

He had told her that he loved her, but he had also told her that he was completely at her mercy. That he could never escape her, because if he tried, he would only be driven to her more and more.

And that too had been nothing but the pure truth.

But what he just felt, that topped everything again. Everything he had said was true, but right now, as they were looking at each other, while both were crying in pain. Then he realized, then he understood how understated all this had been, the truth was that there were no words for how he felt. How much he loved her, how much he adored her, how much she had him in her hands, how much she influenced him.

He would do anything for her, anything, really anything, he would do anything if she asked him to. He would do anything to make her happy, do anything to be by her side, do anything to protect her. Do whatever it takes to give her what she deserved. He was totally at her mercy, she had him absolutely in her hand, absolutely in her power, God, he felt like she was his queen. His queen, and he was her court jester. She would only have to say a tiny word, and he would set the world on fire for her.

And right now, looking into her red and tears-filled eyes, he realized how much he really needed her. How much he actually loves her.

And this realization made him cry more and more. Because, a damned storm of happiness, finally not being alone anymore, finally having someone he could love, washed through his body and let the feeling of being alive flow through his body again.

He was crying for happiness, and he was crying for love, for love for MC, but coupled with happiness, that damn fear came at the same time. The fear that destroyed everything, the fear that he could lose her. The fear of what would happen to him if he really lost her, in whatever way.

He knew that if this happened, if she disappeared from his life again, he would not survive it.

He had only known her for a few weeks, but he already knew. If she, the only ray of hope in his world, were to disappear, the darkness would devour him, he would drown in the darkness. It would destroy him, it would kill him.

"God, damn Jake" MC cried and the sheer despair had returned to her face. She kept hitting his chest with her left hand, sobbing, the thumb of her right hand drew rough circles on his cheek. He could feel her fingernails digging into the back of his head, but it wasn’t really painful. On the contrary, he liked it, because he felt her.

But the confusion of her renewed strong crying spreaded in him.

"MC" he said, his voice was so incredibly rough that he had to clear his throat so that it sounded a little understandable at all.

"Damn Jake!" her voice rose a few octaves: "Why don’t you answer me all the time? You scare me!" she declared desperately and let her hand wipe over his cheek to stop the flow of tears.

Then he understood, he had drifted so completely into his thoughts, looking into her eyes, he had drowned in them. In her beautiful eyes, and through his feelings, which he had only now really realized and understood, at least the extent of this.

"You started crying, so suddenly, so extreme, tell me what’s going on, please," she pleaded, begging and leaning a little towards him.

He glanced briefly over her beautiful features, his heart leaping as he saw her lips he had kissed earlier. When he saw her red cheeks with which she looked so sweet. When he saw the small crease between her eyebrows that came from her worried facial expression.

A trembling went through him, followed by a sob, then a small laugh. A laugh of disbelief at this whole situation that was so strange and yet so beautiful that no one would ever believe it. Then he looked back into her eyes. He recognized the look that silent pleading that he should finally tell her why he had stared at her after kissing her. And why he had to start crying afterwards and all that, although he had not really noticed it himself.

Then finally, he managed to speak. "I love you," he just said, "I love you, MC, I love you so much."

He didn’t give her a chance to answer; he didn’t let a second pass until he pulled her face to his again to kiss her. And she immediately returned the kiss.

She pressed herself as close as possible to his body. So much so that he could no longer hold himself upright, and fell with his back against the back of the sofa.

But no one was bothered by it. Both of them had completely forgotten that they were not even alone in the apartment. That Jake was actually arrested. And also that this visit was actually not a uniting of two broken and mutually incredible loving people. The real reason was to recruit MC to help them, the FBI, with a job that could cause Jake to lose his status as a wanted criminal and be a free person again.

But both had absolutely no time to waste the slightest thought on it, not now.

It was much more important to concentrate on each other and somehow to express the emotional chaos that prevailed in both. And that by kissing each other as if they were both dying, if they wouldn’t.

Their lips matched each other so perfectly that it could almost not be natural. Her body snuggled against his so perfectly that it was impossible other than to believe that the two were destined for each other from the beginning.

As the kiss became more and more intense, the two longed more and more to be closer than they were right now. Desire sprouted in the two, causing them to bring the kiss to the next level, while at the same time opening their lips a little until their tongue met.

MC whimpered as she perceived the feeling from his tongue, which clearly seemed to dominate her movements. It made her want to ease the slowly but steadily rising heat between her legs by letting her pelvis rock against his.

Jake, still holding his hands to her cheeks, gasped and pressed himself toward her. Then his left hand left her face. He stroked her back down and stopped on her lower back to exert pressure while she let her hips roll against his a second time.

The button, his jeans were at the perfect height of her clit and the friction against the fabric of his pants and the small round metal made millions of hot flashes seem to shoot through her veins and elicited her another gasp. She let her hands slide through his pitch black and incredibly soft hair. She gently pulled a few strands, which drew a soft growling from him.

But then a deep and annoyed voice suddenly destroyed everything and brought them back to reality in a terrible way: "Okay, that’s enough now!" thundered the agent, who had been the nicer of the two before. Probably not anymore now.

All of a sudden, Jake was sitting candle-straight on the sofa again. Both were completely shocked and stared at the agent, who returned their gaze with disbelief: "We wanted you to get your shit together and not to fuck each other."

"Fuck" Jake gasped and dropped his head against the shoulder of MC, who clearly had to resist a loud laugh.

"Oops, you are still here." she giggled and only now took her hands out of Jake’s hair.

"Yes, we are, but we don’t have all day, you’re lucky that you got that time you had. Our concern is important and we have no time to give away! Mr Donfort, you should know that exactly."

With a firm stride, the agent went back to the chair opposite the sofa, the second following him.

"Would you please go down from him now? Otherwise I will help you." he asked the young woman, who then quickly rose from the lap of Jake, who immediately straightened his pants and cleared his throat.

"Like teenagers," the agent continued to complain, as MC sat next to Jake and then clung to his arm. Not for fear or the like, but simply because she wanted to be as close as possible to him.

Before one of the two agents could finally start reporting on what was going on, MC leaned over to Jake’s ear and whispered, "I love you too"

Jake looked down at her with a loving smile and then leaned closer to her to kiss her again.

The agent actually wanted to stop this immediately, but he simply swallowed the words; it would bring nothing.

"Well, if I have your attention now?"

The young couple did not look at him; they just kept looking deep into each other’s eyes, but both nodded.

The agent sighed, but then he just started: "Well, my name is Flynn, special agent at the FBI. This next to me is my colleague Special Agent Flag."

The young woman finally released her gaze from the black-haired one and this time looked at the two agents quite emotionless.

"I don’t care who you are, just tell me what to do for you."

Agent Flynn looked at her with his eyebrow raised, as if he didn’t quite understand that she already knew what was going on here.

"Well, you want my or rather, our help, 'cause you’re stuck on something, right? As deal you propose that Jake can finally live a normal life again without being wanted by you. So tell me, whose ass do I have to kick?"

| Masterlist |

[cydanite]

Swamp duo au,,, what does Cod Father think about new Jimmy and God Joel? Does he wonder what happened to Lizzie? She’s a god, surely she’s still around? Pearl! Pearl always seemed otherworldly? Or maybe Gem, she was always super smart, maybe she made an anti aging potion and is being all magical at Crystal Cliffs?

I am also rotating this at Mach speeds. Like the Mach speed frogs.

Rotate with me, anon. So fast we can generate electricity and never pay the power bill ever again...

I'm debating on how the new mcs relate to the old ones. In canon, at least for Sausage I think, they are reincarnations? I think the Jimmys are just different people. The Codfather sees the Sheriff and is reminded of when he held the Crown, someone a little too hungry for respect. Not that he doesn't deserve to be respected, but going about it the wrong way maybe. The Sheriff sees The Codfather and is mostly just weirded out at first.

God Joel, from an outside perspective, is strong, handsome, powerful, respected, competent. I think on first impression, The Codfather is maybe a little jealous? If he had been a better leader, more fit for the role, maybe he could have achieved this? The past is long enough gone for him to not be angry at it, but the thought sits like a stone in his stomach. God Joel seems to see everything with the same kind of indifferent comparison to himself. Most people are not gods like him, so why should he care if they're fish men or not? It's hinted in S1 canon that the seablings are at least a little bit unearthly, maybe that's encroaching enough into godly territory to peak his interest.

Jimmy of course has always wondered what happened to his fellow rulers (Those that didn't die during the rapture at least...) He knows they're all most likely dead after 1000 years but can't help but hold out hope. In the S1 finale I don't think Jimmy sees Lizzie lose her axolotl form, he may think she is also out there in some ocean. Does her losing that form cause her to loose her longevity as well, or is it still within her somewhere? Who is and isn't alive still, I haven't decided on. Most of my headcanons for implementing respawn and stuff into lore is similar to @/emdiart's empire marks concept which is very very good (Basically as long as you commit to your promise to tend to the land you call home, that land will protect you back and allow you to carry materials beyond your capacity/build quickly/come back from death/heal quickly etc. That is what it means to be an Emperor in this world). We have a canon answer for Pearl though! I'm sure that will come into play eventually...

[twinkubus]

I would love some book recs! especially queer literary fiction!

Amazing!! I would love to share :) Also responding @ anon who asked for my trans book recs. This is for you too!

Since this is so long it'll probably get cut off on the dashboard, tl;dr there will be 1) list of trans-authored books and 2) a list where I talk about queer authors more generally (which includes some trans people that don't have trans characters in their books (yet)).

Trans Books by Trans Authors

Sketchtasy by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Nevada by Imogen Binnie 

The Pervert by Remy Boydell (graphic novel)

X by Davey Davis

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

Transmuted by Eve Harms

Future Feeling by Joss Lake 

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor 

Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K Jarboe

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones by Torrey Peters

The Masker by Torrey Peters

Little Blue Encyclopedia (For Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante

A Dream of a Woman by Casey Plett

A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett

Little Fish by Casey Plett

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom

The Black Emerald by Jeanne Thornton

Summer Fun by Jeanne Thornton 

Small Beauty by jia qing wilson-yang

The above are all trans-authored books that have trans characters in them. They are mostly lit fic with a few dips into genre here and there. I have bolded some of my faves!

For queer book recs/authors more generally,

Poppy Z. Brite, the pen name of Billy Martin, who is gay and trans. He has some great 90s horror novels, in particular Exquisite Corpse, a gay serial killer thriller/romance.

Dennis Cooper, writes gay "extremist" fiction, my fave of which is The Sluts, which takes place entirely on an early 2000s gay escort forum.

Shola Von Reinhold, another trans author, wrote one of my fave books I've read this year, LOTE, which is textually extremely transgender, but I don't think explicitly "labels" the mc as trans, so I'm putting it in this list. I usually use 'dark academia' as a pejorative but this would be dark academia in the best sense of the word. Involves lots of research into weird stuff, hyperfixations, and very little academia.

Brontez Purnell writes lit fic about black gay men, and has another one of my fave books, Since I Laid My Burden Down, as well as probably the best title in this list: Johnny Would You Love Me If My Dick Were Bigger. Those were both smallish press releases, I believe, but he's gotten more attention recently via his FSG short story anthology, 100 Boyfriends.

Sarah Schulman. If you are on Tumblr hopefully you already know about her. If you haven't read any of her fiction, I'd recommend Rat Bohemia, Empathy, and People In Trouble (this is the book Rent was based off of).

Brandon Taylor is very popular on twitter but I feel like I haven't seen much about him on tumblr. I really liked his debut novel Real Life, which follows a gay black postgrad student in a midwestern PhD program full of mostly white people. He also has an anthology, Filthy Animals, full of linked stories that take place in a similar setting.

James Baldwin. Another classic author. If you haven't read Giovanni's Room, go read it.

Carmen Maria Machado has a stunning memoir, In The Dream House, about lesbian domestic violence. She also writes speculative fiction stories, some can be found in the collection Her Body and Other Parties.

Eric LaRocca is gay horror's current darling due to his breakout hit Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, about an online long-distance lesbian d/s relationship. He's been pumping out the books recently, all with great titles and covers.

Jean Kyoung Fraiser released a debut last year that was in my top faves as well, Pizza Girl, a coming-of-age story about a just-married and recently pregnant 18 year-old who works (you guessed it) as a pizza delivery girl, and develops a crush on an older woman, one of her customers.

Venita Blackburn wrote How to Wrestle a Girl, a black lesbian coming-of-age short story anthology. Also a recent release. I really loved the writing in this one.

...Okay, I think that's most of the big hitters for me at least! Going to give a few honorary mentions: Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park, translated from Korean, about the life of a young gay man in Seoul. Also anything by Joe Koch, who writes horror, nothing specifically gay/trans that I have read yet, but The Wingspan of Severed Hands is really beautiful stylistically.

And just one more, since it's October: The Route of Ice and Salt by Jose Luis Zarate, published in the 90s and translated from Spanish, a gay reimagining of Dracula's sea voyage to England.

[royalsnis]

some things

Rusty was not banned on webtoons, it was another comic website. Her webtoons is still up. She just posted one chapter bc she knows she'll get reported otherwise

Her character's dad was killed off for character development for her n her mom. Not uncommon for writers to kill off charas to boost another one's development. However, she is still a white woman with many white peers. So take that as you will.

Someone mentioned making her kid chara have a sexuality or making it sexual... the kid chara is stated to be a lesbian, and she just has a baby/puppy crush on the mc, whos less than interested. Nothing weird has happened–that I know of.

Otherwise, shes been harassing trans ladies ('make like the made up 41%') and the occasional transmasc- along with genuinely believing that trans ppl are more likely to be accepted by their family than gay people so like.

Tw: being gross with a minor, tr*nsphobia, misandry

1. Rusty herself has admitted to her content being banned on many platforms for tr*nsphobia if she really isn't banned it honestly doesn't matter if she knows she can't post on there than that's the point. She knows she will be banned.

2. If you haven't seen the part two or read my entire IG post then I can see how you got here but Rusty has a QnA where she herself states otherwise-

She believes it's propaganda to "humanize men" because she hates men with a burning passion and believe them to be monsters (Aka why she and many other radfems hate Trans women, because they can't see past what's between their legs) and she also specifically dislikes hetero relationships as well which is why she said the men in the book would be "shitty, absent, or DEAD" because she believes that's realistic. (Hella gross as I personally have a loving trans accepting father) knowing this there's no way anyone can say the father was just killed off for "story purposes"

3. I didn't really speak on that little spat Rusty had with some followers of mine but I personally do think it's weird for her to have both a "lesbian" cat and a lesbian child as she's been very adamant about sexuality being about well- g*nitals. That's why are main phrase is "girls don't do d***k" so her in turn having a child represent what she herself overtly sexualizes, of course ppl are gonna freak a bit. Also she's had a really overtly sexual convo with a 16 yr old she harassed on Insta awhile back which also made ppl turn their nose.

[reilliane]

How I think some of the boys met v!mc

Diluc has been to Inazuma at least ONCE when he was a kid. Because his father's business does have some travelling around Teyvat. Since the Kamisato's takes care of events and such, they were probably invited by Mr. And Mrs. Kamisato to sell some of the dandelion wine in Inazuma. His father might bring him to join traveling for business affairs when he was a child to gain some experience. While he was staying there, he was bound to meet Ayato sooner or later. And once he meets Ayato he'll definitely meet v!mc. Since I'm assuming they're usually hanging around alot when they were still kids. When he was about to sail back, he told v!mc that he'll write letters to her every week. (When he heard that v!mc is dead he was surely heart broken, how could he not? He'll surely attend the funeral and visit her grave when he has time to sail to Inazuma)

Heizou is a detective, that lives in Inazuma, how could he not know the existence of v!mc? That's basically almost impossible except if your living under a rock. Heizou bumped (literally) v!mc when he was trying to solve a chase. It was an accidental encounter, even so he's still glad it happened. He wasn't paying attention where he was walking, and bumped into [name]. He thought the rumours were exaggerating about how pretty she is, but this proves him wrong. Now he can see why men all around would try and court her. After the encounter, he would purposely pop up here and there. Either suddenly popping up and helping her being some groceries, to popping up when she's on a walk around town. Either way he soon became quite close with her (he still isn't as close with her as ayato is) (when he heard v!mc was killed, he promised to bring the ones who killed v!mc to jail. They weren't even commended to kill any of the Kaedhara's. He visits her grave once a month, and puts a sweet pea flower on her grave (sweet pea flowers represent farewells and goodbyes and the remembrance of loved ones and close friends))

-🌿 (I went overboard with Heizou's part. I hope tumblr won't eat up this ask again 💀)

Hm, Diluc meeting Vigil!MC is interesting. If it's through trade and business the possibilities are there, yes. It won't be too high but it's a possibility, regardless.

I mean, there's this tea man in Liyue who lowkey wants dandelions-

Feiyun Commerce Guild distributes the products from Liyue into Inazuma too- wait lol for some reason I'm realizing that Mondstadt is a much more closed-off nation, isn't it-

I don't think it's high on trade at all, unlike Inazuma/Liyue-

BUT DIGRESSING, becoming penpals with Diluc sounds shucking adorable. It's nice... and tragic, because Diluc experiences something awful down the way :(

I suppose the angst part comes into play when his ideals change after the death of Crepus and he stops writing letters to MC. Since, you know, Fatui priorities.

The letters stop, but even when he's 'mellowed' out of his past, he thinks about his penpal. I'd like to tragically imagine that he learns of Vigil!MC's death through Venti, who drunkenly tells him of everything he's learned one night in the tavern.

Just the pause, then the slow encroaching blue devils. Sigh :(

-

NOW HEIZOU SQUEA-

He would've definitely heard of the renowned Kaedehime. A first-born daughter, heiress of the Kaedehara who was rumored to want to restore the family's honor? Hm~

And yes, it's really also known how- gosh shucks Vigil!MC is pretty. Like, madly pretty? She's definitely a tie with TS!MC. Her beauty also has to do with her lovely personality, who wouldn't like her 😭

I'd say that Heizou thinking the others were being so hyperbolic over their compliments about MC is soooo accurate lol. He's prolly the "give the benefit of the doubt yes but i won't believe it 100% until i see it for myself" kind o guy.

He'd say something like, "So they aren't groundless words after all.." after seeing her lol

MC, dense and confused tilts her head like, "What?"

Heizou just- "Aha! I meant, encounters such as these truly work wonders to enliven someone's day."

"Oh, serendipitous meetings, yes? Truly a wonder! :D"

Heizou: ... yes :D (i meant coming across someone like you, i guess she's as oblivious as they say, too-)

HDSAKDHAJD-

When Kazuha became a criminal and the grave penalty to execute defiers of the decree was extended, Heizou was at a loss. No one defies the Shogun but his friend had done so, courageously well, albeit to a consequence.

It isn't uncommon for criminals to face death but what's rare is for the punishment of one to extend to immediate families, so innocent MC is caught in the crossfire :(

I imagine him attempting to reason with Sara, who dispatches the soldiers upon orders of the Shogun, and stalling said soldiers to maybe buy MC some time to escape with Kazuha- but it still ended up being futile.

I'd say he worked with the Kamisato and put in a really rational debate with Sara so that MC and Tomo would be buried on Inazuman soil and not cast away in the sea.

And yes- ah, he'd visit her grave, definitely.

Sometimes he'd wonder what would've happened if he chose to openly defy the order to end the Kaedehara and helped her escape himself. But alas, those thoughts are too late to consider.

[nezahx]

501ST’S LEGION PLAYLIST

Songs they blast while committing war crimes with Anakin Skywalker

Captain Rex, Appo, Jesse, Echo, Denal, Dogma, Fives, Fox, Hardcase, Kix, droidbait, heavy, cutup, Cody, Boil & Waxer (Yes, I added some 212th attack battalion clones because I love them and, also the whole Domino squad is here because in my perfect word, they all made it to the 501st legion, shhh)

1-Gosthbusters-WALKED THE MOON

If there’s something strange in the galaxy, who you gonna call? 501ST LEGION. Honestly, this song fits their vibe perfectly, even if this playlist is a mere joke, I feel like they would listen to this religiously, specially the Domino squad.

2-Never Gonna Give You Up-Ricky Astley

When master Kenobi and Cody join them for a mission, they enjoy this song unironically, as well as Rex, tho he’s better at hiding it.

3-You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)- Dead Or Alive

Fives and Echo dance to this together, end of story.

4-I Want It That Way- Backstreet Boys

Fives learned the complete choreography and forced the rest of the 501st legion to do so, Obi-wan and the 212th attack battalion always watch the show and clap with proudness at the end, but Boil, Boil wonders how the fuck they’re still alive.

5-Payaso de rodeo- Caballo Dorado

Ahsoka leds the way, boss queen can dance to this in heels, she even adds the little spin, she be forcing everyone to stand up when the song starts playing.

6-Welcome to the jungle- Guns N’ Roses

So, Boil’s song, yes, can someone argue that? No.

7-U Can’t Touch This-MC Hammer

Music hits me so hard, makes me say “Oh my lord, thank you for blessing with a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet’- Ahsoka and Anakin sing to this together while the clones do dance break in the middle of the ship.

8-Who Let The Dogs Out- Baha Men

Jesse: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

Everyone else in the ship: ‘BARKS INTENSIVELY’

9-All Star-Smash Mouth

The idea of the tcw characters as the Shrek characters is quite a concept, Anakin is donkey, not arguing that either.

10-I’m Too Sexy- Right Said Fred

Kenobi hates this song more than anything, but that ain’t stopping Fives & Heavy from feeling their selfs.

11-The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) Spanish Version-Las Ketchup

So…Ahsoka knows Spanish and loves to sing music in that language (it haves noting to do with me being Mexican ofc…) So this is her solo, the clones and Anakin hype her up doing their little dancy dance.

12-Pump It-Black Eyed Peas

Dogma be loving this song, and no one can change my mind, also Ahsoka always sings the Fergie verse, no matter what.

13-A Thousand Miles-Vanessa Carlton

Is this a dumb headcanon with zero arguments? Yes, it indeed is, but no one will ever change my mind about it, waxer loves this songs and Kix sings and cries to it every time it plays, no one really knows why, but no one cares enough to ask.

14-Y.M.C.A-Village People

Kenobi use to sing this to Anakin when he was a child to make him feel better, he even thought him the dance, so whenever the song plays the whole ship turns to Obi-wan and expect him to do it.

15-Like a Virging-Madonna

Am I dropping more dumb headcanons about Kix? Yes, because he loves this song, but not as much as Anakin, Anakin breaks his vocal chords when it comes to signing it.

16-Wannabe-Spice Girls

Once, cut up said, ironically, that this was the song of 'The domino squad' however, heavy took it very seriously.

17-Barbie Girl-Aqua

Grupal song? group song! It’s so catchy that sometimes even Kenobi catches himself signing the ‘Come on Barbie let’s go party’ line, and even if he think no one has seen it, Cody always reply’s with the little ‘Ah ah ah yeah’

18-Dancing Queen-From ‘Mamma Mia!’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack- Merly Streep

Please don't notice how obsessed I am with Ahsoka and her wholesome relationship with the 501st clones, Rex always sings this song to Ahsoka, along with the rest of the clones as a magnificent choir.

19-Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)-Backstreets Boys

Fives has a bit of an obsession with the Backstreet Boys, but Echo won't let him die alone, so he always sings the little 'Yeah's’ in the song so Fives won’t feel so alone.

20-Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit of..)-Lou Bega

‘A little bit of Appo in my life, a little bit of Jesse by my side, a little bit of Rex is all I need, a little bit of Kix is what I see, a little bit of hardcase in the sun, a little bit of Echo all night long, a little bit of Fives here I am, a little bit of you makes me your man’ And after coming out with that line at 3 am in the morning, Anakin knew it could’t get any better, once Kenobi heard it, he knew it couldn’t get any worst.

THANKS FOR READING!

If someone is interested on the playlist, here it is!

20 songs, 1 hour and 13 minutes long, best listened in shuffle

[jakesduskwood]

we'll make it through

Pairing: Jake x Fem!MC (focus on the main story a bit more though)

Genre: Post-Episode 10

Words: 2,928

Summary: Following Episode 10, MC thinks she should probably be happy. Hannah has been found, the Man Without A Face is no longer a threat, and as far as she knows, Jake is safe. But when she is whisked out of her bed in the middle of the night and taken to Duskwood to be interrogated by none other than Alan Bloomgate, she realizes that maybe some secrets were better off kept that way.

[ A/N: Hello!

Thank you all so much for the love on my last story. I wrote this in one sitting and did not proofread it whatsoever, so I apologize for any mistakes that may be made. Also, I will make a Masterlist where you can read all my fics if you choose to. :)

Enjoy! ]

“You don’t believe me.”

Alan Bloomgate blinked tiredly at me from across the table. I didn’t blame him. It had been quite a long couple of days. After Richy’s reveal as the MWAF and the fiasco in the mine, the town of Duskwood seemed to be slowly returning to its former state. Still—there were questions that had to be answered. Hence, why three men had shown up at my door in the middle of the night to tell me I would be seeing Duskwood a little sooner than planned.

He sighed. “I never said that.”

“Then somebody else doesn’t believe me.”

“You know how this sounds, [MC].” He reasoned. “You tell me that your friend—Richy—chose to kidnap Hannah. Yet—neither you nor any of your other friends seemed to know. According to your chat history, you and Richy talked quite a lot.”

“Sometimes.” I admitted. “We were friends. I thought we were friends. Why would I lead you to Hannah if I had been an accomplice in Richy’s plan?”

“I’m not suggesting that you were,” He attempted to reassure me. “Just trying to understand what happened in that mine, that’s all. I’m trying to understand how you fit into all of this. You had no knowledge of this group before Thomas texted you, is that true?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I received a message from Thomas and everything kind of snowballed. Hannah sent him my number, apparently. I’m still not sure why. They asked me how I knew Hannah, but I told them the truth—that I didn’t.”

“And how does the hacker fit into all of this?”

I swallowed. “He doesn’t.”

“We have already gained access to your phone, [MC]. Truthfully, I know what I have to. But I’m hoping that you can shed some light on the situation at hand. You know, I had always known this town to be a safe place. Then suddenly, ten years ago, Jennifer Hanson’s body is found inside the forests of Duskwood. Then, recently, Amy Bell Lewis’ body is found. Both cases unsolved. Both holding a connection to the forest. Except—I don’t know what it is. But you do. I don’t think you are as suspect here, but I do think you know something you aren’t willing to share.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Jake has nothing to do with them.”

“Maybe not.” He hummed. “But the topic of him does get a rise out of you. So—take me through this one more time. You received a call from the kidnapper, asking you to come and meet him by the Grimrock Waterfall.”

“Yeah. That was after he’d been shot by Dan. His plan had gone wrong, so he needed to come up with something new, I presume. Except—I never went, so I don’t know what his intentions could have been if I did show up.”

“So, you decided not to show on your own?”

I hesitated. “No. Thomas really wanted me to go. I thought about it. But—the others were certain it was nothing more than a way to lure me there and trap me.”

“And you thought it was Michael Hanson.”

“He fit the bill,” I admitted quietly. “We were mistaken.”

“I told you he was dead.”

“Richy was supposed to be dead and he wasn’t.” I reminded him. “I thought you could’ve helped him leave. Listen. I’m not proud of it. I just believed it over the possibility of one of them having kidnapped their own friend and lied to us all this time.”

He paused. “But you did send someone into the mine.” I tensed. “[MC], please. Believe me—I’m on your side. If I wanted to arrest him myself—I would have already done so by now.”

I averted my gaze. “So, you know where he is.”

“The general vicinity, yes.” Alan paused. “What would you have done if I would have found him down in the mine?”

“I was really hoping you wouldn’t.” I admitted. “I almost told you—I was afraid that you’d shoot him so I almost told you that he was down there with you. It’s better to have him arrested than to have him wind up dead. He would’ve probably never forgiven me.” I blinked back tears. “I know what you think about him. I know they’re after him. I also know you warned me—that they were there.”

“Maybe your story’s not that crazy.”

“I didn’t want him to go,” I whispered. “He knew the risks. We both did. But—we started this all to find Hannah. We had to finish it. I know it sounds ridiculous. Please, Alan. The only person in on all of this was Richy. I was there when he told Jessy—on the phone call. I imagine it went the same for everyone else when she told them. We trusted him and we were wrong to.”

“Then Richy killed Amy?”

“No,” I ran a hand through my hair. “Amy killed herself. I suppose Richy caused her to do it, but there was a letter she wrote and he found it. Richy didn’t kill anyone.”

“And how is Jennifer Hanson tied to all of this?”

I shook my head. “That’s not my story to tell you, Alan. Please. I’ve done my part. We found the culprit. Hannah’s alive and on the road to recovery. Richy is dead. For the first time in what feels like it’s probably been years, the people of Duskwood can finally rest. Can’t you let them have it for a while?”

“And what about Richy’s family?”

“What about them?”

“What do you suggest I tell them?”

I paused. Richy’s family. Well—that was tough. Do you tell them your son kidnapped somebody and drove another to their death and in the end—all they had was knowledge that something had happened to their son and they didn’t even really know what. Do you tell them you’re sorry, that you wish you could have stopped him? Tell them about all the good moments you had—like the ridiculously bad jokes he used to tell that always made you laugh? Could you tell them anything that wouldn’t have them break down?

“You tell them—” I suggested. “That you’re sorry. He thought he was doing the right thing. You can’t fault him for that. He just—went about it the wrong way. I think, somehow, his heart might have been in the right place. Maybe it wasn’t. But you don’t let them know that the thought even crossed your mind. Tell them how much he meant to his friends. Before. I mean. Like how when Jessy was attacked by the MWAF, he went over to comfort her after. Or how he rented a place to get his friends out of Duskwood when he thought they were all in danger. Make sure to leave out the gruesome details.”

He closed the binder in front of him. “Can you think of anything more to tell me?”

“About the case?”

He shrugged. “Or in general.”

“We’re so young,” I told him. “Practically kids. We’re not, but—the decisions we make won’t be the right ones all the time. I’m including myself in this—so you know. Maybe we could have left it to the police. For the record—I’m glad we didn’t.”

“Are you saying this to make yourself feel better about all of this?”

“It’s the truth.” I told him. “Richy would have never given Hannah up willingly. The only reason she escaped is because he was injured. Because you found her. Because of my friends. So, please take it easy on them.” I paused. “And Alan? I know it’s a lot to ask for. But…can I please ask for a favor from you?”

“Depends on what you’re asking me.”

“You warned me,” I reminded him knowingly. “About the FBI. I told you everything I can when it comes to Hannah. If you could—the things you know about Jake, if you could maybe keep it to yourself. I mean—don’t poke the bear, you know? They’re already after him and—look, I’ve had bad judgement all my life, when it comes to people. Clearly, Richy is a prime example. But, Jake is the first person I’ve met that I’m sure of. He’s good. So if you could—”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, [MC].” He responded, and then, he stood from his chair and winked at me. “I will be back with your belongings.”

I listened to the click of the door and sighed, burying my head in my hands. The whole thing was a mess. An absolute shitshow. Richy was dead. Hannah was safe, sure, but at what cost—she had killed someone. Even if it was ten years ago, people still wanted answers. She still needed to face her mistakes. It didn’t matter that it was an accident. They’d covered it up and kept it a secret for years. All of them. And Hannah was the only one left alive to take the fall.

Somehow, it didn’t feel right.

And Jake—God, where even was he? He had texted me once outside of the mine, only once, sent a simple I’m fine followed by a smiley face. He had gone offline before I could even respond and hadn’t been back on for days. I don’t know what that meant. Maybe he had been arrested. Maybe I would never know.

The door clicked open again but I didn’t raise my head. Truthfully, I didn’t want to move. Didn’t think I could. I had been here, under Alan’s watch, for what felt like it had been days, though I’m sure it had only been a few hours. Really, I hadn’t even had time to process what happened. All I knew was that I had been brought to Duskwood for an interrogation. Alan told me he didn’t see a suspect in me, but he also told me not to leave town until they cleared me. Whatever the hell that meant.

“Do you have my phone?” I asked tiredly.

The device slid across the table and landed in front of me. I swiped up on the screen and frowned when I saw no missed messages from Jake. Then again, I suppose I wasn’t really expecting there to be. Maybe just hoping he would have gotten enough time to text me that he was okay. That he didn’t drop off the face of the earth after telling me he loved me. Well. That’s my fault for falling in love with a wanted criminal.

The chair across from my scraped against the floor. Ugh. Wonderful. Time for more questions to be interrogated with. I groaned and threw my head back to connect with the wall behind me. “I’d love to give you more—but I don’t have anything else to say.”

“Hm.” He mumbled. “I assumed you would be happier to see me.”

I cracked one eye open and tilted my head down to meet the stranger’s eyes. My mouth went dry and my head spun. The person in front of me—I hadn’t seen them before, but I knew. The smirk dancing across his face and the way he looked at me and—oh fuck.

“Jake?” I pinched the inside of my elbow. Nope. Still awake. “How are you here?”

“It’s a—” He glanced back toward the door. “Long story, actually. Surprisingly, Alan helped me out quite a bit. However, I am afraid we do not have much time. Maybe five minutes. It is a very high risk being here for me. But. I had to see you.”

I swallowed my tears. “You’re alive.”

“I am.”

My chair scraped against the ground and clattered to the floor with a loud bang. I barely had time to react to Jake’s wide eyes before I threw myself into his embrace, folding both arms around his neck. Maybe it was a bit cliché, but he smelled like home. Like—like everything I had ever been missing and didn’t know. If we only had five minutes, I wanted to spend them wrapped up in his embrace. But—I knew there were things that needed to be said.

Starting with—

“You absolute fucking asshole!”

His eyes widened comically as I pulled away to slap him across the chest. “What—?”

“You had me worried!” I screeched. “How dare you tell me that and then you disappear for days with nothing but an ‘I’m fine’? I’m glad you were fine, Jake, but I sure as hell wasn’t fine when I had to constantly worry about you.”

“I am so sorry, [MC].”

“I don’t care.” I shook my head and collapsed back into him. “I don’t care. You said we could be together after all of this was over.”

He frowned. “It isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is!” I demanded, despite knowing he was right. “It is. You said it would be over once we found Hannah. We found her, Jake.”

“That only means we are one step closer.” He tried to reason with me. His hands rubbed my arms softly. “These new turn of events have caused a slight wrench in my plans. My pursuers are close to me—closer than they have ever been. I cannot risk putting you in danger like that.”

A tear fell from my eyelash. “I don’t care about that.”

“Please, [MC].”

I took a deep breath. “How long?”

“I don’t know.” He admitted unsurely. “Until I know for sure. Please, I do not want you to worry about that, though. I promised you I would not let them separate us indefinitely. I hold every one of my intentions to keep that promise.”

“You could take me with you.”

“[MC].”

“Fine. It was a bad suggestion.” I agreed. “Just—now that you’re here, it’s going to be hard to let you go again.”

“I will find you.” He stroked a hand through my hair. “In every lifetime.”

“Do you know how sappy you sounded then?”

He grinned slyly. “I have picked up quite a few things on my years hiding out. I may have stolen that one from an elderly couple I came across once. However—it still holds true. I won’t ever let you be on your own for too much time.”

“Will we ever be together?”

“I’d like to think so.” He hummed knowingly. “We already are in some ways.”

A knock on the door made me flinch. Jake smiled knowingly. A bit of a grimace, but still enough to reassure me. Or at least try and attempt to. He pressed a long kiss to my forehead and breathed me in. I was sure I smelled like police stations and sweat and my sheets I had clambered out of at three in the morning to answer the door. Still, he didn’t seem to care.

“[MC].”

I shook my head. “No.”

“No?”

“You’re not allowed to say it again. Not until we’re allowed to be together.” I pressed my face to his chest. “Think of is as your reason to come back to me.”

“I already have multiple.”

“You know—this’ll make me miss you more.”

“You found Hannah,” He explained, though it didn’t really explain anything at all. “Changed my life in more ways than one. I needed the chance to tell you that in person. I did not care about the risks.”

“You’ll text me when you’re able to?”

He nodded. “It might be a while before then.”

“As long as you do it.”

“I will.” He promised softly. A tear escaped his eye but he wiped it before it could leave a trail of evidence down his face. “You have to let go of me now.”

I released my hold on him and gave him a watery, shaky smile. My heart clenched deep inside of my chest painfully and yet—I wasn’t sad. Well. I was. I wanted him to stay with me. But I knew we would be together again. We would both make sure of it.

“See you soon?”

“As soon as I am able.”

The door clicked shut behind him. My lip quivered slowly as I slid down the wall behind me and buried my face in my hands. There were so many things I was unsure about. So many things that had me on the edge of my seat. That had me unable to truly sleep at night. Jake’s safety had been one of them since the moment I found out he was wanted by the government. Hannah’s fate. The identity of the Man Without A Face. The well-being of my friends.

Hannah had been found. The Man Without A Face had been revealed. And yet—none of it felt as though it was truly settled. Jake was still on the run. The group had lost a friend—maybe in more ways than one. Hannah’s fate still truly wasn’t sealed. The Man Without A Face—well, maybe it was possible that sometimes, I wish I still didn’t know. Things were supposed to be better after it ended. We were supposed to be relieved. I was supposed to be with Jake. And now—

Maybe it would never truly be over.

Maybe—I realized—as I sat alone in an interrogation room in the middle of Duskwood—where I had lost one friend and where two women would never truly get justice without the cold and hard bitter truth coming out—that this was the way it was always supposed to be. No justice. No sense of relief. No back to normal. No hope. Just—

—emptiness.