#if i could just route those keys somewhere else or something

[alwaysshallow]

coffee at midnight, part 5

John "Soap" MacTavish x f!reader

After a time that you've spent on a mission, it's time to relax a little. (3,5k)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

AO3 version

Being on obligatory leave was weird for you.

It's not like you were a workaholic (well, maybe a little) – you appreciated free time if it was given, most of the time, even if it was weird. You were used to battlefield, to keep your eyes open and being on alert, so when you were at home, every little thing distracted you. Knocking to your door, wood cracking, everything had your attention, which was... irritating, but you got used to it after being at home for more than two days.

But you've had at least two months of sitting at your ass in the apartment. You needed something to do, or else you'd get crazy; mostly you kept yourself busy, having a purpose. Certain routine.

Maybe that's why military was so good for you – because you had one thing in mind. Being the best version of yourself, and in that category was a lot of different things. Protecting, killing if you need to, making people feel safe, risking your life multiple times. Adrenaline usually pumped in you like crazy, but it was your jam, no one else's.

As Laswell's daughter (adopted, but that really didn't matter) you were raised like that – to be the best to not give a shit, to believe in your capabilities. She'd remind you multiple times, and every time you replied with small smile and "I know, mom". You wouldn't ever actually forget the talk she gave you when she found out you want to follow her path.

Million questions if you're sure, if you know what you are doing. And you knew. It wasn't only because Kate taught you that way, to help people, to bring good out in this world. It was a fascination about the job, begging her in your teenage years to bring you somewhere; she didn't, her limit was you meeting price. Fifteen and curious, you asked him like crazy about his missions, and he answered your every question with undeniable amusement in his eyes.

Not because you were nosy, but because you were so curious. So, so curious, and it somehow made him happy.

Despite those talks that you're good for everything, it was hard to believe, while you had to prove yourself in front of everyone, work twice as hard and sometimes it wasn't enough too. No matter how beaten up you were, how tired you were.

It wasn't a secret that women in military had a tougher route than men, and you liked to be delusional about it until you weren't actually here. The amount of sexism you experienced, inappriopate comments about where your place is, you couldn't keep up with counting.

Kitchen was their answer, of course. You ignored them most of the time, in military no one would survive without thick skin, but... sometimes it got to you.

Especially when tasks were based on teamwork.

You hated moments where they acted like nothing's wrong in front of your supervisor – the minute she or he was gone, situation changed dramatically and you apparently weren't a comrade, but "just a woman". Climbing somewhere with them a bit lower than you occured in comments about your ass, shooting exercises with trying to get a rise out of you when they tried to correct you.

It was nice experience though, shooting lessons, when you hit ten point mark, and they just watched with a bit open lips. The satisfaction was insane, considering that they almost got them all too.

Almost, a key word.

Some were actually nice – it wasn't like all of them bugged you and you hated the entirety of men in military. It was just... the effect of those toxic ones, like everywhere; one person that behaved badly, could give an ick. You started being reserved, sticking to women friends (which was hard too, not only because of number but also because of competition) and men that were normal.

As normal as you could be in military.

With time, they got bored and you could function better. Could be as well the effect of the first mission in Afghanistan since from that time they treated you like a human. They were so eager to go, and after coming back several months later, they seemed like different people.

War changes everyone, you were different too. Listening about war, training; something completely different than actually taking a part in it. Pictures of buildings in pieces were nothing, comparing to real life experience, where you marched with weapon in your hand, experiencing real life tragedy.

Sometimes you wondered where people failed – a war like this shouldn't happen, ever.

Over time, military gave you an opportunity to learn something; specialize, as they said. Your mums told you that taking their money is more than responsibility (you couldn't do anything else but laugh at it), so you took something. Something that was interesting enough to dip in – and that was on being IT specialist with a bit of Cyber Operations.

All in all – hacking, protecting your own systems and going through others without being caught was something that you absolutely loved and the fact military paid for it was more than rewarding. It was something you were good at, your skills were your baby to care about and be proud of when someone needed your help; even if it was late at night and you were already sleeping. Firewalls to crack, intel to get, everything could wait. Adrenaline in your veins pumped even more when you had to do it in a field, a gun in your free hand, while another cracked the code.

Happened a tad too much, but you managed – those capabilities brought John Price to you, proposing you the job, not because of his friendship with your mother, but because you were good. Good with your shooting skills, cooperating. Because you had something that he needed very much.

Best compliment you could get, so that's why you were more than confused what to do in your spare time. Two whole months (or more) without being in the field, where you belong.

Wasn't the easiest to turn your routine upside down. From active and in field, to resting and at home, but things were easier when you started watching your show that you abandoned a while ago; of course because of work. Minutes turned to hours of binge-watching Criminal Minds (comes with a job, right?) and ordering something from your local restaurant every now and then because you didn't feel like cutting.

Especially with your arm that still shook a bit and your actions could result in a very bad way, so you chose the safest option for your own safety.

Two weeks passed longer than you expected though, and you're just... well, not only mad, but also bored to hell. You even texted your mother if they don't need any digital help or something, just something to keep yourself busy with because, frankly, you were ready to work again, to go out, to shoot.

Not your arm, though. Your arm was pretty mad at you most of the time and it happened to strike you every now and then, when you forgot your meds.

Mostly, the good thing about your days were when something interesting in TV shows happened or if you were waiting for a food delivery guy that knew you probably better than his own mother at this point. Every little knock to your door was loved, and every time you opened with enthusiasm and a small smile.

Except that one time, after almost two weeks, it wasn't a delivery man with your Thai food that you've waited so patiently for almost an hour.

"Evenin', Rosa. Missed me?"

When you made him his coffee (with insane amount of sugar and caramel with whipped cream on top of it, just as he liked it), he told you everything that happened during your absence. Spots that were on map found by you were their magazines, loads of stuff in here; weapons, other plans, some stuff that Price had to translate and check, but it was valuable.

You couldn't be more satisfied when he told you this, feeling like a kid on Christmas day; less happy you were when he remarked that they don't need your help and your captain pretty much sent you his regards.

Not what you liked, obviously, but it was something.

After explaining one thing, it came down to another – what he was actually doing here since it was still a full-ass mission, not a vacation. Hell, you won't forget the lazy smile he gave you back then, his head tilted to the side.

He looked like a Cheshire cat.

"'s my duty off the field, keepin' you all safe 'n cozy." he winked, ruffling your hair. "Y'know, gotta take care of my girl, yeah? Sucks without your ass around."

You barely managed not to roll your eyes. "Just tell me."

"That's the pure truth."

Well, it wasn't. After laughing at your reaction once again, he told you about Price saying something about sending some of the boys on "vacations" to regenerate properly – boys, Gaz and Soap only. In normal circumstances, it wouldn't be even an option, but since they called a special unit to help them earlier, they had even too many people, so he decided to treat the youngest.

Considerate of him, really. Another reason Soap believed in, was sending him home to take care of you, but you just laughed at that. He didn't know how to take care of himself, taking care of you? Hell, it sounded like a fable that you're feeding kids with.

At least, you thought like this until the next day, when he showed again at your door with groceries in bag, his smile wide. He was gonna cook for you, and the minute you opened, he entered your apartment like it was the most casual thing ever (it was). You said nothing, when he opened fridge and complained on amount of everything, asking how could you eat so little.

You were eating quite normally; Johnny, on the other hand, had eating habits that occasionally horrified you, but given his profession and his strength... everything explained itself.

What horrified you more though, was his cooking skills. Not like they were bad, but you really didn't want him around fire or things that he could easily burn; that's probably why you've decided to make simple sandwiches with him.

Well, it wasn't quite making from your side, considering you only gave him a few ingredients or told him where your knives were. He wouldn't let you do a damn thing, and even if it irritated you badly, he literally couldn't care less.

"'m here for you, hen. Don't complain." he pointed at you.

You'd lie if you'd say you didn't enjoy it, Soap's company; you were almost grateful that Price sent him on leave. That guy wasn't only a walking chaos, but made everything around himself like it, and that was exactly what you needed. Exactly what you needed to break with that boring routine, driving you crazy. Burnt eggs, a lot of dirty plates (he promised to take care of it later, and you both knew the best he's gonna do, is just loading the dishwasher), TV shows that you loved to comment with him. He always had snarky comments about contestants in Rupaul's Drag Race, even if he stated million of times that show is lame.

Yet, he watched with you, so both of you were lame in a cute way, which you were oblivious of. In your dictionary, a word cute, applying to you and soap, didn't exist.

What was shocking in that second visit, was the fact Soap didn't feel like going anywhere from your couch after you've decided to go to sleep. Instead, he asked if you have a sparrow pillow and something to lie on.

"It's not like you have to stay here with me. I'm perfectly capable of staying on my own. Been doing that for almost two weeks now" you said, as with his help, you transformed couch into a cozy place to sleep.

"Mm, just missed ya ass, lass." he pointed at you. "Insufferable little witch you are, y'know?"

"Oh, you love me for that." you rolled your eyes, chuckling.

It shouldn't be surprising to you that "one" time went to multiple times.

Every time he had an excuse to stay – he either was feeling dizzy and heavy after eating something, wanted to spend more time with you or just help you in every day activities. One day he even had a good point; you had to visit the doctor, and he intended to drive you here. Your arm was still too weak, and you needed to rest it, not possibly injure it more since a desire to be back in field was enormous.

With him staying at your place though, came a little more than just his presence – his things. At first it's hard to notice – toothbrush next to yours in cup, some of his clothes, it all felt necessary, he stayed at your place, after all. You started to notice after a few days, though; his PlayStation next to your TV with various games, his clothes in your closet. He even asked you one day if you have better space to place them.

It all felt like he's moving in, not just staying on accident, testing his luck. This motherfucker knew his way with you, and used it all the way, testing your patience because he loved to play with you. Not only competing in games, shooting, military trainings, but in real life.

"You know, your shower head is acting up. Pressure should be high, it's barely coming out at times" Johnny called out from the bathroom. "A man wants just to shower and he can't do it properly."

You laughed, rolling your eyes to yourself. His shower routine. "Annoying, isn't it? I usually don't have time to fix it or call anyone, so..." you shrugged.

"I'll fix it. Not really something to call people on" he huffed, almost offended at your statement; it's something he usually did. Soap didn't really believe in hiring someone to do things, he was sure that he would do these things himself, and not only he'd save money, but he will do it better.

"You will? You know" you turned around, to face the bathroom door "I don't want you to mess it up even-" your voice catched in your throat, mind going completely blank, when you saw him. It felt like God was testing you; Soap in nothing but just white, plushy towel, loosely wrapped around his hips. Any time it could slip and leave you with him all for yourself.

The thought made your cheeks burning hot a little, especially the moment he cocked his eyebrow and leaned against the wall, smirking. He knew how he looked like, how he could easily use it against you, not really trying. Soap's abs and sculped body luring you in, due to years of hard work, military and simply taking care of himself.

A lot of scars just added to image.

"-even more." you finished your previous sentence, clearing your throat.

Somehow, it was very amusing for him, to see you like this. You weren't the type to blush, not in the slightest – after all, you saw everything before; for example, when you stitched him up. How was it different than other times? Military is full of pictures like that.

Yet, there you were. Acting like a girl that saw a man first time without pretty much nothing but a towel, even if the truth was far different from it. Soap was just an eye candy, whether you liked it or not, and it was a big trouble in times.

For a time like this, for example, when he was in your apartment, trying to take care of you, with your towel, using your stuff. His scent was everywhere.

"'m experienced in making things better, don't you worry your pretty head about it" he hummed, placing his hand on your cheek. It looked funny; how big his hand was, but it brought so much comfort to you, that you closed your eyes. "'m gonna take care of my girl, yeah? I told you already."

Nothing came out from you, but just a simple nod. He was so good with words when he wanted to, and you were like a lost puppy, listening to them all, with hope that he meant every one of his promises. And he did – always, if it came down to you, you knew it.

"Good. Now, you have this popcorn ready? Fast&Furious starts literally any minute." he nudged you with his hip, casually taking a sit on the couch.

"Don't you want to put your clothes on first?" you raised an eyebrow.

"Mm. Do I?" he mimicked you, standing up. "Yeah, yeah. Gonna do it, hen, I don't want to deprave you more" Soap whispered to your ear, his body hot, almost skin to skin level. You inhaled some air, sighing just when he disappeared into your room to take his clothes.

It was supposed to ease you, his presence in clothes, but you still had that image of him in that towel only, when your head was leaning against his shoulder during the movie.

xxx

"Him? Helping in kitchen? Cleaning? I had to convince him for months to do that when he lived at my house!"

Since Johnny's mom was finally back from her trip in Spain, he called her in the morning – a simple talk, he said, when you handed him a cup of coffee, still in your pyjamas. You pretty much didn't want to interrupt them, but the moment she asked about you, you had no other choice than participate in discussion as well.

She knew you; impossible not to, considering that you and Johnny were friends for more than a year, serving together, in the same team. You loved talking to her, and she loved talking to you; somehow, you always had topic to talk about (besides her son's behavior, she asked every time – and every time you exaggerated, just to rile him up). Apparently, baking and making ceramic things were something that made your bond go stronger. From time to time, she sent photos of her pottery, and every time, with a warm feeling on your heart, you responded., asking her about technique and stuff like this.

If that would be possible someday, you wanted to meet her so bad, as well as his two sisters. Soap loved his family more than anything in this world, being a big, protective brother, even if his sisters were teenagers, you loved seeing it. Seeing him calling every time he could, seeing him with that little smile when his mom talked about sending him some stuff because he lost weight and he needs to come back to Scotland as soon as possible so she will change that.

More than adorable, honestly.

"Mm, I think the key is to tell him not to do things. Then, he does all that" you laughed, playfully nudging Johnny who rolled his eyes at your implication. "What? Just saying!"

"'st sayin', mhm." he nodded. "I can help when I have to, thank you very much."

"You almost burned my kitchen" you started, chuckling again when he gave you the look "but we appreciate it, yeah."

"Yer just mean. 's all" he pointed at you, wrapping arm around you swiftly, which brought you two closer. His touch almost burned some weird feelings in you, but you brushed them off, smiling to Soap's mother, when her head tilted to the side with a curious expression.

"She's just speaking her mind, John" she laughed, squinting her eyes suddenly.

"You good, ma?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just looking, your hair seems longer?"

He shrugged. "'s normal, I haven't had time to trim it in deployment. Will think about it later"

Conversation ended after another twenty minutes; apparently it was time for her favorite TV show, so Soap ended the call. You sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes, in your phones, scrolling through pages.

"I used to cut my hair in high school" you started, your eyes on his hair "I can cut yours, if you want."

Soap laughed, shaking his hair. "No, thanks."

"Why? It's not like you can't trust my skills!"

"Oh, a ken that. You have a bit wobbly hand, though" he grinned at your eyeroll "and, I think I might keep it this way for a while."

You raised your eyebrow. "You love your mohawk. Thought you're gonna keep it for years, even if you're gonna be a captain or something."

"Aye, probably. 'st testing my options, hen." he stood up, straightening his posture. "Gonna do coffee for us. Pick a movie." he smiled, kissing the top of your head; your cheeks burned red.

You tried to focus on picking a movie, not how the whole gesture made you feel all tingly, but it was almost impossible.

[villainsview]

Chapter 14

Fine, But...

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“Take a left here.”

“Can’t you just tell me where I’m headed?” I grumbled, stopping for a red light and switching my blinker on.

“Do I really have to explain it?” Thorne asked, tilting her head a bit, probably rolling her eyes behind those stupid shades.

“I know Allard sent you, I figured that much,” I said, glancing at Erick through the rearview mirror.

After allowing me to finish my smoke, Thorne made me put him in the back of the van, before pulling a bag over his head to keep him settled, though I could tell he felt uneasy. I did too.

“He offered me a trip to California,” Thorne said, “then said something about wanting his asset back and told me to take you both in. I’ll admit you were hard to find, though.”

“Do you even know what he’ll do to him?” I said.

“Well, not killing, else I would’ve just done that before you got back, or shot you on sight as well,” Thorne said with a shrug, “he said he wanted to talk.”

“Only because he likes to hear himself talk,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“So hear him out, and maybe he’ll go easy on you,” Thorne said, “just don’t cause any trouble that might get in the way of my payment. I know you’re a doctor. You know there’s plenty of places I can shoot you before it kills you~”

“If you wanted to drive you could’ve just said so,” I said, refusing to be intimidated by her.

I really only cooperated because I wanted to know what Allard had to say about his target going awol. I also started thinking of ways to talk myself out of killing Jack, since the argument about his tastes wouldn’t cut it. Allard had always turned a blind eye to that. He was probably making tons of money off of it too. Live humans were worth a lot more than their dead parts of course. Technically my little kidnapping business could be considered human trafficking too. Especially the times I hunted down and brought back some kids trying to escape what was, in hindsight, some sort of cult.

But the money had been too good to be bothered by it. I knew Thorne was feeling the same way. I would definitely pull the same shit if I were in her shoes, so I didn’t blame her personally, but I was still mad.

“Almost there,” she said. She’d sent me back to San Diego, somewhere behind the harbour.

“Let me guess,” I said, “abandoned warehouse?”

“Ugh, I know, it’s like he’s trying to be a cliche,” Thorne said, “number forty-seven. Roll up and they’ll open the door. Drive inside, cut the engine, drop your keys, and don’t do anything stupid.”

“I think I got all the stupid out of my system when I took this damn job from Allard,” I grumbled, driving up to the warehouse she pointed out.

Just as she said, the large doors opened, and I could drive my van inside, parking it next to a motorcycle. She still had her gun aimed at me, so with a sigh, I cut the engine and tossed my keys at her. With a smirk, she pocketed them, before putting her gun away and getting out.

I glanced outside the window. Several of Allard’s henchmen were glaring at me, one of them approaching the van and opening the side door to grab Erick. He let out a fearful, muffled yelp as the man tossed him over his shoulder and walked off. I opened my door and got out. Nobody tried to stop me, so I guess they allowed it.

“Come on,” Thorne said, following the man carrying Erick.

I followed as well, keeping an eye out for suspicious movements and possible escape routes, but the warehouse wasn’t lit properly, so it was hard to see a good way out besides the door I came in through, which was now closed.

We headed up a staircase, towards an office overseeing the warehouse. There they had some kind of hangout set up, with folding chairs and old crates, leaving only one decent-looking chair which was already occupied by Allard, smirking victoriously as we walked in.

“Fetcher! About time,” he said, getting up, “have a seat~”

“I’d rather stand,” I said.

“Have it your way,” Allard said, waving his hand dismissively at the grunt carrying Erick, to which he roughly dropped him into one of the folding chairs.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I brought you here,” Allard continued, still looking smug.

“She brought us here, you just sat on your ass as usual,” I said, nodding towards Thorne.

His annoying, smug grin dropped a little.

“You have a lot of attitude for someone with no leverage,” Allard said, before stepping past me and focusing on the boy, pulling the bag from his head.

He blinked a bit against the sudden light, glancing up at Allard before looking around the room to find me I reckon, judging from his muffled exclamation while looking at me. Though he quickly settled as Allard grabbed his hair and forced him to look back up at him.

“Pathetic,” he said, “no wonder your father ran away rather than paying money for you.”

“Mh?!”

“Ah? Fetcher didn’t tell you?” Allard asked, “the fool got the police involved and they figured out where he got his money from. An arrest warrant was issued so he did the natural thing and grabbed all the money he still had access to and fled the country, leaving behind the dead weight.”

He let go of the kid’s hair, watching as he processed the news, a shocked expression on the half of his face that we could see, tears beginning to well up in his eyes again.

“That’s a good expression,” Allard said, “take the pictures.”

I instinctively reached for my gun, though I wasn’t carrying it now, so I just scratched my back a bit to avoid looking suspicious.

“Pictures?” I repeated, watching how one of the grunts produced a digital camera and began to snap pictures of the boy’s face.

“You heard me,” Allard said, “to turn this…fiasco into something that’s not a total loss, I decided to sell him.”

“Sell?” I repeated.

“Don’t look at me like that, Fetcher,” Allard said, walking back to his chair to sit down, “you should be grateful I haven’t decided to kill you after what you did to poor Mr Garland.”

“Killing me too would be too much of a loss,” I said, “unlike Jack, I’m worth far more than my troubles.”

“Indeed,” Allard said, “so you’ll be glad I’m finally taking the boy off your hands. You can focus on your work again.”

“Don’t speak for me,” I said, “I know you won’t care who you sell to, so long as it’s the highest bidder…but those are usually the most degenerate types.”

“Don’t tell me you care, Fetcher~?” Allard said, tilting his head, “you’re welcome to put in a bid too, but I’m sure you don’t have that kind of money.”

He chuckled, while his grunt finished taking pictures of a very pale-looking Erick.

“Send the pictures to the usual clients and see where it goes from there,” he ordered.

However, as the grunt moved to walk away, he was stopped as Thorne blocked his route, aiming her gun right at his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Allard said, growing tense, while his other henchmen reached for their weapons as well. I got nervous too. It was getting harder and harder to predict the situation and everyone’s reactions.

“The usual clients…” Thorne slowly said through gritted teeth, “are the lowest scum of the earth…and if I can help it, I won’t allow them any pleasure on God’s green earth.”

That felt weirdly personal. But more importantly, she was escalating things, in a bad way.

“You’re letting your emotions get in the way, sweetheart,” Allard said, glancing at his henchmen, probably trying to figure out who to give the kill order to.

I locked eyes with Erick, and he was still looking directly at me, his eyes big and pleading, probably fearing for his life after we all discussed his possible future so freely around him. Abandoned by everyone he was supposed to be able to trust…

“Drop the gun, miss Thorne,” I said, “there’s no need for things to get ugly… Allard, I have enough money stashed away to buy you a nice vacation home across the border. I suggest you do just that and lay low while I clean up my mess.”

“Now things are getting interesting~” Allard said.

But I ignored him as I threw Thorne a look. She didn’t look very pleased, but slowly lowered the gun.

“How much cash are we talking, Fetcher?” Allard asked.

“Couple hundred grand,” I said, “I was saving up for retirement, but I guess I’ll have to work a lil longer…just not for you. If you agree, one of my terms is that we go our separate ways.”

“I think I can live with that,” Allard said, “but I’m not agreeing with anything without seeing the money first.”

“And I’m not getting you the money if you don’t let the boy go,” I said.

“It seems we’re at an impasse then,” Allard said.

“Oh for the love of—” Thorne sighed, “so you stick together until everyone’s happy, you morons. You and you get in a car together, take the kid with, and go wherever he has his money stashed away.”

She pointed at Allard and myself, before putting her gun away entirely.

“I want no more part in this. Delete my info from your phones.”

She moved to walk away, but was blocked by the door by one of the henchmen.

“Let her go,” Allard said, “don’t forget her payment.”

The henchman stepped aside, letting her pass before following her. A silence fell, during which the staredown between me and Allard continued as we listened to the sound of the door opening, followed by the roaring of an engine. When the noise finally died away, Allard spoke up again.

“You two, prepare my car,” he said, “put the kid in the trunk. Fetcher…after you~”

I didn’t like it when people walked behind me. Especially not on a staircase. Especially not Allard. But I had no choice but to have a little bit of faith.

I followed the two henchmen, one of them carrying Erick over his shoulder. He struggled slightly, shooting me another pleading look before they tossed him into the trunk and closed it. I pretended not to see. I didn’t need Allard to think I cared too much. Or else my life savings suddenly wouldn’t be enough for him. I got into the backseat with him. His two henchmen sat in front to drive the car out of the warehouse.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

I sighed, before directing him to another small home I owned. I sometimes let Tito use it as a safehouse for his men so it would look lived in, so wannabe burglars would be less inclined to break in. After all, the house was a bit in the middle of nowhere.

Like the farm in Phoenix, it was a property on a backroad of a backroad some way outside of San Diego. A spare key was hidden under a flower pot on the windowsill, which I used to unlock the door.

Frankly, I didn’t really care who entered the house or not. And I was probably just going to sell it after this. I unlocked the front door, leading Allard and one of his henchmen inside, while the other stayed out by the car. I retrieved a crowbar from the basement, before removing the bottom two steps of the stairs, revealing a safe hidden underneath.

“I have to fix the stairs every time I want to use this thing, so I’m less inclined to take something out, and I only add in large sums,” I said, beginning to turn the knob to unlock the safe with, “I don’t know the exact amount. But like I said, it’s a couple hundred grand.”

“Don’t worry, I have a money counter in the trunk,” Allard said, “go get it.” he added to his lackey when I opened the safe and began pulling out a couple stacks of cash.

“They’re bills of fifty or smaller,” I said, “since larger bills tend to get checked.”

“I know that, you always request to be paid in small bills specifically,” Allard said, rolling his eyes.

He took the cash from my safe and brought it to the dinner table while his lackey returned with the device to count the bills fast and easily. I leaned against the kitchen counter as they did that, before about twenty minutes later, they finally announced the grand total. 468,750 US Dollars.

“Hmm…fine, it will do,” Allard said, “release the kid.”

They put the money into a backpack they brought, before heading outside. I quickly followed, watching as they pulled the boy from the trunk. He looked winded and a bit sweaty. Probably a little overheated as the AC didn’t reach in the trunk, but the heat certainly did.

They didn’t seem to care, though, as they dropped him on the ground. I waited for Allard and his men to drive off before walking over, helping him sit up and working the tape off of his face so he could breathe better.

“It’s over,” I said, “let’s  get you inside, I’ll cut the rest—”

“H-he left…”

“What was that?” I asked, not really catching his words at first.

“He left,” Erick repeated, “ the ransom…was never paid, because he left…”

“It’s not the end of the world,” I said, trying to lift him up, but he managed to push me away.

“I’m sorry…sir,” he said, “it’s all my fault I got caught.”

“You were handcuffed to the sink, how were you supposed to evade capture,” I said, “come on.”

“N-no…” Erick said, beginning to sob, “I-I got caught by that guy, and you killed him…and I got caught by her and you lost all your money…a-and I got caught by you and my only friend died… I have nothing!”

“Could you shut up for a second or do you want me to leave you for the coyotes?” I snapped.

He recoiled, sobbing a bit more, but staying quiet otherwise, letting me help him up and drag him inside so I could find a knife and cut off the rest from the tape. His hands were the most work, the tape wrapped meticulously around his fingers. When I finally got it all off, however, I checked if the house’s landline still worked before handing him the phone.

“Call the police,” I said, “you’re free to go.”

“...go where?” the boy said, not making any attempt to dial, “I have nothing…”

“I’m sure they’ll think of something,” I said.

It was likely they would throw him straight into foster care, but it would only be for a couple years. He’d probably be a mess regardless of where they sent him. It wouldn’t matter—

“Can’t I stay? With you…sir?”

“You just saw me give up all my cash, do I look like the type of guy who has the means of the patience to take care of a stray?” I said.

“I-I’ll help you get it back!” Erick quickly said, “it’s my fault you lost it all, I’ll help you earn it back! I have nowhere else to go anyway!”

He demonstratively put the phone down.

“Please, sir…I’ll work hard! I-I won’t get in your way again! I won’t try to run away! I’ll behave! I—”

“If you stay…there’ll be no way back,” I said.

“No way back or back to nothing…it’s all the same,” Erick said, wiping at his eyes.

I sighed. Catering to him would get old fast, but on the other hand, I could think of several uses for him. And in the end…I did just pay for him. I could maybe actually use him to earn my savings back. And since he had nowhere to run…he probably meant the part about behaving, as he had been doing for the past couple days. I’d have to think of a backstory so I didn’t have to keep hiding him from Ethel and then there was the fact that they were probably still looking for him in his hometown at least. It was already giving me a headache…

“Fine,” I said, “but there’ll be rules.”

<Prev | Masterlist | Next>

[electronic-elevator]

so I had a couple-hour drive today and would be arriving home to an empty house. so of course I was like. 👀 not going to NOT hold my pee

now like, I didn't think it was going to get too bad. I'd used the bathroom just before leaving, right? plan A was to play with myself until I had an accident

except. in about an hour. I was already in a bad way. I wasn't going to just waste the opportunity — after all, like I said, I'd be the only one home. If I had an actual accident in the car, well, whatever; I could clean it tomorrow. Plan B became "okay, well, it's going to be dark out either way. what if I wet myself outside? I've never done that and always wanted to." I figured I'd go up on my deck and do it there, giving me enough cover to be hidden even if a car drives by.

now, at the time, I might've called this "desperate." it was bad enough that I could roll my hips forward and feel that rush like I'd pushed down on my bladder. I pushed until I leaked, just to feel it.

luckily, I did NOT drain my water like I briefly considered, because it just got worse. I kept checking the GPS every two minutes like there was going to be some new, faster route opened up midway through. I was unable to pay nearly as much attention to Ｄistractible as they deserve.

and the thing is, though the once-fringe idea that I might have an actual accident was becoming more likely, I have literally never had a real accident. I'm plagued by an iron bladder, and somewhere between 40 and 20 minutes out, this starts turning to pain. and this is desperation -- it's not not pleasurable, because I do have a masochistic streak, but it hurts. I'm in a cold sweat. I've got a death grip on the steering wheel. I can't flirt with leaks anymore; I'm locked up tight because there's not enough of my attention to focus both on driving and relaxing. Plan C: I'll wet right outside my car. It's going to be dark, and it's unlikely that someone else is going to be around for those few minutes, and frankly? Fuck it. Who cares.

Past the 20 minute mark, I begin briefly but repeatedly considering Plan D (pulling over and wetting on the side of the road, then driving home like that). This would not be particularly safe, though, on a dark back road, and I quickly run out of back road and end up in town, where it would be perhaps indecent.

10 minutes out, I'm swearing under my breath. Genuinely, this is probably "driving impaired." I'm having genuine trouble focusing on the road. I normally would NOT do something like this, but again, I had NO IDEA I was going to get this desperate. I thought I'd arrive home with an urgent but completely manageable need, and now I'm clutching onto the handle above the door and praying for only green lights. I start to wonder if I'm going to leak, for real, which would be incredible. I can't sit still, but my squirming is super constrained because everything is locked up so tightly. I'm driving as carefully as I possibly can to avoid any startles or slowdowns caused by me being an idiot.

Then, though, I turn onto my road, and see not one, not two, but SEVERAL CARS of people. Somewhere in the recesses of my memory, the knowledge that my neighbor had a bunch of people over for the holiday when I'd left yesterday resurfaced. They were apparently still here, plus two cars at the (closed; they're security. there's usually only one, and only occasionally) business across the street. Lights on, running, clearly full of people. I cannot, or should not, wet myself in front of them.

I literally could not stand up straight. I grabbed my keys only and stumbled into the house -- and I honestly wish I could've just wet myself there, but again: things get locked up pretty tightly for me. So, ignoring the poor cats, I move as fast as I can (which is not fast) to the bathroom and stumble into the shower to finally piss. I can't turn the lights on, because the window shade is up, and so the neighbors could see in if I did.

and the PROBLEM is it didn't feel as fucking amazing as it should because I'd waited too long... but this was my first pants wetting in quite a while and I did enjoy it

Epilogue: Since the piss wasn't as satisfying, and bc I hadn't jacked it in a couple days ig, I was still horny af so (after an awkward half-clothed rinse off and actually carrying my shit inside and saying hi to the cats) I fucked myself with two (2) dildos and a vibrator until I came so much it looked like I pissed on the pad below me.

[baronetcoins]

18 for spotify wrapped if no one's asked for it yet?

18: I'm Sorry Boris by Wilbur Soot

I can't believe that I'm leaving I don't think I want to leave you I don't think I want to leave you here alone

Jacob swatted his alarm clock with malice in his heart as he rolled out of bed. The 5 am glared back at him as he threw on jeans and a flannel before grabbing his keys off the hook of the door and climbing into Olive. The pickup rattled through the evergreen trees and along the gravel road from his place in the woods towards the highway. Jacob was just preparing to put in his old CD when something fell from the sky directly in front of him. He pulled to a screeching halt, jumped out of the car, and ran forward. There was a vaguely person-shaped mound lying on the floor, the remains of something on its back sloughing away like a time lapse of a decomposing corpse. He reached down despite himself to see if he could wake it up. As soon as his fingers brushed the thing's back, it sat up. It had a human face, and was wearing white robes that were rapidly becoming soiled with the wet mud from the road. It looked up at Jacob. "Well, shit." Jacob withdrew his hand. "You okay? What's your name?" The person cocked its head. "I am the-word-is-gone-out-of-my-mouth-in-righteousness-and-shall-not-return." "Cool." Jacob wiped his hand on his pants leg. "Super cool. You need a ride?"

"What is a ride?" "Like—do you want me to take you somewhere? Like the hospital, maybe?" "I do not have anywhere to go." The-word said. Jacob took a deep breath. "Do you want to go grocery shopping with me?" "What is grocery shopping?" ------------------------------------------------------ Jacob pulled into the Fred Myer parking lot, hyper aware of The-word sitting next to him in the passenger's seat. Luckily it was nearly empty at 7 am, meaning he could find a spot near the front of the store and pause in the parking lot. The-word stared at him as he pulled out his cell phone. "Remind me of your name again?" He turned to The-word. "I am called the-word-is-gone-out-of-my-mouth-in-righteousness-and-shall-not-return." "Great." Jacob punched it into google. It came back as a quote from the bible: Isaiah 45:23. He put his phone away and decided to worry about that later. "Would you mind if I called you Isaiah?" "I do not mind." "Cool. Will you toss me those grocery bags?" Jacob pointed at the stack behind him in the cabin. Isaiah grabbed them and threw them at him. "I guess I should have expected that." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Isaiah followed him across the parking lot, stopping only to be briefly fascinated by the automatic doors. Jacob took the most efficient route through the Fred Myers, his paper grocery list in hand. It was after he'd grabbed the milk and eggs from the dairy section and they were doubling back through the snack aisle that Isaiah stopped again. Jacob took a few steps back to see what they were looking at. "Flavor blasted cheddar goldfish?" He stared at the packaging, and then back towards Isaiah. "Do you want some?" Isaiah nodded wordlessly. Jacob shrugged and picked them off the shelf. They got through checkout without incident, despite a few weird looks from the cashier at Isaiah's strange clothing and giant stature. Isaiah grabbed the goldfish off the belt as soon as the cashier scanned them and held them tight to his chest. Jacob shrugged again. Together they packed the back of the pickup with the grocery bags, tying them in place along the back with a loop of rope Jacob kept for that sort of thing. He paused when he got back in the truck, turning towards Isaiah again. "Do you want me to take you home?" Isaiah looked suddenly sad, the most emotion it had displayed in their time yet. "I have been cast out from my home, never to return. I have lost the grace of heaven." Jacob sucked in another inhale of breath. "Well, in that case, how do you feel about helping me put away these groceries?"

[wordsintotheether]

Thinking about our little life, the little bubble of love we built inside that fourth floor attic. We gazed through the window at our city and said the colorful lights were for us, that the skyline was ours.

Now that we are apart, it feels so much more apt to say those things are yours, because you’re all I think about when I see them.

It’s funny to know someone else lives in that attic now. Someone has set up shop in my temple and I’m sure dozens more will come through and do the same. But not really, because the bubble that housed our shelter does not exist without us in it.

All those places, all those beautiful views, quiet night walks, train stations, and city sidewalks exist in stasis— somewhere else, where they remain ours.

One day I’ll stop making the trip to those places in the alleys of my mind. One day those paths will be swallowed up by the earth until construction comes through to start again for someone else.

But until then, it seems there are an endless amount of routes that lead right there.

I tumble into darkness, a rabbit hole dead center that sucks me in and spits me out deep inside that place with no exit.

Or I take a mysterious staircase to depths I don’t recognize. I explore the endless maze of hallways so foreign I’m shocked to even find them here just below where I sit everyday. And somehow that maze leads right to our whispers, to our home, to pet names, and getting high in bed.

Sometimes I stumble upon something that reminds me of you; perhaps it’d be more fitting to say things that belong to you. We’ve been separated for over a year and yet I find your stuff littered throughout my mind, and even my things have maximum seven degrees of separation from you. No matter where I was going, I found a corner and run straight into our view, twinkling, towering lights and all.

How is it that I’ve spent 29 years building this world, and in only five of those, you became the center point? Like Mecca, my cities pray in your direction. Every path has offshoots and yet the end destination is always you.

How did you manage that? How did you settle my racing heart enough that I could lay out maps with these plans and never have a moment of pause in the whole process?

And whatever you did, can you give it to me so that I may do it for myself and rebuild?

Perhaps even when I’m old, even when my overused joints and tired mind do not have the energy to travel round my entire world everyday, perhaps I will still have that once a day train route that leads to you. The station will seem abandoned, perhaps a little dirty and vacant. But I’ll exit the train anyway, holding tight to the railing as my sore feet ascend a dusty staircase to the world above. And I’ll be in our city once more. Maybe those days we can meet again, and laugh down the sidewalks to our favorite little cash-only breakfast spot. Maybe we can be in love again, just for a little while.

Yeah, that doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe it’s ok to keep that one route, to maintain those tracks for those rare times when we come back home.

Until then, please give me back the blueprints to my architecture, the route maps of my transit, the keys to the vehicles that crowd quiet lots. I need to find a new North Star, one that won’t fade away. This year will go towards reconstructing these cities I apparently finished while tangled up in you.

[p2iimon]

can any of you help me make undertale work without a down or right arrow key dskfjdsfk mine are broken so i cant play it on my computer but i wanna fuck around with cheating again

[fivelakesinwriting]

Night Driving (Drew Starkey)

Author's Notes: This is a continuance of the request Night Swimming - I had so much fun writing that request that I wanted to make a second part, and you all said "heck yes". Here we go. Let me know what you think if you have a moment, please! It's admittedly shorter that Night Swimming, but I don't think it's any less fun and I hope you love it all just the same! xoxo

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references - sexual innuendos, Smutty(ish) - some clothes are removed. Lots of touching, and kissing.

Requested? Yes! You all wanted a sequel, and I couldn't help myself to write one either. Requests for OBX are also very much open.

*My work is not to be transferred, copied, translated or reposted to any other sites without my permission. Please see my masterlist for all other works and warnings. Thank you! xoxo

Drew picked her up for dinner on a mild evening for dinner. He was on time like he always was, pulling up into the driveway with a flash of his high beams at her just to make her smile as she stood on the front porch while she waited for him.

"Hey, good looking." Drew grinned as he hopped out of his truck and took the few shorts steps to stand in front of his girl.

"Hey, handsome." She smiled as she placed her hands on his sides, pressing up on her toes to be closer to his height.

"Ready to go?" Drew asked while he wrapped one arm around her waist, then dropped his head down to press his lips to hers quickly. He smiled softly at her little pout, then led her towards the passenger side of his truck.

Drew opened the door for her, his hand gripped to hers as he helped her into the truck. He raised his eyebrows and felt his conviction to be on time for dinner begin to fade as he saw a flash of her backside under her little skirt. Drew pursed his lips as he shut the door once she was settled safely in the front seat then made his way around to the driver's side, his fingertips brushing over the scruff of his chin as his mind began to race.

"Let's go! I'm so hungry!" She groaned out as she pressed her hands to the roof of his truck, her head against the headrest.

Drew smiled softly as he started the ignition of the truck and made his way back out of the drive, and towards their destination. The drive to the restaurant where everyone else was meeting them felt long. It was a place they all frequented, and Drew knew the route well. But for some reason the drive today felt excruciatingly long.

Drew reached the turn off for the restaurant, but kept driving. His eyes focused on the road as one hand clutched the steering wheel as the other ran his thumb over his bottom lip.

"Wasn't that our turn?" She questioned as she turned her body to look out her window at the passing street sign.

"Gonna take the back roads. Nicer drive. Less traffic." Drew mumbled as he took a quick left turn onto a bumpy, dirt path that had her squealing and reaching for the handle above her window.

"Drew! There's nothing out here! Where are we going?" She replied, her knees pressed together. She reached for the dashboard with one hand as the other kept her white knuckle grip on the handlebar over her window.

Drew didn't say anything in response. He simply kept driving, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. A small smile on his face as he heard her squeal again as they hit the larger bumps in the dirt path. He found a spot on the side of the road that was covered by some trees, his truck still somewhat visible in the light of dusk. He pulled over, put the car in park and pulled up the emergency brake just to be sure.

"That is just cruel." Drew stated firmly with a jab of his index finger towards the short, pleated black skirt she wore.

He pulled his keys out of the ignition and dropped them in the cup holder in the centre console. He ran a hand over his chin, his fingertips catching on the scruff of his chin.

"You don't like my skirt?" She asked as her fingertips tugged at the hem of her skirt, the fabric pulling up her thighs a little more.

Drew breathed out a laugh before he reached over to the passenger side, unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her hips. He pulled her over the console and placed his girlfriend on his lap to make her straddle his thighs.

"I like it a lot, and I think you knew that when you put it on." Drew muttered as he placed his hands beneath the short hem of her skirt on the backs of her thighs.

"This road doesn't go anywhere. Does it, Starkey?" She questioned softly as she combed her fingers through his hair.

"This road? No. Just leads to some guy's fields. It's a dead end." Drew whispered as he turned his face to kiss her wrist, his fingertips creeping up the back of her skirt to feel for her panties.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you just kidnapped me so you could fuck me in your truck." She shivered as she felt his fingertips hook into the strap of her thong.

"It sounds bad when you say it like that." Drew teased as he hooked his fingers in the back of her thong, kept them there, and did nothing.

"So, what's it like?" She asked as she wiggled in his lap for more attention. His touch was too light on her backside under her skirt. He was gentle with her, but never feather-light. His touch always had some sense of urgency.

"More like, I took you somewhere pretty to get under your skirt before dinner." Drew grinned as his right hand moved from the strap of her thong and into her hair to pull her close.

"Make your move, Starkey." She challenged as she pulled her short nails down the front of his shirt, her thighs squeezing against his as she held her breath waiting for his kiss.

Drew leaned forward to close the small space between them, his lips pressed to hers. He released a sigh of relief through his nostrils at the feeling of finally kissing her that day. He wrapped his fingers around the long tresses of her hair and gave a small pull, his tongue slipping in her mouth when she whined.

Drew's girlfriend pushed the bottom of his shirt up over his abs, her fingertips pressed into the deep plains of his muscles. He smiled against her mouth as he felt her fingertip move down his abdomen towards the buckle of his belt.

"Let me help." Drew smiled through a heavy breath as he removed his hands from his girlfriend's body and reached between them to pull the prongs of his belt for her. The anticipation and sexual tension in the cab of the truck was almost tangible at that point. Drew wasn't sure who wanted it more.

"Thank you." She sighed with relief as she reached for the button of his jeans only to have her hands swatted away, her body being thrust backwards against the steering wheel which caused her backside to give a prolonged honk on contact.

"Goddamnit, Drew!" She gasped as she jumped forwards, her arms wrapped around his neck and her body flush against his once more.

"Well, sit your ass in my hands and that won't happen again." Drew growled as he reached beneath her skirt to grab hold of her backside in both his palms firmly. He gripped at the flesh of her ass and squeezed, smiling as she dropped her forehead down to his with a pout.

"Kiss me, Starkey." She begged as she adjusted her arms around his neck, her hands combing through his hair again.

"You kiss me first. Everyone knows when I start with you, then I get razzed all night long. You kiss me first, pretty girl." Drew demanded as his hands pulled at the flimsy strap of her thong and he realized with the right twist, he could snap it.

She released a whine from the back of her throat that made Drew feel primal, every carnal instinct in his body being lit like a match. He bared his teeth to her before he grabbed at the back of her neck and pulled her down for a kiss that would no doubt leave both of their mouths hot and swollen.

Drew's free hand pulled at the strap of her thong, doing his absolute best not to tear it into pieces. He tugged it down over the swell over her backside and to her knees, reluctantly removing his lips from hers to look between them to see what he was doing.

Drew adjusted himself in his seat and with an easy lift of the woman in his lap, he tugged her underwear the rest of the way down her legs. He reached up and hung the lace material over his rear view mirror for safe keeping.

A loud honk erupted from around them. Drew pulled his hands from under his girlfriend's skirt and glared at her.

"That wasn't me! I can barely move you're holding me so tight, Drew." She panted as she pulled her hands from his hair to move her own hair from her face.

Drew quickly averted his eyes from her lips, swollen from his kiss and looked into the rear view mirror. Behind his truck was a sedan that he knew all too well.

"There's someone behind us." Drew growled through gritted teeth.

"We were followed? Do you think it's the guy who owns those fields? Drew, farmer's have guns. Big guns." She rambled as she reached for his belt and quickly redid the buckle for him as she tried to look through the tint of his back window.

"It's no one with a gun, Sweetie." Drew soothed, his body relaxing when he realized his reaction to the vehicle behind him had frightened her.

He lifted her up and gently placed her back into the passenger seat of the truck, his fingers reaching up to pull her underwear off of his rear view mirror - which he handed to her with a soft smile.

"Be right back. Put these back on, hon." Drew smiled as he leaned over the console and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before he practically kicked open his door and hopped out of the truck.

Drew stepped on to the dirt road and closed the door harshly behind him, refusing himself a look back at his girlfriend as he pulled her underwear back on. He stood quick, purposeful strides over to the sedan that idled behind his truck and knocked on the window with a closed fist.

"Dude, I swear to god. We followed you because we thought something happened. We saw you take that super hard turn passed the restaurant and come this way." Rudy giggled as he rolled down the window, his lips sucked between his teeth as he stared up at his friend who was less than impressed.

"You can't text?" Drew asked while he shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes narrowed at the blonde man who still giggled in the front seat.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Next time I'm certain your truck has been stolen, and you and your girlfriend are being held hostage - I won't come save you. Can we go for dinner now? I'm pretty sure the guy that owns those fields has a gun." Rudy replied as he caught his breath.

"You're a fuck." Drew muttered as he held back a smile. He turned on his heel and made his way back to the truck.

"The scenic route. Huh, Starkey?" Rudy yelled out the window of his car before he backed up and drove away, back towards the main road.

Drew shook his head as he opened up the driver's side of his truck and climbed in once more. He gave his girlfriend an apologetic look as he sat back down, fastening his seat belt once more.

"I'm sorry about that." Drew stated softly as he grabbed his keys from the cup holder and stuck them in the ignition again.

"That's okay, Starkey. You can take for a drive after dinner, if you like." She smiled as she sat up on her knees, leaned over the console and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Alright. Promise I won't take you near a farmer's field, or where Rudy can find us." Drew smiled as he placed a hand on her thigh once she settled back in her seat, and pulled the truck around and drove back towards the main road.

Please let me know what you think if you have a moment! xoxo

Thank you for your support. Requests for OBX are open!!

@littlementalpolaroids I'm sorry I didn't tag you sooner - if you haven't already seen this!!

[raphael-simp]

Two Years Ago - Raph x Reader

You never liked talking much.

Never really knew why, you just didn't. Of course, you would still carry a conversation to be polite, but the answers were short and spoken barely above a whisper. There were many times where you tried to change this about yourself, but the attempt didn't last for more than five minutes before you shrunk back into yourself again.

Then how the hell were you friends with four, loud and rowdy mutant teenage boys?

You didn't even know the answer to that one.

And to be honest, the memory of how you met the four of them was still slightly hazy. Of course, Donnie told you what had happened to you, but you personally didn't believe it. Why would robot alien beings want to kidnap a random girl walking home from her night shift? It still didn't make sense to you, nearly two whole years after it happened.

You were fourteen going on fifteen when you first met the four.

You worked at the convenience store not even two blocks from your apartment building, and you had switched shifts with your co-worker Abbigail so she could attend a funeral, which meant you now had the night shift.

It wasn't that big of a deal to you; she asked, you agreed, nothing more was said on the matter.

You texted your parents to inform them of the shift change and told them not to wait up for you, which they obviously denied much to your annoyance.

The shift ended at ten o'clock, but you still needed to do till and make sure the money count on the register matched with what you'd counted. That process alone took you about half an hour, so you really didn't leave until ten thirty. You made sure you switched off all the lights and locked all the entrances before you put the store keys in your jacket pocket and began your short walk home.

It was nearing winter, so the weather was beginning to turn cold, and you weren't exactly the best at dealing with temperature drops. You stood tensed as you speed walked towards your apartment building, wanting to get out of the darkness as fast as you could. There was one building near the end of the street that you almost always completely ran past; a run down looking, white parking garage with the paint peeling and chipping everywhere. It creeped you the hell out, mostly because there were always these two guys that stood at the old entrance, their stare boring into your back as you'd run past. Every day you expected them to run after you or shoot at you, but they never did anything.

Until tonight.

When you looked you didn't see them anywhere, and although you thought it would soothe you, it just made you more anxious.

'Where are they...?' You thought to yourself, nervously glancing around, trying to find the two.

Let's just say you didn't have too look far.

A large white van came screeching around the corner, running over the curb and nearly into you before it lurched to a halt. The back doors flew open and three identical looking men filed out and made their way towards you. In fact, they looked like the men that would always watch you at the entrance to the parking garage...

You literally froze. You didn't scream, move or look away until one picked you up and threw you over his shoulder. After that, you screamed absolute bloody murder, praying you'd get the attention of someone- anyone -that could do something to help you. Thankfully, help came rather quickly, just not in the way you thought.

You fought as hard as you could to at least get the man to slightly falter his grip around you; you punched, kicked, pounded- you even bit him, but it hurt you more than him.

You flailed like a fish out of water and kept screaming, even louder if possible as you got carried closer and closer to the back of the van.

Your voice was cut off when you landed harshly on the ground, trying to use your hands to catch yourself but only hurting yourself even more. You were a shaking mess, trying so hard not to cry but suspectingly failing, bursting into tears and sitting down properly, hugging your knees tightly to your chest as you cried into them. You were absolutely terrified out of your skull.

When someone tried to touch you, you screamed again, though it came out more as a strangled cry than anything else. You'd hurt your throat badly from all of your screaming and had no doubt lost your voice because of so.

"Well we can't just leave her crying in the streets, dudes. We gotta do something!"

You heard hushed voices talking a bit in front of you, but didn't bother to look up or fight. You wouldn't do that unless they actually did something, and that was what you were waiting for.

You cried to yourself, waiting to either calm down or for whoever was in front of you to do... whatever.

But they never did anything, they were quiet for the forty five minutes you were crying and calming yourself down.

"You're gonna be okay, alright?"

You slightly looked up from your knees, and honestly at this point, four giant turtles standing in front of you didn't phase you right now.

One of them was kneeling in front of you, it was wearing a tattered red mask and looking directly at you, with electrifying green eyes.

It looked up at one of the others, but you didn't bother to follow his gaze, your eyes were too tired.

"Don, do you need t' look at 'er?"

"I don't see anything major wrong with her, I think it's just shock right now... to be safe I wanna take a look at her, if she'll let us of course."

It looked back at you, the one with the red mask, and you did your best to keep your eyes open and listen to what he had to say. You were just so tired...

"My brother wants t' take a look at 'cha t' make sure ya weren't hurt too bad durin' that whole thing, okay? You alright with that?"

You barely nodded your head and lied it on your knees, involuntarily passing out.

When you woke up after that, you started freaking out and tried to scream, but found you barely had a voice. You were achy and sore all over and you could barely remember why.

Of course, you properly freaked out when you saw the four turtle figures again, but the ones in red and purple- who were the only ones in the room with you at the time- explained everything that had happened.

Donnie had picked up radio chatter that the Kraang were going to abduct another test patient that night, and the turtles rushed to the location that was shared, and ended up there just in time to help you and destroy the Kraang bots.

You hadn't been too badly hurt; bruised arms and shins from pounding on the metal robots, scraped hands, scraped knees, and a possible emotional blackout, to explain why you didn't remember what had happened to you.

You merely nodded along, trying not to stare too much at the two creatures in front of you, who introduced themselves as Raphael and Donatello.

"(Y-Y/N)...." you stuttered out, thinking that they at least deserved to know your name, after all they've done. Your voice was barely above a whisper, so the boys had to listen carefully to hear your name.

Raph and Donnie smiled, glad to hear that you at least trusted them to that extent.

You asked what time it was, and nearly flipped shit when Donatello told you it was almost 1:30 in the morning. Your parents were going to absolutely lose their minds on you! You scrambled to stand up and nearly fell over, thankful that Raphael had caught you.

"I-I need to get h-home." You breathed out, avoiding eye contact and trying to hide your face behind your (H/C) hair, to hide the fact you were red. Why you were red-faced?

You had no clue.

"I'll take ya. There ain't no way in hell you're goin' alone after this." Raphael stated, standing you back up on your own two feet. You would've fought him on it, had you not have agreed with him. If those Kraang guys still wanted you...

you didn't want to be left alone again. So you just nodded and let him walk you out. You didn't see the other two brothers while you walked out, so you assumed they were somewhere else.

Raphael led you around the systems of the sewer and helped you out of the manhole cover, and once out you took a deep breath of fresh air and closed your eyes in an attempt to clear your thoughts.

"I know you've had a rough night doll face, but we should probably get going."

Your eyes snapped open and you felt your face go warm, and instinct brought you to hide your face with your hair and jacket sleeve. You avoided his gaze and just nodded, speed walking to the sidewalk until you realized:

You had no idea where you were.

"Wh-where are we...?" You wheezed out, slightly turning to face Raphael.

"Just a couple blocks from where we found ya. We gotta take the roofs though... can't really walk out in th' street lookin' like I do."

You nearly asked why until it hit you like a brick. Again, you just nodded and climbed up the fire escape after him. You took notice how some of the roofs were pretty far apart, and hoped to God he didn't expect you to jump over them. Thankfully he didn't, and tried to stick to a route that involved just taking a step across. But for those that involved jumping, he just lifted you onto his shell and jumped across before setting you back down again.

Each time he did so he'd ask if you were okay, and you nodded in response hiding your face. And each time, he'd smile and mutter a small "cute," under his breath, which he didn't know you heard.

Once he brought you to where he and his brothers had found you, he told you to lead the way to your apartment, and you pointed him in the right direction. "So," he started, "Kinda wish we coulda met under better circumstances, (Y/N)."

You nodded in response, keeping your gaze down and stepping over a wooden plank. How the hell'd that get there?

"...You're shy, aren't cha?" Raphael asked, and again you nodded. Not only that, it hurt to talk, but he assumed correctly. He chuckled and lightly nudged your shoulder with his.

"Ya don't gotta be 'round me, I don't bite... much."

You looked up at him with both confusion and shock written all over your face, and it just made him laugh.

"Relax (Y/N), I'm kidding... just a little though."

You rolled your eyes, and yet you couldn't help the small smile that danced across your face.

The both of you walked Ina comfortable silence until you saw your apartment building across the street and elbowed Raphael's arm, pointing to it.

"This is my stop." You whispered, not daring to bring your voice above that. He nodded and hoisted you onto his shell, having to go around the roof tops to avoid going down to the streets. He set you down on your apartment roof, once again asking if you were okay.

"I'm fine, Raphael." You responded, pushing your hair behind your ear. He smiled at you and slightly tilted his head.

"Call me Raph, doll face."

You bit the inside of your lip and looked down, nodding your head. You didn't want him to see your warm and red face, it was extremely embarrassing for you.

"Hey," Raph's voice made you slightly look up, since he wanted your attention. He handed you a folded piece of paper with a number scribbled on it- wait, was this his phone number? Was a guy giving you his phone number? To your face?

"You don't gotta, but if ya don't wanna walk home alone again I'm available if ya need it."

You completely lifted your head to look Raph directly in the face, and he took pride in one thing; making you smile like that. You have him a single nod and held the paper with both hands.

"Trust me, I will.. Raph."

Now it was his turn to smile.

The two of you just stood on the roof for a couple minutes, staring and smiling at each other before something on his belt beeped. He jumped a bit in surprise and glanced at it.

"That's my brothers- I gotta go. You'll be okay?" He asked, taking a small step back.

You nodded, putting the paper in your pocket. "I'm home now. Go."

His smile grew and he backed up towards the edge of the roof.

"Try not t' get into trouble doll face! Just save a little to give me an excuse t' save ya again!" He shouted, just before jumping to the roof next to yours and taking off, eventually disappearing.

"I think I like that. Doll face..." you thought to yourself, still smiling like an idiot. You stood on your roof for God knows how long more before you came to your senses and carefully climbed down your fire escape and slid through your window.

.

"Was that really two years ago...?" You thought to yourself, flipping a pen between your fingers.

Yup. It was.

Two years ago these four boys saved your life, and two years ago you met the boy that kinda saved you, in a way.

It took him time, but he got you to slowly expand your comfort zone. You didn't stutter every time you spoke anymore, and you didn't respond with simple gestures anymore and used actual words that really carried a conversation. And at the same time, you helped him.

You kinda found out about his anger the hard way, having him lash out at you when he was beyond pissed off, and though it did hurt, you didn't blame him. In fact, you made it your goal to try and help him with it.

He'd expressed to you before how he'd never liked his short temper, and so you helped him. You showed him ways that he could release stress and repressed emotions, like actually using his drum kit and playing when he got pissed, or just sitting with you and either talking, or just sitting in silence.

Coming up in December would actually be a year since Raph had asked you out, too.

It didn't really come as a surprise to most, since the both of you were pretty open about affection with each other even before you two decided to make it official, just because.

The two of you would always sit close together, hold each other's hand, cuddle each other and he'd even kiss your cheek every now and again. Every movie night, you bet that the two of you would sit or lie with each other, and Raph would play with your hair or lightly trace an invisible pattern on your arm.

All in all, it wasn't really a surprise to Raph's brothers, April or Casey when he'd asked you out. The only person it surprised was you, but even then you'd accepted in a heartbeat.

And to this day, he still calls you doll face.

Two years later, the boy's nearly eighteen and you the same, you've found a new family.

And a new love.

"(Y/N), doll face, cmon we're headin' out with or without ya!" You rolled your eyes and smiled, shoving the pen in your jean pocket and getting up, grabbing your jacket.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming Raph!" You called, walking out of his room and slipping your arms through your jacket sleeves as you jogged out to the entrance to meet the boys.

About a year ago, after you'd actually learned how to properly, they let you join along on some of their patrols. Raph made you carry a small dagger though. Just in case you got separated and something happened to you.

Speak of the devil, he heard you coming up behind him and turned around smiling. He extended his arm to you, waiting for you to end up at his side before putting his arm around your waist and pulling you close to his side, kissing the top of your head.

"All ready and fashionably late, doll face?"

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, shoving him while failing to hide a smile of your own.

"Shaddup Raph, I was doing important things." You said, zipping your jacket up.

He just chuckled and raised his arms in mock defence.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry baby." He said, lightly pressing his lips to the side of your head and cheek in chaste kisses. You turned your head at the last second to catch his lips in a quick kiss. While he smiled and put an arm around your shoulders, Mikey mock gaged.

"Yup, think I'm gonna hurl-" he said, making a queasy face. Raph reached out with his free hand and punched his baby brother in the shoulder.

"Oh shut it Mike, not like ya don't see it regularly." Mikey hit Raph's arm back, which quickly escalated into an arm punching war. You tried not to laugh too much, looking over to Leo and Donnie, who were trying to do the same thing.

"Alright alright alright guys, that's enough!" Leo called, laughing a bit to himself.

"We gotta get going before it gets too late, we gotta take (Y/N) home by midnight. Let's move out!"

With those words, the five of you took off running towards your normal exit to the top world.

//////

gUIS IM IN ABSOLUTE L O V E WITH THIS ONE SHOT I LOVED WRITING IT SO GOD DAMNED MUCH AAAAAHHHHHHHH

PS THIS WAS WRITTEN AT LIKE 11 pm - 2:30 am SOOOOOOOOO

[fishyfishhhh]

~movie night with Felix~

It was a nice evening and you and your boyfriend Felix were bored. You guys were just sitting on your couch together on your phones. You hen get an idea for going on a date. You two have not gone on a date in a little while.

“Hey Lix you wanna go out” you ask him with a smile. Felix was on his phone scrolling through the internet either looking at tiktok or memes. “Hm, actually yeah I guess it hasn’t been a while and it seems like it would be nice” he says looking up from his phone screen.

You immediately get excited since it was rare for both of you too have the time too go one dates. “So what do you wanna do for it?” You ask him. He thinks for a second and then gets a huge smile.

“How about we see a movie!” He says with an excited tone. You think too yourself for a second deciding if a movie would be fun, you know the last time you went too the movies was months ago with a friend so you have not been in awhile.

“Hmm, yeah a movie sounds nice it’s been a while since I’ve been anyway and I’m sure there might be a good movie showing” you then grab your phone and look at the movie theaters website too see what movies they are showing.

You look at the movies they are showing for the night and then immediately lose your happy expression.

“What’s wrong (Y/N), are there no good movies?” He asks. “ Well it’s just the only movies they are showing tonight are well..horror movies” you say with a sad tone. He looks at you and then looks away and starts thinking too himself. He lets out a small sigh and turns too you

“We can watch a horror movie” he says while giving you a soft smile.

“Lix are you sure we can find something else cause I know you you don't take horror well and I want both of us too enjoy it”. He thinks again then he puts His hand on the side of your face

“Yeah I’m sure,I can just try and manage not too get scared haha” he then kisses your forehead.

You then get up from your couch and get changed for the movies. After you got ready you grabbed your bag and and car keys. You then make sure you have enough everything and both you and Felix walk too your car, while your both walking he seems a little bit nervous cause he fidgets with his fingers. You take notice of this and start too feel bad

“Felix we don’t have to watch a movie tonight there’s always another day or we can go somewhere else” you says while holding one off his hands.

“No no it’s fine I swear don’t worry we can watch a movie tonight” he says. You both get too you’re car and you start too head too the movie theater. After a little while of driving you both get too the movie theater and head inside. Immediately the smell of buttery popcorn and candy hit you, you breathe in the sweet smell while getting some childhood nostalgia. You look at the movies that are gonna show and choose the one that looks too be the least scariest.

You head over too the ticket counter and get two tickets one for you you and one for Felix, you also buy some sweet candy for Felix and sour for yourself along with some popcorn and waters. You both head too your movie with the snacks and you look over too Felix, he tried too remain a calm face but you could tell he was a little scared. You give him a kiss on the cheek “ don’t worry Felix I picked the one that seemed the least scary” you whisper too him as you both head into the room that shows your movie. He gives you a small smile.

You both sat in your seats and open your candy and start too eat some before the movie even starts. After some previews played the movie started, you got excited sense it’s been forever and also there was only a few people so there would not be anything annoying hopefully. It starts and everything in it was not too bad it actually was really nice so that helped reassure Felix.

But the movie started too take a dark route and started too become creepy. You never read what the movie was about but you soon find out it was a paranormal like movie, Felix did not like those movies they scared him. You took Felix’s hand  and held it and he tried too remain calm but by how tight he was holding your hand.

the movie progressively became more scarier and for some parts Felix would look away because they were too much for him. Too be honest you were even scared of some of it and you usually are not phased by horror, guess you were wrong about this one being less scary. A huge jumps are popped up and Felix quickly turned away covering his eyes with his hands. You gave him a kiss on the forehead and he put buried his head into your shoulder to prevent from seeing the screen.

You brush your hands through his hair while you try and calm him down. “Felix it’s ok the movie will be over soon” you whisper too him.

He nods his head slightly and you both stayed like this till the end of the movie. Once it ended you both grabbed your stuff and started leaving after throwing away your trash.

“Lix I’m sorry I didn’t know it wasn’t gonna be that scary” you say feeling bad cause he was really scared of the movie. “ It’s ok you made me feel better about it but next time definitely no horror movie promise” he says, you nod your head.

he gives you a kiss on the cheek and both of you walk back too you car holding hands, and both of you were happy on even though the movie was scary too scary for him,he still had fun watching the movie with you. And so you can not wait for the next time.

~PLEASE DONT RE UPLOAD MY WORK~

[purpleyellow]

Hide & Seek

NCT 24th member / Dream 8th member

Bee’s Masterlist

“The two times Bee avoided Mark and the one she didn’t”

a/n: Feel free to share your thoughts with me. Requests are open!💛

Growing up, in general, is a pain in the ass, and Bee isn't the happiest about having to deal with it. She doesn't know if it's because of how she was raised, or if it's just her personality, but the girl cannot see herself as an adult.

You see, adults are supposed to manage five different tasks, have most things thought out, and try to handle everything that comes their way. Bee, however, wants to lay in bed at every minor inconvenience and wishes she could freeze time so she can digest what's happening.

She can see herself as those five-year-olds who pout, cross their arms and look away when you tell them they can't have ice cream for dinner. Just like she can see Jeno as those parents who bribe their kids to eat vegetables with a false promise of going to the ice cream parlor on the next day.

"Why don't you want to talk to him?" Jeno whispers to Bee midst the chaos in the van. The first time she successfully avoids Mark is when the members are leaving SM after a long day of figuring out stuff for the comeback. Things were only starting to come together, and the boy knows that if Mark and the girl don't figure out everything soon it's not going to be a fun process.

"I don't have anything to say" She mumbles looking out of the window. Jeno turns her head back to him before continuing.

"Maybe Mark has something. Or maybe he has questions"

"Good for him" She simply states. "I already said everything, so I'm not helpful to talk to"

"And you stand by everything you said almost six months ago?" He asks while trying not to laugh "You didn't think about it anymore? There, you said it and moved on"

"Yes, I stand by everything" She lies. Bee has relived every single conversation she has had with or about Mark especially lately, cringing at some stuff she said, making up better answers, and overanalyzing every little word even if they don't mean a thing. Jeno probably knows she does that, yet she's not going to admit that easily, because admitting means confronting the situation.

"Just maybe think things are exponentially worst when you're trying to avoid the topic instead of solving it once and for all" The boy mumbles and she rolls her eyes. Mentally thanking the manager who happened to pull up next to their building

Trying to escape that conversation as fast as possible, Bee holds onto the back of the seat in front of her, accidentally hitting Jaemin in the head, and jumps past Jeno, who frows as he watches her bolt out of the vehicle.

The girl only stops as she reaches the elevator because of the light feeling on her hoodie pocket. She had left her phone behind, throwing away all the work she just put into getting to her room without speaking with anyone else.

Walking back to the van, Bee keeps her head down to avoid making eye contact and waves off Renjun after he shared a proverb about people skipping a step only to return two. Honestly, he might have said something different because the meaning flew right above her head.

The manager, who had also left the vehicle to check on something at their apartment, throws his keys for her to catch and tells her to be quick.

Bee goes straight to the seat she had occupied and starts searching through the openings where the phone might have fallen from, ultimately deciding it was somewhere on the floor. Patting away underneath hers and Jeno's seat, she finally moves on to the row in front of them, getting scared by a light and the muffled sound of her phone ringing.

Almost like a miracle, she was getting a call from someone who might have saved her a couple of seconds of searching. Reaching out for the device, her smug grin turns to a frown as the name "Minhyung from Canada" shines on her screen. A confused noise leaves her mouth while Bee gets up from the floor, though her debating over either answering or not doesn't go very far due to said Canadian standing at the door of the van.

"I thought if I helped out find it, you would finally listen to me," Mark says, ending the call. Though, it seems like that was the only line he had rehearsed because after it they both stay in awkward silence, making Bee look down at the device in her hands before raising an eyebrow.

"Well, my hand touched it before the call got connected?" She, not as confidently, lies again.

Mark shakes his head adamantly "No it didn't"

"Do you have eyes on the floor?" The girl frowns trying to make that topic last longer but he doesn't fall for it.

"Yunhee," He says in a disappointed tone which Bee copies by saying "Mark"

Mark raises one eyebrow feeling rather playfully. "Mark Oppa?" and she rolls her eyes while planing an escape route.

The boy seems to remember what he was there for and scratches his head, suddenly bringing back the awkward mood.

"We should clear everything up, you know" His tone is back to uncertain surprising her by the sudden change and Bee feels her hands clamming up. She knows he's waiting for her to show any kind of reaction but for some reason, she cannot have any.

"Guys, I have to get the car back to the building. You can keep the conversation going at either of your dorms" The manager pops his head through the driver’s seat before climbing it. Bee hands him the keys and both idols slowly step out of the vehicle. Her mind is still blankly looking for a way to avoid listening to whatever the older had to say when the man magically says something that fixes all of her problems. "Actually, Mark come here, it's about 127's schedule tomorrow, something came up"

And she doesn't stay to listen as she bolts to the elevator that's taking her to her safe and Mark-free bedroom.

☆☆☆

The second time Bee avoids him, or gets saved by another person, happened a few days after the van accident when she rapidly types on her phone while running to the end of the hallway where the SM elevators are.

The sound indicating the doors opening on her floor catches her attention and Bee doesn't have to fully look inside the place to see Mark standing on the edge, ready to walk out of it. Almost without thinking, her feet make her turn left into another hallway and she instinctively makes her way to the room she had visited many times before.

Bee knows for a fact Mark is supposed to go to the studio she had just left, so the fact she can hear him doing the same route she is, makes adrenaline pump inside of her and the girl starts sprinting as fast as she can.

She finds it stupid how her brain suddenly read that moment as her being chased by something dangerous, but there's not enough time to let her process the situation. Instead, Bee barges through the door of Kun's studio and throws herself onto the space between the empty couch and the wall.

Crouching so she's hidden by the armrest, Bee simply says "I'm not here" before staring at the floor in front of her, making the WayV leader question why he's even surprised at that point.

A series of three knocks on the door makes Kun get up and go greet whoever had the decency to announce themselves before interrupting his work like half of his groupmates usually do. Keeping the door half-opened, he's half surprised by Mark standing a little distance away while seemingly sorry to be in that position.

"Hyung, my bad for coming here. But I was wondering if I could talk to Bee" The boy says scratching his eyebrow.

"I mean, of course, you can" Kun starts making the girl's heart drop "I'm not sure why you're asking me, though. And next time you see her, let her know I also need to speak with her"

"Oh, yeah. Sure?" Mark says uncertainly tilting his head and closing his eyes. He stares inside the room through the small space Kun allowed and sighs defeated "Sorry about it, I'll just go"

Waving to the boy, Kun waits for him to walk a little before closing the door and turning to the hidden girl. "You know we could see the top of your head, right?"

"Wait, he saw me?" Bee asks with wide eyes, supporting her head on the armrest and the boy rolls his eyes "Probably yes. The kid is just too polite to say anything about it"

Standing up from the ground, the girl sits on the couch to wait for a little before leaving the room. Kun takes the opportunity to throw himself back on his chair and interrogates her.

"Why are you avoiding Mark?"

"I stole his charger so now he's mad" She pouts looking at the ground making the older scoff.

"I'm not buying anything that simple. Don't think I haven't noticed you've been almost daily in our dorm instead of hanging out with your unit. We like when you visit but it became a little weird when we're not even there yet you still go hide inside our apartment"

"It's too complicated" She sighs craning her neck to check the clock "And I'm actually late for something, so you'll have to deal with my stupid high school problems sometime later"

"They're only stupid because you thought over them a million times and began downplaying whatever they are. You can't do that forever and you know it"

"Confrontation makes me cry, so I'll try my best to keep pushing it away" Bee smiles like something uplifting was said and stands up "See you later"

"Sure, good luck with your date" Kun smirks turning back to the table and checking on his work. Noticing she hadn't actually left the door he lets out a chuckle "Chenle told me about it"

"It's not a date. Chenle was literally invited to tag along" Bee rolls her eyes and he shrugs despite not looking back at her.

"Sure, have fun"

☆☆☆

Ever since Mark first showed his confusion over how things were going, Bee tried really hard not to make the situation awkward for everyone. She didn't want them to be extra careful around her, nor feel like this big dramatic thing was going on between the group. And to lessen her worries, the dreamies seemed to act the same they had always been.

There is the fact she isn't talking to Mark, but much to her surprise, the girl realized she never really relied a lot on speaking to him. Pretending everything was fine became part of her routine for that two weeks.

But just like Kun caught onto her distancing herself, a bunch of staff members also did. The choreographer who first introduced them to the routine asked her a couple of times if everything was okay, and the producer noticed the idol was out of the room the time she was finished, not really mingling like the rest of the boys.

Those two didn't really say anything about it, since she was still getting work done. That isn't the same for the management team, who not only saw her change in behavior but feared how much of that would be noticeable in videos and the overall dynamic of what they had waiting for the comeback.

"Bee, can I talk to you for a second" One particular manager called for her as she was resting on the corner of the dance studio.

Bee gathered her things in a pile on the floor and got up to follow him out of the room. The man had worked with NCT for a really long time, but he wasn't the closest manager to her, nor had ever taken care of her individual schedules. She knew whatever he had to tell her wasn't going to be very good.

"We don't want to intrude on whatever is going on in your life. But the moment it affects the group I'm afraid somebody needs to step in" The man sighs walking slowly next to her "If you're not feeling well, or something happened to make you not want to be around the members you need to act on it, or tell somebody so no one gets suspicious of it"

"I'll make sure no one notices it" She mumbles playing with her ring and rolls her shoulders "It's not something to be worried about though. Nothing really happened"

"We'll some people started to point out on Jisung's graduation video that you're often really quiet. Considering your personality it's nothing out of the ordinary, but you can't afford it pilling up and fans talking about it. We're aware of what that saesang said last year and don't think the company forgets easily if more fans start thinking you don't want to be in the group or doesn't belong in it, it's going to be a big problem"

"More people are talking about it?" Bee glances once again to the ring Renjun made her wear.

"It's a small number so far, but there are those who think that by Mark coming back and you being a little quieter, your place might be in another unit," He notices her gaze turning down and places a hand on her shoulder"Don't stress over it right now, just dedicate yourself a little more to the group and show you have a place in it. It should pass after some time"

Patting her, he reminds her to 'go back to normal before heading back to his work. Bee feels a slight headache creeping in and sneaks into a smaller room dedicated to vocal training, where she drops her body on a chair and closes her eyes to either sleep or try to gather some courage and face everything she has avoided so far.

The girl ends up doing neither because a few seconds pass and Mark pushes his head inside the room.

"Can we talk now?" He asks and without any energy left, Bee nods to the chair next to her for him to sit.

[laceymorganwrites]

One of us

Word count: 1,979

Pairing: none

Warnings: swearing, mentions of abuse

Summary: Illumi tries to rebel, leading right to you and the troupe. His shackles break, he tastes freedom for the first time.

It was the most dangerous point this time of the year, the time when the troupe had to change their hideout.

You didn´t really have to but there have been incidents in the past that made you extra careful now, incidents that started the whole Zoldyck hatred in your group.

Well hatred would mean fear as well which wasn´t the case, they were more of a nuisance, a wasp that always came back to eat the cake even though you flicked it away so many times already.

Though you had to give it to them, they tried, always came back even though they knew they´d lose. Just like all the other times.

It was like a game of cat and mouse, hide and seek.

It would´ve been fun if it wasn´t so annoying.

You had to admit that it was kind of funny to see those old guys chase after you, with such a laughable ambition in their eyes. What were they even trying to achieve? Honestly, you were just trying to live your life and have some fun. As far as you were concerned you never interfered with anyone of them or their acquaintances if they had any.

Well, maybe they were just trying to stay relevant in the underground and took every job they could get even though they could never even hope to finish it.

Quite a sad fate but that was what you got when you just wouldn´t learn your lesson.

Being stubborn wasn´t always the key to being successful.

“Where are we going this time, captain?” you asked, peaking out your head from behind the boxes you were carrying.

“Oh! How about somewhere near a beach? I haven´t been on vacation in so long” Machi chimed in, a dreamy expression in her eyes.

“Wait actually, how about a vacation? I mean we don´t really have any jobs right now, why not take a day or two off?” you supported her statement.

Everyone seemed to agree with the idea but Chrollo was reluctant. “We should move somewhere safe first and make sure the Zoldycks are busy with something else. I´ll think about it then” he let you know.

After they killed one of you he became paranoid, even more than he already was.

And you couldn´t blame him.

Chrollo didn´t have it easy in the first place managing the spider, being able to stay hidden and without anyone bothering you.

“Alright. I´ll check the route” you said, making yourself useful and making sure nobody would follow you.

As you stepped out of the hideout and looked around everything was in the clear, you nodded at Phinks and Uvogin who were responsible for driving the trucks with all your belongings.

The two men helped carry the last boxes inside the trunks and then you all joined them in the cars.

Chrollo was on edge, you could tell, the way he stared outside the window so paranoid as if you´d get attacked the next second.

“We´re almost there, captain. I can´t sense anyone but us, it´s gonna be over soon” you tried to calm him down, he appreciated it, just nodding.

His jaw was still clenched, but that was just how he was, always looking out for others and disregarding himself in the process.

When you arrived it was a bit too quiet for your liking, the others were careful too.

“I´m going to check it out, you guys can start unpacking already” you said and walked around the property. This time you chose an abandoned hotel, the furniture was still in tact and Shalnark could work very well in the security and control room.

You decided to work on the basement together, making a nice playroom for Feitan.

The building was big enough so that there was something for everyone, the location was very well hidden too, so maybe you could stay here longer this time. You´d like that.

Carefully and observant you looked around and walked everywhere around the property, nobody else was here besides you, but you could feel something. It made you uneasy. And yet it wasn´t a threatening aura.

That was it. An aura.

Anyone who´d come to attack you would conceal it, so why…. Why was this person here? And more importantly: where were they?

You frowned, being even more careful now and not making it as obvious that you were looking around. Hell, you even laid against a brick wall as to show how much you didn´t know what was going on. You let your guard down in hopes of them doing it too.

But Illumi was even more careful. This was the most important mission in his life, the mission to gain his parents´ approval and love, failure was not an option.

No matter what you do, don´t mess with the spiders. They´re not worth the effort and work. That´s what they always told him. And he had believed them his whole life, not even questioning it once.

But rather than doing exactly that and becoming aware of the fact that he was stronger than his parents thought he could ever be, in a way that wasn´t self destructive, in a way that wasn´t manipulative, he decided to make this rule something twisted.

Illumi knew what sort of punishment waited for him for breaking that rule, after all his family were the only ones who were still able to actually hurt him.

However he saw it as a chance, if he broke the rule and succeeded in killing them that would only show them what a great assassin they made of him, he wondered if his parents would finally be proud of him then.

“You don´t have any ill intent, how can I help you?” you faced him, still not seeing him but you could sense his nen well enough.

Illumi stayed hidden for a bit, how could you detect him? That messed up his plan quite the bit, but he didn´t have time to let it get to him.

He watched you from afar again, watching you just stand there unguarded. It was naive and stupid but so calculated, he rather felt like prey in a trap now, not the other way around. You made him uneasy and that excited him.

Maybe it wouldn´t hurt to play this game of catch with you, after all there was no hurt in having fun in his job, was there? Perhaps he was just playing with fire, you had challenged him for something he couldn´t calculate, for something he wasn´t ready for. It was exciting beyond belief.

“Ah, there you are~” you grinned when Illumi finally revealed himself.

“It´s not wise to be out here on your own, not calling anyone for help when you know someone´s here to harm you” he coldly stated, though it wasn´t really cold, it was just… distant, uncaring. There was no emotion behind it at all and yet all of them were. Maybe you were delusional but you could swear that you saw deep grief in his eyes, an even deeper hatred and regret.

Still, you didn´t know him, you doubted the others did as well.

“Yeah well it´s kind of obligatory to face danger in my work, so what brings you here? Something personal or just a job?” you couldn´t deny the fact that you were curious. After all it was pretty easy figuring out that he was an assassin as well. That only made things more interesting though.

“A bit of both” he answered truthfully. Again. No emotion in it at all. And somehow that just drew you in all the more.

“I see, well… hate to rain on your parade but we´re not really the types of people who get taken out easily. Or at all for that matter. But since you seem like a nice guy I´ll let you go before you make any stupid decisions” you offered him, Illumi was trained that nobody could ever trace his true intentions but all that training might as well be useless. Your intuition was better than that.

“I´m afraid I can´t do that. If I leave now everything will be over. I´ve come too far already to give up now” he let you know. Leaving for him would mean admitting to his parents that he broke their rule, he didn´t want to be punished like that ever again. He wanted to be free of them. Free for good this time.

But you were right, this was stupid to begin with. He knew how dangerous the spider was, he knew he wasn´t strong enough on his own. He sighed, the first sign of humanity he showed ever since he appeared. “I won´t kill you. But I can´t return either… this is inconvenient” he shook his head, thinking. Just what was he supposed to do now?

“Tell you what, why don´t you join us? You look like you have some tragic past, fits the job description” you grinned a bit.

Inviting him was a stupid idea, you knew that. But you felt sorry for him somehow. He clearly didn´t have a place where he belonged and to you that was just sad. Because you knew that everyone had a place to belong to, no matter how fucked up and broken they were.

“Pardon? I´m afraid that´s the worst idea I´ve ever heard” he said, appalled. Human emotion detected!

“Bad ideas make for good stories, what do you have to lose?” you grinned, curious about his answer.

Illumi had to chuckle at that. “Nothing anymore actually. I would´ve said my family but I never had one to begin with” his eyes were so empty when he said that, it made you sad.

Though they also held that sorrowful look in them, that realization that he could never have a normal family, that he could never be truly happy and he shouldn´t care, he knew he shouldn´t but … he couldn´t help it. It wasn´t his fault. It was engraved in him from childhood.

“Well now you do! Welcome to the spider” you smiled and practically dragged him along into the hideout with you.

To say the rest was shocked would be an understatement. Alarmed would be more fitting. After all you just brought their enemy into the hideout. However even they had to admit after a while that Illumi was anything but an enemy. Sure at first he was quite awkward and didn´t know how to act around everyone. But that was the thing, he didn´t have to act anymore.

For the first time in his life he could be himself, for the first time he had a chance to figure out who the hell that even was.

He fit right in into the troupe, they were all outcasts in their own way, each had their weird quirks about them and that was just what made them unique and special, that wasn´t a bad thing like he had been taught. After a while he even opened up enough to laugh and joke around with everyone. Though his way of laughing was just smiling ever so slightly that you wouldn´t even notice it if you didn´t look hard enough.

But you did. And the others did too. You cared about Illumi, he was one of you now, everyone would want to read him and they were patient enough to wait for him to open up, he was a great addition to your little makeshift family. And he was funny. Illumi had a dark humor but when you got it, it was the funniest thing you´ve ever heard. It even had Chrollo chuckling. And for him that was the highest of expressions and the biggest compliment.

And when Illumi´s former family attacked he fought on his real family´s side. He fought for himself, to keep this freedom, this inner peace, this adventure and excitement he´s never known before.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LUNATIC PARADE ;; Ayato Route ー Chapter 2

ー The scene starts in the hotel room

*Rustle*

Yui: Nn...Hm...?

*Rustle*

Yui: ( ...I wonder how long I slept...? )

Ayato: Zzー... Zzー...

Yui: ( Ayato-kun’s still asleep. I better be careful not to wake him up... )

*Creaaaak*

Easy...There.

ー The scene shifts to the balcony

Yui: Hm...?

( ...What’s this smell...? )

( Somehow there’s this really nice scent coming from downstairs. ...A food vendor of some sorts, perhaps? )

*Groooowl*

Yui: ( ...Guess I’ll go take a quick look... )

ー The scene shifts to the wagon area

Pretzel vendor: Aah, miss! What do you say? Are you hungry for a freshly-baked pretzel?

Yui: ( Wah...There’s more different kinds of pretzels than I thought... )

Pretzel vendor: I studied the art of the pretzel for an extended time over in the human world, so I can guarantee the taste.

They’re quite popular amongst my customers down here as well. So, which one would you like?

Yui: ( Hm...What should I do? I can’t decide... )

*Rustle*

Yui: Um...Which one would you recommend?

Pretzel vendor: A recommendation, huh? ...I’d love to say I would recommend them all but...Let’s see...

Male punk A: Oi, old geezer. Give us one of those pretzel things as well.

Pretzel vendor: ...Aah In that case, please get in line over there.

Male punk B: Aah!? We’re askin’ for some right now. Come on, hand them over!

*THUD*

Yui: ...!

ー The crowd grows restless

Yui: ( What’s their problem...? )

Pretzel vendor: Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve got other customers waiting in line. ...!?

*THUD*

Male punk A: ...Oi, old geezer. Who do you think you’re talkin’ to, huh? You want us to get in queue? 

Male punk B: If you keep tryin’ to get all cute with us, we’ll ensure you’ll never do business here again, understood? Take that!

*THUD*

Yui: ( This is outrageous...! )

E-Excuse me...!

Male punk B: Aah? What’s this chick’s problem...?

Yui: Why would you try and pick a fight with this man when he has done nothing wrong at all...?

Pretzel vendor: ...Miss...!

Male punk A: Hah...Hilarious. This chick’s tryin’ to get in our way, see?

Male punk B: ...Seems like it. We can’t let her get away with that though.

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyaah!

( H-He’s so strong...! Oh no, at this rate...! )

???: Don’t touch her!

*THUD*

Male punk A: Uwaah!!

*Thud*

Yui: ...!?

Ayato: Oi, the fuck are you...? Don’t be tryin’ to mess with my woman!

Yui: A-Ayato-kun...!

( Don’t tell me...He jumped down from the hotel’s veranda...!? )

Male punk B: O-Oi...! You alright, mate!? ...Now you’ve done it!

Ayato: What? ...Wanna throw some fists? Fine by me? I’ll be your opponent if you’re that insistent on gettin’ your ass kicked!

Male punk B: ...F-Fuck...! Oi, let’s go!

Male punk A: Y-Yeah...Oi, we’ll remember this!!

ー The two punks run off

Ayato: Phew...Geez...Oi, Chichinashi!

Why did you sneak out while I was asleep? I was worried, you know!?

You got lucky I just so happened to look outside at the right time, but do you realize what could have gone down if I didn’t...?

I know you’re not bein’ targeted now that you don’t have your heart and all.

But that doesn’t mean you should go wanderin’ off on your own.

Yui: I-I’m sorry...

Pretzel vendor: Calm down, you. Please don’t be too harsh on her, okay?

Ayato: Aah? And who are you...?

Pretzel vendor: As you can tell, I’m the owner of this stall. Thanks to her, my precious shop wasn’t destroyed.

*Rustle*

Pretzel vendor: ...This is the only thing I can offer, but consider this my way of thanking you. Enjoy it together, okay?

Yui: Eh...?

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: ( We got so many pretzels...! )

Ayato: You sure?

Pretzel vendor: Yes, of course. Please enjoy the Parade while you can.

Yui: Thank you very much!

Ayato: ...Hmph. Well, guess I’ll have one since we got them for free anyway...

Yui: Yeah. Shall we go sit down on one of the benches over there then...?

ー They sit down

Ayato: Nn...This stuff’s not half bad, considering it’s pitch black. 

Mmh...What flavor is this though? Oi, Chichinashi. You have a bite too.

ー He leans in

Ayato: Here, open your mouth.

Yui: Eh? ...Nn...

( ...He just forced it inside...! )

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Hehe. How is it? Pretty good, right?

Yui: Nn...Yeah...I wonder what it could be...? It tastes a little like...black sesame?

( The vendor from earlier did say he got his training in the human world... )

Ayato: Haah? Black sesame here in the Demon World? Well, I guess it’s fine. It’s not bad and that’s what matters.

So? What are we gonna do now? We have to clear the assignment given to us by Walter, right?

Yui: Yeah...

( ...Our ‘wrongdoings’... )

( ...It has to be... )

Say, Ayato-kun? I’ve been thinking ever since...

Ayato: ...? What...?

Yui: While we were running away from the Gatekeeper after coming to the Demon World.

We caused trouble for many people, didn’t we...?

Ayato: Trouble? ...Did we?

Yui: We broke into the basement of someone else’s home, knocking over their cupboards...

Ayato: ...Oh. Now that you mention it, that did happen, didn’t it...?

Yui: So I thought maybe that’s what the Count meant with our ‘wrongdoings’...

Ayato: Hmm. Let’s assume that’s what he meant...What should we do then?

Yui: ...I’m not quite sure myself, but for now, I guess the best we can do is go and apologize...

Ayato: Haah? Apologize? That’s...

Yui: But...The Count said we should redeem ourselves so...I don’t think there’s much else we can do but say sorry...

Ayato: Hmph, I don’t like the sound of that.

Yui: ...

Ayato: But, well, I don’t exactly have a better idea either. Guess I have no other choice but to roll with your plan for now.

Yui: ...Ayato-kun...!

Ayato: ‘Kay, let’s get goin’ right away then.

Yui: ...Yeah!

( Thank you, Ayato-kun. )

ー The scene shifts to the underground passage

Yui: ( It was around here, right...? )

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah!

Ayato: Shh, quiet!

Yui: ( ...? )

Ayato: Oi, take a look. The atmosphere’s not quite the same as yesterday.

*Knock knock*

Suspicious man A: ...It’s me. Open up.

Suspicious man B: Everyone’s present, right? ...Don’t worry, nobody should have followed us down here.

*Clunk*

Yui: It’s that room...Right?

Ayato: Yeah. I’m sure of it. It’s the basement we broke into yesterday.

I don’t know why, but they were bein’ all secretive. What’s going on?

Yui: ( Ayato-kun’s right, something seems a little off... )

*Rustle*

Yui: Anyway, it’d be bad if we were to get yelled at again for interrupting, so perhaps we should wait here for a bit?

Ayato: Che. We have to wait down here in this gloomy place?

Oi, Chichinashi. Help me kill some time. Nn...

Yui: Eh!? Hold on! Not here...!

*Rustle*

???: ...Well then, we will put our plan into action tomorrow night.

Yui: ( ...Hm? I can hear a voice from the other side of the door... )

Ayato: Come on, scoot closer.

Yui: ...! Ayato-kun, be quiet for a second...! 

ー She pushes him away

*Thud*

Ayato: ...!?

???: ...Exactly. While everyone else is too preoccupied with the Parade.

???: ...I will act as the decoy. ...As for the location, is Zartan’s Mouth okay?

???: Yes, I do not mind. However, there’s a few issues...

Yui: ( ...Is this some sort of strategy meeting...? )

Ayato: ...Oi, Chichinashi...You little...

You sure have some guts to push me away like that!

I’m gonna have to suck you right here, right now then! Come here!

Yui: A-Ayato-kun! Hold up...!

???: ...Who’s there!?

*THUD*

Owner: ...You two...You’re the people from yesterday!!

Ayato: ...!

Yui: ( T-They saw us!! )

Suspicious man A: ...Did you hear us just now!? Which means...You two must be spies, right!?

Ayato: Aah? Spies? The fuck you talkin’ ‘bout?

Yui: Spies? ...You’re wrong! We simply came here to apologize for what happened yesterday...!

Suspicious man B: Shut up! We can’t let you run free now that you’ve heard our plan!

Yui: We’re speaking the truth! We really did come here to say sorry for yesterday!

( Please believe us...! )

Owner: To apologize, huh...? Oi, brat. How about you?

Ayato: Aah!? Who do you think you’re calling a brat!? Don’t fuck with me...

But it’s exactly as she said. We did kind of invite ourselves in yesterday...

Owner: ...I see. Well, but...

You heard our plan. Furthermore...

You did quite the number on me yesterday. You can say sorry all you want, I’m not forgiving you.

Yui: ( No way...! )

Ayato: A number...?

Owner: Hmph...You knocked over one of the cupboards when you ran away, didn’t you?

My precious key broke in the process. See?

*Rustle*

Yui: ( ...It’s snapped right in half... )

I-I’m so sorry...!

Ayato: ...Hah. That’s all?

Oi, old fart. Gimme that key for a sec. I’ll fix it.

Then you’ll forgive us, right?

Owner: ...Well, I would. If you can fix it, that is.

Ayato: Aah? That’s a piece of cake, isn’t it? You just take it to a locksmith and have them fix it for you.

Yui: ( It really is that easy...right...? )

( However...Something seems a little... )

Owner: Hmph. You seem rather confident. I’ll leave this key in your care then.

*Rustle*

Owner: However, you only have until tomorrow. If you fail to repair the key by then...

Ayato: Hah, don’t worry, one day is plenty. See you later, old fart.

Let’s go, Chichinashi.

*Rustle*

Yui: Y-Yeah...

( I have a bad feeling about this...I hope it’s just my imagination... )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the wagon area

Ayato: Let’s see, a locksmith, locksmith...Aren’t there any ‘round? ...Guess we just gotta ask someone.

???: Welcome!

Ayato: Ah, oi. Mister! Is there a locksmith somewhere ‘round here?

???: ...! You’re that brat from yesterday...!

Ayato: Ah...?

Yui: Ah! 

( This guy, if I recall correctly...! )

ー A flashback ensues

Ayato: Oi, Chichinashi! We’re takin’ a shortcut! This way!

Crepe vendor: Crepes! Who’s hungry for some fresh crepes?

Ayato: Get out of the way!

*THUD*

*CRASH*

Crepe vendor: Uwaah! My stall!

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( From back then...! )

Crepe vendor: Oi! How dare you destroy my stall back then!?

Ayato: Haah? The fuck you talkin’ ‘bout? Anyway, hurry up and tell us where we can find a locksmith!

Crepe vendor: And why exactly should I do that?

Ayato: Aah? Excuse me...!?

Yui: ( ...! )

Selection

→ Stop him by tugging onto him (☾)

*Thud*

Yui: Ayato-kun! You can’t!

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: ...Let go! What’s your problem!?

Yui: Calm down...!

*Rustle rustle*

→ Stop him by shouting

Yui: Ayato-kun! You can’t!

Ayato: Shut up! You keep quiet!

Yui: ( He totally forgot! )

You don’t remember how you flipped this man’s stall upside down while we were on the run yesterday!?

Ayato: Hm? R-Right...Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember somethin’ like that...

Yui: Mister! Let us apologize for what happened back then. We truly feel sorry...!

Crepe vendor: Hah! It’s a little late to apologize now.

Yui: But...We really need you to forgive us...!

( If not, we can’t complete the Count’s assignment... )

Crepe vendor: Hmph. You sure say some strange things, young lady. I’m sorry, but I don’t plan on forgiving you any time soon.

As a result, I lost half a day of business yesterday. My sales figures are doomed!

???: Calm down, sir. Don’t be so hasty.

Yui: ( ...That’s... )

Crepe vendor: ...You’re the guy who sells pretzels...

Pretzel vendor: I happen to know those two.

They helped me out when I was being pestered by a duo of punks this morning.

Crepe vendor: ...These two did?

Pretzel vendor: Yes, exactly. So, what do you say? Why don’t you do me a favor and forgive them?

Yui: ...!

Crepe vendor: ...But still...I can’t just forgive them for free...

Hm...I suppose it can’t be helped. What do you think of this offer? You have to run the shop for half a day in return.

Ayato: Run the shop? You mean the crepe stall?

Crepe vendor: Yes. I was actually just thinking of going to watch the Parade with my wife. 

If you two can take over the shop in the meantime, I’ll forgive you for what happened yesterday.

Yui: Really...!? 

Ayato: Hm, a crepe stall, huh...? Well, I don’t mind. Sounds kinda fun.

Yui: I’ll help out too! Thank you very much!

Pretzel vendor: Glad to hear! Good luck, you two.

Yui: Thank you too, sir!

Crepe vendor: I’ll teach you how to make the crepes, so come here.

Yui: Yes!

( Seems like he’ll forgive us somehow. Thank god...! )

*TIMESKIP*

Ayato: ‘Kay, let’s get straight to business. Of course, I’ll be in charge of making the crepes.

Yui: Yeah, sure.

( Fufu. Despite his complaints from earlier, he’s very motivated right now! )

ー Ayato starts baking the crepes

Ayato: Here I go! Voila!

*Plop*

Yui: Ah, Ayato-kun! If you pour on that much batter at once...

Ayato: Ah? I’m sure it’ll turn out fine somehow! Now I just gotta make it round...Huh...?

*Pshhh*

Ayato: Fuck, it’s not workin’ at all...The fuck’s goin’ on...?

Yui: A-Ayato-kun, at this rate...

( ...Actually, this smell... )

*Pshhhh*

Yui: ( ...I knew it, it’s burning!! )

Ayato: Che, fuck...This isn’t workin’ out at all. Fuck this! I’m done! It’s up to you now, Chichinashi!

Yui: Eh!? H-Hold up...!

( ...Geez, in that case...! )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: ( ...Seems like I got the hang of it somehow...Thank god. )

Female Vampire E: Those look delicious. May I have one crepe?

Female Vampire D: Me too~!

Yui: Y-Yes! I’ll make one right awaーー

( ...What do I do? The shop suddenly got crowded. )

???: Ah-ahー Guess I can’t trust you alone with the store like this. I’ll help you out a lil’.

Yui: ...! Ayato-kun!

( Thank god, he came back...! )

Ayato: ...Oi. You over there, which flavors do you want? Make it quick!

Female Vampire E: A-Are you talking to me...? Then, caramel and...

Ayato: Hah, think again!

Yui: Eeh!?

( How could he treat a customer like that...!? )

Ayato: ...Hmー Let’s see. While I’m at it...There.

*Splatter*

Ayato: Yeah, lookin’ good! Behold, Ayato-sama’s special edition blood-drenched crepe!

Yui: Blood-drenched...!?

( There’s lots of strawberry sauce oozing out from the sides...! )

( I’m sure this will upset the customer... )

Female Vampire F: W-Wow! I’ve never seen such an innovative crepe before!!

Male Vampire D: For real...! This crepe encompasses everything a Vampire loves perfectly...!

Male Vampire E: I’d like one of those as well, sonny!

ー More customers crowd around the stall

Yui: ( A long line formed in front of the shop in no time...! )

Ayato: Hah, if you want one, you better wait there patiently!

...Oi, Chichinashi! Keep on baking those bad boys!

Yui: R-Roger...!

( I can’t quite explain why, but Ayato-kun is something else... )

*TIMESKIP*

Crepe vendor: Geez, you really did me a huge favor. Seems like the store did great business thanks to you two!

Ayato: Hah, Yours Truly made those crepes, so what else did you expect?

Crepe vendor: Haha. Anyway, let’s forget about what happened yesterday. I’ll tell you where you can find a locksmith as well.

Yui: Really?

( Thank god...! )

Thank you very much!

ー The scene shifts to Diamante Fountain

Yui: ...Hmー I’m pretty sure it should be somewhere around here...

( According to the map the crepe vendor drew for us, the locksmith should be on the plaza with the fountain... )

Ayato: Oi, hold up one sec.

Yui: Eh? ...Kyah!

*Rustle*

Yui: ( W-What...? )

Ayato: Hehe, Chichinashi. You’ve got some cream stuck on your face, you know? Just how frantic were you back there?

Yui: Eh!? 

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Che...Don’t move. I’ll get it for you...

Nn...Nn...

Yui: ( ...He licked it off...! )

Ayato: ...Heeh, not bad. What you’d expect from a famous place. However...

*Rustle*

...I prefer this. Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: Nn...!

( Ayato-kun, we’re in public right now...! )

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: A-Ayato-kun...! Now’s not the time to mess around...!

Ayato: Oh? Oi, check that out! That shop has a signboard in the shape of a key. Couldn’t that be the place?

Yui: Eh!? Ah...You’re right. It might be.

Ayato: Let’s go take a look!

ー He walks towards the store

Yui: ( ...! I feel like he just skillfully talked his way out! )

*Knock knock*

Yui: Excuse me!

Ayato: Oi! Anyone ‘round!?

*Thud thud*

Yui: ( Could they be closed...? )

Flower shop owner: Yes, if you’re looking for the locksmith, he has been on vacation for quite some time.

Yui: Eh...!?

Flower shop owner: He always closes his shop during the Parade because he has very few customers at this time of year.

Yui: ( N-No way... )

Ayato: Fuck! We finally made it here and the bastard’s on holiday!? Fuck that!

Ahーah. There goes all of my motivation...I’m already exhausted after all the shit that went down today...

Yui: ( ...Now that he mentions it, I’m a little tired too... )

Ayato: Say, Chichinashi. We have until tomorrow to get the key repaired, right?

Yui: Yeah...

Ayato: Let’s go on a full-on search for the locksmith tomorrow then.

For one, I doubt we’ll have an easy time finding a stranger amidst this large of a crowd.

Yui: ( He does have a point... )

( Besides, Ayato-kun really tried his hardest today, from helping fend off those punks to selling crepes as well... )

( I want to give him some time to rest... )

Yui: ...Right. Let’s head back to the hotel early todaーー

Ayato: Idiot. Who’s so stupid to return to their hotel room at this hour?

Yui: Eh?

Ayato: Why don’t we have a look ‘round the Parade now that we’re here as well?

I’m sure things will work out if we give it our all tomorrow. That being said, let’s get goin’!

*Rustle*

Yui: Ah, wait, Ayato-kun...!

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to Saint Nore Park

Ayato: Ahー The Magic Carpet ride really is the best! So, where should we go next?

Yui: ( Ayato-kun looks like he’s having fun. ...I’m glad. )

( We still have a whole lot of issues to tackle, but the Parade only happens once a year, so I want him to be able to enjoy it a little... )

Ayato: Oh, they’ve got something interesting goin’ on over there. Oi, let’s go!

Yui: Yeah!

ー The scene shifts to the venue

Ayato: It’s on! Let’s see who can make their way out of the House of Mirrors first!

Yui: Sure!

Ayato: Hehe. I won’t lose! I’m goin’ in this way. See you at the exit!

ー Ayato runs inside

Yui: ( Okay! I have to try my best so I don’t lose either! )

ー The scene shifts to the House of Mirrors

Yui: ( Hm... )

( Everything looks the same, so I feel as if I’ve just been going in circles this whole time... )

*Riiiiing*

Yui: ...!?

ー It flashes white before her eyes

Yui: ( W-What���s going on...!? I feel dizzy all of a sudden... )

( Did the House of Mirrors make me feel sick perhaps...? )

*Riiiiing*

Yui: ...! 

( ...No...I’m not just dizzy... )

( There’s something wrong...With my heart...With the Kleinod... )

*Riiiiing*

ー Yui collapses

*Thud*

Yui: ( Everything’s going black...before my eyes... )

( ...Ayato...ku...n... )

*TIMESKIP*

???: ...Lady...Young lady...

Yui: ( ... )

???: ...Young lady...Hang in there, young lady...!

Yui: ( ...Somebody’s calling me...? )

ー Yui wakes up

Yui: ...Uu...Hm...?

Vampire gentleman: Aah, thank god! You regained consciousness!

Yui: ( Ah...Right. I fainted in the House of Mirrors... )

Vampire gentleman: I was shocked to find you passed out here! Did you come with someon...ーー

ー Ayato runs up to them

Ayato: ...Oi! What are you doin’ to her!? Back off at once!!

*THUD*

Vampire gentleman: Uguh!?

Yui: ...! Ayato-kun!?

*Rustle*

Ayato: Yui! Are you okay!?

Oi, you bastard! She’s mine! Try to harm her and you’ll regret it!

Vampire gentleman: Kuh...Harm her...? I simply...

Ayato: I don’t need to hear your excuses! I’ll beat you to pulp right now! 

Yui: ( ...! He’s definitely got the wrong idea! )

*Rustle*

Yui: Ayato-kun! You’ve got it all wrong!! It’s a misunderstanding!

He only helped me out when I was feeling unwell...!

Ayato: Aah...? What didya just say...?

Vampire gentleman: ...Hmph! So this is what I get for trying to be kind...!? I’ll excuse myself now!

ー He walks away

Yui: Ah...

( He left... )

Yui: You can’t deny that you went too far just now, kicking him out of nowhere...

Ayato: Che, I had no other choice, did I...?

From my angle, it looked as if that bastard was tryin’ to suck your blood or somethin’...

...Geez, I was waitin’ by the exit but you just wouldn’t show up, so I came lookin’ for you...

Yui: ( ...Ayato-kun... )

I’m sorry for making you worry...

Ayato: Oi, more importantly. I heard you were feelin’ unwell...? Are you alright now?

Yui: ...Yeah, I’m fine now...

*Riiiiing*

Yui: ...ーー!?

( ...Again... )

Ayato: ...!? Oi!

Yui: ( I can’t...My consciousness is... )

ー She faints again

Ayato: Yui!

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: ( ...What’s happening...? My body feels light... )

???: ...Yui...!

ー She wakes up in the hotel room

Yui: Uu...Hm...?

( I’m at...the hotel...? )

Ayato: Ah! You finally woke up...?

Yui: Ayato-kun...I...

Ayato: You passed out. It gave me a scare. I carried you back here for now.

...Are you alright?

Yui: Yeah, I’m fine now.

Ayato: Mmh. Glad to hear that. Don’t push yourself, ‘kay?

*Rustle*

Yui: ( ...He’s stroking my head... )

Ayato: ...Haah, anyway. It’s already late, so just stay in bed, ‘kay?

Yui: Yeah, I will. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble.

Ayato: ...It’s fine. Besides, I never thought of it like that.

I don’t care as long as you’re safe and sound...

Yui: ( Ayato-kun...I’m so happy... )

( ...Now that I’m feeling more relaxed, I can suddenly feel the fatigue kicking in... )

*Rustle rustle*

ー She falls asleep as the scene shifts to her dream

Yui: ( ...Where am I...? )

( Could it be, again...? )

Mysterious man: ...Hello there, it’s been a while.

Yui: ( This voice... )

Are you...Count Walter, perhaps...?

Mysterious man: ...Fufu. I wonder?

Yui: ...

Mysterious man: That Ayato...He seems rather attached to you.

He jumped the gun and kicked a man he had never seen or met before, what am I going to do with him?

Yui: ...You were watching, it seems...?

Mysterious man: Yes, I saw everything...I wonder why exactly he seems so devoted to you?

Yui: Why...?

Mysterious man: Yes. Have you never asked yourself that question?

Yui: Well...

Mysterious man: Do you perhaps think...He is doing it out of love for you?

Yui: ...

Mysterious man: Fufu, seems like I am correct. However, if you do, I think it is time you think again.

Yui: ...What do you mean?

Mysterious man: That man, you see, only ever thinks about being the best there is.

Therefore, he does not want to lose you, the person who has a heart like nobody else does. ...Am I wrong?

Yui: ...That’s not...!

( Is he implying that Ayato-kun only protects me because of my heart...? )

( That just can’t be...I mean, Ayato-kun is...! )

He isn’t that kind of person. He really does... (1)

( It’s not because of my heart...But because he cares about me as a person... )

Mysterious man: ...Kuku...Hahaha...!

Yui: ...What’s so funny?

Mysterious man: Oh no, my bad. I was just thinking what a foolish, pitiful girl you are...

Do you truly believe a Vampire such as himself is capable of grasping the meaning of true love?

...If you do, you are gravely mistaken.

ー Yui wakes up

*Rustle*

Yui: ...Haah...! Haah...Haah...

( ...Was that a dream just now...? )

*Rustle*

Yui: ...Ayato-kun...? 

( ...He doesn’t seem to be around...Did he head out, perhaps...? )

ー She recalls her dream

Mysterious man: Do you truly believe a Vampire such as himself is capable of grasping the meaning of true love?

...If you do, you are gravely mistaken.

ー The dream sequence ends

Yui: ( ...That’s not true. Ayato-kun isn’t like that. )

( I have faith in him... )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー 

← RETURN TO CHAPTER 1

→ PROCEED WITH MAIN STORY [CHAPTER 3]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #1 [W/ REIJI]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #2 [W/ LAITO]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #3 [W/ AZUSA]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #4 [W/ CARLA]

[heliads]

One Moves On Chapter Four: Crow Rock

Stiles Stilinski doesn’t know what to think when he’s taken by the Ghost Riders. He’s grateful to be joined by Y/N L/N, although when he finally escapes, no one seems to remember her at all.

previous / series masterlist / next

Now that he’s finished his research, Stiles isn’t sure what to do next. Does he drive over in a fit of glory and bad decision making, hope to find Y/N and pray she hasn’t left before he gets there? Does he risk traveling without a pack to one of the areas with the most supernatural activity other than Beacon Hills? 

In the end, Stiles decides to just go. Deliberating and hesitating won’t do him any good, not when Y/N is still out there, weaponless and with no idea where she is. Stiles spends a haphazard half hour running about his house, trying to put together supplies he might need for the trip, before finally stumbling over to his Jeep.

When he finally makes it out, keys clutched in his hand, Scott is waiting for him.

His best friend is leaning up against the driver’s side door, arms folded across his chest. Stiles’ steps falter. “You knew I was going?” Scott lifts a shoulder. “Your dad called me, said he was worried. We knew you’ve been concerned about Y/N, but we didn’t know that you would go this far. Where are you going, Stiles?”

Stiles holds up a hastily printed map. “Actually, I’m going to a town called Crow Rock. Good supernatural activity, and I followed the law of triangles-” Stiles’ voice dies off as he takes in the look on Scott’s face. “The law of triangles, which is a very reputable law from a very reputable manuscript which we all know about. Right. Well, I know how it sounds but trust me, it’s going to be alright.”

Scott sighs. “I want to believe you. Honestly, I do. But Y/N died months ago. You have to know that. I didn’t even know you cared this much about her. I’d call it grief, but you watched her die some time ago. She’s already buried.” Stiles frowns at him. “Is she? Where?” Scott fumbles for a moment. “Uh, in some cemetery.” Stiles presses his advantage. “Which cemetery? If we saw her buried, where is she?”

Scott’s brow furrows, and he stares at Stiles in bewilderment. “I can’t remember. I know where Allison and Aiden and all the others are buried, but I don’t know where she is.” Stiles throws his hands in the air. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You don’t know because she isn’t dead. We never buried her so of course we can’t remember the cemetery. Scott, you have to believe me. She’s out there somewhere and I have to bring her back.”

Scott’s face softens. “You’re sure this will work? You know where to find her?” Stiles nods fervently. “I’ve done my research. Sometimes, people are pulled away from rifts by something called etheria. I was able to make it back safely from the Wild Hunt, but she wouldn’t. She’s not the first either- these victims, they call them etherials or something, have been disappearing for centuries. I’ve managed to track down another hotspot where she might be located and I think it’s my best shot at finding her.”

Scott nods once, then claps him on the shoulder. “I think you can do it.” Stiles looks up at him. “Really?” Scott smiles trustingly. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve put in a considerable amount of time for research. I think if anyone could track down an etherial who everyone else thinks is dead, it would be you.” Stiles grins. For some reason, hearing his best friend’s belief in him is enough to give Stiles a boost in confidence.

Scott steps away from the door of the Jeep, allowing Stiles access at last. “I just wanted to check with you before you go. To make sure you knew what you were doing.” He glances at the map, taking in the location of the hotspot. “There’s going to be a lot of supernatural trouble there. You sure you don’t want a backup group?” Stiles shakes his head, smiling. “I’m good, thank you. I think this is something I have to do by myself.”

Stiles climbs into the Jeep, giving himself a moment to think. This is it, the last moment before he sets off on his journey. He’s spent so much time preparing that it’s strange to think that this is his stepping off point, the last opportunity he has to back down and say that this is too dangerous, or that the chances are too great that he will fail.

Stiles turns on the ignition in a roar. Scott waves goodbye as the Jeep disappears down the road.

Stiles has only been driving for an hour or so before he notices a shift in the air. It’s not much, barely there, but yet something is not right. It’s like the atmosphere of the car has become quieter, even more silent than before. No one has entered or left the vehicle to warrant this silence, but it’s still enough to make Stiles feel slightly uneasy. He’d felt it a little when he was crossing over the boundary to Beacon Hills, a slight change in the energy as if by leaving he was passing through a barrier of some sort.

Stiles supposes it makes sense- you leave a hotspot, you might notice some change. Stiles doubts he would have noticed it had he not just been taken by the Wild Hunt or even gone without his temporary possession by the Nogitsune. He has a feeling that sensing this change in supernatural activity is an ability usually attributed to the supernatural, and the fact that he, a supposedly ordinary human, can sense it sets Stiles’ teeth on edge.

Stiles becomes aware of another change about fifteen minutes later. He sits up straighter in his seat, trying and failing to figure out what exactly is filling him with unease, and then he sees the sign. It’s faded, paint crumbling off of a metal backing. Even with the weathering of the sign, Stiles can still read the derelict letters: Welcome to Crow Rock. Stiles has made it at last.

The Jeep rumbles on, past the sign and onto the twisting roads. Scott, Lydia, and Malia had told him about visiting Canaan while he was still in the thrall of the Wild Hunt, and how the entire town had given off the uncanny, almost sinister energy of a ghost town. Stiles has no idea what it must have been like to walk those streets, but he has a suspicion that it would be pretty similar to how he feels right now, driving down the blocks and avenues in his truck.

Stiles has looked at images of Crow Rock from larger topographical maps, and realized that the town itself isn’t actually that big. He’d been happy then, thinking that maybe this was one instance of luck for himself and that it might not take as long to search the town for Y/N, but that hope is starting to wither away from him now. The town may be small, yes, with fewer hiding spots, but it also means fewer people to watch him. With fewer bystanders, the chance of supernaturals backing down from a public attack grows slimmer and slimmer with each mile Stiles travels within the town.

Stiles intended to drive to the center of town, where the hotspot of supernatural activity would most likely be the highest. However, as he goes he finds that certain roads are blocked off or congested with traffic that miraculously vanishes a few blocks down. He’s forced to take alternate routes, driving him on a convoluted path away from the entrance. It gives Stiles a sneaking suspicion that he’s being intentionally misrouted, that something is drawing him close.

Stiles has just taken a turn into a new street when he’s forced to come to an abrupt stop. A construction barricade has been laid across the road, orange and white paint signaling that he can travel no further. Stiles checks his rearview mirrors, ready to make a U-turn and get onto another road, when he freezes in place. A group of people is slowly spilling out into the road behind him, and they come to a stop at the main road, blocking off any chance of escape. They all consider Stiles with identical glares. This is not good.

Seeing as he can’t drive anywhere without mowing down this group of people, Stiles turns off the ignition and starts to climb down out of the Jeep. All of his instincts are screaming at him to stay in the car, to not give up the one piece of shelter he still has left, but it’s not like he has much of a choice. At least he’d be able to run on foot- if he remains in the Jeep, he’d just be a sitting duck.

Stiles walks away from the car, coming to a stop a few yards away from the group. One man steps forward, glaring at Stiles with an almost animal rage. “You should not have come here, human. You reek of enemy packs.” Most people would be smart and hold their tongues, choosing to live instead of delivering a supposedly witty retort. Stiles prefers to save his academic success for the tests in school.

“I think it’s kind of mean to go up to people and tell them they smell. I mean, I showered this morning, I can’t be that bad.” The man raises an eyebrow. “You are a human with a death wish, I see. It is not wise to pick a fight that you cannot win.” Stiles shrugs. “I’m just a tourist, man. I can see why your driving tours got such low reviews on Yelp.”

The man scoffs, the sound skidding deep in his throat like the roar of an engine. “I am quickly tiring of you. I will give you one minute to leave this town. If you are not gone by then, you will be dead.” Stiles shakes his head slowly. “I can’t do that. I’m here for someone.” The man roars at him, the sound echoing off of the buildings around them to culminate in a low din of noise. “Then you will die here instead.”

The man charges towards Stiles, claws already starting to extend from his fingers. Stiles takes one look at him and decides to do what he does best: run. He spins on his heels, dashing towards his Jeep with every ounce of energy still left in him. He’s almost there, one hand flung out towards the door, when a werewolf skids to a stop in front of him. It lets out a piercing howl, the sound of an animal about to attack.

Suddenly, a knife slams into its throat, and the wolf slumps sideways. Stiles’ head jerks up as he looks for his savior. A blur of flashing knives and running limbs appears out of nowhere, and a figure grabs the knife from the werewolf’s throat to throw it at another approaching wolf. Then the figure turns to Stiles, and he feels like he could dance with joy.

“Y/N?” She flashes him a grin. “Great to see you. Get in the Jeep.” Stiles doesn’t think twice, diving for the door and throwing himself in. Y/N climbs into the passenger seat, slamming the door closed just before a werewolf can slash her to ribbons. Stiles turns on the ignition, thanking everything holy and then some that the engine doesn’t fail him. He begins the turn to direct his car back towards the road, and then hesitates.

Y/N stares at him. “What are you waiting for? Do you enjoy being killed by enemy packs?” Stiles gestures towards the road. “The werewolves are blocking all the lanes!” Y/N’s eyes widen in something like incredulity. “Then run them over!” Stiles returns her startled gaze. “They’ll wreck my car!” Y/N grabs his hand, forcing it back onto the wheel. “If you stay here, they’ll wreck your car by dragging your dead body out of it and tearing it to shreds. Drive!”

A wolf howls nearby, raising his hand to slash at the metal body of the car. This is enough to motivate him, and Stiles slams a foot on the gas. The Jeep lurches forward, and the werewolves are forced to dive out of the way lest they get flattened by the wheels. The Jeep races around corners and through straightaways before they finally lose the enemy pack and the roads become deserted once more.

Stiles stares at the windshield unseeingly. His hands still shake from the close call. “You know, I don’t think I used my turn signal once during all of this.” There’s a quiet sound next to him, and for a second Stiles thinks that Y/N has started sobbing. Then he looks over and realizes that she’s doubled over in silent laughter. She manages to choke out two words. “Turn signal?”

Stiles stares at her for a second, then starts laughing too. Maybe it’s the thrill of yet another near death experience, or the rush of gratitude that he’s managed to find her at last, but all of a sudden every single thing in the world seems funny. He has to divert his attention back to the road in a jolt lest he run over a suicidal squirrel, which just makes them laugh even harder.

At last, they approach the sign announcing that they will shortly be leaving Crow Rock. Y/N’s laughter dies on her lips as she stares at the sign, then speaks abruptly. “Stop the car.” Stiles stares at her as she jumps out before the wheels have even stopped moving. He puts the car in park just a little bit beyond the sign, then leaps out after her. “What are you doing? Do you like the idea of being slashed to bits by the enemy packs?”

Y/N shakes her head, staring at him with quiet grief. “I can’t leave the town.” Stiles walks back over to her. “What are you talking about?” Y/N looks at him, and Stiles realizes that she doesn’t look afraid or even disappointed. Her face only holds a calm acceptance of a depressing fact. “I can’t leave. I’ve tried before, but the town won’t let me. Look.” She moves to step forward, past the ‘Leaving Crow Rock’ sign, but her feet refuse to budge. It’s as if she’s trying to walk into an invisible wall.

“I’ve tried to leave, ever since I showed up here, but I can’t. It’s like the same magic that brought me here intends on trapping me here forever.” Stiles’ eyes widen. “It’s the etheria. All those manuscripts talked about how people would be yanked away to other hotspots and never return. I thought they just meant that it was the olden days or whatever and that long of a distance was too far to travel without cars or something, but they literally meant that they couldn’t leave.”

Stiles shakes his head, unable to accept this. “I’m not giving up, not now. I’m not losing you again.” Y/N laughs quietly at that. The sound is bittersweet and tears at his heart. “I don’t think you have a choice, Stiles. There’s no way around this.” Stiles’ pulse is thundering in his veins. “No, I’m going to make a choice. Even if I have to do it all myself. No one is supposed to remember the etherials, but I remember you. We’re the exception, Y/N. I am not leaving you again.”

Out of some impulse, Stiles steps forward, wrapping his arms around Y/N and pulling her close. She stiffens for a second, then returns his embrace. After so many days of hearing everyone tell him that she was dead, that she didn’t exist, having her so close is like a dream or an impossibility. They stumble slightly as a strong wind hits them, shifting slightly but not letting go. Y/N gasps quietly, the sound torn away from her chest. Stiles looks at her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Y/N shakes her head slightly. “I don’t know. I feel like-” Her eyes widen as she stares at the sign to Crow Rock, the sign that is now behind them. In that brief moment, when they’d moved to avoid the wind, they’d moved over the town barrier. It had just been mere inches, but it was enough. Y/N stares at him in awe. “How did that happen? It’s never happened before.”

Stiles can just smile at her, feeling relief crest over him like a wave. “I told you, didn’t I? We’re the exception. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think I’d like to go home.” She beams at him. “I think I’d like that a lot.” Stiles reaches out, wrapping his hand around hers to guide her back to the car. They’re together at last, and they can finally make their way back to where they belong.

one moves on tag list: @ilikealotofpeople-younotsomuch​, @blahhhhhhhaaa​

[personuhh]

Notice about the Yosuke Romance Mod:

I’m incredibly upset that I have to make this post, but unfortunately my fears and doubts about this mod have been confirmed, and I’d like to give some warning to those of you still excited about it. (Pics will be under the cut to try and keep this relatively short.)

As you may know, I volunteered more than a month ago to help with the romance mod, and I did so with the intent of offering a second opinion, though I also offered to bug test and help proofread and catch grammatical errors. My first impressions of the mod creator were that he was incredibly stubborn, and intent on writing it the EXACT way he had planned it. I mentioned this in the tags of one of my posts after we first talked (Oct 13th). For about a month I messaged him sporadically to try and get somewhere with the mod (asking him to send me scripts so I could work on them) but he kept essentially saying he was working on it alone.

In my opinion, the key to ensuring a project like this doesn’t end up a disaster is to assemble a diverse writing team. I suggested this, but he kept saying that he had already finished most of it and was insistent on keeping it the same. I’m sure most of you have seen the mod page already, but there is a blatant spelling error in one of the screenshots which I offered to fix. He didn’t seem concerned about it.

Today, a friend of mine on twitter posted some concerns he had with the mod, and the creator was evidently searching specifically for tweets that contained “Yosuke romance mod” (something that I suspected was happening because it happened several times to me as well), because he replied to the post despite not following my friend.

I had been following him for a while on twitter, and he initially struck me as a “dudebro” type, and as far as I know, he is not LGBT+, I didn’t want to assume, but he kept mentioning “getting other viewpoints” which to me means that he himself is not gay. I rarely saw anything about Yosuke, which also set off some red flags. I started to wonder why he was writing a Yosuke romance mod in the first place, but when he stated he was “adjusting existing dialogue” to make the romance route “feel natural” I had to step in.

Yosuke’s character arc is INCREDIBLY important. To myself, and many other LGBT+ people, Yosuke is already a realistic depiction of a closeted teenage boy. On the surface, people may look at his lines and say they’re homophobic, but in my opinion, that should not be censored or removed to make him more palatable. It’s a part of his arc. When you remove these slightly more controversial lines and scenes, to me that says that a) you do not understand the nuance of his character b) you are trying to make an easily consumable and pandering gay romance without acknowledging the character flaws that make Yosuke who he is.

The groundwork has already been laid for Yosuke and Yu’s relationship; you don’t need to change anything other than Rank 10 of Yosuke’s social link, because the build up is there. The hug is the leftover romance flag, you don’t need to change anything else. Sure, adding in extra scenes to reflect his romantic relationship with the protagonist would be great (Valentines day, Christmas, festival, etc.) but changing scenes like the school campout that would effectively sweep these things under the rug is questionable. Yosuke’s confession should acknowledge his behavior, not erase it.

So. I confronted him about this, and he refused to acknowledge the potential faults of the mod, saying that for anyone who disliked these changes, it was “tough shit”. I’m just so incredibly disappointed, especially since this mod means so much to a lot of the LGBT+ fans of Persona 4. Even with me begging for him to PLEASE listen to LGBT+ people’s concerns regarding the mod, he still refuses to budge.

TLDR; the mod’s creator is refusing to take suggestions or input from LGBT+ creators on how to handle this romance, believes that Yosuke needs to be “changed” in order for him to be in a relationship with the protagonist, and cannot take criticism.

It’s not like he’s being intentionally malicious, but the refusal to listen to anyone with a different opinion is incredibly concerning to me when the entire point of the mod is to write in a gay romance.

More of our conversation under the cut:

It was a bit like talking to a brick wall, I don’t understand how he reached this conclusion, but it sure is frustrating that it’s all he took from this conversation 🥴

https://twitter.com/REALMadMax1960/status/1333586012442816512?s=19

[my-writings-and-musings]

Hey I read your oxygen loss scenarios and I absolutely loved them, even if they made me really sad at first, but I still love them entirely! If you're still doing them, could you do one with Fort Max?

Thanks a bunch! Angst with a happy ending is kind of my favorite thing in the world, so I'm glad others feel the same! It absolutely works well with our big Maxy boy!

Here's the other posts for this prompt!

Part One: Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: Here!

Part Six: Here!

Part Seven: Here!

Part Eight: You're Here!

Part Nine: Here!

Part Ten: Here!

Part Eleven: Here!

Part Twelve: Here!

Fort Max

·Somehow, he's fallen for a being so small they fit in his cupped palms, and yet the two of you fit together so well he can't complain. Though he's a tad bit overprotective, you don't mind at all, and understand what drives the behavior even if he doesn't say it. What matters is that he's improving, and adores you so much every little activity is better in his mind when done with you, even just chilling and managing his security reports. That's why you're on his desk at the moment, relaxing on the human sized furniture he occasionally uses as paperweights when you're not around. Every so often you'll look up and find him glancing your way with a loving expression just visible through his attempt to remain neutral, after which point he'll dart his optics back to his work and pretend he's been busy the whole time. You can't help but think you're the reason he can't get much done.

·In addition to his filing reports, he has his monitors open at all times, each of which feeds him the security information for the various sections and systems of the ship. Most of the time there's nothing to report, save for hijinks going wrong or an experiment accidentally knocking things offline, yet he's always quick to respond. The rapid reactions to potential threats has put him on surprisingly good terms with Red Alert. Thus you're none too alarmed when he sees something unusual on one data feed and immediately gets to investigating, his large digits tapping away for answers while he vocalizes his thought process. Curious as always as to what might be the source of the issue, you move in wordlessly and are placed on his shoulder without having to ask. Having you watch him work always makes him feel quite proud after all.

·Initially the issue appears to be a simple bug in the programming of the communication systems, an inconvenient but none too hard to fix dilemma. Seeking out the source however, he finds none of the expected signs of an internal miscalculation, and before you can ask what's wrong he's messaging the bridge with a full alert. You listen as an audibly erratic signal forces him to keep things brief; emergency defense units and protocols need to be scrambled now, the ship is suffering an encrypted hack and a physical assault is undoubtedly inbound. While you feel instinctive fear at every word, somehow being in his presence and seeing him take command lessens that to a remarkable extent, for not much can get through your partner when he's on alert. Unfortunately for him he's anything but unafraid.

·When the line inevitably goes dead, he actually struggles to recall the next phase of his crisis response plans, as having you right beside him makes doing anything but protecting his delicate partner seem insignificant. Only by reminding himself that protecting you requires him to protect the ship is he able to get moving. Double checking your position on his shoulder, he clarifies that you'll be going to the nearest secure zone before he heads off to check various rendezvous points, as the crew is trained for this and the silent alarm has already been triggered. As you settle in on the broad expanse beside his helm, he just manages to grab the last of his spare weapons before a cataclysmic tremor rocks the ship. An audible rumbling through the ship blocks out all sound as you briefly tumble through the air.

·Catching you in a mad dash, he bombards you with questions as to possible injuries before you can clarify that you're fine. Tragically the relief on his face isn't something you get to enjoy for long. A second metallic rumble through the Lost Light turns his expression to a scowl. The enemy must have snagged them with a kind of anchor, he surmises, which no doubt means they'll be boarding in very short order. He needs to get you out of here now. Knowing that high stress situations can exhaust him in ways he's still not used to, you hold one of his digits tightly from your place on his palm. You're ready, you assure him, and you know he's going to be just fine. It works in the smallest way. The two of you draw strength from shared reassuring smiles before he leaves the safety of his office to start moving.

·As usual, he's not really afraid for his own sake as he moves through the hallways, due in no small part to his massive size and strength. For you though, he has to at least admit to himself that he's terrified. Hearing and feeling the tremor as intensely as he did means it must have come from somewhere uncomfortably close by, and that means the likelihood of encountering a threat in the next few minutes was remarkably high. The intensity of Cybertronian combat made such an occurrence not unlikely to be fatal for squishy little you. Yet as he recalls the closest potential drop off spot he can secure you at, he can't help but think on his role as a protector of this ship and how his responsibilities seem divided at the moment. While he has to keep you from harm, the same is true of the crew, and he can hardly ensure your safety if the ship is compromised...

·The decision to take the route he settles on is one not made easily, but it still feels proper. By going a less direct way he can check on multiple key locations only a little out of the way, helping to ensure that protocol is being followed and that the enemy isn't overwhelming their defenses. He can get you somewhere safe, while protecting you and the rest of the crew at once. It doesn't feel ideal, but he has to do his job, right? You can't be safe without the ship, unlike a Cybertronian who can at least endure the vacuum of space and even has a fair chance of surviving a planets fiery atmosphere... Primus, he can't handle thinking about those things. Focusing on getting you to safety along with everyone else is what he has to think of instead, especially with the sensation of your tiny body so warm and delicate in his palm, which he tries to also draw comfort from.

·As you trust him above all else, you don't ask any questions as he moves through the ship, sneaking as much as a bot of his size can in the open hallways. You're hardly scared for your own sake with Fort Max holding you close to his spark. In fact, the world beyond doesn't seem scary at all from this perspective. Being such a massive bot equals out to a rather strong spark, and as close to it as you are, you can feel it humming even now. It's kind of like a miniature sun with how warm and alive it makes you feel. Silly as it sounds, you do believe it feels stronger than when you first met him, as if the healing he's done since has made his very spirit grow brighter. For the sake of that hard earned recovery you hope everything goes smoothly today. It's enough to make you hold on to him a little tighter, just to convey your support.

·Eons of training prevent him from being taken by surprise, but he feels far from prepared as he detects enemy movement down a hallway. The aliens are large, numerous, and well armed. Regardless of their intent to take prisoners, he knows he can't let them go, as the mere possibility of them hurting even a single being on this ship is too much for him to take. Knowing they have to be taken care of is unfortunate with you in his care, as he doesn't want you to see him in combat. But... he trusts himself enough not to take it too far, a realization that makes it easier for him to whisper a warning and secure you in a tiny maintenance hatch, from which you will be safe and hopefully won't observe much. As soon as you promise to stay put he takes off to end the threat as quickly as he can.

·From your spot the chaos of battle is mostly the noises that reach your ears, but through them you're still able to recognize Fort Max as the imminent victor, if only because the fight is so one sided he hardly has to make a sound. It still makes you curl up in the little shelter and hope for it to be over as soon as possible. Yet the darkness of the maintenance shaft makes worrying a tad bit difficult... in fact, it makes you oddly tired. Exhaustion you didn't even notice is suddenly weighing you down, making the battle seem so far away and insignificant, all despite how clearly you realize now isn't the time to sleep. Perhaps the rush of all this has simply worn you down?

·Max finishes off the batch of enemies quickly and without a trace of the usual thrill of battle. He doesn't want to enjoy combat the way he once did, or feel the way he used to when he was at his worst and tearing foes apart actually felt good... As soon as the last enemy is down he returns to you, actually thinking he made the right call for once in checking key locations like this, for now this batch won't be able to hurt anyone. Though his usual luck shows through when he returns and finds you extremely groggy, to the point that even as a bot without medical experience he knows something is wrong, and he scoops you up immediately to start looking for injuries. You react amicably to his concern and assure him you're fine, but your breathless tone gives away that something is obviously affecting your respiration. In a series of horrifying realizations he connects the dots.

·The ship being hacked must have affected everything, including the life support systems you need for the air to be breathable, which he should have considered as a possibility from the very beginning. Without a moment to spare, he tucks you close to his chest and charges towards the medical bay. It's painfully obvious to him now that he made the wrong decision. He should have prioritized you over everything, should have anticipated there being additional threats, should have done a million other things... Hearing your weak reassurance only makes it hurt more. Unable to comprehend what's going on and not getting anything from him but whispered apologies, you just try to stay awake to support him as he runs through the ship at full speed. The only thing that stops him is an ambush from a full legion of enemies, though thankfully he still has enough of a grip to shelter you when the energy weapons start firing. Your tiny form is shielded by the impenetrable armor of his curled body as he briefly retreats to secure you once again, but this time his charge into combat is anything but controlled.

·From a little cubby you watch him unleash total vengeance on a horde of unprepared combatants, his incredible strength reducing enemy weapons and bodies to shreds without a trace of hesitation. Yet as you slip from consciousness there's no fear in your heart. Only sadness, for his sake and your own, as his resurfaced trauma tears into him yet again. It's worse than that though, he blames himself almost more than the enemies he tears apart, because protecting you was supposed to be his job. He'd told himself you needed the ship secure to be safe, but had he even considered the air you needed to breathe? It should have been obvious. Fighting somehow dulls the pain, as if the little rush of every kill helps his processor subdue the ache, and as the enemy needs to die regardless for their crimes against you he doesn't hesitate to go all in. The heated blur of battle overtakes him so completely he almost doesn't realize when he's joined by backup Autobots on his security team until there's not an enemy left to kill.

·Your last conscious perception is his face as strong hands lift you gently, followed by muffled instructions to get you to the medical bay. Some part of you knows he won't rest until every threat on the ship is dealt with, and you're correct. As you're whisked away to the medical bay, he takes no prisoners as he initiates his defense, rallying the gathering bots to annihilate those who would have turned them into a quick profit. But with every blow, he can only think of you. As he's cheered on by his fellows, he can only think of you. At the final declaration of victory and the rebooting of the systems, he can only think of you... Not even knowing the medics saved you and that you'll fully recover assuages his guilt. If anything, as he washes the blood off his servos and forgoes the festivities to sit by your bedside, he's certain he's never felt more like a monster...

·When you wake up there's a lovely warmth all around you, coupled with a gentle hum through the air that you know has been there in the past. Open eyes let you see a familiar wall of a chest, and through the oxygen mask you happily whisper Fort Max's name, making the hulking bot twitch in surprise as he looks down to you. It's with a smile you realize he was dozing with you shielded beneath his tented form. Remembering the haze of chaos and danger, you reach out to him as he offers a gentle hand to adjust the blankets laid loosely over your small body, but despite the fact that you're both okay you only see sadness in his optics. At your first prompt he lightly deflects with a sad smile. At your second his face falls and the whole ordeal comes tumbling out of him, with particular emphasis on how he failed to protect you when it truly mattered, something that impacts him so greatly he sheds a few tears as he lays his head in his hand.

·Heart breaking at the sight, you quickly point out the multiple times he charged into battle for you, though he counters by recalling how savagely he killed his enemies in front of you. It was the kind of brutality he'd thought himself beyond, but if he isn't, how can he be safe for you? It takes all the strength you have to sit up and firmly request his attention. At what point, you ask, were any of his actions not in some way motivated by the greater good? Even if he didn't know everything that was going to happen, did he once abandon you? Of course not, because he's a good bot, and you know he is. Before he can bring up one more point about his perceived failure you remind him that he's come impossibly far, enough that no setback today could undo his progress, and that you're so proud of him. As the weakness forces you to lie back and he leans in with concern, you smile and point out that everything he's done has been to the benefit of others, whether it be you or the crew. For once he can't argue. Curling protectively around you once more, he decides to let himself be happy that you're safe, shaken but reassured by your faith in him. More than anything, it gives him faith in himself.

[rsmrymnt-tea]

I just played through the new HDD lessons and I... What????

The 3rd lesson specifically has me pulling at my hair. The cast is reduced to idiots once again!! We've got Dia, Barb, Luci, Sol, and Satan here at the party and yet the curse is still an issues?

Lucifer canonically is very good at breaking curses and what does he do? We're to believe Solomon and Satan have never heard of the curse and are therefore unaware of how to break it, and they also have no methods to work out the solution on their own??? And Dia has the power to reincarnate Lilith as a human (and keep the Celestial Realm from noticing) and Barbatos has unspecified time powers and they're both useless too?

Why are they asking the demons in the Little D's for help? It's so stupid. And also they are trying these solutions that the demons are suggesting! Does that mean that these are feasible ways to break a curse? Why is the cast doing the stuff but not the MC?

Not to mention the stakes are pretty pathetic? If you think about it I guess having your personality altered indefinitely sucks. But in the event MC only makes remarks that are barely meaner than their usual dialogue. They don't do anything to particularly risk their relationships or hurt anyone so???? And even though the cast is like oh no we have to hurry it's not as if there was an actual deadline imposed I'm just sjdsks what is happening?

Also pretty lame to just say that the demons we're returned to wherever once the curse was broken. That doesn't make sense, and it happened off screen. What was the point of having them here really??

- 🐝

I’m gonna yell this here, but for all the hype that the devs built up for this event—

IT IS SOoooOOOoOOO SHIT GRRRRRRRRRRR

Four fucking pages to one event and this is the best they can come up with? I’m as disappointed and upset as I was during the Art event where the most competent characters were also completely useless just to pad out the fucking thing when writing a decent story for it wouldn’t take such any strenuous stretch of the imagination.

Like… This is soooooooo stupid. If MC’s supposed to be sadistic now, why tf didn’t they just grab Valago and shake him like a maraca until he told them how to undo the curse?

Hell, why didn’t anyone else do that?

Why didn’t Solomon and Satan go off somewhere to begin researching the curse? Why tf couldn’t Dia do anything??? Don’t tell me some demon in the body of a Little D outdid the prince of the Devildom with a curse? And if MC was holding the protective stone and the bouquet the whole time why didn’t anyone think to use those instead right away??????????? My Disbelief Could Not Be Suspended At All And That Is Bad

And god, yeah. Why why why were they just going with the Little D’s suggestions when I cannot fucking imagine anything that they suggested as being ways to counter the curse? Especially if it’s not MC who’s doing any of it lmao???

Would’ve been fun if they did it like reverse Halloween where MC’s the unhinged one but nooo… Gotta go lukewarm! Which I guess they have to since not everyone wants to be mean to the boys but then why go with a personality change as a curse in the first place if they’ll give the option to be nice?

And yeah, I thought we’d like, have those little buggers stick around for a little bit now that they’ve had their fun? But no, I guess not? We don’t find out anything about them at all????

Then the side boys all go home if you don’t take the story key route??????????

The nicest part I guess was the end with the photo album but I wish that part stretched a couple more chapters. Like wouldn’t it be nice for them to talk more about how much they love and appreciate MC? Without the influence of gems? Would’ve nice if some of the Gem event dialogue went here instead…

Are we just not the crowd for the events or something? Because half the time they just grind my gears with how stupid they make everyone for the sake of forcing it to go longer. The entirety of Part 3 just shouldn’t exist.

The whole thing certainly didn’t feel like the pleasant surprise that I was hopping for :/