#it does feel like im just yelling this into an empty field though. is this why people blaze posts | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

keytomythoughts · 3 years ago

Text

Perfection Imperfections | Chapter 1

Chapter Index

»»—————————————-　

Finally, summer break. It’s been a while since I was able to go home. Having to attend high school rather far from my home in Seoul, I never thought that I’d adjust to the new environment. Fortunately, I wasn’t entirely alone, since I stayed with my aunt for the four years of my high school life. School wasn’t so bad, but the homesickness is what killed it for me. Even though it was my parents' idea to send me a rather vast distance—me not being too excited about it, but I knew I wouldn’t get my way in the end—there was some good that came from it. The two only good things, actually.

I glance outside the train window, the buildings of Busan zooming past me. Sure, it may not be my home, but I won’t lie. I’m really going to miss this place. My phone suddenly vibrates in my lap, glancing down to see a text from my group chat, smiling as I respond.

(Binnie)

R u still on the train?

Yeah have been for the past like 30 mins

(Eunuwu)

Going back to ur parents? Or r u moving out?

Funny

Yk I can’t move out, at least not on my own. My parents won’t allow it

(Binnie)

What about Jaehyun?

Idk, they rlly dc what he does tbh

They’re just hell-bent on me getting into the top schools and shit

(Eunuwu)

Damn, rough

Mhm

(Binnie)

Try talking to them, u never know

They might change their minds?

Nah, I already know how it’s gonna end

Me crying and stuffing myself with pints of ice cream

(Eunuwu)

Doesn't sound so bad

(Binnie)

¬_¬

(Eunuwu)

Except for the crying part ofc

But c’mon it cant really be THAT bad

I’ve been over plenty of times, they seem nice

(Binnie)

U’ve been to her house??

Yeah him and oppa are friends too

(Binnie)

Righttt forgot lol

And that’s bc you were there dumbass and half of the time ur either in oppa’s room or out somewhere

Interaction with my parents = minimal

(Binnie)

That sounds awful ngl :( sorry Hyuna

But hey we should all hang soon!

(Eunuwu)

I’ll be in Seoul for the summer too so y not?

I miss y’all :’(

Ok I should be there around like 5 ish so I’ll text then

(Binnie)

Aww I miss u toooo

(Eunuwu)

*puke*

Shut up, ur just jealous

(Eunuwu)

Me? Jealous?? Of what, ur face?

Yea no thx, Ive got a great face already

And personality 0:)

Gr8, explains why ur still single

(Binnie)

LOLL

She got u there bro

(Eunuwu)

Shut up

Ur talking as if u’ve got a gf

Idiot

(Binnie)

At least I didnt reject them as coldly as u did lol

See? My point exactly

Your fAcE scared off every girl �� in sight bc of tht pErSoNaLiTy

I almost feel bad for them, u little heart breaker

(Binnie)

He made a couple of em cry I heard

Rlly?!?

YAH

U MORON

(Eunuwu)

Bin wtf

(Binnie)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

U JERK HOW COULD U??

Those poor girls omg

Im so kicking ur ass when I c u

(Binnie)

Me 2

(Eunuwu)

Wtf?? Y???

(Binnie)

No reason lol, just feel like it

And this is why ily Binnie

(Binnie)

:D <3

(Eunuwu)

GROSS

Can it u demon

Read 4:02 PM

I snort, turning off my phone and placing it back down on my lap as I go back to staring outside my left-hand window again. Meet Cha Eunwoo and Moon Bin, my two best friends. The only reason I got through high school how I did without major setbacks. Sure, there was the occasional homesickness and all, but had I not met these two, I probably wouldn’t have even attended and graduated.

Being so far away from the place I grew up never really suited me, and they saw it right away from day one how lonely and upset I looked. I didn't seem to fit in, especially since I skipped a grade and was placed in classes that were very advanced for me. Not that I minded the vigor, but it was hard for me to socialize, let alone make friends.

That’s when I met them. Freshman year in homeroom before my first literature class. Moon Bin, a boy with parted, coppery-golden hair accompanied by his shy, puppy-eye smile and sweet nature, offered me an empty seat next to him in class, even going as far as to share his textbook and asking how I found the school. No doubt, I was embarrassed and immensely shy, stuttering over my words and failing to meet his soft gaze. However, he didn’t make fun of me nor find me odd. All he did was smile, laughing lightly at my slightly flustered state. He stuck his hand out, introducing himself (most people just call him Moonbin or Bin) with that smile of his, thus the start of our new friendship. Since then, he became someone who always knew how to cheer me up when I was feeling down. No moment was ever dull with him by my side.

Eunwoo, the tall, brooding black-haired and charismatic student almost everyone knew (and crushed on) of, was usually with Moonbin when we hung out together, but he normally kept to himself. Though quiet and sometimes reserved with his intimidating looks, it didn’t take long for him to break the ice with us, the three of us becoming close friends. Promising to stay like this until we went to college and beyond. Regardless if we all diverge and tread different paths, we would always converge and come back to one another.

Four years flew by and graduation was upon us. Just like that, the two became like family to me, my ride-or-die duo. The two who were able to turn my world upside down, finding solace in a time where I thought it was nearly impossible for me to.

My thoughts are interrupted by my “Move” ringtone—yes, I’m a huge Lee Taemin fan—looking down at my phone again to see it’s my brother calling. I sigh, picking up the call.

“What?”

He gasps dramatically. “Is that any way to address your loving older brother after being away for so long?”

I snort, shaking my head. “Loving my ass, oppa. How are mom and dad?”

“They’re fine, living. Didn’t you tell them you’re coming home?”

“Nope, I don’t even text them that often. You already know this..”

He sighs. “Yeah, I figured.”

There’s a slight pause on his end, but he continues. “You took the three-thirty train, right? So you’ll be here around five or so?”

“Yeah, give or take.”

I look out the window again to see the endless stretch of greenery and flowing springs, sometimes even children playing in the fields. I grin mischievously, deciding to poke fun at my brother when he doesn’t respond right away.

“What, you miss me?”

He makes a sound similar to throwing up. “As if. I got so used to the peace and quiet. I’m not ready for it to go away.”

“Yah!” I realize that I had yelled a bit too loudly and eyes were now trained on me, and I bow my head in apology. I lower my voice, “You’re such an asshole.”

“Oh, I know, but you still love me anyway.”

“Shut up.”

I can hear his laugh resonate through the phone and a smile unknowingly tugs at my lips. I wouldn’t say it out loud, but it’s true. When I lived with my aunt in Busan for the duration of high school, I missed Jaehyun a lot. Though two years older than me, he didn’t seem to alienate me the way my parents do. While I hate the notion that they spoil Jaehyun endlessly and let him do as he wishes, I won’t lie and say that he was a prick about it. He could’ve been, but he never came off as selfish. I’m really close with my brother, shocking as it may be. Sibling relationships are like that—one minute you want to strangle them with their intestines and the next you’re singing duets together. Crazy, but that’s how it is for us. My parents don’t really pay me any attention, so Jaehyun decides to do that instead. Not complaining though. I’d rather take his pranking and teasing over my parents’ demands and reprimands any day.

“Aight, I’m heading out for a bit. Text me when you arrive.”

I smile again. “Will do, but make sure to get me food!”

“Let me think…” He hums, and I can practically sense the smirk on his end. “Nope. Get your own.”

“Oppa!”

Jaehyun laughs. “See you in a bit, Hyuna. Get here safely. Bye!”

He hangs up the call before I get a chance to retort, and I scoff. Typical of my brother. He knows how much I enjoy street food, and every time he goes out, it’s almost certain that most of the time he stops somewhere to eat. Did he ever bring food back? Sure, but by the time I’d get to it, most of it was gone anyways. That only lasted a little while before I had gone upstate anyways, so he had more food for himself, I guess.

As the train barrels down the tracks, I feel my heart racing in excitement, but there’s also a slight ounce of dread. I really don’t know why. I want to believe it’s because I’ve been away for too long, but part of me knows it’s the fact that I’ll have to face my parents again. Knowing that I only have two months to decide where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, I know the bitter truth is that those decisions won’t be left up to me. Last time, I was sent to Busan.

God knows where I’d be sent to now.

***

“Final destination of the KTX Busan-Seoul train at Seoul Station is approaching and will arrive at 05:30 PM. The doors to alight are on the right hand side. All passengers are requested to dismount the train upon arrival. Thank you.”

That’s my stop.

Gathering my bag and hand luggage, I patiently wait for the train to pull up at the station. Seeing the familiar shops and buildings around me makes my legs bounce up and down in both excitement and anticipation.

Four long years away from Seoul...

Before getting off, I quickly text the group chat and then my brother, letting them all know that I’ve reached safely. Side-stepping the other passengers exiting the subway doors, I carefully land onto the platform with my luggage in tow. I breathe in the air around as I stretch my arms up into the sky, the grin widening on my face.

It sure as hell feels good to be back home.

I try my best to maneuver through the crowds, but it doesn’t stop the rush of people knocking into me. At times like these, I curse my genetics for favoring my older brother instead of me in terms of height. Eventually, I come to a clearing and when my eyes glance upwards, I spot a rather familiar dark brown-haired six-foot-tall male amongst the small crowd waving me over.

“Hyuna, over here!”

I gasp, my eyes widening. “Oppa!”

He smiles as I begin walking towards him, my feet hurriedly moving across the concrete. The distance between us shortens and I abandon my luggage as he opens his arms wide.

Only for me to sucker punch him in the stomach.

He yelps in pain, grimacing as he holds his abdomen. “Shit, that hurt. What has Aunt Sua been feeding you up there? Rocks?”

I smack his shoulder, my blood slightly boiling in anger. “Yah, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?! Do you know how much money I blew off for the bus fare?”

He straightens his back before going to rub his shoulder, then behind his neck.

“Fine, fine. My bad. I wanted to surprise you, but I guess that didn’t work, did it?”

I cross my arms over my chest, huffing in annoyance. He sighs, nodding.

“Okay, okay, I’ll compensate you. Dinner’s on me.”

At this I grin, blinking excitedly. I grab onto his arm and shake it vigorously. “Really? You mean it? You’re the best, oppa!”

“Look at this brat..” he taunts, shaking his head. In a flash, he headlocks me and rubs the top of my head harshly with his knuckles, upsetting the neatly-tied auburn ponytail.

“Yah! Quit it!” I smack his arms and flail in protest, but he chuckles, saying this is what I get for cunningly finding a way to exploit him the minute I stepped back into Seoul.

What can I say? It’s a talent.

He lets go eventually, and I try to smooth down my already-tangled hair. I grumble incoherently but Jaehyun pulls me into his embrace, wrapping his arms around me. His free hand gently pats the side of my head in comfort.

“Welcome home, sis.”

I stand there stiff for a second before hugging back. He squeezes me tighter and I find myself smiling into his shoulder.

“Good to be back,” I whisper.

We stand like that for a moment before he pats my back a couple of times, us pulling away from each other soon after. He reaches behind me to grab my hand luggage as he shoulders my bag. I tell him that I can carry them just fine, but he starts walking away from the platform to the parking lot. I call out after him as I run to catch up, and I can see the corners of his mouth twitch. Jaehyun leads me to his car, a sleek matte-silver convertible Mustang. My mouth drops open in shock at its stunning beauty, my body forcing itself to remain composed for the sake of avoiding public self-embarrassment.

He throws my luggage in the back seat before he turns to me, smirking at my expression. “You like it?”

“Shit, do I like it? I love it!” I run my fingers over its metallic surface, the silver exterior gleaming in the evening glow. Grinning, I stare up at my brother who catches my gaze as I stand next to the driver’s seat, my fingers already curled on the handle.

“Can I—”

“No.”

“Please—”

“Nope.”

I pout as I pull my hand away and step to the side. Jaehyun chuckles, rubbing my head playfully before getting into the driver’s seat and starting the car. The engine purrs to life as my brother pulls out his shades and wears them. He looks at me and cocks his head to the passenger seat.

“Don’t just stand there. Get in.”

Smiling, I quickly make my way over to the other side and slip into the passenger seat. I barely have time to buckle in before Jaehyun speeds off. I scream in fright, but he laughs heartily, telling me to let loose.

With the wind harshly whipping around us, I close my eyes and tilt my head upwards, absorbing the remnants of my childhood in a place I’ll always call home. A place where my heart always feels at ease.

My name is Jung Hyuna. I’m eighteen years old, and this is my story.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 |

#moonbin x oc #moonbin ff #moonbin fic #moon bin #cha eunwoo #jung jaehyun #astro #nct #fanfiction #my writings #mine

16 notes · View notes

shyrose57 · 4 years ago

Note

2nd part than.

8: (This ones longgggg) Their rooms all have the same beige (like brown mushroom color) walls and floors. As their not allowed to change that. But Watson has some bookshelves in his room along with a old adventurer cape that goes in front of his body and hangs to his ankles (Item-Ya Adventurer Cape is a perfect example. Idk the actual name for the kind of cape it is), some display cases featuring his strongest bows and arrows, along with a sword and axe, along with pictures of the group toghere and pictures from his travels on the walls, he has a single lone desk that is only used when designing new bows or arrows. Ran also has bookshelves, but his is bigger and takes up a whole wall, he also as a winter cape with fur on its shoulders hung up (he lived in a snow biome for a little while and made the cape himself), along with a single weapon case that features a lone damaged neitherite sword, he also has chests stacked along a wall filled with random stuff that he sometimes gives as gifts or uses to throw at people. Jackie has a few paintings and posters in his room, along with the only carpet in any bedroom (that he totally didnt steal from Grievous), a panting easel, he has a single display case in his room that displays the sword Porkius gave him for winning, theres also pictures of the group toghere and a small chest next to his bed filled with things that belongs to someone in the group. Grievous has a small bookshelf (one book is a naming book Watson jokingly gave him), a chest filled to the brim with blankets and pillows (cause for him comfort is a necessity), he also has a desk that he tends to fall asleep at when doing literally anything on it. Everyone also has a good sized wardrobe somewhere in their room that is filled with different outfits and w statue stands with either iron armour or empty. There is also a four-way-bunkbed in the living room/area, they typically use it when someone is having or had a very bad day and needs comfort, or when Jackie's separation anxiety is bad and needs to sleep with everyone nearby.

Ran loves reading and sometimes gets mad when someone intrupts his reading. Watson loves designing new bows and arrows and just designing weapons in general (Grievous does too and helps him sometimes). Jackie likes to paint and has a interest in adventuring one day. They are well known but only in Subbin and surrounding cities. Though word does travel about them at times which can bring people to Subbin. They have 2 titles actually! First is used in typical matches, while the second is used in more formal or serious matches (like those for general). Ran: The Enderman, Partikel Tari (Dancing Particles, referencing how when he fights when serious its like he's dancing as he teleports around the field). Watson: The Archer, Multi (Referencing how he has more experience than anyone in the use of all kinds of weapons and can quickly adjust to situations). Grievous: Multi-Named, Unpredictable (referring to how he is by far the most unpredictable person in serious battles). Jackie: The Child, Diremehake (Underestimated, referring to how he gets underestimated a lot during any battle). They get recognized quite often and get called their stage names, when they dont want to deal with people recognizing them they often either yell at them to go away or just run away.

9: They do all of the above! It depends on the match up (Jackie and Watson stay out of eachothers way mostly, Ran and Grievous make it one on one, and Ran and Jackie take them out quick). Oh the first time Ran threw Jackie was hailours. You could hear Watson screaming from the stands in fear and Jackie just head-butted the guy in the stomach. Then when Jackie recovered he just yelled for Ran to throw him again, and once again you could hear Watson screaming no and threats at them from the stands. Ran agreed and threw Jackie at the last person, who he just bear hugged as he hit and held them down. Then after the battle Watson smacked the two and chastised them.

10: At first he drops stuff and trips over his feet on a regular basis. But after about 3 weeks he fully regains his balance, and is able to finally walk without tripping at the start. While the attempts at bonding do work to get Ranbob and Cletus closer the two never get as close as the rest. Neither can really name what's stopping them from getting closer though. For the first week people need to constantly remind Ranbob to do all of those things. As he thinks the constant hunger, thirst, and tiredness is all normal when its not and their trying to get him to understand that. And while he eventually starts to do it himself, theres still some nights where he doesnt eat or drink or sleep. They just leave the two in the house, but later they do start to expand the house a bit to fit the new addition. He does not get his own place up, he just gives up after some time. He doesn't fall asleep out there to often thankfully, but since the house keeps falling on him he does get cuts and bruises quite often. He gets stuck in a rain storm only 2 times which isn't bad, but he does get semi-bad burns from them sadly that Benjamin has to sit him down for and have Charles distract him for long enough to wrap his wounds properly. And it only took Benjamin like 4 weeks before he finally got fed up and forced him inside and had him stay with them. He has dealt with a storm before when he was young! But it was when he was about 12 so its been a long while.

11: He spends all of his free time glaring at them. And for the first few days whenever he sees someone from his group hanging around his brothers, he'll go over and pick em up and just carry them away. The fishermen worry for a bit that Ran may hurt them, but Watson assured them that Ran knows the two groups like eachother and wouldn't hurt them incase that could hurt his families feelings.

12: Ranbob is extremely happy about potentially getting new members of his family! And eagerly tries to talk with them. But Ran is far less happy and actively avoids them (and drags his family away at times).

13: At the start they have no idea where their going. But when Grievous brings up about Rans damaged sword they decide to find a nether portal so they can find whats needed to repair his sword! And Watson decides on the way he can show them all the different biomes in the world, which Jackie is extremely excited for.

14: If the fishermen get separated from Ranbob for too long he actively goes and searches for them. And refuses to stop until he finds them. When upset Ran loves to pick up members of his Haunting, though he doesnt do them often as he knows his Haunting doesn't like it when he does it to often. He and Ranbob also pick up blocks though as it's a comfort action and soothes them. Cuddles piles do happen! They happen more for Ranbob to comfort him after a nightmare or just a bad day, or when he basically relapses and wants to go back to Dream. But cuddle piles are more rare in Rans group, as cuddle piles only happen when anyone is doing really badly mentally or physically and just need comfort, or when they all just need some comfort. But their much more sentimental and have more meaning than Ranbobs groups.

15: Oh definitely. I forget if I included it when I first introduced my Au. But soon after Ran escaped Mizu, he was hunted for his pearl and respawn ability. Though he killed the people hunting him. Every year he was out of Mizu and every year before he entered Subbin he was hunted by multiple groups. He's become legend just for avoiding so many groups and killing a vast majority of them. He's known as the "Green Eyed Enderman." and is a top goal amongst hunters. There are some times Ran got jumped in Subbin for being a hybrid but he quickly defeated them.

Karl has played his role in this! Though maybe I could make it so he comes in later on during a really difficult part between the brothers, and helps out. Using his own experiences in the SMP and seeing what ruined relationships like brothers does to someone and others, to make sure their relationship doesn't stay so broken and hurt so many people. Maybe at the end I'll have them go back and face Dream so Ranbob (and even Ran slightly, with how Dreams presence affected him) can finally be completely free. As of rn no one has a pet. But that question made me really want to give someone a raven and idk who. I want to have bits of the other Tales in it! Im not quite sure how yet but I want this to be a mostly Tales ONLY au (no main SMP stuff unless needed or necessary) as the Tales don't have enough love. He does write down the experience he had with the Dream Experience and writes down very important things, but other than that he leaves it behind.

Im really happy to hear that you like my au. I love world and story building a lot and can't control how much I write sometimes, again im sorry this is so long and I'll do my best to not make anything this long ever again. Sorry if this bothered you

8: Sounds pretty interesting, overall. Was Watson-as his cape suggest-perhaps an adventurer? And he designs his own bows and arrows? Very cool. What kind of things does he come up with? Ran also sounds like he’s traveled a bit. He knows how to sew? Has he ever made anything for anyone else? Where did he get his sword? Jackie’s got a carpet? Very nice, he deserves it. And a painting easel? How good is he at painting? Or is it more of something he’s just trying? Grievous sounds like he could build a very good pillow fort, and honestly, good for him. How often do they camp out in the bunk bed room?

Ran not liking being interrupted is understandable. Does he ever read to anyone, or is it more some alone time for him? Grievous and Watson must design some terrifying weapons. Where is Jackie looking at adventuring to? Anywhere specific, or just around? And what language(s) is Ran and Jackie’s secondary titles in? Latin?

9: Very smart of them, means it’ll be harder to pick up a pattern. And hearing about Ran tossing Jackie-I’m laughing. I’m not going to lie, kind of assumed it was planned pre-match, but hearing that they just decided to throw him? Watson’s reaction? Just...hilarious. Was Jackie even prepared for it, or did Ran just toss them without warning? Honestly, it kind of sounds like people might come to the Pit for the comedy just as much for the fighting. If this was the kind of thing that went down, I’d probably come to watch.

10: Oh no, Ranbob! At least he’s getting better. So Cletus and Ranbob never quite click, huh? Well, that’s alright. Sometimes people just don’t. Doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other! Ranbob thinking it’s normal, oh god. Does he ever say something along those lines, or get confused why the others are so worried about it? If so, how do the fishermen react to that question, and how does Ranbob react to the answer. As for the house, well. He can say he tried if nothing else-and hey, funny story to share with the gladiators later on. It’s good that he wasn’t caught in too many storms, less that he was caught in some at all. I’m sure that was a big help in convincing Benjamin to finally just put his foot down, which, honestly good for him. You go, Benjamin!

11: Ran, bud, chill. I like how you said his free time though-my first thought was that he immediately finished a book and went over to glare at them. Probably not true, but a hilarious mental image. Very glad Watson has reassured the fishermen-how did Ranbob react to that worry of theirs?

12: Ran’s actions are pretty understandable, but still a bit sad. How does Ranbob feel about them? Is he resigned? Determined? Upset?

13: Adventure! Into possibly dangerous places! How fun! Can’t wait to see where it goes. What do they see? What’s the first stop? How long are they heading off?

14: He won’t stop? Like, potentially will work himself into the ground won’t stop? Ran just picks up his members like blocks. And, oh boy. Ranbob wanting to go back to Dream? That’s just. Oof. Very much oof. How do the fishermen deal with that, and how do they feel about it?

15: Ran sounds like he’s had a less than enjoyable time out there. Do these hunters ever go after them once they leave Subbin? Do they target Ranbob? I mean, he’s another Endermen hybrid, and one who definitely isn’t as skilled as Ran, or as used to them. He’d be a much easier target.

So Karl’s gonna come in towards the end. Nice. Ran was also affected by Dream? How so? Obviously less than his brother, but did he ever notice? Did Ranbob? Sounds like it’d be a good final showdown, over all.

As for that pet raven, may I offer some suggestions? You could give one to Jackie and Grievous, so it can help them cause havoc, or maybe one to Benjamin, so it can help him keep an eye on his dorks. Maybe even Cletus, to help snag things, and mess with people, or Isaac, maybe to help find things. Even Watson, or one of the brothers, to help keep watch over their groups. Really, you could give any of these guys a raven. Depending on said bird’s personality, it could fit anywhere. Just depends on what you want to do with it.

I completely agree with you, we need more Tales AUs. Ranbob and Ran did come from what was basically a city of historians, perhaps you could use that to tie in the other Tales? Or even have them across the old ruins of areas on their adventure. Even chunk in more time travel, via Karl or otherwise, if you want to toss in more characters.

Ranbob pretty much starts over then. Good for him. How does Ran feel about that? Actually, who was Ran’s idol, and his general life on Mizu, before the Dream incident?

Other questions:

One thing I’d like to know is how the groups react to each other’s experiences and general life styles. Like for one, Ranbob and the fishermen generally seem more physically affectionate with each other, while Ran and the gladiators seem fairly less so, but no less close.

For another, the fishermen probably still remind Ranbob to eat or sleep, which would probably seem a bit confusing for the gladiators. How much do they know about both sides? Obviously enough for them to want to help get the brothers back together, but like.

How much do the gladiators believe Ranbob’s side. Are they wary, or skeptical, or do they believe it completely, and if so, why?

How long was Ran left running, evading hunters, and how has that affected him? How many times do both brothers say something concerning, and how do they react to what the other says?

You’ve said Ranbob occasionally relapses and wants to return to Dream. Does this happen on the trip? And if so, how do the gladiators react to such a thing-depending on how much they know about the whole thing, I can imagine mixed reactions. How does Ran react?

How do both groups react to the new endermen hybrids? They seem to have dealt with different instincts before now, so seeing Ranbob trail the fishermen and Ran just pick up the gladiators must be a bit strange.

What can Ranbob keep down? Not only was Dream in control, and not particularly careful with his body, but supplies were probably also somewhat limited when he did eat. So how has that affected him?

Are there any nicknames within in the groups? How do the gladiators react to the schedule change, considering they had set times for so much before? How do the fishermen react to the new areas? What habits are/become shared, and what habits are restricted to one group.

In general, just...how the fishermen and the gladiators differ in lifestyles, basically.

For another, in one of the earlier post, you mentioned both Isaac and Cletus wanted to return to Mizu. Isaac kind of gives me a historian vibe himself, or some sort of archaeologists. Just a kind of person who wants to learn about history-perhaps something to do with the fact that he was played by Karl, and the whole time traveler thing.

But anyway, what exactly did those two want to do down there? Explore, learn, steal?

And how would you say everyone’s personalities are like? Will you be introducing anymore characters, Tales or otherwise. It’d be interesting to see a Pit version of Tommy, or Puffy, or such.

How does Ran react when he finally accepts the truth, and what exactly pushes him to that?

Hope this isn’t too many questions. I’m pretty invested, not gonna lie.

And seriously, I don’t mind the length. Long or short, I’m really just happy to hear more about your AU, and I look forward to more.

#dream smp #Brothers AU #dream smp au #ranbob #tales from the smp #ran #jackie #watson #grievous #cletus #isaac #benjamin #karl jacobs

28 notes · View notes

caysophia · 4 years ago

Text

Sam Guthrie x Reader (f, smut) Dirty thoughts

"..."-actual talking

'...'- y/n talking with others telepathically / others responding to her

y/n pov

I rolled around my bed a little thing to get comfortable "Good morning. It's 8:30..." Rang out the speaker in the corner of the room. I groaned and sat up, pushing my hair out of eyes and rubbing my face "We get it, we get it." I groaned and stood up slowly from my bed walking over to the dresser of clothes and getting dressed.

I put on a black flannel, some ripped jeans, and some slides. I sat down at the metal and wood desk in front of my bed and put on some mascara and eyeliner, not a lot as it looked like it was gonna rain.

I walked out of my room, an actual room. I walked down the many halls to the bathroom to do some stuff and then going to the cafe to make a cup of tea, it was a tea day today. I opened the metal and glass double doors being the first one in. I boiled some water and prepared my tea, it was just black tea with honey.

I stood at the counter hearing footsteps, they weren't heavy so it isn't Sam or Roberto.

'Hello' i said as the person walked in, it was Dani "I forgot you were telepathic, to early for that y/n." she said with a laugh 'sorry, I don't t feel like talking right now.' i said and she nodded "We going mute today? or just not in the mood?" she asked as she sat down at the table closest to where I was." I cocked my head and thought about it.

'not in the mood right now.' i thought as I bent back making my back crack, and stretching out my neck "What are you doing today? It might rain." Dani asked as she stood up grabbing a random fruit from a bowl on a metal counter.

I poured the boiling water into a mug and stirred it 'I think I'm just gonna head back to my room, or go into the lounge. oo the attic to maybe, the rain sounds so nice up there.' I chuckled and she smiled 'what about you?' I asked as Dani threw away the apple core "I don't know, I have more testing." Dani said as Rahne came in, she waved and we waved back.

"Hey!" Dani said as the girl walked over, I waved again and pointed to the door "See ya y/n."Dani said with a smile "Bye y/n."

I exited the cafe with my cup of tea and walked around wasting time before seeing same down the hallway coming towards the cafe 'Hey starshine.' i said and waved, he waved back and jogged down the hall slightly meeting up with me 'Morning handsome' I said with a wink, he rolled his eyes "You just gonna invade my thoughts now." Sam said and I laughed talking another sip of tea 'Of course, I always do.' i chuckled.

'Im gonna go outside. bye-bye country boy.' i said as I took a sip of tea "See ya." he nodded his head as he fixed his hat. I and sam split ways, I walked down the hallway more making it to the front exit of the building 'Reyes please open the front exit door' and heard the door open 'thanks.'.

The metal doors closed behind me, over the forest beyond the gate were dark clouds 'Nice...' i walked over to the concrete block that sam used when he goes into rocketship mode. I jumped onto it and sat down, The placement of the block made it perfect to watch the sky and field at the same time.

I spent a few minutes there, completely spaced out (like no thoughts, no hearing, head empty) I felt a tap on my shoulder "What the fuck!" I screamed and also spilling the cup of tea on me. I jumped off the block and turned towards the person who touched me. Rahne put her hands up in the air "Woah, chill. Didn't mean to scare ya. It group time." I raised a brow "It's only like 9:30..." Rahne shook her head "It's 11, you've been spaced out for a while..."

I looked at Rahne "I-" I stuttered out and laughed "I-yeah okay, time for a group I guess... let's go, thanks for getting me." I thanked Rahne and grabbed the mug, and walked towards the door. I poured the cold tea into the dead bushes and walked in the building dropping the mug off at the cafe and then heading to the group.

Rahne walked into the room sitting down next to Dani "I'm glad you could make it y/n. Did something happen?" Reyes asked as I froze, the room went quiet "head went empty, no thought." I said quietly and sat down in between Roberto and Illyana, Illyana chuckled 'Shut the fuck up blonde bitch.' I smiled and she glared.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, let's start," Reyes said with a smile. I looked around the room making eye contact with Sam. Sam shook his head slightly, I smirked 'hi.' he rolled his eyes fixing his hat 'Yeah?' i smiled slightly looking at sams sitting from up and down 'You looking kinda cute today.' Sam locked eyes with me 'I know where this will lead, no. Not now.' I pouted 'You're no fun...' i pouted, sam scoffed out loud "Yes sam?" Reyes questioned looking in between me and him "Nothing, sorry." Sam muttered out and looked at me, Reyes nodded "Y/n, stop please." I nodded and looked at the floor, Reyes went over ways to control the powers of the other.

"Why is y/n here?" Illyana blurted out stopping Reyes mid-sentence "What do you mean Illyana." Reyes fixed her posture in her seat, I looked at Sam 'I've been here for a year, how the fuck does she not know?' Sam shrugged his shoulder 'She doesn't like you, you know that. She's just trying to cause trouble.'

"She doesn't have any powers beside for fucking physic powers." Illyana scoffed, I laughed at her. Reyes looked at me "She is here just like everyone else. Something happened, putting her and others in danger." Reyes said softly glancing at her "You do realize, telepathic powers are mind not just mind linking right?" I questioned the blonde looking at her "It's the power of invading the mind like Mind Control, Illusion Manipulation, Psychic Torture. I could fuck with your mind so hard that your safe plane wouldn't be a thing anymore." I threatened and Reyes snapped her fingers, just something she found out stops me from hurting things...

"Well, what you do? kill your parents?" Illyana mocked and I laughed "kind yeah. I lost control and made a bus driver drive a bus into a body of moving water and everyone drowned. Besides for me somehow." I said in a smart ass tone fighting the lump in my throat 'im going to fuck this bitch up, either making her see smiley men or just giving her an uppercut to the jaw.' i said sam and cleared my throat. Reyes wrote some notes down "Ok, we're done here. Everyone can leave." I stood up and walked to sam and gave him a fake smile, Illyana bumped into my shoulder and smiled "Sorry." she laughed 'try me, you'll see smiley men.' i smiled as she glared at me and walked out. "What did you just say?" Sam said as he throws his jacket over his shoulder "Oh nothing." I smiled and grabbed his hand and left the room.

I and sam walked to the lounge in silence, my mind rushing with flashbacks from the crash. Even though I didn't get hurt, it still haunts you. When we got to the room Dani and Rahne were already there turning on the Tv "Hey guys!" Dani said in a happy tone "Hey." me and Sam said, sam going to the foosball table with Roberto, I jumped over the couch next to Rahne "You talking now?" She asked I shook my head "Oh boy, ill be doing more than talking if Illyana tried anything." I said and looked at the tv, a random movie turning on.

Rahne patted my shoulder "Hey, she stepped over a line. Yes. But you can't make her live through her fears." I laughed "Okay." I said and looked over the couch to sam 'You looking kinda hot right now.' Sam shook his head not stopping the game to respond 'what? You're not gonna respond?' i teased him, no respond 'Your asking for it. watch it.' i waited for a response nothing. I turned around and watch the movie on tv.

3rd person (it's gonna start getting graphic and smut.)

Y/n continued to tease and bother sam more and more, making him lose a bunch of foosball games against Roberto "Well you suck." Roberto laughed as he fixed the players on the polls, Sam rolled his eyes and put the ball in the middle "Is y/n talking to you through brain waves for some shit." Roberto laughed and took the first hit Sam laughed and started to play "Oh no, definitely not." Sam laughed.

'You're not talking about me, are you?' Y/n voice popped into sams head, Sam rolled his eyes 'Why would I? It's not like you don't invade my head every day.' Sam replied y/n chuckled from the couch where her, Rahne, And Dani were sat watching a movie 'You're too cute sam, you know that? Oh and don't even get me started about how big your hands are, I wouldn't mind them on me.' Y/n teased, sam took a deep breath not wanting to lose the game but also not wanting Y/ns comment to go to his head.

'Oh come on big boy, don't ignore me. I can see your breathing patterns change.' Y/n said making sam frustrated, and groan "Oh my." Sam glared at him "Stop it."

'You wanna leave the lounge? go up to my room and see what is a coal miner does to the body? I bet it does wonder.' y/n flirted, Sam scored a goal against Roberto "Imma go, see ya." and sam left, y/n rolled her eyes "I'll be back." and left the room after Sam.

Y/n exited the lounge going after sam "Sam!" Y/n yelled down to him as he walked down the hall ignoring her "Sam! come on, stop it."Y/n said as she ran down the hall trying to catch up to him. Sam continued to ignore y/ns calls as he walked down the hall, he was embarrassed and a little angry.

'Sam, come on. I'm sorry okay? I should've told you earlier and tried to stop, okay but it's hard when you hearing the thoughts of everyone around you .' Y/ns voice echoed through sams head, sam stopped and turned around to face y/n who was only a few feet away from him "Why?" Sam asked, leaving y/n confused "Why what?" Y/n gave a nervous chuckle worried about what he was gonna ask.

"Was it all a joke? Just something to get a laugh at?" Sam scoffed y/n laughed at his comment, leaving sam confused "What?" Y/n bent over laughing before catching her breath "Oh my! you are clueless Sam. You don't think I would've made sexual jokes for fun? I might be a bitch but I don't play with feelings sams." Y/n said with a smile, Sam glanced down at Y/n "Sam! I like you your clueless puppy!" Y/n Yelled but not loud enough for the group down the hall to hear.

"Oh so- oh... oh." Sam said out loud as he thought, he smirked at y/n "Ill take you up on that offer." Y/n laughed "Bet." and with that Y/n grabbed Sams wrist and the two of them ran down to the dorms.

Y/n pulled Sam into her room, locking the door and covering the camera in the corner of the room, y/n turned around taking off her shoes, sam already doing that "You ready?" Y/n smirked, "As all hell."

Y/ns pov

Sam pushed me onto the bed and got on top of me. bringing sam into a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck one hand in his hair and throwing his hat off. "You are a naughty girl," he said looking at me in the eyes, I winked "I know." bringing him into a rough kiss letting him lead. Sam started taking off his flannel and shirt, I doing the same.

I pulled sam back into a kiss now just in a bar and jeans. Sam kissed down my jaw and onto my neck leaving hickies and bites. I moaned once he hit a spot right below my jaw, he worked on the spot for a while before moving to my chest. His hands traveling down to the hem of my jeans. Sam looked up "You ready?" He asked I nodded. Sam Unbuttoned my jeans and sticking his hand in.

He started playing with my clit with us thumb, "wet already ?" He said smirking, I moaned "just fuck me Sam " I moaned, throwing my head back fisting my sheets in the bed, "not yet baby," he said inserting his middle fingers. I arched my back and moaned "s-Sam f-faster " I said breathless moaning, Coming close to an Orgasm, he inserted two more fingers going faster, I was a moaning mess "I-I'm cL-close " I moaned out and came on this hand.

He licked his hand clean, and took off his jeans, and stroked his penis, he groaned and I flipped us around so he's on the bottom and I put his member in my mouth it was at least 10 inches so there was still a good amount not in my mouth so I rubbed the exposed part. "Y/n," he said putting his hands to his face before grabbing my hair.

After a while, he comes into my mouth.

I looked at him and started kissing him, giving him hickeys down his jaw and next, while my hands went down his abs, I gave him hickeys on his neck where he couldn't hind them and down his stomach. After Sam flipped us so I was under him, he put a condom on and slid in me, I moaned his name digging my nails into his shoulder blades leaving marks. Sam groaned giving my neck hickeys. "I-I'm close Sam," I said moaning. San put my hands above my head and held my hand. "M-me too," he said and we both released, and plotted down next to me. Both of us out of breath.

"I bet you don't like dirty thoughts anymore huh?" I joked Sam chuckled.

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

#sam guthrie #sam x reader #sam guthrie x reader #new mutant fanfiction

93 notes · View notes

panzil · 4 years ago

Text

ME HAS MORE TRANS!PUFFY RAISING BABY FOOLISH AUUUU (still don’t know what to call it cause this is a mouthfull kinda)

Im so sorry it’s long... idk how to do cut offs on the app ;-;

Ok ok so Sam first meets Foolish when he’s like five, he just came back from working on the massive prison and is finally able to have a sit down and talk witb his friends...

He obviously finds out about all the egg stuff and is like “what??? nO!!!!” And is like pretty shocked when he finds out Puffy adopted a kid when Puffy is yelling not to involve her son in the egg business...

And like when Sam meets Foolish for the first time, it’s while he’s excavating for the bank and Foolish just... walks up and starts digging dirt with his hands... and Sam is like “????? Kid what are you doing here????” And is also a bit shook to see a talking and walking totem of undying

And foolish is like “Ima help you while papa is getting my son!”

And It clicks to Sam that this is Puffy’s kid... though is hella confused about the son thing...

But the two talk while Sam excavates and Foolish “helps” ...though Sam is still unsure how he feels about the kid....

Punz does stop by for a bit and makes fun of the kid for a bit and Sam smacks him upside the head...

and then the topic of the egg comes up when Foolish points out the scary egg like meeting room in the distance and Foolish does express how much he doesn’t like the egg and Sam is just absolutely fucking relieved that the Egg doesn’t have any influence on the kid...

After a bit Sam’s phone starts buzzing (phones are canon in the smp and no one can convince me otherwise) and there is just a mass of messages in the server group chat, asking where Foolish is.. and Sam sends a text back telling Puffy that Foolish is with him...

After a few moments Puffy is running out to the field they ate in and scoops Foolish into her arms... yelling at him in half anger half relief... Sam asks her why the hell she would keep her son unattended like that and she tells him that she kept all the doors locked and windows closed and kept everything dangerous away... and Foolish just giggles... no one knows to this day how the hell he got out...

Puffy then brings out a totems of undying and Foolish looks so excited... and Sam is just like “IOU TIME” and Foolish almost cries and Puffy smacks Sam by the back of his head... luckily she has another one but Puffy is still salty, but Foolish immediately forgets about it once he has the totem in his hands...

Sam then decides to show Foolish his house, and at first he’s tricked by the disguise of the small empty house in front but absolutely looses his mind when Sam shows him the real house and is running absolutely everywhere, though being really polite at the same time, not wanting to break anything no matter how much he wants to touch it...

After looking around Sam’s house Foolish decides to show Sam and Puffy a big structure of a two headed snake (it’s like 5 feet tall in this au) that he and Eret built in a desert Eret took him to (Eret baby sits him from time to him) ...and it’s hella impressive for 5 year old.. and Puffy tells Sam that Eret didn’t even do most of the work, he just got the materials, helped with the sharp tools, and supervised... and Sam is hella impressed...

And yeah then the day ends and the kid has actually grown on Sam and looks forward to talking to the kid in the future....

And it’s all cute and stuff afsfsfsf

#dream smp #dreamsmp #trans!puffy #foolish dream smp #foolish gamers #foolishg #awesamdude #captain puffy #puffy dream smp

36 notes · View notes

thiswasinevitableid · 4 years ago

Note

For a writing prompt, Indruck post apocalyptic au (preferably everyone is human?) Indrid is infected by some sort of alien parasite, and the only way they can save him is to cut it out of him without anesthesia? Feel free to be as graphic as you want, but if it’s too whumpy for you, no pressure to write it! Thanks as always!

Here you go! It’s mid-level graphic: if it were a movie, you wouldn’t be seeing guts everywhere, but you would see the wounds. Also, content warning for body horror, namely the kind where a fungus takes over your body, and referenced suicide (no suicide actually occurs, don’t worry)

He should have seen it coming.

The tell-tale dampness and smell in the air, like battery acid and rotten milk, the fact that he’d made it the whole trip without seeing any Mycilioptera (that was, according to Joseph, the scientific term for the for the cat-sized, skittering alien creatures looking for someone to sting).

The creature was on him with a droning, high whine, scratching his face, smearing stinging mucus across his eyes and mouth. He made a rookie error, following his instinct to rip off the the substance dulling his senses, rather than feel sweep his arms over his body, locate the creature, and hurl it as far away as he could.

When the stinger hit his stomach, he screamed. The noise was useless; this quadrant of the city was abandoned months ago. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his sides as the pain seeps through them. His eyes cleared enough that he forced his fingers to work, grip the handle of his hatchet, and cleave it with a crunch.

Now, clutching the steering wheel of the Winnebago (in this world you do not need a fast car; you need something with thick sides and room for supplies and friends), he knows there are only two ways this can go.

If he is lucky, the parasite will be slow acting enough and he will stay lucid enough to reach the ranch in time for someone to remove it.

If he is unlucky, he will run out of time, and the parasite will take control of his body, manipulate him zombie-like to an advantageous location, and burst from his chest, mouth, and eyes in milky-white stalks, sending spores into the air, which will either grow in to adults or be inhaled by any other humans in a two mile radius, subjecting them to a prolonged version of Indrid’s fate.

He leans on the gas pedal, hurtling down the empty backroad. They found an abandoned, un-pilfered gas station and filled all the vehicles, with some left over for scouting and supply runs. And, if it came to it, an escape.

From the passenger seat, his backpack meows. A familiar black and brown head pokes out, the ratty collar still reading “Winnie.” Winnie, the reason he ran into that abandoned parking garage during a salvage mission in the first place.

Because she’s Duck’s cat, the one he thought he’d never see again after she fled out the door when the city evacuated. And Indrid loves Duck Newton more than anything in the world.

They’d been friends before everything went to hell, inching towards a confession of deeper feeling and Indrid still remembers the way his heart felt when he spotted Duck at the evac staging shelter. He hadn't even opened his mouth when Duck was hugging him, holding him tight and saying he was so fucking glad he was okay.

When three, then five, then ten infected humans burst in the evac center, Duck had Indrid’s hand they were running before almost anyone else knew what was happening, bandanas over their mouths because Josephs last message before the cell towers were overloaded was to keep their noses and mouths covered.

They made it, against all odds, out into the countryside, Thacker’s Quonset hut and Mama’s farmhouse as safe as they’d hoped. The others trickled in one by one or two by two; sometimes bringing other survivors with them. Other survivors found them later, though the humans they saw became fewer and fewer with each day.

Mama took in everyone who wasn’t infected, while Joseph, Dani, Duck and Thacker operated and sewed up the infected who could be saved (if removed before it takes over the host, the parasite will die when exposed to air). Those who could not were given choices; most chose a swift death, especially when they learned that dying before the parasites emerged would kill the alien inside them.

And every night, Indrid and Duck shared a small bed, clinging to each other and telling jokes or stories until they could sleep. Two months in, Duck kissed him in the dark and Indrid kissed back, and when Duck asked if it was only the end of the world driving Indrid’s affection, Indrid shook his head

“I’ve wanted this for awhile. And I don’t know what’s coming. All I know is I want to be with you when it does.”

At the front of the Winnebago Indrid wipes his eyes; what a foolish thing to say. He doesn’t want Duck here for this, that’s for damn sure, and yet he drives towards him anyway,

He’s feverish, sweat running down his face and arms shaking, and while his veins are still blue, he can see the parasite rippling under his skin; it’s not wasting any time.

He’s not going to make it. And if he tries, he’ll put all his friends in danger

There’s no choice but to pull to the side of the road a few miles from the farm and step from the trailer, leaving the door ajar so Winnie can escape into the wild. He’s crying all the while, breath coming in shaky gasps; just because he’s doing the right thing doesn’t mean he isn’t miserable and terrified.

Indrid pulls out his pistol. He won’t be an incubator, he won’t spread this, he won’t help the things that took so much of his world from him.

He won’t ever see Duck again.

He sobs, once, then wretches as the fever grows and his vision goes spotty. He has to do this, even though every time he looks at the weapon his whole body shakes with fear.

“‘Drid!”

Duck’s voice, just audible over the thrum of an engine. Then tires screech into view, Aubrey piloting a jeep. Duck jumps to the ground before she’s even stopped.

“‘Drid, don’t you fuckin dare-��

“Nono, stay back!” He scrambles on his hands and heels, slamming into the side of the trailer, “I got stung, I already have a fever, I can feel it moving-”

Duck drops to his knees, lifting Indrid’s glasses.

“Your eyes are still brown. It ain’t too late.”

“But the veins near the wound are going white” Joseph stands behind Duck, “we won’t be able to get him back in time.”

“Th-that’s why I pulled over, I, I can’t get the rest of you infected, please, please just go-”

“You got the field kit?”

Aubrey tosses it to Duck.

“We can still save you, sugar. And I’m sure as hell gonna fuckin try.”

Duck and Joseph haul him to his feet and carry him inside, laying him on his back on the table. Aubrey follows him, sitting down on one bench and taking his hand.

“We got no anesthetic, so this is gonna hurt like a motherfucker, but you can do it. Okay?”

Indrid nods weakly.

“We’re gonna get you through this. You’re” fear flickers across Duck’s face, “you’re gonna be okay.”

Aubrey braces Indrid’s upper body, Joseph his lower, as Duck cleans around the puncture in his stomach and sterilizes his tools. Aubrey holds up a hand,

“We need something for your mouth, right?”

“Good call” Duck retrieves a wooden spoon from a drawer, setting it between Indrid’s teeth.

“Okay” Duck takes a deep breath, meets Indrids eyes, “okay. I’m gonna start cuttin. Ready?”

Indrid just manages a thumbs up.

It hurts, because a blade cutting into your skin will always hurt. And because it hurts Indrid screams.

“That’s good” Joseph is trying to sound reassuring, but even he looks worried, “scream if you need to, research suggests it helps with the pain.”

“It’s not too deep, thank fuckin christ.”

Indrid stares at the ceiling and yells when Duck widens the incision.

“Almost can see ‘im. Yeah, there, he’s startin to shrivel already from the air.”

Relief mingles with the pain in his tears. Aubrey pets his head, “you’re gonna be okay, see?”

“C’mere you, you fuckin monster, you fuckin think you can take him from me” Duck hisses, then says gruffly, “Joe, need you to hold it open, go wash your hands.”

Once Joe is in position, there’s a horrible, wet sound as Duck places his hand inside.

Searing, blinding pain as he pulls the parasite free, Indrid’s blood running down Duck’s arms. He bites the wooden handle and it cracks. The creature wrinkles and dies in Duck’s hands and he hurls it outside.

“Shit, shit you’re bleeding a lot. Okay, fuck, okay, that was the hard part, this is just stitches. Just stitches.”

Indrid whimpers, clinging to Aubrey’s hand and scraping his nails against the formica table. Duck hits too deep on a stitch and Indrid winces and cries as his boyfriend curses.

“Here, Duck, trade with me.” Joe holds out his hand and Duck passes him the needle. The shorter man settles by Indrid, taking his other hand. He’s still bloodstained, and Indrid can feel him shaking, but he brings Indrid’s knuckles to his mouth and kisses his knuckles again and again.

“I’m here, darlin, I’m here, I got you, it’s almost over.”

Indrid focuses on his voice, pretends they’re in bed together, counts the kisses on his hand and wrist while the pain fades to the background. Dimly, around kiss number thirty-five, he hears Joseph sigh in relief.

“Done.”

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

Indrid curls up under the covers, clothes sticking to him with sweat and his stomach throbbing with pain.

“Easy, sugar, easy” Duck sits up from a makeshift bed on the floor, “here, lemme get you some painkillers.” He comes back with a glass of water and two white pills. Indrid swallows them, lets Duck help him from his shirt and wipe the sweat away with a cloth.

“How did you know to come look for me?”

“Just had a feelin. I kept lookin out at the road, saw the ‘Bago weavin, goin a million miles an hour, and just knew somethin was wrong.”

“Thank you. For coming for me.”

“I always will. Thanks for not deckin me or kickin me while I was workin on you.”

“Duck you saved my life, kicking would be rather rude.”

It’s a weak goof, but Duck smiles and kisses him.

“Oh, uh, here, someone else wants to say thanks.”

“Mraoow?” Winnie stares at him from Duck’s arms.

“We scared her burstin into the trailer. Poked her head out right after you passed out. So you, uh, missed me bawlin like a baby seein her again.”

“Awwww” Indrid rests his head on Duck’s shoulder, ruffling Winnie’s fluff.

“I mean, that and it hit me how close I came to losin you. Poor Aubrey was tryin to comfort me in the Jeep while Joe drove you back here in the ’Bago.”

Indrid strokes his cheek. He understands; the thought of never seeing Duck again was the worst thing to happen to him all day, sting included.

“Come to bed?”

“You sure? Might not be too comfortable.”

“I want to be held by you. I want to remember we’re both still here.”

Duck joins him under the blanket, Winnie curling up on their feet.

“Yeah, yeah we are. And I love you so goddamn much.”

“I love you too. And I promise to cut a parasite out of you if the need arises.”

“God I fuckin hope not.”

“Me too. There were...fewer of them this time. I think they may be dwindling.”

“Fingers crossed. But even if we got a long ways to go towards rebuildin a world, I still got you, and you still got me. And that’s worth a whole hell of a lot.”

Indrid kisses him, inhaling the smell of clean skin and scratching his cheek against Duck’s stubble.

“You’re right, my love. It is.”

#indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #taz amnesty #whump #reader requests #post apocalyptic au #body horror

19 notes · View notes

outsiders-incorrect-quotes · 4 years ago

Text

Same story line as always you the Curtis sister... I recommend reading the other ones to have more of a familiar idea what is going on but its fine if you don't... ENJOY! Pls tell me if you like like these BC i continue to write them but Idk if anyone is enjoying them.STAY GOLD

“Wake up greaser!” Two-Bit said as he jumped on your bed “Heya Two-Bit, what’s going on?” you say tiredly

“Where’s the rest of them ?”

“Well Pony and Johnny had a field trip today and they had to leave early for school so Steve, Soda, and Darry went to drop them off then go to work after.”

“What about Dal?”

“Lord knows”

“Well looks like it’s just gonna be you and me Y/N”

“Good deal Two-Bit”

“You get dressed and I will go start breakfast”

“You got it”

As Two-Bit left the room you got out from under the covers and began making your bed and thinking about how much you really appreciated Two-Bit. You heard the eggs frying on the pan and began getting dressed, you didn’t have much so you took an old DX shirt from Soda’s closet that he said you could have and a pair of black skinny jeans and combat boots Dal got you for Christmas.

“Hey Y/N what do you wanna do today?” Two-Bit asked as you walked into the kitchen

“Not sure… wanna watch Mickey?” you said grabbing 2 plates from the cabinet

“I got it! Were gonna have my famous Two-Bit days where we do what two-bit does.”

“And what does that consist of Two-Bit?” you said with sarcasm in your voice

“ Well since your a mighty fine drinker, were gonna have a beer-chugging competition”

“Ok but we can’t drink to many or Darry is gonna scream our heads off even though your the only one who’s gonna get drunk cause I don’t get drunk”

“Yea yea hand me those plates”

After handing two-bit the plates you went to see if Mickey was on and luckily it was. Two-Bit put your plate on the coffee table and he sat next to you. You sat in silence for a few minutes with Mickey playing in the background.

“How are you and Dal doing?”

“Huh,” you said with egg in your mouth

“ you know we all saw yall kiss in the rain at the movies”. You choked on the eggs that you were about to swallow and then you spit it onto your napkin and wiped your face off. “Yall watched us”

“Maybe”

“ Two-Bit yall are freaking creepy. Good thing Darry wasnt there”

“We told him”

“ What!” you said dropping the plate and began dragging Two-Bit to the ground. “Ima cut your air Two-Bit”

“Ima cut your air Two-Bit, “ two-bit said in a high pitch voice trying to mock you and rolled out from your grip. You laid on the floor and he was standing above you and said “ we didn’t tell him, just wanted to see you get mad”

“Damn you Two-Bit,” you said as you sat up and grabbed your plate taking it to the kitchen.

“You are on dish duty,” he said

“Hand me your plate”

“Which beer did Darry say your allowed to have”

“You can pick any, as long as we don’t have more than 6 pack,” you said drying your hands. Two-Bit walked into the living room again and you followed him “ ok on the count of 3 we chug this beer. 1...2...3!” you chugged so fast your were done and you slammed the empty glass on the table and you watched Two-Bit take his last sip “ Beat that Two-Bit!” you said wiping your mouth “ Pretty good Y/N, another round later?”

“You betcha “

“Let’s play cards and later we can go find Dal or something”

“Let’s do it”

You guys played for what felt like days and decided by lunchtime to go to DX and see what was going on.

“Hey Two is it cold outside you said walking to your room”

“Not too bad, but you might want to bring a coat”

“ Alright thanks,” you said. When you opened your closet barely anything was there. Like you always do you went to Soda’s closet and grabbed a jacket and walked out to the living room where two-bit was putting on his leather jacket.

“You ready yet?”

“Yea let’s go… did you bring a car or are we walking?”

“Walking,” he said opening the front door

As you guys walked you made jokes about people coming by and you guys slashed some Soc’s tires might have been Cherry’s car. You slashed one side and he slashed the other side and then hauled out of there. When you got DX you saw some girl flirting with Soda and he wasn’t having it. He saw you and looked at you with a face saying ’help me’ and you winked at him with one eye and ran up to him and hugged him saying “ hey babe” and he hugged you back and went along with it. The look on that girl’s face “I think that’s enough gas” she said pulling the pump out of her car and driving off. “Thanks, Y/N,” Soda said pulling away from your hug and looing at your outfit up and down “we better buy you some new clothes,” he said putting his arm around your shoulder and walking up to Steve and Two-Bit who were messing around with some broads who probably stopped by to see Soda. “Soda you letting Y/N wear your clothes now,” Steve said

“Yea what about it?” soda said grabbing a windshield wiper

“Yea what about it?” you said grabbing the windshield wiper out of Soda’s hand and whacking Steve in the head with it. Steve was holding the side of his and then you tackled him to the ground. You were rolling all over the ground tackling him when you put him in a choke hold “ want me to cut your air Steve?”

“No”

“Then say it dont matter”

“Hell no”

" the im cut your-"

"Hey there y/n" you heard from behind you. It was Dal. You got really fast and ran to him then jumping up and wrapping your legs around his back. Before you could say anything you guys were kissing infront of all of them. In the middle of you guys kissing your hear all the boys making smooching sounds with their back turned to you guys hugging themselves while moving their hands up and down their back. Dal let go of u quietly and picked the windshield wiper off the floor whacking each one of them in the back of the head with it. You laughed as the all turned around in pain and surprise. " when yall plan on telling Darry" Soda asked snatching back the windshield wiper from Dal. " do we have to?" You wined " unless you want him to find out the hard way" steve interrupted " I will find a right time to do it" you said

" listen me a Soda got to get back to work" Steve said walking towards a car he was working on before you and Two-Bit got there.You gave Soda a hug and waved him good bye. Two-Bit, Dal, and you walked around for a bit before Dal said "the sky's getting dark pretty soon im gonna have to go"

" where you off to" you asked

" gonna go see Tim" he said

" see u tomorrow" You said giving him a hug

" take care of her Two-Bit and layoff of her otherwise i will have your panties in a twist" Dal warned him

Two laughed and waved as Dal walked into an alley. On your way home you stopped by the dingo to get some dinner for everyone when they came home.

When you got home you set everything down and set the table. " when is everybody getting home?" Two-Bit asked " i think around 5:30" you said looking at the clock " about an hour til, we can watch Mickey and have a drink till they get here" you said smiling " good thinking" he said walking to the fridge grabbing 2 beers. You both sat and watched mickey slowing sipping on the beer. You leaned your head on his should with the beer in your hand. " Two-Bit?"

" yea y/n"

" have I ever told you I love you like a brother"

" have i ever told you I love you like a sister"

A warm feeling rushed over your body as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder

" if you ever need anything two, im here for you if you need me"

" same to you y/n" he said as he lightly cheered your beer

From outside the window your heard sniffles. " the hell was that" you say as you open the blinds to see Soda and Steve hugging and pretending to wipe tears of their eyes. You got up closed the blinds and locked the front door. " yall can come in when Darry gets home in an hour" you say while looking into the window. "Hope it ain't cold out" Two- Bit yelled as you sat back down next to him.

#two bit mathews #the outsiders #DX #imagines #steve randle #sodapop curtis

11 notes · View notes

worldserasingandcreatinginmymind · 4 years ago

Text

The Intern | Part 10

Series Summary: You move to New York to focus on your art but end up working as an intern at Stark Enterprises

Chapter Summary: your relationship is tested as things take a dramatic turn

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader, Avengers x reader (platonic)

Word Count: 2420

Warnings: SO much angst oof im sorry

A/N: this story does not follow the same timeline as the movies. Also, spelling and grammar is not my strongest skill so please be kind :) if you want to be added to the taglist please drop me a message in my ask box

Masterlist | Part Nine

- - - - -

“Remember what I said kid…” Tony warns Peter as the three of you walk through the corridors of the compound.

“…not a word” Peter repeats Tony’s earlier words “but I don't know why you don't just tell everyone you and Y/N are-” Tony shoots Peter a look and he instantly stops talking, miming zipping his mouth shut. Tony nods as you reach the doors of the meeting room.

Back at your apartment as you were getting ready to leave Tony had received a text. He didn’t say what the text contained but from his face you could tell it was something serious, and he quickly ushered you and Peter into the car with him. The car journey back to the compound was silent.

Tony pushes the door open and there you find the Steve, Natasha, Bruce, Vision and Wanda assembled and waiting. They turn to look at you as you enter, making you instantly self conscious. You catch Natasha’s eye and she gives you a small sympathetic smile.

“What’s happened?” Tony says seriously, coming to a stop at the end of the table. Steve holds up a brown unsealed envelope and slides it across the table to Tony who opens it and removes the contents, placing them on the table in front of both of you. Your heart feels like it stops and your blood runs cold when you see that spread across the table before you are photos of you.

Pictures of you arriving at the compound, walking around the building, training with Nat. There’s even a picture of you and Tony together on the balcony sharing a kiss. Guess your secret is out.

Then Tony places a photo of you sat under a tree in the grounds, and you realise…

“This was today. This afternoon, just before we went to my apartment… I thought I heard something in the woods, someone was watching me.” The thought makes you feel sick. Steve must notice how pale you’ve gone as he quickly moves next to you and sits you down in a chair. You lean forward onto the desk, your head in your hands. “he’s never going to stop” you mutter, mostly to yourself.

“Where did these come from?” Tony asks, you hear the anger in his voice.

“One of Randall’s men posted them through the door. We caught him before he could get away, he’s detained downstairs now with Sam guarding.” Steve explains calmly.

“Get Y/N away from here” Tony says before turning and storming out of the room.

You shoot your head up and just catch a glimpse of him as he disappears out the room. “Tony!” You shout but he’s gone, Natasha running after him. You try to follow but Steve stops you. “Steve-”

“Y/N, he’s right we need to get you out of here” he gently tugs your arm, trying to lead you away.

“NO!” You pull your arm from his grip and run, ignoring the shouting behind you. You manage to slam the doors shut as Steve bangs on the other side. Before you realise what you're doing your super strength kicks in, bending the door handles so the door can’t be easily opened. You run as fast as you can toward the sound of Tony’s voice.

“Tell me where he is? What is he planning?” You hear Tony yell from the other end of the corridor, he sounds so angry.

You reach the room you can hear him in and swing the door open as Tony fist makes impact with the man’s face. You look in horror at the stranger tied to a chair, blood pouring down his face. He makes eye contact with you as Tony’s fist raises up above his head, ready to strike again.

“TONY STOP!” You shout, jumping forward and grabbing his arm. He spins around, knocking you to the ground. He looks down at you, there is so much anger on his face that you barely recognise him. Natasha rushes over to your side helping you up, as you continue staring at Tony in horror. Tears fill your eyes, threatening to spill as your whole body shakes.

“Y/N” Tony takes a step towards you and you instinctively step away. A look of shame briefly flashes on his face, before his attention turns to Steve crashing through the doors “I told you to take her-”

“I know, but she is strong” Steve huffs, looking at you.

“I’m not going anywhere” you state firmly

“Yes you are, its not safe here now” Tony replies just as firm

“Nowhere is safe anymore Tony. The Professor is going to keep coming for me, no matter where I am. I’m not going to run anymore, I’m staying here by your side. Where I feel safe...” you glance at the half conscious stranger in the room then back to Tony “…or at least I used to”

The room falls silent as Tony looks at you with sad eyes. He thinks for a moment before looking to Steve and he nods. Steve comes behind you and wraps his arms around you tightly, restraining you.

“I’m sorry” he whispers in your ear as he drags you backwards.

“NO! TONY, PLEASE DON’T!” You shout frantically, making eye contact with him. He turns his back and you dig your heels into the floor but it’s no use “TONY!”

You feel something sharp stab into your arm and you see Bruce standing next to you, needle in hand. You look at him in shock as your eyelids begin to feel heavy. You try to fight but your whole body feels like lead.

“Bruce? No, why…”

Steve shushes you, still holding you with one arm as the other hand reaches up to hold your head, his thumb stroking your face gently. When you can’t fight any longer you give in, drifting peacefully into a deep sleep.

— — — —

You wake up to the sound of a rumbling engine beneath you and look around to realise you're on board the quinjet. Steve sits up front in the drivers seat while Bruce sits in a seat opposite you, fast asleep. You undo your seat belt and slowly walk to the front of the jet, careful not to lose your balance. Steve spots you from the corner of his eye and glances over his shoulder at you.

“Ah, you're awake. Take a seat, we’re about to land.” He gestures to the seat next to him and you follow his order, sitting down and fastening the seatbelt around you. Through the window you watch as the jet travels down through the clouds and you see that you're heading to a farm house in the middle of nowhere. There are no other buildings for miles, just empty fields. The quinjet lands with a gentle bump, waking Bruce.

“are we there yet?” He asks sleepily as Steve gets up from his seat and walks to the back of the jet.

“yep, rise and shine sleeping beauty” Steve replies, pressing a button on the wall to open the door. He walks down the ramp and exits the jet. You look over to Bruce anxiously as he stands up and looks back at you.

“Its going to be okay” he gives you a small smile and follows Steve’s path down the ramp.

You stand there alone for a moment, and for a brief second you contemplate whether you could steal the jet and fly back to the compound. But that idea quickly leaves you when you look at the control panel and realise you don't have a clue how to fly the thing. You sigh and leave the jet.

You exit the jet, slowly walking down the ramp towards the big farmhouse where you find Steve and Bruce talking to Clint.

“There she is, hey Y/N!” Clint calls happily to you as you join them outside the front door, flashing him a brief forced smile.

“Thanks for doing this man” Steve says, patting Clint on the shoulder.

“It’s no problem. She’s one of us now, family takes care of family” he smiles at you and this time the smile you return is more genuine, though still small. You're still pretty drowsy from the tranquilliser Bruce injected you with and honestly all you want to do it lie down. Even better, lie down in Tony’s arms.

“Cap!” You hear small voices shout and look over to see two young children running out the door towards Steve who high fives them both.

“Cooper, Lila! Come on now, you’ve got homework to finish” a brown haired woman standing at the door beckons them both to come back in, which they do reluctantly. She walks out to join you all and extends her hand to you. “you must be Y/N, its nice to meet you”

You shake her hand and Clint puts his arm around her shoulder.

“This is my wife, Laura. And those rascals were my kids. Nathaniel is napping upstairs but you’ll meet him later.” Clint explains. Its so weird to see Clint like this. You're used to seeing him with a bow and arrow, masterfully shooting targets. Not the family man who lives on a farm. “could you show Y/N to her room please?” He asks Laura and she smiles at you.

“of course, right this way” she walks inside and you follow her into the house. She leads you up a set of wooden stairs and to the end of the hallway into your new room. It’s a typical farm house room, cosy and homely. Not like the modern compound. You walk in and look around silently as Laura explains to you a few small house rules. You suddenly feel yourself go weak so you sit down on the end of the bed. Laura notices the look on your face and stops talking, watching you.

“are you okay? Honestly, how are you doing?” She asks cautiously. You stare blankly at the floor, trying to work out the answer. You shake your head, unable to find the words. “well, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. But, if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

You nod your head and she leaves, closing the door behind her. You move over to the window seat and sit, looking down at Clint, Steve and Bruce still stood outside talking. You can’t hear what they’re saying but their faces are serious. Laura joins them outside again and they talk for a few more minutes before Steve and Bruce go back onto the Quinjet and leave. As you watch the jet fly off into the clouds your heart starts to race a little, realising you have no way of leaving and no way of seeing Tony again anytime soon.

A knock at the door interrupts your thoughts.

“hey” Clint smiles at you “are you settling in okay?”

“yes thank you Clint, you have a lovely house” you say smiling politely, you may be angry at the situation but its not Clint’s fault you're here.

“well make yourself at home, we all want you to feel comfortable here. Laura’s cooking pie for dinner, I’ll come tell you when its ready”

You thank him again and he leaves but then quickly reappears. “oh and I forgot, Steve said Tony wanted you to have this” he hands you a small black duffel bag and leaves again, closing the door.

You place the bag on your bed and unzip it, opening it to see an Iron Man mask staring back at you. You take the mask out and look down sadly at it in your hands. Why would want you to have this? Just to make you miss him more? Looking at it you start to feel angry, remembering how Tony cast you away. How he got Steve drag you out the room, and Bruce to drug you. You throw the mask down on the cushion of the window seat and storm out the room. You head to the bathroom and run yourself a nice hot bath. As the soapy water warms your skin you feel yourself begin to relax and your eye lids grow heavy. You allow them to close, telling yourself you’re just resting your eyes. You don't realise you’ve drifted off into a sleep until you hear banging on the door.

“Y/N! Dinner is ready!” Clint’s voice calls through the door.

“okay, I’ll be down in a minute.” You shout back and quickly get out the bath, drying yourself and getting dressed. You go to tie your wet hair up in a bun but realise you've left your hair tie back in your room. You run down the hall back to your bedroom and open the door, stopping dead still when you see a familiar figure sat on the window seat looking at you.

“Tony?” You almost whisper, dropping the towel you had been attempting to dry your hair with.

“You had a bath without me?” He says flirtatiously but you just huff back at him.

“You weren’t here. You sent me away, remember?” The anger shows in your voice, taking Tony a little by surprise.

“it’s for your own safety Y/N-”

“Why are you here Tony?” you interrupt him, he stands up from the window seat and you notice he flickers. Like a hologram. Then you realise…

“you're not really here” you sigh, feeling yourself deflate as you look down at the floor.

Tony watches you sadly, taking a few steps closer to you.

“Believe me, I wish I was”

You look up at him, disbelief on your face.

“You did this Tony. This was YOUR decision, not mine”

“I needed to know you were safe”

“Until today the safest I’ve ever felt was when I was with you.” You take a breath “But earlier when I saw you in that room with Professor Randall’s man… there was only one person I was afraid of”

“I would never hurt you”

“Maybe not intentionally”

Your words are like a shot to his chest. You can almost see panic on his face.

“So, what are you saying?” He asks quietly. You look away, thinking carefully about your words but the truth is you don't know what to say.

“I have to go. They're waiting for me downstairs.” You grab your hair tie off the bedside table and quickly leave the room. You hear Tony calling your name but you ignore it as you shut the door and rest your forehead against the hard wood. You take a few deep breaths before tying your hair up in a messy bun and going down to join Clint’s family for dinner.

Part Eleven

Taglist: @sunflowers-and-snowdrops @brownbuble @shookie-shookie @thebuckysoldier @chai--chae @ilovespideyyy @rvgrsbrns @dee-vn

#tony stark fanfic #tony stark #tony stark imagine #Iron Man #iron man x reader #iron man imagine #iron man fanfic #tony stark x reader #Robert Downey jr x reader #Robert Downey Jr #rdj #marvel fanfic #marvel imagine #marvel cinematic universe #mcu

46 notes · View notes

spookyrobbins · 3 years ago

Note

thinking abt s9 again and it still pisses me off how much of az's experiences and disability is viewed from callie's pov (like literally at some points). like disclaimer here bc i understand that the people around an amputee are affected by it too and i understand that (esp at the time) showing callie's pov and struggles was extremely novel. but callie's pov should have been a supplement to az's, not replacing it?? bc literally every single one of az's ig accomplishments?? 1/8 – darkness anon

are seen from callie's pov. it even goes into the way they film certain scenes. (note that i am not like a professional filmmaker but i did take courses on art interp) comparing two scenes - the scene where az walks across the apartment to the door w her prosthesis and like trips and breaks shit along the way vs the "i got back up" scene which are very different scenes that occur in the same location - i noticed smth rlly interesting abt the way the audience is positioned 2/8

in the first one. there is only one portion of the scene (lasting maybe one second) where we do not see arizona in frame. in fact, most of this scene, we see arizona from her side, and at the end, we see her facing forward, toward the camera. and that's significant bc when they do that, we don't see things like the character sees it. we see it like an audience. we literally don't see az's perspective even when she is the Only character on screen. the closest we get to that in this 3/8

is the split-second frame of the vase breaking and one of the outside of the apartment, pointing to where the files bailey promised should have been. what the scene conveys isnt necessarily az's experiences, as a result, and instead is showing us the results of bailey's plan to get az walking again, which is linked back to callie's feelings abt az's response to the amputation and,, yeah. admittedly though, this scene is probably one of the most arizona centric scenes in the season. 4/8

comparing a scene with similar setting - the i got back up scene - is super interesting though, because we can see that the directors are filming az's scenes the way they are on purpose. bc that scene starts from callie's perspective and stays there for the rest of the scene. we start with the camera behind callie as she stands outside the door of the apt, and then cuts to a side/frontal angle so we can see her expression at the sound of az giggling behind the door 5/8

then she opens the door and we cut to a frontal angle so we instantly see callie's reaction to smth behind the camera and then turn around and show us what she's reacting to. compared to how they framed az opening the door in the 9x06 scene (they focus on the empty floor first and then pan up to az, emphasising the importance of the empty floor over az's reaction). and even when the camera is focused on az and sofia, it's callie's voice that we hear first and she asks if az 6/8

had a good day and then az reveals oh well i fell down and then we cut back to callie for her reaction. and then az responds w "i got back up". but the "i got back up" part? literally lasts less than a second before we cut back to callie again. and after that the cam cuts between focusing on callie and watching az and sofia from callie's pov (u can argue that the focus on callie is sofia's pov but i dont think that makes much sense? idk) but yeah. its like really weird too bc 7/8

in the same ep, they have the scene where az actually falls and its filmed so similarly to this scene in some ways and even though some of these techniques are used on az, it emphasizes alex's pov more than it does az and ugh idk. s9 irritates me in both the storyline and filming ig is the conclusion here. and uhh just realised how super long this got so like. feel free to not,, respond? like i get that this is like ridiculous and im sorry my dude 8/8

no no but you're so right. i've said it before (i think) and i'll say it again: the show disproportionately favours callie's pov over arizona's (it does this with other characters, like meredith's over derek's, but to a slightly less extreme i think) - part of this i think is bc callie was there first and arizona is written as a love interest exclusively. but the whole amputation storyline really showed this to an extreme

i also think that the amount of time spent in callie's pov is part of the reason that the cheating felt so extremely ooc/cheap emotional payoff. i've seen various places where people have said that cheating can be part of depression/ptsd/trauma (and i fully agree/believe that) and that could fit in arizona's storyline - except the audience never really saw her dealing with that. there was the stuff at the beginning of the season and then arizona seemed fine? and the challenge of arizona i think is that she's very internal and taking away teddy and mark (to an extent) sort of limited her external processes, which left the viewer thinking that arizona was doing okay. but the effect of not showing us arizona's pov is that it comes out of left field (which is you were writing not filming from callie's pov could work bc limited 3rd person) is that it just seems out of character and tawdry and you have to create miscarriages to explain her behaviour

the way they filmed/wrote 95% of calzona's scenes in s9 were focused on callie and her feelings. even scenes that on the surface seem to be about arizona are really centered on callie. like for instance the shoes before bailey's wedding. arizona is struggling with self-worth and beauty and this would be a perfect moment for arizona to have ownership in her journey - instead we get callie yelling at her about how "everything is about the leg", which i think does a disservice to arizona and also to callie's character, which has often been based around empathy (don't get me started on callie's empathy and how it relates to arizona lol) like you said, every one of arizona's moments/accomplishments is not really about her. and that was a problem with arizona's character from the start - it's never really about her - it's about other. for example: her telling callie about tim was about reassuring callie's feelings versus it being a moment to add depth to arizona's character

one more thing: i think the writers majorly screwed themselves with the amputation sl/how they approached it. in the same way that the plane crash dominated like 4 seasons on a wider scale, arizona's leg and amputation did on a smaller scale, but they set it up so poorly that it was almost unsalvageable. they wanted the pat on the back for having a disabled character, but they mismanaged the storyline so atrociously that by the time s10 rolled around they were sort of screwed and didn't know what to do with callie and arizona. it's also notable that by like what? s11 they just stop talking about arizona's leg entirely

lol my part got long too so i'll leave it here

#darkness anon #the writing goes so downhill in s9

3 notes · View notes

missdawnandherdusk · 4 years ago

Text

Life Update

It’s me, your humble author, here for a little update.

My last fic seemed to hit hard with some of you, whether it was empathetic or sympathetic, I’ve seen your responses to it. And I know that some of you are concerned, and I love that I mean so much to you that you’re willing to reach out. It’s a sweet feeling that makes me smile and gives me an affirmation with each message.

And right now, I really am trying to figure out how I feel about my recent breakup. I know that I don’t want to go back to him. And sifting through the memories brings back some more somber moments and somber thoughts, like the ones you read in Together in Paris.

It’s been hard for me, yes. And maybe I can share some of it with you. Maybe writing it out will make me feel better, or feel something. I know I have a habit of going numb and avoiding things that might hurt me, but I think it’s time I open my heart up a bit, and I feel safe with you all.

It’s true. He was supposed to be my happily ever after. He was my prince charming who came to save me from an awful home life, terrible mental health, and well, just about everything else. For a long time I believed that he was my forever. My Edward, my Wesley, my Winchester, my Chat Noir, my Captain America, my guardian angel, my soulmate. The little girl inside of me who craved being saved had found her savior and she loved him with all of her heart. There was no one who knew me better for a long time. Though every heartache he was there. When friends turned and walked out on me, when I had tough decisions to make, when I needed someone to lean on, he was there. He was my everything.

And I gave up so many things. I compromised so many times just to keep him. Things that I’ll never get back. I never stole his sweatshirts because he didn’t own any. We never had a song, he rarely liked my taste in music. I never got flowers, or romantic dates. I had to plan them all, if I wanted it, I had to tell him. There was no dancing at prom, no claim of highschool sweethearts, no nights looking up at the stars. No cute photos at holidays. I lost all of the little things for the sake of a savior.

And I think that’s what wore away at my heart the most. What could have been, what should have been, if he cared a little more. Words only got so far. “Of course I love you,” “I’ll try harder,” “I’m not good at this kinda stuff,” “I don’t care,” They were empty promises piled up on top of the promise of forever.

And even though I was with him, I started to define myself, and I liked that he was apart of my definition, but he wasn’t the entire definition anymore. But that’s all I was to him. I was on a pedestal to him. And I wanted off, desperately. But he refused.

Everything he did, he claimed to do for me, then complained about how it drained him. He’d work non stop for money to go to school for me, then complain about his day or refuse to get proper sleep. And I’d tell him to sleep, to take care of himself, and he didn’t. He said he couldn’t. And it’s hard watching someone self destruct while you’re desperately telling them to get help, to listen, to do something different. Anything different.

And that hurt. A lot. It hurt watching him cling to a shadow of me and say he loved me again and again and I couldn’t say it back. I couldn’t believe him anymore. He didn’t love me. He loved the idol.

And he never listened. That’s what killed me. When we fought, when I tried to tell him where he was going wrong, when I tried to help him, he’d get mopey and “woe is me” and victimize himself to a point where I felt backed into a corner. Where I didn’t want to talk to him because he was only interested in hearing “I love you” or complaining to me. He didn’t want to know about my day. He didn’t care what music captured my heart.

He never read my writing.

Maybe once, he did a few years ago. But I can assure you that I’ve gotten “later” from him for about a year. A “later” that never came. And that hurt a lot. I pour my heart out into my writing. It’s a world that I can create and destroy if I want to and I love my worlds, I love my writings, and he never read them. He never cared. He made excuses. And he was also manipulative with it because one of the only writings that he read of mine from this blog is my ace headcanon list, then proceeded to yell at me and gaslight me for writing it making me feel bad because he had reacted wrong and golly gee I’m Mad and Hurt So after a while, I just stopped trying.

And it was sad, because he never noticed that I stopped trying. He probably thought that I was being complaint. Another compromise.

And I came to the realization that I didn’t want to share my life with him because he didn’t want to be in my life. He wanted my love and affection and the security that I offered.

He knew it was wrong. He told me he knew. Again and again he said he’d change. He’d get better, he’d keep trying. And trying. And... not trying. He never changed. He never kept that promise.

And that kills me too.

I wrote “there are songs about the ones who got away, but they never ask her why she left, do they?”

This is why I had to leave.

Because I’m not a fighter. I’m a pacifist. I’ll go in peace without a word. Without an argument. A clean break. I can go and never tell my side of the story. I’m okay with rumors about me because I know who I am on the inside. And I’ve worked damn hard for that and I’m proud of it.

But no one knows any of this. And he’ll never see this because he’ll try to turn it back on me.

So, I’ve made a clean break for it. I’ve blocked him on social media and on here. I don’t want to try to fit him into my life anymore because it was exhausting. And I never knew how tired it made me until he was gone.

So yes, it hurts. It hurts because I thought I had found my everything. I was convinced that I had, and he let me down. He let me down and he refused to accept that and he refused to ever let me believe that. It hurts because I gave up so many things for him and now I can never get them back. And that hurts. It really does.

And right now, I have to disassociate him from my series, because those are the stories of us. And they’re supposed to have happy endings and a man who stays and changes for the better but I have no idea how to write that now, because it didn’t happen to me. So please, don’t expect me to figure out how to finish those series because I have no idea what to do now. I’m scared and alone without a prince charming for the first time in my life and writing career and it’s terrifying. And I know you all love them, I do, but I can’t do it. I don’t know how to do it. I don’t know how to give you a happily ever after because my was torn from me by the one who promised it to me.

And that hurts the most.

Tags: @coffee-addicti @msmcsmutt @ravn-87 @artemismohr18 @whygz @crazywritingbug @fuzzy-panda @bitemebro522 @zombiesnips-blog @savingdraco @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @akari180 @slytherin-emerald @memalfoy-spidey @queenfeatherwings @fanficflaneuse @go-whovian-universe @spicyshenanigans @darling-im-not-okay-i-promise @dietkiwi @katsukink @takemetothekingdom @strangerr-things @tmnt-queen @hxneybgb @justsomerandomgur @belcvayelena @moviesbooksandfandoms @howdycharlie @xtrashmouthxtozierx @cocochanelthepupper @ninacotte @braelynn-j @jiggllyy @honeymarvel @darcypotter-blog @atomicpunkrock @thiccheerioss @lottie289 @beautiful-pegasus @tceedlmao @deadlynyghtshayde @iconjuresnapeingrandmaclothes @anonymous034 @bi-andready-tocry @lunna-does-real-doodle @dragonsandbread @okaydraco @the-queen-of-hell-things @cmxreader @alienmotel @oh-itsnothing @sunflowerxsadnessw @fattycooter @angelotakunerd08 @thisisahugemistake @fanficsigottaread @gweaslvy @strawberriesonsummer @gaysludge @cleopatera @ray-of-sunrise @artist-bby @shadowsingeraxolotl @quillsareforwriting @ghostlytoadalmondhairdo @wollymalfoy @lilpieceoftoast @paper-cats @floweryjh @sdicapriox @slothgirl22 @peachesandpinks @hufflautia @livize75 @annie-mcl @riathearora @live-like-luna @justathoughtfulangel @coconutdawn @skteaiy @wannabeskinny-thinspo @naughtygranger @queenofmankind @dragonsandbread @abundantxadorations @moony-artnstuff @myforeveryoungblog @and-then-a-girl-with-luv @1-800-luvsick @pandas-rice-field @strawberriesonsummer @jjustsomerandomgirl @mrvlfangirl3190 @in-slytherin-we-trust @emmaa-t @introvertedrae @infinity1o1 @stoleurmomsvan @echpr @sunkissed-hufflepuff @dekulover @marshmallowtraver @cereuselle @lonely-skywalker @xlosttdreamss @sleepysnapesnake @hoeforthefictional @coldlilheart @helen-paris @romance-geek @rosie-starlit-sky @californiaa-babyy @vulture-withafile @hogstupefy @littlepanda-love @eveft @iraniq

48 notes · View notes

toysoldiers-rwby · 4 years ago

Text

Deleted Scene. SYT Ch10.2

Show Your Teeth

Characters: Fiona, Winter, May, Robyn, Joanna Rating: Explicit (tagged as thoorist) Tags: slice of life, sexual tension Word Count: almost 6k

Second Draft of ch 10. I tossed out almost 20k words to find an ending that was the right amount of tension and bittersweet. I think this one was too angsty. honestly i don't remember

Read Show Your Teeth on on Ao3

Or Tumblr

Dr. Pietro was too valuable to be in the middle of Grimm infested fields, thousands of miles away from the Kingdom. He was constantly wrangling in both the Watts and a few other scientist for his current project. It would explain Author Watts’ sour mood, his eagerness to experiment on Glade.

But Glade was Glade, May realized with a smile. The stray that manipulated the military, the stray that outsmarted two fucking kingdoms! Being able to improvise and make the best out of being an illegal experiment…

Glade did a double take, those glowing white pupils dilating like a cat. Ears flicking in confused circles as plume of fire they were blowing onto the metal faded to the embers died on their lips. Fire Dust glowed across their skin, high-lighting the fullness of their cheeks and hard planes of muscles beautifully.

May only understood a few signs but she knew the sign “What?”

She continued staring and grinning. “Nothing.”

Glade crosses their arms and leans against the workbench. They’re posturing. With the military feeding them, they didn’t even need to flex to show off their muscles. That calm and confident grin echoing Joanna and Robyn’s. There isn’t enough raw arrogance to compete with Winter, maybe in a few years after the tuffs of curls grow out. But right now they look too adorable.

Silvio looks up from his Scroll. His face starts at confused, slides down to contempt then utter disgusted as he looks between Glade and May. He takes a deep breath and Glade is already rolling those glowing blue eyes, “Gaaay! Oh wait…” He stares at Glade. There’s an analytically rude way his silver eyes flick up and down their body.

They’re not in uniform. Too much grease, too much molten metal, Dust, and various other things that would permanently damage the thick fabric. Instead it’s a simple broiler suit, arms tied at the waste because fuck safety and stand in the raw Solitas air in their binder.

“Would that still be considered Gay? How would that work with… y’know?”

“That’s a stupid question for a genius,” May scoffs with a small smirk.

“If I wasn’t freezing my balls off I’d pelt you snow,” Silvio glowers. He pouts, turning his chair and continues playing with Marrow’s weapon schematics. May’s Scroll pings.

G.O.A.T: Fi and Win stares a lot too G.O.A.T: yall can admit im hot

If they weren’t working on Winter’s weapon she’d throw her Scroll at that smug face. “Literally hot. I think I can see you steaming,” May says with a small frown. It doesn’t stay though. She’s far too happy.

Things were getting better.

It took till fucking mid-terms but it was fucking getting better. Glade sticks out their tongue, the Dust infused tongue piercing glowing brightly. Then they blow a kiss with embers and a wink- and the warm stutters her heartbeat. Glade chuckles silently and goes back to work. She can’t help but continue watching.

Blacksmiths had all but died in Atlas. They have machines and factories and there was something captivating about watching the kiln from the fire and Dust dance against their skin. Something about watching someone’s passion in action.

And yes. May wouldn’t feed that ego but Glade was hot.

And criminal or not, they were a genius. They pulled the saber out of the kiln, setting it against the anvil and hammering it into shape. Glade may have been a pacifist but they were a fighter. There was no one else more qualified to make weapons than Aurora Glade-

“They’re a good kisser you know.”

May screamed turned around. They saw white wiggling ears and looked down to see Fiona smiling. She’d be laughing if she wasn’t breathing so hard. Face flushed adorably, even tinting her ears lightly- Gloveless fingers engulfed her vision.

“Cold!” Fi’s hands cups her cheeks. May sends them tumbling backwards trying to escape but Fiona laughs and follows. She tries to find footing but its all snow out in the tundra and they fall deep into it.

“Gay!” Silvio’s yell is swallowed by the emptiness and snow.

Fiona manages a laugh and needs to gasp for breath again. May hisses, body shivering as snow melts against her thick Atlesian clothes. Then she’s too hot, Fi’s breath warm against her lips. Still too far.

“I wish I could kiss you…” Fiona whispers.

May was about to pull her into one but Marrow and Harriet shouting stops them. Thousands of miles away from the Kingdom and it’s eyes and ears still follows. Fiona sighs, ears flicking in frustration. The Junior Ops were rather far for safety reasons, testing out upgrades and smoothing out kinks as the geniuses upgrade them. There were some pros to being in this ‘Accelerated Program.’

But stealing small moments right in under Atlas of them gives a certain thrill. May’s hands manages to slide into Fiona’s and she brings it to their lips. Fi sputters, that blush running deeper, lower down that lovely neck.

“Nice to see you two being productive.” The drawl is both familiar and unfamiliar. Fiona gasp out another bubble of giggles and May laughs. The Glyph is actually warmer than the snow as it pulses under them. It gently pulses and lifts May and Fiona off the ground.

The pair is meet with more than Winter’s eyes. Robyn and Joanna are grinning down at them, far to amused to play stoic like the Specialist. All three of them are flushed and panting slightly. But… for some reason no matter how deep Winter’s breath were, it wasn’t fulfilling. She was fighting in a binder again-

“May isn’t your partner anymore,” Fiona teases with a grin. May ignores the small sting in her chest. “Your not allowed to be jealous if I top her-”

“I don’t need to hear this!” Silvio yells a little more aggressively. He stands up, hugging his thick coat tight to his body. The civilian snow gear almost makes him penguin walk to the Junior Ops. “Marrow! Give me your gun!”

“I thought you said-”

“Give it!” Marrow yips and immediately surrenders his weapons. Silvio then retreats deep into the airship. Leaving Marrow confused, unarmed and pouting.

Glade gives RMJT (Ramjet) and their supervising officer a side-ways glance and a smirk but continues to work on Winter’s weapon. With some steam and wind Dust, they cool it down sharpen the blade in long arching fluid motion. The muscle on their arms on full display and almost as nice as Joanna’s. May would need to feel them to get a fair evaluation though-

"Kitten."

“Stop calling me that!” May swats Joanna’s handsome face on reflex. Joanna laughs and gently pushes her hands off.

“But you even paw,” Joanna hums low and playfully. She worse than Fiona when she feels like it and judging from the light in her eyes, she felt like it. “We still have a bet. If I win you finally start using my crossbow staff.”

“We never decided on what I’ll get if I win,” May argues. There were so many ideas she had. A date night with just Joanna was always fun and calm. She did promise to take her around to show off the glowing street art in Mantle.

“Why bother? That’s never going to happen,” Joanna winks and is already walking a little ways from the airship. May finds herself following, staring at that broad back and the muscles testing the fabric of her coat. She huffs in frustration but reaches for her staff and extends it. A quick double to confirm that all the Dust chambers are full.

May nods.

Joanna doesn’t fire her crossbow bolts. She splits that staff into two axes and charges. May’s mind fire scenario after scenario, the smile still on her face. Joanna is stronger and has a longer reach. She doesn’t need a two handed weapon to over power her and her long arms is enough for the axes.

May smirks. Two weapons makes it harder for May to block so she’ll just dodge- Joanna fires a bolt at her feet. It glows purple and the pull of gravity nearly drops May to her knees. Instead she tucks and rolls left, then scrambles back to avoid the an axe head. The other end is loaded and May barely hits it away to avoid it. Only this time the bolt explodes far to close behind her and topples the two.

The Marigold scowls. She vaguely remembers that Joanna was a cop, one of the best in Mantle. She’s older, has more experience fighting people than Grimm. She also has stronger Aura and more reserves. That explosions does nothing to her while May’s ears are ringing and the snow crunches unevenly under her feet.

Joanna lets her blink the world back to focus. She’s grinning, tapping an axe bladed crossbow on her shoulder. "Gonna call it kitten?" Her partner taunts playfully. If this was last semester May might have thrown her staff or go invisible. Then throw her staff.

She only grins. “Not even in your dreams.” May does go invisible. Joanna immediately couches down, grabbing a handful of snow and flies it into the air. May grins. Smart, resourceful. Gullible. Chambering fire dust, she melts the snow. Solitas is cold enough that water instantly freezes again, leaving a mist that blankets the field. May throws the gravity bolt back with enough Aura to pull Joanna to the ground.

She was going to follow up with lightning but May always underestimates how strong Joanna is. The gravity bolt doesn’t pin her, barely hinders her as she charges towards May again. For a moment they were in the Field.

For a moment, Joanna doesn’t attack and just presses her lips to May’s. She surrenders into it almost instantly. Joanna’s kiss was always slow burning. There’s a lingering sense of power and control. Like a beast in hibernation. It’s one of those things that is given to you.

That moment passes as Joanna continues to shove May out. Their lips part far to soon. It’s worth being pinned into the snow by her girlfriend though. Hidden in the snow, Joanna breaths hot against the back of her neck.

“I win.”

“I don’t exactly call this a lose…” May mumbled. Joanna easily lifts them both up and May’s blushing to hard and staring at the ground. Heart beating too fast for something so simple. Maybe she did like being handled… Her teammates laugh. The Ice Queen can’t. Winter does relax, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

Then she’s looking at Glade. The saber is finished and sings as it cuts through the air. With a press of a button the secondary splits from the handle and drops into their free hand. They test the pair out, feeling the balance, checking the sharpness. After a little more teasing and a small impatient frown from Winter, the weaponsmith finally surrenders it.

“An adequate display,” Winter hums, keeping her expression and voice void of the pride in the eyes. Glade was amazing and they knew it. They frowned deeply at the insult and May laughed with Fiona. They were adorable. Even with the eerie glowing eyes. “Would you like to prove me wrong? I believe Watts is still trying to get combative readings from your neural augments.”

There was an interruption from the Junior Ops. Of course it was Harriet who scoffs, “Stop playing with your pet,” Harriet said. "We’re here on business, Specialist Schnee."

… Pet. May grits her teeth. She takes a deep breath trying to let the comment wash off. Winter’s constant reminder floats through her head. The need to play nice and play up Robyn’s image.

It was Robyn’s fame that saved Fiona’s scholarships when the public learned Winter was promoted. It was Winter’s image that lets her be around Glade so much that their sign language was second nature in just a few months.

Atlesian 101. Public opinion is everything. At the end of the day, they were all social creatures. All victims to a mindless and easily fooled community.

But Robyn was a Mantle Rat. She doesn’t see the manipulative threads. She heard a bitch insult a friend who’s been stripped of everything and leaps into action.

“What did you call Glade?” Robyn hisses. Fiona is standing by their leaders side. It wasn’t that Fiona was sweet and kind and without spite. It was that she didn’t have the protection May had, couldn’t act on her anger without a family name and money.

So Fiona practically snarl and bare her fangs stuns May for a moment. The pair make the face of RMJT. They’re charming and cute smiles were plastered all over the net and zines. If a photo of them got leaked right now, Fi would lose her scholarships. They both looked ready to throttle the hare.

“Get over yourself, Hill,” Harriet sneered in that Atlesian tone. May scowls. She’s faster than Robyn so she’ll be second in line to beat the asshole up. "Maybe if you were a real Atlasian Huntress you’d realize Glade is just a toy." May’s heart is in her ears. Roaring. Angry. Two years till freedom. May desperately reminds herself. Two years till they can finally bring Atlas down-

Fiona moves first so Robyn follows her partner. Joanna’s long arms catch Fiona in a bear hug while May struggles with Robyn.

"You called them Winter’s pet!" Fiona angrily yelled, thrashing in Joanna’s arms. Somehow May managed to shove Robyn her way. Joanna’s strong arms easily pinned the two in a bear hug. Fiona looked at the only other Faunus. Marrow had wandered over, no doubt to stop all the yelling. “Marrow! You can’t be okay with that!”

“I- I’m not!” the underclassmen stuttered, tail low between his legs.

"Then fucking do something!"

“Assault isn’t the answer, Ms. Thyme,” That cool commanding voice. May sighs. That mask slips on too easily sometimes. May can’t blame her… She’s a Schnee she was literally born into it. Everyone calms a little. Winter isn’t even looking at RMJT but the airship side door. //Focus in use

The workbench and kiln are abandoned… Winter clears her throat. Glade pokes their head out.

Brows knitted up in fear above those glowing blue eyes, their ears a timid low. They looked at Robyn and Harriet, both their shoulders tense and absolutely pissed. Then they looked back at Winter and vigorously shake their head no, trying to hide away again.

From the corner of her eyes, May saw Marrow bit his lip, tail twitching as he tried not to giggle. May was eager to latch to the lighter mood. Her anger doesn’t melt so easily. But… but Glade was scared. So she takes a deep breath and smiles softly. Not enough to be friendly because Glade was a solo vigilante.

If they had to keep their relationship a secret they definitely had to keep their history with Glade buried.

Still Her chest was bubbling at how cute timid Glade was. Marrow cracked laughing softly and May couldn’t help but to snort. Winter gave a sigh, frustration genuine on her face. For a moment even May thought she was irritated at the ‘criminal’ but the twitch in her arms told a different story. Winter fought against her true nature, pushed aside all the comforting gestures she’d learned for Weiss and gave Glade a wary thin look.

“I assure you, you’re safe… Unless you doubt my ability to beat everyone here?” Winter asked slowly, toeing the line of intimidating and teasing. Glade made more adorable Faunus noises.

May couldn’t help but to smile. Everyone else, save for Harriet, thought it was adorable so she was allowed to too. Before Winter could try coax them in, someone kicked Glade out of the airship. Silvio scowls glaring hard at the students.

“Aren’t you fucking assholes suppose to be smart?” He ask. “Do you know how much Grimm you just brought in?! Two hordes of Megoliaths!”

Winter sighs. She’s had a lot of practice so it comes out natural. It almost convinces May. “Harriet, take the fighter and the others. I need a word with RMJT.” Winter said, glaring hard at Robyn.

During the short time it takes to load up the workstations and for the Junior Ops to leave, May realizes that Winter might actually be made. As soon as they were gone, Winter tapped a few buttons on her Scroll. May could feel the guarded edge on the back of her mind and in her Aura fade off as the hidden cameras in the room shut down.

//HH & Winter Rift. White knights flaw. PICKUP HERE Immediately the Schnee exploded, that cool demeanor all fire and frustration.

“What the fuck were you two thinking?!” Winter yells at Robyn and Fi. Again. At least it was almost two weeks. Still May sighs and tries to find a way to de-escalade the situation. It’s hard when she sides with Fi and Robyn. Fiona’s hackles practically raise, fist balled up tight as she glared at her former leader. Robyn looked ready to throw another punch.

Before either of them could get a word in, Joanna’s massive figure stepped between them. She only crossed her arms, staring down at all three women. The interruption was enough for them to catch their breath. Mostly Winter who leaned against the table, almost struggling to breath as she rubbing her temples.

“Fi… you should know you need to pick your battles. There are still people trying to get you expelled and I’m not there to-”

“We don’t need your protection,” Fiona hissed, ears twitching low. "Focus on Glade, Silvio, Weiss and Whitley." That hit May and cracked Winter. So many emotions she needed to keep under control flashed across her face. May pressed her side into their girlfriend’s, hoping to ground her. Eventually the pain and fear faded to… guilt.

Then Winter shook it off.

It was replaced by fustration. “Point is there is a lot of people that don’t want to see you four graduate,” Winter said. RMJT rolled their eyes. They were the under-dogs. An estrange elite, two nontraditional Mantle Rats who said fuck the law and a Faunus that was better than a Schnee in both academic and fighting- Winter was still talking. “They have a lot of power if you give them any kind of leverage you’ll never graduate.”

“We’ll be fine.” Robyn huffed.

“No you wont,” Winter hissed at Robyn. She stood up, back straight and shoulders tense. Brittle. May gently put her hand on Win’s shoulder, only to have… her former partner shake it off. Winter soldiers on, “You have no idea, what Atlesians are capable of. You need to do better!”

“I know!” Robyn yelled back. They were within each other’s melee range now. “I have people swarming me every day reminding me I’m the Hero of Mantle. I know!”

“You wanted follow my grandfather. Step up and lead by example, Hill.”

The importance of image finally clicks for Robyn. Realization settles in as her shoulders relax for a moment. Robyn tries to smooth out those hard edges but pitty and fustratin shines through. “So do you,” Robyn nearly hisses. “You’re the only one keeping them prisoner.”

That makes Winter pause. She looks at Robyn and something filters across her face.

Pity or envy?

Before RMJT can say anything the bay doors open and Glade was the first one to jump out. Winter actual held them back. May remembered something Winter said at the beginning of summer. That Glade’s Dust was potent enough to level an entire block. They saw that masterful application during their work and now…

And now Glade is finally away from civilians.

Even from the possible safety of the Bullhead, high in the air, May could feel the heat piercing the Solitas cold. A blaze of fire rolled through the snow and ice, leaving the dead rocky ground bare. The weaker Megoliaths burned in the fire.

The Dust in their boildersuit fade from red to dark orange. The herd was culled again, this time impaled by earthen spikes. A quarter of the herd was cut down in seconds. The Alpha Megoliaths roared, legs shattering the earth spikes under its feet. They could see the ground shaking from the sky. If Glade’s Aura and Dust doesn’t attract the second horde, the small earthquakes would have.

Glade was skilled enough to avoid capture by Vale’s Glynda Goodwitch. Skilled enough to wrangle Grimm, skilled enough to have the entire Kingdom of Mistral after her and elude them for a year. Skilled enough that violence was a choice for them. And even stripped of everything they bite back in a differnt way.

Winter crosses her arms. The movement pulls May to the argument that the two leaders could never really settle. What to do with Glade? "Their semblance is similar to General Ironwood’s Mettle." Winter explains. May hates their semblance even more. “Glade can Focus on an aspect, personality, emotions, senses, a task, Dust, lying… acting.” Winter said. There was something at the end of it. It dipped and strained… like she was stabbing her own heart. “Atlesian 102.”

And suddenly May’s freeze and burns.

“Give them what they think they want.” May mumbles. Focus on a lie or an act, May grits her teeth. Pretend like nothing is wrong for the sake of your friends or play up the torutred experiment to gain sympathy.

“Everyone loves to see their hero and knight save someone. And the Faunus experiment is the perfect damsal.” Winter practically growls under her breath. May watches her. Anger deep in her eyes. Winter didn’t ask for the image, for the fame. It followed her from her family now in the military it has grown like steel wires.

She waits a few moments. When RMJT responds with silence she finally leaps from the aircraft. She landed gracefully next to Glade. She let some of her Ice Queen image chip and crack to give Glade a pat on their head. The Specialist didn’t draw her new saber, fresh from the kiln and anvil. Instead she stepped back and let Glade fight.

Glade never needed their help.

Not with the Geist.

Not after their surrender.

May and Robyn looked at each other, conflicted and a little confused. How much was an act from their semblance? Robyn groaned into her palm. The look of regreat solid on her face before she leaped out.

“Sometimes I think she forgets she’s dating Winter,” Joanna whispered to May. It felt like that most days… May blames the distance. The physical one, between Atlas and Mantle. “Come on. Killing Grimm will calm us down and we can’t get showed up by a civilian.”

"How does adrenaline and hot sweaty women equal calming?" Fiona muttered. It was a half hearted joke. A little real but overall a bad deflect. May takes a breath.

Glade is okay. Just a manipulative bitch. Hopefully. And if they’ll still be there tomorrow. Things will get better. Hopefully.

May follows the rest of RMJT out of the airship.

Joanna was right. Fighting Grimm burnt the argument and fight out of them. Despite all the show, Glade gased out far to quickly to be effective Hunter. They did kill a lot of the first herd and the second was no match for eight nearly qualified Hunters.

Snow was starting to return to the area where Glade orignally landed. There was a small tent picked up with a few chairs. Fiona waving at them while Joanna gave a broad grin and blowing a kiss. Robyn plays along, a hand over her heart and swooning into May’s arms. Until the estranged Marigold snorts and drops her.

But just because Joanna was right doesn’t mean Fiona was wrong.

May stands above Robyn for a second. Admiring the messy plantium locks and the flushed tanned face- Robyn winks. “Ugh-” Instead of sinking down into the snow and kissing her girlfriend she kicks the snow into her face. Joanna and Fiona laugh, loud and joyful. They were all too tired to be guarded. It feels less like a fight, less like a mission watching a ‘criminal.’ Their stupid smiles always made it feel like a date.

As soon as May took a seat in on the chairs she didn’t want to move. She hiss curses under her breath feeling her body throb. A Sabyr kicked her jaw, a Sulfur Fish stung her calf… but the thob was in her gut and growing lower and lower as she watches her partner.

Joanna pushed Elm out of the way earlier, taking a hit from a Megoliath. It must have fucked with her shoulder because she’s rolling it, stretching her coat tight against her back muscles. May feels that solid heat ghost under her fingers. She doesn’t have the same hair routine but giving Joanna massages was good in its own way.

She wasn’t strong enough for a deep massage but that just means May kept on trying. Enjoying warm skin under her hands, the hard shift from muscle to muscle. Every twitch was like Joanna was flexing.

May feels Marrow’s tail thawt against her leg in a lazy motion. It sped up a little as Joanna slips a sleeve off, brunching up her shirt to push a the knot directly and showing an unfair amount of muscles.

She wants to kiss her. Fuck public image. Fuck all the pretending, the cold attitutdes. May was tired of all the Atlesian bullshit. She killed dozens of Grimm and at least deserves to kiss her fucking girlfriends. Joanna was barely out of breath and May wanted her gasping.

“Hey, Robyn,” Marrow called out, breaking her out of her daydream. “You can’t arrest people, can you?”

“I quit so I could attend Atlas Academy, wags.”

“Huh… Well that,” He gestured to Joanna. Robyn walked over, quietly observing as Elm walked up and tried to massage the kink gone. Both their muscles flexing and tested Atlesian thick clothing. "That should be illegal."

“You know what is illegal?” Robyn asked. May could hear that stupid smile in her voice and she was groaning loudly to drown out Robyn but it didn’t work, “Not kissing my girlfriend- Damn it! Look alive, May!"

May snapped to attention just as a Megoliath roared into view. Everyone switches back into fighting mode. May ran after her leader, twisting the chamber in her staff. It clicks empty, empty, then she felt electricity hum as lightning Dust chambers in.

“Joanna!”

“For the record I hate it when any of you do this!” Joanna yells. She still held her out her hands for May to vault off of and May only grins. Blame it on all the times Winter carries her around or all the rush from the Glyphs, or maybe she just likes being handled by Joanna. Her partner only frowns as hearing her thoughts. She still throws May high into the air and barely has time to dodge the Grimm herself.

Elm jumps in, holding onto the trunk with Roots further anchoring her to the ground. May yells a warning, plunging the staff deep into the Grimm’s eye. It doesn’t bleed, doesn’t smoke, it just… sinks in with a bone shuddering wet noise. The lightning Dust pours into the Megoliath. Joanna helps Elm clear the twitching tunk and stomping legs.

An explosion throw’s May’s off.

It wasn’t silent like the crossbow bolts so it had to be something Fiona stole. May’s limbs burns like she’s been fighting for an hour. She sinks deep into the snow and it doesn’t help. It does the opposite. All the blood is pooling between her legs, all the running and fighting had everything rubbing just right. May tries not to think about the last time she had sex. About how the snow feels like Winter’s cool hands crawling into her neck.

With a shuttering breath she stares up at the bright sky. Focuses on how warm the rare Solitas sun is on her skin because they were in public. Fiona eclipses the sun for a moment. Then a moment longer as her body falls-

“Fi!” May screams, trying to scrample away. The snow gives and gives under her hands and Fiona finally craches into her. Even the sharp headbutt does nothing for the low arosual in her gut. If anything it just gives her shaft a reason to thob harder. It has everything to do with Fi’s groan and not how her brain was mixing pleasure and pain. With Fiona’s hands firm on her chest. Sweet laughter against her neck.

May drops her Aura for a few seconds. The idea was that the snow would chill her blood. But so many hours, wrapped around Winter’s fingers… May groaned slamming her Aura back on. She wanted those cool hands on her thighs. Clawing. She wanted Fiona seated higher on her chest.

Who’s idea was it not fuck? Winter? It has to be Winter’s.

Fiona’s laugh draws May out of her pout. “Woops,” Fiona mumbled unapologetically. There was something in her voice. The faux innocent tone and sinfully slow drawls. “It’s a good thing Joanna won, you really need something for distance.”

“Shut up,” May growled. As revenge she hangs limp. Fiona is strong enough to carry her but she just… so tiny. And tired. The snow makes things harder than it should be and they fall back into it. Out of stupid habits May holds Fiona tight, as if they were falling out of another crashing airship. As if Fiona wasn’t already laughing on the way down.

“This is your fault y’know,” Fiona said with a grin. Looming over her, elbows blocking May. It fucks with her breathing and then more. Fiona’s eyes flicker down. That heated gaze slowly growing intense, like the day in the changing room. She licks her lips, her ears straining forward for more soft noise. She knows Fi can feel her heart race. That innocent smiles grows sweet and beutiful and so far from innocent.

Her knee slides up.

Pausing between May’s. That low throb was firmly settled between May’s legs now. She glances away but that only opens her up. Fiona’s lips and nose press into her neck. Her pulse is far to alive against such a soft kiss. Too soft. May wants more. Her body already arching for it.

“Fi…” May was starting to tremble.

“We deserve a second,” Fiona says as if it was a warning. Then her teeth digs in hard. May presses her hand against her mouth, breath loud and sharsh as her back arch but Fiona’s hand quickly comes up to pin it down. Her ears flutter pointedly. May wanted hands and teeth, Fiona wanted it all including her moans. She sucks hard and gives May a teaser for what it could feel around her pulsing cock.

She doesn’t stop until May tugs her hair. After May feels pre-cum sliding down her shaft. Fiona growls and huffs. Teeth teasing the bruise but it was already healing. It still hurts, so Fi tongue sooth the spot. Low and slow like it was May’s shaft- Their Scrolls ping and Fiona looks ready to break it in her hands.

G.O.A.T: stop. i can SMELL you horny idiots from here happywool: that’s a bad thing?

She steal a kiss from May. Even burried in the snow, fighting in the cold, the kiss is warm and sweet. Even if Fiona’s sharp teeth nip with fustration.

Her knee shifts higher. A hand palms May’s chest.

G.O.A.T: SERIOUSLY. I CAN’T EXACTLY GET LAID foxhot: sounds like a u problem G.O.A.T: just finish the grimm so we can get Win home

That stops Fiona dead in her tracks.

mt.spur: what happen angeldust: Nothing important. G.O.A.T: i disagree and stop being a dumb bitch G.O.A.T: she’s fighting with her binder on angeldust: So are you! G.O.A.T: i didnt feint bitch

May and Fiona rolls their eyes and share another kiss before Fiona pulls her onto her feet. "The sooner we finish the sooner we can finsih," Fiona says with a wink and runs off. May watches her with a small smile and tries to shake the snow out of her hair and clothes.

The rest of the evening slips into a mix of auto-pilot and a straight up blur. The simple social outing for the ‘criminal’ was an extra hour, almost two. The Grimm was easy but they kept coming. Like every other week. RMJT has been out on so many missions half their classes were online, in the damn airships. The ones that weren’t were Combative Training, Advance Stealth Operations or Body Conditioning.

Her Scroll kept going off too much to call it a nap and she feels to restless when she finally realizes they’re back in Mantle.

May sets her back down the table and stretches out the kinks in her back. She groans as a few joints pop back into place. A pair of hands slide onto her shoulders, pressing into areas she didn’t realize were tense.

The hands were too big to be Fiona’s, too small to be Joanna’s, too warm to be Winter’s. She blinks in surprise. For such a flirt Robyn was actually rather reserved. Most of her advances only happened when Winter was around. And sure enough, somehow the they manage to drag the Specialist.

Or with Joanna, carry.

A feint blush is on Winter’s cheeks now and she lets out a sigh. May has gotten used to all the touches and her partner’s casual show of strength. But Winter probably regressed up in Atlas, with only Glade.

“You can set me down now,” Winter mumbles.

“Not even a please,” Joanna playfully huffs. Instead she sits down on the couch. Her hands interwined with Winter’s… pressing it against her thighs.

Just like the changing room.

The room suddenly feels hotter. May’s blood was already hot from all of Fiona’s teasing and now its rapidly pooling in her shaft- Where’s the lamb. May looks around to see the women walk out of their bedroom, a bag in one hand and twirling the knife in the other.

Now in the privacy of their home, Fiona is a little calmer. Her grin is still dark, her ears still strained but she doesn’t look like shes ready to pounce.

Her prey is already caught after all.

Fiona looks at May and winks. With a touch the coffee table and everything on it gone and she replaces it with the bed in their room. May finds her self menuvered, seated on the edge with Robyn behind her.

May can only stare dazed at Winter. The women was… she was the image of Atlas perfection. Control, yet she’s trembling with Joanna’s hot breath on her neck. Power, though when that knife slices into her uniform she’s praying Fiona’s name.

“Fi… fuck,” Winter mutters. Her Aura flares where the knife licks her skin. May whimpers and shifts between Robyn’s legs. Her leader murmers something. Something about how good girls don’t interrupt a show. A hand strokes May thighs, promising a reward for good girls.

Fiona briefly smiles over her shoulder. The knowledge that this show was also for them… May throbs against her clothes. Whimpers with as Joanna hums, staring at the tent her pants. Winter looks ready to feint. Breathing shallow and eyes clouded. Still Fiona goes slow. Those flexing abs revealed inch by near minute.

“Hurry, please Fiona… I’m going to pass out-”

“Oh!” Fiona’s blinks, that dominance replaced by surprised concern. She laughs nervously, knife swiftly gliding through the shirt, coat and binder. Winter’s Aura lights up her skin as the blade tilts her head back.

Exposed. Volunrable. Submissive.

11 notes · View notes

sweater-daddiesdumbdork · 5 years ago

Text

Fall Back to the Jet

Summary- Bucky x Y/N (Steve, Natasha, and Sam features) Cap tells you to fall back to the Quinnjet, but you decide on another option. Lucky Buckys close by. Warning- Violence, swearing. Written for @hopingforbarnes 250 Writing Challenge. Congrats!!!! Prompt is in bold italiacs.

Word Count- 1.9k

It was all going smooth till Steve spoke directly to you in his com “Y/N, we have it from here, fall back to the quinnjet”

You were still the rookie although its been a year, and Steve was the Captain, No one defies the captain, except for you. You eyed the open doorway the hydra agent just went into, taking a deep breath as your resolve settled, you werent going to sit on the quinjet any longer while the rest cleaned up. Ducking into the dark doorway, you stalked down the stairs while hearing your name being yelled at in the com “Y/N, I TOLD YOU TO FALL BACK” Sorry Cap, not this time.

There are times in your life you maybe regret a decision, this was one of them. You thought the room was clear, sweeping your sights back and forth from the other end of a rifle, when there was a clip to the back of your head, knocking you forward and stupidly dropping your gun. “You Mother Fucker!” you yelp, and turn to face your opponent, twisting your head slightly to knock out the kink he put in your neck. He was well over twice your size, his meaty hands flexing to get around that slim column of your neck, you could see it in his eyes when he lunged at you, side stepping around him with a kick. It was like bouncing your foot off cement and didnt phase him much, smirking at you as he came at you again. “SHIT!” you state as you start blocking and trying to attack back.

“Bucky you got her?” Steve hissed as they barged into a lab and Steve threw up the shield, blocking the barrage of bullets aimed at the two men.

“Yea I got her” Bucky ducking behind the shield and once in a while lifting behind from it and aiming his own specially trained on targets rounds, he twisted away and went back out the way he came, using his vibranium arm to slam open doors to see them empty. “Come on Y/N, where the hell are you?” He snarled, until he heard you cussing out someone and the shallow sound of flesh getting pounded on. He hoped that it would be you doing the pounding, but when he opened the door, that certainly wasnt the case.

Bucky came into you looking twisted around the mans arm, and him slamming you down into the floor, doing your best to keep your head from being bashed in, attempting a kick into his face, his throat, just about anywhere to get him to release his hold. Blood ran down the side of your face from your scalp and your words were flying just as much as anytime youve ever been pissed off, regardless of the situation. “If you dont let me the fuck go you dick wilted asswipe, Im gonna rip your balls off and stuff them down your throat.” If Bucky wasnt scared as hell for you at the moment, he would have rolled his eyes at you, once he realized the way you were being flung back and forth wasnt gonna allow him to take a shot, he shouldered the weapon.Close attack it would be

Without another pause, Bucky strode forward, his strides wide and his metal arm slammed into the hyrdra agents side of the head, jarring his hand to open wrapped around your neck and you fell to the floor from a considerable height,snapping the back of your skull against the cement with a sharp cry. Rolling away from the two men clashing like titans above you. Bucky was shorter in stature then the hydra agent was, but much more quick on his feet, as well as being a super soldier, it wasnt exactly a fair hand on hand fight. Within minutes the agent was merely blocking the bone rattling blows Bucky was issuing, you were crawling across the floor to where you dropped your weapon, sitting back and putting it to your shoulder, waiting to get a clear shot.

Buckys silver hand wrapped around the back of the mans neck, the plates clinking as he tightened pressure and swung him around right in the aim of your shot, you lining hydra right up in your cross hairs, and pulling the trigger. Barnes turned his face away to keep from getting splattered from brain matter and blood. Loosening his hold, the hydras body, minus the top of his skull, collapsed with a dull thud. You lower the rifle and wince, placing your hand against your head. “Bucky... he got me pretty good.” Your vision going in and out at the moment.

“Jesus Christ Doll” He hisses as he sidesteps around the body and goes to you, his hands cupping your face to look in your eyes. “Can you focus on me?” You blink a few times and wide eyed stare right at him best you can.

“Hows that?” You question, grinning stupidly since your just glad Bucky got there in time. He frowned a bit and sighed, wrapping you in his arm to get you to stand.

“Steve, I got her, Im taking her back to the Jet.” He spoke, not to you though and you didnt bother trying to get an answer. With his assistance, you two hobbled, less with sleuth, but with plenty of pauses for Bucky to check to make sure the coast was clear, the two of you headed outside. Sam was already in the jet, waiting on the two of you.

“Steve and Nat are finishing up downloading the computer files, then they will join us. Come on Kid, I got a spot waiting for you.”

“She had her head hit pretty badly” Bucky stated as you two followed Sam inside, going to sit you down, a wave of nausea threatened to upchuck whatever breakfast was, which what was that again? Oh yea, bowl of Wheaties, you remarking to Steve and Bucky this morning across the table.

“Breakfast of Champs!” You werent exactly feeling like a champ right now.

Sam looked you over to, prying one eyelid open, then the other. “I think shes going to be okay, but once we reach the compound we will be able to take a closer look.” Bucky settled in beside you and you pried them open once more.

“Thanks for coming for me.”

It was this moment Steve and Natasha returned, Steve snapping past you without acknowledging you at the moment. “Get us home Sam” his voice clipped, and Natasha plopped down next to you, her eyes brimming with worry. “Hey, we win some, we loose some right? You also got a hard head, I know.” She teased, having sparred and tumbled with you plenty of times. Steve stayed up at the front with Sam for the moment, but once he was sure you were okay, back home, you were most likely gonna get one of the famous Cap speeches youve seen him dish out to other agents. For now you were content to lay your head on Buckys shoulder, his hand resting against his knee, palm up. Without hesitating, you weave your fingers with his and he gives them a gentle squeeze. It might amaze others just how gentle he could be with that vibranium limb of his. Not you though.

When the jet lands, you walk off, much more in control then before, but Bucky still hovers nearby and follows you into the medic bay. Quickly your head is checked over, a flashlight shining in your eyes, follow the finger, clean up the scrapes and blood. “Your gonna be dizzy for a few days, so nothing strenuous.”

In this moment, you were okay with that.

Steve came in, his demeanor still snapping in anger, but a touch calmer then before. He glanced at the medic and asked “Please, give us a few moments Ma’am, then you can have your patient back.” Bucky moved to take over bandaging the rest of you up as the medic left the room to the three of you.

He looked at you, hands moving to rest against his hips as he seemed to asses you. “I heard your okay, Y/N. Good, you gave your team quite a scare.” You did have the audacity to look a bit sheepish, but felt the need to defend your actions. “I know, I honestly thought I had him.”

“Thought, not good enough. Your still fairly new to the team...” This caused a look from you while Bucky patched up the back of your head as best he could. “So I think a bit more team building practices are in order Y/N. Until then, field work is off the table.”

“What? Steve, come on.” You go to push Bucky back so you can stand up, but hes firm, firmer then you can give him credit for. “It was one mistake, I made a bad call.”

“Yea, could have gotten you killed. Your always trying to think solo and you just cant. Were a team Y/N. We work together. Ive already made the decision.”

You kinda gape as Steve turns to leave, fuming. You swear your heads going to blow like in those old bugs bunny cartoons where it goes off like a train whistle. “That son of a bitch just benched me. BENCHED ME!” This time you manage to move to a stand, about to storm off after Steve, but Bucky caught your arm and sat your ass back down.

“Youve got to calm down before I can fix you up, Okay?” Bucky said calmly as he works diligently. His hands just as gentle as ever, you can barely even tell hes doing anything. You stay as still as you can, fighting back frustrated tears at the Captain benching you like this. Your tired and sore, your reaction just adding to your already bad day. “It was one mistake, one. I just hate always being told to go back to the jet when I could be helping you guys out. It was a bad call on my part, but fuck... I just wanted to be useful. I cant believe how bad this has turned into.”

Bucky is silent for a moment before he pulls back and studies your face momentarily, and sighs. “Listen, I will talk to Steve, okay? Right now hes just being a dick. He will give everyone else crap about not following orders, but damned if he does.” You wipe at your face to get rid of the frustrated tears build up and arched your brows, hopeful.

“You would really do that Bucky? If he says yes, I promise I wont mess up again.”

“Course I would, and let me tell you, Steve wouldnt have listened either.” He went to pick up the tools and waste sitting on the table nearby, and scrubbed his hands clean. “Let him just cool off, hes probably speaking in worry as well Y/N. He doesnt always show it, but your just as much family as the rest of us.”

Tentatively you go to stand, touching the bandages he finished securing gently and wincing. Without even asking he held out some aspirin that you popped immediately. “How about we go crash on the couch? You still owe me live commentary on that second little people going to drop some jewelry in a fiery hole movie. What was it again?”

This caused you to laugh. “The Twin Towers? Sounds good Bucky”

@what-is-your-plan-today @official-and-unstable-satan @p8tn0lish

#hopingforbarnes250writingchallenge #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #steve rogers #sam wilson #natasha romanoff #mcu #marvel #writing challenge #amber writes

51 notes · View notes

kyleknight · 4 years ago

Text

Shapeshifters

October Writing Challenge Day 4 part 2 project: bts shapeshifting light weapons au content: eventual ot7, fantasy, shapeshifting weapons sorta like soul eater, parallel worlds I guess? warnings: mild fighting against monsters an: ok so this is stuff that Ive already written for this au but Im planning on writing more so I wanted to have this stuff posted already bc it explains the world pretty well.

The stars overhead are a little too bright. A little too big, too close. If Hoseok looks up at the sky long enough, he can actually pick out sharp pointed edges to them. He tries not to look at them and pretends the natural light illuminating his path is moonlight instead of starlight.

Namjoon is leading him along the path at a brisk pace— not quite a run, but it’s fast enough that Hoseok feels a little less panicked about… well… everything. There’s not enough cover out here and Hoseok is terrified of seeing another one of those giant creatures.

He spots the building, standing in a small clearing. It’s a nice change from the seemingly endless twisted trees on one side of the path and the barren field on the other.

“What’s that?” he asks Namjoon. It’s a question he’s been asking a lot in the past hour or so.

“The house? It’s safe,” Namjoon answers. “My friends are in there.”

“They’re like you?” Hoseok says.

Namjoon doesn’t respond until they reach the building. He ignores the door and goes to a boarded up window instead, knocking rapidly on it. “It’s me! Open up!”

A brief moment later, a board covering one of the windows slides and moves out of the window. It’s barely enough space for a person to squeeze through.

“Come on,” Namjoon says. “It’s safe in here.” He glances backwards, and Hoseok does as well. He can’t see anything, but those things from earlier came out of nowhere. Hoseok turns back and climbs through the opening.

He finds himself in a large room that’s got building materials piled up against the walls but is otherwise empty. Well, empty except for another guy holding the board that must have been blocking the entrance. Hoseok eyes him carefully and moves aside as Namjoon gets inside. The guy then wedges the board back into place.

Hoseok glances around the dark room. There are no light fixtures on the ceiling and no other sources of light save for the starlight sneaking in through cracks in the boards. He feels marginally safer, though. As long as nothing scary is going to jump out at him like earlier.

“Hoseok-ssi,” Namjoon says, “This is Jungkook. One of my friends. And… where’s Jimin and Taehyung?”

“They went out,” Jungkook says. “There was a pack of Shadows that was getting close, so they went to drive them back.”

Namjoon looks worried. “How long ago was that?”

“Not long,” Jungkook says. “But they’re careful. I’ve been watching through the windows just in case Taehyung-ah puts up a firework.” He looks curiously at Hoseok. “So who’s this?”

Namjoon gestures towards the far wall. “Let’s talk in the inside room. It’s complicated.”

Hoseok’s eyes start to adjust as Namjoon guides him through the dark building. It’s a bit like an old farmhouse, he thinks. The first two rooms are sparse, mostly full of wooden supplies and tools, separated by heavy doors. The third room feels much more lived in: resembling a kitchen and more familial storage area. From there, a narrow stairwell leads up to a room with beds, couches, clothes and sheets hung from the wooden rafters above. The thing Hoseok likes more about this room is the larger spaces in between the boards, allowing more starlight to pass through to illuminate the room.

Namjoon leads Hoseok to a couch with two blankets thrown across it. Hoseok takes one and wraps it around himself. He’s not too cold with his jacket and layers, but the lack of any kind of external warmth here is unnerving enough to send more chills than usual through him.

Hoseok has so many questions, things he’s still rattled by, but for now, he’s just relieved to be inside.

“I have more things to explain to you, Hoseok-ssi,” Namjoon says. “But first, I need to tell— Jungkook. Hoseok-ssi is a handler. He’s not from here. He’s from another world, I think.”

Jungkook’s eyes are wide. “Really? Where did you find him?”

“When I was in town,” Namjoon says. “There was a light from the river. I went to go check on it and he was there. There were a few Shadows already on him, so I went to help him out. He brought the light out of me without me even realizing it. We destroyed the Shadows.”

Hoseok watches Jungkook’s reactions. Namjoon’s explanations from earlier didn’t really explain much, but he’s had a little bit of time to try and process them. People here can turn into weapons. Light is dangerous. Hoseok is special, because of what he did when he was holding Namjoon-turned-into-a-bow. Namjoon can turn into a bow and shoot arrows made of soft white light.

“You’re both magic weapons then?” Hoseok says.

Namjoon nods. “Jungkook is a pistol. And you saw what I am. And what I can do, when the conditions are right. Doing that can destroy the Shadows, but it’s also dangerous because it can attract more attention if you’re careless about it.”

Hoseok pulls the blanket closer around himself. “And that goes for all types of light? Fire too?”

Namjoon’s face turns more serious. “Yeah. It’s… that’s sort of how all the handlers disappeared here. After the sun disappeared and the moon went dark, they couldn’t stand it. They tried to survive with fire and other types of light, but the Shadows got too strong. I’ve never even met one before, not until you.”

Hoseok looks from Namjoon to Jungkook, who is standing near the window, looking outside. He feels so out of his depth. He’s so scared and he just wants to go home. Namjoon is kind and definitely pretty resourceful, but he already told Hoseok he doesn’t understand how he made it to this world. He’s not going to have any suggestions for how to send Hoseok back. And, considering all of their problems with the terrifying Shadows, it feels like it would be selfish to ask.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yoongi should have just stayed inside today.

He tries to rationalize how it’s not his fault that someone was dumb enough to set off some kind of bright ass firecracker at the shore of the creepiest, darkest lake around. Probably some idiots testing out their light instead of keeping their heads down and not causing trouble. You know, like a rational person.

Unfortunately, Yoongi can hear the person screaming even from his little fishing hut. If he squints, he can almost make out the small gang of Shadows chasing the guy. He frowns and tries to look for the person’s friend and finds nobody. What the hell? Who just leaves their friend to get hunted down by the Shadows just to save their own skin? They’ve got to be close, to set off light of that magnitude. What a fucking shitty ass betrayal.

Yoongi sighs heavily, shuts the door behind him, and throws himself into a full sprint. The guy is running around aimlessly, the Shadows following him out of curiosity more than anything. That’s good for now but eventually he’ll get tired and the Shadows will get him. Yoongi has to slow down as he gets closer, but he quickly sees an opportunity.

“Change!” he yells, running for the guy. “I’ll help you push them back!”

“Ahhh!” the guy screams. “Help me!” Instead of turning into whatever form he has, he just runs for Yoongi with open arms.

Good grief. Yoongi isn’t exactly comfortable in his sword form, but what the hell ever. He’d rather not be swung around by a panicking fool, but he’s more concerned about the four Shadows than he is about being dropped.

He changes and even has the decency to land himself in the guy’s right hand.

“Ahhh!” the guy screams again, dropping Yoongi just as he expected. “What’s this! What’s this!”

“Don’t drop me!” Yoongi yells. He’s a nice guy, okay, and he doesn’t normally yell at strangers, but this is kind of a dire situation. “Pick me up! Scare them off!”

“Ahhh!” The guy won’t stop screaming, but he picks Yoongi up again and holds him in a position so unbalanced that Yoongi is sure he’s going to be dropped again. The Shadows slow down to a stop, uncomfortably close but not close enough to be in range of Yoongi’s blade. They’re bigger than the usual Shadow that Yoongi encounters. Very bad.

“Quit panicking!” Yoongi says. “They’ve stopped, now swing me around a bit. Act threatening!”

Unfortunately, this guy is incapable of getting himself together. It’s like he’s never dealt with a Shadow before. He goes, “Ahhh!” again and swings Yoongi in the most wobbly manner ever. Yoongi actually feels a bit sick from the motion. One of the Shadows moves back a bit, though.

“Do that again,” Yoongi grits out. “But please, just try to get yourself together. It’s fine, I’m not gonna let you die. It’s going to be okay.”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” the guy says. He’s shaking, but he adjusts his hold on Yoongi and yells again as he slashes the air in front of him wildly. This time, two of the Shadows back off and the smaller of the two runs in the opposite direction. The two that are closest to Yoongi and his unfortunate partner aren’t convinced by the show. One lumbers closer.

“Fuck,” Yoongi mutters. That light display earlier was pretty impressive. It makes sense that these Shadows wouldn’t be easily scared off.

“One more time,” Yoongi says. “You can do this. Come on!”

“Ahh!” the guy screams, but this time it’s in a wild desperation. He brings Yoongi back with more force to prepare for another swing, and something resonates within Yoongi. His heart beats harder, louder. His mind feels at peace. The guy swings him and the brightest light Yoongi has ever seen in his life pours out of his blade. He feels the light slice through the Shadows, including the one that had turned and run. The light pierces through the dark lakeshore all around them and eliminates every shred of darkness.

Then, as quickly as it came, the light is gone. The Shadows are gone. Yoongi is in his human form on his hands and knees, shaking. What just happened?

“What the fuck did you do?” he gasps. He looks back at the guy, who looks just as panicked as when Yoongi showed up.

“C-can you tell me where I am?” the guy says, sounding like he’s about to start crying. “I’m so scared, and confused. I was just at the train station, it was morning, and then all of a sudden I’m here and it’s night— oh god, what if I’m on drugs. Someone roofied me. Oh god, I want to snap out of this. Can you find me a hospital? My phone is dead.”

Okay, this guy is nuts. Yoongi groans and rubs at his forehead as he makes his way to his feet. “Come on, we need to get to some shelter before more Shadows show up. You can stay with me until your friend shows up again.”

“My friend?” the guy says. “I’m not— who are you talking about?”

“Whoever was with you to make that light earlier,” Yoongi says. “You’re traveling with someone, right?”

“I’m not here with anyone,” the guy says. “I don’t think so anyway… there were a lot of people at the station, but there was nobody when I ended up here. I wasn’t traveling with anyone. I just ended up here alone. Until you showed up.”

Yoongi shoots the guy with a skeptical look. “So what, you made that light by yourself?” He didn’t realize that was possible. But that’s not the important thing here. “Are you insane? Were you trying to draw the attention of the Shadows? You know you could have gotten yourself killed!”

“I don’t know what’s going on!” the guy says desperately. “This place is so scary, and those monsters started chasing after me, and you turned into a sword! I don’t understand how any of this is happening! I feel like I’m in a movie, and I want to go home!”

Okay, this guy is more nuts than Yoongi initially thought. But between dealing with crazy and dealing with more Shadows, Yoongi would take crazy any day. He sighs, rubs at his eyes, and motions for the guy to follow him.

“You can find your way home after we wait out the Shadows that are bound to come after that light,” he says. “I’m not staying out here any longer. Come on. My place is just over there.”

“Thank you,” the guy says, sounding more subdued. “I’m sorry, I’m just so confused. Thank you for helping me. I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t show up.”

Yoongi is pretty sure they’re both aware of what would have happened if he didn’t show up to help.

“My name is Kim Seokjin.”

“Min Yoongi,” Yoongi says.

“Thank you, Min Yoongi-ssi.”

“Mm-hm.”

Seokjin doesn’t say anything else during the short walk to Yoongi’s place. Yoongi makes sure to shut the door firmly behind him— normally it’s not a problem, the Shadows don’t bother with this place because it’s so dark already. But he can’t be too sure now, after that impossible light Seokjin somehow pulled out of Yoongi.

That’s… that’s something that confuses Yoongi more than anything. He doesn’t know Seokjin. There’s no way there could be enough of a bond between two strangers to draw out that much light. Killing Shadows is next to impossible, and somehow Seokjin did it without Yoongi even realizing it was happening. Yoongi doesn’t even know what kind of light he can produce; he’s never managed anything more than a soft glow in the past.

Yoongi takes out a spare mat so he and Seokjin can sit on the floor, as far from the door as possible without being on Yoongi’s bed. He’s not that hospitable. Seokjin is looking around a bit uncomfortably.

“Do you have a lamp or a candle?” he says. “I’m sorry, if you prefer the dark, we can stay like this, but I’d rather be able to see your face. I’m still a little— I’m very spooked from those things.”

Yoongi blinks slowly at him. “A candle,” he says slowly. “Like… those things that people used to light on fire.”

“Yes?” Seokjin says. “Um. But, like I said, it’s okay—”

“You’re really not from around here, aren’t you?” Yoongi says. “That, or you have an actual death wish, which I can’t believe, because of how you reacted to the Shadows.” This is so confusing. This guy is acting like he has no idea how the world works. Children know that light is dangerous and how to avoid making it, even before they learn how to speak full sentences. What’s with this guy? How did he end up at the lake in this state?

“Um,” Seokjin says. He pulls his coat closer to his body. That’s another strange thing. He’s dressed in the strangest style Yoongi’s ever seen. He said something about a train. Yoongi knows trains haven’t run since shortly after the sun went dark. They were magnets for Shadow attacks. Even running without lights, the fires in the furnaces would attract dozens of Shadows, who would swarm the engines and tear through the people inside.

“I’m sorry,” Seokjin says. “If you don’t have anything like that… I didn’t mean to… I’ll just wait until morning and I’ll go and try to find my way home.”

“Morning,” Yoongi repeats. “Seokjin… I don’t know where you’re from, but in this world, there’s no morning.”

Seokjin goes still. “In this world? What are you talking about?”

Yoongi has a suspicion. It’s crazy and impossible, but so is a stranger pulling light like that out of Yoongi with no warning. “Seokjin, can you describe the place where you’re from?”

“It’s… it’s Seoul. I mean, originally I’m from Gwacheon. But I moved to Seoul to train to be an idol. Seoul is a big city. The biggest in Korea. There’s so many people, so much to do. It’s nice, but I miss home sometimes. Gwacheon has some of the most beautiful parks—”

“And you have the sun,” Yoongi interrupts.

Seokjin nods. “Of course we have the sun. I think the world would freeze into a ball of ice without it.”

Yoongi lets out a shaky breath. “Seokjin, we don’t have the sun here. Wherever you’re from, I can say for sure it’s not here. I don’t know how you got here, but you probably need to learn some things about this place if you don’t want to run into more Shadows and get yourself killed.”

#mani playing with words #oh Im scared to tag this as something people can search for #can you believe theres no jimin in this?? hes my bias and yet he wont show up until the next part

2 notes · View notes

lightningenergy · 5 years ago

Text

Pokeshipping Week 2019 - Day 7: Engagement/Wedding

art & half the writing by @zdbztumble

⚡-⚡-⚡

"...You're sure this is enough food?" May asked, for the twelfth time that morning.

"Are you asking for the groom, or for you?" Mallow asked, rather sharply.

"... It could be both," May shrugged. “You don’t need to get so snippy about it.” Sure, she may have asked after the food twelve times now, but planning a wedding – especially Ash and Misty’s -- was a huge responsibility.

"Well, I'm sure.” Mallow sighed, a hand to her brow. “I've done the math, like, fifty-seven times. Which was annoying."

"Hmm... still, maybe we should've hired Brock and Cilan too..."

"May, there's enough!" Mallow finally snapped. "I've been working on it since that rehearsal dinner!"

"OK, OK, yeesh! So, food's ready... now what about..." May gazed around the open grounds of the Pallet Town shrine. The shrine was the largest one near Pallet Town (which wasn't saying much) with a small temple at the front. The shrine itself rested atop a cliff overlooking Pallet Beach, and a wide, open, grassy area spread out behind it. A few dozen empty chairs waited quietly. "Hey Dawn!” she called. “All the flowers are in place, right?"

"Just so!" Dawn hollered back, having set the last few in place. "Now relax! This isn't your wedding!"

"I just don't want Misty yelling at me!" May responded.

"We planned it together - she'll yell at me too!"

"We don't want her yelling at all!"

"And everything's perfect, so she won't!"

"How do you know she won't?"

"Because you two are eating up all the yells allowed at a single wedding," Drew deadpanned as he passed behind May, arms laden with laundry bags.

"Just like I'll be eating up all the food once I'm allowed to!" May shouted at him. "Geez, you try to be helpful and look where it gets ya..."

"I'm standing right here," Drew noted, dryly and quietly.

"I know!" May screamed, beaming. "Ooh, are those all the kimonos for the bridesmaids?"

"You know they are," Drew sighed. "You called me twice on the road after you sent me for them."

Screeching tires caught their attention, and they all turned to witness a car drift around the corner and come to a sudden, violent stop in a parking space.

"Tell me Daisy's not driving the car," Dawn groaned.

"Never again!" they heard Misty gasp. "I don't care how bad the traffic is in Cerulean City, you are never getting behind the wheel of a car with me in it!"

"Chill out, sis!" Daisy said with a wave of her hand. "We're all here, right?"

"And our make-up's totally ruined from sweating out your driving!" Lily snapped. She, Violet, Iris, Lana, Lillie, and Misty all filed out of the car in various states of distress; Daisy alone looked calm. The passengers were laden with laundry bags too, and Misty had a disheveled towel wrapped around her hair.

"Morning, sunshine," said May as she caught the bag Misty so unceremoniously tossed to her. "Let's say we get you all fixed up, huh?"

"That'd be nice," Misty grunted. "I don't want to be a bad mood once Ash gets here."

"So, like, Misty," Daisy began. "About your hair..."

"You three staying out of the way will help me not be in a bad mood," she growled, before softening slightly. "Please, Daisy. May and Dawn know what I want to do, and Iris and the other girls were the ones who prepped everything last night. I'm glad you're enthusiastic, but could you just help greet guests and look out for Ash?"

That didn’t leave the Waterflowers with much to do, though May suspected Misty wanted it that way. Besides the wedding party, the only people about were Drew, completing the last of the chores assigned him, the Waterflowers, and a very haggard and bleary-eyed Gary Oak leaning against a nearby pillar.

"Like, what happened to you?" Daisy asked derisively.

"Bachelor party. Hungover," he grunted. Even his own voice caused him to wince and put a hand to his temple.

Dawn, giggling, hurried over to her boyfriend and put her mouth very close to his ear. "SO IT HELPS IF YOU TALK IN A LOUD VOICE--"

"For the love of Arceus, babe!"

"Killer couple," Daisy muttered to May, who could only shrug.

A large truck came up the road, at a much slower, careful pace than Daisy’s car. ("At least, like, one person in this relationship knows how to drive," Violet sneered.) Tracey stepped out and hurried to help Professor Oak and Delia do the same.

"Hello, everyone!" Professor Oak greeted. He, and everyone in his party, were already dressed for the wedding. Oak and Tracey were in simple kimonos, red and teal respectively, while Delia was in a pink yukata with white trim. May approved of all their choices. "I hope everything's going swimmingly. We have a beautiful day for this - er, is everything alright, Gary?"

"HE'S HUNGOVER," answered Dawn. Gary doubled-over and shoved past his companion, head in his hands.

"Well, I hope no one else is in such a state at this wedding," Delia said sharply. "I've been waiting too long for this day!"

"I know, right?" Daisy squealed.

"Er – haven't Ash and Misty been waiting, too?" Tracey asked quietly.

"Details!"

Tracey shook his head and pulled a large container off the back of the truck. May watched with interest as he lugged it over to the designated spot to the left of the shrine, set aside for all of Ash and Misty’s Pokemon. With a few quick flicks of the locks and a release switch, Tracey had them all out on the field, though it was a rather tight fit.

("Screw this,") Charizard grunted. He yawned and flexed his wings in the afternoon sun. ("I'm watching from the skies.")

("I hear that.") Pidgeot, Noivern, and the other Flying-types followed him into the air, while Gyarados lead a few of the Water-types over the cliff and into the sea off Pallet Beach, where they still had a decent view of the hill.

"How many weddings do you think have this kind of attendance?" chuckled Iris.

"Tease later," Misty said. “Prepare now.” She took Iris by the shoulder, then Lana, Lillie, Dawn, and finally May, and started herding them to the women’s changing rooms.

"Make sure the groom gets cleaned up!" May hollered over her shoulder. “Misty’ll kill ‘im if he’s not!”

“Not funny, May!” Misty snapped.

“No sense of humor on the wedding day, I see,” May muttered to Dawn as they were hurried along.

-----

"Iris, this headdress is amazing!" Dawn gushed.

Iris beamed at the compliment. "I know my way around hair."

"And this shade of polish is perfect, Lana! Put that together with the flowers we picked out and the dress we made, and we - Misty? Are you OK? You look a little pale..."

"Just still shaken from my stupid sister's driving skills. I'll be okay, promise," Misty said. She cinched her bathrobe a little tighter around her and started pacing the room again. Noting everyone’s concerned looks, she added, "I want this, believe me."

"Oh, we might've figured that out ourselves," Lana giggled. She and the other girls were already dressed, in kimono-converted dresses of the same cut: May in red; Dawn in pink; Iris cream; Lillie white; and Lana blue. Misty's was the only one with a pattern: white with red trim with bubbles and flowers at the sleeves and hem. It sat atop a chair as its intended wearer paced and wrung her hands.

"It's finally happening," she said softly, to herself more than anyone else. "It's really, really happening!"

Dawn's Poke Gear started ringing: she quickly answered it. "Hello? ... Okay, thanks! Ash and everyone else got here!"

"Surprisingly? The least of my worries."

"It was at the top of our worries," May whispered.

"We'd better start getting you dressed," said Lillie. "We only have so much time before - "

"Before I'm MARRIED!" Misty jumped for joy and threw herself down on an empty chair. "Get to work, ladies!"

---

“Do we really need all this, Mom?”

“Ash Ketchum, this is your wedding! Of course we need all this! And don't think I'd let you go out and get married without me helping you get ready!"

"Mooom..." Ash protested, but he still wasn’t let up from the chair in his changing room. He hadn’t even been allowed to greet the few people at the shrine when he arrived; his mom, Brock, and Cilan shooed him inside right away. The two men were sitting in the corner: Brock in the ceremonial dress needed to conduct the ceremony; Cilan in a forest green kimono.

"This is the most important day of your life, young man," Delia insisted. "I want you to have a perfect time of it! Now let's see.. .your montsuki is clean... your hair needs a little bit of work... do you have on some clean -"

"MOM!"

("He does,") chirped Pikachu helpfully.

"Oh, Pikachu! Don't you look handsome in your own little kimono!"

As embarrassing as his mother's attention was, Ash couldn't help but feel a little insulted that his Pokemon was upstaging him.

("I got it made special,") said Pikachu, turning and posing. ("And Lopunny, er - she has a matching one...)

"Yeah, Dawn insisted that she get to do it," Ash muttered. "Everyone's got something they want out of this."

"Oh, sweetie." Delia pulled Ash in close and wrapped her arms around his head and shoulders. "What we want most of all is to see you and Misty happy, of course. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, though you all have a funny way of showing it..."

Delia smiled and kissed his forehead. "Alright... ceremony's due in a few hours, so let's get started."

It was amazing how long "a little bit of work" on his hair could take. Of course, forced rehearsal of his wedding vows, tearful anecdotes about Delia's own wedding, and relating stories to Cilan and the other groomsmen as they arrived (Clemont, Kiawe, and Sophocles, in sky blue, scarlet, and yellow kimonos, respectively) helped eat up the time. Then there was the shared attention of his future sisters-in-law...

"Daisy, if you don't let go, I'm gonna need my hair fixed again!" Ash protested. No matter how he squirmed, he couldn't get free of her grip.

"Aww...but then I could, like, do it right!" Daisy teased. "A bit more mussed up in the front, we can finally frost the tips..."

"NO! No, no, no! That's a veto, Daisy! This isn't the 90s anymore!"

"Y'know, that's what Tracy always says..."

Ash stood up and picked up his kimono. "Okay, I'm getting changed, so anyone not named Pikachu needs to leave."

("Why do I have to stay?!") the Pokemon protested.

"You're the Best Man."

("... Right.")

"He's so touchy sometimes," Daisy complained as they all filed out.

"Now, now," Delia chided gently. "He needs his space before the ceremony..."

Got that right, Ash thought as he shut the door behind them. He felt as fired up as he did before any Pokemon Battle - more fired up - but his mouth still felt awfully dry, and his head rather light. "You ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu answered by leaping onto his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. ("Of course. I'm ready to zap either of you at a moment's notice!")

"Comforting... alright, let's get myself into this thing..."

And a few minutes later, he found himself standing under the shrine, looking out at the crowd of people assembled for his wedding. Geez, I knew we invited a lot of people, but...

A good number of them were the extended relations of his friends and traveling companions: Dawn's mother, Cilan's brothers, representatives from Iris's village, and so on. There were Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains, and professors as well. Ash smiled and waved at Riley as he came in, dressed in the same blue suit as always.

There were a lot of Misty's friends - Casey, Marina, Sakura - and an assortment of Trainers they'd both known over the years. The front rows were reserved for close friends and family. Mallow was already seated, along with Drew, Gary, Miette, the Waterflowers, Professor Oak and Tracey, Professors Kukui and Burnett, Max and Mahri, Ritchie and Serena, and his mother.

Brock stood at the center of the shrine, with the groomsmen aligned behind him. Pikachu stood on Clemont's shoulder, beaming. Ash looked over at the bridesmaids: Lana, May, Dawn, and Iris all smiled and waved. He grinned back but quickly straightened up: the music was starting, which meant...

Bonnie scurried down the aisle in a fit of giggles. Azumarill and Rowlet, with matching floral crowns, came along either side of her as she slowly walked back up, tossing pink cherry blossom petals about. Ash was only vaguely aware of this, and cared even less. All his attention was on the fiery-haired woman in the white-and-red dress slowly following them, her hair wrapped up in a white gold headdress, a bouquet of roses in her hand, and a nervous smile playing at her lips.

Nothing else mattered. He only had eyes for Misty, watching as she slowly made her way up the aisle. Her eyes shone once she stopped next to him, and Ash was only vaguely aware of his own reddened face and Brock's light sobbing.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey yourself."

"Arceus I love you."

She winked. "I know. And you clean up nicely."

“My mom and your sisters had something to do with that,” Ash admitted, chuckling softly as he rubbed the back of his head.

“You still went through it for me.” She tugged lightly on the front of his montsuki before they both turned to face Brock and the shrine.

"D-d-dearly beloved," Brock choked out. Tears dripped down the sides of his face. "We are gathered here t-today to witness the joining of... of these two in h-h-holy m-matri - sniff - mony. If anyone has any reason these two should - should not be wed... please leave immediately."

Laughter rippled through-out the audience, and Brock seemed to relax a little. "Ahem... I've known these two for a long time, and I am very glad to be here for this special day... now, um... I guess we should start with the vows..."

At Cilan’s insistence, Ash had spent all of yesterday writing out vows, with the groomsmen insisting on proofreading. He wondered what they thought as his hands, instead of producing that worn piece of paper, fell gently on top of Misty’s around her bouquet.

"Misty... I had some stuff written, and I got a lot of input on it, and it was good and all... but it wasn't me. It wasn't us."

He was forced to pause briefly as another wave of laughter passed.

"You know all the best and worst stuff about me, and I know the best and worst stuff about you. We've dealt with it ever since we were kids, we managed to be friends - best friends - after meeting in such a crazy way. I mean, you caught me with a fishing rod."

More laughter.

"And you caught me with your heart a few years down the line. I know it took me a while, but...well, now that I'm here, I'm not leaving. Ever."

Misty closed her eyes and inhaled, then smiled. "Ash Ketchum... you are, without a doubt, the most stubborn, arrogant, foolhardy man I have ever known. You stole my bike, wrecked it, and argued with me over more idiotic things than I can count. And yet... there is no one on this earth I would rather have as my prince, my best friend... my soulmate. You want to be a Pokemon Champion, but never forget that you are my Champion. From then, now, and always... I am forever yours."

Several people, including Brock, could be heard blowing their noses.

"Th-the bride and groom will now exchange rings..." Brock sobbed.

One of the snifflers in the crowd, Pikachu had to wipe away his tears before he produced the wedding ring from his kimono's sleeves. True to form, Psyduck only made it out of his Poke Ball right at that moment, bawling uncontrollably as he handed Misty her ring.

Brock coughed and stomped his foot and even slapped himself to get under control. "Do you, Ash Ketchum, take Misty Waterflower to be your lawfully wedded -"

"Brock, didn't we kinda already do this part?" Ash asked quietly. He could hear Cilan and Kiawe's affronted gasps and see May and Dawn's furious looks, but Misty just giggled.

"Yes," Brock said rather firmly. "Do you, Ash Ketchum, take this woman--"

"Yes."

"... Okay." Brock turned to Misty. "Should I even ask?"

"You already know."

Brock sighed, but he was smiling. "Alright... by the power vested in me by the Region of Kanto... and the Internet guys... I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Now..." he started sobbing again. "You may... y-you may..."

Everyone else in the procession screamed with smiles and laughter, startling the couple: "JUST KISS ALREADY!!"

It was hard to tell which of them moved first. They both leapt at the other's lips as if it were the first time they'd ever kissed. For good measure, Ash wrapped his arms around Misty's waist, lifted her off her feet, and spun her around for the whole duration. It was too much. She started laughing and crying at once, and never stopped kissing him.

Everyone was applauding. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's head, laughing and cheering; May and Dawn collapsed into each other's arms, sobbing wildly; some people in the audience were cat-calling, though in a joyous manner.

Ash smiled up at his wife, eyes gleaming. "We did it."

"We did it," Misty whispered, and kissed him again. "We did it, we did it, we did it!!"

Out of one eye, Ash dared to look around at the crowd. Misty’s sisters were in hysterics; Serena and Ritchie were glancing from the shrine to each other with sheepish, blushing smiles; Bonnie was biting down on her hand in a failed effort to keep the waterworks at bay; Miette had a small and oddly sad smile; and Mom, Oak, Kukui, and Burnett were all beaming.

"OK, everyone!" Dawn disentangled herself from May and wiped most of the tears off her face. "That's the wedding - who's ready for the biggest and best reception ever?"

#pokemon #pokeshipping #pokeshipping week #pokeshipping week 2019 #ash ketchum #misty #fanfiction #zdbztumble

58 notes · View notes

takerfoxx · 5 years ago

Text

IM Swiftly Descending Darkness, Chapter 10

One of the most galling things about being the Hakurei Shrine Maiden is that, despite being humanity’s most stalwart protector against supernatural forces that were beyond their ability to defend against, despite having resolved numerous incidents that had put all of Gensokyo in danger, and despite having saved countless lives, Miko Hakurei was not well-liked.

There were of course many unfair reasons for this. Miko lived far from even the roughest Human settlement, and Humans tended to be distrustful of those who dwelt alone in the Wilds. Also, she had working relationships with many youkai, even a few friendships, and youkai were not especially popular these days.

However, perhaps the most immediate reason for her poor reputation was that Miko Hakurei simply was not a people person. In fact, she had a reputation for being kind of a hardass.

It was to be expected. She was getting on in years, her life hadn’t exactly been comfortable, she regularly put herself in danger so others wouldn’t have to, and was rarely thanked, so she tended to be gruff and cynical in her dealings with others. Also, there were only so many times one could see a ravaged body out in the Wilds and not just view it as evidence to be examined. Yes, yes, I am very sorry for what happened to your daughter, but could you please hurry this along and let me see what’s left of her, so I can possibly prevent it from happening to someone else?

But though her heart was hardened, it wasn’t gone. There were still a few things capable of biting through her prickly demeanor and igniting a sense of righteous indignation. Learning that the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home’s defenses were being sabotaged by other Humans, leaving them vulnerable to attack was one of them. The fact that one of the children had already been murdered as a result only made it worse.

As she flew through the air toward the orphanage, Miko wondered what she was going to find. Tewi Inaba had said something about some of the kids being cursed now, though she hadn’t any specifics to give. Now, Miko tended to be skeptical of anything that Tewi Inaba said even at the best of times, but something about the obnoxious rabbit’s message rang true. Miko had a very bad feeling about this.

As she neared the orphanage, she saw that her intuition had been correct. Something had happened, something bad. From the look of things, the whole building had been evacuated, and a sort of makeshift camp had been set up in the field, with several sleeping mats laid on the ground and a few pavilions erected. Milling around them was pretty everyone that lived there, the overwhelming majority of them children with a handful of adults.

Miko’s heart fell. Though she was still too far away to make out any details, the way that the kids were huddling together told her that something bad had happened.

Even with so many people around, Fujiwara no Mokou’s bright red outfit stood out. She was standing by herself on the edge of the camp, facing outward. Miko turned toward her and increased her speed.

Mokou had one hand in her pocket, the other with two fingers around the lit cigarette she had in her mouth. As Miko came down for a landing, she calmly took the cigarette out and breathed out a cloud of smoke.

“There you are,” she said. “Got lost?”

Ignoring the jab, Miko looked over the children. The ones that had noticed her approach were rising up, hope on their faces. The others were sitting on their sleeping mats, seemingly lost in their own little worlds. “What happened? Tewi said something about a curse?”

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely still a thing. But we have something a little more immediate for you to look at first.”

From the other end of the camp, Satoko Yume had noticed Miko’s arrival and rushed toward the pair. “Lady Hakurei, thank the spirits you’re here!” she exclaimed. “We are…in desperate need of your help.”

“I can see that,” Miko said. “What’s going on?”

Sticking the cigarette back into her mouth, Mokou tilted her head to the now-empty house. “Let’s go for a walk.”

As the three women headed for the house, Mokou started to explain. “Well, it’s like this. Tewi probably already told you about how someone took out all our charms and wards, right?”

“Right,” Miko said. “Any idea who?”

“Quite a few, but as weird as that sounds, that’s actually third in line of our current problems. But anyway, apparently some youkai had known that we would be left undefended and mounted an attack.”

“I heard. The spiders, right? Muffet’s clan?”

“You know them?” Satoko said.

“Of them,” Miko corrected. “They’re kind of on the list of usual suspects whenever trouble comes out of the Youkai Forest.”

“Those are the cunts,” Mokou said agreeably. “Anyway, they came out of nowhere, still in broad daylight, and made off with five of our kids.” Her face twitched. “We got four of them back.”

Miko frowned. “Those would be the cursed ones, right?”

“Them, and two others. But that’s actually number two. Number one is something of an…oh, let’s call it an unexpected side-effect. And we have it trapped over here.”

They stopped in front of the house.

The actual house of the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home was a pleasant two-story white building, one with a slanted roof, large windows, and a wide porch. At all hours of the day and most of the night, lights would be streaming through those windows, smoke rising from the chimney, and children would be everywhere: out playing in the field, or sitting around on the porch, or hanging out of the windows. The air was constantly filled with the sound of children’s voices, the sound of them talking, shouting, laughing, and fighting. The Aoki Yume Children’s Home was a place bursting with life.

Not now though. Now it stood dark, empty, and silent. The windows were all shut, the rooms beyond darkened. The front door was shut tight as well, and all around the building a ring of Mokou’s charms had been stuck to the walls.

That told Miko quite a lot about the situation. Something had gotten in, something that they hadn’t been prepared for, and so the only thing they had been able to do was get everyone out and seal off the building to keep the invader trapped inside.

“The kid that the spiders ate was named Eiko Goto,” Mokou said. “And she died in a bad way. Bad enough to leave a mark.”

Miko nodded. “The ghost came back with you, didn’t it?”

“Yup. And it is pissed.”

“I assume that whatever it was that took out your outer defenses also wiped out whatever you had in the house itself?”

“Anything we already had set up. All the extra charms we had in storage were fine, but by the time we knew we had a haunting, it was already in the house. And…yelling at us.”

“Ghosts will do that,” Miko murmured. “Especially fresh ones.” She shook her head. “So, on top of everything else, you also need me do some pest control.”

“Pest control?” Satoko said, her voice testy.

“What else would you call it?”

“A little girl died, Miss Hakurei. I appreciate that you see far more corpses than we do, but even so-”

Mokou laid a hand on Satoko’s shoulder and shook her head. Satoko scowled in indignation, but said nothing further.

“We would have taken care of it ourselves,” Mokou said. “Except we don’t exactly have any ghost extermination stuff on hand. And the places that sell it don’t sell to us anymore.”

That got Miko’s attention. “Oh reallllyyyy?” she drawled.

“We were recently banned from the village communal market,” Satoko said flatly. “And this is after we were banned from the Human Village altogether.”

Miko looked over to Mokou. “Does this have to do with you insulting Gendou Sonozika to his face?”

“Yeah, turns out he holds a grudge. Wonder where he gets it from?”

No answer to that question was needed. Miko was well aware of how many of Gendou Sonozika’s ancestors met an early grave thanks to Mokou. “Well, I’ll put that on my to-do list,” Miko growled. Grudges or not, cutting an orphanage off from all help was beyond the pale. And sure, Human affairs might be outside of her jurisdiction, but fuck it, the bounds of her jurisdiction were murky even at the best of times, and it wasn’t like there was anyone to report her to. “In the meantime though, I’d better get to cleaning house.”

Mokou motioned toward the house in question. “All yours.”

Miko stepped toward the front porch. Actually, even though this wasn’t going to remove her other problems, she was a little relieved that she was starting off with something like this. Cleaning out hauntings was dull routine to her. Maybe it would help focus her thoughts for the real issues.

“WAIT!” someone cried. “STOP!”

Miko paused. Then she, Mokou, and Satoko all turned.

Two little girls were running toward them, the one in the lead the taller of the two, with honey-blonde hair and golden eyes, and the other with shortly cut green hair and blue eyes.

Before Miko could question what they wanted, she was suddenly struck with a wave of…something! She had no idea what it was, but it felt thick, cold, and suffocating. It was emanating from the two girls like the cloud of smoke from a funeral pyre, the stench of rot from a mass grave. It was so strong that she had to take a step back and avert her face.

Taking no notice of her reaction, the two ran right up to the trio of women. “You’re the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, right?” the blonde said. “You’re here for Eiko’s ghost?”

The stink was making Miko’s eyes water. “I…”

“Please, don’t hurt her! She doesn’t know what she’s doing, and I’m sure she doesn’t mean to hurt anyone!”

“Oh no,” Satoko said softly. Shaking her head, she knelt down in front of the two. “No, girls. That thing in there isn’t Eiko. Eiko’s in the Netherworld, where all good souls go. That ghost is just an echo of the pain she felt, and when Miss Hakurei here takes care of it, all of her hurting will be over.”

“But it’s all that’s left of her!” cried the other girl, the one with green hair. “You can’t just-”

“Come on, come on,” Satoko soothed as she gently, yet firmly, led the two away. “It’s all right. Come on now.”

“But you can’t!” the green-haired girl protested. “Please, just let us talk to her, I’m sure we can calm her down!”

As they left, Mokou turned to Miko. “You all right?”

Sniffing, Miko pulled out her handkerchief to wipe at her watering eyes and running nose. “Uh, I guess so. Who the hell were they?”

“Haruko Kamijima and Hayate Maeda. Eiko’s friends, if you haven’t already guessed.”

“I figured. They the ones?”

“That’s them. You felt it, I’m guessing?”

Miko nodded.

“So…?”

Miko breathed in deeply, and then started coughing. The air tasted normal, but the spiritual stench still hung thick. “Oh, they have a curse all right. A big one too.”

“No shit. What kind?”

“Not sure. I’ll have to examine it more closely.” A job that, while necessary, she was not looking forward to. “Do you know how it happened?”

Mokou shook her head. “Nah, we found them on the edge of the forest, totally out cold. And when they woke up, they couldn’t remember anything.”

Frustrating, but not surprising. “Nothing at all?”

“Well, nothing about what or how it happened. The spider stuff they remembered, especially the one that was awake to see her friend get eaten. That was the blonde one. She saw the whole thing.”

Miko sighed. “Well, ain’t that all kinds of fucked up. You sure Muffet’s clan is gone for good?”

“Yeah, about that…” Mokou drawled. “I’ve got something I need to show you.”

“What?”

“Later. For now, ghost. Then we can focus on the curse.”

“Fine, have it your way.” Miko turned back toward the house. At least her first problem was an easy one. As frightening as they might be to the uninitiated, for her they were dull routine. And this one sounded as straight-forward as they got.

…

Satoko and Mokou stood and watched as Miko Hakurei walked up the porch stairs toward the front door of the haunted orphanage. She didn’t immediately enter though, instead walking back and forth across the porch, one hand outstretched, fingers brushing against the wall.

“What is she doing?” Satoko asked.

Mokou reached into her pocket and pulled out her packet of cigarettes. She lit one with her finger, took a deep drag, and breathed out the smoke. “Getting a feel for things,” she said. “She can’t sense the ghost through the charms, so she has to get in close get any kind of read.”

“Oh. Um, and you’re sure she can…deal with this?”

“Sure. I mean, this part’s just her regular job. It’s when she’s done with the ghost that things get complicated.”

“You mean the curse?”

Mokou blew out another, longer cloud of cigarette smoke. “Yup,” she said.

Satoko anxiously rose up and down on the balls of her feet. She was, under normal circumstances, a paragon of patience and tolerance, but the current situation was anything but normal. “And that’s why she, um, you know, reacted the way she did to Haruko and Hayate?”

“Yup.”

Satoko looked away from the house toward the immortal at her side. On the surface, Mokou was the perfect picture of calm, with one hand in her pocket, the other holding her cigarette to her mouth between two fingers, shoulders slightly slouched, and face almost looking bored. However, there was a harrowed look around her eyes, a worrying intensity in how she stared at the house.

That more than anything was reason to be scared. “Mokou,” Satoko said in a low voice. “Are you sure she can handle this curse?”

Mokou exhaled smoke from her nostrils. “No,” she said after a long silence.

Satoko started. “No?”

“No. But she’s the best bet we have.”

That was less than reassuring. “Mokou, how can-”

The house’s front door suddenly open and Miko Hakurei hurried out, hastily slamming the door behind her. She power-walked down the steps and across the grass toward the two women.

“You have a problem,” the shrine maiden said briskly.

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. Not another problem. Not another wrinkle. Satoko had already endured more than she could stand. Was it bad enough that the rest of Gensokyo was systematically cutting them off little by little, that they were being purposefully sabotaged by their neighbors and invaded by flesh-eating youkai, that six of their children were currently either possessed or cursed or maybe both by something they didn’t understand, that their strongest ally was really a centuries-old murderess with a tendency to make enemies every time she went out, that they had to abandon their home because the ghost of a murdered child was seeking revenge for Satoko’s failure to protect her? And now there was a new problem with that?

“What is it?” Satoko said. “Oh, wait, let me guess: the ghost is really a legendary blood demon, sent to devour our souls! Or that it’s already so powerful that the only way to get rid of it is to destroy the house!” Her voice started to rise in pitch and volume. “Is it not enough that the people that are supposed to be our neighbors have exiled us, that monsters are kidnapping and eating our children alive, that we’re being cursed by unknown evils, but now we can’t even be haunted without it being somehow worse!”

“Satoko,” Mokou hissed. “Get a grip.”

“Get a grip? Get a grip? How can you expect me to get a grip after everything’s happened? What am I supposed to grip onto in the first place? Odds are it’ll just turn out to be covered with poisoned thorns that-”

Mokou seized her by the shoulder and forcibly muscled her into taking a seat.

“Save it for later,” Mokou growled. To Miko, she said, “So, what new bad news awaits us?”

“Well, maybe problem is too strong a word,” Miko amended. “But it’s definitely a complication.”

“Just tell us already,” Satoko said wearily, her face in her hands.

“Can’t, because I don’t really understand what it is. You need to see this for yourself.”

“Yeah, well, what else is new?” Mokou grabbed Satoko by the bicep and pulled her back to her feet. “Come on, Satoko. Let’s see the new addition to the Everyone Hates Us Club.”

Miko led the pair back to the house. As they approached, Satoko felt her anger and frustration melt together into a rising sense of dread, and that just upset her all the more. That house was supposed to be her sanctuary, their sanctuary, but now even it had shut itself off from them and become a den of evil. There was literally nowhere that was safe for them.

Sure enough, as soon as Satoko stepped past the threshold of the charms, she felt the temperature immediately drop several degrees. Every alarm bell in her head went off as she began picking up on several things wrong. Her sense of balance started to get all wonky, her sight refused to register anything as being the size that it actually was, the air around her felt oppressively thick, and her ears filled with the sounds of whispers, all sure signs of a haunting.

Maybe too many of them. Either Eiko’s ghost was unusually strong, which was a strong possibility given the circumstances of her death, or it had brought friends.

Miko laid a hand on the doorknob. As she did, it suddenly frosted over, cold vapors rising up from the frozen metal. Wincing, she quickly withdrew her hand.

“Here, let me,” Mokou said. Her palm rose in temperature until it was faintly glowing and the air around it became fuzzy. Ice hissed and sent up a cloud of steam when she grabbed the knob, but she was able to turn it and push.

First Miko went in, with Mokou not far behind. Satoko hung back, not wanting to follow, not wanting to see Eiko’s mutilated face or hear her accusatory screams.

“Oh,” she heard Mokou say in surprise. “Well, huh.”

“Yup,” Miko said in a grim tone.

Satoko glanced over her shoulder. Their small camp was a fair distance away from the house, but even so, she could see that everyone there was watching them.

Watching her.

Satoko took a deep breath to steady herself. No. No matter how bad things were, her responsibility was clear. And if she had to walk right into the domain of an angry spirit in order to protect those under her care, then she was going to do it. Satoko stepped over the threshold and into the house.

What she found inside wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.

Oh, she had anticipated ghostly shenanigans, with horrific images, screams, and Eiko’s butchered body being displayed in all manner of stomach-churning scenarios.

Instead, she found themselves staring at row after row after row of grey faces, all gazing solemnly at the trio.

The entrance room was packed with people, most of them children but a few adults here and there. The children were all wearing some variation of the grey uniforms that the orphanage provided. The design had changed little throughout the years, but there were some differences among them. The adults all had on more normal clothes, mostly the simple kind that was often donated by local farmers or the nearby villages. They filled the room, the connecting hallways, and even had more perched on the stairs.

There had to be a couple hundred of them at least, far more people than had ever been in the house at one time. Satoko’s hands went to her mouth as she gasped. This was…well, she had no idea how she was supposed to react to something like this. Was she afraid? Well, she supposed so, but mostly she just felt stupefied. Thus far they had been dealing with dangers and threats that were…mostly known. Evil youkai they understood. Ghosts they understood. Evil-hearted people they understood. Even the curse, while certainly of unknown origin, was just something that people expected from the Youkai Forest.

But this…this was new.

Satoko shot a glance over to Miko and Mokou, both of whom probably had numerous encounters with ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, and all manner of undead in her time. However, the supposed expert ghost exterminator Miko Hakurei looked very put out, while the centuries-old renegade Fujiwara no Mokou was ill at ease, warily rising on the balls of her feet as her gaze darted this way and that. She held her hands to either side, fingers curled and arms loose. There was a sudden whoosh, and twin balls of flame ignited around her hands.

“So,” Miko said, sounding more irritated than afraid, “I was given to understand that you wanted me to clean out one ghost.” She swept an arm toward the ethereal audience. “This looks way more than just one ghost.”

“Miko,” Mokou said as she warily edged back toward the door.

“I mean, I guess it’s still doable, but for something on this scale, I’m gonna have to start charging.”

“Miko, cut the crap and explain.”

“Me? This is your house, Mokou. These are your ghosts, you explain!”

As the two argued, Satoko continue to look over the expressionless faces silently watching them. Who were all these people? Why were they there? And why were they all dressed in the same uniforms as her kids?

Then she saw a face that she recognized and her heart nearly stopped.

“Tobi?” Satoko whispered. “Tobi, is that you?”

Mokou spared her half a glance. “Satoko, who are you talking to?”

Satoko pointed to the right of the room. “Her! That girl there. Tobi, can you hear me?”

There was a pause, and the shimmering grey bodies shuffled about, and Tobi stepped forward. She had been seven years old when she died, and save for her grey complexion and semi-transparent quality, she looked the same, with hair hanging down her back in a tightly woven ponytail and a ribbon tied around her head with a large bow on either side of her head, just over her ears.

“Tobi, can you hear me?” Satoko said. “It’s me, Miss Satoko.” She started to move forward, only for Miko to thrust an arm across her chest.

“Don’t,” Miko said.

Satoko shot her a pleading look. “But-”

“Satoko, who’s Tobi?” Mokou said in a low voice.

“She was one of our kids! But…she died, before you came. Before even Joshua came, actually. She got lost during a snowstorm and…Tobi, please! Can you hear me?”

Tobi’s face was as blank as her companions, though she did tilt her head to one side, as if trying to listen.

“You recognize anyone else here?” Mokou said.

Satoko looked the crowd over. She did, actually. Most of the faces were new to her, but now that she was looking, a few jumped out to her. “I…I think that’s Miss Oa over there. She was one of the caretakers when I was a girl, but she passed before I took over. And that…” She inhaled sharply. “Oh no, Kale?”

Now she was looking up at the stairs, specifically at a tall boy that was almost a man. He had spiky hair that was messily combed back and a rather prominent nose.

“And he is?” Miko said.

Satoko’s eyes misted over. She blinked a few times and stuttered, “M-My best friend. When I w-was growing up. But…he d-died when I was sixteen. Flash flood. And…and…”

She could say no more. In life, Kale had robust and full of energy, a fun-loving boy that saw their lives as a never-ending adventure. They had grown up together, played together as children, crashed through those bewildering gates of puberty together, and had shared their first clumsy kiss with one another. At the time, Satoko had considered herself the luckiest girl in the world, and she been distraught when that adventure had been cruelly cut short, and for a time it seemed as if the

If their friendship meant anything to the dearly departed Kale, he made no sign, content to remain staring along with everyone else.

Then she saw something that made even her wince. She nudged Satoko with her elbow and pointed. When Satoko saw, she inhaled sharply through her nose but said nothing.

Eiko Goto was there, standing and staring as silently as the others. She was near the door to their left, no longer screaming, no longer spitting up spiders, but she was there. An older woman stood behind her with her arms around Eiko’s front, holding her in a protective embrace. The message was clear. She’s ours. Do not touch.

The more Mokou learned about their current situation, the less she liked it. Had all of these spirits been here this whole time, held back by the foundational wards? And did they have any particular opinions about that?

Then a very strange voice said, I think I can explain.

Again the ghosts shuffled around, allowing one of the adults to step forward. She seemed to be somewhere in her mid-forties, with a pleasantly plump body and a round face. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun, and she had the shoulders of someone accustomed to labor.

It was she that had spoken, if what she had done could be described as speaking. Truth be told, Satoko wasn’t even sure if the ghost had made any noise at all. It was like a whisper from a fading dream, a memory of a conversation that had never happened. And yet Satoko had no trouble understanding her at all.

“Who’s that?” Mokou asked.

“I…” Satoko shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Then the ghost woman smiled kindly at her, the first actual emotion any of them had expressed. Hello there, granddaughter.

Satoko choked. “Wait, granddaughter?”

Sort of. It’s close enough. The ghost woman bowed low. I would apologize for startling you, but you did come in unannounced. My name is Aoki Yume, and this is my house.

…

Alone in a crowd. Alone with your family. That was how Melissa felt.

The whole of the orphanage’s household was abuzz. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden had finally arrived, and had gone to deal with Eiko’s ghost. And after that, she would deal with Youkai Forest curse. Things were going to return to normal! Or at least, some semblance of normal anyway. They were still banished and isolated from the rest of the Humans, but at the very least their problems would be of the mortal variety. No one was going to have to worry about screaming ghosts hanging from the ceiling spitting up spiders or having their throats cut by their possessed friends anymore.

Or at least, that was what the grown-ups had said.

Truth be told, very few of them believe that. When the Hakurei Shrine Maiden had arrived, Melissa had been profoundly disappointed. Some rough-looking lady in a worn red-and-white outfit was supposed to save them all? Everyone half-expected the ghost to chew her up and spit her bones out of a window.

Melissa was one of them. There was a ghost in their house. Their friends were possessed. Most of the strange types of magic in Gensokyo had been nearly incomprehensible to her, but those two she fully understood. And judging by how scared everyone else looked and the way they were whispering to one another, she wasn’t alone.

Except she was, because at least everyone else had someone to whisper to. Everyone was in their own little groups, talking in hushed tones to their friends. Even the grown-ups were talking to each other. But not Melissa. The only two people she felt comfortable really talking to was Kana, her only real friend, and Mr. Joshua, who was the only other person from the Outside World and understood enough Spanish whenever Melissa’s still incomplete grasp of Japanese wasn’t enough. And Kana was one of the possessed and Mr. Joshua was engaged in a hushed conversation with Miss Shion, leaving Melissa by herself. It was just like her first few days until Kana had started following her around, and outcast among the outcasts.

So with nothing else to do, she tried talking to God.

It was something Mr. Joshua had suggested whenever she felt alone. Certainly she knew how, given she had spent most of her life in a Catholic mission, but truth be told she had never really felt close to God, even then. The way that the priests and nuns had described him made him seem scary and unapproachable, someone you needed to book an appointment with weeks in advance and had to mind your P’s and Q’s when that meeting actually took place, not really the sort of person you’d want to open up to. Why else would he have so many rules and punishments?

She liked the way Mr. Joshua described him better, as more of a big brother who was always more than happy to just sit down and listen whenever you needed him. Certainly that was how he talked to him. Melissa would often hear him having long conversations with nobody whenever he was working. They would often be in English, which nobody at the orphanage understood, so it was more than a little weird, but the other kids seemed used to it, and she had to admit it did sound appealing to just be able to open up about whatever was bothering you whenever you wanted.

Except that God felt more distant than ever. Gensokyo was a world separated from Earth, so Melissa didn’t even know if God could hear her. Did he get prayers from this strange, offshoot country? Wasn’t that kind of like someone from Mexico trying to write the President of the United States a letter? It just seemed like it would be outside of his jurisdiction!

Besides, Gensokyo had gods of its own, and a lot of them. One could literally go to their shrines and have a face-to-face conversation with them. And while they had rules too, those actually made a lot more sense. Make an offering at their shrine, and have a prayer answered. Someone was sick? Make an offering. It hadn’t rained in a long time and the crops were drying out? Make an offering. It was all very straightforward.

Still, she didn’t know any of those gods. They had taken visits to shrines before, and she had seen the gods there, but had never spoken to them. She had just been too nervous. What did one say to a god? They hadn’t seemed like gods to her, more like rock and roll stars, normal people but with weird clothes and big personalities, still not someone she felt like she could just approach. With God, if he could hear her, all she had to do was talk, maybe even just think! Whatever, it wasn’t like she could do anything else.

So, as she paced back and forth across the camp in agitation, she tried talking to God.

“Um, our Father, who’s in Heaven, hallowed be thy…uh…hallowed be thy name,” she muttered. “They will come, they kingdom be…uh, no. No, it’s the other way around.” Damn it, she used to know the whole thing! It wasn’t like she had much of a choice back then, but it had been so long since she had last recited the Lord’s Prayer, the lines were all mixed up in her head.

So she tried something else. “Hail Mary full of grace, and…” Her mind drew a blank.

Just as well, Mr. Joshua had always said that praying to Mary was weird anyway. Fine. Forget the memorized prayers. She was just going to talk, like Mr. Joshua did.

“All right,” she muttered. “God, can you hear me? It’s Melissa Garcia! You know, the girl that got lost and wound up here. In Gensokyo.”

Dai and Yoshi were wrestling all over the sleeping mats up ahead. Melissa altered her course to give them a wide berth.

“I don’t know if you can hear me here, if you even care about anything that happens here, but I’m scared. I’m stuck here and I’m scared. I mean, Gensokyo just seemed so much better than where I came from. It’s prettier, the orphanage is nicer than the mission, the food’s…okay, it tasted a little weird at first, but it’s actually better. And they have magic here! I’m actually learning how to fly! I mean, I was, but…” She coughed. “Um, people back…back home would probably just call that witchcraft, but is it though? I mean, you had to make magic too, right?”

She had reached the end of the camp, and since she didn’t like the idea of striking off by herself across the field where someone could grab at her, she reversed course and headed back the other way.

“But, um, things are bad now. One of the kids here got…eaten, and now her ghost is haunting the place. A real ghost! I don’t know if we had them back home or if they all got put here, but I saw it! And now some of the others are, I don’t know, possessed or something? Or just cursed? Something bad. But my best friend’s one of them, and they won’t let me talk to her, but she’s been coughing a lot, and I think she’s sick, and I don’t know what to do.”

She had to stop suddenly, as Miss Haruna was walking across her path, and Melissa almost walked right into her.

“Whoa, careful there, kid,” Miss Haruna said.

Melissa cringed. “I’m…sorry. Very sorry, I wasn’t-”

“Easy, easy, no-” Then she said something too fast for Melissa to catch, followed with, “Just be careful, all right?”

“Okay,” Melissa said, then she resumed her pacing.

“Anyway, I don’t know if you’re even allowed to change anything in here, even if you can hear us, but if you can, please, please, please help them! Help Kana. And, I don’t know, help us! No one else is!”

She reached the other end of the camp, spun on her heel, and set off again.

“Besides, there’s this group of men. Bad men. They say that they’re doing your will, but all they’ve done is make things hard for us! They’re out there trying to make everyone else hate us, and they’re doing it in your name. So, shouldn’t you, you know, do something about it? Isn’t this your responsibility? Mr. Joshua’s the only good Christian I know, and he’s on our side! Can’t you do something for his sake? Or are you just going to leave him to fend for himself just because-”

In her rising anger and agitation, Melissa had forgotten to watch where she was going and walked right into someone who was equally preoccupied.

“-oof!”

She stumbled back, nearly fell, and only just recovered her balance in time.

The other person, who was noticeably larger and heavier than her, might have done the same, had a rolled-up sleeping mat not ended right behind his foot.

“Ow.”

To Melissa’s horror, she found herself looking down at Noba Fujinami, who had sprawled out in an untidy head.

“I’m sorry!” she blurted out, forgetting in her agitation to use Japanese instead of Spanish. Realizing this, she corrected to, “Um, sorry, sorry!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Noba grunted. Melissa reached down to help him up. Their hands grasped, and…

Oh.

Wow.

Noba straightened up and brushed himself off. “Sorry about that,” he muttered. “Was kind of preoccupied.”

“Oh, it’s…good!” Melissa said, hoping he hadn’t noticed how flustered she had become. “Um…how is…” Damn it, now she was forgetting simple words! “…your…face?”

Noba stared blankly at her.

“Head!” Oh, if a youkai felt like kidnapping her, now would be the time! “Sorry. Head! How is your head?”

“Oh,” Noba laughed. “Yeah, um, funny thing. Ever…” Then he said something long and kind of rambling. Melissa listened intently, trying to grab onto all the words she recognized and use that context to figure out what he was trying to say.

Noba must have seen the look on her face, as he then let his words trail off. “Oh,” he said, more slowly this time. “Sorry. Was I too fast?”

“No, it’s okay,” Melissa was quick to say. She felt as she had caught the gist of it. “You…feel better after, uh, after they locked the…” Oh damn. “The ghost! They locked the ghost in the house.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Noba said. “I guess that knock to my head made me more…” a word that Melissa didn’t know yet, probably “sensitive” or something like that, “…to magic stuff.”

“Maybe,” Melissa said. “I don’t know. I never met a ghost before.”

Noba made a face. “Me neither. It’s freaky.”

“Yeah.”

The two fell silent, though on the inside Melissa anything but. In fact, her mind was screaming at her memory, begging for it to upload every bit of Japanese she knew, right now, thank you!

Fortunately Noba broke the silence first. “So, who were you talking to?”

Unfortunately, he had decided to break it with someone embarrassing. “Oh, no one,” Melissa said by reflex. “I just…” Then she sighed. Oh, why not? “To God.”

“God?”

Melissa winced and shrugged. “Yes.”

“A god came here?” Noba said, his handsome face scrunching up in puzzlement. “To help?”

“No,” Melissa said. “To God. To…” Her memory failed her, and she gestured helplessly in Mr. Joshua’s general direction, hoping that would get her point across.

Fortunately it did. “Oh, you mean your god, from the Outside World? The same one Mr. Joshua’s always praying to?”

“Yes,” Melissa sighed in relief while wondering how to turn the conversation away from religion. “Him.”

Noba tilted his head to one side. “Does he ever talk back?”

“I don’t know,” Melissa said honestly.

“Okay.” Sighing, Noba scratched the back of his neck and looked around. “Uh, hey, are you all right?”

“Uh…why?”

Noba shrugged. Well, Kana’s your friend, right. You must be worried about her.

“Yes,” Melissa admitted. “Yes, I am.”

Noba nodded. “Well, don’t worry. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden will help her.”

Melissa swallowed back the lump she felt forming. “How do…How do you be sure?”

“Well, it’s what she does,” Noba said, frowning.

Was it? Was it really? Some old woman she had never met before was supposed to save them all? “We have ghost!” Melissa said, struggling to find the right words to put her fears to speech. “We have…curse! Youkai eat us! Everything is bad!”

Her throat seized up, and she felt hot tears starting to form. Feeling hot in the face, she hastily turned away before Noba could see her.

She had screwed up. She had screwed up and made things worse. Noba had actually gone up to her and talked to her, and she had acted like a total spaz. And she was still scared, was still worried sick for Kana, God wasn’t doing anything, and now Noba probably thought that she was-

Then a large, strong hand slipped around hers.

Melissa gawked up in shock to see Noba standing next to her. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I guess this would be scarier for you.”

Well, that was true enough. “You not scared?” she blurted out.

“Oh yeah,” Noba said with a bitter laugh. “Very. But not of the ghost. And not of the curse.”

“Why?”

Noba shrugged. “Because there are always ghosts and curses and youkai. But we know what to do about them. Those…” he said another word that Melissa had heard several times but had never learned the meaning, though it sounded very derogatory, “…that attacked us in the market, that knocked me out. Them I’m scared of. That’s different.”

Melissa knew what he meant. That was one thing that hadn’t changed, one thing that was the same no matter what world she was in: people with ugly hearts doing ugly things. “Why are they like that?”

“Wish I knew. I thought it was their weird god, but you’re nice, and Mr. Joshua is nice, and…” Then he went red in the face. “Oh, sorry. That wasn’t very polite, huh?”

“It is fine!” Melissa quickly changed the subject. “You really think they will try to hurt us again?”

At this, Noba thoughtfully rubbed his chin with his free hand. He had a dusting of stubble on it, and over his cheeks. It gave him a cool, mature look. “You know, back when my head was hurting all the time, I kept having these weird dreams. Bad ones, where the house would be on fire, and we’d be trying to get out, but all the doors and windows would be stuck and…” His voice trailed off.

“That…That sounds…bad.”

“Oh yeah. But in those dreams, it was never youkai that was setting everything on fire, not ghosts, not demons. It was Humans. Other Humans.” A flash of anger crossed his face. “I mean, youkai are youkai. That’s what they do. What are those people’s excuse?”

“They are bad,” Melissa said flatly. “They are bad men and bad women. Bad people do bad things.”

“Well, if so, then it ought to be them that the youkai carry off! We didn’t do anything! We didn’t…uh…”

“Uh what?”

Noba pointed with her free hand. “Who the hell are they?”

Melissa looked. And then her heart fell.

There, across the grass, on the other side of the fence, three people were coming down the road toward the gate.

Three people dressed all in brown.

“They’re back,” Noba whispered.

…

“This. Friggin’. Sucks!”

The group now dubbed the “Black Circle Six” sat in, well, a circle, one that was set apart from the rest of their family, well on the other side of the field. Normally Miss Mokou would be with them, but even she was gone, having entered the house with Miss Satoko and the shrine maiden.

Rumia hated being cursed. It was worse then being sick. At least when you got sick it just meant that you felt like crap for a few days and didn’t get to play with anyone and didn’t have to do chores in the meantime. All that was true about being cursed, but it wasn’t something you just got better from, and everyone kept looking at her like she was going to snap and kill everybody.

Maybe I should, she groused to herself. Not seriously of course, but she was in a bad mood. Show them for looking at me like that. Like it’s my fault some big evil magic coughed on me. Like it’s my fault that stupid voice keeps saying-

Give in.

-that. That it keeps saying that.

“I hate this,” Rumia continued to grumble out loud. “What’s taking them so long? Shouldn’t they try to fix us first?”

Hayate glowered at her, her eyes red and blotchy from crying. “Will you shut up? It’s not your friend that they’re going after.”

Rumia groaned. “Oh, for the last time, it’s not Eiko! It’s just her stupid ghost!”

“Are you sure?” Kohta said, his face pale. Despite everything that had happened to them, the arrival of Eiko’s ghost had shaken him the most. “It might be her. She might be mad at us for not saving her too.”

“Oh, now you believe in ghosts, huh?” Rumia snapped.

“Shut up, Rumia!” Haruko yelled at her.

“Don’t tell me to shut up, you shut up!” Rumia yelled back.

Haruko leapt to her feet. “You’re happy about this, aren’t you? You’re happy she’s dead, you’re happy that they’re killing her again, and you probably wish the spiders killed us too!”

A moment later Rumia was on her feet as well, fists balled and ready to swing. “We saved your life, numbskull!”

“But you didn’t save hers! If you hadn’t gotten there so late she would still be alive!”

“Enough!” Keine roared. She had been mostly silent all day, groaning and rubbing her head like it was paining her. But apparently even she had a breaking point. “Enough, enough, enough! Gods, it’s bad enough that we have all this other crap going on without you two yelling at each other!”

“Keep out of this, shrimp!” Haruko’s voice rose to a shriek. “We didn’t ask you for-”

“Ah!” Keine curled into a ball and grabbed at her head with both hands. “Please, just stop yelling!”

Rumia rushed to her side. “Keine, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay! I’m cursed, my head feels like it’s going to explode, my stomach won’t stop hurting, and you all won’t shut up! Of course I’m not okay!”

Her anger cooling into guilt, Rumia sat down next to her. After a moment both Haruko and Hayate did too.

“What’s wrong with your head?” Kohta said at last.

Keine shot him an irritated look. “Seriously? You guys don’t have it too?”

Kohta shrugged. “Well, I mean, my hand’s still all prickly, and I got that whole voice in the back of my head going all, Give in, but I don’t have a headache. Or a stomachache.” Rumia had to admit, his imitation of the curse’s black voice was pretty spot on.

“So it’s just me then?” Keine sighed. “Oh, that just figures!”

Haruko cleared her throat. “Maybe it’s just, you know, your…” Her voice got small. “Womanly…issue.”

Kohta stared. “Her what now?”

Rumia sighed and buried her face in her hand. She loved Kohta dearly, but he could be just so stupid sometimes.

“It’s not,” Keine said flatly.

“Are you sure? Have you even had your first one yet?”

“Her first what?” Kohta said. Rumia elbowed him in the side.

“Shut. Up. Haruko!” Keine hissed.

Then Kana piped in with, “Perhaps she is dying as well.”

That got a groan from everyone. “Oh, for crap’s sake,” Rumia said. “Really, Kana?”

“It is a possibility,” Kana said calmly. “We still do not know the origin of this curse. It may be fatal.”

“Well, thanks,” Keine said as she continued to massage her head. “Appreciate that.”

“You are welcome,” Kana said without a hint of sarcasm. Then she started coughing again.

Then Rumia frowned. “Wait, what do you mean ‘as well’? Who else is dying?”

“Me,” Kana said after her most recent fit had quieted. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“No,” Rumia said immediately. “You’re not dying. You’re just sick because you got more spider venom than everyone else. Once the curse is gone, you’ll start feeling better.”

“Oh, I don’t believe so,” Kana said, in that bewilderingly serene manner of hers.

Rumia glared. “You’re not dying.”

“I think I am,” Kana said. Then she brightened. “Oh, that reminds me. After I’m dead, would you please ask that the shrine maiden not exterminate my ghost? I would hate to have to die twice.”

“See!” Haruko said, pointing at the frail weirdo. “Even she knows this is wrong!”

Keine winced. “If you guys don’t shut up, I’m actually going to give in and find out what the fuss is all about.”

“No,” Kohta said, his voice firm. He laid a hand on Keine’s shoulder. “No, you’re not. None of us are giving in, and Kana, you’re not dying. The shrine maiden will clean up the house, she’ll get rid of the curse, and we can all move back in.”

“That’s nice of you to say so,” Kana said. “You are wrong though.”

Hayate swallowed. “What if she’s right? What if the shrine maiden can’t fix us?”

“Huh?” Rumia said. “It’s her job, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, okay,” Rumia sighed. “Kana? You’re not helping.”

“Was I supposed to help? I apologize, but no one has explained what my responsibilities are.”

“What if this is too big for her though?” Hayate said, as if the others hadn’t spoken. “What if it infects her too?”

“She’s the Hakurei Shrine Maiden though,” Rumia said. “She deals with this stuff all the time.”

“As far as we know! What if this one gets her? Then who’ll save us?

“Who are they?” Kana wondered.

“What, the Hakurei Shrine Maidens? Gods, Kana! I know you’re an airhead, but this is dumb even for you!”

“No, not her, them!” Kana pointed across the field toward the camp of everyone who wasn’t cursed, or to be more specifically the gate that lay beyond them. “Those men there. I don’t recognize them.”

When Rumia saw what Kana was pointed at, she hissed through her teeth.

A trio of men was striding across their field toward their family, men wearing brown robes, the same as the ones who had crashed Eiko’s funeral.

“Is that them?” Hayate asked. “Are they back?”

“Oh, they’re back all right,” Rumia said. “And you know what?”

She abruptly stood to her feet, and before anyone could stop her she started to make her way across the grass.

“Hey, wait!” Kohta called after her. “Where are you going?”

“Those are the same assholes that did all this to us!” Rumia called over her shoulder, not slowing her gait in the slightest. “It’s their fault we got banned from everything, it’s their fault we got attacked, it’s their fault Eiko is dead, it’s their fault we’re cursed, and it’s their fault we can’t even sleep in our own house. So you know what? I’m gonna go over there, and when I do…”

Give in.

“…I’m gonna find out if this curse really is contagious!”

…

Four elderly women sat together at the dining room table.

To be clear, the term “elderly” is not to imply that they were in any way weak or frail, but to state that they literally were elders of their respective worlds, matriarchs who had done great things and had earned their authority and respect.

Satoko Yume was the youngest of the four, but she was still soon to exit middle age, and had devoted her life to caring for the lost children of Gensokyo, running its only orphanage as its chief matron and ensuring that those under her care were given the best life possible.

Miko Hakurei was the second youngest, and she would not be considered a young woman by any mortal metric. True, her family was especially long-lived, but even by the Hakurei standards she was just starting to get along in years, enough to give her the odd wrinkle or grey hair that had nothing to do with her harrowing job. And she was also the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, a very important role indeed, if often underappreciated.

Aoki Yume was, as she appeared, a ghost, one that was generations old, and as the original founder of the house that bore her name, she had ensured that her legacy was a good one, and one not soon forgotten.

Mokou was Mokou.

But despite all of them having lived a full life, such as they were, and despite all of their respective accomplishments, it did not feel like a meeting of equals, as evidenced by how they each felt about those who they shared the table with. Aoki, despite very much being a spirit of the dead, was totally at ease, as if she were nothing more than a kindly grandmother entertaining the ladies of the village to tea. Miko, who had brought them all together, was wary and slightly irritated, as she often was when an incident that she had been brought in to resolve had developed unforeseen complications, as they often would. Mokou was more curious than anything. She wasn’t afraid, and she had certainly seen stranger phenomena in her time, but even she hadn’t expected the literal ghost of Aoki Yume herself to appear. At any rate, their little haunting problem was looking to become an unexpected advantage rather than a danger, so she intended to hear this new specter out and figure out how to turn things to their advantage.

Satoko, however, was both awed and terrified. True, it was still technically her house, and she was very much used to being in charge, but having one ghost around was bad enough. Learning that there were actually a couple hundred floating about and oh yes, they’re represented by your long-dead and highly revered great-to-a-significant-exponent grandmother was, to put it in layman’s terms, blowing her brain. She was sitting stiff and still, not even daring to blink, the only movement of hers being the trembling around her forearms and calves.

Aoki looked around at those gathered. Sorry I don’t have anything to offer you, she “said.” And by that, her mouth moved and the other three understood her well enough, but later upon reflection none of them could confidently say that they had actually heard anything. But you did take most of the food when you ran out, including all the tea.

Mokou shrugged. “Yeah, well, dead girl shows up on your ceiling and starts vomiting up spiders, you tend to not want to stick around.”

Still. Rude. Aoki then turned her attention to Satoko, who was sitting directly across from her and, it should be noted, had yet to blink. Dear, please. Your eyes will dry out like.

“I-” Satoko finally closed her eyes and opened them again, albeit much slower than a natural blink would have. “I-I’m sorry, I still don’t understand. You’re my, ah…”

Don’t bother counting all the greats, dear. Even I lost count.

“Oh, um. But still. You claim to be Aoki Yume? The Aoki Yume?”

I claim nothing. I am who I am.

Miko let out a long and irritated sigh. “Okay, look: this is all very fascinating, but can we speed this along? Because I’d really like to know-”

Aoki’s grandmotherly smile thinned a bit. Speak when spoken to, young lady. And do not interrupt your elders.

Miko’s head actually jerked back in surprise at the reprimand. But then she smiled. “It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me ‘young lady.’”

My hair is far greyer than yours is. I’m entitled.

“A’ight,” Mokou said. “But she has a point.”

Now Aoki was starting to look a little put off herself. What did I just say?

Mokou smiled that slow, lazy smile that a few unlucky individuals had learned to fear. “You’re not my elder, not by a longshot. Hell, the list of people in this weird little country that can be called my elder is in the single-digits.”

At this, Aoki’s face started to look a little more figuratively grave than literal. No. You’re right, I’m not. She paused, and then said, You are not a good person.

Both Satoko and Miko shot looks at Mokou, as if expecting her to take extreme exception to the blunt observation. However, she wasn’t even ruffled. “Oh, no. You’re right about that: I’m not. My soul is as pure as the driven yellow snow. But even if I am a monster, I’m one that��s on your side. And you need me, young lady.”

That got a ghostly smile. Yes, I suppose that’s true.

Mokou rolled her wrist. “You know our questions. What’re the answers?”

That I cannot properly explain. You must be shown. Only then will you understand.

“Huh?” Satoko sat up straighter. “Show us what?”

Aoki stood up. Follow me, please.

“To where? Grandmother, what are you showing us?”

Instead of answering, the shade of the orphanage’s founder walked over to the large double-door that connected the dining room to the hall, the same they had come through. It was closed shut. She laid a shimmering hand on its frame.

Mokou and Miko exchanged a look. The shrine maiden shrugged, and they both rose. After a moment of hesitation Satoko followed.

Understand, I am not adding to your problems, Aoki said. But you need to understand that what you protect is far more precious than you had ever known, and I know you already held it dear.

“What?” Satoko said. “What are you talking about? Is there some kind of, I don’t know, ancestral treasure hidden here?”

Something like that, yes. With that, Aoki opened the door, and golden light poured out.

...

Y’know, when I was first planning this story, I told myself I would rein myself in and restrict myself to ten chapters.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Until next time, everyone!

#The Touhou Project #touhou #rumia #Fujiwara no Mokou #mokou #miko hakurei #imperfect metamorphosis #fanfic

5 notes · View notes