#liam has made it very clear hes down

[didhewinkback]

it was v funny that harry said "never say never" to a 1D reunion on james corden's last show when he must've been the one who said no this time

[tofics]

Broken - Chapter 7

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!Reader

Summary: A year has passed since Joel and Ellie have returned to Jackson when he finds you on patrol, half frozen and half burning up. Jackson takes you in and nurses you back to health, welcoming you as the newest member of their community. The more time passes, Joel realizes that you and him have more in common than he likes… Until one day, everything changes and you get a gift that he’ll never get.

Word Count: ~8k words

This chapter is very dark. Reader discretion is advised.

Warnings/tags: show canon violence, clear intentions of killing, mentions of mental melt-downs, description of (underage) SA, cursing

Chapter 7 - Shared Pain Is Still Pain

The door to the room flies open and crashes against the wall with a loud bang, making the pregnant lady jump. Joel feels remorse for a split second before he appears in his line of sight and Joel sees nothing but red again. His hands dig into the man's collar with the determined grip of a python, yanking him off his chair with ease in spite of the man's size and mass.

Neither height nor weight stand a chance against Joel's rage. He slams the asshole into the nearest wall, wishing it was made of something sturdier than wood, something more gravelly perhaps or spikey even. Out of the corner of his eye, he registers movement, but he ignores it. Although the bastard’s head connected with the surface with a loud thump, it's not enough, nor is the dazed expression in his eyes after the impact.

"You like touching on little girls, hm?" Joel's voice is as cold as ice. The steps behind him come to a sudden stop. A quick sideway glance at Tommy tells him his words have struck a cord with his little brother, just like they had with Joel when you'd spat them out.

Joel slams the asshole against the wood once more. "Hm? Like how helpless they are, yeah? You get off on that, big man?"

"Joel." Maria's voice carries through the room with authority, her unspoken command clear. Stand down. But Joel doesn't obey, nor do his hands release the pig's collar. He feels his lips quivering in disgust as he stares into the bastard's eyes. It's taking every ounce of strength he has not to put an end to this pig’s life right here, right now.

"Maria," Joel pushes out between clenched teeth. "Might wanna take her out of the room." He cocks his head at the pregnant woman without ever taking his eyes off of his target. "She don't have to see this."

Immediately, the woman starts to protest, and Joel feels a fleeting tinge of worry for her and the unborn child in her belly. Images of Sarah's mom cloud his vision, belly and ankles swollen. Stress ain't good for the baby. The doctor had put her on bedrest for the last three weeks.

Over the loud protests, Maria instructs two men to remove the now screaming lady from the room and then closes the door behind them. “Don’t - don’t hurt her-“ The man’s cut off by another violent shove against the wall. “Shut your fuckin’ mouth,” Joel seethes. He’s grabbed the pig by his face, forcing his jaw shut by way of his fingers. They dig into the flesh with force, strong enough to leave bruises behind. “You think we’re scum like you, hm? Think we get off on hurting women like you do?” Joel’s spit lands just inches beside the scum’s ear. He has the decency to flinch, staring daggers into Joel’s face, but he keeps his trap shut.

"Joel," Maria warns again, but Joel’s grip doesn't loosen. If it did, his hands might wander straight to the man's throat instead, and he tells Maria so.

He hears her sigh behind him and then Tommy's right his side; a soothing hand on his back. "Liam's got a gun on him. He tries anything, we shoot. You can let go, brother." Tommy pats him on the back but doesn't urge him on. He knows him well.

Joel takes a couple more breaths, his face still distorted into a mask of disgust and fury. It feels like a monumental feat, but he manages to pry his fingers loose from the bastard eventually.

When he steps away, the other guy doesn't move from where Joel shoved him into the wall, just rightens himself slightly. Joel's delighted to see the man's hand come away soiled with blood after he touches it to the back of his head. It puts a grim smile on Joel's face.

He hasn't had much cause for blood-thirst as of late. Not since he rescued Ellie from the Fireflies. He became calmer after that, soothed by the safety Jackson had to offer and all that came with it. It changed him for the better, brought out more of the Joel he had been before the world had gone to shit and Sarah had been ripped from him. Her jarring loss had twisted something inside of him that only Ellie had managed to untangle. She'd made him softer in many ways, rounded out his hard and jagged edges where twenty years of brutal survival had chipped away at him.

But now that bloodlust has been rekindled inside of him, and the flames are licking up his insides, asking to be unleashed. Joel sees fire, and he wants to burn this man to the fucking ground until nothing but ashes are left of him.

As promised, Liam has his rifle trained on the man's chest. He's a good and loyal man, and Joel trusts him, but his hands are still itching to take the rifle from his hands and empty its magazine into the chest it's pointed at.

"So." Maria drags a chair over to herself and puts one leg up on the seat, her elbow casually resting on her knee.

"You wanna tell us in your own words what had one of our people react to you the way she did?"

Joel's glad to hear Maria's phrasing. One of our people. He knows Jackson's decision are run through the entire council. No one here decides anything monumental on their own, especially not the fates of potential newcomers. But he also knows that Maria's opinion carries weight with the rest of the council-members. It makes her phrasing of you as one Jackson’s own all the more meaningful.

"Go on," Joel urges when the man makes no move to open his mouth, just stares ahead blankly. His own hands are twitching, ready to beat the information out of him if necessary. Just give me a reason, Joel thinks. Lord knows he already has reason enough to beat this asshole to pulp.

Silence settles over the room. Four pairs of eyes rest on the man’s face, but he avoids all of them, just stares ahead blankly at the door he'd presumably love to leave through.

"Listen, you ain't doin' yourself any favors by not talkin," Tommy tries in what Joel recognizes as his ally-tone. "Better to hear it from you than someone else. You want a shot at livin' here? Give us your perspective."

"No way in hell we're letting that asshole stay-," Joel begins, but Tommy shuts him up with a look.

"Everybody gets their fair trial. That includes bein' heard out," his little brother chides him and Joel has to bite down on his lips to hold back a remark. Has to remind himself that this is why he wants Ellie to grow up here, and not in a QZ, with FEDRA and their sadistic version of what 'fair' means.

"He's right." Maria takes out a notepad and pen and looks at the scum expectantly, although there's no kindness in her eyes, just a neutral expression on her face. "Now let me tell you how this goes. You talk, we listen. We, that's our council. We decide things together in this town. You're gonna have a chance to tell your story to each of us individually. After that, we'll discuss your case within the council. It's in your best interest to stick to the same story. We'll all be taking notes and comparing them, so any discrepancies will be noted and followed up on. There’ll be a vote in the end about whether or not you get to stay. Any questions?"

Joel listens to Maria explain the town's prosecution process and can't help but feel like she is reading the man his rights. If you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you. The wording from the old Miranda warning echoes in Joel's head, a remnant of a life that is long gone. Probably made one hell of a lawyer back in the day, he thinks and promptly feels a profound sense of pride for his sister-in-law.

Joel's head is swimming when he leaves the interrogation room two hours later. What a goddamn fucked up world we live in, he thinks as he heads out to find you.

Something like this was bound to happen, of course. Eventually, something was bound to disturb Jackson's peace. He just didn't expect it would come in the form of a rapist of all things, much less be brought in on his own damn horse. It sickens him to his stomach that him and Jeff are the ones who brought this evil into town, even if it happened unknowingly and with the best intentions.

Amber - the pregnant lady - is bound to give birth any day now, according to Jackson’s resident doctor. Joel could’ve told you as much on his own. By the looks of her swollen belly, it was clear that she’d be due soon. When him and Jeff came upon them, it had seemed like a no-brainer that they'd bring her and her husband back to Jackson with them. After all, they were a couple in need, and Jackson had both the space and resources to help.

It only occurs to Joel now that besides you, these are the first people he has brought into town. What are the odds that his second charitable act since becoming a member of Jackson could cause such a disruption?

His head is throbbing, both from what he's heard during the last two hours and a consistent worry about you. He needs to hear your version of what he's been told, but most of all, he needs to find you and make sure you're okay.

After what he witnessed not too long ago, Joel can't shake the looming worry that with the town's newest arrivals, your mental state is on the brink of a crisis and a meltdown is imminent. He just hopes he can catch you before you fall too deep.

Your visceral attack from this morning plays out in his mind again. He sees the fury in your eyes as you lunge at the man and bring a knife to his throat in a speed he did not think you were capable of. He’s sure that if he hadn't intervened, you'd have split that man open without hesitation.

Joel quickens his pace. He needs to find you.

You're showing Ellie how to bottle-feed the lambs when Joel all but bursts into the barn with a panicked look on his face. You can see the panic give away to confusion when he takes in the scene in front of him, just seconds before relief settles over his features, just a hint of suspicion remaining.

You can't blame him, of course. You know exactly what he was expecting to find, especially after he couldn’t find you at yours or his own house. It’s likely he looked there first. You would've left a note, had you been to either place before you came here, but you didn't trust yourself enough to allow yourself even the smallest of breaks.

You just walked straight across town to where you knew Ellie was working on the town’s barrier with her security crew. She seemed surprised to see you, and you could see the same hint of worry flickering in her eyes that Joel is now regarding you with. You couldn’t blame her either - it was taking all of your strength and then some to stay collected and to not fall apart at the seams.

Ellie didn’t hesitate when you asked her to come with you. You tried to keep the urgency out of your voice, to allow her the chance to stay out of your misery if she wanted to. She had already witnessed one of your meltdowns and you were hesitant to include her in another one, already feeling shameful that your legs had brought you here, to a teenager of all things, when you were a grown woman and supposed to be in charge of your own feelings. But next to Joel, she was the one who made Jackson feel like home; a faint echo of your own daughter.

You couldn’t deny that it was also worry that had driven you here and not just a need for companionship. With the personification of your worst nightmare having set foot into town, you needed to make sure that she was safe. You would sooner die than let that bastard lay a hand on her.

To Ellie’s credit, she didn’t ask beyond what was necessary. She accepted your answer of the barn as your destination without further inquiries, and didn’t even press on when you responded with “not yet” to the question of whether she should be worried.

You would have to tell her eventually, but you didn’t have the words just then. Not in the moment where he was being interrogated on the other side of town.

About what he had done.

About where she was.

About if he had lied; if she was truly still alive.

You didn’t have the strength to find the necessary words to explain yourself in a way that wouldn’t rip Ellie of whatever innocence she had left.

At the barn, you started prepping bottles and explained some of the vital factors to take note of when taking care of little lambs. Ellie listened intently, asking questions in all the right places. You loved her dearly for it. There was no hiding of the fact that you were teetering on the brink of madness, but Ellie either had enough instinct for self-preservation or your emotional needs not to question your lecture. You were almost certain that she recognized this barn excursion for what it was: an attempt at self-regulation.

As Ellie and you fed the little baby sheep, you tried your best to stay focused on the task at hand and to abandon all thoughts of the man Jackson's guards had taken into custody, but his words kept echoing in your head.

She's still alive.

You didn't allow yourself to think about what that could possibly mean, not even for a second. No lambs in the world could have saved you then, Ellie or no Ellie present.

But now, Joel is standing in the doorway of the barn, panting and visibly relieved to find you in such a 'composed' state, even though you're hanging on by a thread and your strength for self-regulation is slowly running out.

Ellie looks up when you stop talking mid-sentence about the correct way to hold a lamb's throat during feeding and notices Joel in the doorway. You feel her eyes going from Joel to you and back to Joel, and the shame for having dragged a teenager to the barn with you in an attempt to keep yourself calm washes over you once more. Here you are, at thirty-six years old, reliant on the presence of a teenager to keep yourself together.

Pathetic.

Worse than that, you can't help but wonder if Joel approves of your decision. You took Ellie out of a safe place and dragged her into your mess - again.

Something close to pain must flicker across your eyes, because Joel finally abandons his position in the doorway and strolls into the barn with an exaggerated sense of ease. It looks almost comical, the way he's trying so hard to appear calm and you wonder who he's doing it for - you or Ellie? Perhaps both. Either way, he's not fooling either of you which becomes evident when Ellie just outright comments on his funny pace. "Your foot fall asleep or something?"

Joel shoots her a glare, but Ellie just snorts, and before you know it, you're cracking up too, surprising even yourself. Emotions can be such a strange thing.

"No, I think he's just trying to be very casual so I won't be set off and go crazy, not while you're around," you say with a smile when your own laughter has subsided.

“Ah.” Ellie nods knowingly while she strokes the back of the lamb in her lap. You see her looking at you out of the corner of your eye. “Is this where I find out why I’m currently getting a free-of-charge lesson in lamb-feeding?”

Ellie's casual tone matches yours, and you suddenly find your heart filling with love, out of all the things you could be feeling right now. But you can't help it. Here you are, in the midst of hay and sheep, with the two people that somehow took you in and made Jackson a home without you ever having to ask for it in the first place. You don't know how you can ever repay them - if you can ever repay them for what they've done.

The unexpected surge of love works like a sedative and you feel your limbs growing heavy as the adrenaline slowly ebbs away. You're not calm by any means, but it finally doesn't feel like there's electricity coursing through your entire body anymore. "Because, kiddo." You sink to the hay-covered floor besides Ellie with a deep sigh and run a tired hand over your face. "Jeff and your father figure here unknowingly brought a man into town this morning that's responsible for my worst nightmare."

Joel looks like he's in pain at your words and you’re quick to point a finger at him. "You. Uh-uh. None of that. You didn't know," you say, hoping to nip whatever guilt-ridden bud is trying to take root in his head.

You beckon Joel over with a flick of your head. “C’mon.” He hesitates at first, but then walks over and kneels in the hay opposite of you and Ellie. You hand him one of your prepped bottles, then motion for him to grab hold of one of the lambs beside him. They’re all baa-ing and bleh-ing around the three of you, scrambling over themselves to get to the priced bottles. A flicker of a smile dances across Joel’s mouth.

You’ve been here for more than an hour, but you took your time, purposefully slowing down your movements in the hopes of also slowing down your heart. As a result, the lambs, used to a quick feeding, are slowly going insane.

You show Joel how to hold the lamb he’s picked, how to hold the bottle at the correct angle so the little one doesn’t swallow too much air at the same time. Ellie proudly shows off what she’s learned in her time with you and for a little while, it’s just the three of you feeding lambs, like a little wholesome family moment.

Eventually though, you have to ask.

You've avoided thinking about him as much as you could, trying to keep it together, but now you need to know.

"So. D'you kill him?"

Joel doesn’t answer right away. You see Ellie looking at him expectantly, like she has no doubt Joel could’ve killed a man just an hour ago. The thought doesn’t seem to scare her in the least.

He finally shakes his head with a look of distaste on his face. "No. Maria wouldn't let me."

Ellie snorts in response. "What'd you expect?" An unexpected grin flickers across your lips. You nod in agreement with her. "Yeah. Figured as much."

Something tightens in your chest. He's still out there. Still alive. Still breathing.

And so is your daughter. At least according to him.

“Did he say? Where…” You have to collect yourself, take a deep breath to get the words out. Prepare yourself for a no, you tell yourself. Don’t get your hopes up. But you know it’s too late for that. “Did he say where she is?”

The bottle in your hand vibrates slightly from how you’re shaking. You take deep, calculated breaths to steady yourself. Keep calm. You’ve got this. You feel the urge to scream as loud as you can.

“He did.”

The bottle in your hand squeaks as you press down on it too harsh. Milk shoots out of the top and soils the hay underneath and you’re glad you didn’t have a little one attached to the tip of it. You can feel Joel’s eyes boring into you, seizing you up, gauging your reaction. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Your vision goes blurry.

“So she’s… alive?” There’s a deep humming sound in your ear. You’re straining to hear Joel over it.

“That’s what he said.”

You slump forward, curl in on yourself. The bottle falls from your hand, spilling milk on the floor, but you don’t care. You can’t breathe, can’t hear anything over the intense buzzing in your ears. Your hands are shaking so hard you have to press them to your stomach to stop them from shaking.

She’s alive. She’s alive. My babygirl is alive.

The bottle gets picked up and is set down out of your sight. A hand appears on the back of your shoulder, stroking in soft circles, then a smaller hand appears on your lower back, mimicking the same gesture.

You try to breathe, to force air into your lungs. Alive, alive, alive. The word pounds in your head like the gong of a church’s bell, deep and strong. The rubbing on your back continues, offering a soothing counter rhythm to your erratic breathing. Slowly, the buzzing in your ears subsides. A few faint baa-s and bleeh-s reach you. The smell of hay seeps into your nose, grounding you to the floor. The rubbing on your back never seizes.

Joel’s on your left, Ellie on your right. He keeps his hand on your shoulder when you finally straighten yourself again. Ellie’s hand slips to your thigh, resting there assuringly. You would cry about the silent love you’re receiving if your brain wasn’t so occupied in the moment.

You take a deep breath, then look at Joel. His brown eyes are fixed on you, brows furrowed in concern.

“Where?,” you ask.

“He couldn’t say for sure,” Joel starts and you huff and roll your eyes. “Of course he couldn’t, cause it’s not true-“

“He couldn’t say for sure,” Joel loudly talks over you, his hand squeezing your shoulder, “but he gave enough pointers ‘bout where we could find her.”

You gnaw on the inside of your lip. You want to believe him so badly, but you don’t know how to survive if it turns out to be a lie.

“Do you believe him?”

Joel’s expression hardens. “I made it very clear he wouldn’t survive it if he lied.“

“I’m coming with!”

“Like hell you are. You’re stayin’ here.”

“Joel-“

“I said no, Ellie!” He doesn’t like raising his voice at her, not anymore. Joel and Ellie rarely fight, and when they do, he hates every second of it.

“Are you fucking kidding me!”

That girl’s got a mouth on her like a sailor, he thinks to himself. Joel pinches the bridge of his nose. He knows this argument is far from over, no matter how much he wishes she’d just listen to him and be done with it.

“Ellie, we ain’t got a clue 'bout what we’re walkin’ into. Hell, we got less of a clue than when I was takin’ you to the damn Fireflies,” he tries to reason with her. Can’t you see I’m trying to keep you safe?

“And that’s supposed to convince me to stay back? Just sit here and wait while you guys ride off into whatever danger? You can’t be serious.” Ellie’s got her arms crossed in that pissed-off stance she perfected over the years. It sometimes reminds Joel of the way Sarah would cross her arms at him. Always makes his heart ache, too.

“Babygirl, listen here, I just wanna-“ His warm approach is cut off when Ellie throws her hands in the air.

“Oh, don’t give me that. I know you wanna keep me safe. Don’t even start with that speech. I am not staying here. And asking me is downright cruel. I told you, I’d follow you wherever you wanna go. You’re my family. I’m not staying back.”

Joel doesn’t reply right away, just keeps firing clothes into his bag. He hates that she has a point.

“I’m coming with,” Ellie repeats.

Stubborn ass kid. Joel fires a pair of boxers into his backpack like they personally did him wrong and flicks his tongue. He knows asking her to stay behind while he rides out into danger is cruel, but what is he supposed to do? Chain her to the house?

“You know I’ll follow you either way. So just save all of us the trouble and take me with now.”

“You just know how to push my damn buttons, don’t cha,” Joel hisses.

“Course I do. All ninety-five of them. Now what’s it gonna be?” Ellie grins like she knows she has won. Of course she does.

“Alright, you listen to me.” Joel turns around with a sigh of defeat, a sour expression on his face. Damn that girl and her antics.

“Same rules as before. You listen to me, do as I say. No back talking, you hear me? I tell you to run, you run-“

“Yeah yeah.” She interrupts him with a smug grin. “I know. What you say goes. I know the drill.”

Joel flicks his tongue once more in annoyance. He sends her off to pack her things, then calls her back at the last second.

“One more thing.” Ellie lingers in his doorway, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

“You run it by her. This is her mission. She wants you to come, you can come. It’s up to her.”

Joel's tossing and turning in his bed. He can't find a single comfortable position, and even if he could, sleep would likely evade him anyway.

His brain is working overtime, running a hundred miles an hour. He tries to quiet his mind, to catch a couple of hours of sleep before the three of you ride out in the morning. But it's fruitless. The second he manages to put a cap on one thought, the next pops up and demands his attention, like an annoying game of whac-a-mole.

Joel grunts in frustration and sits up, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He knows sleep isn't on his side tonight.

Joel swings his legs over the side of his bed. He can't keep laying down.

He checks on Ellie first, slowly creaking her door open to catch a glimpse of her sprawled out between her sheets. It's a habit he picked up when they moved to Jackson, an echo of how he used to check on Sarah. He couldn't trust the safety at first, had to make sure that Ellie was still in her room, unharmed. Every nightmare of the Fireflies brought him to her door, night after night, sometimes more than once. Now it's just a force of habit, something he does when he can't sleep. The sight of her relaxed body has a soothing effect on him.

Downstairs, he pours himself a glass of whiskey, a luxury he doesn't grant himself often. Tonight, though, he needs one. If only just to silence his thoughts.

Joel's worried. About you, about Ellie, about riding out into a situation based on information he has no way of knowing are reliable. He fears what they might find. What you'll do if she's alive. What you'll do if she's not. How you'll react if you won't find her.

Will you leave? Leave Jackson to go look for your daughter that you were certain was dead, but has now been revealed to still be alive?

He knows he would. If it was Sarah, if there was somehow a way that she was still alive - he'd go out of his way to find her, move mountains if necessary. Not a soul could stop him if there was a chance he could hold his babygirl in his arms again. Not you, not even Ellie.

He knows this, and yet he can't stop himself from thinking that he doesn't want you to leave. It's selfish, he knows that, doesn't need to be told how incredibly selfish of a man he is to want you to stay when there's a chance that your daughter is still out there. But he can't help it. You've brought something back into his life that he never thought he'd feel again, and it's awful and selfish of him, but he doesn't want to give it up. It's too good, too sweet. He's been devoid of that kind of love for so long that he's not sure he's able to let it go, now that he's found it.

But he also knows all of this thinking is futile. Nothing is set in stone yet. For all he knows, if all goes well, you could be reunited with your daughter in a week, maybe less, depending on how soon they find the settlement.

Then again, when have things ever gone 'well' in this shit-show of a world?

Joel downs his glass of whiskey and wanders back to his bed through the dark of the house.

Only time will tell what the future holds. He only hopes you'll be in his.

Maria and Tommy had come over to Joel's to inform you of the interrogation. Ever the proactive man that he was, Joel had all but insisted for you to come home with him and Ellie. You didn't object in the least - you didn't trust yourself to be alone either. Not yet.

Ellie was lurking in the kitchen doorway, clearly unsure of whether she was welcome or not. You left the decision up to Joel, and he reluctantly agreed. "Ain't gon' be pretty, just so you know." Ellie took a seat next to you, silently squeezing your hand. Your heart ached with the love you felt for her.

"We've spoken to William at length," Maria opened. You recognized her tone as neutral. She was all business. No wonder she is a council member, you thought. "I understand that time is a valuable factor here, but we have to get your side of things first before you ride out."

You nodded. It felt like you were sitting on a pile of ants, the way you were squirming in your chair. What did he say? Where is she?

"In the name of fairness, we'd like for you to retell your experience before we share what he has said with you." Maria kept her eyes trained on you, her face a blank mask of neutrality. Tommy, however, did not quite have the same pokerface. He was leaned back in his chair the way Joel often was too, the resemblance between the two siblings showing in his stance. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lips were in a tight line, eyes trained on the table.

You nodded again. It made sense, it did. But to tell it all again, to relive it all over again... Do it for her.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. Then you began to recount the worst day of your life.

It's raining. Not just raining, but pissing down, endless buckets of water being poured out over the QZ. Just like the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that. Rain, rain, and then some more rain, until half the QZ is practically swimming, brewing in a stew of piss, rubble and murky rain water that stands a couple inches tall in the streets, despite the day-workers doing their best to unclog all the drains. The pay has gone up too. You get one whole extra ration card per hour if you're willing to sift through the murky and stinking water while getting drenched from head to toe. You scoff when Hailey tells you. "Ain't that the finest deal I've ever heard of." Hailey giggles, and you ruffle through her hair affectionately.

Despite your sarcasm, you consider whether you should take up some street-work shifts. Lord knows you could use the extra rations, even if it's just six per day. You and Hailey try to live as frugal as you can, you make sure of that. Resources are limited. You know it, she knows it, everyone and their uncle knows it. Still, you try to make as much of it as you can, trading and haggling where you can to get a little something extra out of it for your little girl. Anything that you can to brighten her day, you do it. The smile on her face always pays for whatever you had to go through to get here.

Tonight is special. It's Hailey's fifteenth birthday. You've saved up for this day for weeks, traded one of your finer clothes and some ration cards for the little cupcake that you're now placing on the cracked plate in front of you. It cost about as much as three normal food rations, but you don't care. You can go hungry for a night or two if that means you get to make her birthday special.

Carefully, so as not to mess with the delicate frosting, you push a single candle into the sugary goodness. That one you didn't get through cards, nor through a trade of goods. Nope. Something as simple as this little birthday candle cost you a blowjob, of all things. Not your favorite by any means, but still bearable. At least Barry keeps himself washed, unlike some of the other FEDRA soldiers.

Hailey's eyes gleam as you bring in the lit cupcake, softly singing 'Happy Birthday'. Her smile is about as wide as her face will allow her to stretch, and she blows the candle out carefully so none of the wax drops onto the frosting.

"How'd you get this?" She looks at you in wonder, like you can do anything. Your heart swells with love and pride. "Pulled some strings," you reply with a wink and gently tug on one of her hair strands. She giggles like she's ten years younger, the sound warming your chest and erasing any memory of when you were on your knees, working hard for the birthday girl's candle. Worth it, you think. Always worth it.

The knock on the door comes late in the evening. You're laid up in bed, your daughter nestled against you as you read to her from the book you've borrowed. The words die out on your tongue as your door rattles, a fist pounding against it from the other side.

"FEDRA. Open up."

Hailey's eyes find yours in a panicked, silent question. What's happening? You run a quick hand over her hair and press a kiss to her forehead, easing her worries. "Don't worry," you mumble as the two of you scramble off of the worn out mattress on the ground. "Probably just a routine check-in," you assure her with a smile that carries more certainty than you feel on the inside.

The second you open the door boots stomp into your little safe haven. Decked out in typical FEDRA tactical wear, four men barge in, all carrying a sense of importance around them that they are known and feared for.

The QZ was supposed to be a safe haven, a shelter from the horrors of the infected and raiders. That's what it had been marketed as, a pillar of society in a now broken land. You had soon found out that it was anything but.

"Come on in, boys," you say through a smile that promises a willingness to cooperate that you do not feel. But this isn't a time to revolt. Not when Hailey is here.

One of the men grabs the door out of your hand and shuts it with force. So much for this being a quick thing, you think and your stomach thinks.

There are four armed men in your tiny apartment, along with yourself and your daughter. You will your heart to beat steadily as you cross the room to stand by her. "What can we do for you?"

"Heard a little fun fact today," one of the larger men drawls. You know him - of him, really - he's one of the leading men in charge. You don't have a clue what he's doing here, but whatever the reason, it can't be good. He takes a look around the room like he's seizing up your possessions, to see if there's anything of value around. You'd give them the shirt on your back if that meant they'd leave again peacefully.

"Yeah?" You force your voice to be calm, force the smile to remain on your face. "What's that?"

He saunters over and comes to a stop in front of Hailey. Your hand reaches for hers involuntarily. His eyes roam over her, slowly, drinking her in from top to bottom. You feel bile climbing up your throat.

The man clicks his tongue and then puts a finger under Hailey's chin, turning her face up to him. You feel her shivering beside you, squeezing your hand in a panic. Calm, you tell her in your mind. Stay calm. You yourself are anything but. You want to gauge his eyes out with the way they're roaming over your daughters face, but you keep yourself composed. Keep her safe. Keep Hailey safe. That's your only goal.

"Little birdie told me it's this pretty one's birthday today," the man drawls. Your eyes flicker over to the rest of his men and you find Barry among them, an apologetic look on his face. 'Sorry' he mouths at you and your blood runs cold in your veins. Next time you've got his dick in your mouth, you'll bite off a good chunk.

"Fifteen years old! Practically a young woman now," he coos and runs a finger over Hailey's cheek. You have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from reaching out and smacking his hand away.

"Gotta start payin' her dues now, doesn't she."

...no. No.

"My daughter does afternoon shifts after school, just as is law," you're quick to say. "You can check, too. We've got all the paperwork." You're already scrambling to find the papers in the drawer behind you when you hear an amused chuckle.

"I'm sure everything's up to code here," the man smiles. "Ain't what we're here for, though. Pretty thing like this? She gotta pay extra. Special pretty tax we got. Ain't that right, boys?"

The men all mumble something in agreement, and anger boils in your stomach. You hate all of them, cowards that they are.

"And when I heard that we got a pretty bird turning fifteen... Well. Just had to come see it for myself. Ya sure didn't lie, Barry. She's a sight to behold." He tuts as he twirls Hailey's face from side to side, examining her like one would a piece of furniture at an auction. You look at Barry, but he avoids your gaze. You're dead, you think. You're fucking dead.

"About time you get broken in, don't you think? Hm?" You feel Hailey shaking with fear as the man lowers his face to hers. Your hand is gripping hers so hard your knuckles turn white.

"Take me."

His eyes slowly wander from Hailey's face to yours. "Take me," you repeat, the determination edged into your face. "Do with me whatever you want, but leave her out of it." Your voice has authority, but you can't deny the pleading edge in your tone. Please. Not her.

The man's lips purse like he's considering it for a moment, then claps his hands together. "Ha! Nice offer, hun, but that's just not gonna work. Now you see, young William over here-" He pulls forth the youngest of the men who stumbles forward, a shy expression on his face. He can't be much older than Hailey. "-young William here is overdue for his initiation. And nice as you may be, but you're just a bit old for the young boy here, ain't cha." The ugliest wink you ever did see is thrown your way and you feel like you might scream.

"Alright, then." The man claps his hands and all three of you flinch at the sound; you, Hailey and young William. "Let's get to it. William, show us what you got."

For a moment, time stands still as the words echo in your brain. Show us what you got. Then you're shoving Hailey behind yourself. "No. No. Take me. Not her. Take me. I'll do anything."

The man in charge flicks his tongue and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I heard you the first time. Pretty sure you heard me too. Ain't gonna do it. Now sit back and enjoy the show, unless you want me to put a bullet between your eyes."

The gun is pointed at you before you know it and Hailey screams behind you. "No!" She's fighting to get out from behind you, but you keep her locked in place. With a hard swallow, you pry your eyes away from the barrel of the gun and force yourself to look at the man who's pointing it at you.

"Please." Your voice wavers, thick with emotion. "Please. Don't do this. Please." You feel tears brimming in your eyes as you beg for your daughter to be spared. Not her. Not her.

You hear the cracking sound first before you feel the pain explode across your scalp. Your vision blurs for a moment and you slump forward, brought down by the force of the blow. A muffled groan presses out from between your lips as you fall to your hands and knees. There's a high pitched scream behind you, and then you're yanked forward, across the floor and onto your mattress.

The world spins as you try to straighten up. Your head feels warm and sticky where the pain is pulsating, and you see red smeared across your hand as you bring it from the top of your head to your eyes.

The screeches in front of you grow louder, calling your attention away from the blood on your hands. You narrow your eyes to see what's happening, and when your view finally sharpens again, you feel your entire body growing cold in seconds.

Hailey is being forced to bend over by Barry and the other man that you don't really know but you're sure you've seen before, her pants being pulled down towards her ankles. She's screaming, fighting, and each of her words pierce through your heart like an icy dagger. "No," you groan and crawl forward on your bed to get to her, only to be kicked back by a boot to the shoulder. You fly backwards and slam into the wall behind you, making you see stars as your head feels like it's being split open anew.

"No! No! Please! No!" Hailey's screams cut through your dazed state. You fumble to get onto your knees again, crawling forwards in what seems like slow motion. The world is still spinning and your arms threaten to give out, but you force yourself forward until you're suddenly yanked forward by your head.

"You're just dying for a front row seat, ain't ya," a voice hisses in your ear like an angry snake. You wince at the sound and try to rid yourself of the hold, but the large hands that hold your head hostage clamp down on you harsher, keeping you in place where you can only watch but not reach.

"That's right, open eyes, baby," you hear in your ear and you gag, both from the pain in your head and the sight you're being forced to watch.

With all the things you've seen, with all the things you've been through, everything shrinks in comparison to what you're seeing now. You feel like your heart is being torn apart, shredded into a million tiny pieces and you can only howl out in pain until a hand clamps down over your mouth. "Shut your damn mouth, whore."

You sob into the gloved hand as your daughters innocence is ripped from her on her fifteenth birthday. You watch and cry and wish it was you instead of her while you feel yourself dying on the inside.

Silence hung heavy in Joel's kitchen when you finished. Joel looked like he wanted to break something, whereas Ellie sat on the other side of you with a somber expression on her face. Tommy let out a breath and ran a hand over his mouth.

"Maria," he said and leaned forward til he leaned on his knees. His wife nodded, seemingly straining to keep her mask of neutrality intact. "Yeah," she replied lowly, then cleared her throat.

"N' you're telling me he's entitled to what. A fair treatment?" Joel spat the words out like they're too bitter to keep in his mouth. You could feel his eyes on you, running over your head like he was looking for the scar he now knew is hidden beneath your hair.

"He does." Maria inhaled deeply opposite you and brought order to the stack of papers she brought with her. "But fair doesn't mean unjust." Then her hand reached across the table and squeezed yours. "In light of your... experience, I would suggest to the council that we work with your testimony as I've written it down, so you don't gotta repeat yourself over and over. Would that be in your interest?"

You felt some of the tightness in your chest slowly releasing.

Maria nodded as you voiced your agreement. "Good. Please read this over to make sure I got the details right. It's important."

When Tommy and Maria were gone, Joel and Ellie sat with you as you read through your own testimony. You had to set the pages down a couple of times, and each time, they were there with hands on your back, on your thigh, intertwined with your own. They silently helped you relive your worst nightmare for the second time that night, and you didn't know how to give voice to your gratitude.

Joel protested when you got up some time after dinner and announced you'd be going home for the night. There was something wild in his eyes, worry mixed with something you couldn't quite place, and it warmed your heart to see him so worried for you. You had to assure him thrice with a hand on his cheek that you would be okay, that you would come and find him if it got too dark, and that you would be back first thing next morning.

"I'll break down your damn door if you ain't here at 6am sharp," he growled and you had no doubt that he meant it. "I know." You leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Joel. I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Ellie." She waved you goodbye, and Joel brought you to his backdoor, his hand on the small of your back as he walked you there.

"You sure you'll be good by yourself," he asked again when you turned to leave. The smallest of smiles appeared on your lips.

"Yeah. I just... need some time to digest everything."

He looked at you for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright. G'night, sweetheart."

You knew he kept watching you as you walked through his backyard and then up the street, and you couldn't blame him. But you had meant what you said. You needed to be alone.

You needed the time to think about the fact that for the first time in two years, there was a chance your daughter was still alive.

"I'm coming for you, baby," you whispered to yourself as you slowly walked yourself home.

Tomorrow, you would ride out to find her. Tomorrow, you'd go and look for your babygirl.

Series Masterlist - Mobile Masterlist

Feedback is always appreciated! If you have any requests, feel free to send them my way. I'm always happy to practice my writing! :)

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[applecherryandpears]

BBC Radio 1 - 1997: The love edition

Can't believe that so many seminal Noel & Liam quotes are from the very same interview, either Noel's life + music crisis poured it all out of him, or the good moments are just indeed that good BTS.

Naturally, they were (allegedly) drunk. Liam wasn't supposed to show up but he changed his mind last minute, my headcanon is that he missed Noel judging from how well they got along that day.

I'm very friendly to my bed, I love my bed, and my bed loves me.

(Interviewer says Liam only gets better, Noel complains Liam doesn't show up for B sides recordings, Liam says he had a sore throat, and somehow, this comes to this.)

Love-love-love. Liam twists exhibition (oasis photo thing) into expedition and Noel's bullying turns into a live fantasy of marching down the south pole wastelands together to build heart shaped igloos, also Liam's shy. And fighting for his life.

There we have it, a recorded (half) confession.

Okay so here I find the "as long as ... for a couple of quids" holds some meaning as Noel goes a little rigid saying no. Can't ever meant this. but I can't for the life of me understand Liam.

Also Liam clears out that inspiration entails for him listening and understanding him without rushing into ill-made judgments and it's palpable he's at his limits with the media. Coincidentally the day after this interview he was tracked down by journalists, asking him if he had regrets over what he said, because apparently he swore too much and had people clutch on their pearls all over the UK.

Supersonic quote but in full. Mad for it, Noel says.

I'll be a really good uncle to Liam's child.

I could sum this one up with Pardon? but -- "that man is a bigger man than I am, why, it has nothing to do with you, but he has to deal with life and with somebody like me on top of everything else" yet by the end of that year it had all gone to flames. Also audio proof they did give each other birthday presents, not lost on me this one.

Noel truly cares about Liam's opinion but won't show it (nothing new ik) However that giggle at the end has my wonders.

Bonus:

In the honour of a 2024 magazine article deeply regretting Liam's menacing aura and rock n roll attitude from 1997

And, if anyone can possibly make out what Liam says Noel is pointing his way, this one maxed out my comprehension skills:

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina,

I’m in Europe, so I’m just waking up to all the discourse on your blog about SC. Maybe it’s because I’m older, maybe it’s because I’m more jaded or just the fact that I tend to look for the motives behind the obvious, but SC’s actions yesterday struck me as being very calculated. I forced myself to watch the footage of mourners leaving the service and what I noticed was the boys very discreetly leaving, one by one, trying not to attract too much attention to themselves. Then Liam’s devastated parents escorted Liam to the hearse waiting in front of the church to begin his last journey. It was at that moment that SC made his way towards them and ‘broke down’ in front of them, which basically forced these sweet, kind people to console him in view of the paps and the spectators.

SC has been getting a lot of bad press lately. His search for the next boyband turned out to be a flop. The interview he gave where he talked about his single greatest regret with 1D did him no favors. He tried to use Harry’s name when he told an interviewer that Harry had called him up for a little chat about the good old days and as recently as a month ago he implied Liam had paid him a nice little visit only last summer. He used those boys names to keep himself relevant and to boost his PR, even though Liam’s death had created a lot of backlash for him. What better way then, to clear his name and get back in the public’s good graces, than being seen breaking down in front of Liam’s poor parents and being consoled by them. He’s a narcissist and a master manipulator, so he must have known very well that these sweet people would never do anything to dishonor their son’s memory by pushing him away in full view of the press. And judging by some of the anon’s you’ve gotten, his nefarious little plan seems to be working, because he’s now being seen as the heartbroken friend of the boys and we are the heartless a-holes who refuse to forgive his transgressions.

Anyway, this is just my two cents. Maybe I’m too harsh, but this feels in line with everything else we know about the man, so I wouldn’t put it past him to have orchestrated this entire interaction.

On a side note, thank you for being a voice of reason and a port in a storm for all of us in these difficult times. Your blog is the first thing I turn to every single day and I want you to know how much I appreciate you being here for us all. Don’t forget to take good care of yourself! Sending you much love from Belgium!

Hi sweetheart. Thank you for this. I 100% agree with you. There's absolutely no way he didn't do that as a calculated move.

And thank you for the sweet personal message, too. I'm logging off shortly. Yesterday was super draining. ❤️

[bullet-prooflove]

Lee Dutton

“Sometimes my past life still has a hold on me”

Tagging: @kmc1989 @yousigned-upforthis @trublu2u @mjmdragons @wabi-sabi1090

Companion piece to:

Lee Lives AU:

The Sun Doesn't Shine - John tries to come between you and Lee.

Free - Lee confronts his father about the annulement.

California - Lee and you begin a new life in California.

It’s late when Lee gets the call, he’s just put Liam down after his night feed when his phone chimes with Beth’s ring tone, the theme tune from Jaws. He freezes when he sees her name because he’s not spoken to Beth since before he left Montana.

He has never asked any of his siblings to take sides on the battlefield between him and his father, he hated the idea of putting them in that position. Beth though, she was a daddy’s girl through and through and she had made her allegiance very clear.

“I take it you’re not calling me at one in the morning to congratulate me on the birth of my son.” He remarks when he picks up the phone, his heart pounding in his chest.

She does this sometimes, calls him up when she’s half cut to berate him. He knows he should block her number but there’s going to be a time when she does call, when she does need her older brother and Lee, he’s going to be there for her when she does.

There’s silence on the other side of the line, followed by a shaky breath and Lee, he begins to realise that this call, it’s not like the others, that Beth actually sounds upset.

“Beth.” He says his grip tightening on the phone. “Is it Kayce?”

Their youngest brother has always been the wild child. As a kid Lee used to worry about the antics he got himself into, that concern, it still sits in the pit of his stomach to this day despite the fact he’s settling down.

“No…” Beth says, her voice broken and Lee knows now, he knows who Beth is calling about. “It’s Daddy… He’s dead.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[noridoorman]

# Nuzi is not a pro-ship, I'm so tired that needs to be repeated #

I went on Twitter for like the first time (what a mistake) and saw again and again people complaining about how Nuzi is a pro-ship, Uzi is just a teen, N is an adult, yadda yadda and it gets so tiring at some point.

one point might be a bit controversial tho oops

"Uzi said herself that she's a teenager!"

Yes, she did. But teens can range from the ages of 13-20. It is a wide spectrum that is thankfully narrowed down by episode 3 when it is revealed that all classmates in her class are around the ages of 18-20. There's nobody younger than 18, meaning that it's highly unlikely that Uzi is 17 and even more unlikely that she's 16. She has to be around the ages of 18-20.

"But Uzi does to highschool, which only teens between the ages of 15-17 go to!"

That is if you assume that the drones only adopted the American school system. However, we've got a drone that only speaks Russian and a manuel for drone parents that is translated in French. In Germany, adults over the age of 18 can visit highschools. Heck, I'm 19 and currently in my 12th year of highschool. I'll be 20 in my final years where my prom will happen too, which, again, indicated that Uzi is older than what everyone assumes.

"How come Uzi is older than 18 if there are parent-teacher conferences?"

Again, my school also has parent-teacher conferences, even for the students that are adults. It's an optional thing and at this point in the story, Khan wanted to somehow reconnect with Uzi again which makes sense that he visits the parent-teacher conference.

"Uzi is shorter than her classmates, indicating that she's younger!"

Short adults exist, I don't need to elaborate further.

"Uzi's mom died shortly after she was made. N was already an adult at that time!"

We've seen through flashbacks from Doll that her parents died while she was a teen/not a pill baby. The same could have happened to Uzi, that Nori died while she was older. Also, N already being an adult is something I wanna unpack in the next argument.

"Uzi at some point asks about her mother, indicating that she never truly knew her! This implies that Uzi was a baby when Nori died!"

Yes, N could have also killed Nori while Uzi was a baby. But guess what?

N was a "baby" too.

Bear with me.

If we really wanna go by ages of the drones, we should remember that ALL the drones aged differently. Uzi was the only one that was a pill-baby before. N, V and J weren't, they were all in adult bodies. Yet, they were all around the same age of Uzi.

The way I understand the timeline is like this;

Uzi is made. N gets rescued from the scrapyard and saved by Tessa. I'd like to assume that he only got to live a few months before being discarded, as we can see that humans act very carelessly with their drones. So, Uzi is essentially a newborn while N is around 3-5 months old.

about 2 years pass. Both N and Uzi are two-years-old. However, ONLY UZI IS A PILL BABY DRONE. N was always in the default worker drone body. He can talk, move and do a bunch of things a 2-year-old shouldn't be able to do. However, if we base age on maturity and life experiences than he's no more an adult than Uzi was. All of his capabilities are programmed, he'll literally just die if he can't do those things cause otherwise he's defective. (BTW, NOT JUSTYFING PPL THAT GO "oh, you're mature for your age" OR SHIT LIKE THAT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN TERMS OF MATURITY, THEY WERE MOST LIKELY ON THE SAME LEVEL)

Uzi is now 3-years-old and the diassembly drones killed Nori. It'll make sense why she doesn't remember much of Nori and ask questions about her. N is also 3-years-old and he, along with V and J, are doomed to kill Worker Drones until they finish their job and die due to overheating.

By that logic, N AND UZI ARE AROUND THE SAME AGE.

Of course we can't get a clear timeline of events as Liam said that he doesn't want to write himself into a corner. But this is the one that makes me most sense to me unless somebody manages to proof me otherwise.

UZI WAS A PILL BABY, N WAS NOT.

N might aswell have been a pill baby this whole time and nobody would have batted an eye. Their physical bodies do not equal their mental maturity and age, those are completely seperate entities.

I might have fumbled on my words a lot, I'm not a native English speaker. I still hope this was easy to explain without me having said something wrong accidentaly.

"N x Uzi just came out of nowhere for fanservice!"

It was confirmed that the scirpt of Murder Drones was finished way back at episode 1 before the ship became even popular. Heck, Glitch posted a picture of Beau before the second episode dropped. Also, animations takes such a long time to do with lots of planing. Last minute changes are extremely risky to make and no professional studio like GLITCH would do that just to appease the fans.

"They killed of V to make Nuzi canon!"

I agree with the part that V should have gotten more screentime before her death.

But she wasn't killed off to make Nuzi happen.

She just went through an entire charachter arc from this drone that masks her trauma thorugh feiging apathy/joy in killing and always making decisions based on what she thought was right because she couldn't trust the people around her, not even N.

At the end, when V sacrificed herself, she finally recognized that Uzi is not CYN, she's as much as a victim as V was and that Uzi truly cares about N like she does. Her sacrifice was there to show how she finally manages to trust Uzi, even though she most likely knows how dangerous Uzi can get if she loses control. I just wished they build up towards that more cause it would have been so much better but she wasn't killed off to make Nuzi happen.

There are probably more arguments that I missed...

[allwaswell16]

[4 pics, 4 quotes, 4 iconic 1D fics]

Iconic fics by ...

- p h d m a m a -

[1]

“Mom, he’s the only man I’ve ever loved. I’m not sure I can love anyone else the way I loved him, and no one has ever loved me better, at least, not while it was good.”

“No one’s ever hurt you that badly either, Harry,” his mother reminds him gently.

“I know. But when it was good, it was really good. I know we were young, but it was true love, Mom. It was real. And maybe, it could be that way again.”

“Kintsugi,” says Greg from the doorway, where he’s holding the squirming puppy.

All three heads in the kitchen whip around to look at him.

“What?” asks Gemma, getting up to grab the pup and give him a kiss.

“Kintsugi, it’s a traditional Japanese art form. When a piece of pottery was broken, they’d repair it with gold, to make something beautiful out of the broken pieces.” He shrugs. “Sounds like what Harry’s talking about.”

[2]

“Manscaping, you bloom ‘em, we groom ‘em. How can I help you?”

“Oh, uh,” Harry stutters, caught completely off-guard. “Oh shit, sorry, I was expecting a voicemail.”

“Well, you caught me between clients, man. How can I help? Got some hedges running wild?”

Oh my. Harry hadn’t expected that the groomer would be quite so...straight forward, but he supposes that when you’re in the business, you become very comfortable with tackling things head on, as it were.

“Uh yeah, very unruly,” he says ruefully, picturing the disaster scene he’d scrubbed down that morning.

“Is this an emergency?” The voice asks, “Like, the in-laws coming tomorrow sort of thing?”

Harry frowns. “Oh no, nothing like that,” he says finally, wondering what sort of marital relationship this gentleman has. “I’m just, you know, getting back out on the scene, want everything to be nice and neat.”

“Of course,” the voice says approvingly, “Don’t we all.”

[3]

“That’s a beautiful wand, Harry,” Liam chimes in and Harry flushes.

He’d seen Liam’s wand earlier, and it’s as magnificent as Zayn’s, made of teak, Liam had mentioned, inlaid with a mother-of-pearl floral motif, and with a huge, grass-green, clear emerald at the tip. Harry fears his own serviceable carved oak pales in comparison, but smiles his thanks.

“It’s served me well over the years,” he says, “I got it all polished up for the trip.”

He hears Louis choke on his wine a little, who then says, “Oh, really? Got it all polished, nice and special?”

Harry frowns, “Yeah, there’s a guy in Harvard Square I go to, he always does a good job,” and when Louis snickers into his drink, Harry realizes what he’s insinuating.

“Really? Wand polishing jokes? What are you, twelve?” And with that, the entire table, minus Harry, bursts out laughing while Harry sulks into his wine.

[4]

He mindlessly clicks through, sending friend requests to Zayn’s dad and sister, Liam’s mom, Cal’s mom (who’s known him since he was in diapers), and Mrs. Anderson, his old music teacher from middle school. Then the profile of a guy named Ed Twist pops up. Louis frowns, staring at the ceiling, wondering who this is. He assumes they’ve got some sort of connection, otherwise Facebook wouldn’t have offered him to Louis, and with a name like that, he’s probably an old dude. Maybe he’s a friend of Mrs. Anderson? His profile is pretty locked down, when Louis goes to look, all his photos are on private. The guy’s profile picture is of a henna tattooed hand playing the guitar, his banner is a rainbow flag, and there are a few generic posts supporting liberal causes. Huh. So maybe he’s gay, maybe he’s into music, and apparently he’s a liberal. Louis likes all those things, being gay and making music and supporting liberal causes, so without overthinking it, he clicks the “send a friend request” button.

Answers below...

[1] Feels Like Coming Home

The last thing Harry Styles expects when he's hanging out at the Someday Cafe in Somerville one rainy October day is for his ex, Louis Tomlinson to walk through the door, but that's exactly what happens. After a spectacularly ugly break-up three years prior, Harry hasn't heard one word from Louis, and he's moved on. Gotten over him. But having Louis back in his life, not to mention working at the restaurant where he's a chef, isn't easy, and the feelings that Harry thought he'd left turn out to be not so easily forgotten.

This is a story about love and the power of forgiveness, and how the hard choices we make define us, and change our lives.

[2] On the Go

From this post because I could not resist:

ok so i saw a truck today and i thought it said MANSCAPE but it actually said MAINSCAPE and it was a landscaping company. but then i thought LARRY AU. where louis owns a landscaping company called MANSCAPE and harry thinks it’s some sort of in-home pubic hair grooming company, so he calls to make an appointment, there’s some discussion of whether he wants his bushes trimmed as well, and then when it’s time for the appointment, harry’s like half-naked waiting around in a robe or something and louis shows up with lawnmowers. 

[3] It's a Better Place (Since You Came Along)

When Harry Styles, a mid-level talent, Finder, and small business owner, sets off on the vacation of a lifetime with his best friend, Niall Horan, he has no idea the changes his life will undergo over the next nine days. He's got it all planned - there's going to be shore excursions, lounging by the pool on the deck of the luxurious cruise ship, not to mention margaritas. What he does not plan for are the new friends, new bonds, or the mystery from his past that comes back to haunt him, and he certainly hasn't planned for Louis.

[4] Friend Request

This was written for Kassio as a pinch hit for the HL Summer Exchange, from the prompt: " Louis is bored on Facebook and in the “People you may know” suggestions, he sees the name Harry Styles. The profile picture doesn't show the person. He thinks it's an old family friend who he misses – maybe a middle-aged or elderly former neighbor or babysitter who he was fond of as a child - and sends a friend request. Turns out it's not old man Harry from their old neighborhood, it's hot young Harry (who he's never met before) who accepts his friend request..."

[treason-and-plot]

Previous

The next morning, Tuesday.

Liam has been up since 4 am, writing poetry. His muse, as always, is Saffron.

You destroy my sleep

And dance across my dreams

My heart melts with love

Before waking up

Alone

His mind has never been so focused, so clear. He writes three more poems before he shuts his laptop down at 5.30 am. Then he has a shower and gets dressed and goes downstairs to prepare breakfast. Stephanie demands that a hot breakfast be waiting for her when she comes down at 6.30. This morning he prepares pancakes, her favourite. She doesn't speak to him when sits down at the table, just gives her plate with its aromatic pile of pancakes a desultory sniff and starts eating.

"How are your pancakes?" says Liam, placing her coffee down next to her.

"You put too much butter on them," she says sourly.

"I'm sorry," he says, sitting down. He starts to eat his own plate of pancakes. They are perfect, the texture light and fluffy, butter seeping into their crisp, golden brown exterior. Stephanie throws her fork down and gives a loud cry of disgust.

"For heaven's sake, you sound like a pig at a trough!" she says. "Can’t you close your mouth when you eat?"

"I'm sorry," Liam says. She glowers at him.

"Take my plate away," she says. "You've made me completely lose my appetite."

"But there's so much left over-"

"I don't know why you made so many. I didn't ask you to."

Liam gets up and clears away both their plates. Stephanie sits sipping her coffee, her mouth downturned. He took perverse and extra care preparing her coffee this morning, just as he did the pancakes. He has also taken extra care with his appearance. He knows the way he looks right now will be forever seared in her memory, and he wanted to give her the best face possible; freshly shaven, his hair neatly combed, nostrils trimmed of errant hairs. He sits back down at the table and smiles at her. She ignores him, continuing to sip her coffee. Never mind. She won't be ignoring him for very much longer.

"Stephanie," he says. "Our marriage is over. I don't love you any more."

[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 24

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC A/N: Just want to say thank you to all of you who have joined in on this series in the last week. There is so many of you now! Hope you're enjoying it! This week is a smaller one, but I can promise you will not be disappointed with some of the stuff you will find out. Enjoy!

The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

It feels like I blink and December flies by. And with it, the return of challenges. We had been given a break around threshing. Giving us time to adjust to our dragons, the new training we had to take up, and any signets that might manifest. Which was probably a smart idea. There were plenty of signets amongst the first years that could have been deadly if they manifested in a challenge where no rules were in play. I hate to think what my signet would have done if it manifested during a challenge.

But now I had the challenge of not using my signet during the challenges. With a classified signet I was restricted in what I could show around the other students. The only place I was technically allowed to use my signet was around Carr. So far he seemed impressed with the progress I was making. Well the progress I was willing to show him. Which so far was moving objects and even him around. Controlling a human was way harder than an object. That night of the attack had seemed so easy, but Carr had informed me due to the situation I had probably delved deep into my power to save myself. I had made that cadet drop that dagger as if it was natural and something I had willed. Carr was a different story. He looked like a puppet. His movements were janky and rigid. I had to remind myself I was also going up against someone who knew how to shield very well. Another thing I would have to learn to break through he told me. Something I would have to practice with Xaden or Garrick in our training sessions after classes. Outside of Carr’s private sessions I now no longer needed to delve into my mind, into that courtyard to focus on someone’s mind and sense what they were feeling. I was starting to pick up on more their strengths, weaknesses and emotions. I was getting small glimpses into their mind. Nothing solid that I could pinpoint what it was, but it was progress. Progress I hoped I could turn into reading opponents intentions. Not that I needed it. Melgren’s training had taught me how to read my opponents movements and stances, to predict what their next move might be. But only time would tell.

As the rest of my squad head to another round of challenges, a round I could tell Violet and Liam were extremely nervous about, I walk through the door to Carr’s classroom. And it’s clear this lesson will be different to the last. Standing in front of Carr is Dain Aetos. The only other cadet in the quadrant with a classified signet. Dain turns as I walk in, his eyes narrowing, clearly not expecting me either.

”Excellent, you received my note.” Carr says with a smile. “You’ve proven you can handle a weapon without any issue so I thought we could use the time to strengthen your signet and test Dain’s.”

Dain turns his head back to Carr, confusion written all over his face. “And how do you expect to test me sir?”

Carr gives Dain one of the smiles that always sends a chill down my spine. “Miss Riorson here has a very very rare signet. The first of its kind. And if the tomes I have studied over the years are anything to go by, she should have a very powerful shield. One so powerful, it should be able to stop anyone from accessing her mind.”

Shit. He planned to see if Dain could access my memories. And if Carr was wrong, Dain would have open reign on everything I know. Everything from the rebellion. Everything from my time with Melgren. And everything that had happened since I had been here. Including the information I now knew about the weapons smuggling and the Gryphon riders. Shit.

Relax. You will be fine. He will not be able to get anything. Mealladh says confidently in my head.

So Carr is right? I ask, relief washing over me.

Yes. You have a very strong shield. Even before I chose you and you manifested your signet. It is one of the reasons I chose you. No one without a dragon or a signet should have a shield as strong as yours. The colonels son wont be able to make a dent in it unless you let him in. Which for you, can be harder than learning to shield for most cadets. You won’t have to do a thing.

Mealladh’s words fill me with confidence as I walk over and drop my bag next to Dain’s on the floor. Carr merely nods at Dain and motions towards me. Signalling to start. Carr had not uttered a word of Dain’s signet. He assumes I don’t know what it is. Probably hoping if he is wrong that I will have no time to stop what is coming. But Xaden and Garrick had known. I assume as those higher up in the Quadrant they had access to the information. I had never asked how they knew. I just knew to avoid his touch. But right now I had no choice. I just had to hope and believe what Mealladh said was true.

Dain turns to me and holds his hands up, hovering either side of my head. He’s nervous. “My signet relies on touch. You ok if i-”

”Just do it.” I tell him sternly, cutting him off.

Dain nods before placing his hands either side of my head, closing his eyes as if needing to focus. But I keep mine open and focused on him. I watch as his eye brows furrow in confusion, as if not expecting what he finds. Or what he doesn’t find. I can feel something faint, very faint at the edge of my mind. The sensation remind me of a feather being dragged across my skin. I hadn’t tried to put my shields up like Melgren taught me. It was like they we’re already there. Already solidified in place. Unbreakable. I feel the sensation again, as if the feather is trying to break through. I can see Dain’s face shift at the effort. As if he is trying to hammer through my shield with great force. But to me, its as if barely anything is happening. I do what Melgren had taught me, slamming up the shield. I watch as Dain recoils as if shocked, his hands leaving my head as his eyes fly open, his chest rising rapidly as he struggles for air.

”I-I couldn’t see anything.” He tells Carr, his eyes still focused on me.

Out of the corner of my eyes I watch Carr smile again. “And let me guess, you tried to put up an actual shield at the end there?” His question directed at me.

I nod. “Yes.”

Even as I keep my eyes on Dain who looks like he is still trying to figure out what happened, I see the joy in Carr’s eyes. The joy at being right. I know as soon as I leave this room he will send word to Melgren of this new discovery. I had no doubt I would be tested against other cadets in the quadrant who bore mental signets. But I knew none we’re as powerful as Dain. The only exception might have been Jeremiah. Could a full innistic penetrate my shields? I would have no way to know seeing as the quadrant killed anyone who manifested that signet.

”Excellent. You are both dismissed. Feel free to head to challenges if you so wish.” Carr says with a flick of his had before turning to his desk and grabbing a roll of parchment. Another note of Melgren.

Dain and I leave the classroom, Dain rushing off towards the challenges. I roll my eyes before following slowly behind him. Maybe I can catch the challenge Liam and Violet we’re so worried about. As I go to round the corner to the gym, a voice in my head stops me in my tracks.

Shit. He’s gonna kill me cause she got hurt. Shit.

A voice that is neither mine nor Mealladh. It sounds almost like-

I round the corner and pacing back and forth is Liam. Liam whose voice I just heard inside my head

Part 25

@riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh @leptitlu @came-to-laugh-but-cried @onthewaytotimbuktu @daardyrnitta @lovemesomevesey @mxtokko @krowiathemythologynerd @callsign-blue @1islessthan3books

[bluginkgo]

Episode 7 Teaser is out and it gave me too many crack theories

Well, after finally getting my head wrapped around the entire teaser- which took literal hours to process how amazing it all looked- I think I finally found the ability to put it into words.

Spoilers, duh and uh lots of words, so sorry

This'll be somewhat frame by frame crack down as well as crack theories that came to me while spending time looking at the red images too long that gave me a headache - anyways

As many have mentioned this before, V's corpse is gone, and only a sentinel's tail remains on the ground to the right. Although I wish to believe that V made it out alive, that hope is quickly dwindling. Although there is a small possibility that V somehow won the fight (perhaps with outside help such as J) and dragged herself away (based off of the splatter on the ground) I more so think that she turned into an eldritch V. That or perhaps has been mauled by the sentinels, and the body was dragged off. Although, I can not wait for Liam to prove me wrong about this theory (I hope he proves me wrong, cause I miss V ;w;)

The ground looking hall seems to be where the gang will enter right after exiting the elevator. Alongside this, it seems that the moment with N is also here (based on the background). Now, as for the look that N gives. It goes from worried and slightly scared to harsh concern (in my opinion, feel free to take that thought and yeet it as far as you wish ^_^). Something made him worry in a way that also slightly flared his anger. Two theories:

He saw something ahead of them, and this is the more likely possibility, because that tunnel gives way to the cave that N seems to have been dragged into from the teaser from November.

2. Uzi might have said something that made him more concerned. There is a figure that moves behind N, but it is very hard to see as to who it is- my guess it's Tessa, making Uzi the only candidate to possibly to walk in front of them.

Then we get to see this hole.

Possibility (also a bit wacky and highly unlikely): The entity will finally be revealed, that is, the center of the absolute solver. Something I noticed with the design of the absolute solver is that we get to see its limbs, but never the main body. It is always hiding somewhere, be it in the ceiling or the walls. Of course, there are also the eldritch forms we saw of Cyn, but in my opinion, it feels more like another limb. Now, with J's huge form, I'm a little more inclined to believe that's what it looks like as the main body. Holo spooky snake crab like.

Not to be dramatic, but... Core collapse, which made me chuckle. Because despite all hell breaking loose in these last couple episodes, Murder Drones still manages to sneak in tiny jokes like this. Oh, and I can't forget the dog too! XD

Something I still cannot grasp my head around is what is going on with the environment around the cathedral?? It's raining, but it's in a cave- ok can be sorta explained that it acts like a stalactite... but then what is going on with the vortex around the building? My current theory: uhhh... robo-satan, that is all.

A lot of scenes with humans and in a clear view (i.e. not like a video tape). This might suggest a flashback as many have already mentioned it. However, who, how, and why is there a flashback? Well, there is one crack theory I came up with. This is what Uzi is seeing. She is an absolute solver host, and it has been seen on multiple occasions that absolute solver has a hivemind, so it can easily show its hosts whatever memories its previous hosts had.

These next scenes I believe to be in the progression as shown.

@/haastera (don't want to bother them with a tag) also pointed this out, that these scenes may be back to back, based off of the lamp that is off to Uzi's left. However, what the heck would cause Uzi to snap like she did in ep4?

Uzi saw something in the tape that made her upset, the possibility of N killing Nori. Cons in that theory: N killed Nori post core collapse, and there would not be any evidence of it.

The tape had something that was similar to zombie drones tape that was marked "Don't show this to drones, they will not like it." Something in the tape may have forced boot the solver string in Uzi, and she was powerless to stop it. Cons: @bloodywolfwings mentioned to me that the reflection in Uzi's visor seems to be a door instead of a screen. So there's also the 50% chance that these two scenes are not even related.

MA'AM YOU PUT THAT SWORD AWAY, UZI HAS IT BAD ENOUGH MA'AM- in all seriousness, this is a 50/50 shot once again. Maybe Tessa is attempting to get rid of Uzi while N is gone. The opposite end of that is Tessa is attempting to help Uzi, perhaps an enemy that Uzi did not sense behind her.

These two scenes are related, I believe- the claw is hard to see behind the cross, but it is there, and not to mention that Dr. Chambers is wearing a camera on his head. However, there's more to it after I stared at it for a while. The absolute solver claw appears to be burning and glitching, this is only seen with DDs and solver drones when they are exposed to the sun. Perhaps the humans were slowly getting better at controlling the absolute solver, with some sort of power equivalent to the sun. But in the end, their efforts were useless, seeing as Nori still destroyed everything there.

We have seen these two scenes already, so not much to dissect here. Just NUzi being NUzi :3 while all hell breaks loose

This scene had me so confused at first.

I could not figure out what was going on with the cars. Cars are outside, our gang is in a cathedral, what happened- That's it. This is outside. And as many have already mentioned this, there are drones in the background so far identified as Lizzy and perhaps Thad. (I say perhaps Thad because my dumb brain won't let go of the idea that the drone on the left is Khan. Look, my brain said 'I think I see a mustache' and now I can't unsee it.) Either way, this is outside and the gravity has decided to take a break (as RedMage put it in the nuzi discord server). It seems that the gang will do something, or something drastic will happen (perhaps a second core collapse) that will cause the gravity of copper-9 to become unstable. So maybe the episode will end with the possibility that copper-9 is about to collapse like Earth did, as the gang tries to stop that event from happening.

Ahem, allow me a second of: FERAL N FERAL N FERAL N FERAL N- ok, I'm done for now. As many have pointed out, this may be the moment that N killed Nori, and Uzi might have to relive through that experience as the absolute solver shows Uzi everything that has happened up until now. His smile is not the one we've seen up until now when he's in his murder drone mode, but more of a smirk. Another theory I came up with is that when Uzi becomes possessed by the absolute solver, perhaps by default, N does too. Uzi is now N's admin, and if the admin is corrupted, there is nothing to keep N's solver string in his ai from fully corrupting him. However, there's a hole here.

The X on the visor generally means that there is a string in the drone's core is faulty and not functioning. This is because when the solver string attempts to take possession of the DDs, the admin program switches it to false and gives the faulty os string sign on the visors. That has to mean the admin program is still up and running, which pushes the theory of this scene being a flashback of N killing Nori, more likely.

Uzi's eye has burst, it seems, just like Yeva's. So now the question is, why does it do that? Doll also covered her eye, perhaps to conceal the damage that is already there. Theory: this happens because the solver inside of the drones is constantly attempting to get out of the host. It has been seen that it does destroy the bodies from ep5. And it seems that the red goop is what Uzi's attempting to hold back on her eye. It might be oil, but what makes me believe otherwise is the fact that it doesn't look liquid-like enough. Granted, that scene is literally 1 second, so the movement that may be there is really hard to grasp.

Doll HAS MADE A RETURN! And she's fighting someone with knives is what it seems like. Thoughts on who it might be? Literally, anyone in the gang, there is not much to go off of here. But to dissect it further, it could be like this:

Uzi- because she teamed up with Tessa and a DD, and it seems like Doll and the gang have separate goals, which upsets Doll and causes the fight.

N- another DD that had caused a lot of pain and suffering for WD when they first arrived to copper-9. So why not get rid of him as well while she's at it.

Tessa- the main character that seems to be very suspicious about every action. We know very little about her, and even more so what happened to her post gala massacre. Perhaps Tessa discloses the idea of killing every drone that is on the list of the drones experimented on. This will include Yeva and, therefore, Doll.

Now as for THIS.

That is a drone, for certain, now as to who it is, is really hard to guess. There is clearly a helmet on the drone, so it kinda narrows it down. Routes:

This is part of a flashback:

Nori or Yeva- one of the stronger solver drones that needed a better way of controlling/containing them. Backed up by the balconies/cat walks that are on the corners of the screen.

Some other poor drones- An even crazier idea of mine would be that the people were, in fact, worshipping the absolute solver. This is what happens to the heretics. Either that, or this was some sick way of worshipping the solver.

This is real-life time: Doll is the number 1 candidate, how she got to be like this, though... there are some possibilities.

Doll's solver form is taking control/form.

Uzi and Doll had a fight (consciously or not, solver might have forced a fight), with this being the outcome.

It's late for me. The amount of crack theories that have been bouncing around in my head is unreal. More than half of them are probably most likely wrong. Once again, take all of my theories and yeet them into the stratosphere if you wish ^_^ These will be mostly here just to come back to and see how wrong I was about everything.

[danikamariewrites]

Hiiii can I ask for poly Xaden x reader x Liam

Where the reader is dating Xaden but has a crush on Liam and it's super obvious, but they are two oblivious to realize that Liam likes the reader too.

Dating Xaden and Liam hc

A/n: I wanted to have this done Tuesday to celebrate Iron Flame but I’m celebrating all week so cheers 🥂 I didn’t intend for this hc to be super long lol

Warnings: a lil bit of angst

You started dating Xaden a little after challenges started

You had beat him a few times and he was so taken with your strength and ability to fight

The last time you had handed his ass to him Xaden was staring up at you with heart eyes

It didn’t take Xaden long to ask you out after that. He wanted to ask you in the mat still but he thought you’d turn him down and didn’t want to embarrass himself

Your relationship was great as far as war college standards go

You had flying dates, late night walks, and the occasional picnic

You are infatuated with each other

One night there was a mishap in the dorms. A fight broke out and you couldn’t get out of the sea of bodies

You were panicked and unprepared. Your body shut down on you until you felt a pair of hands pick you up, taking you away from the chaos

When you were back in your room you saw it was Liam holding you. He tried to put you down but you just clung to him, holding back tears

Liam rubbed your back whispering, “it’s ok, Xaden will be here in any minute.”

After that night Xaden had Liam guarding you when he couldn’t

You slowly found yourself falling in love with Liam the way you loved Xaden

The two of you became fast friends and had inside jokes and you just loved being around him like you loved being around Xaden

You had spent nights alone crying over your feelings

At one point you pulled yourself together, giving yourself the ‘im a badass dragon rider why am I crying over boys?’ Speech

Xaden had a free day so he decided to spend it with you meaning Liam didn’t have to follow you around

You watched Liam from afar with a sad look on your face

Xaden noticed and he couldn’t help but feel hurt. He immediately shut down and stayed quiet for the rest of the day. He didn’t even kiss you goodnight

You had a feeling it was bc of Liam. It was time to be honest about your feelings for both of them no matter the outcome

You went to Xaden’s room early. Your hands shaking as you knocked on his door. After he let you in you wasted no time getting to the point, “I want to talk to you about yesterday. My feelings have not changed for you Xaden. I love you so much.” “Then why were you looking at Liam like that?” He didn’t drop that stoic look, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

Tears started forming in your eyes and you couldn’t hold back the sob you let out, “because I like Liam too, and I don’t want to have to choose between you two. I want you both,” you whispered that last part

Xaden made no move to comfort you. He was confused and didn’t know what to do. “We’ll talk about this later. Let’s go, or we’ll be late for classes.” You nodded, wiping at your eyes as you silently left the room

The day went on like normal. Liam still followed you around which surprised you, you thought Xaden would’ve told him not to stay with you today but he probably didn’t want you to walk around unguarded

Liam joked around with you as usual. He noticed that you were down all day so he tried to make you smile

When you came out to the flight field that afternoon you saw them speaking very animatedly. It seemed like a heated conversation that you didn’t want to interrupt so you kept walking to your dragon

Before dinner Liam walked you to Xaden’s room. You knew what was coming. The conversation where you have to pick one of them and feelings get hurt. But you didn’t want to pick between them, you want both of them

You stare at the floor to avoid their gazes. You couldn’t look either one of them in the eye right now. Xaden cleared his throat, “Liam and I talked, we came to an agreement and wanted to see what you were thinking.” You look up at him confused but hopeful. “What?” You ask looking between them

Liam looked at Xaden for permission. He dipped his chin at the blonde. “If you want to, no pressure at all, we are open to the idea of both of us dating you. If you don’t want that I will back off and you and Xaden go back to how things were.”

You couldn’t believe Xaden was willing to share you. But if it would be with anyone he’s ok with the other guy being Liam

You looked at Xaden, nervous and unsure. “You’re ok with this?” He walked over to you, holding your face in his hands. “Yes. If you’re happy, I’m happy. And who knows maybe I’ll fall for Liam.” You let out a small giggle as he kissed your forehead. “Good because I didn’t think I’d be able to pick between you two.”

Months have past since then. Getting into the new dynamic was hard, especially bc Xaden is so possessive of you but having time together was easy

Both of them are absolute gentlemen and love spoiling you. Their combined efforts to give you whatever you want and put together nice dates always leave you blushing. They’re a perfect team

You’re favorite is when you all have a sleep over in your room. Being squished between these two hunks is so relaxing you always fall asleep so fast

[theficpusher]

They Just Don't Know You by mukeandziamgotmelike | nr | 1306 //So, oh, tell me, tell me you won't break my heart. That you won't tear my world apart. That you'll be there when I need, cause I wanna tell them they just don't know you, they just don't know you, they just don't know you, they don't know you like I do.// -OR- Liam has been dating Zayn for months, and still, for some reason, no one approves of him. It's annoying, and Liam wishes they would stop. He doesn't know why they don't trust Zayn, but he just wants to tell them that they just don't know him like he does.

Screaming But Daddy I Love Him by Wishingforloushair | E | 21873 Harry has always tried to be the perfect Christian boy his religiously fanatic mother demands him to be. At seventeen he's never eaten fast food, drunk coffee (unless it was decaffeinated) or touched himself. That is until he meets Louis, one of the church's youth musicians. With his 'I Heart Jesus' stickers on his beaten up guitar case, his band (The Redemption Riffs), and his taste for good quality coffee, Louis' relationship with God is entirely different to Harry's, and Harry is positive that Louis is either a divine vessel, or Heaven-sent. Prepared to worship at Louis' feet, Harry is ready to learn a whole different way of worship and devotion with Louis' help. “That’s coffee,” he remarked, pointing at the dark substance in the other boy’s cup. “Yes, it is,” Louis said, taking a sip from it, his eyes fixed on Harry. “Is it decaffeinated?” Louis raised an eyebrow, putting his mug down. “Will it make you feel better if I tell you it is?” “Lying is bad.” “Then, no, it’s not decaf. I don’t drink decaf coffee because it tastes awful.” “But,” Harry swallowed, glancing over his shoulder before leaning forwards. “Drugs are bad,” he whispered.

What Side Of Love Are You On? by FallingLikeThis | T | 25000 Ever since Harry finally made the decision to come out to his mother as bisexual, she’s been foisting women on him left and right, determined it’s just a phase. But when she puts out a personal ad to find the perfect partner for her son, things really get complicated. Suddenly, Harry’s heart is being pulled in two very different directions. On one side is the sweet, caring woman he has fun with, but doesn’t know his mother chose for him. On the other is a man who seems to be his mother’s worst nightmare, but makes Harry’s heart flutter in ways he’s never felt before. When all is said and done, maybe they’ll all learn that when there is no clear path to go down, the best option is to follow your heart. A Because I Said So Au with a bisexual twist.

but daddy i love him by wanderlou | nr | 28924 Someone cleared their throat and they all turned to the person; Charles. “I cannot and will not support this marriage.” “But Daddy…I love him,” Louis pouted. Or the one where Harry and Louis are getting married and Louis' dad hates Harry. Harry does everything to try and earn his respect during the wedding weekend.

adrenaline by reveries_passions | M | 38208 “Harry Styles,” Nameless Boy who now has a name says. Louis is too busy having an internal crisis to realize the boy has just introduced himself as Harry Styles. Harry Styles, only son of Des Styles, PhD, Dean of Harvard Medical School. Harry Styles, known by everyone and their grandmother. Harry Styles, star rower. Harry Styles, youngest enrolled student in graduate school at Harvard University. Oh my god, Louis thinks, mortified. I just slept with Harry Styles. As he reaches out tentatively to shake the boy’s hand, another thought hits him. Oh my god. Harry Styles is gay. ~ louis tomlinson, college dropout, up and coming dj, and gay activist, is the notorious owner of exclusive underground gay club, adrenaline. harry styles, med student by day, partier by night, child prodigy and seemingly heterosexual son of harvard professors, is the youngest and arguably the smartest student at harvard medical school. or: a one night stand wasn't supposed to become the greatest love story of the 21st century.

Counterbalance by YesIsAWorld | E | 44777 Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class.

your memory over me by shimmeringevil | E | 64355 Three years have passed since Louis last saw him, but all it took was a few minutes in Harry’s presence for him to be relegated to the desperate twenty-one year old that was practically begging his boyfriend for an ounce of reassurance that he still cared about him. Harry shouldn’t be here. He’s brought too many unresolved feelings with him, that Louis thought he’d never have to face. It’s Harry’s apparent apathy that’s the most difficult to come to terms with. Anger, he could handle. Regret, he would welcome. But Harry’s amiability, and carefree demeanor can only be born from indifference. He’s moved on. He doesn’t care. And that is something Louis doesn’t think he’ll ever be strong enough to face. - OR - The worst heartbreak of Louis’ life walks right back into it when his parents invite their family friends on an all-expenses-paid trip for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Facing a past that he tried to bury long ago, Louis learns that some people have a way of sticking with you even when they’re gone.

Of Mates and Men by bananaheathen | E | 630460 In which, Louis and Harry meet as best men for their best friends' wedding... well... sort of. Or, the one where Harry's just moved back from New York and Louis doesn't believe in romance. Or, I guess... the one where Zayn and Liam are getting married.

[nightghoul381]

Dressed in Midnight ~ Victor (POV) x Reader

Entry number 3 in @judejazza's An Invitation to Crown Castle event!

Pairing: Victor (POV) x Reader Prompt: Dressed in Love Genre: Angst CW: Reader death, sad boys, descriptions of grief WC: 1.9k

A/N: I was mad at Victor for tricking me into getting my hopes up for Ellis TWICE in the Wedding Lily gacha but I think I went too far... I made myself sad while writing this....

Never has the darkness felt so black. Never has the dawn felt so hopeless. I can’t chase away the bitter ache in my chest and the numbness of my entire being.

A very faint knock at my door followed by Will’s voice asking to enter hits my ears but it feels so distant I hardly recognize it as such. Lost in my own mind, I feel myself jolt at the sudden pressure on my shoulder.

“Victor, it’s time to select an outfit.”

William’s quiet reminder sends another shooting paint through my chest, forcing me to clutch at my shirt and squeeze my eyes closed to stave off the tears.

I knew this moment would come. Simply put, as your lover, all had decided that I should be the one to decide what you ought to wear. I swallow back the thick emotion in my throat, forcing myself to my feet before turning to Will, careful not to meet his eyes.

I cannot bear to the see the emotions sure to be reflected there, his own sorrow and pain mixed with the pity and condolence he would have toward me. That would be far too much for me to handle in this state.

Clearing my throat, I nod and walk out the door.

The hall seems endless, and at the same time, far too short. In no time at all I find myself in your room, several lovely outfits laid across your bed or hanging along display racks.

Liam, the dear boy, has decided to become invisible, possibly in an attempt to give me the illusion of solitude as I make this decision. He doesn’t understand that I know he’s here, that I always know when one of my Cursed are near.

I simply decide to let the boy watch as I slowly make my way around the room. Each outfit bringing back such vivid, beautiful memories that I cannot help but wish to lose myself in them. I raise one hand to run my fingers over the delicate fabric of one of the shirts that was laid upon your bed.

Sunlight dappling the ground below the tree we sat beneath highlights the softness of your features as you sleep, resting peacefully against my thighs while I contemplate how precious you are to me. The chill breeze blows through the leaves, stirring you from your slumber.

You blink up at me with those sleep fogged eyes, a heart-warming smile spreading across your lips as you see me looking down at you.

“Have you just been watching me sleep?” You murmur, letting out a slow yawn before sitting up and stretching your arms above your head.

“What would you say if I have?” I reply, brushing my hand against your cheek. I cannot deny the way my heart soars as you nuzzle your cheek against my palm with such a look of absolute affection.

“I’d say, I love you too.”

I slowly exhale, straining to regain my composure through the wetness building in my eyes. Such beautiful memories, and yet others more wonderful still.

My gaze travels to the outfit I could dream of seeing you in a thousand times.

I need to squint my eyes against the bright sunlight pouring in through the window as I await your presence near the entryway. Butterflies are fluttering uncontrollably in my stomach as my excitement and anticipation grow, lovely music filling the room around me as William’s fingers dance across the keys of the piano.

Finally, I see your silhouette break through the blinding light, my breath stolen away by your captivating radiance. My heart is hammering in my chest as you walk toward me, face beaming with affection and joy that I know is reflected in my own. Such absolute serenity I cannot describe, when your hand meets mine.

Words flow with steadfast certainty until at last “I pronounce thee two wed.”

I cradle your chin as you look up at me expectantly. Our lips meet in consummation, our vows of endearing and everlasting love to each other sealed in this moment.

Cheers and applause sound around us by our gathered companions, however I am wholly enthralled with your presence and naught but a faint echo of their adoration graces the moment.

“I love you, my perfect little robin.”

At the sudden ferocity of the memory that floods my mind, I am unable to fight back the tears any longer. Perhaps our dear Ellis was right in his desire to end the lives of those he loves in their happiest moment, surely that would be far better than the all-encompassing agony I am feeling now.

I somehow manage to still myself enough to remain quiet, only the strained breathing of myself and the quiet breathing of Liam dare be heard in your room. This room is far too precious to be tainted with such sorrowful sounds.

My eyes fall at last upon the ensemble I know to be the one I’ll choose. I’ve known all along that you would wish it, and I am loathe to deny you anything. I push a heavy exhale out between my lips as I first approach the very outfit you wore when you first arrived at Crown.

How different might your life have been, little robin, if you’d not opted to stop and help that young child on that fateful day. Your mundane day-to-day would continue as it always had, earning enough money to see shows at the Scala every so often, carefree, and untainted by the blackness of what occurred that night.

Turning away from that unassuming uniform, I finally settle my eyes on your outfit. The one we chose together the day we admitted our feelings for one another.

I turn to Liam and motion to the clothing. The young man slowly returns to view, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he nods and collects the garments.

Golden rays of the setting sun glisten on your hair as you pull me excitedly to the next shop. You’ve been so enthusiastic about this shopping trip, I admit I find myself somewhat in awe. No one before has been eager to accompany me, let alone pull me along with such passion.

I feel my heart begin to race as you turn your bright smile toward me. I’ve denied my feelings for you for far too long. In this moment I know without a shadow of a doubt that you have become the single most important person in my entire world. The realization causes me to freeze in place, your own movement stopped as well.

“Victor is everything okay?” You inquire, your eyebrows knitting together with concern.

Yes, I understand completely now. Every moment with you makes the sky feel brighter, the joy within me bubbling up with such ferocity I can’t possibly hold back any longer.

I let my lips crack in a wide grin, moving forward and scooping you into my arms. You let out the most adorable startled squeak as I hug you to my chest with a laugh from deep in my chest.

“Everything is wonderful! You see, I’ve just discovered a new truth about myself and I couldn’t be happier!” I exclaim, setting you down and looking into your lovely blushing face.

“Oh, well, I’m very glad for you then,” You reply, still clearly confused at my sudden departure from character.

“Ah, but my sweet robin, I must tell you that the new discovery has all to do with you,” I admit.

Your eyes grow even wider and I swear I see a flicker of hope flash across your face at my confession. I lean forward, our faces mere inches apart and murmur with the utmost sincerity “I’ve discovered that I’ve fallen in love with you.”

I hear your breath catch and suddenly your arms are wrapped around my neck and your face is even closer.

“Really?! Are you sure?” You plead, eyes so bright and imploring that I can’t help but understand how my own passion is reflected within their depths. In response, I lean forward and gingerly press my lips against yours.

Your arms immediately tighten, your mouth moving greedily against mine and I feel my heart soar. The racing of my heart has progressed to thunder as I feel my mind flooded with the thrill of your returned affections.

When at last we begrudgingly part, you looks into my eyes and swear, “I’ve fallen in love with your too, Victor. I’ve been in love since the moment we first met.”

My giddiness is unbridled as I announce, “Then we shall commemorate this moment!”  We happily make our way into the shop you had intended to go to, hands linked and an air of pure bliss surrounding us. Then I see it. Stunning jet black and midnight hues set the stage for the glistening embroidered details like the deepest night sky.

I lift the garment and hold it out to you.

“Do try this on. I should love to see how stunning you looked dressed in something of my choosing.”

“It’s perfect, Victor. It’s as though I’m wearing your love for me!”

The click of the door closing jolts me from my reminiscence. The pain of memories lost, of those I shall never make with you again is far too great. I need to leave this room before my façade shatters completely as my heart has done.

As darkness falls around the castle, I am prompted by William to dress in my best, his fingers gently guiding a comb through my otherwise unkempt hair.

Another quiet knock draws our attention and I see Ellis standing in the doorway, a bouquet of lovely white lilies in hand, and despair drawn across his face. I see his lips tremble as he approaches, unable to say anything as he hands the flowers to me. I notice the lone tear trickle from his eye as he scurries out of the room.

We all gather in the grand hall, a beautiful glass coffin sitting in the center of the room.

Seeing you lying there with such a serene and peaceful expression is all it takes for all semblance of resilience to crumble completely.

All strength is torn from me, my body collapsing onto the floor.

Howls of pain rip from my chest as the floodgates holding my emotions in burst open. I crawl to you, my precious little robin. My perfect angel. How was I meant to continue to walk this world without you?

As sobs wrack my body, I hear the gentle sounds of footsteps approaching, William and Roger on either side of me, assisting me to my feet to finish crossing the final paces to where you lay. My light, my happiness.

I let my trembling hands extend, tucking the lilies into your hands before grief once again steals away any strength. I can see your ring glistening on your finger as a pair of hands tucks yours firmly around the bouquet.

Never before has such pain befallen me. Never again shall I experience the heartbreak of a love taken far, far too soon.

They will pay for taking you from me. The Palace Reaper has no humanity left in his heart.

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[greyspirehollow]

MURDER AT THE HOSPITAL

Chapter 8

warnings : discussion of organ trafficking (marked between X so you can skip the part with the details) ; discussion of ongoing investigation, hardships, toxic family relationships, difficult upbringings

I'd rate this chapter and overall fic 16+

Liam finished his cigarette before entering the police station, crushed what was left of it in the ashtray next to the entrance doors, and made his way to one of the meeting rooms. The others were already there, and so he sat down between Valdemar and Julian at the table after briefly greeting them both, glancing at Vulgora in the process. The police officer seemed deep in thought, and they had put on the table a couple of files. The anthropologist guessed that it was the whole of the case so far… He frowned. It was little. He bet the autopsy results, in terms of volume, made up half of it.

“So.” Vulgora began. “I am… Not exactly used to this, so I’m sorry I didn’t call for a meeting sooner, but I suppose I’ll have to make this… A regular occurrence, since all four of us are working on the case now. And uhm- if you two-” they pointed at Valdemar and Julian “-miss anything because of the hospital or whatever I’ll try my best to keep you updated via the group chat.” Both the medics nodded and Vulgora looked back down at the file. “I thought it would be a good idea to make a little… To like say again what we have so far. Alright.” They cleared their throat, opened the file on the table, displaying the various documents that were in it and steeled themselves.

“Two weeks ago at 10 AM on Tuesday, we discovered Ronald Averton’s decomposed carcass in the morgue of Vesuvia’s Central Hospital. He was 36 years old, went by ‘Rick’ with his friends, has no criminal record, worked at the Tower concrete factory, has – had? – a wife, Christine Averton, who goes by Chloe with her friends, and a year old son, Elliot. The body had been buried in Eltowen forest for a year before being brought intentionally to the morgue, and it presents traces of stab wounds but the supposed cause of death is strangulation. We know Rick didn’t have a good relationship with his family, based on Chloe’s testimony; she said they were quote “oppressive”, “austere” and their house was like a “tyrant’s kingdom”. We can conclude from that he had a fairly strict family, and possibly a tense relationship with them, maybe he cut them off, but we’d need to interrogate the parents to get an even clearer picture. He apparently didn’t have any violent tendencies and a healthy relationship with his wife. There’s a faint chance he drank or smoked on the daily, maybe he would occasionally but I… Forgot to ask about that. Ahem. He also had a colleague with whom he was at least acquaintances with nicknamed Big Bill, aka, Emmanuel Biz. He has been working at Tower for five years now, dropped out of college and is a supposed member of a small group which commits small acts of vandalism around. He himself has been charged with a few accounts of vandalism and destruction of property.”

Vulgora took a deep breath, observing their three colleagues. It was obvious Valdemar was very interested in the autopsy reports, and were focusing on those, while Julian was more interested in Emmanuel Biz’s file. Liam, he, already knew everything, since he’d been accompanying Vulgora through the whole investigation so far. He looked up at them and raised an eyebrow: “Did you manage to contact Volta?”

Vulgora nodded, crossing their arms. “I managed to get her on the phone yeah. She’s pretty busy, but I’m sure she can manage getting us a warrant for the interrogations at Tower soon enough. Maybe next week, though.”

Valdemar chimed in, not looking up from the autopsy reports, eyes fixated on the pictures: “But next week when? More on Monday-Tuesday, Wednesday-Thursday or Friday-Saturday?”

Vulgora blinked, momentarily confused by the question. “Uh… Knowing what the administration is like, probably towards the very end of the week. It could very well be on Saturday at 11PM for all I know.”

Valdemar let out a small hum of acknowledgment before focusing their attention back on the reports. Vulgora spoke again: “Our biggest element so far is Biz and the gang. I am convinced we need to exploit that trail as much as possible.”

Julian looked up from the files, looking slightly skeptical. “You really think our perpetrator is part of a small niche gang…?”

Vulgora huffed. “I am not sure, I’m just saying we should absolutely look into it! That’s all we have!”

Julian nodded, thoughtful. He wasn’t exactly convinced, but the police officer was right… That’s all they had for now. But then he had an idea: “What about the family though?”

Vulgora’s nose scrunched. “I mean… Of course, we’ll have to take care of that too but…” They sighed heavily. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to it – I really don’t want to deal with a bunch of stuck up nun convent whatever the fuck-” They pinched the bridge of their nose, briefly closing their eyes.

“I can always have a chat with them.” Valdemar proposed, turning over yet another page of the autopsy report.

“No no no- We’ll be alright.” Vulgora immediately responded. “It’s not- I’m sure you’re capable of interrogating them, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that administratively speaking if you’re the one collecting testimonies alone then they cannot exactly be considered valid by the court and other officials, because you’re… A surgeon, not a police officer. You feel me?”

Valdemar hummed again, visibly not too bothered, but maybe a tad bit disappointed.

“That makes sense…” Julian agreed “But they could come with you then, since they’re… Usually good at reading people.” He proposed. He and Vulgora shared a glance – none of them were particularly fond of the idea. A sort of tense silence settled, before Liam broke it:

“So. This gang… Where do we start? Are they settled anywhere, or can we find them around Tower?”

“The thing with gangs is they can have a lot of territories.” Vulgora replied. “I would be very surprised if this one did, though. They don’t look particularly aggressive, or involved in any kind of trafficking, drug dealing, I’m not even sure they’re in the uh more problematic streets of Vesuvia.”

“Even if they’re not directly involved they can participate…” Valdemar commented, still absorbed by the autopsy report. Vulgora raised an eyebrow and a look of realization came across their face.

“… Wait but you were involved in trafficking.”

“Hm, was I?” Valdemar replied, almost innocently, while Julian’s face lost a bit of color.

“Yes, organ trafficking! You must know… Someone, something!” Vulgora continued.

Valdemar finally closed the autopsy report as they leaned back in their seat, and started looking at Vulgora, all the while they thought. The police officer sustained their gaze as best as they could but, gods, it was hard. The silence was almost stifling, and the more it went on, the tenser it became, like a rubber bend being endlessly stretched yet on the end of snapping at all times. Everyone was holding their breath…

“… I don’t know how closely linked it is to our little case, but… I might know someone.”

Everyone’s eyes widened as the surgeon finally replied. A spark of determination went through Vulgora’s eyes as they listened on, while Julian and Liam could only wait with baited breath.

“There were a few dropouts at the college I used to teach at. Which was, I suppose, understandable. You don’t exactly know whether you’re fit for medicine until you’re elbow deep into it.” They crossed one leg over the other and folded their hands on their lap, crossing their slender fingers together. “Of course I’ve never heard of an ‘Emmanuel Biz’ in my classes. But there was a boy, Sylvian Chester, who had quit mid-semester. X One random day he came into my office to tell me ‘the fridges say hi’. It was what we called the organ traffickers in the group I was implicated in, the ones who carried the merchandise from the victim to the client. Surgeons – including I – were called ‘knives’, and the should I say supervisors were ‘candies’, because they usually furnished the drugs we used to neutralize the victims. X”

Vulgora took a deep breath to avoid throwing up the contents of their breakfast and Julian looked away, visibly horrified. Liam was… Worried, mainly, albeit a lot.

“You, uhm… Don’t do that anymore, right…?” He inquired with an uneasy smile.

“Hm? Oh, of course not. It was boring, really. I feel much more fulfilled in my current field of work.”

Everyone seemed to relax a tiny bit at their reply.

“But my point is: there is a great chance Sylvian was involved in the criminal world at some point, and maybe he knows something.” They finished.

Vulgora inhaled. “– I should fucking lock you up – Ok. Great. And where can we find him?”

“He’s a waiter at The Ten of Pentacles. I go there often and have seen him a couple of times.”

Julian’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. “The… The Ten of Pentacles? I can’t afford to go there more than twice a year!”

“I went there once for a cousin’s wedding and well it wasn’t bad.” Vulgora commented with a shrug.

“I don’t know what that place is…” Liam said with an awkward smile.

“It’s a restaurant in the Heart District, just two blocks away from the Palace.” Valdemar explained.

“Ah yes. I definitely haven’t been there before.”

“That’s not surprising… That place is the most expensive I’ve seen.” Julian commented.

“It is justified. They are worth the price, in my opinion.” Valdemar said, pushing the autopsy report back towards the main pile of files on the table. “… Say, I could take you three there.”

They all blinked, looking at the surgeon in confusion.

“This way, we can question Sylvian discreetly, without a warrant, and we get to eat at a nice place…” They explained, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“I mean that’s not a bad idea, but Valdemar are you- sure??” Vulgora questioned, visibly taken aback by the sudden invitation. “I’m not sure all of us can afford the restaurant…”

“I’ll pay then.” They shrugged, leaving everyone… Baffled, really. Liam and Julian exchanged more than confused glances.

“I… Suppose we can do this, I- ah… Thank you.”

Valdemar smiled, satisfied with the response and stood up from their chair, sliding their bag over their shoulder. “Perfect. I’ll see you there at noon, then.” They said, somewhat cheerfully, before promptly making their way out of the meeting room, despite Vulgora calling after them.

The room fell silent once again. Everyone was speechless, trying to comprehend where Valdemar’s sudden invitation to eat in the fanciest restaurant of maybe the continent came from. It was a mystery to all three of them, as they exchanged glances, desperately trying to find a miracle answer in each other’s eyes.

“…Weeell… It’s only 10AM, so I suppose we have a bit of time to get ready…” Julian commented, and Vulgora and Liam hummed in agreement, standing up to leave the room themselves, trying to process the confusion this sudden initiative on Valdemar’s part had triggered amongst them all.

[bannière]

“Do you think this will do?” Julian asked Liam, adjusting his red tie. He’d asked the anthropologist to help him out a little bit, since he wasn’t used to making himself more than decent looking, nor was he used to going to fancy places to eat…

“Yeah, just close that…” Liam said, buttoning the doctor’s sleeves. Julian tried to ignore the little sparks of warm electricity that coursed through his chest and hands every time Liam’s fingers accidentally brushed against his own. “Should be good… Do you have any, uhm, I don’t know, cologne?”

Julian nodded. “I should have that somewhere in the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

Liam nodded as he focused on his own outfit. He sighed as he saw the little folds in his tuxedo; he didn’t have an iron, therefore that thing had probably spent its whole life at the back of the closet, seeing the light of day maybe once every few years. He felt self conscious, but he didn’t exactly have anything else. He wasn’t completely tasteless in terms of fashion, but fancy clothes weren’t something he had in his closet… He sighed as he tried to flatten his tuxedo by hand, adjusted his belt and turtleneck and gave himself a once over. He had gone for an all black look, but it could all definitely use some accessories. His golden earrings looked fine, but he couldn’t help but feel it was missing something, like rings, or a watch. And of course, he had none of those. Sure, Julian had some, but they weren’t golden, and wouldn’t match. What about necklaces? No, that wouldn’t work either. He snapped his fingers as he got an idea, and turned around, reaching for the long leather coat he’d brought, just in case. It could very well replace his tuxedo. Yeah! He smiled to himself as he slipped it on. Much better… He glanced at Julian as he came out of the bathroom, smiling slightly. He looked really handsome: his black suit was nicely adorned with golden buttons, and his red, slightly unbuttoned shirt gave the usually formal outfit a sort of openness, as if someone had opened the window to let in some fresh summer morning air. He couldn’t help his gaze from lingering on the other man’s exposed neck, looking at how the lines of his sternocleidomastoid muscles joined his collarbones, and how his Adam’s apple bobbed when he started speaking: “Ok! I think I’m ready. Is there anything you uhm… Need? A shirt, or a ring, or…”

Liam shook his head with a smile. “No, thank you. I’ll be alright for tonight.”

Julian nodded, and took a deep breath. “Well! I suppose the only thing left to do is… Get going.” He smiled at Liam, and briefly looked at him. He loved the way the turtleneck wrapped around his neck and clung to his chest, as if it was giving him a gentle hug, a gentle caress… He could almost feel his thumbs softly trace the edge of his jaw, before he looked back into his eyes for a brief moment. His cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat; “Do uh you uh have everything?”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, I’m all good… Let’s go.” He smiled up at Julian, and both of them exited the building.

Julian parked almost right next to the restaurant, and he and Liam both hesitantly walked closer. They could already tell by the baroque facade that this place was from a world completely different from their own. Women in classy velvet cocktail dresses and men in custom-tailored Italian suits walked in and out of the building, the great double doors being opened for them by a pair of men who were there for that specific purpose. These people exuded wealth from their cars to their laughs, and Liam doesn’t recall feeling more out of place somewhere than in this exact moment. He and Julian nervously followed another couple of clients in the restaurant, and they both found their breaths hitching in their throats as the place’s grandiose decor was revealed to them. The ceiling was high, supported by Greek columns, and from it hung four crystal chandeliers which illuminated the place thanks to maybe a good few hundreds of candles. The walls were sparsely decorated, surprisingly enough, although a discreet mural followed the contours of the main hall. It represented a stream of vines, the green leafy lines guiding the guests’ gaze all around, periodically bringing their attention to a dove couple nestled in a tree or a flock of barn swallows that flew high into the twilight sky in a flurry of soft colors, all of it limited to a somewhat narrow frame compared to the sheer size of the hall – but it’s as if it participated in a perfect equilibrium between the sobriety of the monochromatic mahogany walls and the artistic sensitivity of romantic paintings. Of course, all of it was a very bold decorative choice, yet whoever was responsible for it had somehow made it so it didn’t feel like a patchwork, and instead it looked like an intricate tapestry of different epochs’ architectural signs of wealth.

Julian and Liam swallowed nervously as they made their way further inside. Couches were lined against the walls, accompanied by various rectangular tables, the ones around the center of the hall being circular. The wooden oak and mahogany floor presented discreet [Touraine] patterns, the whole carefully glazed. Their steps would resonate in the hall if it weren’t for the sound of music and chatter covering them. They advanced, but didn’t dare to walk much further than the reception, and even then, they didn’t exactly know what to say to the man behind the marble counter, who had apparently addressed them. Liam and Julian looked at each other awkwardly, trying to stammer a response, when a familiar voice rang just behind them.

“They’re with me, Stephan.” Valdemar said – almost cheerfully – as they walked up behind the pair and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, making Julian visibly tense up. Vulgora was there as well, coming to stand beside the three of them. The receptionist smiled. “Ah, so a table for four, yes?” He inquired, which was confirmed by an affirmative hum from Valdemar. “There’s the booth at the end of the hall which is unoccupied. Please, follow me.” He continued with a smile, writing something down briefly before guiding the group towards said booth. “Who are these gentlemen, if I may ask?” The receptionist couldn’t help but inquire, looking back towards Valdemar briefly. “Long lost cousins.” They replied with a smile. The others looked briefly confused but when they noticed the receptionist smiling from ear to ear, they decided it was best to play along. “Really? That is wonderful! Here, you all get comfortable, I’ll bring in the menus. Ah- Same as usual for the wine?”

“Please.” Valdemar confirmed, nodding. “Thank you Stephan.”

“It’s always a pleasure!” The receptionist replied, before going off to another room behind the counter, back towards the entrance – it looked to be so far away from their booth –.

The group settled down, taking off coats and bags and hanging them to the neatly placed coat hanger right in the corner of the wall. Vulgora had decided to recycle the suit they’d worn for their dinner with Vultur, deeming the red suit and let down hair appropriate enough for the occasion. Valdemar, on their part, was wearing a V cut white button down, the light of the table’s candles dancing on the silky material. The shirt was neatly tucked in a pair of black, high waisted straight pants and the sleeves were rolled up to their elbows. Under their Plender gap rested the pendant of a gold necklace, the little ruby hugged by a thin frame of gold which gave it the shape of a small beetle. As they sat down, Liam briefly caught a whiff of their perfume as well, the scent reminding him of a mix of flower and spice, yet they had managed to make it very discreet. His jaw was hanging slightly slack as he looked at them and how they’d so effortlessly made themselves the very picture of elegance and refinement.

“… Val?” He inquired, to get their attention.

“Hm?”

“… How are we supposed to look good next to you?”

They blinked, seemingly confused by his sudden question. They briefly looked between the others and let out a little ‘oh!’ and a chuckle when it clicked.

“Please, I barely made any efforts.” They replied, adjusting their sleeve a little bit, earning themselves a deadpan and unconvinced look from Vulgora. Even Julian, who probably feared them the most here, had to recognize their taste in fashion.

“If this is what you look like when ‘barely making any efforts’ I can’t even imagine what you look like when you do make efforts.” Liam commented, still trying to come down from his dumbfounded state.

“Oh quit the flattery, will you?” They replied, amused, as they took the menu Stephan had come back to give them and the others.

Once the receptionist left for good, Vulgora couldn’t help but inquire: “Long lost cousins…?”

“Yes,” Valdemar replied, opening the menu. “He wouldn’t have believed me if I said you were friends.”

Everyone looked a little taken aback. It was… Almost sad. But no one commented on it.

The three others instead started looking at the menu quietly, and Julian couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward at the silence that had settled despite the soft background music of the restaurant. He started wondering what he could say or do to break said silence, but his mind was running short on ideas. He didn’t exactly know of a way to have a normal conversation with Valdemar… Fortunately for him, Liam spoke up, and so his shoulders relaxed slightly: “So this… Sylvian. You said he was a student of yours. That means you were a college professor at some point?”

“I was.” Valdemar confirmed, not looking up from the menu. “I even taught your friend Julian here for a couple of years.”

Liam’s eyes widened and turned to the other doctor. “Really?”

Julian nodded, with a sigh. “Yes, they… Were my college professor for about half of my degree.”

“How was it?” Liam inquired, seemingly very interested.

“Yes, how was it Julian?” Valdemar said, briefly glancing up from their menu with a mischievous smirk.

Julian greeted his teeth. “Oh, well… It was… Something alright.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I can’t deny they were a good professor but I can strongly disagree with their teaching methods.”

Valdemar chuckled. “Yes, administration did end up asking me not to bring real brains for the lectures at some point… I always thought it was best to work with the real thing as soon as possible, but alas.” They shrugged, while Julian gave an awkward chuckle.

“Yes… Real brains… I don’t even want to think of where you got your hands on them…”

Valdemar chuckled once more before surprisingly enough Vulgora chimed in: “Were you in any sports team?” They asked the hematologist, curious.

Julian shook his head. “No, I didn’t exactly have time for that. I’d occasionally go for a jog, but nothing more than that.”

Vulgora rolled their eyes in response, slightly disappointed, while Valdemar shot him a skeptical – and almost disapproving – glance. “Yes, unless sleeping around does count as a sport, Mr. 69.”

Julian’s cheeks suddenly flushed bright red and he stammered: “H-Hey!! That’s none of your business!”

“It is not, and I had already heard more than I would’ve liked back then.” Valdemar grumbled, looking back at the menu. Vulgora let out a bark of laughter while Liam looked back at Julian, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Ha! So you weren’t completely physically inactive, were you?” The police officer teased, a wide grin on their face. “Shit, you might’ve not been too bad either, they gave you a nickname and all!”

Julian was stuttering, trying to justify himself, while Liam quietly laughed at the others’ antics.

“Gods, there was even a rumor at some point he’d slept with me too.” Valdemar mumbled, visible disgust on their face. “I’m shuddering just thinking about it.”

“I would rather kill myself-” Julian said, visibly horrified.

“Me too.” The surgeon replied, their nose scrunched up.

“I don’t really know how you dealt with that rumor but it really disappeared in a snap of fingers – thank The Arcana –.”

“Oh well, I’d gathered the various culprits in my office, explained in details why this rumor was wrong and forced them to watch me dissect a brain. That certainly shut their mouths.”

“I’m… Not surprised.” Julian said with an awkward chuckle.

“Have you gentlemen chosen what you would like to eat?” The waitress that had approached their table suddenly said, putting an end to the subject of the conversation.

After everybody ordered, Valdemar briefly caught her attention: “Do you know if Sylvian is working today?” They asked, and the waitress nodded.

“He is.” She replied, smiling politely.

“Wonderful – do you think you could go get him for me please?” Valdemar requested, a slight, polite smile on their face.

“Certainly, but maybe he’ll be available later, we’ve got a bit more clients than usual today…” she replied, apologetic.

“It’s alright, just send him when he’s done.”

The waitress nodded and walked away, going to the kitchens to give the cooks their table’s order.

Vulgora raised an eyebrow. “It looks like you’re friends with all the staff…”

Valdemar shrugged. “As I said this morning, I come here often. I suppose I got familiar with the place, yes.”

“You come here with who, if I may ask?” Liam chimed in, curious.

“Alone.” they replied, shrugging.

“Really? Not even with family?” he inquired, curious.

“Family? Oh please. I cut them off a while ago.”

“Really? Oh gods, I didn’t know, I’m sorry…”

They waved their hand dismissively “Nothing to be sorry about.”

Julian was surprised as well. “And why did you cut them off? You don’t strike me as the type to be petty, so I assume it’s pretty serious…”

“Strange wording on your part, but you’re right.” Julian cleared his throat and briefly looked away, embarrassed, but they continued. “When I graduated high school and started looking for medical schools, they started acting… Weird, really. But even more so after my 18th birthday.” They shook their head, as if they were annoyed. “Then they started talking about marriage… Can you believe that? My mother and aunts in particular. It was the main talking point of every single family reunion – Valdemar, are you seeing anyone? Valdemar, what do you think of ‘random guy I had never seen before’ and so on.”

Liam’s face scrunched slightly. “That sounds… Particularly unpleasant.”

“Oh it was.” Valdemar confirmed. They had everyone’s attention, since it was… Well, one of the rare instances where they talked about something else other than whatever skull surgery they’d performed the other day. “They became insistent, to the point they’d bring in people and present them to me, saying they were suitable spouses. It was… Annoying, quite frankly. I’ve never had any interest in romance, much less marriage, and so I ended up telling them. I had been patient enough. I wanted to focus on my carrier, not… Whatever that was.” A waiter came by and poured them a glass of the wine they’d ordered. They murmured a little ‘thank you’ before taking a sip. “Naturally, they were a little frustrated, and the more I refused their propositions and brushed off their remarks, the more they started to leave me alone. That was a relief, for a while, all up until my maybe… Third year of medical school. That’s when I had come out of the closet to them – I remember distinctly, it was the winter solstice – and they… Did not appreciate it.” They chuckled and took another sip of wine. Everyone was waiting for what was next with baited breath. “They went on to say if I didn’t get married in two years they would stop funding my studies. Guess what happened.”

“They cut you off?” Julian said, visibly surprised. “I’d always thought you’d paid for everything yourself.” Valdemar shook their head.

“No, at least not while I was still in school. Sure, I was paying for my books and tools, the material and everything but the tuition fees were paid by my family. And well, when two years later I was still not married they cut everything off. I had a little bit of money saved up but I needed to find a solution quickly. Hence the… Ah, trafficking business.”

Vulgora’s jaw was hanging slack. “… Oh wow. I never thought you would’ve done that out of necessity.”

“I would’ve never imagined it either.” They chuckled.

“I was persuaded you were doing it out of… Passion.” The police officer said, with a hint of disgust.

“I initially was, but well, it became boring quite quickly. It took you guys a while to find out too.” They added with a chuckle, making Vulgora huff.

“Yeah? So what if you’d stopped by the time we caught you? At least we did.”

“At least you did, I suppose…” They said, smugly sipping their wine.

“It’s still sad you had to go to such extremes to get your degree…” Liam commented.

“Oh but I still chose to go to such extremes.” They replied, smiling, making Julian shudder slightly. “So yes, that’s the whole story, and why I don’t talk to my family anymore.”

“Well that was certainly something…” Liam said, seemingly in awe at their story.

As Valdemar sipped their wine some more, the brief silence that followed their sudden storytelling made them realize just what they’d revealed. They felt their cheeks heat up and discreetly looked off to the side to hide it, their heart looping in their chest with embarrassment. Gods, what had come over them?? They had barely been around these people for more than a few days and they were already laying on the table important bits of their life to them just like that! They usually were a fairly private person… They decided it was probably because they hadn’t had a casual conversation in a while, and reminded themselves to make sure this didn’t happen again. Meanwhile, Vulgora let their eyes drift and look at the restaurant’s interior. They weren’t really impressed. The place was nice, sure, but they were always sort of immune to displays of wealth like these. The mural was interesting, though. They liked the way the barn swallows were painted. They didn’t even notice the way the silence settled amidst them four until they looked back at Julian and Liam, who were looking at them expectantly. They raised a questioning eyebrow and Liam spoke up: “I just thought you were going to say something.”

“Oh- uh… No, I wasn’t.” They paused, and seeing how the silence uncomfortably stretched, they felt obligated to say something. “I uh I mean uh-” They cleared their throat and sat a little straighter in their chair. “Valdemar and Julian went to med school, but… What about you, Liam? Where did you go?” They asked, hoping to strike conversation and make things less awkward.

“Me? Ah well it’s a… Complicated story. I didn’t exactly study for my job per se, I was actually trained on the field – if I can say that.” Liam replied, smiling sheepishly.

Vulgora raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and Valdemar was secretly thankful for the change of topic. “Oh yeah? So you didn’t go to… Uh corpse lover school or whatever it’s called?” The police officer asked, making Liam roll his eyes.

“No, I didn’t go to bone freak school.” He replied with a chuckle.

“Ah you saw that-” Vulgora replied, letting out a chuckle themselves.

“I did. Anyways, no, I didn’t go to a specialized school… The thing is, uhm, I arrived to Vesuvia during a very peculiar time, both for me and the city actually.” Liam paused, trying to find his words. “It was around that time the Flooded District got flooded again because of the heavy rains, and like very old corpses were floating back to the surface-”

“Ouch, yeah, I remember that…” Vulogra said, cringing slightly.

“Everyone was panicking, it was a whole mess.” Julian agreed, nodding.

“I know right? And well the police was in need of some help, to like identify the bodies because they didn’t have enough scientist for it. And so since I had just arrived and didn’t have a job or an apartment yet I volunteered, they took me in and trained me and that’s how I ended up a professional forensic anthropologist.” He continued, smiling.

“That’s nice, but why didn’t you have a job or apartment? Did you decide to come to Vesuvia on a ‘coup de tête’?” Valdemar inquired, invested in the conversation.

“Well, technically… Yes. Yes I did. I uh… Had problems back home.” Liam replied, slightly uneasy.

“Problems?”

“Yes I – well. Back in my country the death penalty is still a thing. And because of a terrible misunderstanding, I nearly got sentenced to death so I… Even after the court realized I was innocent and literally had nothing to do with what had happened, you know, I thought it was a good idea to leave, actually.”

Julian’s jaw dropped and well generally everyone’s eyes widened a bit.

“That… Was a wise decision, yes.” Valdemar commented, mildly shocked.

“...Alright, well might as well all trauma dump from the get go!” Vulgora said, smiling, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. “I’ll go next. Personally, I uh…” They paused, their cheeks reddening slightly. Maybe they had spoken up a little too fast… But there was no going back now. They cleared their throat and got a hold of themselves. “Well. Liam knows a little bit already, but… I grew up in the suburbs with my mom, my dad was a soldier and he died on the battlefield… uhm… I don’t have any known living relatives and- and I tried joining the army, but I had a hard time getting along with the regiment and didn’t… Obey my superiors much either so eventually I was just. Kicked out.” They paused, clearing their throat. “But after a few years, the Police of Vesuvia was looking for new police officer so I joined and uh I am now where I am.” They stopped there, their cheeks flushing slightly red in embarrassment. They and Valdemar were usually pretty private persons, so talking about their stories like that – even if it wasn’t in overwhelming detail – was unusual. Liam smiled at them.

“Well, that sounds like quite the upbringing… What about you, Julian?”

Vulgora shifted their attention to the hematologist, glad that they weren’t questioned further about their past. They could feel Valdemar’s eyes lingering on them for a while before turning to Julian. The doctor chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

“Well. It might not be as impressive as your stories but… I and Pasha – my sister – personally grew up with our adoptive grandma Mazelinka. Uhm when I was about thirty I was wrongly accused of murder back in Nevivon, so I too fled to Vesuvia to be safe,” he glanced at Liam, now noticing the similarities between their respective stories. He gave him a brief smile before continuing: “and back there I was a doctor in the army. Uhm so basically I was accused of purposefully letting a colonel die which was… Never the case, I can assure you. And so when I arrived in Vesuvia with Mazelinka and Pasha I tried to find work, but I just ended up going to college, you know, medical school and began – and finished – my hematology studies there. Eventually the charges against me back in Nevivon were dropped, but I liked it so much here in Vesuvia I didn’t want to go back.” He stopped there, as the others nodded and mumbled between themselves.

When the food was brought to their table the conversation came back to lighter topics such as work and daily life. Liam was itching to talk about the investigation, but he knew that it wasn’t safe to do in public. He thought about it while quietly chewing – and savoring – his salmon tartare, up until another face came up to the table. Valdemar let out a little ‘ah!’ and turned to look at the waiter that had just approached.

“Sylvian.” They greeted, politely yet somewhat warmly.

“Valdemar. You asked for me?” The waiter responded, nodding quietly.

“Yes, well, you know, I just wanted to know how my student was doing. It has been a while after all.”

Sylvian chuckled “It has… Well, life has been good recently, I… I left that group.”

“That is good for you.” Valdemar approved, even though to Vulgora, who knew them better than the rest of the group, it sounded almost like fake concern, as if they were “interested” in what was said to them only out of necessity.

“But temporarily, I joined another one… They were all really nice, but I realized if I wanted to get my life back together I’d have to leave them too.”

“Another group? Which one?” Valdemar inquired, curious and falsely concerned.

“Well they don’t exactly have a name but they have a… Small territory, I think I can say that, around the South End and Red Street. They also go around the Tower factory sometimes, so I would just advise you to… Avoid those places when you can.” Sylvian smiled slightly.

“That I will remember.” Valdemar replied with a smile of their own.

The conversation went on for a little while, but Valdemar wasn’t exactly paying attention anymore. Vulgora was discreetly typing down in their notes app what they’d just heard, Liam was focused on finishing his plate and he and Julian seemed to be forming plans and theories about what would come next…

When Sylvian left, Valdemar turned their attention back to the group. They raised their glass of wine, a small, satisfied smile on their face. “There you have it.”

Liam smiled while Vulgora grumbled. “Well that was easier than I was expecting…” They commented, putting their phone back in their pocket. Valdemar raised an eyebrow, visibly in the mood for tease.

“A ‘thank you’ surely wouldn’t be the death of you…”

Vulgora groaned. “Please, you did what you were supposed to. You’re working on this case like everyone else.”

“’Thank you Valdemar for giving us new, crucial information via your personal sources~’”

Vulgora sighed heavily, looking back at them. Oh they didn’t want to give them what they wanted, they really didn’t- “… Thank you.” They mumbled, rolling their eyes, barely audible.

“You’re very welcome.” Valdemar replied smugly, putting down their glass of wine. “Dessert?”

A little while after the group finished all their plates, they decided it was time to part ways. Liam and Julian expressed concerns about paying their parts of the meal, seeing how expensive it was, but Valdemar waved it off with a simple “I’ll pay.” The two men tried to negotiate, to split the bill maybe but Valdemar insisted on paying for everyone. Eventually the others gave up trying to argue and let them pay…

Liam closed the door of his apartment and let out a heavy sigh, the events of this early afternoon replaying endlessly in his mind. It had been… A long time, since he’d gone out with friends. Or, at least, what felt like friends… He tossed his bag on the floor and went to lay down in bed, contemplating the ceiling for a good hour, the familiar obscurity of his bedroom enveloping him softly despite the fact it was very much daytime. That’s when he noticed it had been a while since he’d opened his blinds…

PLEASE let me know if I forgot warnings

Author's note: long ass chapter... BUT I LOVED WRITING IT WREEEE

I hope you still love how the story is going !! :D I definitely have some fun things planned ahead ehheheeh

[distracted-obsessions]

Can't You Hear Me Scream? Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3 | Masterlist

Warnings: Shock collars, Mal is called 'it', electrocution, Tell me if I need to tag more.

.....................................................

Mal always loved missions. They always left him bruised and with a headache but there was something in him, a bloodlust that made the aches and pains worth it. It made everything worth it, even the fear from his team and the looks of revulsion and disgust from the people he chased down.

His body practically thrumed with excitement as the van rounded another curve, the siren hurting his ears and filling him with adrenaline. His hands had shook when he switched out his normal collar to his battle collar. His battle collar was his favorite. It has no automatic shock condition and was instead fully controlled by Simon. He supposed it could have been better but Simon was very careful with the shocks, preferring to settle things in public with as little pain as possible.

The van screeched to a stop at an overturned car and Mal waited as everyone else got their weapons, his knee bouncing so quickly that it made his entire body tremble. Simon grabbed his only weapon, the control to Mal's collar, and pointed at the doors.

Everyone instantly filed out with Mal bouncing out after them. Maya activated her boots and flew up to get an aerial view of the situation, Liam activated his stealth tech and disappeared, and Kate slammed her hands together, activating her gloves and making them glow red as she ran off in the direction of the destruction.

Mal stayed next to Simon. Simon preferred it that way and Mal didn't care, so lost in that bloodlust that even words seemed out of reach. Mal was just a weapon at that point and he couldn't care less if he tried.

They came across henchmen first who were either sent running by Simon or were dealt with by Mal who tackled them and put sleeping patches on their necks to be picked up later. By the fourth henchman, Mal was practically purring with delight.

When they reached the center of the disaster, they found The Deceiver (or an egotistical brat as Kate called him) sitting on a floating throne, perfectly relaxed dispite the screaming civilians underneath him and Simon in front of him.

"Hello, Mindmender," The Deceiver said, greeting Simon with a smile like Simon was an old friend.

"Deceiver," Simon greeted, much more emotionless.

"You know, I've never liked our names together," The Deceiver said thoughtfully. "Mindmender. Deceiver. I mean, they did everything short of telling us that we were going to be rivals. Maybe they should have said it. It would have hurt you less."

Simon glared and snapped his fingers. The other three dropped down behind him, matching sharp looks on their faces. "I'm not here to play."

The Deceiver smiled, a twisted little grin that made Mal nervous. "Too bad." The Deceiver pointed and a horde of henchmen came forward.

The battle was fierce. Mal lost himself in the fight, growls blending into each other as he dealt with henchman after henchman. When it became clear that The Deceiver was going to lose, he jumped from his throne and started to run.

"Mal!" Simon yelled, pointing over at The Deceiver.

Mal ran after him, practically giggling in delight. The Deceiver glanced back and Mal just barely caught the look of surprise before he tackled The Deceiver. They rolled and Mal ended up on top, grinning. He reached to grab a sleep patch-

"Puppy!"

Mal stopped and looked down at The Deceiver. He was... smiling? And looking at Mal like Mal was... cute? He reached up to scratch behind Mal's ear, making Mal's body relax slightly. He braced himself on The Deceiver's chest and tilted his head in confusion.

"I mean look at you! You're just having the time of your life, aren't you? Stars, you remind me of Ollie. They like to play too."

"I'm not... playing," Mal said slowly, unable to pull away from the light scratching. "I'm being scary."

The Deceiver laughed. "You're adorable! Who told you that?" He seemed to wait for an answer and when he didn't get one, the smile slid off his face, replaced with something that almost looked... concerned? "Who told you that?" He repeated, his tone more somber.

"MAL!"

Mal flinched at Simon's voice and scrambled for the sleep patch but The Deceiver suddenly thrust his hips up and rolled them over, knocking Mal off of him. He was... shockingly careful about it. He even cradled Mal's head so it wouldn't hit the ground before he got to his feet and jumped into an open manhole.

Mal laid on the ground until he heard footsteps. He could feel fury that didn't come from him coiling around his heart and squeezing, making him gasp. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see Simon, and let out a yelp when he was forcefully dragged to his feet and pinned to the wall.

"What the hell was that, Mal!?" Simon yelled in his face. Mal didn't answer. He felt a sudden harsh slap across his face. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Mal opened his eyes, staring into Simon's. They were glowing a bright red that made Mal tense all of his muscles just to stop himself from trying to run. "S-sir, I-"

"You what, Mal?" Simon hissed, his voice echoing strangely. "You just sat there and let him get away? You managed to lose public enemy number 1 despite literally sitting on him? Is that what you did?"

"Sir-"

Simon shoved away from Mal and held up the little remote. Mal's eyes widened but before he could plead for mercy, Simon pressed the button.

The world disappeared in a haze of blinding white pain. Electricity arched over his skin, the sensitive scent gland on his neck, and down through his bones. He could hear himself scream as he crumpled to the ground, hitting his head against the pavement. The sudden dull pain running through his head was almost welcome as a distraction from the lightning in his blood.

All at once, it stopped. Mal was left twitching on the ground, trying to breathe. He blinked to try and make the world refocus, and saw Simon standing over him, yellow tendrils of light floating off of his shoulders.

No. Not yellow. Please-

They shot out and dug into Mal's chest, sending him into what felt like a hyperaware panic attack. He screamed again, this time in abject terror as Simon slowly leaned down into his face.

"17 people died today," Simon said, speaking dangerously quietly. "And when he comes back and takes more innocent lives, they will be on your head."

"I'm sorry!" Mal said, speaking desperately through tears and tremors. "I'm s-sorry, I'll do better next time, I swear, please, Sir!"

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Simon raised the remote again. Mal screamed and backed away, incoherent pleas falling from his lips.

"Simon, that's enough!"

Two sets of eyes turned towards Kate. Kate stomped forward and grabbed the remote out of Simon's hand. "It's just a wolf, Simon! Do you really think it could have stood up to anything the Deceiver told it? You're just being mean because you're upset. Go take a breather. I'll deal with the wolf."

Simon glared at Kate but the yellow light disappeared and he stomped off. Mal collapsed into a puddle of relief, gasping for air and trying not to cry. He felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched away, instantly regretting that as his entire body complained at the sharp movement. The throbbing in his head was no longer welcome as he tried to look up. He saw Kate crouching in front of him, watching him with annoyance and maybe pity?

"Hey, Mal. Time to go." She gestured back towards the van.

Mal just stared.

"Can you stand?"

Mal shook his head.

Kate sighed in annoyance and helped Mal up, not being rough but not exactly being gentle either. She flung Mal's arm over her shoulder and guided him towards the van.

"When Maya asks, don't tell her about Simon," Kate said as Mal half walked, half dragged himself along. "It'll make her upset. Just tell her that The Deciver gave you a beatdown. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Mal mumbled, wishing his body was in less pain so that he could feel the warmth of her touch.

"Good," Kate said, then added in a quieter voice, "He shouldn't have done that."

"'s not that big of a deal," Mal said, trying to make it smaller in his own head. It's not a big deal. It was my fault anyway. I deserved it.

"Right. Get some sleep tonight."

[chronicbeans]

Welcome Home Fae AU x Human Reader (Prologue? Concept?)

While trying to figure out what type of fae folk the other neighbors would be, I kinda came up with this idea if how an x Reader fic might start out. It only really has Wally and the Reader interact, since he is the only fae character I have made, and Eddie is stuck in the Fairy Realm. I just wanted to write it down before I lost it in all my other thoughts. As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated! OwO

TW: Small Mention of Threatened Harm

You watch your father cradle the small baby in his arms, which, in all the years that it has spent in your family, has never grown at all. How many years has it been? Fifteen? Twenty? It doesn't matter exactly. It disturbs and saddens you that this baby, who was acquired before you were even born, has not grown an inch, while you are now an adult.

Your father sighs, rocking in his rocking chair. His hair is a mess and his shirt covered in dirt. "It will be okay, little fella," he says, letting the small babe in his arms grab onto his finger "the wet nurse should be here, soon. Mom may have left, but we can still feed you once the nurse arrives. Isn't that right, (Y/N)?" You weakly smile, nodding "Yeah. She should be here in a couple of minutes. Let me light some candles to warm you up, Liam. I know you don't like fire, so the candles will be a bit better than the fireplace." You hurry over, lighting a few candles as your father mutters a soft "Thank you, sweetie. That would be lovely."

Once you return with the candles, you set them down on the table near your father's rocking chair. He hums, seemingly trying to soothe the now crying baby in his arms. Then, he looks over to you as he asks "Did I ever tell you why I never leave Liam alone?" You nod in response "People want to hurt him, right? They want to hurt him because he never grows." "Yes... but there is more. You see-" the front door to your little cottage resounds as the nurse knocks on it. "I will tell you later. Would you be a dear and go pick some berries from the forest? Some mushrooms, too. I will make us some dinner to eat while we talk."

With that, you take your daily stroll through the woods. Your cartage is close to Faeshire, but not so close as to be able to see the village. There is no path to and from the village from your cottage, either. Your father explained it as a way to protect Liam from the people who wish to hurt him. He even said that it was why he left his mother. She wanted to hurt him, too. The only situation you have heard about that is similar to Liam's is... well, fae folk got involved somehow and messed things up. Despite this, it is clear that your father loves Liam very much, despite his oddities. Who wouldn't? Liam is so sweet and has done nothing wrong...

You are so lost in though, you didn't realize that you were also physically lost in the woods. You look left and right, unable to spot your cottage or Faeshire. You do, however, see a berry bush nearby, deciding that you might as well check them out. They... LOOK edible, but you have never seen them before. Neither have you seen the oddly colored mushroom ring a few feet from the bush, or the singular apple tree a few feet further. Stepping closer the the strange ring, you instantly recognize it as a fairy ring. Blues, reds, yellows and even purples and greens all dust the mushroom tops. You stand a few feet away from the fairy ring, knowing full well that it acts as a transport to the Fairy Realm.

A rustle in the apple tree catches your attention. You look up, expecting to see a squirrel getting ready for winter. It is late autumn, after all. Instead, you see a pair of dark eyes peering through the leaves, as well as a few specks of yellow and blue peeking through. Letting out a yelp, you step back a few paces, causing a snicker to emit from whatever is in the tree. "Hello, human!" A monotone voice says, followed by a few more rustles as the creature climbs down the tree to a lower branch.

Within moments, you finally get to see what it is. A man... no... thing is sitting on a branch. Its yellow skin contrasts its blue hair, which has a few tree branches seemingly tangled or growing alongside it, neatly styled alongside the hair itself. The large, dark eyes stare you down as it grins, a set of pearly white teeth seeming out of place for this clearly inhuman creature. You point to it, your hand shaking as you ask "You are a fae, right? What are you" "Wally Darling, dear human! Do not be afraid. I'm a simple dryad. A kindly dryad. Much better than a pixie or a troll."

You relax slightly. Yes... The dryad are naturally kind, as long as you do not harm the trees. You haven't done so, so this dryad should be kind to you, right? Might as well shoot your shot and see if it can point you in the direction of home, or to Faeshire. Either one is good. "Okay... I am so sorry for asking, Wally, but... Can you help me home? I live in a cottage not far from Faeshire. I lost my way while searching for berries and mushrooms for my father. I am not asking for much more than a simple point of the finger towards either place." He leans back in the tree, resting his back against the bark of the trunk as his legs lie along a large branch. "Hmmm... That should be easy. Too easy. There is something else on your mind, I can tell. A little-big brother, perhaps?" Your eyes widen. How does he know?

He then chuckles as your expression, pointing to you "Here's a little deal for you, human! I know that you want help with his situation. I'll point you in the direction of your cottage, like you asked so kindly for. Once you get home, I'll give you... let's say three days to bring your little-big brother to me. After that, we shall make another deal that gives me something proper in return. The first two days should be spent getting both yourself and your brother prepared for the cold. Then, on the third, simply walk in a straight line through the woods, and I shall put you on course to this exact location. Got it?"

You stand as still as stone, staring up at him. This deal is a bad idea, you know for sure. Deals between humans and fae almost always go wrong. In fact, you are pretty sure they never go right for the human, which... well, you are the human in this deal. The sky is growing darker, though, and the cold is slowly seeping through your cloak to the very marrow of your bones. You didn't dress for the weather, due to only expecting to be out for an hour or so. Soon enough, when the sky goes pitch black with night, the air will freeze you as you wander blindly through the forest. Not only that, but this dryad seems determined to make a deal. Yes, the dryad's are naturally kind to good humans... but what if this one doesn't see you as kind? It may use whatever powers it has to make you even more lost if you don't agree.

"Okay... I agree." It grins, with a smile as wide and sly as a cheshire cat. "Good human. Now, let me see... Over there is the best path. It has the most edible berries and mushrooms, and will lead you straight to your cottage." It points somewhere behind you. As you take a few steps in the direction it pointed in, the dryad calls out "I'll be sure to keep you safe on your way." Then, you hear it scuttle back up its tree.

It was right, as within a mere minute, you have mysteriously arrived home, your basket full of berries and mushrooms and your father holding you tightly. "Never go missing like that again, (Y/N)! I was worried someone might have hurt you, or worse..." "Don't worry, dad. I was just a bit lost. On the bright side, I have brought us a lot of berries and mushrooms for dinner. I don't know what you would make with these... but whatever you make is fine."

You look down into your basket to count how many mushrooms you got, only to be surprised by an odd fruit in the basket. Picking it up, you see a nice, ripe, red delicious apple has somehow found its way into your basket.