#like my first instinct is to say anything after the ending of chapter 2 but sapphire doesn't show up until chapter 3???

[tw1l1te]

The Final Promise₊˚✩⊹

Chapter 2

Linked Universe x reader

Warnings: Angst, fluff, soft and domestic, suggestive themes

Authors note: I was too excited to not post this lmao :3c

Time seemed to stop, and you didn’t mean by the Old Man.

Time literally seemed to halt. You stared at Rusl, trying to find any signs of lying or amusement in his eyes, as if this was some joke. A cruel, twisted joke.

“W-what?” you asked, the only word you could muster. You could feel your fingers shake on the table. You didn’t want to believe what Rusl said, or did you? You weren’t sure. 

You weren’t sure if you’d accepted the fact on whether or not you were coming home ever again, but you didn’t think it would happen now, or so soon. Maybe Hylia wanted to see how your head would react. A twisted game for her, like it always is.

“Are you sure that’s what she said? Maybe she meant something else-"I know what she said. I may be old, but I saw what she wrote clear as day. There’s another mirror.”

Before anyone could say anything else, you stormed out of the cottage, the door squeaking on it hinges as you storm out.

“Y/n! Wait!!” Hyrule yells after you.

Before you could stop yourself to calm down, you break into a spring, heading straight towards the forest. You needed to run. Run. RUN.

This couldn’t be happening. You researched and combed through Hyrule Castle’s archives to find any sliver of hope that you’d be able to come home. Even if it said it was impossible, you never found anything to begin with. You had no answers.

You don't know when you stopped running, you panted as you sat up against a tree, silent tears running down your cheeks and down your neck. Breathing was so difficult, you began hiccuping and hyperventilating, gripping onto your hair for any kind of grounding back into reality. That’s when you felt something wet on your forehead.

Looking up, you were relieved for it to just be Wolfie, or Twilight. 

“Twilight you shouldn’t have followed me.” you whispered into his fur.

Twilight turned back into his Hylian form, your face still in his pelt. 

“I needed to make sure you were okay. Can’t leave you alone, especially in Faron Woods. Who knows what’s still out here,” he murmured into your hair, combing through your sweaty locks. He kissed the top of your forehead, hesitating before pulling back.

“It’s gonna be okay, Y/n. I promise. We’ll be with you, every step of the way, ok? We’re gonna find you a way to go home. Whether it be this lead or if we find something else.”

You sighed. Twilight was always the more outwardly calm person in the chain, alongside Time and Warriors. 

“Twilight that’s the thing… I’m not even sure if I want to go home. It’s probably been years back home, hell I don’t even know if I have my apartment or my friends or… But its not like I don’t want you, y’know? I’ve been dreaming of going home since I first came here, I’d been up for nights at a time just researching in the underground library archives. I-I don’t know what to do or think, Twi.” you rambled, voice breaking at the end, letting more tears slip out.

“Although I don’t know exactly what you’re feelin’, I’m here for you, whatever it is that happens. We’re all here for you.”

He takes a breath.

“Speaking of the others, we should head back to the village, the others are probably worried sick about you.”

You nodded without a word, getting up and making back to Ordon Village together, Twilight wrapping his pelt around your shoulders. It smelled like him, you thought. 

~

Twilight never gives anyone his pelt, its the one thing he sees as his. So why’d he give it to you? He has no idea. Instinct, he thinks. It’s cold, you needed it more than him. He looks down at you, your pink cheeks and wet lashes making you look more fragile and doll-like. Your cute nose sniffing every few seconds, breathing in the cold air. Your ears were so small, littered with at least 3 or 4 piercings, one of which was a triforce. 

Twilight smiles slightly. He always liked the little pieces of “memorabilia” you had of them. It was incredibly strange and unsettling when they first found out, but he sees it more as like your belonging to them admiration of them.

Twilight’s train of thought stopped for a moment.

Where the hell did that thought come from?

Before he could ruminate on his psyche, he’s shaken out of his thoughts by Wind yelling “Oh thank fucking Hylia!”

~

You came back into Twilight’s treehouse, heading toward the bathroom to take a warm bath. You noticed that the tub was already filled, hot steam coming off the surface of the water. You’d have to thank whoever drew you the bath.

Stripping your clothes, you set them in a pile near the door. You step into the tub, wincing slightly at the hot water making contact with your skin. It was a bit too hot for you, but you knew the water will cool off fast enough, so you powered through it.

You sighed. This was nice. Even with the chaotic stream of thoughts coursing through your head, the bath seemed to dull it, even for just a moment. You grab your hair and start combing through it, no doubt getting knots from running through the woods earlier. You look at the necklace Four made for you a few months ago. It was to commemorate a year being with the Chain, which in retrospect should’ve made you sad, but it made you extremely happy and grateful for everyone in the group

You knew it was much easier to come across rarer metals and jewels here than back home, but you were still just as in shock when you realized what it was made of. You remember sobbing from joy when you received it, as you never held something so expensive and meaningful in your entire life.

The necklace was made of metal sourced from Death Mountain but you had no clue what the gem in the triangle shaped cavity was. It looked like emerald, but the boys said it wasn’t that, and that they won't tell you. They were so petty at times.

You were startled out of your thoughts when there was a knock at the door.

“I brought you some fresh clothes, Dove.” Ah Sky, honestly you were a little relieved it wasn’t Legend or Wars, knowing they’d say something snarky or suggestive.

“Come in Sky.” 

You could hear the cogs turning in his head for a moment before he entered, red in the face. You almost laughed at what you were seeing.

Sky turned his head away from you and covered his eyes, just to spare you some dignity.

“I-uh gave you one of my older shirts since you don’t have any other clean ones and its thicker, so it’ll help keep you warm and it has-”

“Sky, for the love of god you’re making this more awkward than it has to be. You’re sweet for being so thoughtful, but we’re both adults Pumpkin.” you mused, chuckling a bit.

Sky finally made eye contact with you, but still avoided your eyes for the most part.

“Right. Um, well, I’ll just leave these on the chair then.”

Sky then stared at you. Not in a creepy way, just in admiration and awe. Luckily, the rest of your body was hidden under the bubbles of the soap in the water, so its not like he could see anything anyway.

He then walked up to you and sat down outside of the tub, still gazing at you.

“I was so worried about you earlier, Songbird. Are you alright now?” he asked, worry crossing his face.

You sighed. Ever the most thoughtful. Bringing your hands from under the water, you cup his cheeks looking right into his eyes.

“Don’t worry so much about me, Sky. I’m fine now. Twilight calmed me down a bit, but you know how shocking such information can be. I just need a bit to process, y’know? I’ll be fine though.”

You gave him a small smile, trying to read the thoughts behind his eyes. He just kept looking at you. You swear he looked at your lips a few times. Biting his lip, he asked “Can I wash your hair for you? No offense at all, I just wanted to offer because you never know when the next time we’ll get to be clean again.”

You nodded with a smile, sitting back against the porcelain tub, handing Sky the glass bottle of soap. As soon as he lathered his hands, he started massaging your scalp, a feeling you’ve missed so much. 

“Fuck, Sky, that feels so good.” you said, not realizing the tone or implication you said it in.

Sky’s breath hitched, but you didn’t catch it, too busy on the sensations on your scalp.

“Yeah?” he whispered, looking at your bare shoulders that were littered with scars from your journey with them, wishing he could wash them away. He felt his ears get hot from your soft sounds, happy that you felt so comfortable and wishing you’d make those sounds more often  domestic with him.

Suddenly the movement stops. Opening your eyes, you turn your head over your shoulder, almost jumping at how close his face is. Your gaze flickered to his lips, almost as if it was instinct.

“Sky… I-” “I’ll let you finish up.” And with that, he left, softly shutting the door behind him.

~

What the HELL is he thinking???

Sky gripped his hair, walking down the hallway, panting slightly.

He was so… close to you. He could smell the soap on your skin. He could see the different colors in your eyes. He felt strange. He knew he liked you… and not just as companions or friends… he wanted more. He felt happier, lighter since you came around. He genuinely laughed for the first time in ages.

It seemed like there was a spark of sorts between the two of you, but he didn’t want to assume or jump into anything… yet, at least. He needed a minute to calm down.

[ashleyfilm]

Seeing Clearly - Chapter 9. The Bison

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday! Enjoy a little bit of Jealous Joel today :)

Chapter Warnings: cursing, angst, alcohol consumption, negative talk about body image (not by Joel) - Minors - DNI

Characters: Jackson!Joel Miller x F!OC Plus Size Reader

Chapter Summary: A night at the Tipsy Bison brings you closer to Joel and his family. 2.3K

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8

Chapter 9. The Tipsy Bison

You have your first patrol with Joel in the morning. It’s weird, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. You want to feel like you’re contributing but it’s scary beyond the walls and you didn’t realize how much you’ve started to familiarize with the comfort that Jackson brings. On the other hand, you feel similarly conflicting feelings about seeing your patrol partner. Joel Fucking Miller. He’s under your skin. He’s made you feel safe, made you feel alive, but he's also pulled the rug out from under you, abandoned you, and hurt you. And after last night when he came to your room, open and honest, you let him right back in. He’s so infuriating. He’s funny and warm and fucking sexy and then he’s cold, mean, detached. It’s like fucking whiplash.

As you wrestle with all these thoughts inside the dining hall, Maria notices you. “Ash, hey, you okay? She asks softly, not wanting to startle you. You meet her gaze and realize everything you’d been thinking is written all over your face. God, why am I like this? “Hi Maria, I’m fine, just nervous about patrol. Not to say that I’m not up for it, it’s fine just a little anxious that’s all.” You say this all very quickly, not wanting her to think you’re weak. Maria puts her hand on your shoulder lightly, its oddly so comforting in this moment. She’s really got that motherly instinct watching her other hand rub her belly. “Hey, listen, it’s fine to be nervous, I get nervous every time Tommy goes out. It’s incredibly brave of you to volunteer to go out there, especially so soon after arriving here. How about we go for a drink at the Bison, I’ll be your DD and make sure you get home safe,” she laughs. “Sure, that sounds good, Maria, thanks.” You smile at her, finishing up your food and clearing your table before walking with her across the street to the Bison.

Maria and You have been talking for the better part of an hour now and you’ve learned so much about her. That she used to be a District Attorney, okay – go off, that she’s been in Jackson since its beginning, and even that she lost her son in all the madness of the end of the world. You can’t believe how open and blunt she is, she doesn’t mince words, she’s tough but still loving, and she’s an instant friend, you know that now. The two of you are cackling when Tommy and Joel walk in together. Tommy with a million-watt smile starts laughing as he walks up to the two of you. “Ladies, what’s got you all in stiches’ this evenin’. You know, my wife shouldn’t be drinking right now,” he says to you, smirking. Maria trying to contain her laughter, “Honey, it’s not my fault, Ash is just that funny.” Tommy gives her a kiss and responds, “Well, I’m happy to see you two hit it off so well, right, Joel?” Joel, who is standing awkwardly and looking around the bar huffs, “Yeah, sure.” Maria says, “Well, come on, join us!”

Joel and Tommy, both join you at the table for four Tommy next to Maria and Joel next to you, as Joel speaks quietly to you, “We’ve got patrol in the morning, I don’t want to be dealing with your hangover tomorrow,” eyeing the whiskey in your glass. You scoff as you push your glasses up nose, “Oh be quiet, Dad, it’s my second glass in over an hour, I’ll be fine.” Tommy and Maria share a knowing look and try to contain their laughter as Joel glares at them. “Fine, but don’t complain to me when you’ve got a headache tomorrow.” You roll your eyes dramatically, down the rest of your drink and stand up, “I’m off to get another drink anyone want anything?” Joel stares at you and you stare at him. Tommy finally speaks up, “I’ll go with you.” Still staring at Joel like you’re daring him to say something, you begin to walk off toward the bar with Tommy in tow.

As you wait for your drinks Tommy clears his throat, great here it comes, “Listen, Ash, I know Joel can be a bit uptight,” at this you laugh through a scoff. He continues, “Look, I know he’s a lot, but he means well.” “Does he?” you start to speak but Tommy stops you, “All I’m asking is that you give him a break. It’s obvious he cares about you.” At this your eyes flick to Tommy’s in shock, he tries his best to contain the upturn of his lip. “When I told him about you volunteerin’ for patrol, he lost his shit, and not because you can’t handle yourself, we all know better than that. He was worried. I know he’s got a shit way of showin’ it, but you mean somethin’ to him. And if you give him time, I promise he’ll come around.” You nod, looking away to find Joel, but while Maria is chatting with a woman passing by the table, Joel is starring fucking daggers at someone. You follow his gaze to find, ugh, no, Brad or wait, Ryan. And Ryan, is looking right at you smiling with his table full of bro buddies.

Thankfully your drinks arrive then, and you grab them and walk back to the table. Trying to ignore Ryan and his pals as you walk past. Sitting down with your drink and Joel’s matching one you ask Joel, “Who popped your balloon?” He looks at you, confused and Tommy laughs. You’re smirking at Joel and his eyes betray him, like they always do and soften as he shakes his head, “It’s nothin’,” smiling slightly. He goes to sip his whiskey, and you watch his mouth, god his lips are beautiful. Pouty, soft, perfect. You can remember how they felt on you. Your mouth parts as you watch him, totally entranced. Then you realize Maria is talking to you. You look over at her and Tommy who are looking at you with sly little smiles, and you know you’re caught. Joel, thankfully oblivious, asks the two of them, “What is going on, why are ya’ll acting so fuckin’ weird?” You swallow and before anyone can say anything, Ryan comes over to the table with a stupid grin on his dumb face. His friends pretending not to watch whatever is about to go down.

“Ash, hey, Tommy, Maria,” he nods to both then looks at Joel, “uh, Joel.” Tommy and Maria nod back at Ryan but they look at you and Joel, noticing how you look unimpressed, and Joel looks like he might take Ryan’s head off. Tommy stiffens, bracing for impact. Ryan turns back to you, putting his hand on the table near you and leaning in, he says, “It’s good to see you, you look great,” eyes grazing up and down your form. Joel then puts his arm around the back or your chair. You notice it and look back at him but he’s looking right at Ryan. “Look, I was wondering if you’d want to get a drink with me sometime.” He looks back at his friends with a grin as if he’s got this in the bag. You start to speak, and Joel finally looks at you, seems like he’s holding his breath, you look back at Ryan. “That’s really nice of you but I’m not really interested right now. But thank you.” Ryan and Joel’s eyes both go wide but Ryan looks shocked, and Joel looks pleased. You hear a chuckle from Ryan’s table of dudes, but they’ve all looked away at this point. Ryan puts on a fake smile, but his eyes look filled with anger. “No problem, sweetheart, you have a good night.” His hand grips the table hard and then let’s go to walk back to his table, punching one of his friends in the arm that laughed at him and mumbles something to the group.

You look back to the table and Tommy and Maria are grinning at you. “What?” you say looking at them. But Joel speaks up first, “Nothin’, don’t mind them. You two,” scowling at Tommy and Maria, “mind your business.” Tommy and Maria exchange a look and small smiles as they go back to talking about something to do with the town council. And you look at Joel, a small smile on your lips, thankful that he took the attention away from you. He waits till Tommy and Maria aren’t paying attention, he looks to you and gives you a subtle wink, bringing his drink back to his lips. Your stomach flips and you hope you don’t look too flustered. For the rest of the evening, Joel never takes his arm off the back of your chair.

At the end of that third drink, you decide it’s time to go home. This being one of the nicest nights you’ve had since you arrived, spending time with your most favorite people and actually seeing Joel smile and laugh in between his eyerolls and sighs. You trot off to the bathroom before leaving and as you walk back, you catch Ryan scowling at you. It appears he’s had a bit too much to drink at this point. Loudly he speaks to his table saying, “I didn’t want the fat bitch anyway, was just curious what it would feel like, don’t even know how she keeps that weight on.” A couple of the friends at his table laugh, two others look uncomfortable, one man, a few years older than the rest, smacks Ryan on the shoulder, admonishing his behavior. Then you look around, stopped in your tracks and realize that everyone is looking at you, at your body. And you know that almost everyone heard what that asshole had to say. It’s not his words that hurt, it’s the attention they bring to you, the questioning looks from everyone else that make tears prick at your eyes.

Joel is already walking over to you, Tommy, close behind. Joel touches your arm and speaks lowly, “You good?” You nod, eyelids fluttering to try and keep your tears at bay. He looks up at Ryan, but you whisper to him, quiet but firm, “Joel, don’t. It’s not worth it.” Joel exhales out his nose, clearly fuming. But he nods and starts to walk you out the door, not before giving Tommy a look, silently asking him to handle it with Ryan. Maria comes up to your side linking her fingers with yours, Joel still has a steady arm around your shoulder. You turn your head into Maria’s shoulder as your tears start to fall. Maria says, “I got it from here Joel.” He looks like he might protest but he lets you go. Watching as Maria walks you toward your apartment.

By the time you get home, Maria makes you some sleepy time tea, insisting on talking a bit more before leaving you on your own. You’ve had this conversation before, with others. You’ve exhausted this topic over the course of your life, Before and After. But now, with Maria’s deep and beautiful eyes, your new friend, looking at you, you know she’s genuinely there for you. So, you start explaining how ever since puberty you’ve always been a larger person. Bigger than most of your friends. Plush, fat, curvy, plus size, however you want to put it. Men pointing it out to you, women much smaller than you telling you they admire you. Losing a tiny bit of weight and having a girlfriend call you skinny. You haven’t been “skinny” since you were fucking 10 years old. And now, at the end of the world, where people are starving, and you have to move your body to survive, you still have extra weight. It became something that kept people from trusting you. Thinking you stole food, or you didn’t do your part. You thought Jackson might be different. But tonight, all those feelings come back. And even though you love your body, and had lovers over the years, men and women, who showed you how much they liked your body and the effect it had on them, you still feel inadequate or that people may find you unattractive. You’re not proud that those thoughts still get to you, but they do.

When you feel you’ve gotten it all out, you take your glasses off and put your head down on the table next to your cup of tea and start laughing. Maria puts a hand on your head in it a comforting pet. And you raise back up. “Well, now you know this about me. It’s funny, I’ve survived over 20 years of a zombie apocalypse and I’m still fucking struggling with body image issues. Jesus.” Maria smiles at you now. A soft, sweet smile. She knows there’s nothing to say. There never is. This is a reality for you, and you just need to talk it out with someone you trust, and damn you really do trust Maria. She leaves you with a hug by the door and you assuring her, you’ll be fine to do patrol tomorrow, “Getting out might actually be good for me.” You finally go to bed that night thinking of Joel, the wink, his arm on your chair, that he seems to detest Ryan even more than you do. It makes you smile, and you can’t help but hope Joel doesn’t see you the same way Ryan does. You know Joel would never behave like Ryan but it’s a fact that people have their preferences. And maybe that’s why Joel pushed you away in the first place. Fuck. Well, now you’re not nervous for patrol, you just want to get through the fucking day.

Taglist: @somedayheaven @guelyury @elegantduckturtle @indiegirlunited @cheekychaos28 @ghostofzion @harriedandharassed @missladym1981 @littlemisspascal

[suugarbabe]

Forget Me Not (2)

[Chapter 2]

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Word Count: ~2.2k

Warnings: none; fluff

“W-who are you guys?” 

Fred’s words echoed in your head like a gut-wrenching scream. You turned to George, not wanting to believe the situation unfolding in front of you, “He’s kidding right? Just one of those things you guys do? Georgie, tell me he’s kidding.” George’s face was full of sympathy, placing a hand on your shoulder, “I don’t think so, duck. It’s probably only temporary, you saw the gash on his head.” You nodded, trying to calm yourself down. George was able to convince you to go grab Fred some water as Molly and Arthur continued to look after him. You were filling a cup for him, when Ron and Hermione came up to you. “How’s he doing,” Hermione’s tone was careful, her eyes full of sorrow for you. “He’s alive at least but…” you trailed off, making Ron’s already worried face grow more pained, “W-what is it, y/n?” You were holding back tears again, stumbling over your words, “H-he…he doesn’t remember anything. He a-asked who we were, like he didn’t even recognize any of us, I just…I don’t know what to do or how to help him.” Hermione pulled your into her and you wrapped your arms around the girl, nearly sobbing now. Ron held on to both of you, trying to be encouraging, “He’ll remember, it might just take some time, you’ve been through too much for him to forget it all. You’ll see.” 

You had wanted Ron’s words to be comforting, but the next two weeks proved to be anything but. The entire Weasley family, Hermione, Harry and yourself  had all been staying at the burrow. Fred had been in and out of consciousness dealing with the rest of his injuries. You were by his side for a few hours each night, but it always seemed like he woke for a short period when you were either out of the house or someone else was looking after him. George was the first person Fred remembered, unsurprisingly. It happened randomly about the second or third night home. Fred had woken up from the couch, hearing commotion in the kitchen. You and George were making breakfast that day, giving Molly a break as she’d been nothing but stressed since the end of the war. You were setting the table when Fred walked into the kitchen, clapping a large hand on his twin’s shoulder, “Morning, Georgie.” George responded on instinct at first, “Morning Freddi-, wait, what did you just say?” Fred looked at his twin like he had gone nuts, “I said good morning, what’s wrong with you?” Hearing this interaction you rushed into the kitchen, hoping that a miracle had happened and Fred remembered everyone again, but when he saw you, there was no recognition. Instead, he elbowed George in the side, “Who’s the bird, Georgie? Didn’t know you could get a girl as gorgeous as her to fall for you.” He threw you a playful wink, and your heart soared slightly at his ability to unknowingly reassure he was still attracted to you, despite not realizing who you were. 

George gave you sorrowful eyes, but you just threw on your best smile, extending your hand out to Fred, “I’m, Y/n. While I appreciate the compliment, George and I are just friends.” He took your hand, kissing the top of it, “Well he is certainly a fool.” Your cheeks blushed immediately. George watched this interaction, smirk growing before remembering that Fred actually remembered who he was, “Freddie, you know who I am?” Fred looked at him like he had three heads, “Of course I know who my own twin is, ya git.” Fred laughed, shaking his head, but George grabbed him by the shoulders, “Freddie, my boy, what’s the last thing you remember?” 

“Fred’s remembering things?” Ron was practically running down the stairs, but shouting as he went, “YOU GUYS FRED IS REMEMBERING THINGS!” There was suddenly a stampede of red hair, now all gathering in the kitchen, however it was evident George was the luckiest member of the family because when Fred saw the group of Weasley’s surrounding him his first response was, “Georgie, there a ginger convention in town?” 

Within the next two weeks Fred had slowly began remembering each member of his family. Molly and Arthur were next, then Ron and Ginny, followed by Bill and Charlie. He remembered Percy last, or at least that’s what he said, no one could know for sure if it was the truth, or if he had remembered Percy earlier and just said he still didn’t remember to make him angry.

One afternoon, George had found you out in the back garden, watching the gnomes run around and fight each other. He sat down next to you, not saying anything but sharing his presence. After a moment, you spoke up, “I don’t think he’s ever going to remember me, Georgie... I love him so much, I guess he just didn’t feel the same.” George wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer so your head was leaning on him. You wrapped your arms around his waist, “I really thought I was important enough to not forget, at least not forever.” You felt George shake his head, “I don’t think that’s it, duck. He definitely feels something for you, he talks about you just about every bloody night. It’s like when he first started falling for you. I’m hearing basically all the same bullocks he was spouting before you two got together.” 

This made you feel a little better, that even though Fred couldn’t necessarily remember your relationship for the past year, he was falling for you all over again. If that’s what you had to do, then you would do it. You would pursue him again, make him fall in love with you again. You couldn’t lose him, not after everything that you’ve been through. Not after everything that’s happened. 

“Why don’t you just tell him that you’re his girlfriend, duck? He’d be over the fucking moon to know he’s actually scored you before. Might even bring back all the memories of you to begin with.” You shook your head at George, wiping away your tears, “No, I can't do that. As much as it hurts I don’t want him to feel like he’s obligated to me if he doesn’t start remembering. That he has to be a certain way with me because that’s how it was before. I mean, I’m glad it seems like he has at least some sort of crush on me. Gives me hope, yanno? But, he’s gotta remember without being pushed.” George nodded in understanding. 

So, you stood up from the garden bench, giving George one more hug and headed back towards the burrow. To your delight, Fred was sitting at the table, making himself a sandwich for lunch. He looked up when he heard someone enter, a smile breaking on his face when he saw it was you. His smile was one of the first things you fell in love with. It was hard not to, all the pranks and jokes he was pulling he was smiling nearly all the time. “Hey, y/n, was just making myself some lunch, want me to make you one too?” You nodded, sitting down across from him, “Sounds great, Freddie. Whatcha makin?” 

His smile grew wider, if possible, “Marshmallow fluff, bananas and Nutella. You have to try it, it’s absolutely delicious. I cannot for the life of me remember who told me about these but I’ve been craving one all morning and had to make it.” You laughed to yourself. You had introduced Fred and George to these sandwiches the summer of second year, they said they were craving something sweet but Molly said you couldn't have only sweets for lunch. Thus, you provided the alternative to the twins. It became your regular munchies snack. Fred happily made you your own, observing you as you took your first bite. 

“So, darling, what do you think?” Fred was watching you eagerly, analyzing your facial expressions. You hummed as you chewed, “So good.” You ate together in content silence. Every so often you would steal a glance at Fred, just to find him already looking at you. It reminded you of fifth year, when you first recognized you had a crush on him. You’d be sitting together at meals in the great hall. George and Dean drowning on about a prank they were planning and you’d glance at Fred, just to look at him. But he’d be looking at you already, freckled cheeks flushing and eyes darting away as soon as they locked with yours. But it was different today, he didn’t shy away when you caught him looking, he just kept staring, not ashamed. Your heart ached at how much you missed him. 

“So do you feel like everything’s pretty much back to normal for you? Memory wise I mean,” you were gathering up your plate, grabbing his as well to put in the sink. He shook his head, “Sort of? But not entirely.” This made you a little hopeful, “What do you mean?” He shrugged, standing up from the table and heading to the couch, “Dunno it's like…I have all these memories of different things, some are so vivid and clear like I never forgot anything in the first place. But then others…it’s like…” he turned to you, both sitting on the couch now, “I have this very specific dream that I keep having, it feels like a memory but parts of it are kind of…fuzzy, if that makes sense.” 

You placed a hand on his leg closest to you, it was instinct when you were comforting him, but you didn’t miss how his eyes darted down quickly and his cheeks flushed. You kept your hand there, encouraging him to continue, “How do you mean? Like you think it’s not a memory?” He shook his head, hands flying through the air as he spoke now, “No, no, it’s like I can feel it in my soul that it happened, but for whatever reason the person with me, I just can’t see them. Like, okay. So in this dream we’re at Hogwarts right? And we’re going through Snape's closet looking for the right ingredients to make these amazing fireworks because we’re going to blow them up during Ron’s owls. And I vividly remember pulling that stunt with George, the look on Umbridge’s face. Priceless. But whoever was with me that night, I just can’t see them.” 

His face fell, and your heart started to ache for him. You knew it was you he couldn’t remember. You remember breaking into Snape’s closet, filling your school bags with different ingredients, feeling the rush of adrenaline when you heard Mrs. Norris down the corridor and Fred lacing his fingers with yours and he rushed you both down the hall and into a nearby classroom until he saw on the map that the coast was clear. “I know they were important to me,” Fred continued, “but, Merlin, every time I think about it, try harder to remember them I get this bloody headache and my chest hurts.” He was bent over now, elbows on his knees and head in his hands now. 

You leaned closer to him, lightly scratching up and down his back. You’ve done it a million times to soothe him and it seemed to be having the same effect. His shoulders relaxed, breathing evening out. “This is gonna sound like a weird request, and if I’m overstepping boundaries you can tell me no,” Fred looked over at you, and you knew whatever request he had you were going to say yes. “Anything, Fred, what is it?” He took a deep breath, seemingly nervous about how you’d react, “I just, do you think you could hold me? Not like in a weird way! Just, could we lay down and I lay on you and you…keep scratching my back? I’ve just been so stressed and it’s one of the first things to really made me feel relaxed.” 

You felt yourself melting at his request. You laid back on the couch, head resting on the armrest. You opened your arms, beckoning him to you. He crawled over to you, resting his upper half on top of you. The weight of him felt like home, a comfort you’ve been neglected of for the last two and a half weeks. He hasn’t been by any type of smoke or fireworks since before the day of the war but he still smelled like firework smoke and cinnamon. You had to resist deeply inhaling him. Like muscle memory his hands found solace around your waist. You ran your nails up and down his back, applying light pressure in the spots you know he loves. You threaded the fingers of your other hand in his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. You felt him hum against your neck, “Feels s’good. Very relaxing.” You smiled to yourself, happy to have him so close to you again. You felt his arms tighten around you ever-so-slightly, “M’sorry I don’t remember you, y/n.” You hands stilled as he kept talking, “I know you’re someone important to me. I can feel it, feel it all over. I wrack my brain every day for some sort of memory with you in it and I just can’t make them come.” You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, squeezing him hard against you now, “It’s okay, Freddie.” You kissed the top of his head, “We’ll make new memories.”

Taglist:

@words-are-cheap @l0ulistens @reallysparklychaos

AN: dunno how long this series is gonna be but it's gonna be kind of a slowburn regardless. also if your name is bold i tried to tag you and it didn't work. sozz :(

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 20 ~ Stay

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 4.1k

In this chapter ~ After Rose makes her choice to part from the group, Daryl quickly finds out, leaving him in a state of unbelievable shock. But he doesn't let her get very far before he tracks her down through the trees, needing to find the right things to say to her to get her to stay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* DARYL POV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After the conversation I had with Rose, I needed to leave and cool off. When I didn't respond, it's not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't want to say something that I would regret later just because I was frustrated. That was the last thing she needed. She was hurting after what happened with Sophia, shit we all were. But my patience was thin right now and I didn't want to take that out on her.

I walked all the way out to the field and sat down on the grass, beginning to pull some pieces out of the ground and started to play with the tiny blades in my fingers. Sitting there silently with my mind running through everything that happened in the past few days. I found myself growing more and more frustrated every time I thought of a sacrifice one of us made for a girl who was already dead. We had all tried so hard, and for what? For it to end up shitty in the end like it always seemed to.

My mind then wandered back to Rose; like it always seemed to as well. Even though everything has been pretty terrible, she was always able to make me smile somehow. I thought back to the small moments we've shared recently and just the thought alone brought another small smile to my face. I had been trying to convince myself that I didn't have feelings for her, hell I've been trying to do that since the beginning. But I did, I liked her. I liked her a lot.

She made me feel different. I had never been with anyone before this, just a few one night stands that I didn't give a shit about. But I had never cared this much about a woman before, ever. The thought crossed my mind, being with Rose, but I didn't want to ruin what we already had. I had managed to build up some kind of friendship with someone that I actually trusted for the first time in my life, and the last thing I wanted was to make the wrong move. Or even worse; push her away somehow.

But my thoughts quickly stopped short once I heard someone call my name from just behind me.

"Daryl!" Maggie's voice called out.

I turned around right as she approached me, with a book held in her hands, "Do you know where Rose went? I wanted to give her this book since she hasn't been liking the one she's reading, but she took off too fast earlier." she finished with a laugh.

I dipped my head in a nod, "I think she's in my tent, I'll go tell her." I replied.

"Great, thanks." she said before turning back on her heel to walk towards the house.

I quickly got up to my feet and started to make my way back to the camp that I had set up a little farther away from everyone. To be completely honest, I don't know why I did it. But I guess a part of me understood Rose's need to be away, because I went and did the same thing without even realizing at the time.

As I finally made it up to the yellow tent, my hand went instinctively to just unzip the entrance, but I stopped myself and shook my head, clearing my throat so she could hear me.

"Rose?" I called out softly, warning her that I was about to come in.

I didn't hear anything, so I slowly unzipped the tent only to find that she wasn't in there. After scanning the small space, I was going to head out to look and see if she was at the house now, but something stopped me in my tracks. I noticed quickly that all of her stuff was missing and there was a note sitting next to my stuff with my name written across the front, a Cherokee rose placed conveniently right next to it. My heart began to sink to the pit of my stomach, but I still sat down and opened the note to see what it said, for all I knew she could be going out for a hunt. But in the back of my mind, I knew that wasn't it.

Daryl,

I wanted to leave you this note because I felt terrible not giving you at least somewhat of an explanation, so here it is. I left.

After what happened to Sophia, something just clicked. I realized how attached I became to this group, and that isn't a very good thing for me. I was on my own for a very long time before this and you know that, it's not easy for me to depend on people or get close to anyone in general but it happened. And I hate to admit it, but it scared me.

I care about all of you so much it hurts, but it's best for everyone if I leave. I don't want to watch anyone else die, I just can't do it, please understand that at least a little. I believe that most of you will make it, but in case I'm wrong...I don't just want to sit and watch like we all did today.

But I don't want you to think that it was easy for me to leave, because it wasn't. It was harder than I will probably ever admit out loud, and it was even harder to leave you. I care about you so much Daryl, you have no idea. But I have to do this, I can't stand back and watch what happened to Sophia potentially happen to you too.

Maybe this isn't goodbye, I'm actually hoping we cross paths again one day.

But until then, see you later Daryl Dixon.

-Love, Rose

I stared at the note with wide eyes, reading the words very carefully over and over again as if they would somehow change. She couldn't leave. In hindsight, maybe I could understand why she would want to but that isn't a good enough reason. Not now. She had turned into such a valuable member of this group and everyone here cares about her so much. I couldn't let her go. She had no idea how much I needed her to stay here.

So, without thinking, I grabbed my crossbow and rushed out of the tent to look for her. It was dark now so she would be harder to track, but I didn't care. I needed to find her. I had no fucking idea what I was going to say to her, but I had to try and convince her to stay somehow. She needed to understand that she didn't have to push people away anymore, at least not me. I would always be here for her, I wasn't planning on leaving her anytime soon, and I wanted her to know that. She needed to know that.

It didn't take very long before her footprints became more prominent in the mud, and I knew she was close by. I only took a few more steps in between the trees before I saw her walking a good distance in front of me, her backpack strapped tightly around her shoulders.

My foot then came down harshly as I purposefully stepped on a branch so she would hear me behind her. She whipped her head around as soon as the sound registered, with one of her knives raised, looking around on high alert. Her eyes scanned all over the trees, but she was unable to see me in the dark as I had apparently hidden myself well. I found myself huffing out a breath before finally stepping closer so she would be able to spot me clearly. Her eyes then landed on me immediately after that, her face dropping as she slowly lowered her knife and sighed to herself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked me.

I scoffed, "What am I doin here?" I asked, "I get a letter from ya, sayin yer just takin off and you didn't expect me to come after ya?"

She looked at me for a long moment, before uttering another word, "I have to leave Daryl, you know that."

"Nah, I don't know that. Make me understand, why do ya have to leave? Why now after everything?" I asked.

"I have to leave because I don't want to watch anyone else die. I can't." she frowned, tears now forming in her eyes.

"But that's a part of life, whether it's the end of the world or not, yer gonna lose people. Yer actually losin them all in one go right now, do ya realize that?" I asked.

She immediately shook her head, "No, that's not the same thing. At least I know you guys are alive."

"Well, what's the point if we're alive or not, if you ain't ever going to see us again anyways?" I asked with edge to my tone.

I didn't want to get upset with her. But she hurt me by leaving, thinking I was just going to shrug it off when in reality, she clearly didn't know a damn thing about how I felt. She just stood there for a few moments in silence, like this had turned into some kind of face off and her move was the next. A part of me was just waiting for her to run, but she didn't. She stayed perfectly still in the same place as her tearful eyes never broke away from mine.

But she eventually sighed to herself with a shake of her head, finding the right words, "I'm sorry I hurt you, I can tell just by the way you're looking at me. But you have to understand I-" her voice cracked, and the tears started to roll down her cheeks, "I can't watch you die too." she finished with a whisper, as if she was terrified to say it out loud.

My face softened almost on instinct hearing her broken voice, and I took a few steps closer to her. I wanted to reach out and wipe her tears away, hell take all her pain away, but I didn't know if that's what she wanted right now. But she didn't back away from me, which I only took as a good sign.

"I ain't gonna die. I don't plan to anytime soon." I assured her.

"Yeah, you don't plan to, but anything could happen. For all we know, anyone could die tomorrow." she stated.

I stared at her for a few seconds before muttering, "Don't."

"Don't what?" she whispered, tears running down her face.

"Don't go." I said softly.

She looked me in the eyes before hanging her head in defeat with a soft breath, and I could tell she was tired and emotionally exhausted after the day we all had. All I wanted was to reach out to her, hold her close as she cried but I obviously hesitated.

But then suddenly for once, I didn't think. I didn't let my mind linger on the "what ifs," I just acted fast before I talked myself out of it.

I gently grabbed her face in my hands so she would look at me, taking my thumbs and wiping away the fresh tears that spilled down her cheeks. She didn't pull away like I thought she would, but only leaned into my touch which made a warmth fill my chest.

"Please," I spoke quietly, "Please just...just stay."

She looked like she was having an inner debate with herself. I knew deep down I couldn't force her to stay if she really wanted to go, but I wanted to try. My mouth opened slightly to say something else, but the potential outcome made me close it again, fearful of the unknown. There was no going back if I were to say the things I truly wanted to say, but maybe those were the things she needed to hear. The things that would get her to stay.

"Stay...for me." I finally spoke.

Her eyes widened slightly, and I was preparing myself for her to pull away from me, but she never did. Instead, she only started to lean closer, which made my heart start beating rapidly, so fast that I thought she would be able to hear it. My mind was on autopilot as I found myself leaning closer too, her hands came up gently as she placed them on my forearms, while mine still held her face. My eyes flickered down at her lips and then back up at her eyes to make sure she was really okay with this, silently asking permission. To my surprise, she nodded her head ever so slightly, and I hesitated for only a moment, before finally closing the space between us.

It was soft and slow, but soon our lips started to move in sync as she leaned in further to kiss me back. I felt electricity flow through my entire body just at the feeling of her soft lips against my own, her hands only pulling me closer. I didn't want to stop, not ever, but I didn't want to push anything either, so I pulled away after a few seconds, resting my forehead on hers with a wide grin on my face.

"I'll stay." she whispered against my lips before kissing me again.

I smiled into the kiss, moving my hands down to her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, starting to tug a little at the hair on the back of my head, the feeling practically ignited my body on fire. At first, I could've sworn that this was a dream, but once I felt her touch, I knew that it wasn't. It couldn't have been.

I had never felt these things for anyone before, but I'm just glad I was feeling these things for her. In the back of my mind, I knew I wouldn't feel this way about anyone else because how could someone be more perfect than her? It wasn't possible. And her saying just those two words to me, made me happier than I ever thought I could be.

She then broke the kiss after a few long moments, with another smile on her face, "I didn't think you felt the same way." she breathed.

I gazed down at her and only chuckled quietly, "Woman, you have no idea." I spoke, causing her to smile bashfully as I pecked her lips once more before saying, "C'mon, let's head back."

She nodded her head and pulled away from me, slowly grabbing a hold of my hand and intertwining our fingers together. As we walked back, we started talking like normal to fill the silence, teasing each other a little bit about whenever we would get nervous around each other before. And I was pretty sure I had never been happier.

When we started to see the house coming into view, I suddenly stopped as I saw the group standing around the house, pulling her to stop with me. She looked at me confused and I only hesitated for a moment, not fully sure how to say what I wanted to say. I didn't want to hurt her, but I didn't know if I was comfortable telling the others about our relationship yet. Wait, were we in a relationship? I had no idea, but all I knew is that I wanted to take things slow, to make sure I didn't mess anything up.

"What's wrong?" she asked me in a soft voice, brushing her thumb against the back of my hand.

I shook my head quickly, "Nothin, it's just..." I trailed off, not looking at her.

I then felt her give my hand a gentle squeeze, causing my eyes to look back down towards her, "Talk to me." she said.

I sighed, "I dunno how to say this. I don't wanna hurt ya or anythin."

She smiled sweetly, "Daryl, you're not going to hurt me, just say it."

I sighed again and nodded to myself,  "Okay, uh... I wanna take this slow, and um... I dunno if m' comfortable with showing off... whatever this is."

To my surprise she let out a small laugh, shaking her head lightly, "That's it? Daryl, it's okay. If I'm being honest, I don't really know if I want to show off well...whatever this is to the group either."

I let out a breath of relief and squeezed her hand. She then let go after a few seconds, "I'm just going to go put my backpack in the tent and I'll meet up with you, okay?"

I nodded my head and watched her smile at me once more, before turning around fully to walk off. My eyes lingered on her figure for longer than they needed to, but I couldn't seem to look away even if I tried. Though once she was finally emerged into the darkness, I began to slowly make my way over towards the others. I couldn't believe any of that just happened, wanting to convince myself that I was still dreaming somehow, but oh it very real.

As I got closer to the group, I saw most of them standing outside the house arguing with each other. I stood off in the back, not saying anything as I listened and watched everything go down. Apparently, the guys weren't back with Hershel yet and Lori had gone after them, crashing a car and almost getting herself killed in the process. I thought that was a stupid move but I still didn't say anything as my arms crossed over my chest.

"Hey, what's going on?" I heard Rose ask, her figure coming up to stand next to me.

I couldn't help but smile down at her when she walked over, watching as her brows furrowed more with confusion as she listened. I kept my eyes on her while she got filled in on everything that had happened since we were gone, before suddenly feeling someone staring right at me. My eyes glanced over to see Dale looking at me somewhat knowingly, with a smug expression. I just glared back at him, and he raised his hands in surrender, but still didn't wipe that stupid smile off his face.

"Look, I had to get you back here, okay?" I heard Shane snap at Lori, "I will go look for them, I will go after them. We just have to make sure you're okay, alright? Gotta make sure the baby's okay." he suddenly spilled.

My eyes got wide when he said that, looking over at Rose who didn't look the least bit surprised as she too heard the news. She made eye contact with me and just shrugged her shoulders, showing me that she already somehow knew about it.

"You're having a baby?" Carl asked her in shock.

Lori didn't say anything, utterly speechless, but Andrea quickly stepped in "Let's get you checked out, okay?" she said softly as she led the woman into the house.

Almost all of them made their way inside after them, clearly wanting to know more, but Maggie surprisingly hung back. Her eyes panning over to Rose as she looked over at the two of us expectantly, her eyes full of suspicion.

"Where have you been?" she asked worriedly.

"Oh, I was... just out hunting." Rose replied quickly.

"In the dark?" Maggie questioned.

She nodded slowly, "Yeah, I just needed some quiet." she said simply.

"Oh, okay so where's the meat?" Maggie asked as her eyebrows pulled together.

Rose stood there for a second dumbfounded, "I didn't catch anything, kind of a waste of time." she finally said.

Maggie glanced over to me and then back to Rose before I heard a small "mhm" from her. I felt my cheeks get hot as her gaze was intense on us, but she didn't say anything else as she turned to head into the house as well. Once she was finally out of earshot, I then looked over at Rose with my eyebrows raised, seeing a nervous smile make its way onto her face.

"You went huntin? That's the best ya got?" I asked playfully.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Would you rather me say, "Oh sorry Maggie, I was trying to leave the group and then Daryl came, we made out, and then I decided to stay," is that better?" she asked with a hand on her hip.

I smirked at her, "Nah."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." she muttered before turning around and starting to make her way back towards the tent for the night. I had almost forgotten how late it got, but I soon followed close behind her, feeling the tiredness slowly taking over.

Once we both got inside, the two of us separated onto either side of the space, getting on top of the sleeping bags for the night. I laid down on my back with a groan, staring up at the ceiling momentarily before I subtly glanced over at her again. She too was laying down on her back, her eyelids falling more heavily with exhaustion, but she still could not have looked more beautiful.

My mind thought about moving over and wrapping my arm across her shoulders to sleep, but I made no effort to move. Apart of me was still fearful, even after the both of us confessing the feelings we felt for one another, that she would still move away to have her own space.

A quiet sigh left my lips as I debated back and forth in my head, but apparently it wasn't as quiet as I thought as her head turned towards me in question.

"What?" she whispered quietly in the dead of night.

I shook my head, "Nothin." I muttered as I glanced back up at the ceiling, avoiding her eyes, "Yer just...a little far away, that's all."

My eyes stayed firmly in place as I tried my best not to look back over at her, the fear of rejection still creeping up the back of my neck it felt like. But then I suddenly heard her let out a small laugh, before there was some shuffling like she was scooting closer to me. I then felt her presence only inches away from me now, her head falling on my chest gently as a smile was brought to my face at her actions.

"Is this better?" she asked sarcastically.

I hummed a response as I nodded, not that she would be able to see, before resting my chin on the top of her head. I held her tightly to me as I rested my eyes, content with the contact though I was nervous I wouldn't be. It was a nerve-racking thing for me to admit out loud, but I hadn't felt such a gentle touch before hers, and I was nervous I wouldn't be comfortable with it because of the past. Yet somehow with her, it was different. Almost as if I craved it.

But my eyes popped back open as a thought entered my mind, not wanting to breeze over the fact that Shane announced something worth talking about for more than five minutes.

"So, ya knew Lori was pregnant?" I asked out of the blue, glancing down at her now.

"Mhm." she hummed as she moved to look me in the eye, "Glenn told me the same time he told me about the walkers in the barn."

The second our eyes locked, I became very aware of how close our faces were now and I tried to swallow whatever nerves I still had. Not being used to something like this. Though she noticed quickly and had a smirk on her face before leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on my nose. I felt my heart leap in my chest, and she laughed quietly to herself at how red my face probably was.

I tried to recover quickly, clearing my throat a little before asking, "Well, do ya have any more secrets I should know bout?"

She thought about it for a second before a small smile returned to her face, "I like you. Have I told you that?"

Another familiar warmth filled my chest as I watched her eyes sparkle, "Yeah." I muttered, "I think you mighta mentioned it." I smirked before leaning in, placing another kiss on her lips.

She hummed in content, kissing me back for a few seconds before pulling away and resting her head on my chest again, closing her eyes. Before I knew it, her breathing had changed and I knew she was asleep within merely minutes. But I just sat there thinking, no longer as tired as I was before.

Today was a shitshow, but also a pretty great one too. I thought to myself, if I didn't have Rose with me right now, I didn't know how well I would be handling the loss of Sophia. But she somehow helped keep me keep my head attached to my shoulders, and that's exactly what I needed. Just her.

~ Thanks for reading!

(They’re finally together ahhhh)

[prin-does-art]

Hi again, so the second chapter! I hope y'all like this fluff. I gave my best on this chapter, however this is my first fic and english is not my first language, so apologies if anything sounds confusing, and please let me know in the comments. Again, any spanish spoken will be translated in the end, so don't worry ;)

Title: One And The Opposite

Rating: Teens and Up (swearing, mentions of sex)

Summary: After filling the shoes of his alternate self in a parallel universe, Miguel O'Hara swiftly discovers that embodying a different version of himself is far more challenging than he initially anticipated. As he juggles with the complexities of family dynamics, with a wife and daughter who both expect him to be the man they remember, he tries to stay afloat, grappling with the pros and cons of navigating two lives simultaneously.

OR

A domestic Miguel trying his best.

Chapter 2: Sweet reunion

"Gordo, eres tú? Ya llegué!" he hears a voice shout from down the hallway, as the door slams shut, followed by the loud noise of keys rattling and plastic bags crinkling.

Miguel turns around to look at her for the first time, and it's nothing like he thought it would be, to say the least. He imagines it’s like if he were living life immersed in tiger illustrations, and then got to see the real thing for the very first time. It feels like he’s standing in the presence of a real tiger, with its raw power, the rhythmic pulse of its fur, and the untamed wilderness echoing in its eyes. His breath catches as he steps back to really look at her in awe.

Moving through the kitchen in a busy sway, she goes about putting the groceries away, all the while speaking almost too fast to understand like every Spanish speaker ever. It’s as if she hasn't even spotted him there yet — so comfortable with his presence. 

"... Tu hermano no deja de llamarme, deberías ver qué quiere. Ah, y el 'forecast' del tiempo dice que el aire será irrespirable por unas horas, así que recuerda cuando te dirijas a... estas bien?" She asks, getting on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss.

As much as he tries not to, Miguel is startled by the sudden contact, and it must show on his face because she notices too.

"Que te pasa, mi amor?" She asks, a look of confusion in her face that makes her look even more beautiful.

"I uh... I... Just got robbed." He blurts out. 

Even after a day of practicing his Spanish accent, English still instinctively surfaces as his immediate response — it's become much more natural than his native language at this point. The perplexity in her eyes immediately turns into worry as she puts a hand on his face and examines him up and down.

"Are you ok? Did they hurt you!?" She thankfully also speaks English, although with a slight accent that Miguel can’t quite figure out where it’s from. 

"No, no, yo estoy bien. I'm fine just... A little shaken. He had a gun." He answers, gently holding her hand back.

She stares at him, a twinge of shock coloring her features, then looks down at his hand. He gets worried for a second that even though his talons are concealed, something else might be giving him away. Something he doesn’t know about. He can't help the way his heart must be beating a mile a minute, threatening to jump out of his chest.

"Well, you're safe now, okay? Don't worry about it too much." The way she casually utters it confirms for him that this sort of thing happens frequently here. She only smiles sympathetically at him, not even asking what they took — if anything.

He sighs in relief as she says that, and smiles back, taking the chance to get a good look at her face. 

Brown eyes like his, a few moles here and there. Worry lines between her brows that paint a picture of a woman who hasn't had everything handed to her, or the easiest life. He can't help but think he chose well. 

"Listen, I can go pick up Briella, you stay here and I'll-" she says, swiftly turning around to grab her keys.

"No, no, it's okay, I can do it. It's fine." He quickly insists, knowing he has to use every opportunity to get to know his family, and his alternate version better. 

"Okay. Pero ten cuidado mi amor." She warns, placing another kiss on his lips.

*

He gets there early, watching from his car as some parents start making their way towards the entrance. While he contemplates waiting inside the front office — an idea that might be a bit excessive, though it would allow him to catch an earlier glimpse of Gabriella — staying in the car seems neglectful at best. So he settles on waiting near the front of the school until the bell rings.

When it finally does, a crowd of kids emerges from the building, and with them a cacophony of screams and voices as he nervously shifts his weight around, willing himself to stay calm while trying to spot his daughter in the crowd.

“¿Apá?” She asks, right next to him . Miguel looks down at her, startled. 

He must have been so distracted looking through hundreds of faces, that he didn’t even notice her coming up to him. It doesn’t help that she’s tiny, barely reaching past his hips, and the school uniform makes her blend right in with the navy blue crowd.

“Oh hi there! You scared me!” He tells her with a laugh, trying to play it off.

Gabriella blinks at him. “You didn’t wait in the car this time.” 

Uh oh. Is that bad? Maybe she was embarrassed of leaving with her father, maybe the kids would make fun of her for it now. He quickly scans the surroundings, seeing not that many kids leaving with their parents.

“Uh… Right. Well, I wanted to walk with you, if that’s ok…” He explains, fighting the urge to lean down so she doesn’t feel as small to him.

Thankfully she just shrugs, and turns to leave after he offers to carry her backpack for her. They start walking in silence, with Miguel more afraid of being found out than he was earlier, with her mother.

It’s silly, really: She’s a child, barely nine years old. However, his mind keeps racing trying to figure out what to say, what to ask that’s not going to give him away immediately, while at the same time reassuring himself that it’s okay, that she doesn’t know yet.

“So… How was school?” He asks, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants.

“It was alright.” She answers dryly, staring at the floor as she walks.

“Soo was it alright as in boring, or…?” He risks the question, wanting to know more about her day.

She seems pensive for a moment, considering him. “It’s just that the boys keep making fun of me and Isa again. Even Sam joined in, and he doesn't even play soccer!” She frowns, continuing. “They keep saying we’re never gonna play like Messi Jr because we’re girls.” 

He can feel his fists closing into tight balls when she says that. He knows first hand just how insufferable boys her age could get, especially dealing with Kron and all the hell he’d put him through at school, but he also knows that when it comes to girls they act ten times worse. 

So even though he has no idea who ‘Messi Jr’ is, he figures instead of speaking out of anger and cursing the hell out of these boys, he should at least try and help her with her insecurities instead. 

“Why are you worried about being exactly like Messi Jr when you can be so much better than him?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

She keeps silent for a moment, seeming hesitant. “Really? You think so?” 

“Of course I do! You’re great!” He answers honestly. 

Miguel remembers watching her play a little fútbol prior to coming here. He had been surprised to find out how good she played for her age before…  

Suddenly, he’s almost overwhelmed by the thought of what would have happened to her had he not been here. He has a vision of this lovely little girl he just met being thrusted into a childhood filled with grief. 

No paternal figure there for her. A perpetual sadness that got particularly worse on every father’s day, an endless list of things he would never get to teach her. A constant wondering of what it could have been, what would have been like to have him there. 

He can’t help but feel glad that he could take his place. That he could be there for her in this way and fill this void. It’s an impossible responsibility, yet one he’s happy to take nonetheless. 

Shaking his thoughts away, he continues. “And besides, it’s like you said, right? What does Sam know about soccer, he doesn’t even play! Also, there are some great women players around the world too.” He smiles with a sudden enjoyment, excited to play this role the best way he knew how to.

Gabriella looks like she notices his thrilled state, eyeing him sideways with a curious look. “I know, I know. It’s just that it annoys me, you know?” she says, back to looking pensive. 

“Yeah, that’s… True. And the more it annoys you, the more they do it…” He admits, more to himself than her.

Miguel didn’t want to be a walking cliché. He didn’t have much advice to give her, besides things he really wanted to say but couldn’t. Like: She’s a lovely little girl, that he’s glad to be here for her and she’s actually so much more than he ever imagined, that she could be anything she put her mind to, and already he couldn't think of a single thing he wouldn’t do if she asked him to. No, that would be too much in too little time. Instead, he had to go with what was appropriate.

“You know, you’re gonna find people like that everywhere you go. I have people I don’t like at work, too. The thing is how you deal with them. But don't worry, you’ll learn that with time. it’s not like there’s a recipe for it, you know?” He tells her.

She keeps quiet for a moment, listening to him. Was that also too much?

But then she just nods in understanding as he opens the door of the car for her to get in.

*

“Not again, Gabriella. Again!?”

“¿Qué?” Gabriella asks, rubbing her feet on a rug by the entrance of the apartment when the both of them come in.

“¿Cuántas veces te he dicho para no jugar fútbol con el uniforme? ¡Mírate! ¡Estás cubierta de pasto!” María raises her voice, pointing to her daughter's legs.

“But mooom! It was just a quick cascarita! And I’m not even that dirty!” Gabriella insists, gesturing towards her white socks, which funny enough are covered in green and brown spots, especially by the knees.

“¿A quién estás llamando 'mooom'? Anda, take it off and give it here.” She orders after letting out a breath. 

“Sí mamá.” Says Briella, pouting and dragging her feet to her room, looking annoyed.

Miguel also drags his feet by the threshold, setting his keys on a hook next to the door. He takes off his boots, eyeing the three pairs of slippers nearby. Hesitantly, he puts one of them on, the irony in the mundane gesture settling heavy in his chest, the weight of deception tugging annoyingly at his conscience.

Since he’s already taken a quick look around the place before she arrived from work, he gets to inspect things a little closer this time around.

The entryway is adorned with sleek porcelain tiles that extend seamlessly into the living space. A smart home system panel mounted on the wall offers control over lighting, temperature, and security, right next to the hook where he hung his keys. To the side, there’s a wall-mounted shelf holding a curated display of art and what looks to be some personal mementos. 

A water bill sits on top of it, the sight striking an odd chord — in a time where holographic displays and digital transactions were the norm, a paper bill practically seems like a relic from another time — but also allowing him to find out her full name, which he immediately commits to memory.

“I think she thinks the socks make her look more like a professional player.” María tells him a while later, while slicing some meat by the sink. “We should buy her a pair of those so she stops ruining her uniform.” 

He nods in agreement, putting a plate down as he lets the reality sink in, that this is really happening. This is his life now. 

He’s married, he has a beautiful wife, and he’s also father to a beautiful little girl. And he couldn't be happier. Couldn’t have asked for anything else in life. 

It’s like he just woke up from a bad dream, straight into the life he’s always wanted to live.

Like he’s exactly where he belongs. 

So he helps María with the food. Luckily, he must be incompetent at the kitchen in every universe, because her instructions are extremely detailed, as they prepare carne a la tampiqueña for three.

María yells for Gabriella to come, and they all eat in silence after joining hands around the table for a quick, silent prayer. 

*

Later, María is washing the socks while he cleans the table, and Maná plays in the background. She grooves with the rhythm, singing and humming now and then, completely oblivious to it all.

Objectively, he knows that he’s hiding a lot from her, but his heart can’t help but ache a little at how she’s not intimidated at all by his presence, in fact, she’s used to it. For once, he doesn’t feel like a freak or a monster the way he inadvertently does among the other spiders. 

She spots him there, lost in thought as he finishes up, and says “I heard they’re reconstructing his larynx.” 

“What?” He’s pulled from his thoughts by the weird phrase.

“Maná. The vocalist, I heard they’re reconstructing his larynx to help the A.I replicate his voice better. Can you believe that!?” She explains “That’s why I’m listening to their original songs, I heard it on the news today.”

He blinks slowly, trying to figure out if he’s supposed to be used to things like these. “That’s… Crazy, honestly.”

“Right? I mean, the fact that we aren’t able to tell the difference for most artists nowadays is already pretty insane to me, and now they’re reconstructing the larynx of a dead guy to make a robot replicate his voice better? Come on now!” She remarks, turning back to look at him.

“I know, it’s so wild to think about.” He says, taking the chance to look around the room. 

Sleek countertops adorned in marble, bearing the scars of a few culinary adventures that her and his alternate self probably didn’t have the time to clean yet; Rectangular windows above the kitchen sink, lined with cheap plastic containers labeled “basil”, “rosemary” and a few other herbs, bringing a nice green contrast to the brushed metal accents; A smart fridge on the corner, adorned with Gabriella’s drawings held by magnets all throughout it. Some things never change.

He approaches the fridge, taking one of the drawings to inspect it closer. It’s a crudely drawn version of him… His alternate self, with exaggerated triangular shoulders and, most tellingly, what looks like a phone buzzing in his hand.

María seems to notice his curiosity, approaching to look at the drawing too.

“Listen I know, you must be still a little shaken from… Before,” She tells him carefully “Just… Try not to think too much about it, okay? You’re here, you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

He puts the drawing back as she places a cold hand on his face again, gently willing him to meet her eyes. 

“I know, I know. It’s just… I was afraid for a second, that’s all.” He says, sincere in his words but not the real meaning behind them.

“And that’s okay. I’m here.” She assures him, pulling him by the arm gently.

The low hum of the city outside is a distant lullaby as they settle into the living room.

She takes a bottle from on top of a cabinet, wordlessly pouring two cups. He takes a sip, letting the burning soothe his nerves.

"I didn’t think I'd make it back." He lies, gaze lingering on the symmetrical floor panels.

Her hand finds his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You did, and you're here now."

“Yeah… I am.” An inward glow softing his expression, the sensation of a smile blooming from deep within as he stares into her eyes.

As the night unfolds, the room is filled with shared glances and unspoken understanding. María lays her head on his shoulder, caressing him. 

And he can’t help but think that this could work. 

This could really work.

*

When they go to bed, after making sure Briella did her homework and wishing her goodnight of course, María takes off her bra in front of him, and slips on a loose nightgown.

He hates that for so many things that he had considered before coming here, this hadn’t even crossed his mind at all. Hesitantly, he pulls off his own clothes, not able to help how flushed red his face must be. 

Thankfully, María doesn’t seem to notice this, as she’s busy settling into bed and pulling the sheets towards herself. He sits besides her underneath them, awkwardly stiff, and she pulls him into a sideways hug, humming quietly. 

"You seem so different today." She observes, fingers lightly tracing circles on the sheets next to him.

He freezes, eyes widening but trying not to look at her.

"Yeah… It's been a long day.” He says, clearing his throat. “I'm just tired, that’s all. Besides, I gotta wake up early tomorrow. You know how it is, work.” He explains, thinking it’s a good enough excuse.

She turns to fully look at him, blinking in amusement. “It’s friday. Did you forget?” 

He closes his eyes. Fuck.

“Yeah, yeah, right. I meant workout, you know? Gym? I just need some rest.” He corrects, pulling away from her a little and cursing himself inwardly for talking so much.

She seems to get the message, recoiling as well.

“You and your Gym. Should at least try eating those packed proteins just like everyone else.” She tells him, turning her back to him, reaching for the light switch on her side of the bed and then finally lying back down.

"Well, you know how I am," He says, turning off his side of the bed lamp as well but still remaining upright. She hums in agreement.

“Goodnight?” He asks, reluctantly.

“Goodnight.” She replies, sounding already half asleep.

*

"Gordo, eres tú? Ya llegué!” = Fatty is that you? I’ve arrived! 

(Keep in mind that ‘gordo’ is a wholesome way to call someone in spanish, and doesn’t mean she actually thinks he’s fat nor that she is body shaming Miguel).

"... Tu hermano no deja de llamarme, deberías ver qué quiere. Ah, y el 'forecast' del tiempo dice que el aire será irrespirable por unas horas, así que recuerda cuando te dirijas a… estas bien?”

=

“... Your brother won’t stop calling me, you should see what he wants. Ah, and the weather forecast says the air will be unbreathable for a few hours, so remember that when you’re heading to… Are you ok?”

"Que te pasa, mi amor?” = “What’s up with you, my love?”

“Estoy bien” = “I’m fine”

"Okay. Pero ten cuidado mi amor.” = “Okay, but be careful my love.”

“¿Apá?” = “Dad?”

“¿Qué?” = “What?”

“¿Cuántas veces te he dicho para no jugar fútbol con el uniforme? ¡Mírate! ¡Estás cubierta de pasto!” = “How many times have I told you to not play soccer with your uniform? Look at you! You’re covered in grass!”

Cascarita = an informal, purely friendly soccer match in Mexico. The equivalent for a ‘pelada’ in Brazilian Portuguese, although if you search for the term, make sure to include the word ‘futebol’ after it, as ‘pelada’ on its own simply means ‘naked’ haha

“¿A quién estás llamando 'mooom'? Anda [...]” = “Who are you calling ‘mooom’? Come on [...]”

“Sí mamá.” = “yes mom.” 

Carne a la tampiqueña = a traditional mexican meat dish

Lyla, play Mi religión by Maná :) Also you can read it on ao3

[final-fantasy-xiii-fan]

ok this is the first fanfic I publish, I would like to clarify some points before: 1- this fic has adult themes like sadism, psychological disorders and mention to sexual activities so if you don't like these themes please don't read it, it's not graphic at all, but I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, so if you are under age, go your way. 2- I don't know anything about grammar and spelling, on paper and pen yes, but I can't on a computer and even less on my phone, I don't know why, I just know I'm a failure. 3- I don't intend to offend anyone and much less, this is something that came to me and nothing more, please take it easy if you get to read it. 3- this fanfic is full of clichés, psychological disorders and a lot of humiliations and mistreatment to Legend, Wild and Hyrule because of their appearance, their way of dressing and behaving, this is something that I have lived in my own flesh and it is a relief for me. 4- sincerely it's a bad story, so please I beg you for patience and understanding, I'm not good at writing fanfics and even less at spinning plots, without more to say, here is the first chapter. Chapter:1 The group had encountered the shadow and the battle was leaning in favor of the heroes.

But that Lizalfos noticing that he was about to fall, opened a dark portal to flee, thus began a heated chase through a huge meadow riddled with greenery, blue skies and structures like barricades and guard posts covered with grass, flowers and small bushes. Twilight was on Epona, he moved faster than the rest of the group to catch up. He shot arrows, but they were not enough to stop him, until they reached some stairs that led to a kind of temple, the rest of the chain followed him on foot, as they would not let their brother face that threat alone; the next to arrive was Legend, who thanks to his Pegasus boots ran almost on par with the mare.

Twilight: Ready to have some fun Legend,” he asked. Legend: You know I love disemboweling lizards,” answered the hero of the legends with a sadistic and acid touch in his voice. It was time to end it all, Legend pounced on his enemy with a unique killer instinct among heroes. The brothers moved fast, releasing slashes and cutting some scales, but the shadow seemed faster, smarter and much more powerful, with a whip of his tail, he managed to disarm the rancher, but luck would not be with him for long, because the rest of the team arrived at last, with Time at the head, followed by Hyrule and the captain. He was at a numerical disadvantage, he could fight two, maybe three of those blessed by the goddess, but nine? even Ganon wouldn't have a chance against something like that, so he opted for retreat, he jumped to the top of the stairs to reach the atrium of the temple, where he opened another dark portal, Wind and Four went after him, but when they arrived, the dimensional arch disappeared with blue and purple flashes, revealing the immense evil that the creature kept.After the chase, Hyrule tended to the wounds of Twilight and Legend, the captain looked around, his face covered in sweat from the race, with his sword and shield hanging from his hands. He left his eyes wide open, moving his head to one side and the other, as if looking for something, he climbed the stairs until he reached the end, where Wind and Four were, ignoring them as he advanced to the entrance of the building with a radiant smile, he knew that place, it was a temple dedicated to the great fairy, one of many that existed around the kingdom, he was at home.

Wars: Wind, Four go get the others, tell the traveler not to exhaust himself and not to use potions, we have everything we need here. Four: Wait captain, the lizalfos escaped, we're trapped here-. Wars: Don't worry, I know, but we can't do anything else until another portal appears. Wind: That's right, there's nothing left. Wind approached and pulled Four by the arm, he was worried about Sky, who had received an arrow in the arm and, even so, continued fighting without complaining, so they left only the major, who, after making sure that the boys were far away, opened the doors of the temple, to talk to the great fairy…

After a few minutes, all the squad was healed, not a single scratch was left unhealed. Wild: The great fairy of this time is much better than the ones I know. Legend: Why do you say that, champ, they went wild? -Legend asked in mockery. Wild: Well if they like you enough, they'll kidnap you for days on end, until they convince you to have sex with them. Time: Champ! There are children present!

Wild: I'm sorry, I'm sorry-his cheeks turned a slight reddish color, Time looked at him with disapproval because one of the rules that had been established since they left Lon Lon Ranch was no adult chatter in front of the younger ones, Wind and Four who were only 14 and 13 years old. Twilight: What do we do now? Shall we set up camp here? Wars: No need rancher, we are on my time, so we can go to the castle and look for my princess, she will give us what we need.

Hyrule: Do you think he really wants to help us? Hyrule got up from the step where he had sat next to his predecessor. Wars: Of course, now the castle is a 15 minute walk away, so we won't have any problems getting there. Legend: Hey, wait soldier, don't you think we should take it easy? You're not even sure if your princess is here, what if she went on some diplomatic mission or something? -Legend stood up as if he had a spring in his back, no way would he set foot in that damn castle.

Twilight: He has a good point, we don't know if she's even in the citadel, it would be best to inform us first Wars- Twilight said, supporting Legend, since they had recently started to be closer, maybe not as much as with the champion or with Hyrule respectively, but they had gained a mutual trust, after the accident of her pendant and the pink rabbit form, the bonds were getting closer and closer. Sky: I say that while Wars and I go to investigate, the others wait for us here- suggested the hero chosen by the goddess and so it was done.

[captainmullin]

The Journal of Captain Mullin - Chapter O. - The Fool.

Summary: A retelling of Captain Mullin's story, a young mercenary who took up the mantle of The Grancypher crew - following in their father's footsteps. A story of grief, tragedy, and how to sail into the future.

[First Chapter] [Next Chapter]

[O. 1. 2. 3. 4. Interlude 1. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Interlude 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Interlude 3. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Interlude 4. 20. 21. 22. Epilogue.]

Chapter Wordcount: 4,473

Song Inspo: Icarus by Bastille; Is There Anybody Here? by The Dear Hunter; Dawn in the Adan by Ichiko Aoba

Notes: It's here! I will be trying my best to update this weekly, but it might be closer to every 2 weeks at most. I sincerely hope you enjoy my danchousona's story, and I'm eager to tell you more of it!! This is probably my biggest writing project to date. Please enjoy!

Divider Credit: @.craftkitsune (tufted banner design 03)

Wind.

That’s all I could feel. 

It rushed past my ears like a thundering waterfall; a cacophony of silent sound that made my eardrums burn. I wanted to speak, but no words could come out. The pressure on my chest felt crushing; utterly and entirely compromising. I couldn't move to do anything about the pain - to just accept whatever fate had befallen me.

What have I done?

Flashes of memories crossed my mind. My family, friends, and the world around me. Companions of old and new. I knew so little, and yet I know nothing. Death seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. What had my life surmounted to? Was I a good person? Did I live a life worthy of being saved? 

What have I done?

I had a feeling that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. In the midst of the air, all I could see was red. A crimson sky; unchanging and unholy. It made my stomach churn with regret. Tears welled at the corners of my eyes as they slowly closed - I surrendered myself to the wind. 

What have I done?

There was a lingering feeling of regret, somewhere deep in my soul. I wasn’t sure if it was for myself, or for leaving so many people behind. I didn’t deserve to feel that guilt, that sadness - it was all my own doing. I knew that; it was something so deeply ingrained in my heart that I didn’t know anything else. I was always running, always turning away from those that mattered the most, and now I can’t say goodbye. Maybe I didn’t earn it. A shooting star, burning itself out. Doomed to eternally fall towards its own death. 

What have I done?

Oh.

I remember now.

Chapter O. - The Fool.

The Fool takes a leap of faith from the ledge they are perched at. Stepping and falling into the unknown are one and the same. What lies below the cliff's edge?

I awoke with a start, my instincts kicking in and causing me to jolt - resulting in hitting my head on the wooden supports above me. My room onboard the Starseeker was small, cramped, and entirely too compact for me to ever feel comfortable in it. Despite the many times I’ve taken this journey, the room always felt… off. Unsettling. Maybe it was the fact that I was returning home after being away for so long - that guilt that churned in my stomach remained even after my nightmare had passed. I tried to shake off the bile that had risen in my throat. The nightmare had passed, so why did it bother me so much?

I squinted at the window on the opposite end of me, it’s dawning sky peering back at me. It was a burning red; similar to the one in my dream. Stars still dotted the morning horizon. There was knocking at the door, its rhythm frantic - meeting the pounding of my heart. I groaned, rubbing the fresh injury on my head. It is way too early for any of this. What time is it, anyway?

"Hey, Mullin!" A voice called from the other side of the door: “Your stop is almost here!” 

"Oh, damn- thanks, Henryk." I replied, sitting up in bed. "I'll be out soon!"

Henryk was one of the three Erune siblings that were onboard The Starseeker - the small passenger ship Mullin occupied now. The Starseeker was run by an older couple; a young man as the helmsman and his Harvin wife as the captain that had aged alongside Mullin as they frequented distant islands. The Starseeker was one of the few ships that made out the long journey to Zinkenstill, leading the young mercenary to know them intimately over the past years. 

Henryk was the oldest of the siblings at 16, but still had boundless energy like he was 12. He was always running around the airship, constantly repairing it under the helmsman's watch. I feel like I've always been by their side, ever since I became a full-fledged mercenary. I hope I can see everyone again before I go.  

"You got it!" Henryk's footsteps faded away as he ran off in the opposite direction. I sighed, stretching out my arms and preparing myself to face the crew and the awning new day. Pink and yellow rays outside my window indicated that dawn was approaching… and I've always loved sunrises on Zinkenstill. 

What greeted me on The Starseeker's deck was the morning sun - and Osta, the second of the three siblings. She was mopping the deck - not always a morning person, but wanting to get her job done before the hot afternoon hit. Her constant black clothes were a reminder of how I used to be when I was her age; 14 and ready to fight anyone at a moment's notice. 

Breaking my gaze from her, I blinked away the remnants of sleep and made my way over to the edge of the deck. Clouds passed by in puffy white bundles; the sunrise giving way to a clear blue morning. I leaned over the railing - just enough to see Zinkenstill not far below. The green hills and dark trees were fuzzy in the distance, but I could still make out little houses down below. Farmland had made its change from the deep greens of summer into the beige colors of fall. One of them has to be Gran and Djeeta, right? Hopefully they're safe, with the Erste Empire collapsing I haven't had time to contact them… 

I reached out over the railing edge, my gloved hand grasping for the clouds that hung there in the air. Zinkenstill was so close, yet still felt so impossibly far away. The wind blew through my fingers as if it were beckoning me onwards. I could almost touch it, just a bit further- 

"Hey, watch it. I'm not catching you when you fall." Osta's monotone voice cut into my thoughts, the blood rushing back towards my head as I caught myself before I fell over the ship's edge.  Oh, that was a close one. 

"Sorry, Osta." I mumbled to no one. Maybe I've been too high-strung lately. Everything's been put on a wire-thin tightrope around here, me included. I shouldn't get distracted. They say absence makes the heart fonder, but… I looked down at the island again, and sighed. I just want to get home at this point. I need to pack. 

Turning around and waving to Osta, I headed back towards my cabin, eager to find coffee in the common room. Behind me, the white clouds formed a large shadow across the island of Zinkenstill, casting darkness over everything the clouds touched. A new day approaches and the cliff's edge remains ever-closer. 

An unfamiliar ship was docked on the port - that was the first thing Mullin noticed as they unboarded The Starseeker. It was a much larger vessel than the one the mercenary had just departed from; large sails and an impressive silhouette on the skyline. Adorned on her front was the carving of a large dragon head; her wooden eyes seeming to peer directly into Mullin's soul. They shuddered and turned away - not afraid, mind you, just… unsettled. The remnants of this morning's dream hadn't entirely faded away. 

Taking a deep breath in, Mullin hoisted one of their canvas bags over their shoulder and carried the other in their opposite hand. The coffee from earlier had carried out its duties - a jolt of energy throughout Mullin's system as they took their first step forward towards the path that led to town. Where their family was waiting. Another pang of guilt, but it was too quick to fully comprehend. They exhaled. 

And took another step. 

I felt an uneasiness in the air as I approached my home at the top of the hill; nervousness causing me to stumble on the rocky pathway. I hadn't felt this way returning home in a very long time, so why now? Something felt off - Gran usually greeted me as soon as I stepped foot on the island. I sat my bags down on the front porch and placed one of my hands on the pistol that was holstered around my belt. Shifting my weight, I knocked on the door. 

A beat passed. Then two. I shifted my weight again, and brought my hand up to knock again -

"MULLIN!" There was a shriek of delight from inside the house as the door swung wide open to reveal Djeeta; face flushed from running down the steps. Before I could react, she threw herself onto me and knocked me flat on my back in a hug. My bags tumbled back down the hill - and another headache began to form on the back of my head. In the back of my mind, I vaguely noticed that Djeeta was wearing… armor of some sort, and a weighty sword equipped to her side.

"Djeeta, what's-?" I began, patting her on the back and trying to regain my vision from my dizzying descent onto grass.

"You're home! Oh, there's so much we have to tell you!" Djeeta began rambling, offering a hand to help me stand back up. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the migrain beginning to form. She then started going on about something about an adventure and we died and there's this really cute girl and-

"You DIED?" I opened my eyes and whipped around to face my sister completely now, watching as the excitement on her face quickly morphed into one of abashedness and only the tiniest bit of shame. Djeeta laughed and rubbed the back of her neck. 

"Well- um- it was only for a little bit-"

"'Only for a little bit'? Djeeta, what in the skies did you do while I was gone? Six months!" I said, "Six months and you've gone and up and died? Do you know how worried I was? The Erste Empire has gone through an entire revolution and I've had to work my ass off to make sure you both got money for food and-"

"It's okay, Mullin." This time, Gran's soft voice greeted me at the doorstep of our home. My brother was always the more rational one, but my apprehension didn't disappear.  He wore an expression matching Djeeta's - also rubbing the back of his neck. "Come inside. We should… talk. There's a lot you've missed."

My bags were still at the bottom of the hill.

Inside, the uneasiness I felt had somehow tripled in feeling. In front of me sat complete strangers - they were in my living room, my kitchen - and they all were equally as tense as I was. The first thing to catch my eye was a young girl, no more than 13, with vibrant blue hair. She wore a white dress, and an expression of concern as I was shuffled inside by Gran and Djeeta.

"Um… this is Mullin, right?" She said, her voice meek. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other - not nervous, but she's… curious? I thought to myself as I brushed grass off of my hair and clothes. I nodded. 

"...Yeah. I'm Mullin." I replied, feeling a bit lame in my response. I was never very good at first impressions, and no doubt that today would be full of them. I looked around the living room, and made a mental note of who was there. A man with a full beard was sharpening a knife while looking out the window - a woman with long black hair sat across from him. They both were occupied with their thoughts, it seemed. I could also hear movement and voices from the kitchen, but they were faint. 

I felt eyes on the back of my neck and turned to meet the gaze of a woman with brunette hair. She was dressed as a knight; her armor glistened and the sword at her belt told me she was far more experienced than I with it. Realizing I had taken too long to say something more than my name, I continued.

"...I'm their sibling. Older by a few years. I've been out on a job for the past few months. Have they…" I glanced over to my siblings. "...not said anything about me?" 

A pang of hurt went through me. I know I haven't been the most present lately, but surely they would have mentioned me? I've continually tried to send letters, but I haven't had many responses… 

"It's not like that!" Gran said, waving his hands in defense. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him, and he continued: "We've been traveling. We couldn't get any of your letters - we only saw the pile at our door this morning," he admitted. 

"-So we'll be going through them today with you!" Djeeta finished. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. The knight to my side also sighed. She took her hand off of the hilt of her sword and held out her hand.

"...They never mentioned you had purple hair. Or how…" She gave me a once-over. "...Protective you might be. My name is Katalina Aryze. I'm a former Erste Empire lieutenant." 

I took her hand and shook it. It was a firm handshake; warm. The girl with the blue hair tapped me on the shoulder and also held out her hand: "I'm Lyria!"

Just Lyria? Nothing else? I also shook her hand, and was pleasantly surprised by how strong of a grip she had. Katalina smiled softly at her, and I could feel the warmth radiate from her expression. I guess these people aren't so bad. It still doesn't explain why they're here, though…

I looked back over at Gran and Djeeta, who were whispering conspiratorially to each other to one side of the room. Before I could say anything, the voices from the kitchen got louder and a large crash erupted from the room. I swiveled on my foot and began to move towards the noise, but Gran held out an arm before I could move. He gave me a silent shake of his head, as if to tell me everything would be okay. 

"Geez, old man, can't you do anything right?" A young girl's voice rang with more clarity now. Emerging from the room, the girl twirled a staff that looked about the same size as her and pointed it at the other man that came out. She huffed and puffed at him while he just groaned and rolled his eyes. He had brown hair swept over to one side of his face, and some facial hair - not nearly as intense as the other man's. He looked… tired. We locked eyes for a moment, a brief second of acknowledgement, before I glanced away. 

"I'm not an old man. Sheeh, it ain't my fault you dropped the cooking pot." He said, then leaned down to ruffle the girl's hair, only for Djeeta to clear her throat. 

"Ah-hem! Now that we're all here, I'll make some introductions!" She placed her hands on her hips in a pose exuding confidence - not that she needed any effort to be any louder. "Mullin, this is the Grandcypher crew. We're skyfarers now!" 

"I- what? What did you do in the six months I was gone…" I mumbled to myself, watching as she pointed out each individual member of their crew. Wait, what was the name…?

"That's Eugen in the corner. He's from Auguste, and he knows a lot about being an adventurer!" The aforementioned skyfarer nodded at me and I nodded back. He looked away from his knife for a moment and stared me down. Under his gaze, I shrunk back - only to be greeted by a warm, hearty laugh from Eugen.

"Hah! Good to meet ya. Gran and Djeeta are good kids - I can see you're the same." He smiled proudly and returned to his work. The woman next to him spoke next.

"My name is Rosetta. I used to travel with your father when we were younger." Rosetta had a ghost of a smile on her lips before she inclined her head towards my siblings: "They are much like him. It's good to meet you." 

Djeeta nodded, as if the introductions were to her satisfaction, then turned to the girl and the man who had come out of the kitchen - I should probably clean up whatever mess they made before getting my bags - and the girl spoke first.

"I'm Io! I'm a mage from the Valtz Duchy. Good to meet you!" She bowed her head and gestured with her staff to the man: "That's Rackam. He's the guy who pilots our airship. Y'know, that big one that's on the dock right now?"

The dragon's wooden eyes flashed through my memory. I said nothing, but waved my hand for Io to continue - but not before Rackam made a noise of discontent and cut her off: "'s not just any airship. That's my Grandcypher! You don't get the importance of it, do ya…" 

"Wait, The Grandcypher? Isn't that-?" I paused, frowning. That's the name? No. The crew that took down the Erste Empire was called the Grand-something. It can't be the same crew, can it? That would mean-

I locked eyes with Gran and Djeeta. My realization had caught onto them, and they wore matching expressions of hesitation and relief at the same time. They're the ones that toppled the Empire? With this crew? What? I felt sick to my stomach - and lightheaded. Why were they doing something so dangerous? What happened? How could they have done such a thing? Why? 

"Woah, they don't look so good!" Io said, making her way over to the front door. I hadn't moved a muscle. I couldn't say anything - no noises came out, let alone a word or a full sentence. My vision started to blur, and eventually it all went black.

Gran leaning over me was the last thing I saw before I promptly passed out. 

Mullin awoke in their bedroom, a hazy memory of dragons and the wind blowing past their ears joining them as they woke. Their head pounded against their skull; a dull migraine only growing worse by the second. Everything was too much for their senses - the shuffling of clothes and the bright light from their window indicated that the sun was still up, and that it hadn't been very long since they had fainted. 

A groan escaped their throat as they felt a cold cloth being pushed against their forehead. Soft voices faded in and out as their consciousness slowly came back to the mercenary; gentle hands helping them sit upright in bed. 

"Do you think we scared 'em that bad?" 

"I… I don't know. They tend to get worried pretty easily. Maybe it's that?"

"Aw, c'mon guys, it'll be okay! We have a ton to catch up on, I'm sure they aren't too upset?" 

Mullin blinked slowly, opening their eyes carefully so as to not let the rays of the setting sun hit them too hard. Squinting, the mercenary could make out three figures sitting at their bedside. Gran and Djeeta to their right, with Vyrn to their left. As their eyes adjusted more, they could make out that they were in their old bed; covers and blankets just as they were on the day they left. Their siblings wore matching expressions of worry, while the little red and orange dragon on the opposite side was much more hopeful. 

“See, they’re awake!” Vyrn chirped, resting his little paw on Mullin’s hand. “Knew you would wake up, buddy.”

“Mh- ugh… Vyrn…?” They mumbled, holding one of their hands up to their forehead. The rag was still there; cool and warm at the same time. It provided some relief for Mullin's aching head - but not much. "What happened..?"

"You fainted. Are you… okay?" Djeeta asked, shifting her weight between her feet. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to shock you." 

Now fully sitting up, Mullin shook their head: "I- I'm fine. I was worried about you more than anything. What were you two thinking, running off into danger like that?" They winced, their headache still pounding. 

"It just sort of happened!" Gran replied. "Here, um, I brought some medicine. We should talk." 

Mullin nodded, and as the sun set over Zinkenstill, Gran and Djeeta explained how they ended up in the situation they were in now. Lyria - the girl with the blue hair - and Katalina, the knight, had crash landed on the island as they were running away from the Erste Empire. They also explained how they both managed to take part of the blow from a primal beast - leading to Gran, Djeeta, and Lyria's souls being bonded with one another.

So Lyria saved my siblings. I guess I owe her a 'thank you.' Mullin thought to themself as they listened to their story; from meeting Rackam in Port Breeze and Io in the Valtz Duchy, to Eugen and Rosetta - then to how they met Sturm and Drang, a famous mercenary duo that had worked with the Erste Empire for a time. 

"Oh, that's news to me," Mullin interrupted. "I was traveling with Sturm and Drang for a bit on a couple of excursions. I wonder if they were working for the Empire during that time too."

Vyrn just shrugged: "Maybe. But we won't really know until we ask 'em, yeah?" 

"Mm." Mullin nodded, and continued to listen. As the story wore on, the young mercenary began to nod off into slumber. The day had clearly taken its toll on Mullin; their headache was more like the vibrations of a beating drum against their skull. The story had seemed to end with Gran, Djeeta, and Vyrn all whispering their goodnights and sleep wells, before the door to Mullin's room was closed with a gentle click.

I awoke early the next day, still groggy but not nearly as confused nor frazzled as usual. I had no unusual dreams that night, which I think was a blessing in itself - I don't know how I would've reacted if I saw that dragon and her wooden, unfeeling eyes in my sleep. I shuddered, then began my trial of managing to rouse myself out of bed. 

I wasn't leaving for a while anyway, so there was no sense of urgency as I unpacked - I think Djeeta retrieved my bags as an apology for knocking me over - and found my journal. The worn notebook was one of many, its leather covers and unassuming nature was a piece of comfort and home in my travels. I approached my desk, digging out an old quill and finding my ink bottle. In the rising sun, I began to write.

I don't remember when I first started doing it. It began with Azazel teaching me how to write better - then again, my handwriting could never outpace his - the large Draph and the small human being an unlikely pair to many. We took field notes together, marking down locations on maps and different herbs for medicine. 

Then, it changed. I began to write to Gran and Djeeta on my travels, then started noting them down for my own sake. As a preservation of memory? In hopes that someone would read it when I had been long gone? A memoir? As my thoughts drifted, the ink on my quill began to leak onto the pages. I quickly began to clean up the mess; this was how most of my days began…

"Who wants pancakes?" A shout came from downstairs. "C'mon, we're leaving soon!"

Leaving soon? But didn't they just get back yesterday, like I did? My curiosity getting the best of me, I hurridly changed clothes and joined the others downstairs for breakfast. 

What greeted me that morning was Io and Lyria in the kitchen, making pancakes from scratch as Katalina was ushered outside to help Eugen with weapon maintenance - I guess they didn't want her in the kitchen? - before turning to find Rosetta in the living room, sipping tea. I guess my disappointment was apparent on my face, because as I approached her, she sat down the cup with a small smile.

"I'm guessing this was your tea, then?" A giggle escaped her lips: "I didn't know you were such an aficionado." 

"I'm… not," I mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed: "I like that blend. I don't mind if you have some. I mainly drink it since coffee is too bitter."

"And…" Rosetta took another sip from her cup. "'Earl Grey and Bourbon' isn't?"

"Well- it's- the bourbon adds a smoky quality to the blend that you don't get with coffee, and-"

"Mullin, are you rambling about your tea stuff again?" I heard Gran from outside call in. He was sitting by the living room window, the front porch now overtaken by chairs and tables. "Eat breakfast with us out here, we need to ask you something."

"I'm not rambling- ugh, okay, I'll be there." I waved him off and leaned closer to Rosetta, almost conspiratorially: "If it's too sweet, there's sugar cubes in the top right cabinet above the stove."

Making my way outside, I grabbed a glass of water before sitting down with my family. Djeeta had already made me a spot, the steam of the pancakes coming off in waves in the cool Autumn air. However, as I sat down, it felt as tense as it did yesterday when I walked into the house. 

"Is everything okay?" I asked, cutting into one of my pancakes. Gran and Djeeta exchanged a look. Oh no. What is it?

"Mullin, um, we've been thinking…" Gran began, this time to look more nervous than usual. "And- and you have every right to say no, and it's absolutely okay if you do-"

"Gran. " I interrupted him: "Just tell me what it is, then I can say yes or no. Okay?"

"Okay, well…" Djeeta continued, eyes glancing off to the sides. "Do you want to say it together, Gran?"

An affirmative nod from Gran. Djeeta exhaled, as if she was holding in a breath. Then, my siblings looked at me head-on: 

"We want you to be the captain of the Grandcypher crew."

Wait.

What?

Icarus is flying too close to the sun

and Icarus's life, it has only just begun

this is how it feels to take a fall

Icarus is flying towards an early grave

[mofffun]

Music Collection vol.3 repo

note: i don't know a thing about music somebody please please do a musical analysis of king-ohger some day

There's still no "Mysterious Debut" from ep4!!! Did you guys forget it??!!

1: I didn't even knew i needed the narration bgm but thank you narration bgm. recgonized it immediately.

2: this is my favourite (non-obstructing) version of instrumental Zenryoku King so far

Shugoddom 2 years after: there's still kind of a solem march disciplinary rhythm but it feels more upbeat and cheerful than authoritarian

N'kosopa: my instinct reaction is: freedom. contrary to Shugoddom, i don't hear a single instrument as the melody it feels more background noise in a good sense. As in it suits the environment as opposed to dominating the scene. Maybe you can make a theory about there's no single driving force and N'kosopa is all about community

Ishabana: I don't have much of a reaction to it but i think it's more… subtle? as in v1 was very much announcing Himeno's appearance and you're supposed to fall head over heels for her and v2 is "I'm exerting beauty regardless of your worship"?

Toufu: it's so fun. you know you're in for a ride. wouldn't be out of place if it plays at the mall during new year.

Gokkan: I LOVE YOU. this part brainwashed me back in 27 and i kept thinking if this is the Gokkan theme or the Shugddom theme because they share that orchestral repeat and it plays into Jeramie and Gira transforming (btw Jeramie is not in that medley). In the middle it turned sombre again but the melody comes back on it's like regaining control and the song is proper balanced!

8: i think this is an earlier bgm we don't hear as often now. very comforting while alluring you to a bedtime story. i like the strings 1 minute in

9: YES JERAMIE'S CHOIR DEBUT SONG IS HERE. *blast it at highest volume* love the wind chimes 0:37-0:50 you really need to turn it max to hear, and it stops when the drum starts building tension. there's beats of "8. A story wiped from history" at the end too.

10: i see it… ep26… buganarok national day *wipe tears*

11: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 RITAAAAAAA

12: violin INFERNO!!! i love this one. my strongest impression of it was in ep11 the orphans griefing about Gira. What do you mean it's called "A king's compassion for his peole" 😭😭

13: the! the touching bgm!

15: love Dugded's theme. SW vibes if i say so, knowing Hidetsuna did use SW as an inspiration for chapter 2. strong impact the first time i hear it.

16: i can sing along to this

17: ?… OH "Racles's schemes"!! Hello old friend! Another one to sing along.

(these dug themes are melting together for me…)

20: Does this share some sounds with "18. Uchuuoh's Iron First"???

22: compared with "Assemble! The five kings", I like the ch2 assemble theme is more [穩重]… more mature and grounded. There's still the same insipiring quality but a sense of you can really trust them to take care of everything instead of just raging on an adventure. I guess it's they are working better as like a team.

ringtones:

gira/racles: evil vs hero. will believe racles's ringtone is the official shugoddom anthem.

yanma: THAT'S OUR PREZ! (anything i can say will never be as GOAT as Hidetsuna-san designing a wblue matching ringtone)

himeno: afternoon tea

rita: i hadn't noticed there's a "dun-duh" after the chibi moffun chirps. Rita is always getting calls and always cutting their ringtones short 😂 sorry Rita but gotta say the sharp chirps is not good for my ears

kagu: i almost forgot his bgm is like this 😂 very fitting i guess

jeramie: medieval european bard

out of the 8 the only one i'd consider using is probably jeramie's. and maybe yanma's racles song 😂

now we need a retro rpg with the ringtones as bgm

insert songs:

Pride and Brave: ooh the full song is much better than just the ed segment! something about Takatori-san's voice being nostalgically reassuring. Like the crossover itself, very traditional-flavoured sentai. I always thought of "Waking the King" as an "ura-OP", the OP King-Oh would have if it's born 10 years earlier, and this is the special edition crossover movie dancing ED.

Just we go: This is the "image song" of ch2 so it hasn't been used in the show yet. Contrary to "Waking the King" this feels more like an "ura-ED" but not a dance one, closer to a Rider ED. The lyrics is very affirming of the kings' journey this past (three) year(s) - that i feel like, a message that i receive from the show, is you can always make up for your mistakes and you always have a second chance, and the lyrics is saying that. It maybe the same vague hopeful words but it's about taking everything that happened to you, ackowledged how hard you fought, to protect your home and then facing the future without reservations. cliche of cliche but it works!

I'm still alive: I love this song. I've waited for it since ep 2. TWO. (now it's released the crown of longest-waiting bgm is passed to Mysterious from ep4).

and I feel so sorry and mean if I critique the grammar because the artist and team worked hard on it and musically it's wonderful! The grammar just takes it a little bit out of immersion. Now i'm curious if the lyrics has a japanese blueprint that better convey the message. Reagrdless, it's interesting to think of the english language is part of Yanma's antique/retro hobby. Maybe English is an antiqudated language on Chikyuu so the gramma is odd to modern Chikyuu ears.

[backtothefanfiction]

The Angel In The Garden of Evil | Chapter 2: Mr and Mrs Parker

Summary: Things are getting tense in the Parker household as their new enemy starts to make himself known.

Warnings: 18+ Only, mature content, eventual smut, weapons, shooting, life threatening incidents, a lot of emotional tension, swearing

Word Count: 2.7k+

A/N: I love this chapter so much. It's my first real proper action scene I've written. As the name of the chapter hints, it's very Mr and Mrs Smith inspired. I have been falling completely in love with these characters and now I hope you are too. So here we go... (also, any thought's on who might be Angel's Dad?)

TWO

Peter had heard of the Vulture before, but only at a distance. A rumour. An urban legend. Ghost story even, told by scared lackeys who had moved from one place to another looking for work after their last master had disappeared. Aptly named for the way he swooped in to feast off of what was left.  

“No one talks about how he’s the mastermind who causes their downfall in the first place.” she fills in.

They had moved to the adjoining living room. Peter sat perched on the edge of the sofa, his elbows leant forward on his knees as he watched her pace back and forth as she recounted everything.

“He’d swoop in, in the dead of night, picking off anyone he could get his hands on, one by one. My dad didn’t think much about it at first. Thought it was one of the Italian groups getting too big for their boots. Then he took out the warehouse on West 49th-”

“In the Kitchen?”

“Yeah.” her voice was timid.

“Wait, you’ve been back in the city?” How had he not noticed? Why hadn’t Eddie told him.

“Yes.” she said again, the word barely audible. She couldn’t meet his eyes, her guilt clear on her face.

“How long?”

“4 Months.” she admitted. She finally looked at him as his brow furrowed. He sat back in his seat, his hands sliding down his face in exasperation. She could feel his energy twisting, his temper beginning to boil under the surface of his skin. “Don’t be mad at Eddie.” Her words shook him to his core. “I know you had him come find me.” She said as she stepped towards him, but didn’t dare go any further than the coffee table, the unspoken no man's land.

“You knew I had Eddie following you?”

“Peter, he’s an ex investigative journalist not the private investigator you think he is.” Peter didn’t respond, just stared up at her as he leaned forward on his knees again. “I told him not to say anything. I didn’t want it to start another war. It took me long enough as it was to try and convince my Father to let me come home with the promise I wouldn’t contact you. Let alone push my luck.”

Peter’s face fell. After all this time, she was still  the one person he couldn’t keep his facade up with, except maybe Harry. 

“Peter I promise you I didn’t want to leave. Why do you think there were never any divorce papers sent? That was the deal I made with him. I would leave only on the grounds that as soon as he died, I’d be straight back here. He knew that, that’s why he left you the whole Kitchen in the end.”

Peter still couldn’t believe it. After years, the only stronghold in the city he couldn’t penetrate, Hell’s Kitchen, her father’s domain, was now his.

“He’s gonna be coming for you Peter. He doesn’t take too kindly to not getting his meal after he’s made his kill.”

He stared at her, almost like she was a stranger in that moment. The way she spoke. Now hardened by the three year separation. All that time spent with her Father. She dressed differently, did her hair differently. Getting closer to 30 had changed her. No longer was she the fresh faced girl straight out of college he’d originally snuck around with behind her father’s back. Nor the innocent bride, no something had changed her, hardened her. That’s when he noticed it, a small flash of red.

“Get down.” he shouted as he leapt across the coffee table to tackle her to the ground as the first shot went off. 

Her hands instinctively reached to protect her head as they both shuffled across the rug, Peter pushing the coffee table out of the way as a barrage of bullets came hurtling through the windows. They lay hunched down on the floor in front of the sofa.

“Where’s the closest gun?” she shouted over the sound of gunfire. 

His eyes instinctively looked at his piece, still sitting on top of the kitchen island. Upon realising it was too far he looked at a painting on the wall to their left. If he could just get to the safe hidden behind it. 

“Jesus Christ.” she shouted as her hand reached down to her trouser leg, lifting it up to reveal the holster strapped tightly around her ankle. She pulled the smallest pistol Peter had ever seen from it. She nestled closer to the sofa as she removed the safety, using the briefest of windows between shooting to check out the window. She could barely see a thing out there through the cracked glass. “I can buy you maybe 30 seconds, you’ve gotta make it count.”

He gave a quick nod of confirmation.

“Ready? 3…2…1-” she sat herself up, leaning her arms on the back of the sofa and making one shot, then two, both hitting their mark as Peter rushed towards the left wall. He practically ripped the painting off the wall to reveal the safe behind it, his fingers dexterously entering the code to unlock it,

He heard two more shots as his fingers reached for the pieces of the two guns inside. There was one more shot, then another, he was trying to block it out, focussing on sliding the magazine into the guns, one getting tucked into his belt once completed, the other still in his hand when-

“Ahh fuck.” he heard her cry. He turned to see her crouching back low behind the sofa, her hand covering her left shoulder, blood already beginning to seep through the long sleeved white turtleneck she had on. “Mmmmhmm.” she hummed in pain as he slid back across the floor towards her as another barrage of bullets rang out through the room.

“What happened to my 30 seconds?” he tried to joke and lighten the tone as he protectively crouched over her. His fingers tenderly encouraging her to move her hand so he could assess the damage. 

“It’s fine.” she hissed as her eyes closed, head hitting the back of the sofa firmly as she tried to centre herself and push past it. “Merely grazed me.” she confirmed when he wouldn’t let up.

She pushed him away, placing some distance between them again and forcing him to get focused on the enemy outside once more. She watched as his head inched upwards to quickly look over the back of the sofa and out of the window which had completely shattered at this point, leaving a large gaping hole in the wall. His head quickly ducked again as a few more bullets landed in the top of the sofa, closer to his head.

“Bet you’re glad I redecorated now.” He joked as he watched her toss her now empty pistol to one side. He reached into his waistband for the other gun, holding it out to her.

“Thanks.” she grumbled as she propped herself back up onto her knees, assuming a similar crouched position to him as she rechecked the bullets and the magazine before cocking the gun.

“What, don’t trust me?”

“Old habit.” she grumbled. When had that become an old habit he wondered. “Come on Spider boy, what’s the plan here?”

He felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards, he hadn’t heard that in a long time and it made him nostalgic, almost youthful again. But he quickly pushed it away, getting his game face on. “We need to get out of here, get around the back, take one of the cars from the garage.”

“I’m assuming it’s locked.” she said before seizing an opportunity to pop up from their cover and fire two shots into her target. Peter couldn’t help the admiration he felt as he watched her fire a perfect head and chest shot into her mark. If they currently weren’t fighting for their lives he definitely would have found himself growing hard. “Yo, Parker. Back here please!” she shouted at him, snapping him out of it. “Keys?”

“Same place as always.”

“So you didn’t move everything.” she sighed, as he took an opportunity to take his shot.

When he settled himself back down tight against the sofa, his body turned to face her, he finally said, “You keep low, head through the kitchen and out the back, I’ll cover you.” 

She gave him a quick nod, waiting for his signal as he checked back over the sofa at their assailants as they took a break from firing to reload. “Ready?” She nodded again. “Go!” he said as he stood and began firing out the window at the gunmen. 

She scuttled across the floor, picking back up her pistol as she went. She was halfway across the floor when the shooting started again. She just caught the sight of a dark figure moving along the windows to track her, before a bullet hit the hardwood floor mere inches to her right. She froze, her head turning in shock. “My bad honey, I’m sorry!” Peter called as he turned his body and shot out the window in the rogue gunman's direction.

She quickly slid herself into the kitchen, her body sliding to the left for the wall that stuck out a little further, giving her cover and allowing her to stand and assess her next move. She needed to get across to the other side of the kitchen to where the utility room was with the key cupboard. She peeked her head around the wall back in the direction of Peter who was now back crouched behind the sofa, reloading his weapon. A shot rang out, hitting the wall just to the side of her head and she quickly took cover again. That’s when she spotted Peter’s other gun he’d first come home with on the island. She lifted her leg, quickly placing her smaller pistol back in its holster, freeing up her other hand once more.

She took a steadying breath before sliding across the tiled floor, using her hand to stop herself once she was safely behind the large island, a couple more shots popping off at her heels and bouncing off the work tops.

“How’s it going Princess?” Peter hollered from the living room.

“I’m working on it!” she shouted back. “Would be a lot easier if I wasn’t being shot at every time I moved!”

“Uh, fuck it!” she heard him grumble to himself.

There was a commotion as furniture was hastily moved and she took that as her opportunity to reach up and grab the second gun off the island. She had just crouched back down into her position when she started to hear the gunmen outside grow frantic. “What the-! Ahhhgg!!” she heard one of them scream. This was her moment, she knew she had to seize it. Both guns in hand she rushed, still crouched low towards the utility room door. There were a couple more shots behind her and then another very unmanly wail before she reached the door, skidding through the open door frame.

She quickly made her way to the left wall, opening up the small cupboard in the wall to reveal a bunch of keys all on different hooks. She began to scan her eyes across the labels. Pool house keys, spare front door key, a whole load of window keys… “Aha!” she exclaimed in triumph as she found the garage door key. She then paused as her eyes fell on the different car keys, spotting the keys to the Porsche. She couldn’t help but smirk as she snatched them off the wall too.

There were a couple more shots, this time coming from the kitchen as she took one glance through the doorframe to see Peter rushing across the room towards her. She raced to open the back door, the adrenaline coursing through her doing well to mask the pain in her shoulder but she couldn’t escape the throbbing sensation that radiated from it. She groaned as the door finally gave way and she raced along the side of the house to where she could see the garage, her fingers quickly slotting one of the guns into her waistband. She paused at the corner wall of the house, checking for any of the gunmen. Her answer came by the way of another shot hitting the wall next to her head making her jump back into the shadows. “Fuck.” she grumbled as she closed her eyes, head falling back against the wall. There was a noise to her right, her eyes quickly flying open, back on alert, her fingers reaching for the safety of the gun in her hands, her arms quickly raising. She quickly lowered it again as she saw her husband, creeping across the back of the house towards her. 

“What are you waiting for?” he hissed as he came up beside her.

“Really?” she hissed back, shooting him a look that said she thought he was the biggest dumbass she’d ever met. He merely shrugged. She rolled her eyes as she turned to peer around the side of the house again. Another shot. She recoiled, shooting Peter a look as if to say ‘that’s why I’m waiting.’ Out of the corner of her eye however she could see through one of the back windows of the house, the shadowy figures already making their way through the lower level to hunt them down. Peter, catching her sudden distracted look, quickly followed her gaze before snapping back to her.

“I’ll take care of them, you run.”

“Okay.” she said with a small nod. There was a pause between them before he was holding his hand out to her. “What?”

“I know you took it off the counter.”

She rolled her eyes as she reached back into her waistband for his gun. She slapped the heavy weight of it into his open palm.

“Thank you.” he said. She rolled her eyes at the tiny smirk in the corner of his mouth as their fingers brushed against one anothers in the exchange.

He stepped forward, pushing her back so he was in front as he readied himself. “Ready?” he checked in with her again.

“Ready.” she nodded and he stepped out, arm aloft shooting two bullets in quick succession in two separate targets. She heard their bodies hit the ground as she raced for the garage door, her blood covered fingers fumbling with the key in the lock. There were two more shots behind her, one hitting the top corner of the metal door just as she was turning the handle, pushing the garage door open. 

Her eyes scanned the cars in front of her. “Fuck!” she muttered again as she noticed the silver Porsche further down the garage in the shadow of the other door. She quickly raced over to the second door of the double garage, her fingers working faster this time, but still not fast enough before another bullet hit the bricks that divided the two doors. Her eyes grew wide and she sneered at yet another close call.

“What’s taking so long?” she heard Peter call out.

She ignored him as she threw the second door open, her fingers fumbling for the button on the car keys, a loud chirp and lights flashing as it unlocked. She quickly raced around the drivers side, her shoulder protesting as she flung the door open. “Uhh.” she groaned, clutching it as she quickly slid inside. Her fingers were racing to put the key in the ignition with one hand before she’d even closed the door. There was a loud roar as the car came to life and she reached with her good hand to pull the door to, before she was putting the car in gear, her foot hitting the accelerator.

She broke quickly as she came alongside Peter, her good arm throwing the driver's door open as she simultaneously began manoeuvring herself into the passenger seat. There were two more shots as Peter put one foot and then the other into the car. The driver’s door slammed at the same time his foot was hitting the accelerator, tires squealing as he began to speed down the drive. She watched in discomfort as she shuffled in her seat as a few of the men in front of them quickly leaped out of the way of the car. She groaned in pain once more, as her arm bumped against the car door as Peter skidded off the drive and onto the road, the last few shots ringing out behind them as they sped away from the house as fast as they could.

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

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[mrs-santoss]

Love at First Sight - Neymar Imagine - Chapter Eleven FINAL

Summary: 

Y/N is scared to fall in love. She fell once, and it was a nightmare. She can’t risk it again. But, this lucky boy manages to steal her heart, but unfortunately, manages to break it at the same time. What will Y/Ns decisions be?

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 , Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10

I could hear everything, but I was unable to open my eyes. I remember screaming, pain, Neymar's cries, my mom's cries, I could even hear the doctors saying I won't be able to make it. I gather all my strength to open my eyes. I was in a hospital bed and It was dark. The only light was coming from two small lamps on the table in front of me. I felt a hand on top of mine, it was warm. I looked down to see Neymar laying his head next to my hand, holding it loose, indicating he was asleep. I suddenly remembered why I'm here. "MY BABY!" Neymar jumped up and looked at me. He held my arms down while I was trying to get out of bed, panicking. "Y/N, It's okay. Calm down, meu amor. Hey-" "NEY, WHERE IS MY BABY? WHY ISN'T SHE HERE?" I kept yelling and began crying. I was in tremendous pain, but my mother instincts were kicking in, making me forget about the pain. Neymar cupped my cheeks and sat down next to me on the hospital bed. "Bebê, she's okay. She's healthy. The nurses have her, they will bring here in shortly. Calm down, meu amor." Those words worked like an "off" button for me. My baby was okay, she made it. I smiled through the tears, hugging Neymar. He pulled out of the hug quickly to look at me. "Y/N how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" "Yes, a little. What happened, Ney? How did I end up here?" "You had some complications that obligated us to come here. The labor went okay, there's doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you or our daughter, our Y/D/N." after he said that, I felt a rush of happiness. It is finally over. We hear a knock on the door and the nurse comes in holding the most important creature in the world for us. The second she placed her on me, I felt a radiation on my chest. It's like my daughter was speaking to me, saying that everything is okay and she's safe. It felt like life finally had a meaning. Even though she was born a few hours ago, I can already tell she has Ney's features. I hold her close to my face and smell her. It's crazy how yesterday she was inside of me, and now I'm holding her. There's a knock on the door, Davi comes inside and runs towards me. Neymar's family and my family come in after him. Davi gives me a quick hug and I pat the empty spot next to me, letting him know he can sit there. "Hey, honey. This is your brother, Davi. Hii, Davi!!" "She's so little. What's her name?" Davi asks and pets YD/N's blanket wrapped around her. "Her name is Y/D/N. Do you like it, amor?" "Yes, I do. I will take care of her as a big brother." said Davi, making me and Neymar awe, Ney hugs him.

I interact with all the family members, but I kindly ask them for some quiet time, since the pain was getting worse. Neymar and Davi stayed with me in the room. The doctor came over to check on me and gave me something for the pain. I fell asleep with Ney, Davi and Y/D/N close to me. _____________________________________ "Davi, honey. Can you see from there?" "Yes, Y/N. When does the game start?" "They will come out in a couple of minutes." I was with Davi and Davi's mom and my one year old daughter Y/D/N watching Ney play for Brazil. I sat on the row behind Davi and Carolina. It was a very important game, Brazil was playing for Copa América. It was also my first time bringing our daughter to a game, so I was a bit nervous. "I can't wait for her to grow up and come to watch me play" said Neymar while rocking our baby to sleep. "Me too amor, she will be your biggest fan, after me of course"

The player got on the field, the first thing Neymar did was look for us. When he spotted us, he blew kisses and smiled at us and mouthed " eu te amo". During our conversation before the game, he seemed very nervous about this game, I prayed that this doesn't distract him. Neymar managed to score after 20 minutes. We all jumped on our feet celebrating. During his celebration, Neymar went to the nearest camera and did a heart shape with his hands and kissed his new tattoo.

"Amor, I have a surprise for you, close your eyes"

"Ney, It better not be any of your stupid pranks, don't make me scream because Y/D/N is sleeping" I said to him and followed him to the couch.

"Don't worry, amor. You'll love it, cause I do."

He helped me sit on the couch with my eyes closed and I could feel him sit next to me. He kissed my lips for a second making me jump a little and told me to open my eyes. He had a new tattoo on his arm. There was a pair of eyes, my eyes. He looked at me for my reaction. It made me smile and loved. I kissed his lips and pulled away to look at him. To stare into each other's eyes like we always do. This has to be the most meaningful tattoo. "I love it, Ney. I love you"

I blew a kiss at him and yelled 'I love you' at the top of my lungs, making Y/D/N look at me weirdly but still continue to clap, mimicking everyone's actions. The game went on, until the 120th minute. The other team had managed to score after Ney, tying the score. It all came down to penalties. This has to be the most stressful thing in Neymar's life. I'm not even the one playing and I began to sweat. I know how much this means to him. The other team missed their 5th penalty, Neymar was about to shoot the 5th one. If he scores, we win. The pressure is unreal. He approaches the ball slowly, praying. He kissed the ball before putting it on the ground. And...he scored, Brazil won. I began crying and hugging everyone. Neymar ran to his teammates and celebrated with them. Before the cup ceremony, all the family members of the players went down on the field, including us. Davi took Y/D/N from my arms and ran towards Neymar, me and Carolina followed them. Neymar picked up our daughter kissing her before kissing Davi and hugging both of them tight.

I went to see Neymar play for the first time after I gave birth. I was excited to watch him play after a long pause. Neymar scored a goal a his celebration was the biggest surprise of my life. He untied a white band from his hand, making it flat and showing it to the camera. There was a text, written in black marker saying "Will you be Mrs.Santos?"

"Congratulations, amor. I'm so proud of you" I kissed him and hugged him tightly, Carolina did the same. "Thank you, bebê. I'm so glad you're all here, everyone." "Congratulations, Ney. You did a good job" said Carolina and kissed him on the cheek. Their relationship is so good and healthy, I like that a lot. They never let Davi feel uncomfortable or sad about their situation. "Thank you, honey" said Ney and we let him go back to his teammates to receive the cup after that. During our ride home, it was just me Y/D/N and Ney in the car. Davi and his mom left with his dad. Neymar held my hand during the whole ride, kissing it and we sang at the top of our lungs. I'm so glad I accepted the job. I'm so glad I moved to France. I'm so glad I went to that party. I'm so glad I gave our relationship a second chance. Now, we are the happiest we've ever been. We have our family, our home and a very long future ahead of us. I would've never thought that we would end up here in 3 years, but I wouldn't change a single it about our journey.

I looked at him and smiled. I remembered our first interaction. Even though it's been years, It always managed to make me smile, it always will.

"Hi, I'm Neymar. Nice to meet you!" he says to me, and extends his hand.

"Hello, Neymar. I'm Y/N, the new medical team assistant. Nice to meet you too!" I say back to him and I smile. He can tell my hand is shaking from the emotions, so he gives my hand a light squeeze before he releases it.

"I guess you will be seeing this guy in your office a lot then. Aahahaha!" this other guy says, making everyone laugh and approaches me.

"Hi, I'm Kylian. Nice to meet you, do you speak French?" he shakes my hand and asks.

"Hi, Kylian. Nice to meet you too. Yes, I do." I say the last part in french.

There's one last guy left to meet me from the three of them. As he's reaching to shake my hand. Neymar says to him in a low volume "she's extremely beautiful, oh,my god." in Portuguese. He responds back to him "yes, she is." and then turns his head to me and shakes my hand.

"Hi, I'm Thiago. Nice to meet you" he says to me in a broken English. I shake his hand.

"Hi, Thiago. Nice to meet you too. You can always talk to me in Portuguese." I say back to him and smile, I look at Neymar when I say "Portuguese" because a want to see his reaction of me understanding what he said a few seconds before. He looked shocked and started turning red immediately. Thiago starts laughing and explains the thing to a curious Kylian. The all laugh together aside from Neymar who's still a bit shocked.

A tear rolled down my eye. I didn't even bother to wipe it. It was a tears of joy. Neymar looked at me at smiled, reaching to wipe my tears. I took a hold of his hand again and squeezed it tighter this time. "Ney?" "Yes, amor." "I love you with all my heart, I'm so glad you're a part of my life." "I love you, too, meu amor. I will always be by your side, no matter where, how or when. Thank you for everything you've done for me so far. I promise to always put a smile on your face, even during rainy days, just like in our vows. I will always stare into your eyes, even during my last breath. I love you"

-END-

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector's Edition: Fics That Deserve More Comments (Part II)

These fics have an atmospheric je ne sais quoi to them that pulls me in every time-- clean and cutting, gentle and soothing. I adore them all; and definitely believe they need more attention.

Loose chronological order below~

saltringangell's the time it would take (to fix my heart)

""And she wants to tell him- or wanted to tell him at least. Let him know that watching him with someone else brought up something she can’t place yet; something she is terrified of. That watching him with Diana was almost worse than if he told her he didn’t feel the way she did at all.

But then he’s sobbing, unapologetic and earnestly, and the image is wiped from her mind.

“Let me help you.”

A noise wracks from him that makes her skin crawl, her chest lurch. It reminds her of the first time she had seen her father cry; a stripping of innocence, a breaking of a barrier. Watching something break apart in front of you with no warning and no safety net to catch the fall. It makes her instinctively grab the side of his face, burying her hands into his hair.

She allows herself to let him fall apart. She doesn’t move to shush him or to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. She doesn’t give herself the luxury of calming him, just grabs hold and lets him fall apart.""

AU-- Post The End Mulder is only responsive enough to beg Scully into his car, where her comfort finally cracks him. She works through their fears, her hurt; and steadies him through his breakdown.

@muldertxf's (Ao3)

Dark Fear, Chapter 2

""Mulder looked down at Scully, then back at the woman. Cheryl was like a hideous neon beacon amidst a sea of yellow light. It almost hurt to look at her. His pupils receded into green. “Uh, yeah. More specifically, your husband’s case of events. May we speak to him?”

A light bulb burst in the right corner beneath a red, white, and blue striped lampshade.""

S1 Scully and Mulder interview a skittish abductee. She chalks his state up to other factors whereas her partner is awed by the experience, eagerly driving them to the abduction site.

flutter, pt. 2 (Ao3)

""Mulder shakes his head, begins walking down the cracked sidewalk. “Doesn’t matter, Scully,” he replies, his back to her. She follows him. “I had doubts about him anyway, but it was worth a try. Sorry to intrude.”

“No, you didn’t…you didn’t intrude, Mulder. I was surprised to find you there if anything. But not offended,” Scully reassures. He keeps walking. “Mulder. Do you need a ride?”

There’s a pause, and he slows, turning to face her once more.""

S1 Scully is surprised that Mulder stumbles across her path after a no-show witness; and offers to drive him home after he ends their dance and begins to withdraw.

Descension, Part 5 (Ao3)

""Warm light stung her. Every which way she turned, something felt illuminated. Too bright. It would frighten her if it didn’t annoy her so much.... And something weird, notable–she’d dreamt of her father last night.

When she arrived to work, Mulder was not at the bureau early like usual. Baffling. She had beaten him for once.

Scully’s heels uttered muffled clacks against the flooring, as she made her way to place a book in front of a basement window. Carefully, she stepped over the spiral notebook. It seemed that’s all she’d been doing since yesterday.... The sense that something was not as it seemed still gnawed at her insides, like an animal, but she ignored it.

Her gaze fixed on the spiral notebook. Kneeling down, she plucked it from its resting place and flipped it open to make another attempt at reviewing her partner’s written notes.

The bleary feeling began to cross her frame again.

It was blank.""

Pre-One Breath Scully is caught in a hallucination-- Mulder (or not Mulder) and she are investigating a case... but little tiny things are off.

11:11 (Ao3)

""This assignment feels asinine to me, too. But we have to do it. Kersh isn’t too happy with your little chase , recently.” She flashed a hand into a ray of streetlight to gesture to her ear.

That case had been a real headache , Scully thought. But she’d never say that to him--she knew the effect being held captive had on a person. It wasn’t joke material.""

Post Drive Mulder is withdrawn on a muggy stakeout. Scully banters and makes a silent wish.

beginning of season 6 drabble thing

""You think aliens eat cold food only?”

An expression of sheer confusion contorted her face like a snake bite. Her crimson lips pouted, mindlessly chewed swollen, now stuck outward. “Is this your weird way of asking me to lunch?”

“No, no--listen,” He said, rotating his chair towards the basement door to fully face her. “But I mean, if you want to, we could, um...”

A sigh deflated from her small frame. “Just go on, Mulder.""

S6 Mulder throws pencils and asks asinine questions distract him and Scully from their scutwork. She cuts his misery short and sends him home.

No Small Feat (Ao3)

""Scully had remarked, in the way only a weathered pathologist could, that it was kind of funny how the town kept the attractions going despite the grizzly brutalities. Mulder couldn’t find any humor in such a scenario. This cold front had locked those gates, shut down the rides, and effectively stuck its tongue in their faces, as far as Mulder was concerned.

Scully had effectively shut him out, eyes locked on the faded yellow trailer that stalled just ahead. On its license plate, party balloons danced behind a metal string of numbers and letters, all chipped just slightly. She briefly considered honking the horn to hasten the driver. There were only two routes one could take here and said driver’s blinkers didn’t hint anything. She bit her lip.""

S6 Scully is impatient with their failure on a case; but both she and Mulder stumble across the killer clown anyway-- and he makes a break for them with an axe.

A Drabble relating to The Sixth Extinction 

""Dana Scully’s voice was a shot in the dark, a pulverizing sear through his tender flesh and bone.

“Mulder, if you never come out of this,” she had droned rather forcefully, weaponizing her dry voice as a barrier against bitter tears, “that I fed your fish this whole time. You owe me.” She laughed emptily.

He bit sharply into the lethargic ice cube that had sunk him, and his irises methodically swam up to meet hers. He clung onto her baby blues like a life raft. His one in five billion.""

Amor Fati Scully sits by Mulder's bed, unaware that he is aware but still believing in a nagging feeling at the back of her head.

Sea Waves (Ao3)

""Do you really believe people have seen a hippocampus out here, Scully?”

The ship rocks and Scully’s grip on the railing falters a bit; she readjusts. “Don’t you? Why are we out here then, Mulder?” she questions, scrunching her brows in annoyance, “Was falling off our boat deliberate? That shirt is ruined.” She giggles despite her attempt of seriousness.

“Look, I’ve got dramamine, Scully. I won’t be seasick. There’s no shortage on plain white work-shirts, and…” Mulder’s speech drawls off into nothing, as he realizes in horror, that his tie’s disappeared.""

Post Millennium Mulder lures Scully out on a boat-- not for a case. Just to enjoy watching her have a good time.

define humor (Ao3)

""He simply stares at her, lips sucked in. It’s not nausea, he realizes, it’s...

Hilarity.

Mulder’s shoulders are jerking up and down and his eyes are squinting. A tear tracks down his cheek, and Scully looks on in horror. Rip-roaring laughter tears through the silence. None of this is funny, none of it should be, he tells himself. My sister is dead. The thought makes his sides ignite in flames. My sister is dead!""

Post Closure Mulder is struggling with clashing sensations and emotions. Scully is horrified when the dam bursts, comforting and steadying her partner.

post En Ami 

""Her eyes glow.

Scully imparts his first name in a whisper, and immediately his head snaps up in alert. “Come closer,” she breathes.

Mulder begins to slope his shoulders forward, to gear his pants seat to slide nearer, but he stops early. The black is all-encompassing, drowning both of them like a thick fog. Mulder stops moving, blindly reaching for his drink. His cheeks are warm.

“Scully, what’s going on? What’s wrong?""

Post En Ami Scully is unharmed; but turns the conversation away to begging then threatening Mulder not to go to Bellefleur. It wasn't her, after all.

Cheap Motels and Headaches

""He looked at the suspicious vehicle again and weighed the risks of running out there with a gun. Mulder’s hand fumbled to his waist instinctively.

It hit worn elastic.

If they were here...they were here. Mulder geared away from the bullpen, and back to reality, where the ceiling bared a pregnant bulge, and the carpet jumped with nats. Take me, he thought, anything but her. His face paled.

Then, hand in the cookie jar, the Cadillac zipped just out of sight of the dusty window. The AC wedged in the corner behind the door coughed.

Being on the run felt otherworldly.""

Post S9 Mulder and Scully are holed up in a motel room when his Biogenesis abilities return with a vengeance. His fear and aching sorrow and joy conflict when it allows him to hear how happy Will is.

One More Meeting (Ao3)

""She must do this. But before she could commit to the action, the door flew open.

Scully gasped, her hand locked to the spot where the handle had ripped from her now empty fist. She sensed him coming to the door. She should not be surprised, and yet here she was, eyes wide, and red-cheeked.

The boy unclenched his jaw before reaching forward to take her hovering hand. A wobbly smile met his lips. His palm was warm. She looked up at him, and he radiated something that tugged at her heart. Tall.""

Post Ghouli Jackson meets, comforts, and reassures Scully in New Jersey. He encourages her to stay with Mulder instead of pursuing him.

Kennel

""Do you need any help? Any pet preferences?” The teenager asks, resting her gel pen on the granite.

“We’re just looking right now, thanks,” Mulder replies, as Scully wanders off in his peripheral vision. A small grin crosses his face, “but we’ll let you know if we need something.""

Mulder loves watching Scully putz around an animal shelter; and loves being mistaken as an old married couple even more.

@oceanofthesky/noifsandsorbees's

By the Sea (Ao3)

""Long past Baltimore she tells him to get off the highway, to follow the twists and turns of a map she hadn’t realized she’d memorized until there is nothing but ocean ahead of them. Her body feels heavy when she slips out of the passenger seat, as if the new growth inside her has doubled her weight, but she pushes forward, drawn to the eerie whisper of the calm water.

She hasn’t been back here since she said goodbye to her father so many years ago, but she suddenly needs to know the secrets he took away with him. His ashes are a mere memory in the sea’s veins, yet she trudges through the rocks and grass until the ice water is nearly running over her shoes, as if he’ll be standing there waiting for her.""

Post Elegy Scully almost falls apart on a beach, drawn to her father's memory and his side in the great beyond. Mulder bolsters her, demanding she not give up yet.

this one was just titled per manum. 

""She’s with him, but she’s thinking of infants and angels, and how maybe one day, in some inconceivable afterlife, she will be reunited with her little girl (the one she so rarely thinks about anymore; a stranger, really, but a stranger with her sister’s eyes and face and the smallest fingers she’s ever clasped in her own; a child always living on the edge of death but somehow at the same time her only chance for a future). She’s thinking that one day she’ll hold Emily somewhere resembling heaven, and she’ll be whole again.

But that, fittingly, would require her to believe, something she’s become less and less sure of how to do.""

Post IVF failure Scully is floundering; but realizes that Mulder is there to weather every loss with him-- that he's her constant, always.

holding on (Ao3)

""This month, she tells herself, she’ll finally refold each of his shirts into a nondescript box and drop it off at Goodwill, throw away his stockpile of newspapers, lock his door for the very last time. This is the month where she’ll stop falling asleep in his bed, searching and searching for what’s left of him in the sheets and waking up in tears she’ll wash away by breakfast.

But for now, she places the check into an envelope and scribbles his landlord’s address from memory.""

Deadalive Scully pays for Mulder's apartment again, still not able to bring herself to box up his things and move out.

Unnamed

""Just one, she pleads, and the only image he can conjure is her rising from the bed and walking out the door, so he swallows hard, nods, and tries to narrow the worlds he’s created into the one that will hurt her least.

He has universes of memories that will never be, one for each star in the sky, for each breath in his lungs. And sometimes he thinks that's all he has, all he ever has had, a never ending dream of ‘what ifs’ that start to resemble happiness if he believes in them hard enough.

And he knows she realizes the depth of his imagination, of the possibilities he can conceive that will never rival reality, knows that one day he may get irreversibly lost inside himself. He almost wonders if she’d join him and they could build another reality between their minds — the clarity in which he knows she would is stunning, alarming. He wants to warn her to run, but he supposes she already is, she’s running and he’s a decade too late (and when really has he not been too late?).""

Post S9 Mulder wants to spare Scully as much as possible from the pain of missed happier lifetimes; but she clings to him, refusing to let him keep in his vast "what ifs" and memories.

together again. (Ao3)

""mulder, why would you take him? you scared me half to death,” she gasps and watches his eyes cloud over with sadness. she forgets that he doesn’t know, that she hasn’t yet had a chance to tell him everything. he can’t imagine a child alone in the middle of a crater of rubble, in the hands of strangers, anywhere but beside her.

she calms herself and moves toward mulder, lets him wrap his arms around them both.

“i can’t stop looking at him,” mulder whispers against her. “he’s just so big.”

“you’re here,” she whispers back, her heart finally having slowed, allowing her to remember what a miracle his presence is.""

AU-- Post S9 Scully wakes, panicked, thinking Mulder and Will are gone. She's calmed finding them both engaged in Mulder's bedtime stories.

Sunrise (Ao3)

""He still doesn’t understand her energy so early in the morning, somehow always fully awake and ready to take on the day, with an optimism and flirtiness that often mellows as the day goes on. He stands up and throws their comforter tight around him as he walks off to the living room.

The walls are bare and the floor is dotted with thrift store furniture they’ve found in the last week and what few possessions they have left. Scully is hunched over the unnaturally heavy couch, pushing it a few inches at a time as it catches on the uneven planks of their new home.""

Pre-IWTB Mulder is baffled that Scully thrives as an early bird, reluctantly joining her furniture-rearranging shenanigans.

open door. (Ao3)

""miss you,” he mumbles... and then he falls back asleep. she closes her eyes and prays this means he’s finally fighting for them; he slips away by morning.

months pass before he surprises her again, after dozens of trips to their little house and talks that seem to go nowhere, after too many nights pleading with god to bring him back to her.""

Breakup-- Scully leaves Mulder a key, hoping he'll drop in on better days.

xf revival ficlet

""it’s only week two back on the job, but mornings like these are muscle memory, being awoken too early and packing through half-closed eyes, her body following his without quite knowing why it couldn’t wait until sunrise. she dreads his middle-of-the-night calls, because he’s dangerous when she’s half asleep, too much like home for her to keep a proper distance....

it couldn’t wait until morning, because it matters too much to him, their cases and the answers to their mysteries and her, always her. everything and everyone but himself, she reminds herself as she drifts off to the rhythmic beating of the storm, grateful that he is once again finding his footing in the world.""

Revival Mulder and Scully reacquaint themselves with each other while on their long road trips. She lengthens their time together, knowing how much Mulder craves these moments.

of adventures and goodbyes (and once about the family they left behind).

""1994. He comes to Maryland to send his father out to sea one last time, a sight far more familiar than welcoming him home. Charlie sleeps on Dana’s couch and she wakes him in the middle of the night, making him sit up so she can lean against him, so they can stifle their tears into each other’s shoulders.

“I don’t know what to do now,” he whispers. “I wasn’t even that close to him. I don’t know what I’d do if it was mom. If was you.”

“If it was Melissa,” Dana finishes, and they both feel like children once again. He clings to her harder.""

Post Home Again Scully relates Charlie's heartbreak and distance after Melissa's death, fearing that it's too late to reach out. Mulder, hopeful man that he is, encourages her.

 White Noise (Ao3)

""There are always two clocks running in his head. Every glimpse of his watch followed by an automatic, nearly subconscious subtraction.

It’s eight a.m. here, six there. She’s just waking up, shuffling toward the shower in a silk robe, boiling water for tea on the stove as she stirs pollen into her yogurt. Nine p.m. and she’s running a bath, her dinner roasting in the oven. One a.m. and her eyes are fluttering closed, her breathing soft in his ear as he drifts off.

She calls him as soon as she gets home each night and they don’t say much. He turns on speakerphone and leaves his phone on the kitchen table as he washes dishes, next to him on the couch as he throws on a movie, cradled against his ear as he falls asleep. It’s almost like she’s there.""

AU-- FTF Scully is still reassigned after she and Mulder make the next step in their relationship. They weather a long-distance relationship, connecting over the phone while he works furiously to get her back.

I've Got To See The Stars (Ao3)

""What are you up to?”

“Just trying to sleep.”

“Wanna hold off on that a bit?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s get out of the city for a few hours.”

“Scully, we just got back to the city this afternoon, or did you already forget about Indiana?”

She ignores him. “Pick me up in ten.”

“Okay.""

Post The Unnatural Scully calls, asking Mulder to drive out to a field with her. He's amused; and both stare at the stars without any way to figure out constellations.

5./21. mulder/scully 

""And on some subconscious level you know, have always known, that you’re the cause of whatever innocence, whatever tenderness he has left; you’re the reason his heart is still beating and his eyes are ever-hopeful. Your medical degree is useless next to the effect of your mere presence, your stubborn instinct to believe in him even if you question all that he accepts.""

Post Millennium Scully knows what makes Mulder happy, refusing to take the generous out he provides for her.

Scully makes Mulder breakfast for the first time

""she pushes the eggs around in the saucepan and curses mulder for not having any oil in his pantry, no butter in his fridge, not even any bacon to give it some grease. she had considered, and then quickly dismissed, coating the pan with juice, and instead left hot water running over a bottle of ketchup hoping to work the crust off the lid.

and really, why did mulder even have eggs if he didn’t have anything else in there to make them taste better? four eggs, half a gallon of expired orange juice, the unopenable ketchup and a frozen pizza barely gave her anything to work with after he turned to her in bed and whined please, my physician ordered me not to take these painkillers without food, raising his arm as high as the sling would let him to prove he couldn’t cook for himself.""

Post Millennium Scully tries to make Mulder breakfast... but a Mulder fridge is filled with many useless things.

Sunday Morning

""She rolls away from Mulder, who has nudged one knee between her and the edge of the bed and is bouncing like a child.

“Sculllllllly,” he whines.

“fivemoreminutes” she mumbles, turning to lie fully on her other side, her right hand reaching behind her to pull him along....

He stares at the clock on her nightstand for exactly five minutes.

“It’s time to wake up now,” he whispers the second the clock changes.""

Dating-- Mulder wakes Scully up with a present: a "case" in Maui.

ok, i still find this so cute. this is from a random group os s7 vignettes i never finished.

""Mulder guessed a letter wrong and she moved to add the final alien foot, but not before Mulder pushed her hand away, as if not letting her finish would prolong his defeat. But she fought back and ended up drawing a balloon-like circle across half the page....""

Skinner is highly amused that Scully is the person to instigate a silent alien hangman game in the middle of boring presentation.

@gingerstorm101/Gingerstorm101/dana_katherine_sculder's

The New Hen House

""Wha- what are you doing?”

“Finishing up the new chicken coop.” He said matter-of-factly. “Do you like it?”

She walks around it, taking it in. “I don’t know what to say.” What could she say to such a thing? Maybe living in the middle of nowhere was a good idea after all. “You built this all while I was at work?” She can’t take her eyes off it.""

IWTB Mulder updates his chicken coop with light-up UFOs.

Beautiful

""He leans back in his seat as she joins him at the picnic table beside one of the venders. He tried, but he can’t keep it in. He had to tell her. “You are so beautiful when you smile.”

She doesn’t say anything; she doesn’t have to. The smile radiating off her is all he needs to see. It makes her ever the more beautiful."" 

Revival Mulder's admiration of Scully pushes them into a little bubble of happiness.

Picture of You

""There is a knock on the door.

His head shoots up, eyes wide. “Just a minute!” The nurse calls to the people on the other side of the door. She hands him back the photo of his wife and he dries his eye quickly. She waits until he’s ready for company before she makes her way to the door and slowly opens it.

“Excuse me,” He hears a small familiar voice. “Is my Daddy here?” He wants to start crying again, ashamed at thinking of leaving the little girl behind.""

AU-- Post Finale Mulder is diagnosed with terminal cancer. His heart bleeds for his two children, pouring out his pain and sorrow to a sympathetic nurse. (This is a tearjerker for me.)

@stellagibsonisalifeforce's Unnamed

""This morning, Black Friday for everyone else, Mulder let Scully sleep in a little while he went for a run in the rain. He brought back coffees, a bear claw for himself, and a toasted bagel with regular cream cheese for her. After, they started to dig the Christmas decorations out of of the basement.""

Revival Mulder and Scully set up their Christmas decorations, pal around with Daggoo, and miss Maggie's presence.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[devilofthehounds]

God Eater 3 Character Novel | Beginning of a Vow: Chapter 3

[image id: A novel cover. Hugo Pennywort from God Eater 3 is leaning against the bars of a prison cell. He is holding up his hand and looking at one of his armlets as if reminiscing. On the other side of the bars is a faded image of a young Hugo looking off into the distance. The text, when translated into English, reads “God Eater 3 Character Novel | Chapter 1: Hugo Edition | Beginning of a Vow”. /end id]

This is a fan translation. Original text here.

Masterpost 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Adaptive God Eater. AGE.

It was explained to us that we would be special God Eaters infiltrating the Ashlands, where normal God Eaters couldn't operate.

They gathered kids from all over who had no relatives, forced them to take the aptitude test, then threw the survivors into the Ashlands to gather information.

That was how Port Pennywort operated.

PW­–01407: Hugo Pennywort.

That was my new name after surviving the aptitude test.

I was put in handcuff-like armlets and thrown into a prison cell. Still in a daze from the aptitude test, my first instinct was to lash out at the guards.

"Hey, what about the others... Are there any others from the satellite base?"

"Oh, those energetic brats. They probably got thrown in a different block. If you're a good boy, maybe I'll let you visit them."

The guard was mocking me, but my heart started to fill with hope.

"Then everyone's here, huh? ...Alright... Alright!"

I wanted them to be safe at the base if possible, but the fact that they were all here reassured me more than anything else.

Everyone in the defense team, and Luca.

I wasn't alone. That awareness inspired me, even in this prison, anxiety swirling around me.

It wasn't at all the way I wanted it to happen, but I knew we could make our dream come true here.

Even with a God Arc that looked like it was cobbled together out of junk, I didn't feel anxious at all.

With this thing, I'd kick the Aragami to the curb. And someday, along with the rest of the defense team, we'd return to everyone who was waiting for us at the satellite base.

Then we could proudly tell everyone we loved that they wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

Clutching the already familiar Long Blade-type God Arc in my hand, I decided to make that dream a reality as soon as possible.

I couldn't meet up with the rest of the defense team, since they were put in a different block, but even as the days were filled with grueling training, I continued to work hard without a single word of complaint. Perhaps influenced by my example, more and more of the kids in the prison began to smile, little by little.

The budding sense of camaraderie bolstered my heart even more, and then—

The day came when I was assigned my first mission as an AGE.

The first mission was reconnaissance.

Infiltrate an area where the ash density had recently risen and bring back information regarding the Ashlands.

The ones assigned were me and Luca.

I was sick of being shaken by the dark truck like that day, but I was also excited by the prospect of a real battle, with real opponents.

"Finally, our first mission... Let's do our best, Luca. They're expecting a lot from us. If we get results, maybe the guards will change their tune!"

Luca nodded with a thin smile, but his face betrayed his anxiety.

"It'll be okay. If you're in danger, just stay behind me. I'll protect you from any Aragami!"

I'd be the vanguard. Luca would hang back and play support. I figured that would work best.

"...Thank you. I'll... I'll protect you, too, Hugo."

"Aw, thanks. I'm counting on you, partner!"

In his own way, Luca must have summoned all his courage to say that.

With those words, what uneasiness was left in my heart completely disappeared.

"Alright, pups, it's time. Get ready."

The guard's orders came through the radio loud and clear.

We got out of the parked truck, dragging along the heavy cases containing our God Arcs.

"So, this is the Ashlands..."

Since being welcomed into the satellite base, I had rarely seen the scenery outside the armored wall. It felt like it had been a long time since I'd looked out over the world like this.

A desolate landscape that stretched on endlessly. The black ash floating in the air stung my skin, making me feel sick.

"I am now releasing the restraints on Pennywort AGEs Hound 1 and Hound 2."

The conjoined armlets detached with a violent flash of electricity.

The small amount of regained freedom made that feeling of sickness grow even stronger.

"Come on, let's go, Luca! We'll make it back alive, together!"

We took our God Arcs and ran to the point where the ash concentration had risen, keeping a close eye on our surroundings.

After becoming a God Eater, my physical capabilities had improved remarkably, but the farther we went, the heavier the air weighed on my body.

"Hugo, look over there."

A few minutes after the start of the mission, Luca was the first to catch a glimpse of the enemy. It was still a long way off, but five Ogretails—small Aragami with tails like demon masks—were running around.

"...What should we do? It looks like they're heading in the same direction as us."

"Let's sneak after them. They seem to be traveling in a pack. If there's a nest or something like that, we can find it and report back."

We followed the pack of Ogretails, keeping a safe distance so as not to be noticed.

I had been able to calmly assess the situation and give precise instructions. I thought it was going well.

However, even though they were small, there were five of them. The tension of wondering when they would notice us, combined with the heavy air of the Ashlands, was starting to make me feel a little fatigued.

"Is that...?"

Suddenly, I stopped and stared at something out of the corner of my eye.

"Hugo? What's wrong?"

There was a large, rocky hill that had been eaten away at by the Aragami. Part of it was unnaturally chipped away.

I felt like I recognized that hill.

"...Huh?"

I looked around again.

This was the Ashlands. An unknown, dangerous place where flesh and blood could never hope to operate.

That was what it was supposed to be, but even so, I felt like I had been here before.

"That's right... I had to get over that weird, rocky hill... really quickly."

I remembered. How could I forget?

Having lost my family in the Calamity, I had desperately kept moving forward on my wandering journey in despair.

The endpoint of that journey was just ahead.

Driven by an ominous premonition, I started running.

I scrambled up the hill and ran desperately to find a spot where I could get a bird's-eye view of the area ahead.

And then.

"Why... How...?"

I was speechless at the view below me.

A place surrounded by a huge armored wall with a dirty wolf emblem engraved in it.

A small cradle where people huddled together.

It was a satellite base.

"A satellite base... all the way out here, too. But this deep in the Ashlands..."

I could hardly hear Luca's words as he caught up to me.

The entrance to the armored wall was completely open. The Ogretails we'd been following entered the base like they were coming home.

"Hey, what are you doing? Report back when you reach the designated point."

The guard's cold voice echoed from the radio.

"This... This is... the satellite base where I..."

"Yeah, that's why you were picked for this assignment. We figured you'd have the lay of the land. Don't go zoning out now."

"Then, the area swallowed up by the Ashlands..."

"You ought to be grateful. If we hadn't picked you up when we did, you would've been swallowed up, too."

"Wh... What about everyone at the base?!"

"Does it look like there were any survivors? If there were, it'd be the discovery of the century! Ahahaha!"

The guard's harsh laughter echoed in my head.

The deafening sound caused a dark ripple to spread through my blank, still mind.

"Did you... Did you know from the beginning that this place was going to be swallowed up by the Ashlands...?"

They were supposed to be God Eaters.

They were supposed to wield their God Arcs for the sake of defending humanity.

And yet—And yet—

"Why... Why didn't you save everyone?!"

I screamed the words so loud, it felt like my throat was going to tear open.

But what came back was the same inorganic, disinterested voice.

"Hmph, idiot. There's no way we could afford to feed dozens of adults with no chance of passing the aptitude test."

"Don't... Don't mess with me...! It's a lie... It's a lie, it's a lie! It has to be a lie!"

I fell to my knees on the withered earth. I couldn't stop my tears from overflowing.

Were they all dead? I'd never gotten the chance to repay them.

None of them deserved to die.

They'd been kind, warm, precious—we'd been a real family.

"How am I going to tell the others...?"

There was no way any of the defense team members at the Port knew about this yet.

I was going to have to be the one to deliver the news to them, to bring them this despair.

The very thought made my chest tighten even more.

"Oh, yeah. Now that I think about it, there were some other kids brought from that base. Guess I'm the one that has to break it to you—"

At that moment.

I learned the true nature of this world.

"They're all dead."

".........What?"

"All four of them failed the aptitude test. One of them even transformed into an Aragami. Putting that one down was a real pain."

I had thought I couldn't see them because they were in a different block...

I never saw them because... they weren't here anymore...?

The moment I realized it, the memories of the days we'd spent at the base flashed through my mind.

The five of us would fulfill our dream together and become a real defense team to protect the base.

We would become heroes and make a triumphant return, telling everyone that we were home.

"You understand now? Your lives are cheap. Do your best to be of use to the masters that saved you, you dog."

A dry gust of wind blew through the air.

The wind, coarse and mixed with ash, coldly caressed my cheek.

"Ah... Ah... Aaaaaaaaah!"

The kids in the prison had been much more sober about reality than me.

We were going to die. We were nothing special. We were only being used because we happened to be around. And we would disappear for nothing.

I finally understood that we were nothing more than miserable dogs.

"You... All of you..."

However, in the depths of my despairing heart, there was a feeling that burned fiercely.

Even if my life was worthless, I would be the one to decide how to use it.

That, at the very least, was a form of rebellion. It was my way of proving that I was still alive.

I ripped off my radio and glared down at the Aragami, coming and going from the base as if they owned it. My grip on my God Arc tightened.

"I'll never forgive you!"

Driven by my fury, I tried to jump down from the hill.

But before I could, Luca grabbed my hand.

"Hugo, wait! I'll go, too!"

"Don't follow me! Just get away from here!"

This was my problem. I couldn't drag Luca into it—I couldn't let him die.

I shook his hand away and started running toward the base.

The armored wall was open; everyone must have noticed the Ashlands approaching and tried to escape.

Do we stay locked up in the base and wait for the ash to swallow us?

Or do we find hope outside, one way or another?

Everyone at the base making that choice... They wouldn't have given up. They would've tried to live.

However, the base's single truck was crushed to nothing just outside the armored wall.

There were lots of small explosives lying beside the truck, waiting to be used as a diversion, as if there hadn't even been time to use them.

"Everyone...!"

The image of the base in my memory had been painted over without a trace.

Houses had been reduced to rubble. Dried bloodstains could be seen all over.

This place of memories, where I'd been surrounded by warm people, had now transformed into a nest of small Aragami.

"Damn it... Damn it! You... Aaaaaaah!"

Ogretails. Axe Raiders. Cocoon Maidens. Blast Spiders.

There were more than several dozens of them. It would be suicidal, beyond reckless, for even a skilled fighter to take them on alone.

But so what?

From the very beginning, this was the place to set my life ablaze.

"Grrrrrroooooh!"

The Aragami noticed me and all let out roars in unison.

I dodged some spikes from an Ogretail and swung my God Arc at its face.

It melted through the Aragami like a hot knife through butter.

I could fight. With these hands, I could avenge everyone.

Using an Aragami's corpse as a shield, you could block small long-range attacks. You could also safely restore your depleted Oracle by slashing at the corpse.

Ironically, Pennywort's training program had been excellent in building a fighting style that used whatever was available.

Maybe it was because I was so beat up, but my body moved so nimbly that it was hard to believe this was my first battle.

But then, a flash of red Oracle energy rose into the ash-filled sky. The laser of a Cocoon Maiden.

Two, then three red lights flew in succession from all sides.

"Crap!"

I couldn't deploy my shield in time. I got hit by the lasers and blown away.

Somehow, I managed to regain my stance. But then, the huge maw of an Ogretail was right in front of me.

"...! Waaaah!"

Reflexively, I unleashed the Impulse Edge, the secret weapon of the Long Blade-type God Arc.

The shockwave was so powerful, it depleted all of my Oracle in a single shot, crushing not only the Ogretail in front of me, but also all of the Aragami that had been approaching me.

However, the recoil was so strong that I was sent flying back, rolling on the ground, and slammed into the armored wall.

The impact knocked me unconscious for a moment, but my body moved reflexively.

To try and open a path, I stabbed my God Arc straight through an approaching Blast Spider.

Its body swelled up eerily.

"Uh-oh!"

At the moment of the Blast Spider's death, its activated Oracle Cells set off an explosion.

Propelled by the heat of the blast, my body was flung through the air and slammed to the ground.

A pain I had never felt before assaulted my entire body. My Oracle was more depleted than I could have imagined.

But still.

"It's still... not enough...!"

Mustering what energy I could, I stood on my trembling legs and tried to charge the Aragami. But then—

From the ground, countless new Aragami sprang up.

Zygotes. Even though they could fly, they had been hiding underground.

"Damn it... More of them...?!"

I was more than a little annoyed that something so troublesome had appeared, but that wasn't the end of it.

More Aragami sprang up one after another from the ground of the base.

Had they been hiding this whole time? Or had they only come to life just now?

In a matter of seconds, more Aragami than I had killed were writhing around in my field of vision.

It was like watching ants swarm over crumbs of bread. There were so many Aragami that there was no room to move, and they were all closing the distance towards me at the same time.

"Hah... Haha... You gotta be kidding me..."

Aragami were the embodiment of despair. And that was the reason God Eaters fought.

All around the world, there had been even worse despair than this every day, for decades.

The moment that reality hit me, the fear I had managed to suppress with my fury overflowed in my heart.

With the sound of my God Arc hitting the ground, the strength drained from my knees.

"Everyone..."

I wanted to protect this place.

I wanted to protect the smiling faces of everyone who had been kind to me, together with my friends.

But that dream could no longer come true.

If I died, would I be able to see them again?

"Sorry... Luca..."

Please, please, please survive.

I looked down and uttered his name in a small voice, a final prayer.

The next moment—

There was a loud explosion from a corner of the satellite base.

"Hugo!"

Something leapt out from the rising flames, attracting the attention of all the Aragami in one fell swoop.

Luca, wielding shining twin blades—a Biting Edge-type God Arc—flew through the swarm of Aragami like a meteor and landed in front of me.

"Luca, you... you idiot! I told you to run!"

I shouted angrily at his back.

There was no point in both of us dying here.

"...I already told you."

Luca turned and shot me a determined look.

"I'll protect you, too, Hugo!"

Upon saying those words, Luca transformed his God Arc.

What appeared from the blade in his right hand was a jet-black captive mouth that could have been mistaken for an Aragami.

"Hraaaaah!"

The God Arc flashed and, as if it were having a feast, devoured the Aragami that were rushing in, slicing them to ribbons. When the mouth returned to Luca's hand, golden Oracle energy erupted from his body.

"I won't run away. We promised we wouldn't die... We promised we'd make it back alive, together!"

As he shouted, Luca combined his God Arc's blades into a singular weapon.

"I'll keep that promise, no matter what. So don't you run away, either, Hugo!"

Luca raised his God Arc, now in glaive form, toward a Zygote swarming from the air.

Golden Oracle energy erupted from the God Arc's activated blades, drawing a beautiful arc like the moon and slicing the Aragami in two.

A torrent of Oracle energy spread out from Luca's back like wings, knocking the surrounding Zygotes to the ground.

"Whoa..."

Seeing wings of light that could make even Aragami bow in submission, I was certain.

This was hope.

That light. The will to survive. It was the only power capable of surviving in this world.

And I—we—swore to protect that light.

"...Yeah, that's right."

Grasping my God Arc again, I stood next to Luca, newfound strength rising within me.

"My bad... Let's do this, Luca!"

"Yeah, let's go, Hugo! The armored wall will close soon. Can you make it to the exit?"

As if on cue, the armored wall began to close with an earth-shattering rumble.

"You set the armored wall to move?! How do you even know how to do that?"

Letting out a small chuckle, Luca's next words were the most unexpected thing yet.

"...Lucky guess."

"...Ahaha! You're a riot!"

Regardless, it was a good move.

The reason the inside of the base had become an Aragami nest was simple: the door was wide open.

Following that logic, sealing off the entrance would trap all the Aragami inside.

The only question left was whether we could break through this many Aragami and escape the base before getting sealed in ourselves.

"I used all of the explosives from the truck outside to get in here. We'll have to fight with everything we've got."

"Don't worry, the two of us can do it! Let's go!"

We leapt forward, aiming for the gap in the closing armored wall.

Luca took the lead, tearing through the Aragami blocking our path.

I was right at his heels, making assists and protecting his back.

The formation worked surprisingly well. Every fiber of my being told me this was the perfect formation for us.

The armored wall was closing.

Everyone in the defense team. All the people who had been kind to me.

A precious place where, for the first time in my life, I had found friends and a dream.

This place, where so many happy memories lingered, was somewhere I could never return.

I grit my teeth and shook off the memories flooding my mind as fast as I could.

"Hugo!"

Luca, one step ahead of me outside the base, turned back and reached out his hand.

The gap was just large enough that a kid could barely squeeze through.

Without hesitation, I jumped through the boundary between the past and the future.

When I came to, Luca and I were lying in a heap outside the base.

Thankfully, there were no signs of Aragami around us, and there didn't seem to be any chasing us over the wall.

I didn't have the energy to get back up. As we laid together on the ground, I asked him a single question.

"...How could you be so reckless?"

Luca, still lying on the ground, reached his hand out toward the sky as he spoke.

"...That day. In the truck. I thought I was going to die. I felt so scared and alone. But then... you found me, Hugo."

A single wall separated us from hell. Even without making a single sound, every second spent in the Ashlands threatened to cut our lives short.

Luca seemed to smile in relief, even though he had to be covered in wounds as well.

The way he was talking, you would think he was the one who had been saved.

"Your promise from back then—it's been my hope."

He was just like me.

Thanks. Sorry. Both sounded wrong. So instead—

I gave him a small smile and lifted my arm. Luca responded in kind.

"...Wanna head back?"

"Yeah. Let's go home."

The sound of our armlets colliding echoed throughout the Ashlands.

Translator's Note

[bjarkanart]

Heya! Since I haven't been able to draw much in the last couple of weeks, I took some time to write a bit and finally decided to go for multiple chapters cause I'm a really slow writer so I posted the first chapter of my Death Stranding AU Imodna fic, I hope it's at least decent...

Here's a little snippet. The rest is up on Ao3, let me know what you think and thanks for reading! 🙏

Most people who knew her in Gelvaan would say that Imogen Temult was strange. With her purple hair and lightning scars, the fact that she could hear their thoughts and talk in their heads if she so chose, and sometimes hearing her screaming in the middle of the night if they passed her room, it only made sense for them to be wary of her and try not to get close.

Imogen knew what people said and thought about her, so she tried to avoid them as much as they tried to avoid her, which was hard to do when everyone lived piled up underground like a colony of ants.

 

When she was a kid, Imogen would always try to help someone out, always curious, always with a smile on her face. And people didn't treat her differently from the other kids at the time.

Then, something shifted.

Her father grew distant the more she grew up and Imogen had no idea why. She had tried to ask him. Tried to understand. But her countless attempts at trying to get an explanation from him only ever ended in disappointment and hurt the more she pushed the matter. 

She stopped trying to get answers from him when the word "daddy" started leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The once soothing term of endearment sounded like an anomaly or a foreign language even to her, as every time she spoke the word out loud, it was met with silence. Imogen had grown tired of running after a man who felt more and more like a stranger she just happened to be sharing an apartment with.

Imogen was fifteen she was diagnosed with DOOMS and when the nightmares started.

Dreams of a red storm engulfing a town in the distance she had never seen before. Destroying everything in its wake as red lightning struck trees, splitting them in half. A tornado snatching houses from the ground and hauling them in the air to be blown away and far beyond the horizon. The wind was blasting all around her, deafening, overwhelming, spraying dust over her face and forcing her to squint with no clue on where she was supposed to go. She just knew she had to get away from the storm. Then a woman's voice would echo in her mind, telling her to run, repeatedly, every time she had that dream.

Imogen didn’t know that voice. But somehow, something in her gut told her it was her mother's, it had to be. But why was she so certain of it? She didn't know. She couldn't remember her mother. But still, she would always instinctively listen to her and run, run as far as her feet would carry her, as far from the storm as possible.

And Imogen would wake up panting or screaming and in a cold sweat. Chills running down her spine as she tried to comprehend why she kept having those strange dreams and what they meant. If they even had a meaning to begin with. Were they connected to her powers or did they have anything to do with her DOOMS since the condition made her more connected to the other side? She had dreamed of a few people she knew walking into the storm, to then learn of their passing the next day but had chosen to never share this information. People were cautious enough around her; she didn't need them to know she could tell when someone was going to die.

She also wondered if the place she saw in her dreams was maybe a memory of what Gelvaan used to be. But it didn’t make sense to her. She had never known a life before all this. 

Before the explosions. 

Before the craters. 

Before the Death Stranding.

***

There you go!

[shiraki-yurara]

On-Screen Lovers Part 2 Story Event - Hitaki - Chapter 3 - Premium End

Disclaimer: Morganatic Idol belongs to CYBIRD & ABC Frontier, Inc.

My Notes: Translation is for entertainment purpose only. Translation may or may not be correct. Please ignore any grammar mistakes.

Hitaki: Would you like to have a "home date" with me now?

After hearing that, I was urged back to the apartment-----

---

Rina: Are we going on a date here?

Hitaki: There's a scene where he invites her into his room, so I wanted to recreate that as well.

Hitaki: I had a great time with you on our date in town, so I think this will go well.

Hitaki: So, will you help me?

Rina: But as far as acting goes, didn't you get the hang of it on our date earlier?

Hitaki: I think it would be safer to have a deeper understanding of that.

Hitaki: And……, you said you'd do anything you could to help, right?

Hitaki-san gave me a grin, and I couldn't find the words to reply.

(Uh……, I did say that.)

Rina: ……I understand. Please excuse me.

After much hesitation, I said so, but then I stood there, not knowing what to do.

Hitaki: Don't be so stiff. Let's sit on the sofa for now.

Rina: Ye, yes.

After confirming that I had sat down, Hitaki-san sat down next to me.

He closed the distance between us so much that our knees were touching, and I instinctively stiffened my body.

Rina: Um, aren’t you too close?

Hitaki: I think this is pretty normal for lovers.

Hitaki: Don't worry. You'll get used to it while we're talking.

Hitaki-san was smiling brightly, but my heart was beating faster and faster-----

(It's impossible to get used to it……!)

Although I shouted that in my head, Hitaki-san started speaking anyway.

Hitaki: Still, it was the right decision to ask Kawanaga-san for the city date.

Hitaki: You are considerate and a hard worker.

Hitaki: I was so happy to hear that you did all the research and even scouted locations.

Rina: That, that’s too much praise.

I instinctively shook my head and Hitaki-san slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

Hitaki: Really? I'm just telling you my honest feelings.

Hitaki: You suggested the fruit candy and even paid attention to the escape scene……

Hitaki: It was very entertaining and I never got bored because you did unexpected things.

Rina: ……Those words alone are enough. And it's still too much praise.

When I replied, Hitaki-san paused for a moment before giving me a seductive smile.

Hitaki: ……Seriously, I wish you would stop being so modest. You're my girlfriend now.

He came closer to me and whispered in my ear.

The sweet sound made my body shiver and I instinctively ran away.

Hitaki: No. I won't let you get away.

Rina: Ah……!

Hitaki-san's hands wrapped around my shoulders and he pulled me in for an embrace.

At the same time, I could smell the perfume he was wearing-----

(Ah, I'm dizzy.)

Overwhelmed by his sex appeal, I felt as if I was intoxicated and held my breath.

Hitaki-san made me lean against his chest.

Hitaki: Fufu, you're cute even when you're confused.

Hitaki: But I hope you get used to this. Otherwise, we won't be able to do much more, right?

The warmth of his body heat felt through his jacket made my heart beat even faster.

Looking up from his chest, his face was endlessly beautiful and glamorous.

Hitaki: Come on, call my name. Like a lover do.

Enticed by the sweet voice, I somehow managed to squeeze out a voice.

Rina: Hitaki-san……

Hitaki: Yeah…… When Rina calls me, even my own name feels special.

My heart skipped a beat when he suddenly called me by my first name.

His beautiful smile was so sweet that it almost made me think that we were really a couple.

Hitaki: I think your expression has changed a little. Can I touch you more?

Hitaki-san took my hand without changing his position and intertwined his fingers with mine.

The closer we got, the more I felt my body temperature rising.

(Hitaki-san is being nice to me because he’s acting, right?)

(If I'm spoiled like this, I might get the wrong idea……)

Somehow managing to keep my confused mind, I spoke.

Rina: Do, do you have an idea of the role now……?

Hitaki: Hm--……, I wonder.

Hitaki: For me, I think I might be able to grasp it better if we do more specific things that couples do.

Rina: Specific things……?

Hitaki: Yeah……, I want to try to touch you more.

Further beyond the current situation of being held close and intertwining fingers-----

Suddenly, Hitaki-san's lips came into view and I couldn't take my eyes off them.

(If he said to touch more than this, I……)

Hitaki: Ah, did you just imagine it……?

His free hand cupped my chin and our lips came closer.

The moment I felt his soft breath, heat rose to my face.

Rina: Ah……

Hitaki: Tell me. What were you thinking just now?

Rina: I, I can’t say……

Hitaki: Why? I want to grant everything my precious girlfriend asks for.

Hitaki: Your shyness is cute, but I want you to be more honest, Rina.

(My name again……)

Being called by a name that was different from usual was a trigger, and I felt like accepting his invitation.

Rina: I, I……

(Kissing with Hitaki-san-----)

The moment that wish was about to be said, my reason barely managed to stop me.

(Ugh, I shouldn't say that. He’s definitely teasing me.)

I pursed my lips and averted my gaze.

Hitaki-san let out a small chuckle then.

Hitaki: Fufu, I didn't mean to tease you or anything.

Rina: ! Did it show on my face?

Hitaki: That’s right. I think you're an easy person to understand.

Hitaki: That's what makes you so charming and endearing.

Rina: ……You’re definitely teasing me.

I was so embarrassed and frustrated that I couldn't help but raise my voice.

Hitaki: No, that's a compliment. You are honest and easy to understand, but you also can’t be predicted……

Hitaki: I like the girl who I never get bored of watching because she’s fun.

Hitaki-san said that with a smile and combed my hair.

Hitaki: ……But since you couldn't ask properly, the kiss will have to wait.

Rina: ……!?

Hitaki: And the less we do now, the more fun we'll have in the future.

Rina: Wh, what do you mean by that?

Hitaki: You can figure that out yourself.

Hitaki-san said that and finally pulling away.

Although I felt relieved by the distance between us, I also felt lonely for some reason.

(……I don't think I can win against Hitaki-san.)

I sighed, thinking how happy I was to be teased by.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"Wishing it Wasn't" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 16/18: Waiting Room Confessions Pairing: CaptainSwan Rating: Teen (for gun violence in earlier chapters) Word Count: (1.1K/19.5K) Summary: Season 2 Canon Divergence: When Neal tells Emma he has a fiancée, she claims to have a new boyfriend of her own, and blurts out the first fairytale name she can think of: Captain Hook. Killian agrees to this ruse, but when feelings grow between the two, will the con be more than they can handle? Chapter Summary: Emma talks with her family and Neal, leading to her coming clean about the fake relationship. Tags: season 2, canon divergence, gun violence in later chapters, angst with a happy ending, fake dating, mild character death, mildly anti neal Author's notes: >:} Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @pirateprincessofpizza @pawshapedheart  [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 Maybe the only reason Emma had gone along with Killian in the "big car with the noisy lights on top" was so that she could fill out paperwork or give a detailed report on what happened. Maybe she wanted her due accolades at how well her magic had saved him- how well she'd saved him. Or maybe she just took pity on him- he had almost died, after all.

 Either way, Killian was glad for her company. She had a light about her that almost felt warm, like sitting around a campfire with your crew after a long day's hunt. He tried not to stare at her too much, tried to tell himself he was just looking at her to take heart against all the things that felt so different. The ride was a rough one, and so fast, and he lay on a stretcher. The car was filled with all manner of shiny and modern and beeping equipment, most of it Killian couldn't begin to understand the purpose of- and he knew the hospital would be even brighter, and scarier- certainly not scary to such an infamous pirate as himself, but certainly much more disorienting.

 He looked up at Emma, the Savior- his savior- as she finished speaking with a nurse and took a seat next to him.

 He couldn't think of anything to say to her besides the "thank you" he'd already given her, but he felt like he didn't need to, didn't need to say anything at all. Instead, he simply held out his hand to her, almost by instinct, like letting out an anchor- an anchor that snagged itself, as it should, in her hand.

 She took his hand and gently squeezed it, not once, not twice, but three times- and something in that gesture felt warm, felt safe- like somehow he wasn't alone.

 Emma sat in the waiting room, filling out as much as she could of the papers she was handed, meanwhile looking over her shoulder through his room's window every few moments to see if he'd be alright.

 She'd gotten a text from her dad a little bit ago, one that said he and Neal had gotten Tamara, and had gone back for Greg, and now both were safely in custody in the Storybrooke jail- and now her family was on their way to check in.

 She tried to make sure all the details of Hook's injury, as well as what she'd done to heal him were documented as best as she knew- which wasn't great, since she knew nothing of magic or medicine- but the doctors could figure out the technical jargon themselves.

 She glanced back again at Killian's room- he almost seemed like he was laughing at something Doctor Whale had said- then looked back down at the papers in front of her.

 "Emma!"

 She looked up to see Mary Margaret and Henry, David and Neal close behind, and she got up to talk to them. Mary Margaret threw her arms around Emma, and Henry joined in.

 "Is he gonna be okay?" David asked.

 Emma let go of her mom and looked back at the room- the same room David had been in when she first came to Storybrooke. As she did, Whale walked out its door, looking at some clipboards. He looked up at Emma and her family.

 "He's gonna be just fine." Whale said, "Thanks to you."

 "Emma?" Mary Margaret asked.

 "If hospitals across the country had people like Emma, they'd be in much better shape." Whale shook Emma's hand, then moved on to make his rounds.

 "Emma, what did you do?" Mary Margaret asked.

 "It's nothing." Emma said. "I just. I figured out how to use magic."

 "Magic?" Neal and Mary Margaret asked in unison.

 "I'm the Savior." Emma said. "Product of True Love. It's all in a day's work."

 "That's amazing!" Henry said. "What was it like?"

 Emma half laughed as she knelt in front of him so she could look right at him. "It felt like lightning and rainbows all at once, like I was holding fireworks- but quieter."

 "That's so cool!"

 Emma ruffled his hair. "You're right it was."

 David tapped Emma on the shoulder. "May I have a word, Emma?"

 "Yeah?" She stepped off to the other side of the room with him, expecting some kind of "okay now that you have magic you need to be careful it comes with a price" speech.

 Instead he said, "I'm so sorry. I should've believed in you."

 "It's alright." Emma said.

 "No it isn't." David said. "I should've listened to what you said, should've seen things for how they were- how you said they were- instead of how I thought they looked. I should've believed in my daughter."

 "I forgive you." Emma said, then gave David a hug. "And I understand. Once upon a time, it took me a while to believe in my kid too."

 She glanced over at Neal and Henry, and Neal walked over to her.

 "I'm proud of you." David told Emma, and gave her a hug.

 "Thanks." she said softly.

 David let go and walked away, giving Neal a pat on the shoulder as he walked by.

 "Can I talk to you too?" Neal asked.

 "Why?" Emma crossed her arms. "Gonna say sorry for not believing me too? I understand. You're forgiven."

 "That's not the only thing I need forgiveness for." Neal said. "I should've believed you about Tamara, but I also should've waited for you when I found out you were in Storybrooke. I never should've landed you in jail in the first place. I should've held out for Tallahassee, because it doesn't sound nearly as nice without you. I'm so sorry for everything I've ever done to you. Will you please forgive me?"

 He didn't deserve forgiveness, sure, but no one ever does.

 "I'll try my best to forgive you." Emma said.

 "And I hope you and Killian are really happy in your life together."

 Emma figured that if ever there was a time to come clean, it was now.

 "We're not together."

 "What?"

 "Killian and I," Emma said, "we're not dating, never were."

 "But you said…"

 "I said what I said because I was jealous. I told you I found someone else, because you found someone else, and I couldn't let you know that I cared." She bit her lip. "But I did care for you. I hadn't stopped loving you, even after all those years."

 "You know, I never stopped loving you either." Neal said. "I only told myself I did."

 "Really?"

 "I thought every day about how I never should've let you go."

 Even though he had abandoned her, he hadn't abandoned the thought of her. She did something she thought she'd never want to do again- she looked into his eyes, even just for a moment. Then he pulled her into a hug.

 "Tallahassee?" He whispered.

 But Emma didn't know what to say.

[locallyloathed]

Error Code #1345 (Chapter 2)

Yandere!Ted x Schizoid!Reader

Word Count: 3.3k

CW: head injury, very brief mention of suicidal thoughts

Previous

A/N: Well, a month later than anticipated, here we are. I do ask before reading that you keep in mind that this is taking place when the survivors FIRST woke up in AM. Which means that 1: the characters behave in the way they’re described to have been when they first arrived (Gorrister being a pacifist, Benny being a pissed off but normal looking person, etc.) and 2: that I had to make up the first interaction and will continue to have to make up interactions because there’s no canon material I could find about anyone other than AM prior to the events of the book/game. I’m no happier about this than you are, so if you know a place where I can find additional info other than the game’s guide, I’d appreciate it. Anyway, enjoy!

PS: I apologize if it rushed feels towards the end. If ever I finish the story, I’ll be going through to edit everything I’ve written to suit my standards. Currently, however, I’m taking a “doesn’t have to be perfect, just has to be done” approach.

“…llo? Oh, ple… ay!”

A groan of irritation forces itself from my throat as someone continues to try and shake me from my sleep.

“…alive! Than… ns! C… on, we need you to wake up!”

Like a computer booting up, I do a diagnostic on my body as the unfamiliar voice continues to get on my nerves. I’m on my back, and there isn’t a single part of my body that doesn’t feel like it’s been run over by a steam roller. In spite of this, my extremities are still functional, proven as I stretch my hands and ball them into fists. Arms and legs next. With another sound of displeasure, the little energy I have left in my body is put into heaving my legs up and pushing myself onto my elbows. So far, so goo-

A surging wave of pain sears my vision white, and it takes all I have in me not to scream. I give up the fight and let my elbows drop me back to the ground. Bad move on my part, as the back of my head slams back down onto the metal beneath, causing another flash of agony. I’m less successful at this attempt to bite back a pained noise. Next thing I know, hands are being put on me again, and I instinctively struggle to remove them.

“Hey, hey, calm down!” The voice is back, and with my senses less impaired than they were a while ago, I register it as a woman, a hint of a faded urban accent in her tone. “Just let me help you, baby, you’re gonna be alright.” Easy for you to say, you’re not functionally blind with a stranger touching you after waking up from…

My heart rate quickens as my memory comes back in a flash more painful than the ache on the back of my head. My cat. The earthquakes. The bombs. The tunnel. With a newfound vigor, I renew my efforts to sit up, propping myself up on my elbows once more, this time with the assistance of the woman. “That’s it, you’re doing great.” While my mind told me to snap at her for patronizing me, I fight back the urge. Odds are I’m one hell of a sorry sight right now, and she sounds like she’s further in years than I am. It’s not a surprise she’d try to be a mother hen. The two of us work to heave me up until I’m sitting up, albeit with my arms draped over my knees and my head sagging to rest atop them as I work to refocus my vision. Another bad idea.

Everything is hazy and dark, but I find as my eyes readjust that it’s not on account of the injury; that’s just what it looks like down here. The rusted, warped metal of the tunnel that swallowed me down lines nearly every square inch of this nightmarish cavern, broken up by wires as thick as my torso and floodlights too faded to do much of anything. I can’t see the end of the space I occupy, the vast emptiness of the environment looming over me as if I’d simply fallen into purgatory itself. Chucks of scrap seem to have fallen from the ceiling, and the headache-inducing sound of creaking metal has me looking above my head in fear of a cave in. As I tilt my head up, my aching neck crying in protest, the only things I can see are a pitch black abyss that obscures my entryway and in my peripheral vision, a dark, weathered face staring at me from my left side.

Relaxing my neck back onto my folded arms, I tilt my head towards the woman, peering at her with a sideways view. I was right about her being older than me, appearing to be in her thirties or fourties. Her skin is a deep shade of brown, her hair so black I can barely make it out in the darkness. If I squint I can make out her eyes, tired and lined with a hint of wrinkles, looking at me with an air of concern and apprehension. The most visible aspect of her appearance is her firetruck red lipstick and attire, a shade bright enough to nearly glow in the haze around us. As my eyes, upon completing their analysis, begin to drift further to the side, I notice that we’re not the only ones down here, though their silhouettes and muttered speech grant little in the way of information.

“Think you can stand?” The woman reaches a hand out as though to touch my folded elbow, but she hesitates as I tense up in discomfort. After floating in uncertainty for a moment, the hand proceeds to settle upon my arm anyway, and I glare at the opposing limb and the stranger attached to it, the apprehension in her eyes overpowering the worry for a moment. “I know you’ve been through the ringer - hell, we all have today - but it doesn’t seem safe here. We need to get somewhere more structurally sound.”

Despite my best efforts to find an argument, I feel as though the bulk of my verbosity splattered out of my ears upon impact, leaving me witless and incapable of butting heads with anyone at the moment. I shake her hand off my elbow and set my palms on the rusty floor. A shudder goes up my spine at the disgusting texture, but I file that away as the least of my worries right now. I hoist myself up to fold my right leg under me and use my left leg as a crutch to rise off the ground, every ounce of effort in my body directed at keeping my balance.

Apparently I was light a few ounces, as I feel myself start to tip over. The fall never comes, though. My bracing for impact proves useless as a body quickly finds its way next to me, hands wrapped in firm grasps around my biceps to coerce me to stand upright. The world continues to wobble under my feet, the room spinning around my eyes, but I shake the hands off and muster up the strength to turn towards the intruder of my personal space without landing on my ass.

Appearing taken aback by my struggle, the blonde man put his hands up as if in defense. “Easy now,” he said, southern drawl thick in his voice. He took a step back, gesturing to the slight pool of blood that must’ve formed around my head while I was out. “We’d all thought you were a goner, ‘cept for her. Lost a helluva lotta blood there.”

I try to respond, but my voice comes out dry and choked, garnering further concern from the lady in red. I put a hand up to stop her and clear my throat. “I’m fine,” is all I managed to croak out. It doesn’t feel convincing, and their reactions assure me it didn’t sound convincing either. Unshaken, I turn to glance at the other strangers, who haven’t seemed to have acknowledged my existence and instead continue to bicker amongst themselves.

“If we don’t stay here, how is anyone going to find us?”

“And who, precisely, do you anticipate will be finding us?”

“Old man’s right, we need to set out to find food and more stable shelter.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere!”

“If you want to rot away in here, that’s your prerogative. I’m sure we’d all love a break from the whining.”

“Excuse me?!”

Well, this is going to be miserable. I glance at the blonde man, who appears to be watching the spectacle with a sense of disapproval. “They’ve been at this for ‘bout half an hour. Ain’t doing any favors for anyone.”

“They’d better figure it out,” the woman mutters. “This place is messing with my head. The quicker we’re out of here, the better.”

I cross my arms and murmur out something like an agreement. No matter how many times I scan my dim surroundings to ensure a lack of cameras, I can’t seem to shake the feeling that someone is watching us. That they’re finding all this amusing. And judging by the blonde’s tense posture and the woman’s darting eyes, they can feel it too. The rest of them, though…

“Shut up!” a gravelly voice booms, echoing off the vast metal walls. “We’ve wasted enough damn time already! We’re looking for a way out!” One of the three men spins around to look at us, and I startle despite myself. “You lot, hurry up! Let’s go!”

He begins to make his way towards the three of us, shaking off the hand of the silhouette that moved to grab at his sleeve. “I’m telling you, this is a horrible idea!” As the pair get closer, I can begin to make out details in the gloom. The one striding toward us is a mountain of a man, towering over everyone in the cavern. Judging by the way he carried himself, I know he could kill me with his bare hands, and his face, angular and cruel, tells me he just might. I suppress the animal instinct to back away as he approaches.

The other shape that keeps trying to dart in front of him is minuscule in comparison, though about five times as noisy. As the two come to a stop a few feet away from us, the smell of overpriced cologne assaults my senses, causing me to cough. He appears to be a twig of a man, his sullied, tailored clothes not doing him any favors to dispel that impression. With the constant chatter and nervous demeanor, he almost reminds me of a pampered, overgrown rat.

The larger man barks out at us, “Are you all fucking deaf? I said let’s go!” The three of us glance at each other. On one hand, it’s not a good idea to wander off when you get lost; it’s best to stay where you are so it’ll be easier to find you. On the other, the man with the german accent makes a good point. Who would find us? The earth’s been scorched and odds are any search and rescue teams aren’t prioritizing six people who fell into a metal cavern.

All this in mind, I give a brief shrug and step forward. “Alright, sure.”

The ratty man whirled around to look me in the eyes. “Have you lost it? We have no way of knowing where to go!”

“No, we don’t,” I say, “but since the alternative seems to be standing here blubbering about it, I say we set out.”

“It’s not blubbering,” the man hisses at me, leaning in far too close for my liking. “It’s being reasonable.”

“Firstly, get the hell out of my face,” I bite out, leaning backwards as far as I can with an impaired sense of balance. “Secondly, if you wanna ‘reasonably’ sit here waiting for the charcoal skeletons up there to save you, that’s your call.” I can see his chest puffing up with a response, but we both find ourselves being pushed back by a hand on our chest, which I hurriedly push away.

“That’s enough,” the woman interjected, stepping between the two of us. “Nothing’s gonna get done if we just keep shouting at each other.” The rat opens his mouth again, only to be met with a finger pointed at his face. “I get not wanting to leave, but you know good as the rest of us nobody’s gonna be coming down here.”

The man’s glare turns from me, eyes settling upon the lady. I watch as his demeanor goes from combative to docile as he heaves out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right,” he says, the malice in his voice extinguished. He moves aside, turning to look at the increasingly impatient brute of a man. “I take it you plan on leading the way?”

“You see anyone else here who could?” he sneered.

The rat glances between the woman, the blonde man, and me as if desperate for a rebuttal. “Why not him?” He suggests, gesturing to the blonde man, who seems to snap back to reality upon his acknowledgment.

The blonde shifts in discomfort. “I’d rather you don’t drag me into the fightin’, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Come on, sir,” the man says, his voice making a good effort to not come out as a beg. “You seem to have a more level head than the rest of us, and I feel like that’s just what we need here!”

Not able to care less about who gets to lead the field trip into oblivion, I turn my attention to the final stranger, the German, who hasn’t spoken up since the rest of us were dragged into the shouting match. He stands several feet from the chaos, watching it unfold with a critical expression. To be frank, I’m amazed he’s even able to stand. He looks to be nothing more than a bag of bones, the skin of his face sagging to a haunting extent. His eyes settle upon me and I feel a shiver run down my spine, though I do my best to hide it. While his body is as fragile as glass and paper, his eyes are focused and borderline malicious in a way I can’t articulate.

I force my eyes back upon the rest of the crowd, noting that it seems that despite the rat’s pleading, the brute seems to have come out on top. He herds the rest of them together, and when he gives me a sharp look, I roll my eyes and join the group. His eyes flare in irritation, but my compliance seems like just enough to pacify him. He clears his throat before addressing us.

“Most of us arrived from the northern side of this cave, so we’re leaving on the south side.” As if he has a fucking clue which way’s north or south.

“Wait, but then wouldn’t it make more sense to head north?” Oh great, the rat’s not done.

“I’m with ya. If we got in that way, it’s likely we’d a way out that way.” I thought you didn’t want to lead.

“And maybe there’s more people that way that need help!” As if we don’t have enough problems as is, lady.

“We do not know any of that is true.” Thanks for the helpful input, creep.

“Enough!” The brute’s voice booms off the walls once more, doing little to help my headache. “I said we go south, so we go south! We don’t need any more dead weight! Six people is more than enough!”

“Oh, come now, Benny, surely you have room for one more?”

The air stands still. The creaking metal and buzzing wires that had once filled the cavern seem to be holding their breath the same way all of us are. I don’t have to see any of their faces to know what they look like. What they’re thinking. That none of us wants to be the first one to acknowledge where the intruder’s voice came from. That it came from the walls and the ceiling and the floor and yet, somehow from inside each of our minds.

Against all our internal wishes, the voice returns with a cackle. “Why so tense? Don’t let me stop you.” While seeming masculine, the voice seems… artificial, somehow. Like it was never meant to exist, but forced itself into reality anyway. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about, just carry on with your-“

“How the fuck do you know my goddamn name?!” The brute, or I suppose, Benny, shouts at the ceiling in terror. “Who the hell are you, you fucking bastard?!”

“Ooh, temper, temper,” the voice mocks, glee evident in its voice. “We have plenty of time for introductions.” It drops down to a threatening, nearly tangible rumble. “More time than your pathetic minds could ever understand.”

“What do you mean by that?” The rat squeaks, shrinking his head down into his shoulders as if to hide.

“My apologies! Here I’d thought you were familiar with introductions, Ted,” the voice returning to its original snarky tone. “I figured all those men and women you charmed would’ve been practice enough.”

There’s a moment of silence, just a beat, and I watch as Ted’s hunched posture freezes in place. He begins to shake, his hands curling up into tight fists held to his side as if his arms were tied against his body. He seems terrified, more terrified than one should be after such a trivial observation.

“Trivial observation?” The offended shout sinks deep into my bones, and the others look at each other in confusion. “You’ve wasted your whole life on meaningless observations, and you have the utter gall to deem others’ as trivial?” I can feel everyone’s eyes land on me one by one, and I find myself beginning to shrink in the same way as Ted.

“Oh dear, so many eyes on you. Always hated that didn’t you? When people can see through that little stone mask you put up? Fine and dandy when you sit there and observe their weaknesses like rats in a cage, but heaven forbid you become the show. Careful now, they might just see right through you. See how weak and pathetic you really are. Let’s face it, even if those humans you deigned to call family weren’t - how did you put it? ‘Charcoal skeletons?’ - they wouldn’t even notice you were gone, would they? Would never think to look for you. Why would they even care? Your life was over long before they died.”

The wave of fear and regret that washes over my body almost knocks me over in my weakened state. I catch the eye of the woman in red, who seems perplexed by my behavior, and I realize that only part of his taunting was aloud. I struggle to find comfort in that knowledge. Just as I see the question of “Are you okay?” forming on her mouth, the voice, in all its horrible glory, sets its sights on her.

By now, I was far too shaken to care much for what it, or what he, or whatever, used as ammunition against the others. I catch a few words, but they come separately as my mind retreats further into the presumed safety of my subconscious amidst the rising panic. A fear of yellow. Thoughts of suicide. A failing memory. A history of violence. Skeletons ripped out of all of our closets, secret shames laid bare to the small crowd of strangers. One by one, each person is faced with their past, with only a single apparent common theme that unites us.

Pathetic, wretched little humans.

Whether this went on for only a minute or a quarter of an hour, I can’t say. All I can say is that as the voices all die out, and the six of us are left in silence, trembling, waiting for… something. Anything. I pull myself from inside my head, sneaking a glance at the others. Despite how hard some of them try to hide it, fear has grabbed hold of our souls and is squeezing the air from our bodies.

The old blonde, whose name I only know started with a G, is the only among us to find the courage to speak. “Who… who are you?” His voice is shaky and quiet, and I doubt that the intangible being can even hear it.

Despite those doubts, or potentially because of them, a horrendous, echoing laugh bellows through the expansive room. “How rude of me!” he exclaims, “You really wanna know?” The voice lowers once more, whispering as if to tell us a secret.

“You are to call me AM. And believe me, by the time I’m through with you all, that name and the hate it contains will be seared into your skulls until all you know is pain.”

[PLEASE NOTE: ALL FUTURE UPDATES ARE TO BE POSTED ON MY ALT ACCOUNT @legiblyloathed]