#literally everything there is just. oomph.

[g33se]

“Would you drink poison for a body that fits” fucking raw thank you.

[cainite-bite]

one of my most favorite pet peeves is when someone talks about an old edgy game and is like "its a shame because you couldn't just make that nowdays it would NEVER have been allowed its a shame how we've fallen" but like you get to look at them in comparison to things we have now that are actively even more grusome than ever. People say manhunt couldn't be released today because its too brutal but then the last of us has some extra brutal executions too, and don't even get me started on how the MK series is nowadays. "they would have to censor the story so heavily today so im glad [blank] came out years ago" they say, as some weren't already censored to tone it down- a perfect example of that is always going to be Twisted Metal Black where they changed up Raven's, Dollface's, Agent Stone's, Preacher's, John Doe's story to simmer them all down and lighten the blow, expunging certain levels ambient sounds because the implications of domestic violence, and the changing of No-face's surgical cutscene to make it not as explicitly nasty and meanwhile modern games have been actively stepping it up to be even worse.

"Games are just too prudish nowdays we couldnt even get another ghostly desires LOL" and meanwhile the front page to steam is literally littered with hentai games. that do not hide the lewd and raunchy screenshots. sometimes its a freshly creampied pussy in your face. yeah that. Im sorry but there's so much god damn porn games that are available to buy and some of it is mainstream even (Huniepop for instance).

Back in the day NightTrap was rated as an Adult game. Now? It's T for teen because how tame it kinda is. We're not as prudish or pearlclutchy on literally any of these points as we used to be and thank fucking god for that- but literally take off the nostolgia goggles cause its fuckin blinding you sweetie

[wickedghxst]

man. i guess i’m headin back to reach. halo infinite is just too damn… Floaty.

[ladycrimsonandblack]

rating the white star's battles based on how embarrassing they were for him personally

because he deserves it.

his first appearance in the mogoru empire: 1/10 — by far his least embarrassing battle. he manages to come off as extremely powerful and menacing final boss. cryptic remarks about choi han and cale's situation make him look mysterious. our heroes put their everything into this battle and just barely manage to come out of it alive. cale faints for weeks afterward.

battle at the castle of light: 7/10 — starts out pretty well for him when he traps our heroes in the castle, but goes downhill from there. he just gets tricked so easily. cale and co. have a blast pretending to be weak to throw him off, ambushing him, and then chasing him off with rocks. embarrassingly, all of this is facilitated by the fact that the white star does not, in fact, know all the entrances to his home village.

battle at the north: 6/10 — the white star just keeps getting scammed. when will he learn? gets some points for his excellent showing against witira and the whale king. loses all of them because archie was allowed to talk.

battle at the dubori territory: 4/10 — the white star actually had a pretty good showing here. managed to trip cale with his illusionist. dealt pretty well with choi han and eruhaben, even if they managed to get out of danger. did some heavy damage to the territory itself. he did lose an arm (both metaphorical and physical one), so there's that.

battle of the underground city: 5/10 — immediately realizes the city is fake and that the whole thing is a trap, thus disrupting cale's plans. however, any points he might have gotten are immediately made void by the fact that he starts constructing an elaborate history between cale and himself to justify his previous losses. his ego can't take it anymore. he's retreating to the AU land.

the battle at the stan territory: 6/10 — this should have been a win for him. he's prepared for everything. the battle is going on at four fronts, and cale henituse can't react in time. unfortunately for him, his plans are shit and cale can, in fact, react in time. actually, he can react so fast that he manages to mitigate the situation in all four battles and reinforce the stan territory. the white star is, once again, forced to flee, but not before informing everyone around about his weird AU land belief, thus making cale's reputation soar. embarrassing.

the battle to steal cale's body: 7/10 — the white star is forced to contend with alberu, who brought a gun to a knife fight. it does not go well for him. also, they really shouldn't have underestimated mary.

the battle at puzzle city: 20/10 — there are literally no good points here. his disguise is seen through pretty easily. he gets trapped by the mana disturbance tools. cale hits him with a mental attack so devastating that his ego can't take it, and he gets himself sealed. the bitch-slap happens, and it's glorious. at least he gets sealed into a golden plaque, so at least he gets some dignity there.

the battle in the sealed temple: 10/10 — he gets killed by a stick. the only thing mitigating the embarrassment factor here is that cale had to stab himself in the heart first, and that adds a certain oomph the white star himself has never been able to accomplish.

+ special mention

the battle in the wrath test: 15/10 — he gets beaten by a rock. like. it's literally a pebble. sure, it's a magical pebble, but still. a pebble.

[xueyidweams]

rambling once again (aventurine x cat-person gn!reader) (this kind of pattern is what I’m talking about.) (read more bc this became quite long, sorry!!!)

Aventurine in his life of working for the IPC has come across a lot of stealers or kids trying to find their food for the day. he usually gives them some money and send them on their way. however, he really didn’t expect for someone to try and rob him in Penacony, in the dreamscape no less. Somehow he didn’t sense the man hurling himself towards him and grunted in surprise as he was pushed down, before he could even open his eyes the man was off of him and running away with claw marks all over him.

dumbfounded, he gets up and looks around, only to find two cat eyes staring at him… except they weren’t a cat… well.. half cat half person? He thought the species went extinct long ago. though, you were living proof of the opposite. you helped him sit up, he felt your claws brush against his knuckles and you felt the coolness of his rings on your paw-hand. observing his every move with utmost attention, your feline eyes following his every mimic and body movement.

“well thank you kind stranger—“ you accidentally cut him off as you smell him closely and realize who he is, he smells just like those bastards from the IPC! way too rich to be true smelling! your ears curl backwards and you pull yourself away hastily as you run away from him. He blinks as he sees you run, so fast… is this why the IPC hunts you all down like you’re all one of a kind? He yells after you, “Hey wait! just listen to me, please!“ you look back at him, your teeth snared and your pupils as slanted as they can be, “leave me alone IPC scum!”

you turn a few corners and your eyes widen in horror to see a dead end… what the hell, you know this place like the back of your hand! did they build this just now or have you been hanging in the unfinished part for way too long? the hairs on your tail stand up and your ears curl back as you hear his footsteps, taking a step back your back meets the wall with an oomph.

“Hey look— don’t be so hostile, we don’t have to be enemies. you can trust me.” yeah right. with those eyes? they’re unnervingly pretty and somehow frightening. your gut is telling you to run but your heart is hammering way too fast in your chest and the sound is drowning out his voice and you feel like everything you’ve had to endure to not fall into IPC’s slimy hands again has all been for nothing and—

you feel a hand on your arm, you look up and meet his eyes. then you feel the warm tears staining your cheeks, your tail hugs your leg as your ears droop, “look. please don’t give me up to them, i’ll literally do anything. do you want any dirty work done? i can do it! please just leave me alone, i don’t want to go back i can’t go back!” you see his eyes… soften somehow. to him, you’re a stark reminder of who he was, maybe still is. the way you fight so hard to protect the most precious thing to you, your freedom reminds him so much of the unsavory memories that he doesn’t notice he is squeezing your arm a bit hard and some of the fur is stuck on his rings. you flinch and grimace and he untangles your fur from his rings, he pulls his hands off of you.

he coughs in his hand and looks at you once more, voice softer yet firm. “im not going to hurt you or give you up. that’s not my job anyways. i just wanted to thank you, for helping even though it could put me in serious hot water. cats hate water right?” you half rolls your eyes at his teasing remark, “yeah yeah pretty boy, cough up some cash if you want to thank me. thanks for not turning me in but empty sentiments won’t feed me when i have to wake up from this dream.”

he smiles and takes off the ring from his index finger, he looks at you, “can i hold your hand?” you feel a slight warmness spreading through your face and squint your eyes, “fine but don’t try anything funny!” he chuckles and takes your hand in his gently, “wouldn’t dream of it.” he slips the ring on your ring finger, winking at you. “you can sell this for at least five hundred thousand credits, plenty to eat hm?” you look at your finger, the ring and at him as your heart does summersaults in your ribcage. you’ve never… even as a tease you’ve never been flirted with this is—

he takes advantage of your stupor and strokes your shoulder, squeezes slightly and gives you a smile. “you haven’t seen me and i haven’t seen you, yes?” you nod, speechless but thankful. he turns around and you finally get your voice back, “wait!” he looks back, his eyes watching you with interest. he raises his eyebrows, “thank you. i dont know what else to say but i’ll never forget this. and i wasnt’… joking when i said i could do your dirty work. so if you need something and i can get it done, i’ll do it free of charge.” you manage to tumble out as your voice trembles a bit, still shocked. his smile returns, “I’ll think about it, maybe fate will make us cross paths again huh?” he gives a little wave and starts walking, “oh also, do take care of your fur, it’s rather soft.”

you look dumbfounded, your face morphing from surprised to angry to flustered but he has already left. you look at your ring finger again and play with the ring, maybe the aeons have pitied you now?

‘he’s really pretty…’

you think to yourself as you pocket the ring and think of all the fish, meat and bread you’re gonna eat. and maybe you’ll try that soul glad thing.

[ellethespaceunicorn]

I hope you are having a woooooonderful Friday!! 🥰

I was the anon requesting the Lloyd fic with him accidentally discovering that his assistant is hot lol and I LOVED IT. I can see she won't make it easy for him!

I wanted to know what you would think of Lloyd running into one of those toxic red pill/alpha male types after they corner his girl (or who he claims as his girl 😏 that's up to you) being gross to her.

Those types just make me so mad, I think Lloyd would teach them a good lesson and put them in their place 😈

TYSM for your time and the lovely words you give us! 💜

OMG my sweet Lloyd nonnie, this took me two months to post but literally only like three days to write. I'm a whole mess, but I really like this story and I hope you do too!!!!

Title: A Duke and His Duchess

Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI

Pairing: Soft!Dark!Lloyd Hansen x Chubby!Black!Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2K

Summary: The night takes a dark turn when you are harassed at the club, but Lloyd comes to your rescue.

Warnings: Lloyd is a warning all on his own: possessive!Lloyd, soft!dark!Lloyd, lovey-dovey!Lloyd. Toxic “alpha male” behavior, Lloyd’s butterfly knife making an appearance, physical violence (some involving Reader), vaginal fingering, unprotected p-in-v sex, creampie, mention of bodily fluids.

A/N: Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best. 

Dividers by: @saradika-graphics

Support/Reblog banner by me

Cover Art by me

My Masterlist

The look that crosses his face says everything before his mouth can do so. He groans in the back of his throat, walking over to where you stand in front of the mirror, scrutinizing your outfit. He winks at you in the reflection and kisses where your neck meets your shoulder. His hands slide over your ample hips and grab a handful of your plump rump.

“Don’t you get started. You promised me that we were going out tonight,” you say, turning around and putting your manicured hands on his pecs.

“That’s not fair, Duchess. You put on this outfit, and my blood flow goes straight to my cock,” he sighs, pulling you closer so you can feel his heavy erection pressing against your mound.

Sliding your hands down his chest, you palm his length, and he hisses in response. “Is this all for me, Duke?” You squeeze him, and he closes his eyes, leaning his head back.

“Who the fuck else would it be for? I mean, look at you,” he implores, letting his eyes wander over your clothing. 

He was always a fan of this outfit because it hugs all your curves. The halter top accents your full breasts with a healthy amount of cleavage. The high-waisted fitted skirt shows off your wide hips and thick thighs and stops under your knee. A pair of stilettos with a little buckle that Lloyd bends down to secure completes the ensemble.

You feel the heat rise to your cheeks and praise the melanin gods that blessed you with the ability to hide your blushing. Lloyd finishes buckling your heel, then rises to his full height. Holding your chin with his thumb and forefinger, he lays a sweet kiss upon your lips before nuzzling his nose with yours. 

“After you, Duchess,” he croons, stepping out of the way and letting you walk ahead of him. You already know that he just wants to watch your hips sway while you walk in front of him, but damn if you don’t love how much he covets your body. And if you put a little extra oomph in your step, he wasn’t mad about it.

Lloyd stops the car at the curb and exits the car, tossing the keys to the valet. Walking around to the passenger side, he shoos away the other attendant trying to assist you in exiting the vehicle. 

Nobody touches you when Lloyd is around.

He takes your hand, and you step onto the sidewalk, taking in the view of the line to get into the club. Lloyd pulls you along with him as he bypasses the line and walks up to the bouncer. They exchange a few words, and the very large, and probably armed, man at the door unlatches the velvet rope and ushers you in.

The lights in the place are spinning in dizzying patterns with blues, purples, and pinks. The music is both heard and felt as it thumpingly exits the speakers. Lloyd waves down a girl and she comes running. You’re a bit confused as he whispers something in her ear. Before you can ask him about it, you’re pulled in the direction of one of the tables on the upper level that overlooks the dancefloor.

In true Lloyd fashion, he gets the best table, and there is already champagne on ice waiting for you when you sit down. He pops the bottle and pours you both a healthy amount of the bubbly golden liquid. He toasts to you, as always. You clink your glasses and empty your drink in one go. Lloyd is there to refill your glass, watching and smiling as you dance a little in your seat as the DJ rolls from one song to the next. 

The opening notes of Cobra hit your ears, and you can’t stop yourself from singing along with Megan Thee Stallion.

🎶

Long as everybody gettin' paid, right?

Everything'll be okay, right?

I'm winnin', so nobody trippin'

Bet if I ever fall off, everybody go missin'

🎶

You don’t remember closing your eyes in the middle of singing and enjoying the song. When you open them, Lloyd is sitting next to you, and he has that look on his face. The look that expressly means that he wants to watch you dance, and more specifically, he wants to watch you shake that thang. 

You don’t keep him waiting for long. Standing up, you set your glass down on the table in front of you. Moving over to stand in front of Lloyd, you let the music move through your body as you start to give him a little show.

You sway your hips, bending forward to lean on the table. With your ass in the air, you twerk for your man, and he is in heaven. When you make it clap, you feel his hands on your ass. 

He doesn’t want to stop you; he just wants to feel ‘the motion of the ocean’ as you dance just for him. You look over your shoulder at him, and he is definitely in his happy place. His tongue snakes out to wet his lips, his eyes laser-focused on your derriere until you giggle. Blue eyes meet yours, and his mouth upturns; that devilish little smirk silently tells you he’s pleased.

He moves his hands to your hips and pulls you back to sit in his lap. Between your gyrations, you can feel how pleased he truly is. That is if the hardness in his pants is anything to go by. 

Song after song, you tease him with a lap dance. Making sure to grind into him this way and that, allowing him the opportunity for his hands to wander. As the music changes to something a little different, you notice that you and Lloyd have emptied the champagne. He offers to have another bottle brought over, but you wouldn’t mind walking up to the bar yourself.

He begrudgingly lets you raise from his lap. You saunter away, heading to the bar on the lower level. Ordering a margarita, you wait while the bartender makes a few drinks at the same time. 

You feel eyes on you and turn to see a man watching you from a distance. His hazel eyes catch yours, and you smile politely, then turn away. The bartender hands you the strawberry-flavored drink, and before you can pay him, a hand reaches over yours and beats you to it. 

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing paying for her drinks?” A deep baritone escapes his boringly pretty face, and you instantly feel something off about him.

“Can’t a woman just buy a drink without the third degree?” You pick up your drink and sip while looking him up and down.

“Please don’t act like you’re not impressed. Just calm down, baby,” he says.

“Don’t call me baby, first of all. Secondly, what do I have to be impressed about? The fact you can pay for a $12 drink? Good job. Not interested,” you lament, turning to walk away. A hand gripping your arm stops you.

“Look, we got off on the wrong foot. How about you recognize when a man is being nice to you? You must not be used to getting attention. Let me break it down for you: I buy you a drink; we enjoy a little time together. And if you’re lucky, I might even fuck you,” he negs, standing up straight so he towers over you.

“Let my arm go, creep!” You shout, failing to tug your arm out of his grasp.

The grip on your arm gets impossibly tighter as he leans in to speak, “Listen here, you fat bitch. Ain’t nobody here looking out for you. So, it would be best if you do as you’re told and be a good little slut.”

Your eyes shut tight out of fear, and suddenly the clench on your arm is gone. You open your eyes, and the man is still in front of you; his eyes are wide as a butterfly knife is held under his throat.

“Alright, man! Be cool! I wasn’t-”

“Oh, what? You weren’t doing anything? You weren’t treating my woman like some piece of meat, like what? Fucking toxic, red pill, alpha male wannabe. No, I bet you weren’t doing anything,” Lloyd seethes, pressing the knife a bit further into the man’s skin. “I think you owe her an apology before I cut your fucking head off, sweet pea.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I swear,” he cries, a tear escaping one eye and wetting his silk shirt.

Lloyd turns to you and sees you cradling your arm. His anger reaches a boiling point, and he moves the knife to his left hand before punching the man in the jaw and knocking him out. “Apology accepted, asshole,” he spits, stepping over him to get to you.

He carefully examines your arm while the other clubgoers start to gather. He turns back to the asshole, and you watch as his jaw clenches. You know he wants to cut this man up and feed him to the dogs, but you bring his attention back to you. 

“Duke!” You shout, and when his eyes meet yours, you pull him behind you to the exit. Once the valet brings the car around, Lloyd opens your door and closes it behind you softly. Walking around the front of the car, he runs a finger through his hair before entering the car and slamming the door shut.

He pulls away from the curb and starts down the busy street, mumbling to himself about how he wanted to kill that shithead for laying even a finger on you. At a red light, you notice his grip on the steering wheel is leaving his knuckles white. You reach a hand over to lay atop his, and he starts to calm down finally.

Then you get an idea.

You loosen his hand from the steering wheel and place it under your skirt between your thighs. Once his fingers meet your saturated folds, his shoulders relax. 

“You defended my honor tonight and slayed a beast for me. Now, either get us home fast or pull this car over so I can thank you properly,” you beg, already clenching around his digits.

You’ve never seen Lloyd drive faster than that night. You only make it to the driveway of your place before he adjusts his seat and pulls you over to sit in his lap with your skirt pulled up around your waist.

As soon as he is inside you, you get to riding, and you don’t let up until you’ve got him whimpering underneath you. You beg him to fill you, and he barely makes it through your plea before he’s emptying his balls inside your welcoming heat.

You lay kisses all over his face as he comes down from his high. As his softening length slips from you, you open the driver’s side door and exit as his spunk leaks out of you. You adjust your skirt and thank the heavens that the carport hides you for the most part. Lloyd stuffs himself back in his pants and follows after you. Locking the car with the fob, he steps ahead of you to unlock the front door.

“Well, I’d say our night out was eventful,” he jokes, and you are happy to hear that he’s not as upset as earlier.

“That’s one way to put it,” you laugh, kicking off your shoes and walking toward the bedroom. “Now, why don’t you come put me to bed properly, Duke?”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, Duchess,” he purrs, catching up to you in three long strides. He leans in to kiss your lips, reaching down to hold you close before turning you around to nibble at your neck.

You love this man with all of your heart. For all of his flaws, he always gets this part right. He treats you like royalty. But what else would you expect? He works hard, and he loves hard. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

A/N: I would love to know what you think!!! Feedback is appreciated!

**Tag List**

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@kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @sweetandgentlecreature @foxyjwls007 @art2emily

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Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁

[carlyraejepsans]

Hey, if you don’t mind the question. What’s your opinion on Undertale Yellow?

8/10 game. pretty good at being a game, not so much at being an undertale story. the gameplay itself was fun, the area/puzzle designs too, the soundtrack was untouchable it literally gave me the same rush i felt hearing sburb initiation for the first time. minor NPCs designs were fun but the primary cast was too monotonous, tbh. (all the main characters have tall gangly very detailed designs save for like, axis). its attempts at landing Undertale's humor were quite often successful, but it held back on exaggeration and caricaturing its original characters which took away that oomph from the canon game. the character writing was... lacking. which is a pity.

i love fucked up women so i was really disappointed that every single one of ceroba's actions/ideas/influences on the story were nothing but an extension of her dead husband. when you take chujin away she's just... A Good Wife and Mother. or starlo's past love interest ig. i mean both dalv and martlet's backstory were tied to her family and we never see them interact at all. but they do have an established dynamic.... with the dead husband. again. UGH. she's just really wasted as a character (she and chujin should've BOTH been scientists and she should've continued the project AGAINST his wishes after he died. she's the main cast character, she should be the driving force in the narrative, not him—even if chujin sets the plot in montion by inventing the serum first).

I'm not a huge asgore fan—not that i dislike him, he's just not a character i care about all that much—so congrats to this game for making me say "he would NOT fucking say that". the "fuck the royals" subplot thing was really unnecessary. actually, that was a bit of a recurring thing in the game. suddenly introducing these Huge Social Dilemmas like labor exploitation, anti-monarchic sentiments, misogyny (bro who on earth "needs to take a wife" this is Undertale) everyone realizing that clover is a child, over exaggerating the violence at stake... while also attempting to maintain Undertale's careless, bouncy treatment of the situation. that's... not how things work. undertale is able to maintain its light tone BECAUSE it doesn't let you take those topics seriously, they're not meant to be. the fairytale-like king, the battles, the child protagonist, they're all set dressings for the REAL story and REAL power imbalance it wants to highlight: that between player and game characters. everything is in function of that. you take that layer of separation and make everyone aware that theyre violently attacking and killing a literal child... that's not. a good thing dude. if it's not gonna impact the tone of the story, why acknowledge it in the first place? it's just unnecessary

anyway flowey neutral run was really, really fun. his dialogue writing all throughout the game was very solid and i had a blast having him around. however, they shouldn't have tried to anticipate his character development. this game is a prequel, you can't do that without undermining his arc in the canon events. pacifist should've had him doubling down on his frustration from the neutral ending. i do all this work for you keeping you alive and you make the same mistake i did sacrifice yourself for them??? are you BRAINDEAD???? what I'm saying is he basically should've thrown the biggest tantrum of his LIFE. oh and in the NM run he should've been terrified when he lost control of the SAVE file. this is the first time it's ever happened to him and now he's gonna die for good. he wouldn't have gloated like he did.

if you want to hear more criticism along the lines of what i said then this post by the fantastic @andreabandrea covers a lot of what i also felt during the game. i know this might sound like a lot of negativity, but the fact remains that UTY was an absolutely phenomenal work of fan creativity the likes of which we have never seen before in the fandom. considering the quality and polish, i thought it only fair to approach it as the piece of art it is and give it my genuine thoughts on the matter.

overall, still a really fun way to spend the afternoon with a pal. so. thumbs up

[l-in-the-light]

The Red Line and the All Blue

I have been thinking about the All Blue lately. I really, really like the theory that to get to the All Blue we need to destroy the Red Line. But there's just one problem with this. It lacks story reason. It doesn't have the oomph the usual mysteries in One Piece deliver. It's like the fandom discovered this piece of puzzle and left it on display, instead of trying to connect it to other things to make bigger sense of One Piece's world.

Red Line is called, curiously enough, a line.

If we ignore the seabelts, it looks like it seperated the world into two parts, two halves, because that line goes all around the globe. Interestingly enough, it seems like the North-West part is the one that is scientifically more advanced in comparison to the East-South. We have the family of best doctors the Tragalgars and botanists Mont Blancs in the North. Germa Kingdom with it's advanced science also is located in the North. And there are also Ohara's scholars in the West.

Meanwhile, there's no notable locations like that in the South and East, and most places seem to look very primitive there (lots of villages and small towns, not counting Goa Kingdom itself). In South Blue it seems to be similar, though there's one exception: Torino Kingdom. It looks primitive but actually hides lots of advancement. This makes me think that (at least some places in the) East and South might be pretending to be more primitive that they actually are, hiding their inventions. Flevance or Ohara were pretty open about their achievements, knowledge and technology, like it was to be expected that they're advanced and proud of it.

Oda doesn't really expand much on West and South Blues, but we know quite a lot about East and North, so I will focus on them primarily as we move on.

Shakky makes it sound like calm belts are means of protection, not something posing danger, like we were led to believe so far. But now they're not so safe anymore because of scientific inventions. It makes it all seem like calm belts were placed there intentionally somehow and aren't a result of coincidence. Not even Marines could go to the calm belts before using Vegapunk's inventions.

Now the question we should ask is this: what are calm belts protecting? People like the Kuja tribe (personally I think Kuja are just benefitting from it, they weren't the original purpose)?

Or... perhaps to protect the Grand Line itself by seperating it from everything else? And by extension, also from the Marines. Grand Line is the place where all pirates go who seek the One Piece, it can't be a coincidence.

"This is the boundary between justice and evil!" said the Marines as they painted the line and told everyone to respect it. What we know from the Void Century so far is that it was a war between two different ideologies. What if the Red Line is the result of those two fractions seperating from each other, literally dividing the world into two parts? "Don't ever cross that line". Crossing the Red Line is definitely a difficult thing to do for normal people and if anyone crosses it it's either Marines or Pirates. It divided the seas for forever.

Vegapunk also said there are still scars left on the world from the Void Century's war. Not only the world sank by 200 meters, apparently there are literally traces from the war left behind, and normally you would expect to see some ruins. But 800 years passed already and so many nations are so fast at rebuilding their kingdoms, what possible "ruins" or "scars" could be left behind that are still visible? Unless... those scars are the Red Line and the calm belts. It would be indeed very challenging to get rid of those. Coincidentally we have no idea when the Red Line got created. All we know is that Lunarians used to live there at some point. Marco knows that from Whitebeard and I wonder who Whitebeard heard that from? Perhaps Roger, because Roger told him what the D. stands for, so why not that as well.

Unless it's somehow connected to the D.

Because in the "land of gods" this is what welcomes the visitors. Cloaked figures of warrior-guardians (my guess based on their looks alone), those on the left wieldings swords, those on the right spears. This must be a relic of older times, because it has literally nothing to do with Celestial Dragons. And it kinda fits the idea that current Government just stole the older structures for themselves. Impel Down (that bears poneglyph-like writings), Gates of Justice, Marie Geoise, they might have even had different functions long, long time ago. What all those locations have in common is their advancement and heritage that seems not to be used to it's full potential, more like recycled for a different purpose. Impel Down was probably never a prison to begin with. If you want more headbending mysteries, then I can't reccommend enough to play One Piece World Seeker. Just the map alone of the Jail Island raises so many questions. It's also a mining town and has an underwater prison as well...

This looks like there was once an entrance or a passage way, allowing the ships to go through between the North and East Blues. It has been sealed off or something else was done to it.

Curiously enough, doctors were the ones allowed to pass the line between "justice" and "evil". Because doctors save lives. We know Trafalgars were apparently a family of doctors for many generations. It is possible they didn't even originate in the North Blue, but moved there at some point. Because doctors are allowed to cross borders.

Many people speculate that the red figure of Luffy (or is it a statue of Joyboy?) symbolizes the Red Line in the logo of One Piece. The horizontal lines are the calm belts protecting the Grand Line. What's the anchor and skull&bones with the Strawhat then? In the very first chapter of One Piece Luffy wears this shirt:

Is the anchor Luffy, or rather, the East Blue where Luffy comes from? Is the skull and bones with a strawhat the North Blue then perhaps? So then, the idea behind destroying the Red Line would be to finally connect the East and the North Blues together again, seperated for centuries. That might be what the rope symbolizes: connect them together (coincidentally, the "full" name of One Piece treasure includes the word hitotsunagi which might have a second, double meaning: connect the people). The goal of destroying the Red Line is to bring the two seperated seas back together, and by doing that we discover the All Blue. Perhaps, long long time ago, in the ancient times there was only one sea.

Zou is on the back of Zunesha for over thousand of years. That's way before the Void Century even happened. Which means minks have the knowledge about the world that dates back a thousand years. And back then there was only one sea, the All Blue, and 5 islands in the whole world. It's likely the world was not divided yet into two parts with the Red Line either.

Why is the skull munching on the rope, I have no idea.

I have a hunch this is all part of the plan. Roger's plan and Joyboy's plan (yes, I believe Roger did something as well to help Joyboy's plan to succeed). They're waiting for the "right people" to show up, after all. They are stationed in certain places that can't be avoided on the voyage to Laugh Tale, like Twin Capes, Sabaody... all ships have to pass through these locations on the Grand Line.

Maybe they helped fate a little?

But clearly fate isn't all there is to the story.

Merging those symbols together get us a "sun" symbol we have seen in many places before (like Alabasta and Shandora and Kozuki's clan, they're all the guardians of the poneglyphs and had possible ties to Joyboy). Blackbeard has it too, he apparently likes to study history, so maybe he knows some secrets.

My current bet is those two fractions used to be one, then they divided into "crossbones" (later outcasted and villainized, perhaps?) and "crosses" (World Government, the "good" guys or in other words: the winners).

But I bet you anything there will be a twist, or even few twists, here. There's no way the final answer will be that simple ;) And I'm sure Joyboy's plan will be one crazy ride as well :D

[karlachismylife]

character ask thingy for konig, thank you sm I hope your day is going great! <3

Oooh, König! I'm not talking about him much on here, am I? Might have something to do with the betrayal of my friend whom I dragged into the COD fandom for my Karlach x Soap team or at least Ghoap only to lose her to the Ghost x König gang... (I'm joking, we're still having fun, ship whomever you want). Thanks for asking!! And also thank you, my days are pretty okay lately, hope yours are too <3

If anyone else is interested, I'll be glad to talk about someone else from COD and BG3. The game itself is here if someone wants to reblog!

So, König, the big Austrian that has literally a couple parapgraphs of bio on the wiki but a ton of fans to make up for it, eh?

favorite thing about them

I'll do two, because one is mostly canon based and the other mostly headcanon, but not fully. The canon favourite thing is that he's imperfect at his job. It's not just his size that prevented him from becoming a sniper, it also says he is "unable to stay still". I think it would be easy to make him a total machine and just slap the social anxiety on top as the only "imperfection" he has, especially since he is a minor character in a fucking pew pew ka-boom game. But they literally said he's actually not that good at his job (like, if he's unable to stay still, this won't impact just his sniper abilities, you know?). So that's neat, I love when people are allowed to be not that perfect at their job. And the favourite headcanon thing is that he's a gentle giant, I just love the type. Yeah, he's huge and kills people, but he'll also cradle a little bunny like it's the most precious creature on Earth.

least favorite thing about them

Uhh apart from the fact that people for some reason (ahem, racism) replace Gaz with him instead of just adding him?.. I think he either compensates for his anxiety or just feels much more confident at work and it makes him a little too cocky without needed (for me at least) charisma/unseriousness towards himself. Judging mostly from his body language. I know he has a sense of humour, but yeah... maybe calm down a little big guy.

favorite line

Any of the few lines in German he has. Or the "pick your guts off the floor", lol. I just like German and König is a funny fella, especially when he sounds angy.

brOTP

König x Gaz! There have been a couple arts on the theme and I absolutely adore them. Stop pretending they can't coexist! Also, Kyle would definitely find a way with words to make König feel more at ease off duty or would handle the way König is in the field easily.

OTP

I don't actually have any preferences at all, I like everything I see with him simply because people explore different dynamics and it's the most fun part for me. BUT I'll say like what I saw from Ghoap x König less because everything I saw puts Soap into a position/dynamic I don't really enjoy that much. Doesn't mean there isn't something I'll like a lot tho!

nOTP

As always, nOTPs are not my thing, but toxic stuff upsets me.

random headcanon

Also giving you two: he loves wearing lingerie but is a little bit ashamed of it and definitely hides it and he's generally a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate, so a slice (several) of good Sachertorte will make him really happy.

unpopular opinion

Uhh... he doesn't have a huge dick?.. No one in my universe does cuz I don't see the appeal (we have huge straps in my universe tho. but toys are separate). I don't know what's popular opinion lmao, sorry.

song i associate with them

Oooh, I actually have one this time! It's from my favourite German band Oomph! - "Kleinstadtboy". I like the whole album it's from because they experimented with their sound and quite successfully in my opinon, and this one has both the lyrics (yeah it's about gayyyys but also toxic masculinity in general. fits him well I think) and the according sound. The overblown dry electronics crackling/rasping just suits him, I think. I think he smells of static electricity too.

favorite picture of them

I don't really have one? But I like him doing different finishers. Looks impressive thanks to his size.

[fatuismooches]

I used to love scrolling through the Dottore x Reader tag on Tumblr until I stumbled upon your account and ended up binge-reading all of your posts. [I would spam-like all your posts, but I’m unsure if spam-liking is unwelcome! (/--)/] I just have to say, your writing and characterization of Dottore and his segments are by far the best I’ve ever read and seen???? Honestly, it’s my favourite portrayal of Dottore, and your writing is just so immaculate??? The emotions and details are perfect, and it’s always such a joy to read and visualize everything in my head. If I had to describe it with a physical feeling, your writing feels warm, fun, freeing, and safe—like lying in a field of grass under a night sky, with warm winds brushing against my skin. ＼(^-^)／

I love your versions of the segments, too! They all feel so unique, and there’s such variety in your portrayal of them. I love how each segment gets its share of love. The interactions between the reader, Prime, and the segments never feel awkward—everything feels balanced and fair. I used to be really unsure about segments x reader content, but you’ve made me fall in love with them all. The way you give each segment so much personality while ensuring none of them overshadow the others is just incredible?? IF THAT MAKES SENSE—I’M JUST RAMBLING I FEAR— TLDR: YOUR WRITING MAKES MY EYES AND HEART EXPLODE WITH HAPPINESS. (*^ー^)ノ♪

AND THE ANGST WRITING TOO??? UGH, MY HEART. IT’S SO PAINFUL. I LITERALLY TEAR UP AND CHOKE UP EVERY TIME YOU WRITE ANGST. [PLEASE, SEGMENTS AND PRIME DOTTORE LIVE FOREVER!!! MY HEART CANT HANDLE THAT PAIN- AND THAT LATEST ONE ABOUT OMEGA AND READER HAD ME DOWN ON THE GROUND, UNABLE TO GET UP. (/_;)/] But seriously, your work has made me so much more attached to Dottore than ever before. Sometimes I even find it hard to go through the Dottore x Reader tag nowadays because I’ve developed such a heavy bias and preference for your characterization of him. It’s such a refreshing take on the character and I absolutely adore it. ＼(^-^)／

Also, I’m just in general a sucker for villains being soft for their lover, and the fragile reader concept you explore on this blog is just chef’s kiss.

Please write forever, I don't know what I'll do with my nightly reading time without your delicious dottore content /lh /pos

Also, your blog is so organized it saves me so much time as someone who frequently gets losT online and irl

CAN I BE 💀🎉 ANON???? I'VE NEVER BEEN AN ANON THING BEFORE IDK HOW TO DO THIS

SORRY FOR THE WORD VOMIT MY MIND HAS LIKE 3938328 THINGS RUNNING AT ONCE AND WANTS TO SAY THEM ALL IN ONE GO

ANON??!? IM LITERALLY GOING TO CRY I NEED A MOMENT TO BREATHE WHO LET YOU BE SO KIND- IWHDEUWIDHEW

FIRST OF ALL, THANK U FOR THIS ILY 😭🙏 I'm super happy you like my writing and characterization of Dottore, your praise makes my heart happy and want to continue to write *hugs* 💕! (and feel free to spam like, it doesn't bother me and it makes me smile actually!)

I'M GLAD I MADE YOU LIKE SEGMENTS FICS TOO??😭🥺 that's a huge compliment bfbewfe imo the segments are underrated in fics and need more love so to know i converted you just makes me go 🥹🥹🥹🤏💙💙💙💕🥺 FELLOW SEGMENT LOVER!!!! I VERY MUCH ADORE YOUR RAMBLING ANON!! your praise for my writing is far too high i fear- i just write what my whimsical heart tells me to 🫶 i think ur the one making my eyes and heart explode!!! >.<

AHH IM HOLDING U TIGHTLY DURING THE ANGST FBEWFEW I PROMMY EVERYONE IS ALIVE!!!! I'm also glad you liked the Omega fic hehe i was worried it didn't have the usual oomph BUT IT SEEMS I DID MY JOB!!! (secretly love-hate writing angst bc it makes me sad but i also love reactions like these-) It's always the nicest thing when people love Dottore more thanks to my writing, it's truly so cute!! I love spreading the doter love... 💞💞💞

SUPER GLAD YOU LOVE THAT TROPE TOO!!! IT IS MY LIFE'S BLOOD!! i prommy to write forever for you dear 💀🎉 anon (funny emoji combo) I WILL MAKE YOUR NIGHTS THE BEST NIGHTS!! also glad to see you appreciate my organization, i am actually proud of my blog's structure hehe

U DON'T NEED TO APOLOGIZE!!! I LOVED THIS ASK SM IM STORING IT SAFELY!!

[the-opposite-and-the-mirror]

Beyond the Broken Frame - The Opposite and The Mirror Spin-Off

Okay, so I've literally been up all night writing this. I have no idea if this is any good or not and I won't be posting it anywhere else any time soon, but I'm posting it here. Here is the Spin-Off story/very long one shot for The Opposite and The Mirror that takes place in the first Resident Evil movie. It can be read below the cut. Hope y'all like it!

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

Victoria squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before entering the Los Angeles Institute. This was the day she was to meet Theresa Silverbrook – her great-niece give or take a few greats that everyone called Tessa. Every fiber in Victoria's being buzzed with nervous anticipation.  Should she rehearse what she was going to say to her? Was being Nathaniel’s Parabatai a family secret that had been passed down, or had history conveniently forgotten about Victoria? All she knew for sure was this was a gamble, and she hoped it wouldn't be a colossal one.

A voice, young and brimming with a casual coolness, shattered her internal monologue. "Victoria Baywing?"

Victoria spun around, her breath hitching as she met Tessa's gaze. The girl was practically her younger sister's twin, a living echo of the past.  "Tessa?" Victoria managed, the name catching in her throat.

Tessa's eyes scanned Victoria with a hint of amusement, a sharp contrast to Victoria's bubbling anxiety.  "The one and only," she drawled, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.  "Honestly, I thought you were just a family legend."

Victoria blinked. "Legend? You knew about me?" This possibility had crossed her mind, but hearing it confirmed sent a jolt through her.

Tessa shrugged, her nonchalance a thin veil over a spark of hidden excitement. "Victoria Baywing – Parabatai to the mythical Gemini. That's the gist that got passed down. I always figured it was just a heroic ancestor story that got twisted to make our lineage sound more impressive."  Tessa paused, unsure of how to proceed. "So, uh, now what?"

Victoria, relieved by Tessa's openness, smiled warmly. "I'd love to get to know you, Tessa.  If you're open to it, of course."

Tessa, unable to fully mask her eagerness, mirrored the smile with a playful edge. "Sure, why not? It's not every day you meet a living legend."

And with that, a bond began to bridge the gap between generations, built on curiosity, shared lineage, and a hint of family history waiting to be unraveled in a story all of their own.

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

Tessa held her hands behind her back, practically skipping her way through the LA Institute. As she flitted down the hallways, she pointed out various features, explaining everything with the enthusiasm of a tour guide on their first day. Victoria followed her, trying to keep up with Tessa's boundless energy. "And this is Ops," Tessa announced as she gestured towards a bustling control room filled with Shadowhunters.

A ways away from Ops, Tessa looked back at Victoria with a giddy grin when they reached a pair of thick, metal doors. "And now for my favorite place in the whole Institute." Tessa threw open the doors with a flourish.

As soon as the doors flung open, an explosion erupted from within the room. A thick plume of smoke billowed out, causing Tessa and Victoria to jump back in shock. Tessa quickly ran into the room, waving the smoke out of her face. "Wyatt?!" she called out urgently.

"All good!" a voice coughed from within the haze. Wyatt, a young man with goggles perched on his head, emerged from the smoke and hit the switch for the exhaust fan. As the smoke began to clear, he removed his goggles and approached Tessa. "I put a little too much oomph and not enough pizazz into that one," he explained with a sheepish grin. His eyes then flicked to the unimpressed woman standing behind Tessa. Leaning closer, he pointed at Victoria and whispered, "Is that her?"

Tessa playfully pushed Wyatt. "You were supposed to wait for me!" She then turned to Victoria, introducing her with a warm smile. "Yes, that's Victoria. Victoria Baywing, this is Wyatt Fyre. He's our resident Warlock and combustions specialist... most of the time."

Wyatt took offense, his brows knitting together. "Hey! The reason for the exhaust system and sprinklers in here is because of you and not me."

Tessa had to give him that. “Touche.”

Victoria barely had time to process the whirlwind of events. One moment there was an explosion, and the next, she was being introduced to a Warlock who looked like a skinny teenager. Instead of responding immediately, she walked around the table, examining the experimental setup. It appeared they were trying to add explosives to Runed arrows. "I have many questions," she finally said.

"About Wyatt or our experiments?" Tessa asked, joining Victoria at the table.

Victoria looked up, her expression a mix of curiosity and exasperation. "Yes."

Wyatt quickly scrambled over to them, puffing out his chest with pride. "I'll take it from here, Tessa." He adjusted his overalls and continued, "You are in the presence of one of the few Pyromancer Warlocks left in existence. My powers are all fire and combustion based, and I've lived here pretty much all my life. I was taken in by Dimitri Riverblade when I was a kid after he wiped out the Vamps who kidnapped me."

Tessa picked up the story. "Since Dimitri is his dad, that makes Wyatt here pretty much my cousin because Dimitri was my father's Parabatai and is my guardian." Just then, a tall Shadowhunter with a quiver of arrows on his back walked in. His face was stoic yet firm. "Speak of the devil," Tessa grinned and rushed over to give Dimitri a hug. "Good mission?"

Dimitri hugged Tessa back, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "Yes," he replied simply, then turned his attention to Wyatt. "I just got back and you're already blowing things up? What was it this time? Too snazzy?"

"Too much oomph, not enough pizazz," Wyatt explained, looking a bit sheepish again.

Dimitri shook his head with a light smile and hugged his son. He then turned to Victoria, his expression serious. "And you must be Victoria Baywing – the Gemini's Parabatai."

“I was,” Victoria answered, crossing her arms as she sized him up. She then said the first thing that came to her mind upon noticing the quiver of arrows on his back. “Your name is Riverblade and you use a bow?” Her tone was teasing to say the least.

Dimitri's face remained stoic. "I'm a rebel," he replied dryly. He turned back to Wyatt and Tessa. "How is your other project coming along?"

"Now that's coming way better!" Wyatt said excitedly, pulling out a metallic doorframe covered in wires, buttons, and lights.

“What is that for?” Victoria wanted to know this for many reasons, one of which being she wanted to know what Tessa was getting herself into.

"If it works, it'll be a portal doorway. Warlock Portals can get hacked, for lack of a better term, based on where the person is thinking of. But with these, once the coordinates are entered and Runed to lock them in, the Portal will only go to that one specific place," Tessa explained. “What makes it better is that it doesn’t have to be somewhere they’ve been before.”

Victoria walked around the doorway, trying to understand how it was powered. "What's the power supply?"

"Fire!" Wyatt cackled, then cleared his throat and added more seriously, "Angelic energy. Basically, you just charge it up, and it will hold the charge for at least a year before needing another."

Dimitri looked pleased. "The Clave will be pleased to hear this is coming along well. Any idea when it will be completed?"

"We were actually going to test it out today," Tessa explained.

"Test it out how exactly?" Victoria asked, concerned about the potential risks.

"Well, Wyatt was going to set a location, power it up, and I was going to give it a whirl," Tessa said excitedly.

"Oh hell no, you're not," Victoria stated firmly. "You are not entering an experimental portal alone."

Dimitri got defensive. "I wouldn't let her go alone."

"And why should I trust you? I met you two seconds ago," Victoria shot back.

Wyatt stepped in, leading Tessa away. "Let's go take a break. Mommy and Daddy are in a fight."

Tessa giggled and called over her shoulder, "We'll bring you back something to eat," before leaving the lab with Wyatt.

Dimitri's face hardened as he locked eyes with Victoria. "If you think that you are going to swoop in here and try to dictate Tessa's life and her decisions, you've got another thing coming."

Victoria stood her ground. "Tessa is my family – the only family I have left in the world. I am not going to let anything happen to her."

"She is my family, too," Dimitri replied. "I have been raising her ever since her parents died in the Uprising. I don't care what kind of distant bloodline connection you have with her, Tessa isn't yours to control."

"I don't want to control her," Victoria fiercely answered, "I want to protect her."

Dimitri scoffed a bit before saying, “From where I’m standing – same thing.” With that said, he walked out of the lab leaving Victoria alone for her to mull over his words, if she’d even bother to.

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

When Tessa and Wyatt returned to the lab, they found Victoria diligently inscribing intricate Runes onto one of their explosive arrows. Wyatt quickly set the tray of food down on a nearby counter and rounded the table to get a better look. His eyes widened with curiosity. "I have never seen Runes like that. What Rune is that?"

Tessa promptly joined them, leaning in to inspect the unfamiliar Runes. She furrowed her brow and admitted, "I have no idea what those are." Turning her head to look up at Victoria, who was still meticulously drawing the Runes, Tessa pointed and asked, "What are those?"

"They will help contain the combustion," Victoria replied without looking up. "Make it more concentrated and more powerful." She paused in her work and finally met Tessa's gaze. "You're not the only one in the Baywing bloodline who likes to make things go boom. Nathaniel, my Parabatai, had the ability to create new Runes. This is one of his creations."

Wyatt practically vibrated with anticipation, barely able to contain his excitement. "Oh boy, I cannot wait to see my dad try those out. I'm gonna go get him!" Without another word, he darted out of the lab.

Tessa moved around to the other side of the table, leaning on it as she looked at Victoria thoughtfully. "So, what's the story with you and the Gemini? How did you become his Parabatai?"

Victoria sighed, leaning on the table to meet Tessa's eyes. "That's a long story, but the gist of it is, when I saw him... saw how alone he was... I knew I couldn't let him be alone forever."

Tessa smiled warmly. "So it was Parabatai at first sight?"

Victoria laughed softly, a sound that seemed to fill the room with warmth. "Sure, something like that. I'll tell you the whole story another time."

"I look forward to that," Tessa said sincerely. Having Victoria here felt right. It felt like her family was complete again, something she hadn't felt in a long time. "So, tell me more about you making things go boom." She wiggled her eyebrows with a grin.

They were interrupted when Dimitri returned to the lab with Wyatt in tow. "Lakeleaf wants the Portal to be tested now. He's going to Idris tomorrow and wants to present the progress report to the Clave."

"Who the hell is Lakeleaf?" Victoria asked, not recognizing the name.

"The head of the LA Institute," Tessa groaned. "He's an a..."

Dimitri cut her off with a warning, "Watch it."

Tessa held up her hands in mock innocence, her tone matching her expression. "All I was going to say was he's an abrasive personality."

Victoria pursed her lips, catching Tessa's drift. "So he's an ass?"

Wyatt jumped in eagerly. "Oh, definitely." He received a warning look from Dimitri for his comment, so he quickly changed the subject. "So... who's ready to test the Portal?"

Tessa instantly shot up her hand, clapping excitedly. "Let me gear up, and then I'll be ready. Just in case things get hinky, I want to be prepared." She hurried off to do just that.

"I'll do the same," Dimitri said, then turned to Wyatt. "We'll go once you're ready to power it up."

"I'm going too," Victoria announced, her tone making it clear she wasn't going to budge.

Dimitri let out a deep exhale. "That's not necessary."

"Didn't you just give me a whole lecture about not controlling others' actions?" Victoria smirked as she walked by. "You may want to start taking your own medicine." She patted his shoulder and left the lab to head to the armory with Tessa.

Dimitri watched Victoria leave, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

Wyatt caught this and couldn't resist teasing. "Oooo, Daddy's falling for Mommy," he voiced in a playful, sing-song manner, adding a shoulder wiggle for emphasis.

Dimitri narrowed his eyes at Wyatt, pointing a warning finger before picking up a biscuit from the food tray and tossing it at him. "Get that Portal ready."

Wyatt caught the biscuit with ease, toasted it in his palm, and took a bite, saluting Dimitri with a mouthful of food. "Yes, sir."

Dimitri scoffed a chuckle and left the room to prepare himself as well.

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

As Wyatt powered up the portal doorway, a soft hum filled the lab. Sparks of energy began to dance around the frame, casting an eerie purple glow. Victoria stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, watching the process with a skeptical expression. "I want to go on record and say this is a very bad idea."

"Noted," Wyatt replied, not missing a beat as he opened the panel for the coordinates. With a mischievous grin, he asked, "So, where do y'all want to go? Paris? Hawaii?"

"How about down the block," Dimitri interjected, his tone leaving no room for debate. "Baby steps."

"You’re no fun," Tessa quipped, a playful lilt in her voice. She adjusted her gear, looking slightly disappointed. "Why did we all gear up if we're just going down the block?"

"As you said," Dimitri replied seriously, "Just in case."

Tessa shook her head with a mock 'tsk', a wry smile playing on her lips. "Used my own words against me. Good one, old man."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow at the 'old man' comment but chose to let it slide, instead focusing on the task at hand.

The portal doorway powered up fully, a swirling purple vortex materializing within the frame. Wyatt stepped back, satisfied with the result. He went over to Dimitri and pulled him into a quick hug. "This is for just in case, too."

Dimitri returned the hug, his voice warm yet firm. "I’ll see you soon, Kiddo."

Wyatt hoped Dimitri's confidence wasn't misplaced. Despite all the calculations indicating everything should be fine, a nagging worry gnawed at him. He then turned to Tessa, pulling her into a hug as well. "Alright! Let’s do this!"

Wyatt stepped aside, giving the trio space. "But hold hands, just in case. I’ll keep the doorway open so you’ll be able to pop right back."

The three complied, forming a chain with Dimitri at the front, Tessa in the middle, and Victoria bringing up the rear. They cautiously approached the portal, the swirling energy pulling at their senses. Dimitri took a deep breath and stepped through first, disappearing into the vortex.

Tessa followed, her grip on Victoria's hand tightening briefly as she stepped through. Victoria hesitated for a heartbeat, her mind racing with a million what-ifs. But she steeled herself and stepped through as well, the portal swallowing her whole.

As soon as Victoria vanished, the portal doorway emitted a sharp beep and flickered ominously. Wyatt rushed over, his eyes scanning the control panel. Something was wrong—the coordinates had shifted. The normal blue light of the numbers had turned an unfamiliar purple, indicating a completely different location. Panic surged through him as he whispered, "Oh no... where the hell did they go?"

He frantically began adjusting the controls, trying to trace the new coordinates. The hum of the machinery grew louder, and his mind raced with calculations and worst-case scenarios. "Come on, come on," Wyatt muttered under his breath, his fingers flying over the buttons.

Seconds felt like hours as he worked, the lab filled with the tension of uncertainty. He tried to stabilize the portal, but it fizzled out and the coordinates disappeared. Wyatt took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. "I hope you guys are okay," he whispered, staring through the now inactive doorway.

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

When Dimitri, Tessa, and Victoria exited the portal, they found themselves in an opulent residential bathroom. The room was vast, with gleaming marble floors and walls, and every fixture seemed to be made of the finest materials. Gold-trimmed mirrors and an oversized bathtub added to the extravagance.

Tessa couldn't help but laugh. "By the Angel, did Wyatt send us to someone’s house?"

"There are no houses down the block from the Institute," Dimitri replied, notching an arrow into his bow. His eyes scanned the room warily. "Something’s not right."

"I’ll say," Victoria added, gesturing behind her. "There’s no portal to take us back."

Dimitri and Tessa both turned to see she was right. For good measure, Tessa went to the spot where they had exited and waved her hand around. "Okay, no big deal. Let’s just get outside, figure out where we are, and call Wyatt to let him know what’s going on." She was trying hard to remain optimistic.

Dimitri pulled out his Stele, ready to activate his invisibility Rune, but nothing happened. "What the hell?" he muttered, shaking the Stele.

"Try mine," Tessa offered, handing him her Stele, but it too remained inactive.

Victoria quickly tried her own Stele, with the same result. "I knew this was a bad idea," she said, catching Dimitri’s look and waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I know. That’s not helping."

Dimitri took the lead, signaling them to follow. "Let’s go and stay close." He cautiously led them out of the bathroom, intent on figuring out their location as quickly as possible.

They entered an elaborate bedroom. Dimitri headed straight for the window and moved aside the heavy curtains. All he could see was a dense forest and a mountain in the distance. He didn’t recognize the area at all. "Does this place look familiar to you?" he asked, glancing back at Victoria.

Victoria went to another window, parting the curtains. "No. I have no idea where we are."

Tessa, curious, went over to a bureau. She opened the drawers, hoping to find something that might indicate their location. The first two drawers were filled with clothes haphazardly thrown in, but the bottom one was locked. She managed to open it, revealing a weapons cache containing a pair of Blades and an array of throwing stars. "Okay, I think we’re in a Shadowhunter’s house." She stepped aside to show them the cache.

Dimitri was the first to examine the cache. When he touched the lid, it beeped, and a message in glowing letters appeared: 'Identity Confirmed'. The lid unlocked and slid backward, providing access to the weapons.

“Was that cache specifically coded to you or could any Shadowhunter open it?” Victoria wanted to know because this was getting all the more suspicious as time went on and they hadn’t even been there for five minutes yet.

"I have no idea." Dimitri pulled out one of the Blades to inspect it. Unlike the Blades at the Institute, this one had Runes that glowed purple when he touched it. "That’s not normal."

Victoria took out the other Blade and found it reacted similarly. "Definitely not normal," she muttered.

Tessa grabbed the throwing stars, just in case. "Should we keep snooping or get out of here?"

"Let’s get out of here," Dimitri decided.

Victoria nodded. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with him. Let’s go."

Moving swiftly yet cautiously, they exited the bedroom. As they entered a long hallway, Tessa noticed a statue at the end of the hall holding what appeared to be the Mortal Instruments. However, these were slightly different from any other depiction she had seen. "Guys… I think we’re in an Institute."

"If you’re right, then where is everyone?" Victoria adjusted her grip on the Blade, looking around warily. "This place feels abandoned but..." she trailed off.

"Active," Dimitri finished for her. "Let’s keep going."

As they moved down the hall, Victoria stopped at a table covered with pictures of Shadowhunters. One picture stood out to her. She picked up the frame and turned to Dimitri and Tessa. "Are you two sure you’ve never been here before?"

"Yeah," Tessa answered, "Why?"

Victoria turned the picture around to show them. Dimitri and Tessa were in the picture although Tessa’s hair was much shorter than present and Dimitri’s scruff was a full beard. “Then explain this.”

Dimitri and Tessa looked at the picture, then at each other, then back at the picture. "Anyone else thinking that we accidentally got sent to an alternate universe or something?" Tessa asked.

Dimitri set the picture down. "If this is an Institute, then we need to get to Ops and find a portal to get out of here now."

No one argued. They quickly took off down the hall, still cautious but now more expedient.

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

After determining they were in the residential part of what seemed to be an Institute, Dimitri, Victoria, and Tessa found an exit to a courtyard that connected to another section of the building. Drawing on her memory of a similar Institute, Victoria figured that Ops would likely be located in that other part. They started to cross the courtyard, their footsteps echoing in the quiet night.

By now, it was completely dark, and they still hadn’t seen another soul—Shadowhunter or otherwise. Halfway across the courtyard, an unnatural, fierce wind began to blow, forcing them to pick up the pace. They barely made it inside the other building before the wind could sweep them away.

As soon as they closed the doors, they turned around to see someone Victoria vaguely recognized, though not in this form. "Simon?!" she exclaimed. He was covered in Shadowhunter Runes and definitely wasn’t the Vampire she had once met.

Simon reacted by pointing his Blade at Tessa. "What are you doing with her, Riv?" he demanded. "Have you switched sides?!"

Victoria and Dimitri immediately moved to shield Tessa, but they didn’t have time to respond before numerous people burst through the windows, sending shattered glass flying everywhere.

When the newcomers landed on their feet, Simon shouted, "They have Silverbrook!" This declaration activated their weapons and sent them charging forward.

Dimitri and Victoria were the first to engage, fending off attacks from the Shadowhunters. When one of them lunged at Tessa, Victoria swiftly threw one of her axes at him. It might not have been charged with Angelic energy, but it was still an axe and it would leave a mark.

Just as it seemed the newcomers would gain the upper hand, a familiar voice shouted, "Stop!" All the newcomers froze in their tracks, and even Simon halted his advance towards Tessa.

Simon, wide-eyed, looked over to see another Dimitri Riverblade entering through the broken window. "Riv?" Simon stammered. "Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at the new arrivals. "And where did you find her?" He pointed firmly at Tessa Silverbrook.

"Look, okay, I know this sounds crazy, but I think we’re from an alternate universe," Victoria began to explain. "I am Victoria Baywing, this is Dimitri Riverblade, and that’s Tessa Silverbrook. The three of us went into an experimental portal and came out in a bathroom upstairs."

Before the other Dimitri could react, a female voice said, "She’s telling the truth. I see no lie." A woman pulled back her hood, revealing reptilian scales around her purple eyes—her Warlock mark.

The other Dimitri, now identified as Riv, looked back at her. "Are you sure, Trick?"

Trick nodded. "I am certain. They are telling the truth—this Theresa isn’t the one we are looking for."

Riv scanned the room and ordered, "Lower your weapons." Once his comrades had done so, he introduced himself. "It seems you already know who I am, but to keep things separate, you can call me Riv. This is my daughter Patricia, but you can call her Trick, and it seems you already know Simon."

Victoria nodded. "He’s a Vampire where I’m from. Definitely not a Shadowhunter."

Tessa cautiously moved closer to Victoria and Dimitri. "Why do I get the feeling that you want to kill me?"

"Not you, apparently," Simon replied, crossing his arms. "Terri."

Riv elaborated. "Terri is our version of Theresa Silverbrook. Long story short—she did some bad things and we need to find her before they get worse."

"Define bad things," Dimitri asked, wanting to be prepared.

Simon scoffed. "Released Hell on Earth. Literally."

Tessa winced. "Yeah, that’s bad."

Riv helped the Shadowhunter who had been struck by Victoria’s axe after his healing Rune had been activated. "It’s clear your weapons don’t work here. You’re going to need more than a couple of stray Blades if you want to survive." He looked over to another Shadowhunter. "Heartgrove, see if there’s anything left in the armory," he said, then glanced at Dimitri’s quiver. "Especially a bow and quiver. Take your boyfriend with you."

Savannah Heartgrove nodded and took hold of Simon’s arm before heading off to the armory.

"Look, I’m sorry, but whatever is going on in this world is your business. We just want to find a portal and get sent back to ours," Victoria stated, feeling for them but not willing to risk their lives without a clear way back to their own world.

"If an experimental portal brought you here, then it’s likely an experimental one will be needed to send you back," Riv pointed out. "And to find one of those, you’ll need to come with us."

Tessa interjected, "Excuse us," and linked arms with Victoria and Dimitri, pulling them aside. Once out of earshot, she spoke in hushed yet frantic tones. "Are we trusting them? Are we not trusting them? What’s the plan here, because it feels like other people are gonna want to kill me on sight thinking I’m the other me."

"The rules are different here," Victoria replied, weighing the options. "I think we’re gonna need to stick with them to get what we need and get out."

Dimitri had been processing everything, too. After Victoria gave her opinion, he echoed her previous words. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with her.”

Tessa exhaled deeply. "I was afraid you two were gonna agree on that."

Victoria turned to Riv. "Are you able to guarantee that no one will attack Tessa thinking she’s your Terri?"

"The Shadowhunters you’ve seen here are the only ones here. Anything and anyone else you encounter where we’re going will attack regardless of who you are," Riv explained, just as Savannah and Simon returned. "Any luck?" he asked.

"There was an axe, a staff, and a bow with a full quiver," Savannah presented. "And Simon found a few Steles."

Simon handed out the Steles. "Who wants what?"

Victoria, Tessa, and Dimitri each took the weapons they thought would be most useful. Tessa took the Blade Victoria had held, while Victoria took the axe, and Dimitri grabbed the bow and quiver. He kept the arrows from their world as well, just in case.

Now that they were all armed as well as they could be, Dimitri asked, "Where are we going?"

Riv’s answer was simple and precise. "Down."

As soon as Riv said the word, Savannah opened a wall that concealed two large metal doors. They hissed open, revealing a dimly lit passage beyond. "We’re ready," she announced, stepping aside.

"Let’s move out," Riv commanded, taking the lead with Savannah and Simon. Three other Shadowhunters positioned themselves behind Tessa, Victoria, and Dimitri. Trick brought up the rear, ensuring everyone was through before the doors hissed shut behind her.

"Where are we going exactly?" Tessa asked as they followed Riv down the corridor.

"This Institute has subterranean levels," Riv explained, descending a long set of wide stairs. Each of them was armed and ready for anything that might lurk below. "We need to get to central ops. That’s the only system that will have the locations of what you’re looking for."

"You mentioned experimental portals earlier," Victoria said, trying to grasp the full picture. "So the Clave had you guys working on them here too?"

Riv stopped mid-step and looked back at them, his expression grim. "The Clave had nothing to do with it. Terri acted alone." His voice softened momentarily, showing a hint of hurt before he resumed his firm tone. "Trick, anything?"

Trick moved to the front of the group, scanning their surroundings. "So far, nothing, but stay alert," she advised.

As they continued descending, Tessa leaned towards Dimitri and whispered, "So in this world, the other you adopted a different Warlock... trippy."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Out of everything that’s happened so far, that’s the part you find trippy?"

"If I focused on everything that I found trippy about this entire situation, I’d probably go catatonic," Tessa admitted. The group quickened their pace down the stairs that eventually led to an underground platform… a train platform.

"What the hell is that?" Victoria exclaimed as the train came into view. She glared at Riv. "If you say that’s a train, I swear I will throw you under it."

Riv chuckled briefly. "I see what you see in her," he commented to Dimitri before turning to a Shadowhunter on the train. "Status report?"

"Power’s down," the Shadowhunter replied.

"Then fix it!" Riv ordered.

"I’m on it," Savannah responded, hopping onto the train, activating a Witchlight and her agility Rune. She jumped down to inspect the power lines beneath the train. Reconnecting the cables, she thought she heard something and crouched lower to get a better look. She activated her sight-enhancing Rune but saw nothing. Just as she stood up, Simon’s upside-down head appeared beside hers, causing her to jump.

"Done yet, jumpy?" he teased before kissing her.

Savannah returned the kiss, then finished reconnecting the final piece on the track. With the power restored, Simon pulled himself back into the train, and Savannah followed.

Now that they were all aboard, the doors were closed and the train was put into gear to start moving down the track.

Now that they were all aboard, the doors closed and the train rumbled to life, moving slowly down the track. Dimitri, Tessa, and Victoria sat on a crate within the train car, facing Riv. "Are you ever going to tell us exactly what the mission is here?" Dimitri asked.

Riv saw Simon subtly shaking his head 'no' but chose to explain anyway. "We are here to find Terri and make her fix what she has done. She’s the only one capable of it."

"Is there anything I can do?" Tessa offered. "I mean, Terri is this world’s me, after all."

Riv gave her a wistful smile. "She used to be a lot like you," he reminisced. "But no, there’s nothing you can do. Terri was envious of Warlocks and their ability to use magic. She coveted the ability, and it corrupted her. Terri managed to find a way to give herself magic, but the cost was allowing Demons to enter our realm freely."

"So there’s an apocalypse outside?" Tessa asked, trying to wrap her head around it.

It was clear Riv wasn’t going to hold back, so Simon added, "That’s what we’re trying to stop."

Trick continued, "The Demons that Terri granted access to are within the lower levels of the Institute."

Riv concluded their briefing, "We get in, get Terri, find your portal, and get the hell out."

"So… you don’t want to kill her?" Victoria queried. "Because the reaction of your people upstairs when they saw Tessa indicated otherwise."

"Contain by any means necessary, yes. Kill… not if I can help it," Riv said, looking directly at Dimitri. "If your relationship with Tessa is anything like mine was with Terri, then you must understand how deeply I care for her." When Dimitri slowly nodded in reply, Riv turned to Tessa. "I give you my word that I will do my best to keep you safe."

"We’re almost there," Savannah announced, glancing at the map on her tablet.

Trick looked at Victoria and asked, "What were you enchanted with?"

Victoria blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You were once enchanted, but it’s not there anymore." Trick leaned closer, examining her. "I can see it."

Victoria hesitated before answering, "Long story short, I was immortal once. My Parabatai was immortal and I shared it with him. When he died, I became mortal again."

Trick looked intrigued. "Who could possibly have been your Parabatai if they were immortal?"

"Yeah, I’m not going to answer that," Victoria replied, concerned that revealing too much could be dangerous.

"Fair enough." Trick leaned back just as the train came to a stop. "Duty calls," she murmured, leaving the train with Savannah and Simon to help open the Warded doors leading to the Institute’s lower levels.

As they disembarked, Tessa asked, "Is anyone else worried that we might not make it back to our world?"

Victoria stopped and faced Tessa, holding her hands tightly. "I will not let that happen, do you hear me? I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure you make it back home. You will not be stuck here, and you sure as hell won’t be dying here."

Dimitri placed a reassuring hand on Tessa’s arm. "Same goes for me, Tessa. One way or another, you will make it home."

Riv observed their moment, thinking about his relationship with Terri before everything went wrong. He was pulled from his memories when Trick appeared at the top of a nearby staircase. "The Wards are down. We can access the lower levels now," she called out.

Victoria walked up the stairs beside Riv. "So, just to make sure I understand completely, the mission here is to clear out the Demons down here before they make it above ground, capture Terri, and find the experimental portal?"

"Simply put, yes," Riv replied, not meeting her eyes.

"Why do I have the feeling that there’s something you’re not saying here?" Victoria pressed, sensing he was holding back.

"Because you’re right," Riv admitted but didn’t elaborate further, picking up the pace as they passed through the doors leading to the lower levels.

"This is an odd feeling," Victoria remarked to Dimitri as he caught up with her.

“What is?” There was so much going on so he wanted to be sure he knew what she was talking about.

"I shockingly find myself trusting you, but him," Victoria pointed at Riv, "that’s a whole other story."

After entering the well-lit entryway, they found the rooms beyond were pitch black. This prompted Simon to activate his night vision Rune. As the Rune flared to life, he cautiously stepped into the darkness, his eyes scanning for the light switch. It took a couple of minutes, but he was finally able to locate it. “Found it!” he called out triumphantly, then flipped the switch to illuminate the room so everyone could enter.

The room was clearly a lobby, given the numerous elevator doors and large windows that created the illusion of being outside. If it weren’t for the flickering lights, Tessa would have thought they were in LA itself. “I get the sentiment, but I doubt that helps with claustrophobia,” she remarked, glancing around.

“You’d be surprised,” Savannah commented, standing at the ready just like the others. Each one had their weapon poised, ready to react at a moment’s notice.

Trick noticed Victoria struggling to find a good grip and balance with the large axe she had chosen. Recalling how Victoria had used throwing axes upstairs, Trick realized the larger weapon would likely be quite different for her. “I can transfer the power to your throwing axes if you would like,” Trick offered.

Victoria was taken aback. “Seriously?” She had never heard of a Warlock possessing such an ability.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious,” Trick replied, approaching Victoria to perform the transfer.

“We don’t have time for this, Trick,” Riv said firmly, his tone brooking no argument.

Trick wasn’t deterred. “I would like everyone to have an advantage if possible. Besides, if you hadn’t spoken to me, I would have already been done.” She took the pair of throwing axes from Victoria in one hand and the large axe in the other, transferring the power. Now the throwing axes that Victoria had brought from her world had the Angelic power of the large one, and their Runes glowed purple in her grasp.

“Now you,” Trick turned to Dimitri. “I can take the power from the staff Savannah has and put it into the arrows you brought with you if you trust me with them.”

Dimitri saw no reason to refuse the offer of enhanced ammunition. He handed over his quiver and watched as Trick transferred the power from the staff into his arrows—some of which were the explosive ones Wyatt and Tessa had designed, though he didn’t draw attention to that detail.

With the transfer complete, Trick returned the quiver to Dimitri and looked around at the others. “Anything else? You?” she asked, gesturing towards Tessa.

“Unless you’ve got a pair of knuckles, I’m good with the Blade,” Tessa replied, only to be met by Savannah reaching into her pocket and pulling out a set of Runed knuckles. Tessa accepted them without question. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Savannah replied.

Meanwhile, Simon and the others pried open the elevator doors, only to discover that all the elevators had snapped cables and had fallen to the bottom of the shaft. “Hope everyone is in shape,” he quipped as he turned back to the group. “Looks like we’re taking the stairs.”

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

The group descended the expansive, winding metallic staircase, their footsteps echoing through the vast, open space. Upon reaching the desired level, they walked down a well-lit hallway, only to find the labs ahead filled with brown, murky water. The glass walls of the labs kept the water from spilling into the hallway, but the sight was unsettling.

"That’s going to slow us down," Savannah commented, consulting her tablet. "The direct path to central Ops takes us straight through these labs."

Riv nodded, processing the information. "Simon, Savannah, go take a closer look and see how bad the flooding is. Trick, see if you can find us an alternate route."

Simon and Savannah set off to scout the flooded labs while Trick sat cross-legged on the metallic floor, closing her eyes and tapping rhythmically with her fingers.

“What is she doing?” Victoria asked Riv because it was clear by now that this Warlock was unlike any she had ever met before.

"Think of it like echolocation," Riv explained. "Trick can create a mental map based on the vibrations she senses across the floor."

"Wow," Victoria said, genuinely impressed. "I certainly could have used her help a time or two back home."

Riv's expression softened. "If my world can’t be saved but you can make it back to yours... will you take Trick with you?" He glanced over at Trick, who was deeply focused. "She deserves better than this."

Victoria looked back at Dimitri, silently seeking his opinion. When he nodded in agreement, she turned to Riv. "If it comes to that and she agrees, then yes. We’ll take her back with us."

"Thank you," Riv replied, his relief evident. His gratitude was genuine.

Before Victoria could respond, she jumped, startled by the sight of a woman’s body floating up from the murky water and pressing against the glass. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, readying her throwing axe. The woman remained motionless, floating eerily, her body covered in Runes—clearly a Shadowhunter.

Victoria turned to Riv, pointing at the floating corpse with her axe. "Is this what you weren’t saying? I thought only Demons and Terri were down here, not corpses."

"Every Shadowhunter stationed in the lower levels was killed. Did you really think a portal from hell opened up down here and no one got hurt?" Riv replied, his tone tinged with bitterness. He hadn’t specified the number of deaths because there were simply too many, but he had assumed some casualties were implied.

Victoria scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Dimitri seized the moment to ask, "How do you know Terri is still alive?"

"They won’t hurt her," Riv said quietly, turning away. "She’s one of them now."

Just then, Trick opened her eyes and stood up. "I found another way, but it will take some time.” She took Riv’s tablet and pulled up the map to show him just in case something happened to her so he’d know where to go without her.  “If we double back and cut through the, oh that’s what that room is, the dining hall, we’ll be back on track."

As she spoke, Savannah and Simon returned. "It’s a no-go down there," Savannah reported. "The whole level is flooded."

Riv nodded, accepting the information. "Alright, let’s get moving." He led the group to double back and follow Trick’s newly discovered path.

As they walked, Savannah lingered at the back of the group. She took a moment to address the floating corpse of the female Shadowhunter. "Hail and farewell," she whispered, offering a brief, solemn salute before catching up with the others. She didn't notice the corpse's eyes snapping open, revealing pure black orbs, or the hand with clawed fingernails pressing against the glass.

The group continued their trek, the weight of the unknown pressing on them. They moved with purpose, each step bringing them closer to their goal, yet also deeper into danger.

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

The group doubled back and made their way to the dining hall. This door, like the others, was sealed with Wards. However, between their Runes and Trick’s magic, they managed to disarm the Wards and gain entry. Upon entering, they were immediately taken aback. This room looked nothing like a dining hall. It was filled with numerous containers connected to hoses and wiring, emitting mist or some kind of exhaust that made the floor appear covered in fog.

“I thought the map said this was a dining hall?” Trick said, glancing at Riv in confusion as they looked around.

Savannah pulled up the map on her tablet and confirmed, “It’s clearly labeled as a dining hall on the map.”

“You didn’t pick any of this up when you did your thing?” Dimitri asked Trick, his tone slightly suspicious. If she could find the path and identify rooms, why hadn’t she detected this?

“It doesn’t work like that,” Trick replied defensively. “I can sense the outlines of rooms and hallways, but I have no idea what’s inside them.”

“Looks like more experiments were going on down here than just the portal,” Victoria commented, scanning the room and making sure Tessa and Dimitri were close in case something bad happened.

Riv didn’t like the implication but couldn’t argue against it. “Alright, enough. This doesn’t change the mission. Stay close and keep moving.” He led the way once again, armed and ready for anything.

Tessa knew she should stay close to the group, but curiosity got the better of her. She moved towards one of the containment units and peered inside. She gasped upon seeing some sort of creature connected to hoses, tubes, and injector needles. “What the hell went on down here?”

“Above your paygrade,” Simon said from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise. “And mine, apparently. Now let’s go.”

Tessa hoped desperately that Terri hadn’t been involved in whatever horrors had taken place here. If Terri wasn’t responsible, did that mean this world’s Clave was? Were these Shadowhunters really to be trusted? Worry and doubt began to gnaw at her, but one thing was certain—she wasn’t going to stray from Victoria and Dimitri again.

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

Tessa sat down next to Simon as he worked on the computers with Savannah in the room outside the hall leading to central Ops. They explained that the defenses set up at this point were all technological and had nothing to do with magic. Their task was to access the systems and bypass the protections that had been put in place when the Demons were released.

When Tessa rejoined Victoria and Dimitri in the far corner of the room, Victoria whispered, “Is it just me, or is it weird that we were told this place is crawling with Demons but we haven’t seen one yet? Not counting whatever the hell was in those containment units.”

Dimitri crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “It’s definitely not just you—this doesn’t make sense. There’s something else going on here besides the Demons.”

Victoria nodded in agreement and walked over to Riv, who was waiting with a couple of Shadowhunters and Trick by the door leading to the hallway to central Ops. “Riv,” she addressed him, tilting her head. “Can we talk for a second?”

“Sure,” he said, joining her on the other side of the room. “What is it?”

“That’s what I want to ask you,” Victoria replied, crossing her arms and clearly expecting answers. “Where are all the so-called Demons? And what are we really doing here besides looking up where the experimental portal is?”

Riv’s silence irritated her. Victoria’s face hardened, and she asked more firmly, “What is going on here, Riv?”

In hushed tones, Riv responded, “I don’t know where the Demons are. I am as surprised and concerned as you are that we haven’t come across any yet. As for what we’re doing here, we’re not just looking for the portal pane to send you home, but also trying to get a lock on Terri’s exact location. She has blocked herself from tracking, but the systems in central Ops can locate her another way.”

Their conversation was cut short when Simon and Savannah both exclaimed, “Yes!” and clasped their hands together. Simon announced, “We’re in.” At that moment, the door opened, revealing the brightly lit hallway leading to central Ops.

The two Shadowhunters by the door prepared to go in first. They made their way down the hallway and reached the door, only to find it locked as well. “Toss down the transmitter,” one of them called out. Savannah retrieved it from her pocket and threw it down the hall. The Shadowhunter caught it and placed it on the door. “Get back to hacking, it’s not a Ward here either.”

Savannah rejoined Simon at the computer to hack in and transmit the unlock code. Just as they succeeded and the door to central Ops opened, the lights in the hallway switched from bright white to red. An alarm blared, and both the door to central Ops and the door leading out of the hallway slammed shut.

“What the hell?” Savannah muttered, then saw the screen flashing ‘Weapons System Activated’. “No, no, no,” she and Simon frantically started typing to try and deactivate what had been triggered.

“What’s going on?” Riv demanded as he stood behind them.

“It was a dormant system,” Simon explained. “It must have been triggered when the door was remotely opened.”

Trick looked through the window and gasped as she saw lasers generating and moving down the hall. “Get them out of there!” she shrieked, attempting to conjure up some magic to help, but to no avail.

Riv quickly went over to Trick and turned her away just before the lasers sliced through the Shadowhunters in the hallway.

“Done!” Savannah exclaimed, but it was too late.

Tessa was starting to panic. “I don’t like it here. I really don’t like it here. Please tell me there’s not an Institute like this in our world.”

“If there is, I’m burning it to the ground,” Victoria said seriously as she hugged Tessa, prompting Dimitri to add, “I’ll bring the matches.”

Now that the weapon was deactivated, the doors opened again. Trick immediately pulled Riv away from the hall. “You are not risking going down there! They can find their portal pane a different way and we can find Terri a different way. No one is going down there! The worst thing we were supposed to come upon was Demons, not laser beams from hell!”

Before Riv could even try to comfort Trick, Simon stood up and declared, “I’ll go. I missed the system during the sweep; I’ll go to make sure it’s safe.” He gave Savannah a kiss goodbye, just in case he didn’t make it back. “I love you,” he whispered to her before heading down the hall, not giving anyone a chance to stop him.

Simon moved cautiously, stepping carefully to avoid his fallen comrades. The guilt gnawed at him, but he had to make up for his mistake—he had to stay on mission.

Victoria turned to Tessa and Dimitri. “I’m going with him.”

Tessa immediately protested. “No, you’re not!”

Dimitri grabbed Victoria’s arm to stop her. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I need to see firsthand what’s going on here.” Victoria squeezed his hand on her arm before removing it. “I’ll be alright. I’ve survived worse than this.” That wasn’t entirely true, but she was determined to get answers.

Victoria caught up with a visibly shaking Simon in the middle of the hall. He looked surprised but relieved that he wasn’t going down there alone, especially that it wasn’t Savannah who had followed him. He didn’t say a word to her and continued down the hall to central Ops.

As soon as they entered the room, the door closed and sealed shut behind them. The room was almost empty, containing only a glowing trap door in the center of the floor and a large computer system at the back wall.

Victoria looked around the sparse room and commented, “I expected central Ops to be bigger than this.”

“Only the highest personnel are allowed in here. Under normal circumstances anyway.” Simon quickly went to the computer at the back and started searching for the portal pane and Terri’s location. As he typed away, he said, “I’m going to have to do a hard reboot on every system when I’m done, so get ready to book it out of here.”

Victoria didn’t understand the logic behind that. “Why?” When Simon didn’t answer, she went around the desk and grabbed his wrist to keep him from typing. “Why?” she asked more firmly.

Simon looked up at her and finally answered, “Because if I don’t, then nothing will be reset—the defenses Savannah and I hacked into to gain access to this room could affect the defenses elsewhere, giving the Demons down here easier access to the surface. When I hit the reset button, we have about 45 seconds to get out of this room and down that hall before those laser beams from hell fire up again.”

“Why would the Clave put that kind of system in here?” Victoria still hadn’t let go of him.

“I don’t know what kind of Clave you have where you’re from, but let’s just say ours isn’t so kind. They will do anything to protect what they deem to be the greater good.” Simon pulled his wrist free and resumed typing. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to help you here, so let me do it.”

Victoria let out a huff and stepped away, going over to what looked like a glowing trap door in the center of the room. “Is that the Angelic power core down there?”

Simon didn’t need to look up to answer. “If I had to guess, yes.”

Well, that added more context to the insanely dangerous security system, but it didn’t change how much Victoria hated this place and wanted to get out.

“I’ve almost got it,” Simon said, then stopped as a purple hologram in the shape of Terri appeared in the center of the room. “What the hell…”

Victoria whipped around, eyes wide. “Terri?” she guessed, unsure of what was happening.

“Help her,” the hologram replied. “She needs you. You need to help her. I searched for so long and found you. You must help her.”

Victoria opened her mouth to say one thing but ended up saying something completely different. “Wait…hold on…did you somehow mess with the portal that sent us here?”

“Of course I did. I sent out my data across the dimensions looking for the one who could send someone here. You must help her. You must.” The hologram insisted. “This world will fall into oblivion if you do not.”

“I got it!” Simon declared. “System reboot commencing.”

“Do not reboot my systems. You will regret it. I will lose control,” the hologram warned.

“Piss off,” Simon replied, then hit the button, causing everything to shut down and turn pitch black. With his night vision Rune activated, he said, “We need to get out of here, now!”

They quickly opened the door and sprinted down the hall, making it through the other door just before the systems turned back on.

Victoria ran her hands through her hair, pointing back to central Ops. “There was a hologram of Terri in there. She…she’s the one who hacked into our portal or whatever to bring us here.”

Dimitri and Tessa rushed over to her. “What are you talking about?” Dimitri asked.

“She said she sent her data out to many dimensions looking for the one that could send someone here.” Victoria took a couple of breaths before continuing. “She was begging us to help Terri.”

“What else happened?” Dimitri asked, needing to know more.

“Nothing,” Victoria snapped, glaring at Simon. “This one over here told her to piss off before rebooting the systems. Her last words were that we’ll regret rebooting her systems because she will lose control.”

All eyes turned to Riv, who said honestly and regretfully, “I have no idea what’s going on.”

Simon sent the coordinates to all the tablets and pulled his armband tablet off to give it to Victoria. “The coordinates to the portal pane that matches the data signature that alerted us to your arrival are there. The second set is where Terri currently is.”

Riv opened up the coordinates and commented, “How is the portal pane not far from the Institute?” He scrolled to see the second set of coordinates. “Wait, this can’t be right. Terri is supposed to be here. Why do these coordinates show the DC Institute? How did she get out of here?”

“We can figure that out later,” Trick interjected. “Right now, let’s get out of here. We have everything we need, so let’s go.”

“Wait, that’s it? What about all the Demons that are supposedly down here? Aren’t we supposed to deal with them?” Tessa asked, looking around at everyone who seemed to be thinking the same thing. “What am I missing here?”

Riv voiced what everyone seemed to be thinking. “If Terri made it out, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Demons did too.”

Tessa quickly grasped what he was saying. “So that means the Demons are already wreaking havoc up top.”

Riv nodded. “And if there is more than one of her portal panes up there, we can expect a lot more than the ones that were brought here with the original one.” He looked around at the group. “Now if there are no more questions, we are leaving here. Now.”

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

The group quickly returned to the so-called dining hall, which was filled with containment units, because it was their only way out. Midway through, Trick abruptly stopped them all. "Stop! Everyone get ready, they're coming!" she warned, her voice urgent. Trick could sense the evil auras approaching, and there were many.

The group halted and prepared themselves. They could hear footsteps echoing towards them—dozens of deceased Shadowhunters with claws and pitch-black eyes were making their way around the units, closing in on them.

"They're possessed!" Trick informed them, conjuring up magic, ready to fight.

"Oh shit," Tessa muttered as she readied herself. "Is this what that hologram meant by losing control? The system could no longer control where they could go?"

There wasn't time for an answer. The possessed Shadowhunters were closing in fast. Savannah was the first to be attacked, suffering a claw swipe that left stinging pain. She gritted her teeth and continued fighting them off with the others.

"There are too many of them!" Simon shouted as he impaled another Possessed, causing it to disintegrate.

Dimitri spotted flammable tanks off to the side and yelled, "Take cover!" He quickly pulled out one of the explosive arrows and fired it at the tanks. The resulting explosion of Angelic energy was powerful enough to take out several of the Possessed, creating an opening for the group to try to escape this area. However, the blast also split them up.

Riv found himself with Simon and Savannah but couldn't see Trick. "Trick!" he called out, firing arrows from atop a crate. "Dammit, Trick, where are you?!"

"I'm up here!" Trick shouted from atop one of the units behind him. She was using her magic to fend off the Possessed, but it only seemed to knock them back rather than destroy them. "It's like they're immune to my magic!" she called out. "It's only knocking them back!"

Meanwhile, Simon reached the doorway and began inputting the code for the door on his tablet, since they no longer had to worry about the Wards after the reboot. After what felt like an eternity, he finally entered the code and called out, "Let's get out of here!" But as the doors opened, a horde of Possessed grabbed him and pulled him in with them.

"I love you, Savannah," Simon managed to say before he was overwhelmed. Those were his last words as the Possessed took his life.

The others pulled Savannah away, forcing the doors shut and getting as far from the horde as possible. Her screams echoed in their minds as they fled the horrific scene, the weight of their loss heavy on their hearts but they couldn’t stop to process it – they had to get out of there.

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

Elsewhere, Dimitri, Victoria, and Tessa navigated the rooms that were offshoots of the dining hall, their footsteps echoing as they stayed close to one another. They stumbled upon another exit that led into one of the many labs in the facility. The lab appeared empty, prompting Victoria to voice her thoughts, “In all my years, I have never seen possession like that. If the possessed are like this, then what the hell are the Demons going to be like?”

Dimitri, his face set with determination, replied, “I hope we don’t find out. We just need to get to the surface, find the portal doorway, and get the hell out of this world. And when we get back, we are destroying the one in our world,” leaving no room for doubt.

Tessa, fully onboard with Dimitri's plan, nodded and added, “You are getting no argument from me. And once we tell Wyatt what happened, he will definitely be on board, too.”

As they ventured further into the lab, Victoria pulled out the armband tablet that Simon had given her and began navigating through the maps of the sublevels. After a few moments, she managed to pull up a layout, studying it intently. “I’m guessing all the doors have been unlocked, which means the flooding should have receded enough for us to walk through. I’ll try to find the quickest way out of here,” she said, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Tessa’s voice broke through Victoria's concentration, her concern evident. “What about the others? Are we just going to leave them behind?”

“We’ll all meet back up top. They have the same map we do,” Victoria reassured her, though she couldn’t shake off the pang of guilt. Her priority was making sure Tessa got home safe.

As they ventured deeper into the lab, they came across kennel-like cages that had been broken open. The creatures that had once been confined were now roaming free. Tessa stopped in her tracks, a chill running down her spine. “Please tell me we’re not going to cross paths with Demon dogs.”

“Why would there be dogs in the Institute?” Victoria asked, puzzled.

Dimitri, considering everything they had encountered so far, responded, “Why would anything we’ve found be in the Institute?” He glanced over at Victoria, who was still studying the tablet. “Any luck with the way out?”

Victoria, still focused on the glitching map, replied, “According to this, if we keep going through this lab, it’ll lead to another hall that should be a straight shot back to where we came in.” She was about to take the lead but stopped abruptly when she heard a tapping sound approaching them—tapping that sounded like the claws of an animal.

The noise made all three of them turn, weapons at the ready. A pack of possessed dogs emerged from the shadows, their eyes pitch black, teeth and fangs sharper than any normal canine, fur gone, and flesh looking torn and decayed. The sight made Tessa whimper, “Remind me to listen to you the next time you say something is a bad idea.”

“I intend to,” Victoria replied just before the pack started running their way.

Dimitri fired off a few shots before switching over to his Blade to conserve ammo. Victoria and Tessa fought fiercely alongside him, slicing and stabbing away with their axes and Blades. The possessed dogs were vicious and relentless, putting up a fight throughout the entire lab area. Finally, Tessa impaled what seemed to be the last one.

With the threat neutralized, Victoria looked down at the map only to find it had completely glitched out. However, the screen holding the coordinates to the portal doorway was still intact. “Let’s find that freaking hallway,” she said. Turning around, she gasped when she saw a possessed Shadowhunter behind her. Before she could react, Tessa tackled it to the floor and began punching away with her Runed Adamas knuckles that Savannah had given her. Finally, with a harder blow, the Possessed disintegrated.

Tessa, breathing heavily, got to her feet. She let out a sharp breath and wiped the sweat from her brow, saying, “I needed that.”

Victoria stood there, mouth agape, as the scene reminded her of something familiar.

Dimitri, understanding Tessa's need for release—partly why she enjoyed making explosives—noticed Victoria’s expression and asked, “Are you alright?”

Brought back to the present by his words, Victoria replied, “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just…” She looked from Tessa to Dimitri and finished her thought, “she’s so much like me at that age it’s scary.”

Hearing that, both Tessa and Dimitri laughed. Should they be laughing at a time like that? No, probably not, but damn, they needed it.

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

Unfortunately, the hallway they discovered was crawling with far too many Possessed to handle, forcing them to backtrack all the way to central Ops. To their surprise, they weren't the only ones who had retreated; Savannah, Riv, and Trick were already there, clearly having faced the same predicament. Victoria and the others quickly noticed Simon was absent from this group but refrained from asking questions, sensing the gravity of the situation.

Victoria scanned the group, frustration evident in her voice as she spoke, “My map fried. Any idea how to get out of here safely?”

Trick, regretfully shaking her head, replied, “I can’t guarantee any safe passage. I can’t tell where the hordes of the Possessed are.”

Tessa glanced up at the corners of the room and spotted speakers and security cameras, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes. “If you pull up that Terri-gram, would she be able to guide us out of here?”

Savannah, wiping her tears and reactivating her healing Rune, which was struggling against the wounds inflicted by the possessed, expressed her skepticism. “Should we trust it? I mean, Terri was probably the one that created that system – why else would it look like her?”

Riv, crossing his arms and looking down before speaking, admitted, “My son created the system. He used Terri as a model for the hologram.”

Trick, hearing this revelation for the first time, looked incredulous. “Wyatt created the system? Wait… did he create everything?”

Dimitri, seizing the opportunity, asked, “Is Wyatt a Warlock here?”

Riv looked at Dimitri in surprise, “You have a Wyatt, too?” When Dimitri nodded, Riv confirmed, “Yes, Wyatt was a Warlock.”

Tessa didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean was?”

Trick, still mourning, answered, “Wyatt died during the outbreak a year ago.”

Riv, redirecting the conversation back to their immediate concern, said, “The point is, since Wyatt created the system, we can trust it.” He turned to Victoria, “You even said that the system told you that it sent out data to bring help here to help.” Riv now turned his attention to Savannah. “Are you able to get that system back online?”

Savannah scoffed, “What do you mean by back online? The system was rebooted, it wasn’t shut down. Which brings me back to questioning whether or not it can be trusted.”

Before anyone could respond, Terri-gram’s holographic form materialized in the center of the group, her presence commanding attention. “I can be trusted. I was watching, observing, trying to determine if you were fit to help save the world. From what I have seen, you all care more about certain companions than the fate of this dimension.”

Riv defended harshly, then took a breath to calm himself, “You can’t fault us for wanting to protect the people we love. Will you help us get out of here safely?”

Terri-gram paused, seemingly contemplating her next words, before speaking, “I will, but you must listen to my every word. Terri had left the Institute before the Demons entered. The Demons are here and have put their essence into your fallen Shadowhunters to revive them. They are trying to make their way out – if they do, it will be hell on Earth.” She gestured towards a hidden panel that opened to reveal a trigger remote of some kind. “Either Dimitri Riverblade, put a drop of your blood on this device. By giving it your blood, only either of you can activate it.”

Riv stepped forward and complied, while Dimitri asked, “Activate what?”

“The Angelic power core. Once you are safely outside the Institute’s walls, activate this to destroy the Institute and any creatures within it,” Terri-gram instructed, leaving no room for error.

Riv, scrutinizing the device, questioned, “Say we do that, then what? What’s to stop Terri from bringing more Demons here?”

Terri-gram’s expression shifted to one of perplexity, the first sign of emotion she had shown. “Terri did not bring the Demons here – Wyatt did. Terri has been trying to stop him this entire time. She took a page out of the Clave’s playbook and did whatever it took to do what she felt was right. Terri changed herself to become powerful enough to take on Wyatt. Everything that has happened here is Wyatt’s doing – he never died.”

Riv, feeling his world unravel, protested, “No. No, you are wrong! This is some twisted mind game.”

Terri-gram remained calm, “You don’t have to believe me. When you make it out of here, you will learn the truth. There is no time to waste; the longer you take, the more ground the Demons cover.” She looked towards the floor, and a panel opened to reveal a ladder. “That ladder will take you down into the utility tunnels. They run underneath the Institute’s lower levels. I will transmit a map to your functioning tablets. Good luck.” With that, she disappeared, having sent the maps.

Riv, dragging his hand down his face and exhaling deeply, addressed the group. When Trick looked like she was going to speak to him about what had just been revealed, he stopped her. “We’ll talk about it later. Once we’re out of here, we’ll talk.” He took Savannah’s tablet and opened the map. “Time to go.”

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

The group had been wandering through the utility tunnels for what felt like hours. Their surroundings were disorienting, every corridor looking identical to the last, adding to their sense of frustration and unease. Despite the map indicating they were on the right path, they couldn't shake the feeling they were stuck in an endless loop. Anxiety and doubt crept in, making them question whether the map was wrong or if they had misread it somehow.

Finally, they stopped to catch their breath, the air thick with tension and exhaustion. Suddenly, they were ambushed by a horde of the Possessed, emerging from the shadows like a nightmare come to life. Panic surged through the group as they fought valiantly, but the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. Desperation set in, and they scrambled to find higher ground, climbing up onto the pipes to get away.

Riv, his heart pounding with fear and determination, helped Tessa onto the pipes where Dimitri and Victoria were already positioned. He couldn't let anything happen to her. As he prepared to climb up himself, a possessed Shadowhunter lunged at him, its claws raking across his face and leaving deep, bloody gashes. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Riv stabbed the Shadowhunter with his Dagger, destroying it before hauling himself up to join the others.

Savannah pushed Trick up onto the pipes and was about to follow when she spotted Simon among the horde. “Simon!” she cried out, her voice a mix of shock and sorrow. Simon lunged at her, slicing through her leather jacket and her arm beneath it. Savannah cried out in pain and heartbreak, and with a heavy heart, she stabbed Simon with her Blade, ending his torment before climbing up to safety.

Once atop the pipes, those who needed it quickly activated their healing Runes, but to their dismay, the familiar warmth and mending sensation was weak, if not entirely absent. The Possessed below snarled and snapped, unable to climb up after them. The group moved cautiously, holding onto the cables as they walked above the horde, the tension palpable as they tried to maintain their balance.

At one point, Riv stopped Dimitri, pressing the trigger remote into his hands. “My Rune isn’t working. Just in case something goes wrong with me, take this and blow this place to bits. And one more thing – if something happens to me – protect Trick.”

Dimitri wanted to argue, but the look on Riv’s face left no room for negotiation. It was an expression Dimitri knew all too well – the same steely resolve he himself possessed. Without a word, Dimitri nodded his head giving a silent vow, accepted the remote, and secured it safely before continuing on.

When they reached the end of the pipes, Trick used her magic to blast out a grate, creating an opening to the tunnel beyond. Trick, Savannah, Tessa, and Victoria made it safely off the pipes and into the other tunnel, away from the horde, but Dimitri and Riv were still catching up. The sound of snapping cables echoed through the tunnel, causing Dimitri to shout, “Pick up the pace, Riv!”

Dimitri hurried, but the cables gave way, sending the pipes crashing down and Riv tumbling into the horde below. “Riv!” Dimitri yelled, grasping desperately at the remaining secure cables. “Come on!”

Riv looked up at him, his expression one of grim determination. “Keep your word, Dimitri! Take care of Trick!” With that, he let go of Dimitri’s hand, allowing himself to fall back into the horde.

“Riv!” Dimitri’s voice was choked with helplessness and rage as he watched Riv disappear into the mass of possessed Shadowhunters. Climbing up to the tunnel with the others, he heard Riv fighting valiantly, taking down as many of the Possessed as he could before they finally overwhelmed him.

Trick, from her spot at the tunnel’s entrance, saw it all. Her scream of anguish echoed through the tunnel. “Father!” she cried, trying to lunge forward, but Dimitri held her back. “He needs me!” she screamed, struggling against his embrace.

Dimitri wrapped his arms around Trick, holding her tightly. “He needs you safe, Trick. I swore I would protect you, and I am going to keep my promise.”

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

The group eventually came upon a vent that led back up to what appeared to be the lab area of the Institute’s lower levels. The air was thick with tension as they assessed Savannah's condition. Despite repeatedly activating her healing Rune, Savannah was deteriorating. She was sweating profusely, her skin clammy, and her movements sluggish and weak. Trick and Victoria had to support her, practically carrying her along. Trick's voice was laced with desperation as she reassured her friend, “We’ll get you to a Warlock healer, and you will be as good as new. I can’t lose another person.”

Savannah groaned weakly in response, her voice barely above a whisper, “Sure, Trick, whatever you say.”

Dimitri took the lead, bow at the ready, eyes scanning for threats as they moved cautiously down the hallways. “I should warn you, I only have a few normal arrows left – the rest are explosive. So be ready to take cover if it comes to that,” he said, his tone serious. He needed to ensure they were all prepared for the worst.

They hadn’t gone far before Savannah, her voice strained and shaky, said, “Something’s wrong – I – I can’t keep going. They infected me with Demon venom or something.”

Trick refused to accept this. She propped Savannah against the wall, holding her firmly by the shoulders and locking eyes with her. She could see Savannah’s aura changing but she couldn’t accept it – they had to fix it. Trick's voice was filled with fierce determination and a hint of panic, “Once we get you to a healer, you will be fine, Savannah. Now woman up and fight what is happening to you! You are stronger than this!”

Tears welled up in Savannah’s eyes as she replied, her voice breaking, “My strength died the second Simon did. Just leave me here and go. I am slowing you down.”

Victoria's heart ached hearing Savannah’s words. She too had felt the crushing weight of despair, the urge to give up. But now, they had to keep pushing forward. She had to try something, anything. With determined hands, Victoria pushed up Savannah’s sleeve and drew a Rune with the Stele of this world, not knowing if it would work but hoping that it would.

“What is that?” Trick asked, not recognizing the Rune.

“Revitalization,” Victoria answered with a sniffle, remembering Nathaniel and how he had created it for her. “That is what my Parabatai called it – but what it really does is increase the will to live.” She put the final touch on the Rune, and it glowed before imprinting itself on Savannah’s skin.

As soon as the Rune took hold, Savannah looked up, locking eyes with Trick. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Trick gave Victoria a grateful look, her eyes filled with tears, as they went back to helping Savannah walk and move forward.

Rounding a corner, they were confronted by the sight of a grotesque creature in one of the labs. It walked on all fours, with huge claws, and resembled a hairless saber-toothed tiger. Dimitri quickly shut the door to the lab, but he knew the glass and door wouldn’t hold for long. “I think we just saw a Demon from this dimension,” Dimitri commented, his voice tense. He then turned to Victoria, “You and Trick take the lead; I’ve got Savannah.”

Dimitri scooped Savannah up into his arms, cradling her protectively as they moved swiftly towards the platform that now seemed tantalizingly close. The weight of their situation pressed heavily on them all, but they clung to the hope that they could escape and survive this nightmare together.

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

The group quickly descended the stairs that led to the train platform, their breaths heavy with exhaustion and fear. Every step felt like an eternity, but they knew they had no time to waste. All they had to do now was get on the train, power it up, and get the hell out of dodge. Dimitri, with Savannah cradled in his arms, carefully boarded the train first, then turned back to help the others clamber aboard.

Trick wasted no time getting the train started, her hands flying over the controls with practiced ease. She called back through the open door to the rest of the group in the train car behind her, “You might want to hold onto something! We’re going full power!” With that, she pushed the final button, and the train lurched forward, speeding off so quickly it jolted everyone aboard, nearly knocking them off their feet.

Savannah leaned back against the wall of the train car, her face pale and drawn. She closed her eyes, then opened them to look at Victoria, her voice a faint whisper, “I want to live, but if living means becoming possessed or something else demonic then...” She trailed off, her eyes pleading for understanding.

Victoria reached out and squeezed Savannah’s shoulder firmly. “I know,” she said softly, her voice filled with empathy. “You have my word that I will do what needs to be done. But don’t think about that now. Once we’re up top, Trick will take you to a healer. It sounds like they’ll know what they’re doing.”

Savannah managed a weak nod before asking, “What about you? Are you leaving or staying? We could really use your help here.” She glanced at Dimitri, adding, “I don’t know how this world will make it without a Dimitri Riverblade.”

Before anyone could respond to Savannah’s words, the train car shuddered violently as large claws slashed through the side from the outside, the metal screeching with each strike.

“Get us out of here, Trick!” Tessa yelled, struggling to stay upright as the train rocked and swayed. Even with a Rune assist, it was nearly impossible to keep her balance.

“If we go any faster, we’ll go off the rails!” Trick shouted back, her voice tense with frustration. She periodically threw out bursts of magic, trying to ward the train car, but the four-legged Demon outside was clawing through the wards as if they were nothing. “Dammit!”

“Why isn’t your magic working?!” Tessa called out, panic evident in her voice.

“Warlock magic doesn’t work on Demons,” Trick finally realized. “We share the same blood. You’re on your own!”

At that moment, the four-legged Demon burst through the door, its snarls filling the train car. Dimitri immediately fired his remaining normal arrows, while Tessa hurled all of her throwing stars at the creature.

Victoria could see Dimitri's hesitation to use the explosive arrows, knowing the close quarters and the speed of the train could make things even more dangerous. “Do it!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Dimitri nodded, quickly drawing and firing one explosive arrow, then another. The arrows struck the Demon in the head, and seconds later, its head exploded in a burst of Angelic energy, the force of the blast sending everyone on the train reeling.

Trick nearly lost her balance, the train wobbling dangerously as it seemed like it might derail. “You guys alright back there?!” she called out, unable to look back as she focused on keeping the train on track.

Tessa, Victoria, and Dimitri slowly got their bearings, their hearts pounding in their chests. Tessa called back, “Yeah, we’re good.” But her relief was short-lived as Savannah began to snarl, her eyes pitch black, and claws emerging from her fingers. “Oh shit,” Tessa scrambled to react, but before she could, a throwing axe embedded itself in Savannah’s chest, causing her to disintegrate. Tessa looked back to see Victoria, breathing heavily. “Nice shot,” she said, a mix of shock and gratitude in her voice.

“I keep my promises,” Victoria replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil. She retrieved her throwing axe and returned it to the loop on her belt. Helping Tessa to her feet, she then went over to Dimitri. “You good? Did you get scratched or anything?”

Dimitri shook his head. “I’m fine. You?”

Victoria nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Tessa, trying to lighten the mood, clasped her hands together and teased, “Aww! Mommy is falling for Daddy!” This earned her a simultaneous “Stop talking,” from both Dimitri and Victoria, though it only fueled her playful suspicion. “Hey, just saying, I totally ship it.”

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

Once the train reached the upper platform, Trick, Victoria, Tessa, and Dimitri disembarked, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The air was thick with the weight of their mission. They sprinted up the stairs, pushing their bodies to the limit, and finally emerged outside. The sky above seemed vast and foreboding, but they felt a momentary relief as they put distance between themselves and the Institute.

Dimitri, clutching the trigger remote, looked back at the group. “We’re a safe distance now,” he said. With a heavy heart, he hit the switch. The group watched in a mix of awe and horror as the Angelic core activated, the explosion erupting from the depths below, and the Institute was consumed in a blazing inferno. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the sky lit up with a brilliant, otherworldly glow. Any chance of more Demons emerging from there was obliterated in an instant.

“Come on,” Dimitri urged, his voice cutting through the aftermath, “Let’s get to the portal.”

They wasted no time navigating through the dense forest. The coordinates led them to an open field, where the portal doorway stood ominously. As they neared it, their breath caught in their throats. Demons were soaring through the sky above them, casting long, menacing shadows on the ground.

“We’re too late,” Trick’s voice cracked with frustration and despair. “After everything that happened, and it’s too late?!”

“It’s not too late for you,” Victoria interjected, trying to offer a glimmer of hope. “You can come back to our world with us. Once we turn this portal on, you can come with us.”

Trick’s eyes burned with determination. “No. I am staying here. I am going to finish what my father started. I am going to find Terri. And if she is innocent in all of this, then I am going to save her.”

Dimitri’s mind wrestled with a heavy decision. After a moment, he finally spoke, “I’m staying, too.”

Tessa’s eyes welled up with tears. “What? No! You can’t do that. You can’t abandon me and Wyatt and Victoria! You can’t stay here – this isn’t your world!”

Dimitri pulled Tessa into a tight embrace, his voice soft yet resolute. “I know, Tessa. I know it’s not, but I made a vow to protect the world against Demons. It doesn’t matter what world I’m in, I intend to keep that vow. How can I leave here knowing that it will be left to oblivion?” He gently pulled back, looking into her tear-filled eyes. “You go back with Victoria. I give you my word that when the time is right, I will make it back to you.”

Tessa shook her head, her voice choked with emotion. “No… No!”

Dimitri hugged her again, his own tears threatening to spill. “Keep Wyatt in line for me until I make it back to you. I love you.” He kissed her forehead, then pulled back. “Don’t argue with me, Tessa. Now go!”

“Goodbye… I love you,” Tessa whispered, her voice trembling. She turned and hurried to the portal doorway, her steps unsteady. She couldn’t look back; if she did, she knew she wouldn’t be able to leave.

Victoria stood in stunned disbelief, her mind refusing to accept what was happening. She pointed a firm finger at Dimitri, her voice shaking. “If you seriously think I’m going to let you stay here then…” She was abruptly cut off as Dimitri wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

The kiss sent a shock through Victoria’s entire being. She never thought she would feel this way towards anyone again after losing Barnabas, especially not so soon after meeting Dimitri. When Dimitri finally pulled away, she was left breathless and confused, yet strangely resolute.

Dimitri gently brushed a strand of hair from Victoria’s face. “Take care of our girl.”

“We’ve got incoming, Dimitri!” Trick shouted from further down the field, her voice urgent. A flying Demon landed and started advancing towards them.

Without hesitation, Dimitri readied his Blade and sprinted over to join Trick in the fight against the Demon.

“Dimitri!” Victoria screamed after him, her voice breaking. She knew he wouldn’t look back, but she had to try. Her heart ached with the weight of their parting. It was tearing her apart, but she forced herself to run to Tessa, who had activated the portal. Together, they stepped through, hand in hand, leaving behind the world that had changed them forever.

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

Tessa and Victoria stumbled out of the portal into the lab of the Institute in their dimension, the weight of their ordeal still heavy on their shoulders. As soon as they were clear, the portal snapped shut behind them with a resounding finality before the doorway combusted in a burst of energy, the remnants of their journey sealed off for good…or so it seemed.

Wyatt came running into the room, his face a mix of relief and shock. He gasped when he saw them standing there. “You’re back! And you look like hell!” he cried out, rushing over to envelop Tessa in a tight, almost desperate hug. “We couldn’t track you. I was freaking out so badly. Do you have any idea how long you’ve been gone?”

Tessa, still reeling from the transition, hazarded a guess. “Twelve hours, give or take?” She truly didn’t know for sure but was certain it hadn’t been more than a day.

Wyatt pulled back from their embrace abruptly, his eyes wide with incredulity. “Are you kidding me? You’ve been gone for months!”

“Months?!” Tessa and Victoria exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing their shared shock and disbelief.

“Yeah!” Wyatt confirmed, then turned to Victoria with a sense of urgency. “You better get back to New York ASAP – an urgent message was left for you here.” As he spoke, he looked behind Victoria and Tessa, his expression turning to one of confusion when he didn’t see Dimitri. “Where’s my dad?”

The question hit Victoria and Tessa like a punch to the gut, their eyes welling up with tears they had been holding back. Wyatt’s concern grew, and he repeated, “Where is my dad?”

Victoria reached out, her hand trembling as she took Wyatt’s. “Let’s find a place to sit down and talk, Wyatt. We’ll tell you everything…” Her voice was soft, filled with the gravity of the news she had to deliver.

As they moved to a quieter area to talk, Victoria’s thoughts raced. She knew she had to head back to New York – the urgency in Wyatt’s message made that clear. But first, they needed to break the news to Wyatt gently, and give Tessa the choice of whether she wanted to accompany her or stay behind.

The lab was a chaotic blur as they walked through it, and Victoria’s mind was equally tumultuous. She couldn’t fathom how so much time had passed in this dimension while they were away. She glanced at Tessa, who was trying to stay composed despite the tears streaming down her face, and knew this was going to be one of the hardest conversations of their lives…

The weight of their conversation with Wyatt hung heavily in the air, the reality of their situation settling in. Victoria knew she had to be strong for both Wyatt and Tessa, even as her own heart ached with the loss and uncertainty that lay ahead. With a determined resolve, she  knew she had to prepare to face whatever challenges awaited her back in New York, knowing that they had to hold onto hope and the promise of Dimitri’s return…

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

End of The Opposite and The Mirror’s Spin-Off

[icyhottodo]

DAY AND NIGHT ˚₊✩‧₊

summary: you have always been in love with your best friend, but you weren’t sure if he liked you back due to his behavior of flirting with many people, including you. but you finally get your answer when isagi takes you out.

contains: f2l-ish, it's implied to but yeah LOL, gn reader, 1.6k words, pinning from both sides, isagi calls you love, pretty, and babe.

nini’s notes: i quite literally hate this but the idea was cute in my head ok? (๑•́o•̀๑) i wanted this song to feel like day & night by jung seunghwan! you guys should give it a listen. lastly, thank you to ri (@riabriyn) for proofreading &lt;3

people often call teenagers and young adults in the prime of their lives. the reason why? because they are old enough to gain more freedom from their family, they can escape situations more easily.

summer break so far has been quite boring; the weather was too hot for you to go anywhere fun. you were lying carelessly on the floor of your living room, just staring at the ceiling. until isagi bursts into your home, happily walking in. your home is a second home to isagi, so knocking is unnecessary for him.

"y/n! get ready; we’re going somewhere!"  isagi excitedly jumped onto you after he found you. you made an ‘oomph’ noise due to isagi’s sudden weight.

"where are we going?

"that, my love, is a secret." he climbs on top of you and puts his index finger on top of your lips, showing how much isagi wanted to keep it a surprise.

isagi tends to be touchy with you and quite often calls you pet names. this usually causes misunderstandings between your friends because they think that both of you are dating, but isagi would always clarify, saying the relationship was purely platonic. nonetheless, whenever he is close to you or gives you cute nicknames, it always makes your stomach churn, not knowing if that feeling is good or not.

you turn your head to the side to avoid looking at his charming smirk, but you can't help but hide a smile forming on your face. "alright, isagi."

isagi gets off you and sits right next to you, saying, "go get ready and make sure you dress warmly; we’ll stay there at night."

the next thing you know, you’re in isagi’s car, driving through the streets, recognizing the roads until you no longer know where you are. with the soothing music on the radio and isagi’s humming, you start to feel tired. your eyelids slowly close with time until you lose consciousness.

"hey there, sleepyhead." you can feel a hand run through your head, massaging your scalp. the action was so soothing, it almost made you fall asleep once again.

"woah there, don’t go sleeping on me again, love. come on; we’re here." isagi stops massaging your head, making you whine. nonetheless effectively waking you up. sleepily, you look around your surroundings. you quickly concluded that isagi had brought you to a small local fair located in a park. so everything around you was surrounded by grass, children, vendors, and many people.

"come on! i’ll buy you as many snacks as you want. but not those carnival games; they’re a scam." isagi warmly smiles at you, quickly adding to that last sentence about fair booths. isagi holds out his hand to pull out of his car while saying that. damn. there goes your heart again. you hope isagi isn’t able to hear your heart pounding this fast. you take isagi’s hand, not wanting to leave him hanging for too long.

most of the rides were kid-friendly, so you weren’t exactly out of energy. after deciding you two were done with rides, you two went for the carnival games, and you scanned through the prizes for each carnival booth, which mainly consisted of plushies until an award caught your eye. the reward was a plushie of one of your favorite animals, and it was huge.

coincidentally, you and isagi approached the very same booth with the plushie that had caught your eye. isagi looked at the carnival game, and to his surprise, the game was a kick-and-score booth. the way to win is basically in the name; in front of the player is a cardboard wall with a soccer net painted. finally, a circular hole was carved out right in the middle of the soccer goal. all isagi needed to do was kick the soccer ball into that hole.

"one soccer ball, please," isagi said while pulling out the required tokens to play. this made you turn to isagi in confusion. you thought earlier that isagi had said these carnival games were rigged. now he is suddenly playing them? perhaps isagi is playing this game because the game is related to soccer, as you assumed.

and you weren't surprised when isagi’s soccer ball fits right through the carved-out hole, assuming that's why he won through the vigorous training he went through in blue lock. "wow, it's not easy to make that goal, kid." the booth keeper stated in awe. "which prize do you want? you can get anything." the booth keeper showed isagi all of the prizes he could choose from, but without a thought, isagi pointed at the very same plushie you were staring at minutes ago. your face quickly morphs into shock when isagi excitedly turns to you, handing over the plushie he worked so hard to gain.

"here, it's for you," isagi hesitantly said with an evident blush on his face. flustered by his actions, you still gratefully took the stuffed animal with a wide smile.

"thank you, isagi." you held the present up to your chest and held it tightly. you never mentioned anything about the plushie to isagi. but when you two approached the booth, isagi noticed that you were just staring at the prize you wanted. in his mind, he instantly knew he wanted to win that prize to make you happy. he’ll do anything to see you smile. "you two are such a cute couple. reminds me of me and my wife."

immediately, you and isagi turned to each other in confusion before turning back to the carnival booth keeper. right when you were about to deny the allegations of you two being a couple, isagi beat you to it.

"thank you." you blankly stared at isagi, taking a few seconds to comprehend what he just said. but before you could realize what he had said, isagi pulled you away and started to walk away before you could deny anything to the carny.

you didn’t know whether to say anything or not. opting to choose the first option, feigning ignorance about whatever happened earlier. isagi didn’t even approach any other carnival game after the first game.

you two continued to walk around the fair, eating some cotton candy or freshly made popcorn, until the sun started to set. isagi confidently interlocks his hand with yours, and he starts leading you away from the rides and off to the grassier areas. you can see people setting up blankets or even tents on the grass throughout the park. once you two found a clear spot, isagi let go of your hand and said, "hold on, i’ll be right back soon."

you stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. you waited for a few minutes until isagi ran back to you, holding two thick blankets between his arm and chest; the other was a picnic box. "here... i got these... for you." isagi puffs out from what you can safely assume was because of the running.

you helped isagi lay the blanket on the grass, and the two of you sat on it. isagi places the woven basket right in between the basket and opens it to grab something inside. you soon find out what isagi was looking for when isagi pulls out two white cloths along with two candles.

"we’re making lanterns!" isagi showed the white cloths excitedly. "it's a lantern festival." isagi continued, his hand gesturing to the people around you guys. when you looked you noticed each blanket had at least one shining light on them. you look up at the sky, and you can see the stars shining. you were brought back to reality when isagi jokingly accused you and asked, "babe, are you not going to help me build your lantern?"

you rolled your eyes, feigning annoyance, before scooting over closer to where isagi sat. in the midst of setting them up, isagi says, "we’re supposed to let these lanterns float at..." isagi checks the time on his watch: "eleven p.m., so in five minutes or so."

the time seemed to pass by quickly since you started to see people stand up and let their lanterns start to fly. you two start to get ready to release the lanterns. you hold the bottom of the lantern’s cloth and gently lift the light into the air with the countdown with isagi’s.

"wow." you exclaimed in awe, "the lanterns look so pretty." once the two your eyes sparkled from all the light from the lanterns and the stars.

isagi wished he had taken a photo of you; instead of looking at the lanterns, he was admiring you. his eyes stay on you and nothing else. "yeah, they look extremely pretty."

you noticed that isagi’s tone sounded a bit dreamy, which made you turn to him. who was already looking at you. your eyes widen slightly from seeing isagi turn pink from being caught by you; you were lucky to catch a glimpse of a flustered isagi because of all the lanterns. you laughed nervously. did isagi mean that you’re pretty? "isagi, you’re not even looking at the sky. how can you claim that the sky is pretty?"

"i mean, you are pretty."

[whumble-beeee]

Hermanitos

The (Un)Official Guide to Hero-Keeping | Cont'd from Part 16

Content: mentioned drugging, mentioned torture, mentioned murder, begging, guns, lady whump kinda?

* * * * * * * *

Excerpt from: The (Un)Official Guide to Hero-Keeping; a self-help guide for villains and bounty-hunters

[‘But what about the police?!’ you may ask in your extreme naïveté. Don’t you even worry your silly little head about those ineffective dweebs! The police may be a problem for small-time criminals and villains who fail to think past tomorrow, but luckily you have the advantage of this book on your side! Simply make sure to set aside part of your budget to pay off the police, and they’ll gladly unsee any shady dealings they may have previously seen. They’re very good at it.

What do you do if you don’t have such funds? Worry not! While this does often muddy the waters and it is advised to simply pay off prospective arrestors if possible, it is not the only way! Overall, it’s very simple and easy to have the police on your side, and an invaluable resource when you find yourself in a tough spot; You may kidnap a loved one or otherwise blackmail a person in a position of power, seduce them, or any of the other very effective tactics! (Refer to Chapter XX: Blackmailing and Manipulation for more information!)]

* * * * * * * *

For this chapter, dialogue translated from Spanish to English will be bracketed and italicized [like this] for ease of understanding.

Also, I made Officer Kalis Brooks and Officer Frida Galleta girlfriends now, instead of Kalis having a one-sided crush like I hinted in the previous chapter :D I might go back and change the previous chapter to reflect that. Eventually. Probably.

* * * * * * * *

“DECLAN CANSANO, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”

The bounty hunter groaned next to Kalis, cowboy hat flown off somewhere into the aether. “Aughhh, fuck me… Fri–Frida?... What're you–...?”

Shouting, spotlight, police sirens, sounds and colors and oppressive darkness all melding into one. 

Was Kalis dead? 

That car must have hit her. Yes. Because otherwise that meant that the bounty hunter had saved her WHILE trying to kill her.

And that didn't make any damn sense.

She couldn’t keep track of what was going on around her anymore, the world spinning much too fast for her to comprehend, blackness crushing her in on all sides, threatening to swallow her whole as it crashed over her in tumultuous waves. 

She laid her head down on the pavement with a small groan.

She'd just… sleep for a moment. 

Frida was here. 

Everything would be okay now…

Officer Galleta slid over the hood of the car with practiced ease, shouting and swearing like a sailor as she landed on top of the bounty hunter, literally straddling his legs while still pointing her gun at his head. He dazedly tried to shove back from her.

“I cannot believe you!” she bellowed. “Out of all the selfish, horrible, ungrateful things you've done, that has got to be one of the worst! Killing my girlfriend?! You absolutely dense motherfucker, you bitch, you–”

“Is… is that… Frida?...”

“Si Cabrón, obviously! Who else would it be?!”

“Frita-hermanitaaa~” he giggled in a daze. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“Don’t you ‘Frita-hermanita’ me, you fuck! Take that stupid fucking bandana off, you look like you’re wearing a Halloween costume!” Her voice shook with barely kept-rage, teeth bared and eyes fiery red as she plopped down on the stomach of the bounty hunter and ripped the bandana off his face with venomous fervor. He let out an ‘oomph’ as her knee dug into the soft flesh of his stomach, along with a whiny ‘go away, leave me alone.’ Although the hunter didn’t seem particularly disturbed by it. More… pissy.

“Stop wavin’ that thing around, you’re gonna shoot someone,” the mercenary groaned. He made a half-assed attempt to grab at the gun just as the muzzle shoved into the vulnerable underside of his chin, another hand pinning him to the ground by the lapel of his shirt. He grew still.

“I should be so lucky,” Officer Galleta growled.

God, she’s so hot, Kalis oggled. Pretty pretty.

“I should shoot you right now for what you almost did,” she hissed.

“Oh calm down, you and I both know I wasn’t gonna actually kill her, ya baby. Your fuckass car definitely would have though. I saved her ass. You’re welcome.”

“Right! And now I get the honorable privilege of shoving my gun down your throat instead of watching you slit hers. So yes, thank you Declan, for your extreme altruism.”

“That’s how I roll. I’m sure your girlfriend is grateful too! You should take her out to a lovely candle-lit dinner while I finish my job and take a 20-hour nap. Now let me up.”

Officer Galleta let out a sharp laugh into the chilly night air, bouncing off the trees around them, crystal clear and all-encompassing. “You want me to just let you go? After all that?!”

He opened his mouth, only to stop short, eyes flashing briefly over to Officer Brooks’ half-conscious form. He propped himself up, wholly disregarding the gun shoving into his trachea as he leaned in closer to Frida’s rage-etched features, voice dropping to a gravelly fast mumble.

He whispered, “[Frida, what’re you even doing here? You know what will happen if my boss finds out we talked to each other.]”

“Oh that's rich–”

“[No, Frida!]” he urged. “[Look, I know you’re angry and I’m sorry I made you come all the way out here, but you know what Lana’ll do if she finds out! You’ve seen what will happen, you’ve felt–]” he reached up and gently grasped her shoulder, where Frida immediately slapped his hand away and gripped at the site defensively. “[–what will happen! And look I’m sorry for scaring you and your girlfriend, but whatever you decide to do tonight, I’m leaving with my hostage, because I’d rather not see anyone maimed again, or KILLED, by some cutesy pastel psychopath–]”

Frida shoved her gun further into his neck. “[Shut UP, Declan, I know! I’m gonna let you go, I was just… ]” She took a deep breath, barely restraining her anger. Then she didn’t. She slammed her fist down on his chest, hard. 

“[GOD, FUCK YOU and your terrible life choices!]” 

Declan barely flinched. His hand fell to the melted and twisting flesh that shined off his cheek, his jaw, his neck, his arm in the spotlighting headlights of the police cruiser. Eyes vacant. He sighed, letting himself look past the Frida and stare dead-eyed upward at the cloudless sky. 

The stars look so pretty tonight.

So far removed from the torment of humanity…

“... Can’t say I disagree.”

Frida’s gaze softened slightly. 

He shoulders untensed

She sighed. 

“[Deccy, we… you can’t keep doing this.]”

His gaze flicked downward. He sighed. “[Can you get off of me?]”

“[What would it take? How do I get that woman off your ass?”]

[“Frida, there is no ‘getting her off my ass.’ She knows everything about me, she knows all my secrets, she knows who you are, she knows who I am, what I am... She’ll tell everyone.”]

An unbearable pause.

[“Would that really be so bad?”] Frida finally pleaded. She had no other solution. Declan shot her a look.

Yeah…

“[I’d have to shoot her dead to get rid of her,”] Declan resigned. [“And her bitchy little boyfriend, and whatever fail-safes they have in place. You know that the police won’t help me–]”

“[But I can help you!]

“[–and YOU’RE certainly not allowed to help, because before you say anything, I’m not letting you risk your life for me like that. Period.”] 

Frida went to argue with him, but she just barely caught that stupid little sparkle returning to his stupid red eyes. God dammit. “[Your girlfriend, on the other hand… I mean if you were willing to hit her with your car, maybe she–]”

And Officer Galleta’s spirited anger returned tenfold, voice soaring high above the trees. “You really don't know when to quit, do you?!”

He laughed. “Nahhhh.”

“I’m just trying to help you!”

“Don’t need it, thanks. Let me up.”

“What if I shot you right here and now?”

“Fuckin’ do it! Finish the job your girlfriend couldn’t! Shoot me. Be her knight in shining armor, you won’t!”

Officer Brooks’ eyes shot open. What was all the shouting about?

“All this talk about saving our lives, and you don't even want to save yourself!!”

“Wait, wait, so… huh?” Kalis tried to interject. God, her body hurt so much. Were they… Were they whispering at each other just now?  “What is happening, I don’t– Why were you speaking Spanish?” Kalis groaned, forcing her head to leave behind the cotton balls and clouds. “What did you say?”

“Look, either shoot me or let me up, Frida,” the man deadpanned. “Kill me. I know you want to.”

Frida growled, every muscle in her body tensed, on fire, shaking as she shoved the muzzle of the gun even further into his chin, forcing his head back to grind further into the asphalt. She kept it there for a long while. 

So long. Too long. Holy shit was she actually gonna–

Officer Galleta suddenly yelled out, an enraged howl, and bounded off the bounty hunter, kicking a couple of rocks into the ditch sidelining the road. “Augh, this is just like you! Every single time I try to talk to you, you deflect and refuse to talk even though you’re– AUGH!! I just want to help you Declan! And you pull me into your illegal, unethical bullshit–...” She charged back over to him, holding out her hand for him to grab. “Get up. Now.”

He grabbed her hand back and popped right up to standing, dusting himself off as Officer Brooks stared at them, mouth literally agape. She hadn’t– She just– 

“You look like shit, by the way,” Officer Galleta commented. 

“I feel like shit," Declan chuckled. "Haven’t slept in like three days–” 

“And you’re fuckin’ high, too.” 

“Ehhhhhh, you caught me.” 

“Frida?... What’s going on?” Kalis tried to interject again. Her voice felt so small. She could barely hold back her tears, her chest felt like it was splitting open. 

Frida was a dirty cop…?

“Can you at least pretend to care about your own life as much as I do?” Officer Galleta snarked.

He scoffed. “Yeah, care so much that you’d pull a gun on me and threaten to kill me?”

Her mouth fell open, speechless for a moment. 

”I– I–... You–”

“Wouldn’t have actually died? Just like your girlfriend wouldn’t have?”

“No! I-I wasn’t actually gonna shoot you!”

“Right,” the mercenary deadpanned. “You were just gonna hit us both with your car so I couldn’t even save her.”

“Well it worked, didn’t it?!” Galleta cried. “You saved her from getting hit! And no one had to die at all! This isn't just about your life, asshole! It’s about mine, it’s about my girlfriend’s, our family’s, the people that you kidnap and torture!”

“Oh fuck off, Frida. Having to deal with you is worse than having to torture people, truly.”

“Stop doing it and you won't have to deal with either!”

“Or,” Declan spat. “YOU could leave me alone. Like I keep asking you to!”

Frida’s jaw might as well have been on the floor. “I'm not leaving you alone just because you can't get away from some psycho bitch you fell for ten years ago!”

The bounty hunter’s eyes went wide. “Oh! Sorry for thinking I could actually love someone countless years ago! So sorry for my naivete! Maybe you should inform your secret girlfriend of the Cansano family curse before she gets tortured and murdered too!” 

“Oh no, you’re the one who let her get into your pants BEFORE you knew she was fucking insane and then find out about your stupid little secret–” 

“No, I’m the one trying to make sure you don’t get turned into a lab rat or brutally tortured and murdered because you don’t understand how fucking insane she can be–” 

“–and saw an opportunity to exploit your ‘oh I can’t actually KILL people, I’ll murder them with my stupid little cowboy gun–” 

“– even though you were literally there when she threw acid on us and I protected you–” 

“–then make them feel better’ BULLSHIT WHEN WE BOTH KNOW IT COULD BE USED FOR SO MUCH GOOD BUT INSTEAD–” 

“–because that’s what family DOES INSTEAD OF BECOMING A FUCKING TRAITOR–” 

“–YOU BENT TO HER WILL UNTIL I LITERALLY HAD TO CHANGE MY NAME–”

“–WHO SELLS OUT YOUR HER FAMILY JUST TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT–”

“SHUT UP!!” Kalis screeched out, hands pressing into her ears to block out the dizzying noise. Both their attentions turned to her at once, their childish shouting match thankfully screeched to a grinding halt. A dirty cop and a bounty hunter, staring at her. Enemies. Villains.

“Frida!” Kalis cried. “I-I– I don't– what's going on with you?”

Frida’s face melted into a mask of terror as she took in Kalis’s prone form, still sprawled out where the bounty hunter had dove them both out of the way of her oncoming car. “Kalis! Oh my god, I’m so sorry, are you okay?”

Kalis skittered away from the cop. “What is happening?! Why– Why are you talking to him like that?! Why were you yelling?”

“I–” Galleta’s breath petered out. “Kalis, I know this looks bad–”

“You’re a dirty cop!”

“I’m not a dirty–”

The bounty hunter scoffed under his breath: “You kind of are though–” 

“Shut up!” The two cops yelled at him in unison. He flipped up his hands in surrender and turned to walk away.

“Hey, no, get back here!” Kalis yelled.

The hunter stopped in his tracks and sighed. “Can we please get on with this, I have places to–”

“No! You’re going to prison!” She turned to Officer Galleta. “Look, Frida, I don’t know what’s going on with you and him, but– but– He kidnapped and tortured a boy, Frida! You can’t tell me you’re on his side! I don’t care if he’s like, I don’t know, a love affair, or he’s blackmailing you, or whatever you’ve got going on, but you can’t just sit idly by–”

A barking laugh echoed up and down the highway, a sound that rang off the asphalt and successfully started fringing on Kalis’ absolute last nerve. “Love affair!” the mercenary snorted. “Fuckin’ love affair, holy shit, a love affair! She thinks I’m your boyfriend, Frida! God, no, that would be the day! Shit man, fuck that, fuck that…”

Kalis narrowed her eyes on the cackling man. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

He shook his head. “She’s not my girlfriend, chica. She’s my sister.”

Another pause.

Oh.

Oh. 

Wait, no. 

What?

“I–...” she looked over to Officer Galleta. Frida. Her love. “Huh?” 

Frida took that small step toward Kalis. “I can explain. But I’d never hurt you, and I’m not on his side. I’m on yours. I promise.”

“I don’t–” She wanted so desperately to believe her. So, so bad. “Are you a part of a crime family?...”

“No, I’m–”

“Technically you are–”

“Declan!” Frida snapped. “I swear to god, shut the fuck up.” 

He rolled his eyes and turned his attention elsewhere, while his sister purposefully looked toward her baffled partner. “Look, please understand, I’m not letting him go because he’s my brother, there’s so much–”

Kalis’ eyes widened. “Who said anything about letting him go?”

The color drained from Frida’s face. 

“I– I mean… I’m not–...”  She took a deep, shaking breath, then started talking at about a million miles a second. 

“Look, just listen for a second, you have to understand, lives are at stake here, my life, your life, Declan’s, so many others, I need you to understand I’m trying to make sure no one gets hurt–”

Officer Galleta’s voice faded into the back of Kalis’ mind, static filling her head like thousands of angry bees, only directed by the thunderous pounding of her own heart. It was a strange case indeed, the case of the Traitorous Girlfriend and the Bounty Hunter. The facts and the lies were strewn up across the wall as one, connected haphazardly with spools of knotted red string. Too much, too fast, Kalis couldn’t handle it all, help help–

Stick to the facts, detective:

Frida had a secret villain brother. She was in a crime family? She was a dirty cop. She was a liar. She was just trying to help. Apparently. But what are the promises of a liar if not absolutely meaningless, that of a scoundrel, a fiend? She also wanted to send that boy to his death. She wanted to let a man who captures and kills and tortures set free. She wanted to let him go. She was a liar. She didn’t care that he tried to kill Kalis. She betrayed Kalis. She lied. She just wanted to keep her loved ones safe. She’s a liar. A dirty cop. A liar. A criminal. A liar, she lied, what else had she lied about, was she capable of more, was she capable of killing? Would she just stand by and let her brother kill her girlfriend? Would she help, would she help him torture, HAS she helped him torture, she would kill, liar, killer, betrayal–

Frenzy, frenzy, what was up or down, was was going in with the world–

Human life at stake?

Stan.

Stan was at stake.

Save Stan. That’s all that mattered. Who cared about her stupid life anyway?

She grabbed Frida roughly, desperately grasping at her shirt and yanking her toward the car that held the prisoner. “Frida! Please! He's a kidnapper!”

If she could just show her. 

If Frida could just see.

“He kidnapped a boy, he kidnapped a super, he tortured him, you should see the things that he’s done to that boy! You can’t let him go, you haven’t seen what he's done, he’s a monster!”

“Not a boy,” the bounty hunter lulled, popping back up from where he’d apparently disappeared behind the cruiser that almost hit them. With that stupid fuck-ass cowboy hat on again.

“Excuse me?” she asked incredulously.

“He’s not a boy,” he repeated, meandering back to them. “He’s 22. He’s an adult.”

No no no no no no no, Kalis, stay focused, he’s trying to throw you off your game.

She grabbed her love’s sleeve, pleading. “His name’s Stan, Frida! Stan! I met him, I talked to him, he’s scared, he’s hurt, he’s drugged, he doesn’t even understand what’s going on right now. You brother, that man right there, he tortured him, Frida! He’s bruised and bloody and he has broken bones, he’s collared so he can’t use his powers and your brother dragged him around by that collar he’s a monster Frida, please, we can save him!”

The bounty hunter’s face shifted in her periphery. Angry. Tense.

Focus on your love. You can save the boy, you can save them both.

Frida tried to reason with her, voice slow and pleading: “...Kalis… I know. I know what he does. What he's done–”

No no NO NONONONO!!

“What happens when I see that boy on the news one day?!” Kalis pleaded, literally grabbing Fridas hands and sinking to her knees. “That he was found dead, when I see the report of every gruesome torture he was put through before he was found, and I see him there and knew that I could’ve done something about it, but I let him go? What do I do then, Frida?”

No response. Not some smartass retort from the bounty hunter, not some vile, pleading words to understand from Frida. 

Nothing.

“I promised hi-im,” Kalis wept. “I promised him I’d save him. Please Fri-ida. I-I can’t do this without you, I can't, I need you.”

Frida stared at the ground. She shivered.

“I can’t–” Frida took a large gasp in, voice shaking almost as much as her body. “I can’t– Let–... You. Die.”

The wrathful bounty hunter himself piped up: “I’ll do my best to make sure he’s treated well, yeah?... That’s the best I can do. That’s all I can do.”

His voice was so gentle.

The voice of someone who cared.

The voice of someone placating.

The voice of someone trying to get their way.

Her jaw clenched, so hard she thought her teeth would shatter.

“You… are both… under arrest,” she whispered. 

She reached for her holster. Empty. Shit shit shit shit shit– she jerkily fumbled around her pocket and crashed up to her feet in a frenzy, barely managing to get a proper hold on the mercenary’s confiscated gun before brandishing it directly at the bounty hunter and the dirty cop, the traitor.

The mercenary’s eyes widened. Then narrowed. “That’s my gun.”

“You’re under arrest, you’re both–!” she pointed the gun at Officer Galleta, who took a few shocked steps back. “ –under arrest! For attempted murder of an officer, for aiding and abetting, for corruption, for betrayal, for lying, for everything! Both of you! On the ground! NOW!!”

Silence.

A look passed between the siblings, from the bounty hunter to his partner in crime.

A certain gleam in their eyes,

“Drop your weapons, and get on the ground. Now!” 

“[Frida, that gun doesn’t have any bullets in it,]” the bounty hunter muttered under his breath. 

Officer Galleta’s eyes went wide. She looked to her brother. He nodded. 

She knew that sparkle in his eyes.

God. Fucking. Dammit.

“[I better see you again. Fuck you.]”

“[Love you too. Thank you.]”

“Shut up!” Officer Brooks shouted. “No talking, put your hands–”

Officer Brooks screeched in surprise, in fear, in heart-pounding, blood-racing fear as Officer Galleta broke into a sprint and lunged at her. 

And she accidentally pulled the trigger of the deadly gun grasped in her hands.

At the one she loved.

No.

NO. 

NONONONONONO–

She screamed.

Click.

And she slammed into the ground, all breath knocked out of her violently, her girlfriend scrambling on top of her to pin her down, Kalis scrambling and screeching under that to get up, grappling and shrieking until the muzzle of a standard-issue police gun dug into her chest.

She froze.

Done.

It was over so quickly.

From so close, Kalis could see the tears in Officer Galleta’s eyes.

Her voice cracked.

“Frida… Please… Don’t–”

The bounty hunter swooped by, crouching down just enough as he sprinted to grab his gun and kept running toward his truck. He didn’t look back.

“NO!!” Kalis screamed into the inky black nothingness of the night, into the ghostly white and shadowed and tear-stained face of the person she had trusted most in this world, loud enough that it woke Stan up from his drug-induced haze for the shortest of moments and made him look around in confusion at the sorrowful screams that surrounded him, make him struggle as the driver side door slammed open and shut and Declan scrambled with almost unbelievable abandon to get the engine to turn over.

And Stan cowered away from him, insurmountable fear worming through his mind: He’s going to hurt me again.

“Frida!” Kalis gasped. “Frida, Frida, please, we have to save him, we have to save that boy, we still have time we can still save him let me up let me go please please PLEASE DON’T DO THIS I PROMISED!! I PROMISED HIM FRIDA! I PROMISED I WOULD SAVE HIM I PROMISED PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME A LIAR–”

Officer Galleta didn't say anything. She couldn't. She was frozen to the spot, paralyzed. Except for the minute shudder of her chest, except for the tears that started to fall.

And they stayed like that until the truck of Declan Cansano rumbled to life and screeched off into the night.

* * * * * * * *

Next (when posted)

AND if you'd like to know what's happening in the sludge that is Stan's mind during this scene, check out this drabble!: This Edible Ain't Shiiiiiii~~ (*enters warp space*)

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[spanishskulduggery]

Hola! I've come across the following line when I read Spanish poetry:

<<Si me muero, que me muera>>

The translator translated it: If I die, let me die.

I think it's a beautiful line but is it grammatically correct? I am a beginner and still do not have a firm grasp of conditional tense/reflexives etc. Thank you!

Adíos 2024; hola 2025 :D

Yes, that's grammatically correct, but this is a bit advanced for grammar so bear with me

(Though first I would mention these aren't conditional in the sense of the conditional tense which usually conjugates with what looks like a verb in the infinitive -ar, -ir, -er but with an added ía sort of ending... like hablaría is "would/could speak".......... I realize that's not what you're talking about, I just wanted you to know that you're not seeing conditional; me muero is present tense, and then me muera in the second clause is more present subjunctive)

A true reflexive verb means that the subject and object are the same. As an example, me pongo la ropa "I put on clothes"; literally "I put on myself the clothing"... since "I" puts it on "me", the subject and object are the same

me muero is a special case

Two big grammatical things are happening here and again, fairly advanced so just know it's okay not to get it

First, morir "to die" can sometimes come up as morirse "to die/pass away" as a reflexive verb. The difference is very hard to translate into English because it is the same idea, just that morirse as a reflexive tends to imply suddenness, unexpectedness, or an emotional kind of connection

[a lot of native speakers will use me muero for lots of things online too; it can read like "I'm dead" like "I'm deceased", almost like laughing, or being mortified, either way... me muero de risa "I'm dying of laughter"...... a while ago people would say a ver si me muero "see if I die" but it's like "I can't even" in vibes. Not sure if it's still used]

...

Basically, some verbs get a little extra oomph if they're in reflexive. morir is one of them. The others to be aware of are comerse with food is "to eat up/wolf down" like you're really enjoying what you're eating, there's dormirse which is "to fall asleep" rather than just dormir "to sleep", and ir is "to go" and irse is "to go away"

I'm gonna warn you now, you don't get taught those differences - I had to look them up and feel them out... and also it's advanced grammar, so don't worry about it for now, just be aware the reflexive verbs don't always read as traditional reflexives

...

Second thing, que me muera is an indirect command

In Spanish there are three "moods". There's imperative which are commands, there's subjunctive which is an advanced concept but it's usually expressions of doubt, hypotheticals, polite requests, people acting on other things/people so that something happens... it's a big topic... and then the indicative mood is everything else

[Basically three moods encompass different ways you can use Spanish and the "tenses" are times it can be done i.e. past, present, future... that's why there's present (indicative) tense and also present subjunctive; me muero is indicative, me muera subjunctive but both technically present..... there's also past tenses and a past subjunctive, etc.]

An indirect command is somewhere between imperative and subjunctive

In other words, it's kind of a command but it's not a direct "do it" or "don't do it", and subjunctive can be done with polite requests like quiero que hables "I want you to speak"

...

An indirect command is like "tell someone to do that", or a roundabout command like que seamos amables "let's be nice" [nosotros indirect command]

The que here reads as "let's", but it's usually "that"

A que connects clauses though for subjunctive typically - quiero is "I want", a subject and a predicate... then hables would be "you" and "speak" so again a subject and predicate, but they're different subjects

Subjunctive is one thing working on another, so it's "I want THAT you speak", if that makes sense

Similar to espero que llueva "I hope (that) it rains"... the que is connecting the two separate clauses [which are made up of a subject and predicate]

...

Simply using que is like cutting out that first verb, and that's why it's almost like a command but it isn't technically as direct as simply saying "do it"

Instead it's like "may it be done" rather than "do it"

Another example, que así sea is "so be it" - that's an indirect command in Spanish [lit. kind of like "let it be this way", where así is "in that way" or "as such", and sea is a subjunctive conjugation of ser]

Some people use indirect commands like commands

Sometimes they translate it as "may" or "let"

...

Put simply si me muero "if I pass away" + que me muera "may it be that I pass away" or "(allow) that I die" ...in a more literal way

Thus, "if I die, let me die"

If you have any other questions let me know, I know it's a lot all at once I just hope I was clear and didn't lose you by talking technical terms and grammar

[myteavsricochet]

there is something so attractive about the fact that tzp knows how to model. i find it so attractive how he is able to stand in front of all these cameras and pose so effortlessly. i know it's literally his job (even before he became an actor) and i know this may not be such a big deal for others, but there's just something about it that does it for me.

personally, i think modeling is not as easy as it may seem. i literally cannot pose for the life of me. one thing i can also think of is how we see so many attractive celebrities on these red carpets and events and we see them wearing all these gorgeous outfits, but sometimes you can just tell it's missing something (not accessories or any physical object), and maybe one of those is the way they carry themselves or how they don't really know how to pose. i know these celebrities/actors aren't really required to be good at posing, but there's just something about those who do. it just adds an extra 'oomph' to the person's look.

if we look at it, tzp's outfits during the recent award shows weren't actually that "extraordinary" (which is not a bad thing!). they were somehow your normal and usual suits, just with different colors and details, but it doesn't really feel too simple because of the way he's carrying himself. the way he walks, the way he looks at the camera, the way he poses - it just oozes so much confidence, and that is SO attractive. there's just something so attractive in seeing a person who clearly knows what to do and is good at it.

i feel like there's so much more i wanna say but my brain's all jumbled up rn and honestly this post was way messier than how i intended to write it, but i've been wanting to send this to you ever since all the award shows were done but i just never had the time and energy to, until today. so yeah, sorry if it's too long and all over the place! i may or may not send more tzp thoughts in your inbox (we'll see if my brain will cooperate). but yeah, that's it from me... for now?

ahhhhh I love these thoughts about tzp please never stop, among so many horrible words that we get every day it's so nice to read these love messages 🥰

and I agree with everything, of course. He knows perfectly what he is doing, you can see that he likes fashion a lot and consequently works hard to make everything perfect and knows perfectly how to move. He is soo good in this and I would love to see him move on a catwalk or work with great designers.

what was so appreciated at the oscars was precisely the simplicity of his outfit which made him looks beautiful but "without trying to steal attention". He and Jason really know what they do and thanks to this they are giving him a great visibility

[marionthegreat]

entry #4:: casual

1/9/25

OH MY GOD. LITERALLY OH MY FREAKING GOD. I’M THE ONE WHO’S SUPPOSED TO ME DOING GOOD. ME! NOT HER, NOT THAT FREAKING JERK. 

Call this what you want, call me what you want, I don’t care. I’m here to let my feelings out because I can’t anywhere else, to anyone else. I wrote a diss, an actual diss for someone. I loved her so much I could only end up hating her guts in the end, ironic, huh? Anyway, here it is: 

“You are actually so boring it hurts. When I go to stalk, there is nothing new. It pains my soul how you seem to lack any hobbies or whimsy at all. please, please, please for the love of god, become somewhat interesting so I have something to look at. I almost fall asleep any time I check your socials. What the hell do you do? I know you don't spend time in nature, and I know all you do is watch TikTok and be on your phone. So why is everything related to you a snooze fest? Give me something, literally anything. I went to Boringtown, and they said you're their mayor. For future reference, stop being so uninteresting. You're like every other girl, but I need something, some sort of oomph. I'm like a plant begging for water. My eyes burn with disappointment when I open any one of your accounts. c'mon now, quit being so dry and boring. It's painful.”

It’s kind of funny, honestly (a little bit of context: I had a best friend who ended up being a terrible person, so I cut her off, but I miss her… I’m pretty close to a desperate ex in that regard). There’s a possibility this reads like two doomed lesbians, and maybe, maybe that’s what was happening. I don’t know. I can’t really remember most of it. The thought of her is a great motivator. I just think of what I never want to be, and boom, I’m up, doing all my chores, and studying like I’m trying to get into Harvard. It’s pretty great.

Regardless, WE BROKE UP IN MAY. WHY AM I SO BITTER STILL? WHY AM I STUCK ON HER STILL? I’m pretty sick of it, but she rarely leaves my mind. She’s so pretty, but I’m honestly praying for her downfall. The thought of it fills me with a sick sense of satisfaction and glee, just saying. It’s got me fist pumping the air, to be frank. Or maybe, plot twist, we’re going from friends to oppositions to lovers. Can you tell I’m losing my mind? Is it obvious yet?