#maria fe

[kplays]

Signs from your subconscious that you need to book a therapy appointment

[inkedgoddesses3]

Fê Galvão

[marvelwitchergilmore]

Quiet Crushes

Summary: Joel Miller x Fe!Reader ~ You have always been nervous around Joel Miller. Ever since he came to town it's like you're a teenager again with a crush on the hottest guy in school. But, when someone unexpected turns up, it seems that even Joel has found the courage to talk to you.

Disclaimer: I haven't written in a while so there may be some spelling mistakes (I'm gonna blame the lack of sleep). Fluff, angst, idiots in love, speechless around crushes, kissing.

You didn’t know how long it had been since you’d last slept. 12 hours? 24? None of it mattered. All you could focus on was your brother, lay on the bed in your spare room, breathing up and down, freshly cleaned and slowly healing physically. 

Joel was downstairs in the kitchen cooking something. 

You’d heard the pans clatter every couple of minutes until you heard the mugs and the plates. But you couldn’t concentrate on that. Your gaze and mind remained focused on your brother’s chest, watching it rise and fall; fearful that if you looked away, even if just for a second, he would stop and he’d be gone from you and this world permanently. 

You’d not seen him in almost four years and in that time you’d somehow convinced yourself he’d died. That a clicker or worse had got to him and killed him. He’d been dead to you for just over three years. But despite this, part of you still held hope. 

That was the only part of you that was happy. 

It was proved right. Your brother was alive…to an extent. 

Lord knows what he saw and what he went through to find you. You didn’t even want to imagine. Your mind had been so focused on getting him cleaned up, you couldn’t bring yourself to step over the line and ask the questions about his scars. 

He’d tell you in his own time, you hoped. 

The moment you saw him walk through the doors of Jackson…you felt your heart both drop and soar at the same time. He was like a drowned-rat in the rain. Both of you were by the time you left Joel’s side from the covered porch of the Tipsy Bison to run out to the muddied path in the rain and embrace your brother. 

The mud on your jeans proved to you that you’d been there to hold him in the mud when you both collapsed from the sheer impact of the hug. 

You vaguely remembered Joel telling you to get a shower…but you couldn’t remember how long ago that was. The moment they carried your brother into his room, you hadn’t so much as left his side, let alone the room. 

You patched up his wounds whilst he slept and woke him part way through so he’d finally eat something and get his strength up. 

It was only as you sat alone in the silence of your sleeping brother that you let your mind go back to the moments just before he’d come through the gates. 

You’d been talking to Joel or, at least, trying. 

Ever since Joel arrived in Jackson, your crush on him had been a burden to bear.

You never liked having crushes; they either lead to embarrassment or pain. Neither sounded appealing. 

And, so, for the first eight months, any conversation you had with him never extended past three words a day, if that. You’d remain quiet and get your work done. 

It was only after these eight months that Tommy came to you, asking you to actually try and talk to Joel. You were only one of the few that didn’t. Whilst the others seemed to have something against Joel, Tommy seemed to be blind to the fact that you actually had something for Joel. 

But Maria wasn’t. 

She saw it instantly. 

The way the blood rushed to your face. The way your breathing became unsteady and you couldn’t seem to form a single sentence in his presence. 

You liked Joel…a lot. 

As did many other women in Jackson. 

And men.

But still, no matter how hard you tried, you were just a bumbling mess around Joel. 

After Tommy’s talk, you’d been fixing a lightbulb in the Tipsy Byson when the bulb shone too bright, shocking you and causing the ladder to rattle beneath you. 

However, it stopped falling when Joel caught it, and you. 

His hands were on your waist. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” you eventually managed to answer as you climbed down. 

You could only be thankful that your back was to Joel but the instant you turned around, you were met with his gaze and any human function you had in your body seemed to instantly disappear. After a couple of attempts, you managed to make your “Thank you,” loud enough for the human ear to hear before running off. 

It seemed to only get worse after that. 

And already being aware that you were a blushing mess when you even thought about him only added to that. Feeling the heat of your cheeks, and being all too aware of it when faced with Joel Miller only increased your embarrassment. 

There were some moments where you thought he was flirting with you but your conscience quickly brushed that aside. After all, why would Joel Miller be interested in you when most of Jackson was after him?

And that evening, everything felt like it was coming to a head. You were so sure Joel knew about your feelings towards him, despite the fact you wanted to forget about them. Why else would he ask you to go outside with him? You figured he’d let you down gently at least. Tell you he wasn’t interested but he’d be sure you were a lovely woman.

Instead, he’d stepped closer to you. 

If it had been anyone else, maybe you would have backed away. But not with Joel. 

He wasn’t threatening to you in his gaze or his touch but rather gentle, soft and kind. Despite all what you had heard about him, you’d never seen him be anything but kind and caring to those around him. A vastly different version that Tommy had been expecting, that’s for sure. 

You couldn’t even remember what Joel had said to you. 

One minute your mind was growing dizzy with the simple thought of him. The next, you’d flicked your eyes away for a moment only to see a lad run at full speed past the bar and towards the gates. 

Both you and Joel’s gaze followed the lad and when you saw your brother…Joel saw the change in you. 

Most times, you were flustered. Running here, there and everywhere. Hell, you rarely seemed to have time to have a conversation with him before you were dashing off to somewhere else. 

Since he started working with Tommy again, he wanted to know more about you. 

You seemed to keep to yourself, mostly. Tommy said you were trustworthy and the one to go to whenever or if ever he had a problem whether that be with a light fixture, plumbing, cooking or even just with life. 

That day you’d nearly fallen from the ladder, he’d hoped to have a drink with you - talk to you. Get to know you. 

He’d tried for weeks after that, but again, always flustered. Part of him figured that perhaps, maybe, you felt the same way about him as he did about you. 

So, that night at the Tipsy Byson, he was hoping to ask you. 

But then you looked away and suddenly everything about you became…cool. 

You were no longer a “flustered mess” as he’d heard someone call you in the bar one night. You no longer had that light dusting blush across your cheeks that seemed to brighten every time he got closer which made his stomach summersault. 

No, instead, you became more reserved. 

You stood straight and had your arms folded. Your eyes narrowed to look at the face of the weakened man in the middle of the two brother’s helping carry him inside the walls of Jackson. 

Joel had called your name and asked you a question but he knew none of it had registered. But you had managed to answer his next question without him having to ask it. 

“That’s my brother.”

Without a second thought or care to the rain, you left the shelter of the porch and walked out and once you were close enough, you called your brother’s name and Joel watched you run to your brother, and him run to you. 

He watched the pair of you reunite before dropping to the mud beneath you both. You pulled back for a second to look your brother over before pulling him close again and holding the back of his head. 

Joel had told you to go for a shower when your brother got settled but since he didn’t hear the shower turn on, he decided to cook. You hadn’t eaten since before you got to the bar and, despite your brother needing nourishment, you’d be in need of it, too. 

“Hey,”

You turned to look at Joel who was standing in the doorway. 

“Hey.”

“Here. I made you some stew.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“There’s more in the pot in the kitchen but, I’ve got to go and get Ellie. I’ll be back later, though.”

“Thank you, Joel. But, honestly, you don’t have to.”

“If I don’t, I have a feeling you’ll sit here all day and watch him and forget to look after yourself.”

“Joel-”

“I’ll be back. I promise.”

As Joel gave you a warm smile and left you with a bowl of fresh stew, you heard your brother’s voice. 

“Well, he’s nice. When’s the wedding?”

You put down the stew and rushed to his side. “You’re awake.”

“And you’re in love.”

“Randy.”

“Y/n.”

“He’s just a friend.”

“Well, I don’t know what you’ve been doing for the last four years, but that is definitely not the look of friendship and don’t give me any of that bullshit about how he doesn’t like you. He’s in love with you.”

“Now who’s the one with the bullshit.”

“Hey, don’t forget, I have the luxury of the male perspective. He’s in love with you, kid.”

“Did you get a concussion on your way here?”

“Maybe a few. But I’m still right. And so is he. You need to eat. And stop watching me sleep. It’s both weird and creepy. It’s like when you were six and would sleep walk into my room and watch me sleep.”

“I did not do that.”

“You totally did. Do you not remember mom had to start locking my door at night so you couldn’t get in?”

“Oh, yeah.” you smiled at the weird memory.

“Go on, eat. And then go and get me a bowl. It smells good.”

“Taste’s good, too.” you said, trying not to burn your mouth on a hot piece of carrot. 

God, if that man didn’t make you fall from his looks and charm alone, his cooking tipped you over the edge. 

Hours passed and eventually Joel came back only to find you sat outside in the back garden. The window to your brother’s bedroom was open so you’d be able to hear him call if he needed you though you doubted it since he was a heavy sleeper and he would sleep all day and night if he could. 

“Hey, what are you doing out here?”

“Wanted to watch the rain fall.”

“Mind if I join you?”

You shook your head and smiled, “Not at all.”

Joel sat just close enough to you for you to feel his body heat as he covered his lap with a spare blanket you had on the bench. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I could sleep for a year.”

Joel mirrored your smile as you laughed and set your book down. “I just…for the longest time I thought he was gone. I’d made myself believe it and then suddenly he’s back and he’s alive and he’s…he’s here.”

“You look really happy.”

“I am really happy. How’s Ellie?”

“She’s good. She’s having a sleepover tonight with a couple friends she met at school. I’m just hoping she won’t be a bad influence on them.”

“I’m sure she won’t.” you assured him. “Besides, it might not hurt for those kids to learn a couple swear words here and there.”

“God, you sound just like her.”

“Oh, come on, Joel. You can’t tell me you weren’t swearing like a sailor when you were her age.”

“Growing up is a tough gig.”

“Amen to that. Why not be able to swear your way through the rough periods?”

Joel simply smiled at you and you smiled back before turning to watch the rain pour its way down and land on the country garden you’d managed to plant for yourself. 

What you didn’t notice, at first at least, was Joel’s gaze fixing itself on your side profile. He looked at you with such wonder and kindness and love, Randy - who watched from his bedroom window - wanted to throw a rock at you just so you might, in fact, look in Joel’s direction and see that your brother was right in saying that Joel was completely head-over-heels in love with you. 

And probably had been for the longest time. 

Though, rather than interfere and have you poison his stew with some random plant you’d been growing in your garden, probably plotting his death, he quietly closed his window and left you and Joel to it. 

But not before wishing upon the highest star he could see. 

“Please. Please, please, please, for the love of God, let these two idiots be together. I don’t know how much more of the lovey-dovey eyes I can take. And I’ve only been here for 24 hours. Thank you. Amen…and all that.”

You both sat for a while, in a quiet solitude. 

It was quaint. 

It was also the first time you’d held an audience with the man and not freaked out, tripped over your words or even blushed so hard you thought your blood vessels might, in fact, break or burst at any moment. 

“You know, when we were kids, we’d spend hours outside. He’d always be playing football and I’d be with my dad in the garden.”

“Was he the one that taught you about plants?”

You nodded with a soft smile graced on your lips. “Yeah. He was a Horticultural and Agricultural Professor. He knew everything that could ever be known about plants and what they helped with, also what they hindered with.”

“And your mom?”

“She worked in Business Management.” you said. “Randy took after her more. Was closer to her, too. I mean, we were all close. And I was close to my mom, but…you know that connection a child has with their parents. One is stronger than the other? When they’re ill or they get hurt, it’s the parent they go to?”

Joel nodded. 

“For him, that was my mom. For me, it was my dad. Randy spent more time at her office - mostly because he had a crush on her co-worker Annie. Meanwhile, I’d go to Dad’s lectures and tell Mom all about them and she and Randy would sit and listen for hours. I loved it.”

“So, is that what you did? Before the world went to shit and all?”

“The world has always been shit, but, yes. Though, I studied Biology instead. It gave me more places to find a job. And, for about two years I taught High School Science. I loved it but I always needed something else to keep me busy so I’d go to the library and pick out books and I taught myself to be my own mechanic. It was cheaper and easier than dealing with those who would ask if my husband would be coming with me to drop off my car and when my ‘husband’ didn’t turn up, would hit on me to the point where I once threatened to break their nose.”

“And did you? Break it, I mean?”

“Joel Miller. I only threatened to break his nose. I broke his wrist, instead.”

Joel smiled for a moment. “Did he not press charges?”

“Nope. Luckily his sister had just come round the corner and she was some fancy lawyer in New York. She threatened to break his other and then we went out to lunch. Turned out he had a history of broken bones.”

Joel laughed and you found yourself laughing, too. 

It felt freeing. 

“What about you? Tommy told me you had your own business.”

“Yeah, I, uh, I was a contractor in Texas.”

From there, you and Joel spent over two hours talking about the past and your lives before the Outbreak. Everything; from your childhood to his, you work and eventually, children. 

Joel hadn’t meant to bring Sarah up. Hell, he didn’t even talk about her with Tommy, or Tess for that matter. Sure, there was some mention of her here and there, but he’d never told anyone of her as a baby or of the silly things she used to do as a kid that would make him laugh and smile. 

“She sounds wonderful.” you smiled. 

Joel’s smile, although still with him, faded a little as he looked to his hands, rubbing his fingers against each other. 

“Yeah, she was.”

“It sounds like she would have liked Ellie, too.”

Part of Joel returned at the mention of Ellie from you. “Oh, completely. They’re not similar - I mean, Sarah was more…girly? But they’re also not unsimilar. She would have loved her.”

Neither you or Joel fully knew which daughter he meant when he said that; She would have loved her. Ellie? Ellie would have loved her. Sarah? Sarah would have loved her. Both? They would have loved each other. 

However, just as you both sat, looking at each other with sad yet content smiles, a light began to flicker on the porch and with a sigh, you got up. 

“This damn thing. I just changed the bulb yesterday.”

Within moments, you had your ladder and tool box out as well as a new bulb. 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“Nope. I’ve got it.”

“Okay, but, be careful. It’s still a little slippy out here.”

Joel spoke the truth. Despite being the spot where they sat being completely dry, the other half of the porch was still somehow sprayed with water. 

Whilst you got to work trying to take the cover from the light, hammering the screwdriver end in with your hand until you heard the pop!, Joel had his foot on the bottom step of the ladder, watching you from below. 

Yet, somehow, you still managed to slip once you, after a very rare struggle, managed to get the cover from the bulb off. 

Maybe it was some twist of fate, but somehow you ended up in Joel’s arms. 

At first, your back remained to him. 

“You okay, Darlin’?”

For the first time since being sat with him, you found yourself speechless again. Flustered. 

“Oh, I, uh…mm-hmm.”

“You sure?”

Turning your head, you found Joel inches from you. Your bodies were pressed so tight, you’d be surprised if even a shadow could fit between you both. 

“Yes.”

Joel swallowed thickly as his gaze flicked from your eyes to your lips and back again. You could feel his warm palm spreading across your hip, his strong forearm flush against the bottom of your back, pulling you just that little bit closer to him. And when he spoke, you found your breath caught in your throat. 

“Can I kiss you?”

Your brain felt both electric and fried at the same time. Maybe you were just hallucinating; imagining he wanted to kiss you. 

But then his other hand came up and brushed the stray hairs from your face, tucking them behind your ear. 

“Because I’d really like to, Darlin’. But I won’t unless I have your permission.”

If that wasn’t enough to make a girl melt on the spot. 

At first, all you could do was nod. 

“I need words, Darlin’.”

Good, Lord!

Swallowing thickly, you forced your voice from your throat. “Y-Yes.”

“You don’t sound too sure.” Joel hesitated. 

“Yes, Joel. You can kiss me.”

Your voice, although still quiet, was more assertive that time. 

“Are you-”

“Just shut up and kiss me, Miller.”

You saw a split second of Joel’s smile grace his face before he pulled you closer to him and kissed your lips. 

And it. Was. Electric. 

Your hand came to his collar, pulling him closer to you although you both figured that was impossible by now. 

His thumb brushed the side of your temple before he pushed his hand through your hair and drank you in once more. Meanwhile, the arm that held you securely around your back, tensed. His hand came into a fist and it scrunched the corner of your jumper and t-shirt with it. 

You moved your hand to his neck, pulling him closer still until finally you both had to stop in order to catch your breath. 

Joel’s hand relaxed for a moment before you felt his palm touch your skin beneath your clothes. 

“Sorry,” he apologised after a moment, his voice husky. “Got carried away.”

You smiled and shook your head against his. “Don’t be.”

“Mind if I do it again?”

“Not at all.”

[jadesnapart]

I never knew I needed her thank you Mayo

[fishladyfishy]

She won’t stop saying it, it’s getting out of hand! D:

[roses-of-the-romanovs]

OTMA: Romanov Sisters' MBTI

Olga: INFP

"She was hot-tempered but did not bear grudges. She had her father's heart, but lacked his consistency. Her manners were harsh. She was well-educated and mature intellectually. One sensed in her a "good Russian young lady" who loved solitude, reading poetry, who was impractical and disliked everyday matters. She was very musical and would improvise on the piano. Straightforward and sincere, she was unable to conceal her feelings and was evidently closer to her father than to her mother." - Sydney Gibbes

Tatiana: ISFJ

 "She was completely unselfish, always ready to give up her own plans to go for a walk with her father, to read to her mother, to do anything that was wanted. It was Tatiana Nicolaevna who took care of the little ones, and who -was a constant help to the Household, always willing to help them in arranging that their official duties should not clash with their private engagements. She had the Empress's practical mind and love of detail. She planned and arranged everything in the "Children's quarters" as it was called. She had a less strong character than Olga Nicolaevna, whose lead she would always follow, but she could make up her mind in an emergency quicker than her elder sister, and never lost her head." - Sophie Buxhoevedon

Maria: ESFJ

"When I first knew the Grand Duchess Marie, she was quite a child, but during the Revolution she became very devoted to me, and I to her, and we spent most of our time together. She was a wonderful girl, possessed of tremendous reserve force, and I never realised her unselfish nature until those dreadful days. She too was exceeding fair, dowered with the classic beauty of the Romanoffs; her eyes were dark blue, shaded by long lashes, and she had masses of dark brown hair. Marie was plump, and the Empress often teased her about this; she was not so lively as her sisters, but she was much more decided in her outlook. The Grand Duchess Marie knew at once what she wanted, and why she wanted it." - Lili Dehn

Anastasia: ENTP

"Ingenuousness and utter simplicity were the most characteristic qualities of Anastasia Nicolaievna. As a small child she was very mischievous, spotting at once the comical traits in people's characters and afterwards imitating them very skillfully, so that it was irresistibly funny. ... I never noticed in her the smallest trace of mawkishness or dreamy melancholy, not even at the age when girls fall a prey to such tendencies. She was the imp of the whole house, and the glummest faces would always brighten in her presence, for it was impossible to resist her jokes and nonsense. She was very boisterous, and sometimes a good deal too temperamental. Every impulse, every new sensation was something she immediately had to indulge to the full; she was aflame with life and animation. Even at sixteen she still behaved like a headstrong young foal that has run away from its master." - Sydney Gibbes

[theothervonkarmagirl]

@pri-rp

"...Zelda can I speak to you for a moment."

Miles lowered his voice to barely a whisper. His niece was visiting him, and she wanted to see the castle town. Naturally, she required a bodyguard, and Zelda said she knew the perfect person for the job. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't some whippersnapper from the country who didn't even own a set of armor!

"Is this really the best option? Do you realize what kind of hell my sister and her husband will rain down if she goes home with so much as a scratch on her? Do you want to deal with that?"

Clara, meanwhile, examined the young man. He looked a little scruffy, but he certainly didn't look weak, especially with the fierce look in his eyes. And she was only going out to town. It wasn't as if she was going off to battle! Anxious to leave, she shuffled her feet.

[yall-hate-kids-tourney]

Loser Round 6: Maria Ushiromiya (Umineko: When They Cry) vs. Ken Amada (Persona 3)

Propaganda below the cut:

Maria Ushiromiya (9):

She's really obsessed with occult and witch stuff and acts inappropriately when her family gets murdered because she was told by the culprit that everyone was going to the Golden Land (a super special witch afterlife where you get whatever you want). She also has meltdowns like any autistic child. Because of this, some Umineko fans say that she deserves to get abused by her mother.

----

People really do be saying that this literal nine year old who's been abused and neglected by her mom for her whole life is evil

----

Some people in the Umineko fandom have decided that she's annoying because she's a 9 year old with autism. Personally I think she's based. She has a hard life but still tries her hardest to see the goodness in everything. She's kind, even feeling sorry for a wilting flower and hoping it'll get better. She's a very smart young girl who just isn't given the proper love a child needs from their parents to thrive. She deserved SO, SO much better than the cards life dealt her. I mustn't talk too much else I'll get emotional but Maria is peak.Best autistic witch girl.

Ken Amada (11):

y'all are all for "murder and revenge plots" until is a 10 y/o boy who watched his mother die and started to become conflicted after realizing his moms killer is a secretly kind traumatized teenager to the point where the 10 y/o boy attempts to kill himself by giving himself up to assassins.

bro he's 10.

----

ken amada is such an interesting character with the unfortunate circumstances of having little screentime and atlus deciding to ruin his reputation forever by giving him a romance choice in the fem protag route. ken is a child who lost his mother at NINE. nobody ever believed him when he said that she was murdered, and that he saw who killed her. hes miserable, and all everyone around him does is give him sympathy while hes suffering and was forced to grow up before even going into middle school. hes angry and determined to get revenge on the person who killed his mother, and he doesnt even see the own value in living anymore beyond getting that revenge. hes more mature than most of his peers, and is desperate to be seen as an adult.but at the same time, he is still a child who likes superhero shows.

----

OH GOD WHERE DO I START

First there's the normal "The fandom hates kids" complaints of "He's so whiny" "he's so annoying" "oh my god kid just SHUT UP" y'know, the typical fandom stuff that makes you wonder if these people have ever talked to a child in their life

Second, there's (spoilers)...

October 4th, and the ENTIRE FANDOM is calling this kid a murderer.

For context, the moment in question doesn't necessarily paint him in the best light but its still understandable. Your team is going on a mission while Ken and another character named Shinjiro are away. In an alleyway, they have a talk where it is revealed that on that night a year priar to the game, Kens mom was killed in that allleyway by Shinjiro's Persona (Which, by the Rules of the Game Lore, basically means By Shinjiro). Ken tried to tell the authorities, the authorities didn't believe him because Magic Reasons and the death was ruled an accident.

Of course Ken is Fucking Pissed and wants revenge

However, because of Talk, he ACTIVELY CALMS DOWN, and realises "Hey, I probably shouldn't kill someone. Despite them, y'know, killing my mom"

HOWEVER REVOLVER JESUS COMES IN AND RUINS EVERYTHING BY SHOOTING SHINJIRO. AND LIKE, IF YOU PLAY P3P YOU CAN /AVOID THE DEATH THING/

AND EVERYONE BLAMES /KEN/. AND ONLY KEN.

And third (yes, there's a THIRD) IS THE FUCKING FEMC ROMANCE THING. WHICH JUST...SHOULDN'T HAVE EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT NOW HE'S "SHOTA BAIT" BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BLAME THE CHILD FOR THE AUTHORITY FIGURE COMING ONTO THEM 😒

[feshippingpolls]

since it seemed like this was allowed consider a crackship of mine Caineghis(Fire Emblem) x Maria Rivera(El Tigre) they would be cute and Maria is already kinda into catboys so like yeah

FE: Should they kiss?

Caineghis x Maria

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

Minerva and Palla are so married I love them so much. The Whitewings in general are fantastic, they're all such good characters and I love imagining them all hanging out and being a big family after Minerva and Palla get married. Also Palla and Minerva teaching Maria to fly fjfjdkdmdmdndn they're so adorableeeeeeeeee ;-; Maria can actually become a tome wielding Dracoknight in Cipher and that's SO cool! I'm so glad that I played Shadow Dragon so I could experience this little corner of the series. Anyways here's some Cipher art of the Whitewings enjoying a festival and also Dracoknight Maria ^_^

.

[kplays]

Set music

A light that leads the people to a better tomorrow

[inkedgoddesses3]

Fê Galvão

[marvelwitchergilmore]

To You

Summary: Joel Miller x Fe!Reader -> Joel comes home from patrol one night to find you in the living room with a busted lip and a black eye. 

Disclaimer: Jackson-era Joel, mentions of violence, maybe a little angst, blood, kissing, death, fluff. Not proof read.

Funnily enough, you had actually met Joel back in Boston. Him and Tess had been two smugglers your friends often turned to when they needed supplies. You had met him a couple of times but no more than a few sentences were exchanged. 

One night, whilst not being able to sleep, you happened to see someone making their way, avoiding the looks of the guards. At first, you thought it was a Firefly but you knew them when they were under the cover of darkness, this wasn’t that. Maybe another smuggler? 

Either way, you needed out. 

So, you followed him. 

Turns out it was Joel’s brother, Tommy. 

You’d seen him a couple of times, too. Over the years. Usually, he was with his brother. More often than not, you’d actually think Tommy was his son rather than his brother, Joel being that fierce to protect him. Everyone had lost someone in this war. You’d figured, with the way Joel was with Tommy, that Tommy (and Tess) were the only real reasons he was sticking around. 

But then you saw him again when he came to Jackson. 

Ellie. 

Tommy had told you a little about what Joel had told him, about what they had faced when making their way to Jackson, when he saw you at the barn that night. 

And you saw them around the town in the day. But there was just something about Joel. Seeing him across the way, you knew something wasn’t right. Like his heart was about to leap from his chest before it crushed his soul. 

But it wasn’t until they returned a few months later that you actually began to know them. 

Joel was placed with you every Sunday in the bar, serving customers and patrol men who needed a good drink after a long week. Both of you were kept pretty busy so it wasn’t until Maria decided to put you both on patrol together every Thursday night that your relationship began to grow. 

You learnt more about his life before the world went to shit. He learnt about you, and how you had been a professor beforehand. Mostly, for you, that was volunteering at the local community college. That was why, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday you took most of the kids to the gardens, teaching them about plants and the earth and everything they needed to know in order to survive - to live. 

Ellie was keen to learn. 

It was the first time she didn’t have such a shitty school. 

She’d come home to Joel every afternoon and she’d ramble on about all what she had learned. In the meantime, with Joel helping out with construction and building around Jackson, her math excelled. She helped Joel out on the weekends, not wanting to really leave his side. 

She even fixed the fences around the gardens after lessons. That was when you’d find her, finishing up the job and walk her home to Joel. 

Although it did worry him, her not being back at her usual time, he was proud of her. She was proud of herself. She was getting a normal life. 

And, somewhere in between the patrol nights, teaching his daughter, and tending to the bar together, you came together. 

And, oddly, it was an easy transition. 

You and Joel were close to being with. You both knew what it had been like in Boston. You’d both done things to get where you were. You both had something in you that made sure that everyone knew not to come near either of you. 

Tommy called it Family. 

Maria - she also called it Family. But only after she referred to all of you as a family of feral cats that would kill before they let anything happen to anyone of you. 

Except, one night, the shifts had been changed. 

With some new people coming into Jackson, they needed training. So, you had decided to take on the job. You had a free Saturday and Ellie was starting to make friends so they’d be at the Barn watching a bunch of old movies and by the time she’d get back, Joel would already be home. 

But, after a few weeks, Joel came back home late from work.

Entering through the front door, he was introduced into darkness, at first. But, then as he hung up his coat and turned into the living room, he found you sitting by the dim light of the lamp. 

His demeanor changed instantly. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and began checking you over. 

“I’m fine, Joel.”

“Who did this to you?” 

His voice was deep. Dark, even. He was ready to kill whoever had touched you. 

You laid a hand over his wrist where his hand gently touches your cheek. Carefully, he sat down beside you, his knees knocking into the side of yours. 

“It’s nothing-”

“It’s not nothing!” 

You shushed him, softly. “Don’t yell. You’ll wake Ellie.”

He looked back to the stairs for a moment. You were right. 

He relaxed for a moment. At least you were home. You were alive and home and safe - very little for what he could say about whoever had hurt you. 

Standing, he walked across the floor into the kitchen and pulled open a cupboard before walking back with the first aid kid and a bag of ice. 

“Thanks.”

“What happened?” He asked as he sat on the coffee table in front of you before taking out the antiseptic and some cotton wool. 

You didn’t answer for a moment, just holding the ice to your temple. God, your head was pounding. 

“Darlin’-”

“I took care of it, Joel.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he placed the kit down. “But you’ve got a busted lip and a black eye. You can’t tell me that, that wasn’t nothing.”

You sighed. “Look, I got in a fight. The guy was a piece of shit and took care of it.”

“What did he do?” Joel asked you, and when you didn’t reply, he repeated the question. 

“He hit on me,” You finally answered. 

If this was any other day, yourself and Joel might have laughed it off. Joel would agree with them - if they were so new that the news that you were taken hadn’t reached them yet. To Joel, you were the most beautiful woman he had ever met. You were also the first, even before Tess, that he could actually allow himself to feel the way you felt for him. 

That would be something, with Tess, he’d regret. 

But when he met you, he had another chance. A chance to be happy and a chance to open up. He was healing and eventually, he let you be a part of that process. 

“What?” Joel straightened up, his voice doing dark again. 

“It wasn’t anything big. But I knew. He backed off immediately once I told him. Even apologized.” Joel took it that this wasn’t the guy who needed a beating on. And he was right. “It was his friend. We all got back and headed into the bar. Maria wanted to talk to me about something. When I came out, his friend was there waiting for me. I don’t think Young even knew.” 

Young was the guy who had been training on patrol with you the last two weeks. Tonight had been the night when he’d finally plucked up the courage to start flirting with you. But, as you told Joel, he backed off right away. He even said “sorry” and told her that Joel was a lucky guy. 

You weren’t afraid to agree with him on that statement (even if sometimes you thought it was the other way around). You were lucky to have Joel, too. And Ellie. 

A life you never thought you’d ever get to see. Better yet, have. 

“Anyway, he started following me. He was pissed I’d turned Young down then somewhere between me saying he should back off and him saying Young was a good guy, he thought that maybe it was him that I wanted.” You explained before relaying the story to Joel. 

Xavier, Young’s ‘friend’ - although, from the fact that when Young talked about Xavier, it seemed more of a dealing friendship; you help me, I’ll help you, kinda thing - had followed you as you walked through the main streets of Jackson. 

All you wanted was to get home and crawl into bed with Joel and fall asleep. 

He began, rather viciously, asking you about why you had said “No.” to Young and before you knew it, he was by your side, gripping you tighter and harassing you before you managed to break free for a moment and punched him straight across the face. 

That was when things took a violent turn. 

You had given Xavier the opportunity to walk away. Tommy had already warned you to try and not hurt anyone. He’d seen you when you became violent - he’d been there when you saved his life more times than he could count as you both made your way to Jackson - and he didn’t want to lock you up exactly because then that left Joel and Ellie to protect you - their Family. 

It was just easier for everyone if people understood to leave you alone and not try anything ‘funny’. 

Clearly, after 3 weeks in Jackson, Xavier hadn’t gotten that message. 

So, you gave it to him. 

He had been on the ground, bleeding when you left him. 

But he was smart. 

He jumped you a few streets away from your home. 

But clearly not smart enough, because it happened to be a few doors down from Tommy and Maria’s. 

Xavier had attacked you, punching you clean across the face. You fought back and when he pulled a blade on your side, you gave him hell. 

Tommy had come rushing out and checked you over before heading over to Xavier, where he lay on the floor, bleeding and broken. 

Maria came to look over. “Tommy, take him to lock-up. I’ll get Frankie to check him over in the morning.”

“Are you okay?” Tommy asked, looking at you. 

You wiped the back of your hand on your lip. Blood. 

“I’ll be okay.”

“I should-” You held out a hand to Maria and shook your head. 

“No, it’s okay. Ellie’s at home. I don’t want her getting worried.”

“Are you sure?”

You nodded and forced a smile through the pain. “Honestly.”

“Okay,” Maria replied, a little defeated. “But I’m sending someone round tomorrow if you don’t come to me by 11.”

You smiled, and laughed a little. “Okay.”

In the meantime, Tommy had dragged Xavier’s ass all the way to lock-up and left a note by Frankie’s door for the morning. 

And, now, here you were. 

“Just…don’t mention this to Ellie.” You told Joel, “I don’t want her worrying.”

“Too late.”

You and Joel both looked to the stairs. 

“And I don’t see how you could have hid this from me. It’s clear on your face.”

Ellie walked down the rest of the stairs from where she had been sitting. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Joel asked. 

“Couldn’t sleep. You got back late.”

Joel nodded. “I know. They’d put up the wrong beams and- it doesn’t matter.”

Ellie sat by your side. 

“You’re bleeding.” She pointed out as she saw the small patch of red by your clothes. 

You moved your arm and looked down. You’d only just dressed it. 

Joel looked from Ellie then to your wound. You had told him that Xavier had tried to cut you. Not that he had. 

Gently, he held your elbow up so your arm was out of the way of the cut. 

Joel gave you a look. “I know, I know.” you said before you pulled your arm back to lower it. 

“I’ll go and get the towels.” Ellie said. 

Joel nodded. “But then you’re going to bed.”

“But-”

“No. You don’t need to worry about this-”

“Yeah, well, I’m gunna.”

“Joel’s right, Ellie.” You added. “Besides, you’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

“It already is tomorrow.”

“Even better. Today. You’re helping Tommy, remember?”

“All the more reason to stay up.” 

Joel shook his head. “Ellie.”

Ellie groaned. “Fine.”

Once she brought down the towels and a large bowl of warm water, she begrudgingly went back up stairs and lay down in bed, mostly staring at the ceiling. 

She turned onto her side when she could hear the rumbles of you and Joel talking which, although she didn’t want it to, lulled her into a deep sleep. 

“You should have told me.”

“It slipped my mind.” You said as Joel fiddled with the hem of your t-shirt before lifting it up and over your head. 

You turned your body at an angle and lifted your arm - although your body screamed for it to be lowered again. 

With a care that only you (and Ellie) saw from Joel, his fingers lightly brushed the wound as he cleaned it with the cotton. 

“Sure it did.”

“Shut up.”

The rest of the time was spent in silence as Joel concentrated on your wound. After a while, he took your hands in his and helped you stand. 

“You okay?”

You nodded before he unrolled the beginnings of the bandage and began to wrap it around your wound. To be safe, he then wrapped a second one around in the opposite way, making sure you could still breath but that it was secure enough. 

Mostly, the second bandage was a safety layer but he’d help you change it again the next night. Maria would probably supply you with some extra, just to be safe. 

“Do you want anything to eat?” Joel asked as he returned with one of his t-shirts from the fresh pile of laundry in the kitchen that he presumed Ellie had folded when she got bored but didn’t want to go outside. 

You shook your head as Joel helped you put on his t-shirt, gently tugging your hair from the back of the collar so it didn’t remain trapped. 

“I just want to get into bed and sleep.”

Joel gave you a soft smile before pulling you in and placing a soft kiss to your temple where you leaned into his touch. 

“Come on,”

Both you and Joel, however, before going into your bedroom, stood in the doorway of Ellie’s room. 

There she was, fast asleep, lightly snoring. She’s safe. 

Joel placed another kiss to your head, and an arm around your waist lightly, silently telling you they should get to bed. 

You nodded and once Joel had quietly shut Ellie’s bedroom door, being careful not to disturb her, he helped you slide into your side of the bed, holding the covers back as you did so. 

From where, you tiredly watched him as he got ready for bed before finally, he slipped under the covers himself and lay beside you, holding you close. 

He placed a few soft kisses to your lips, your hand coming up to hold his cheek until finally, your hand still on his cheek, he kissed your forehead and held you closer, being careful to not hurt your side. 

It was a silent I love you, and Goodnight, before you fell fast asleep, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat as you did so. 

As Joel held you close, he thought about what would happen when they woke up. And, if he ever saw Xavier, he’d probably kill him. 

If you hadn’t spoke to him the way you did, and held him the way you did, he would have left there and then and probably killed the man on the spot. 

But that could wait until later. 

Right now, all that mattered was the fact that Ellie was safely sleeping down the hall, and he had you in his arms. Maybe a little hurt, but you were safe with him. With both him and Ellie.

You and Ellie are his family. 

He’d never let anything happen to either of you. Nor, would he let anyone get away with anything, either. 

[rainbowdonkee]

If you hear a far distance scream tonight, know it was me given the fact fallen Byleth from Three Hopes is drawn by HIDARI!!!!!!!

Also this banner is stacked!!!! Our orbs are gone y'all 😭

[fishladyfishy]

She’s going through her edgy phase! 😱

[bunny-super-blues]

fe brainrot meet nocturne brainrot! i always liked the diviner class :)