#no one is safe from all seeing Ilya

[sunnyupsidedown]

Literally everyone whenever Ilya opens his mouth to speak

[joanofexys]

gimme the Jude lore

okay okay Jude Reyes lore incoming

little breakdown first:

26 years old

he/him, pansexual, cis

played for the Trojans for 5 years

graduated with a degree in sports journalism

has adhd and depression (in the rambling bit tw right now for mentions of self harm and suicidal thoughts tying into this)

only child and still upset about it

does the most out of all my ocs to work with college players, spends a lot of his free time flying out to different colleges to work with coaches and teams cause he likes and he enjoys it (gets a lot of teasing about becoming a coach in the future)

knows english and spanish

and oh yeah he's a dealer who will play as an extra backliner if needed

blonde, 6'3, big brown eyes

got his ears pierced cause Mara said he'd chicken out

So yeah Jude graduated from USC at the age of 23 and he was recruited for olympic court when he was 25. He considers the Trojan's his family and still keeps in touch with all the upper classmen who he used to play with. He's very much taken the Trojan attitude into his professional career. He's known as a team player on the court and also a huge activist off the court. He's now involved in presenting the Day Spirit Award every year and he's incredibly proud to have been apart of the team consistently winning it. While Ilya falls into the Just Some Guy category, Jude really takes it up like 10 levels into Golden Child territory. He's the favored one for press duty and is most involved with his teams social media. He's usually the one to sit down for the little games or the ask me anything's or the interviews everyone else deems pointless.

tw for self harm and suicide mentions, you can skip to the next bolded line if you need to

Jude was diagnosed with depression when he was 19 after he came to Rhemann confessing that he had been self harming for a few months after the workload with his class got more difficult for him to manage and he started thinking about committing suicide. He was diagnosed with adhd a few years later when he was 22 and now he now manages both with a mixture of therapy and medication. He's not perfect and obviously that didn't get rid of his depression but he has always had a safe space to talk about it and to get the help he needs. He advocates a lot for mental health in general but especially where athletes where it tends to get ignored with all the pressure put on them and he brings that into all of his relationships with his teammates trying to create a safe space for them. He is a huge factor in actually getting Em, Mara, and Florian to see therapists and he's who Florian calls after his 5th attempt and takes him to the hospital.

okay heavy bit over

I need y'all to know that Jude popped into my head literally today. He was named like 3 hours ago. So this is all just kind of developing as I yap about him. He's big on team inclusion. Doesn't want anyone to feel left out. At first Ilya really butted heads with Mara and Florian cause they were Raven's and Jude was basically the one to get sick of that and tell them they needed to shut the fuck up and put on their get along t-shirt

He's generally pretty outgoing and he loves a good party. And by party he means hosting his team and having some food and drinks and visiting with every one. Though he does go a little crazy after a win and he will probably not get home till like 6 in the morning and then will sleep for a full 24 hours

He comes off as very loud and flirtatious to most people, most people will think he is flirting even when he isn't and he has accidentally agreed to multiple dates before realizing they were dates and having to awkwardly let people down. He doesn't really date much, not seriously, largely because of how involved he is with the media portion of his job. If he does end up dating (and I don't have anyone set up for him yet) it'd most likely be another exy player who is also super involved with the media and interacting with the press

and yeah that's a little bit about Jude

[rinwellisathing]

Orphanage AU- House of Hope is an Orphanage run by Raphael, but those who don't get adopted find themselves indebted to him when they age out and end up working for him as an enforcer or for Haarlep in their brothel. In this drabble, Enver Flymm escapes with some valuables stolen from Raphael with the help of his best friend and first love, Sentry Ojeda.

His heart was pounding a mile a minute. The cambion could return home at any second and then this would all be for nothing, they would both be punished swiftly and severely. Sentry knew this, he knew it and he has felt Raphael's wrath before, as had Enver, but Enver believed he could pull this off and at the end of the day, there was nothing Sentry wouldn't do for the older boy. Besides, if Raphael was focused on him then that was one less moment he had to turn his wrath on Rolan, or Astarion, or even little Ilya. Sentry would bear that.

Finally, his sharp, pointed ears heard the click of the office door opening and he glanced back to see Enver grinning triumphantly, his long hair slick with sweat that beaded on his forehead, his dark eyes gleaming eagerly. On his back was a pack filled to the brim with gold and valuables, enough to make it out there alone, at least for a few years, but by then his inventive mind would find a way to sustain him.

Sentry smiled back, that crooked broken smile from so many beatings and punishments and the two spared a moment, gazing into eachother's eyes before their lips met hungrily, sharing a deep, passionate kiss, Sentry's sharp teeth nipping at Enver's lips, their tongues daring to brush against one another.

Too soon they pulled back from eachother. There was precious little time left before Raphael returned. Enver's dark eyes met Sentry's mismatched ones and he gripped the younger boy's shoulders tightly. "I will come back for you, my love, I promise."

"Don't worry, I can handle myself, Envy." Sentry grinned roguishly, one hand gently caressing the side of Enver's scarred and bruised face. "It's enough to know you're safe."

One final kiss and the two separated, Enver hurrying quickly towards the staff entrance while Sentry inhaled deeply, forcing down the tears that threatened to come as he made his way back to the dormitory. Rolan would be at his private lessons with that smug hack wizard, Astarion was asleep with the thin, scratchy blanket pulled up over his head, and Ilya, little do gooder he was, was likely doing his chores and Sentry's as well. For all intents and purposes alone now, Sentry allowed himself to collapse on his bed, the already too small cot he had often delighted in allowing Enver to sneak into late at night after all the others had gone to sleep, even the heavy creaking of the springs under their combined weight and the movement of their tryst not enough to wake the others, and he buried his face in his hands.

Enver was safe now and that was what mattered, but to go on here without him...of course he'd promised to come back for him, but that could take years, and more than that, if he did that would bring him right back into danger of falling into Raphael's clutches and everything would have been for nothing. He could not hope for that, could not rely on it. With a deep breath, Sentry forced down the tears that threatened to come and prepared to greet the rest of the day as if nothing had changed. Rolan's bruises would need healing, Astarion would likely have some plan that desperately required Sentry's help, and Ilya would need protection from bullies. For Sentry, nothing had changed except that aching, gnawing feeling that he was now more alone than ever.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: MC makes M6 breakfast in bed

Part 2 is here:

Julian

So excited when he sees what you're bringing him that he nearly upsets the breakfast tray

"This is for me? Really?? I love you. I love you so much MC."

He's secretly checking to make sure you included some coffee because the excitement will only last him so long and he needs to be awake for this

Legit might start crying when you hand him the biggest mug of the strongest stuff on the market

Will pull you into bed to keep him company while he eats

Over the top compliments on every dish

"This toast is beautiful. Best toast I've ever had. It's a good thing you only made enough for me or people would fight wars for this toast. Look at the beautiful detailing along the edge! I should write a sonnet for this crust."

Squabbled with Malak over the crumbs

Will brag about it to anyone who will listen

Asra

You knew to put the tray down nearby before waking him up because it takes a while

Rumpled and drowsy and so charmed by your affection he keeps forgetting to eat at first

Only digs in once you're snuggled in next to them

They insist on feeding you every other bite

Faust has her own diet but she's intrigued with all the dishes in the bed

She curls up around the teapot because it's warm and now it's impossible to have more tea because she looks so happy neither of you wants to disturb her

After you wash up the breakfast dishes together he'll insist on taking on some of your daily duties in return

Nadia

At first she thinks you just requested breakfast be brought to her chambers and you felt like carrying the tray yourself

Until she notices that the fruit is unevenly sliced and there's a salad fork next to her eggs

Very deeply honored

Takes her time to savor each bite, putting on her best manners for you

Is it as good as the professional palace chef? No, but MC made it with their own two hands, therefore it could not be better

Lots of thoughtful compliments

She's especially pleased with the small silver bowl of Chandra-safe food you included so she could join you two from the windowsill

You'll be receiving an invitation to her gazebo later for the finest afternoon tea she could plan

Muriel

We know he got through a lot of his early childhood by trying to sleep off the hunger, so you can imagine how special it is for him to wake up to your smiling face and a heaping plate of food in the comfort of his own bed

Good luck being awake before him though, he wakes up at dawn to feed the chickens

Doesn't have many words that early in the morning, so he'll very carefully accept your gift with a small, sleepy smile

He won't start eating until he knows you've been properly fed

Not everything on the tray is breakfast food, because you're on a mission to feed him all the dishes he never tried growing up

You spent all of the previous afternoon in the marketplace visiting each food vendor for their best menu item

You gave Innana so many treats to guard it outside the hut overnight and not tell Muriel about it

He insists on doing the breakfast dishes so you can go back to sleep, you were up before the sun was after all

Portia

Squeals

Not gonna lie, you were kind of worried about the food you had to offer since Portia is one of Vesuvia's best bakers

Which is why you enlisted Mazelinka's help to make something she wouldn't find in the palace

It's close enough to the real thing that she recognizes it almost immediately and gets a little teary eyed

Talking with her mouth full about how you two are going to take classes from Mazelinka together

"I didn't realize how much I missed this until I smelled it MC, thank you so much! I need to learn how to make this now."

There is also a small bowl of cold chicken and catnip tea for Pepi

You and Portia watch her drink it and dissolve into giggles when she gets high off of it

Rubs it in Ilya's face next time she sees him that she has a super awesome MC who makes her breakfast in bed

Lucio

He didn't want to wake up at first, but the breakfast is a good bargain

Doesn't realize that you're the one who made it until you tell him

"Why didn't you say so? Of course you would though, I'm - we're - the best!"

Invites Mercedes and Melchior onto the bed to partake in the feast

"You'd better be grateful, MC made this with their own two hands."

There are crumbs everywhere, you'll have to change the sheets later

He really is grateful though, every now and then he'll look over at you and blush amidst all the chaos

By lunchtime he's forgotten about it

[lucienne-my-beloved]

Jed Walker! The boy has been THROUGH it. And while we assume he has the best therapy Unity’s money can buy, he also loved a very special nightmare. (Plus teenage boys love scary movies and such, as a "safe" way to experience scary things, maybe he goes and makes friends with Gault’s coworkers?) I would love to see Jed’s relationship to his nightmares in his healing process.

Ooh I love this! Oh no it ties in to another prompt I was going to write! I’ll ~~start~~ write it here ~~apparently~~.

Jed sighed as the rats began to pour from under the manhole cover again. Oh yeah, this nightmare was getting way too familiar.

The thing was, he wasn’t really afraid of rats. Aunt Despair’s rats were so cute, the way they would climb over his lap and poke their little heads into any hole they could find — into his sleeves, under his knees and elbows, up his pant legs. Sometimes they even climbed up his arm right to his shoulder and walked around the back of his neck! It was so cute! He loved their curiosity and fearlessness and their tiny little hands and feet and intelligent eyes and cute little noses and plump bellies and long tails.

He wasn’t afraid of nightmares, either. After all, his best friend (at least, in the Dreaming) used to be a Nightmare. And now that he was a Knight of the Order of the Dreaming, they even came to him sometimes when they were having problems! Well, him and Gault. At first he had been jealous that Gault took Alice instead to help with the more grown up problems, but then he had realized that grown up just meant boring and complicated, not scary and exciting, so he didn’t mind anymore. He got to help with the fun ones.

But this nightmare was from that time the rat bit him on the ankle in the basement, after he fell sleep crying again that one time. He braced to fight the rats again, but then realized maybe he could try this a different way this time. Instead of attacking or running (it never worked), he stood still and pretended they were Aunt Despair’s rats.

“Hello,” he said calmly as they ran up his legs and climbed his shirt. “Your are my Nightmare, but I’m not afraid of you anymore. I like rats now. Can we play instead?”

The rats paused as one and looked at him curiously. Then they began moving again, but in all different directions, like Aunt Despair’s did. He carefully sat down and laughed and giggled as they explored under, over, around and through him (well through his sleeves, anyway). At the end, one sat on his shoulder and put a tiny little paw on his ear and said, “You know, now that you are not scared anymore, I won’t be able to come back.”

“Oh, that’s too bad! But maybe we can be friends in the Dreaming? You could play with Aunt Despair’s rats, when she comes to visit? I’ll ask Nana Unity for cat food for you?” (Jed had looked up what rats like to eat, in case Rose ever wanted to get him one for a pet.)

The Nightmare Rat rubbed against the side of his face and shivered with pleasure. “I’d like that, Jed!”

“Good, then it’s settled,” Jed said, as the dream faded around him.

—

@ilya-halfelven you were the one who asked how Jed felt about Despair’s rats.

[finishwhatyoustarted-event]

Finished It Friday Masterpost - SFW Fanfictions

This special post celebrates all of the Safe For Work (rated G and T) works posted during this spring Finish What You Started event! This will include ones only included on previous twitter threads, as well as ones in tumblr posts and ones from the AO3 collection.

If you do not see your work, please let me know! It may have slipped through the cracks.

--

Wish: Extras by sasuhina_gal

Miraculous Ladybug - Rated T - Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine - Lila and Adrien's Lives are Switched, Fluff and Angst, Ladybug Luka Couffaine - "Even though the wish has changed Adrien's life forever, sometimes, the past has a way of poking at you, even if you don't remember what it was."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57902863/chapters/149604478

 beloved, betrayer by ubepandeSol 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rated G - Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson - Unrequited Crush -"|Nico knows now that he shouldn’t have trusted his father, but his sister Bianca once told him that there are a number of things he can only know for sure when he tests the waters. There are also a number of reasons why he shouldn’t have followed this advice, a number that does not matter right now. They’re Bianca’s words. Sometimes, Nico indulges this gut churning feeling that leads him to listen to the dead.| Chapter 8 of The Last Olympian, from Nico di Angelo's point of view."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58783639

Sick with Guilt by Akinasky 

Teen Wolf - Rated T - Derek Hale/Stiles StilinskiSheriff Stilinski & Stiles Stilinski - Underage Drinking, Anxiety, Derek Hale is a Good Boyfriend - "Stiles gets drunk, has anxiety about his dad finding out about the supernatural and goes to Derek about it." 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58674040/chapters/149505505

 Too Much Pie by Akinasky 

Content warnings: Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Vomiting - The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel, Joel & Tommy - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ellie Needs a Hug, Ellie and Joel Bonding - "Ellie's never had pie before, something happens the first time she does. She can't seem to control herself." 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58677097

 Joel's Hoodies are Safety by Akinasky 

Content warning: Panic Attacks - The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Sharing Clothes, Ellie and Joel Bonding, Vaccine was Created - "Ellie doesn't know how to feel about clothes and having preferences but she knows that she feels the safest in Joel's hoodies. Sub plot: Maria's distrust of Joel is causing harm for Ellie and the Miller family has it out." 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58834027

If You Could Leave a Light On Please by Edai

Naruto - Rated T - Inuzuka Kiba/Kankurou, Gaara & Kankurou & Temari - Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Illness, Psychosis, Disability, Polyamory, Trans Character - "|“You’re still bleeding.”    “Have you considered maybe that’s why I want to be left alone?” “Have you considered maybe that’s why I don’t want to leave you alone?”| In which Kankurou wins a hospital stay and a boyfriend."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34313401/chapters/85376500

surrender my heart by ubepandeSol

Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo - Rated T - Hanne Brum | Ilya Grimjer/Nina Zenik - Pre-Book 2: Rule of Wolves - "|The dream started the same way, with a bullet hole ripping Matthias’ chest open. Then it continued differently: some nights the boat would sink them all to the bottom of the ocean; some nights Matthias’ face disappeared; some nights the smoking gun was in her own hand; some nights Matthias was replaced with Inej, and then Kaz, Jesper, and Wylan. Last night, it was Hanne.| Nina and Hanne execute a high-stakes rescue mission to free drugged women from their slavers.    All this while Nina, still grieving Matthias' death, is on the cusp of falling in love with Hanne."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58861555

The Bitter Taste Of Victory by TheStarGayzing EtherianCollection (TheStarGayzing Etherian)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Rated T - Adora/Catra, Bow/Glimmer - During Canon, Missing Scene, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst - "After capturing Glimmer and Bow at Princess Prom, Catra ponders her victory, her feelings for Adora... and if staying with the Horde really is worth it."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59143801

5 Times Joel was an Overprotective Caretaker and 1 Time Ellie Tried to Be by Akinasky

The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel, Maria/Tommy - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Medical Procedures, Medical Trauma, Vomiting, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - "Times when Joel was an overprotective caretaker in the hospital.  Turned it into a 5+1  Prompt 9: Overdramatic patient/caretaker"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58978831?view_adult=true

Taking up Space by Akinasky

The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel - Canon Compliant, Episode 8 Follow Up, Protective Joel, Ellie Needs a Hug - "Getting Ellie away from Silver Lake was the easy part, Joel seeing her in a catatonic state was much harder.  Directly follows Episode 8 and can be read as a prequel to Only Awake, Not Really Living.   Prompt 17: Brain Fog/Spaced Out"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59071114

She's Sick, Not Terminal by Akinasky

Teen Wolf  - Rated T - Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski & Original Children of Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski - Hypochondriac Tendencies, Derek Hale Doesn't Understand Human Sickness, Derek Hale Needs a Hug, Anxiety, Panic Attacks - "Claudia is sick as an infant and poor Derek is freaking out! Stiles and Derek will work it out like they always do in this series.   Negasonic Series Addition.   Prompt 19: Hypochondriac Tendencies"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59072170

New Reality by Akinasky

The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anderson Died before they Arrived, Ellie & Joel Bonding, Depression - "Ellie wakes up in a hospital bed in Salt Lake City with a very different reality than the one she expected before they were hit with that flashbang.   Sicktember 24: Prompt Alt Hospital Bed"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59311240/chapters/151266412

She Takes on the Pain by Akinasky

The Last of Us (TV) - Rated T - Ellie & Joel - Headaches & Migraines, Vomiting, Ellie trying to deal alone, Good Parent Joel - "Ellie dealing with a migraine and just wanting Joel to help her while trying to be independent at the same time."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59341183

so lucky to be loving by ubepandeSol

Haikyuu!! - Rated T - Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Osamu - Post-Haikyuu!! Time Skip, Casual horoscope talk based on pop astrology - "|He remembered subscribing to this newsletter during one drunken party last year when Atsumu couldn’t stop grumbling about retrogrades. Now, Osamu read through the astrological forecast for his signs again, with equal amount of exasperation and incredulity. Little did he know that this would come up again later in another conversation with Atsumu, which wouldn’t even involve any alcohol.| Osamu cheers up a heartbroken Atsumu by baking him a cake, the day before their shared birthday. Atsumu thanks him by imparting very wise astrology-related information. Some time later, Osamu (secretly takes this astrology-related information seriously and) finally works up the courage to ask Kita out on a date properly."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59456566

Even In a Different Life You Still Would’ve Been Mine by DogsAreTheBest312

Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who (TV Movie 1996), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio), Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon (Big Finish Audio) - Rated T - The Doctor/Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Eleventh Doctor/Rose Tyler, Eighth Doctor/Rose Tyler - Anthology, Alternate Universe — Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe — Human, Alternate Universe — Modern Setting, Dimension Travel, dimension hopping Rose Tyler, Kid Fic, too many AUs to tag, There’s 31 of Them, Some Plot - "Rose’s search for The Doctor is far from easy. It takes her through dozens of parallel worlds, each one different from the last. In many, she encounters parallel versions of her parents or other people she loves. And in some, she comes across parallel versions of herself and her Doctor.  'Cause I believe that we were supposed to find this So, even in a different life, you still would've been mine We would've been timeless"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57670348/chapters/146758819

Subterfuge by ubepandeSol

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Rated G - Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Nehemia Ytger - Fix-It, nehemia lives - "|All Nehemia knows is that she lives. She lives to tell the tale, she lives to hold her beloved’s hands, she lives to breathe the air prophesied to leave her body permanently. At the core of this tale—a nightmare, tossed sideways and turned upside down. Years and years later, this is all she’ll remember. This is the story she’ll tell.|   Nehemia lives to tell the tale—of spending time with, and working with Aelin. The two of them break a curse."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59503534

Stars and Roses by NoseBridgePinch

South Park - Rated G - Stan Marsh, Sharon Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Shelley Marsh - family fight, Childhood Trauma, Mother and Son Relationship, Sibling Rivalry, painful hug - "Stan gets into a huge fight with his mom when she takes Shelley’s side. He ends up sending himself to his room. Kyle joins him to fangirl about Persona 5.    Whumptober 2024"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59932120

climb with me by OverthinkingThis

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF, Chinese Actor RPF - Rated G - Wang Yi Bo/Xian Zhan | Sean - Established Relationship, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Rock Climbing, Love Confessions - “Relax, Zhan-ge,” Yibo says, patting Xiao Zhan's well-muscled back comfortingly. “It'll be just like we practiced in the gym.” “But it’s nothing like we practiced in the gym! There are no candy-colored plastic holds to tell me where to put my hands and feet.” Yibo laughs, and the croaking sound of it melds into the pulsing background song of cicadas, the rustling of the trees all around them. Yibo loves his job at the climbing gym, but he feels so alive when he’s out in nature like this, drinking in the wildness of it all, reveling in the way it tests his limits. There isn’t anything quite like it, and he’s excited to finally be able to share this experience with the man he loves.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58625368

aristotle and dante and their symphony of love by pouler

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz  - Rated T - Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana - Prom, Missing Scene, Canon Divergence - It's the season for senior proms, and Aristotle and Dante have no interest in going if they can't be each other's dates. Fortunately, their friends help them find a way to make sure everything ends up perfectly.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58802329

Tell Me About Catra by TheStarGayzingEtherianCollection (TheStarGayzingEtherian)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Adora/Catra, Adora & Scorpia, Netossa/Spinnerella, Perfuma/Scorpia - Rated T - During Canon, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, One-Sided Catra/Scorpia - "Despite Etheria being in the middle of Horde Prime's invasion and the Rebellion pushed to the brink, Adora can't stop thinking about Catra. And there's only one other person who knows Catra as well as she did. (Catradora, Canon, Fluff/Angst)"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60090280

First Kisses by TheStarGayzingEtherianCollection (TheStarGayzingEtherian)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Adora/Catra, Tarangela/Succubug - Rated T - Pre-Canon, Catra is in Love with Adora, Abusive Shadow Weaver, Kissing, Adora and Catra are about six or seven here, Angst, Hurt/Comfort - "On yet another day of life in the Fright Zone, little Adora and Catra stumble onto something that opens up their world… and their feelings for each other. (Catradora, Canon, Hurt/Comfort/Fluff)"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60090733

That's My Seat! by TheStarGayzingEtherianCollection (TheStarGayzingEtherian)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Adora/Catra - Rated G - Fluff, Post-Canon, Silly, Dorks in Love, Outer Space, Minor Bow/Glimmer - "One morning aboard Darla, Adora finds that her girlfriend has comitted a most unspeakable crime... she's stolen her seat! (Catradora, Canon, Fluff)"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60103723

Just Like Magic by edupunkn00b

Sanders Sides - Deceit | Janus Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders - Rated G - Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, blooming platonic loceit, Past Abuse Referenced, Minor Character Death - "There are no mages in the South. There are no mages in the South. There are no mages in the South. There are mages in the South."

Tumblr promo - https://archiveofourown.org/works/33598879/chapters/83489710

The first wave of love… by sasuhina_gal

僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia - Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto - Rated T - Mermaid Melody AU, mermaid shouto, Surfer Midoriya Izuku, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Video Diary entries - "Izuku figured something about himself involving Shouto. Now he just needs to figure out something else about him."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33846982/chapters/84150544

find me in the world of yesterday by tellmeyoufool

전지적 독자 시점 - 싱숑 | Omniscient Reader - Sing-Shong - Kim Dokja & Shin Yoosung - Rated G - Post-Canon, Omniscient Reader Epilogue Spoilers, Angst, Hospitals, Temporary Selective Memory Loss, Platonic Relationships, Hopeful Ending - "|When Shin Yoosung opens the door of the hospital room, there are no more [Story, “Savior of a Star” has started its storytelling.] messages to see. There is no more warmth stirring in her chest when she’s felt her Story resonating and reaching out to her Constellation. In a world without the Star Stream, the absence is loud.|  Or: Kim Dokja is back, but some parts of him are still lost across time and space."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60193591

the way it was before by tellmeyoufool

Content Warning: Major Character Death - Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle - Kamui & Subaru & Sumeragi Hokuto, Kamui & Subaru, Kamui & Subaru & Sumeragi Hokuto - Rated T - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Acid Tokyo Arc (Tsubasa), Vampires, Angst, Past Character Death, Grief/Mourning, can you mourn a sibling you don't remember having?, Parallel Universes, Time Paradoxes - "Before there was Subaru and Kamui, there was Hokuto and Subaru and Kamui. Or: surrounded by water in a strange, new country, Subaru dreams."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60193744

Moonstruck by heyholmesletsgo for ayoforbetterdays

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) - Song Lan | Song Zichen/Xiao Xingchen - Rated T - Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Fierce Corpse Song Lan | Song Zichen, Flirting, Full Moon, Identity Reveal, Minor Violence - “The cloud passes by, casting them in full moonlight.   Xiao Xingchen’s eyes sink to Song Lan’s neck.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60167524

Potya’s Night Out by ubepandeSol

Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) - Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky - Rated T - Pre-Relationship, group chats, direct messages - “Yuri and Otabek go through a rough patch in their friendship. Told from the POV of Potya, and in the texts Yuri exchanges with Otabek, and his skaters plus coach group chat.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59066806

[stardropsandrain]

Julian Devorak Headcanons!

Gender Neutral Reader

I'm so sorry, I am very new to the Tumblr format and accidentally deleted your request! But I remember your name and when you asked for so thank you @kailera for requesting this!

I love Ilya so this will be fun!

Please do enjoy

He's a little spoon 100% . Hold him all night long, please. Play with his hair and kiss his neck every now then. He also loves facing you with his face in your neck. It's a comfortable place for him to hide

Sleepy hugs from behind make him weak in the knees. One time, you woke up to him cooking you breakfast. You yawn and wrap your arms around his waist from behind, and you could swear his knees would've given out had he not been leaning on the counter

He cooks really well

Steals ingredients from Asra's shop, especially the very exotic ones, to make food. Has almost died from it

When you go on adventures with Asra, leaving Julian to his own devices, you can be sure you'll receive a very excited welcome back. Kisses all over your face, causing you and Asra to laugh

He'll check you for any damages later that night. If you have none, he'll be happy and give you a kiss if you allow. That night, he'll hold you, being the big spoon with his arms around your middle and face in your shoulder blades

If you got hurt, he'd kiss the afflicted area, if you allow, and apply some medicines. Yes, you could theoretically have Asra help you, which admittedly would probably be faster, but why pass up this chance

He got into a bar fight at the Rowdy Raven because some dude hit on you and wouldn't back off after you said no. That night, he had you nurse him back to health, and he loved it. "Can I get into fights more often, flower?"No."But you touch me so delicately." You stare at him blankly and flick his forehead he'll gasp and whine,"so mean!" You'll smile and kiss the same area gently."Let's get some sleep, Ilya."

Nicknames and pet names. Julian has so many for you. Flower bc of the herbs and flowers that are typically in a plague doctor mask. When he's feeling frisky, he'll call you oregano. He also has the normal assortment of honey, love, baby, darling. Sometimes, you'll playfully call him doc or doctor, but it's usually just Ilya and love. "Hey, doc, your water for tea is done." Julian will look up from the table, his cheeks red."Did you just call me doc?"Mm, maybe, now come get your water." He'll smile and walk over, and place a kiss to your temple and smile."It's cute."

You paint each others nails. He loves dark reds on his nails but also loves pinks, purples, and blues. He loves seeing a brighter shade of green on your nails despite what may be your preference, but he won't force you. He also loves matching nail polish but won't admit it

He loves making you tea. Herbal, fruit, mint, etc. There's almost always a boiling pot of water

Everyone is pretty supportive of your relationship besides Muriel, who still thinks Ilya could be dangerous for you. Ilya finds it nice that the big scary man cares so much. Ilya constantly, very cockily, says he'll protect you

Julian is in bed at 8pm or 5am. There's no in-between. You'll fall asleep around midnight to wake up and see Ilya at his desk doing whatever it is he does. "My love, come to bed." "In a minute flower." It was not a minute. It was five hours later, and he crawled into bed

A/N; I'm sorry that this one is a bit shorter, I wanted to get it out ASAP. I'm sorry about the issue with your request! I hope you enjoyed

Good riddance and stay safe🖤🖤🖤

[katarinas-redemption]

The Blacklist - S8E21, Nachalo answers 8 years of questions.

Visual Interpretations [clues] The parallel scenes between Red and Katarina.

Me Free You Safe / You Safe and Your Mother Hidden.

Episode 4/20 The Debt Collector

Red: I’ve spent 30 years building an intelligence network of spies, informants, patriots, traitors. I’ve used it to build an empire that exists for only two reasons to keep me free and you safe.

Episode 8/20 Godwin Page

Red: A network meticulously crafted with her knowledge and blessing to serve one guiding purpose – To give me the power to keep you safe and your mother hidden.

Building an Empire

Episode 4/21

4/20 Red: I’ve spent 30 years building an intelligence network of spies, informants, patriots, traitors. I’ve used it to build an empire that exists for only two reasons to keep me free and you safe.

4/21 Red: After Katarina’s sudden departure, I felt a responsibility to watch over the girl from a distance. 

4/21 Red: Indeed, I need to control the danger to Elizabeth. I’ve built a vast criminal network predicated on that very principal. It’s time to live up to my mission statement.

Episode 8/21

Katarina: If he was, I could use his story and all that it provided to protect my daughter while watching over her from a distance. So I constructed him. Someone powerful and feared. Someone who traded in the very secrets that could help him monitor the danger around you.

Episode 8/21 

Katarina: This story is all about you, Masha. Protecting you. And then protecting your daughter.

Mistakes

Episode 8/21

Katarina: I’ve made so many mistakes, but abandoning you wasn’t one of them.

Red: Over the years, your mother’s legend has grown. Mythic spy. Bloodless turncoat.

In the process, people forgot the person behind the legend, but I haven’t. If she were here, I’m sure she’d tell you she made so many mistakes.

The Fulcrum

Liz: You said it hurt. To see me in so much pain the night of the fire. Why were you there?

Red: The Fulcrum.

Liz: My mother went to find it, to confront my father. But she wasn’t alone.

Red: There were others.

Real RR: Yes. But your mother, her people came–

Katarina: He knew we would come for you.

Real RR: Not just you. The Fulcrum.

[ Jingle Bells music slows, groans, stops ]

Real RR: And that’s why she came with a team.

Katarina: The men who worked for me looked for the Fulcrum, but the fire had spread too fast.

Promise

8/20

Red: Its shape was so clear in my memory. As if I’d seen it before. And then, one day, there it was on a map, not a perfect match, but eerily close. It became the symbol of the most important aspect of my business, an image representing the danger you faced, and the promise to protect you from it. 

8/21

Katarina: You. I made a promise the day you were born – To protect you.

My Mother

6.11

Red: My mother- My m- My mother- My mother understood.

Liz: About who you used to be – there’s something I need to ask you.

Red: My mother understood the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself. So she understood Everything.

8/21

Katarina: My mother understood me. She knew I wanted to follow a different path, but my father was unyielding. He scripted my life. He observed and scrutinized it. Even before I could understand, I was helping the Fifth Directorate carry out operations.

Other relevant dialogue from Nachalo and Konets 

8/21 Katarina: Dom lied to you about who became Reddington, but most of what he told you about Ilya was true.

Ilya: Including the part about framing Reddington as a traitor.

Misc 2 8/21 & 9/12

Red: I was born to a dark path. It’s the only path I know. 

Katarina: I was born into a world of spies. Becoming one was my destiny. 

8/21

 Liz to Katarina: Everything about you is a lie.

1.01 Red: Everything about me is a lie. 

[fostersffff]

Made it to the third level of the Reverie Corridor, and based on how Act III ends for each party and where I've gotten to in Rean's story, I'm gonna take a stab at what the hell's going on:

Trails to Azure and Cold Steel III and IV establish that causality exists and can be tracked thousands of years into the future, even accounting for manipulations (see: KeA rewriting causality to have the SSS survive the Sun Fort), and Cold Steel IV reveals that the nature of the world is that there is no world, just Zemuria, and entities like demons and McBurn are from beyond Zemuria, and that Ouroboros and a few other key figures understand and can seemingly observe the world beyond Zemuria. This isn't quite a multiverse, but it's similar in concept (and boy is it strange that "multiverse" has become a mainstream enough concept that it can be used to simplify this).

The key points I've encountered thus far in Trails into Reverie are:

Novartis revealing that the supreme leader contacted Ouroboros- not the other way around- and apparently did it by hacking the Astral Code, which is Ouroboros' fucked up world hacking program.

All of the duplicates created by Novartis are mechanical (McBurn, Arios, the Emperor)

Rufus was affected by Ilya's dance, but Lapis was not*

Rean's party was convinced that Mecha Mishy was more "real" than would be expected, considering the circumstances

The Mecha Mishy thing is, funny enough, the biggest thing for me right now, because it implanted the idea that there may actually literally be a multiverse, or something like it, including one where Mishy (and Mecha Mishy) are real, and that it's already possible for things from beyond Zemuria to enter, what with The Divergent Laws. Combining that with the fact that Ouroboros is purportedly not behind the whole thing, and instead it's largely just Novartis acting independently after being captivated by how advanced the supreme leader's tech is even compared to Ouroboros leads me to the following:

The Supreme Leader is a Rufus from beyond Zemuria where the Great Twilight was not prevented, either because Osborne or Rean failed to take out Ishmelga, or because in this alternate Zemuria the plan was never to take out Ishmelga. The consequences of this are naturally Very Extremely Bad, and Rufus is thrust into a uniquely powerful position as... well, The Supreme Leader after the fall of civilization. Using the resources at his disposal (including the Black Workshop and Schmidt, who would've stuck around in this version of events), technology advances dramatically, just like they speculated, but the population has declined so severely that there is no "rising from the ashes". It literally was the end of the world and now they're stuck in it.

However, their technology became so advanced that they were able to peer beyond their own Zemuria, and said "hey, we can apply what we've learned to another version of Zemuria and everything will be great!", and the Zemuria the games take place in is literally the only one that didn't succumb to the Great Twilight, especially since the final Black Records are like "there is an infinitesimally small chance this will not come to pass if you are Big Heroes". Which also makes me believe that's the point of the Reverie Corridor and the operator (which I have to assume is AZOTH, the "causality engine" who wrote the Black Records), who's going "this situation is so fucked that you guys are allowed to use The Hyperbolic Time Chamber as much as you want to mitigate this because Jee-Zus".

Not entirely sure how the eighth Divine Knight factors into all this, but it doesn't contradict what I've put forth so far, and only suggests that Rean's roll is- as expected of Rean Schwarzer- extremely important.

*There appears to be a meaningful difference between Lapis and the duplicates Novartis creates, but I think it's safe to assume that Ilya's dance just doesn't work on non-organic life, so the playable (native) Rufus is not a robot.

[spicywhumper]

@febuwhump 2024: day 15. "who did this to you" + @femslash-february bingo (dark edition) + whump bingo - whipped

series: untitled // rating: teen and up audiences // word count: 1,590

cw: mentioned child abuse/death, blood, mild description of injure, implied attempted SA

Stanlow is a small town, more a village than a town, perhaps with too many mouths to feed, a consequence of its location.

People like Nadine are the typical child: alone and has to fend for herself so can keep herself safe and alive, without parents or siblings or any family member at all. She was the youngest of her family, too sick and thin, they left her with the first adult-like figure they found in Stanlow. Then they left without looking back (sometimes she wonders if they ever think about her).. She’s not bitter about it at all, what you’re talking about?

Being a nobody, even one a little bit under someone’s wing,, she works all day to make sure she can pay to have a place to sleep, that she doesn’t have to sell her body hidden behind thin walls to feed herself. It also means that, by instinct, she doesn’t pay attention to commotions in town. Every other day there’s a starving child tied up to the pole at the main plaza, every other day their back is whipped free of skin. Every other week, one or two die from infection, and in the winter, even more die frozen overnight.

There are too many orphan little ones, Stanlow being the only town in the middle of the forest before they reach the larger cities surrounding the capital. Most of these children are foreigners, nameless and forgotten. Nadines painfully aware that she didnt become one of them for sheer luck.

At seventeen, she’s old enough to marry – she doesn’t have a father to pay for it (she thinks that`s good, to be honest, . At seventeen, she’s more than desensitized to the cruelty of the townspeople towards children. She’s lucky Ravyn had seen something on her, fed and housed her until she found a job as a servant at the major’s house.

So, she ignores the shouts even if deep down, each shout is a knife cutting into her heart and suffocating her. She knows she could be there.

Once, she stole a piece of bread, when Ravyn was sick. Lucky her the bread maker has a soft spot for the Ravyn. She ignores the commotion, goes on with her day. The major’s oldest son comes to visit sometimes, he ruffles her hair and gives her baked goods. At first she had been worried about what he could want from her. Soon enough, she noticed he does the same thing to all younger servants, she was relieved to see that the young man just liked to give treats to kids. That type of man is a rarity.

She carefully puts her gifts on her bag, finishes her day and goes ‘home’. The inn is small, kept by one of Ravyn’s cousins – which means even if she still has to pay, she gets a discount solely for being Ravyn’s favorite stray. She enters the room and frowns. Wasn’t Ilya supposed to be back by now?

The annoying definitely-not-human brat that Ravyn nor the innkeeper liked but they didn’t stop her from keeping her around. Nobody seemed to like Ilya, actually. She shown up months ago and still never got a job, always rejected. Something about “the devil’s eye”, whatever they meant by that.

Shit, shit, shit, she drops her bag and jumps down the staircase. The reason she tries to keep Ilya always coming back to her is because without coins, without food. They met when Ilya was running from having stolen a bread – and not from the bread maker that Nadine could apologize for.

It’s snowing slightly, the town’s silent and empty, workers had their long, long day. She comes to a stop skidding at the plaza. They always keep the whipped child tied to the pole overnight, then throw them at the edge of the forest as the sun rises.

It’s never a pretty sight, she threw up the first times she saw a half-naked girl, barely her current age, with cuts so deep on her back that she swore she saw bones.

The figure’s shivering, but silent. A look at her face and she confirms it’s Ilya, and half of her face is black and blue and bloodied. As fast as she can, she unties the knots. Her friend’s deadweight. Deadly thin or not, she’s pretty heavy as Nadine throws her over her shoulder not unlike the way she carries sacks of flour when she has shifts at the nice bread maker.

The innkeeper only rolls his eyes: “I’ll get Ravyn for you.” She didn’t intend to bother the old healer, but all of the townsfolk knows the damage the public whippings cause.

She takes Ilya upstairs, her shoulders, back and lungs hurting by the time she can put her on the bed, stomach down. Her breathing’s too shallow, her body’s too cold. At least Nadine thinks it’s good that she’s not consicous to feel the pain of a ruined back.

She paces and paces until there’s knock on the door, Ravyn has a bucket of snow on a hand and her bag of healing supplies on her other hand.

“What happened?” She asks as she enters the room.

“I’m not sure. I heard commotion earlier, didn’t investigate for obvious reasons. Then I came here, she wa supposed to be here, I found her tied to the pole.”

“Alright,” Ravyn nods. “I’m heling because she’s your friend. She has to have done something to deserve it.” Nadine doesn’t think starving children deserve to be whippe for stealing something to eat, but she doesn’t say anything. Ravyn is the closes to a honestly soft-hearted person she knows she won’t drive her awy by disagreeing with her opinions on thieves.

Ravyn picks an ointment from her bag, it doesn’t smell good, but none of them does anyways. Clean bandages and washclothes.

“Bring me clean, warm water,” the innkeeper brings in a few mintes, probably he put it to boil before going after Ravyn.

She cleans the wounds, Nadine tries to not gag. Most of the skin on her back is mangled of straight up have been ripped off by the whip. Some hits touched her face, her shoulders. The water quickly becomes murcky with dried blood and whatever else oozes from the open wound. A second bucket replaces it. Ravyn isn’t gentle, she’s halfway cleaning when the probing wake up the girl.

“Hey, hey, shh,” Nadine grabs her hand and she’s shocked with how much clarity s in Ilya’s eyes when the girl focuses on her. “We’re cleaning you. You’ll be fine.”

Ilya only nods, she’s frowning but makes almost no noise. She just watches Nadine as she starts to talk nad talk and talk about her day as a servant. Then detail what she planned for their night (she pretends her cheeks aren’t flushed, that Ravyn didn’t chuckle – Ravyn has been teasing about her and her friend for weeks now.)

As it usually happens, Ilya hangs on her every word, as if Ravyn isn’t rubbing off torn skin and dried blood. She only reacts to what the healer’s doing when she oepns the ointment, making a face at the scent.

Sometimes Nadine forgets how sensitive her nose actually is. However, she doesn’t protest as the green-ish brown is spread over her back. Ravyn covers gently with the bandages and then a layer of snow. Nadine thought she wouldn’t need it, but as soon as Ilya woke, her body temperature started to rise in a constant.

“I’l stay over night,” Ravyn tells them. “The first night is usually when ou have a change to make it.”

Nadine scowls at her, do you really need to tell her she might die anyways? Ilya only nods, not seeming distressed by it. As soon as the older owman goes away, she asks:

“How are you so calm over this?”

“I knew it was coming?”

“Who did this to you?”

“I didn’t ask for names.”

“What did you do?”

“Nadine…” “They public whip thieves. You know I’m here, you know I feed you and let you stay with me.”

Ilya flushes: “I just… wanted to, uh… give you something nice.”

“I- what?”

“I-I wanted to give you something nice, for helping me. So I stole a bracelet.”

“Brace- Krauss? You tried to steal from Krauss?”

“I heard he, uh, thieves kinda get away with it.”

“It doesn’t mean you wuold!” Ilya turns her face, with her clean from blood and the shaved head she keeps, now Nadine could see the brse on the back of her neck. “Ilya?” “I guess I know why thieves get away with it.”

“What? Oh. Oh. Fuck- I-”

“I ran into a soldier, jewelry in hand with Krauss following me, he connected the dots and took me to the plaza,” she sighs. “Whipping is better.”

“I- are you sure?”

“Yes, Nadine, I’m sure.”

She blinks a few times, hating that tone of voice. Too sure, too “I know what I’m talking about”. It doesn’t fit Ilya not knowing what Krauss did to thieves until he almost did the same.

“Did it… happen before?”

“I never stole anything but food before.”

“You know what I asked.”

“Do I need to answer?”

“That’s answer enough.”

“Hm,” minutes passes, she thinks Ilya is falling asleep until she asks softly: “Do you hate me now?”

“I’ve met you stealing.”

“No, for- do you?”

“No, I still like you. I’ll always like you. And if you’re still interested in whatever we’re going… I still want to go there with you. Alright?”

“Alright.”

[morgana-ren]

Ok so bartering/bribing Nightmare or Reaves, Astarion to help you escape from Ilya. I know they're only toying with you and it's all a big game for all four, but hypothetically, what would you have to offer to get them to "help"?

I'll go in order of how easy it is to get them to 'help' you. It's a Faustian bargain trying to get any of these rabid men to help you, but I suppose when you're chained by the collar to Ilya's bedpost, anything seems better than there.

We'll start the list off with the easiest of the three, which is obviously Reaver.

He and Ilya get on quite well, so he's likely going to be the first of the three to meet Ilya's latest sexual conquest because Ilya simply cannot resist showing off to him. They get on like two peas in a pod when it comes to libertine hedonism, so he's likely to meet you sooner rather than later. He's deeply interested in the comings and goings of Ilya's personal life (mostly the comings) and so once Ilya decides he's keeping you, plan on seeing Reaver about the manor relatively soon.

Ultimately, 'uncle' Reaver is a simple man with simple goals: Sex. Filthy, libertine, impolite, messy, disgusting, and repugnant sex.

If he takes a liking to you (and he will) the good thing is you won't have to approach him. He will approach you.

Reaver is usually a well-known businessman or celebrity, and chances are you are aware of him and his... proclivities. Trusting him is a poor choice given what you usually know about him, but sometimes, you're so desperate to get away from Ilya that you cannot imagine that Reaver is worse.

He will tell you how it aches what is left of his soul to see such a pretty thing so miserable and mistreated, and he simply couldn't abide himself if he didn't help. He could probably figure out a way to smuggle you away from Ilya— for a price.

Naturally, he's taking a great degree of risk here, and he's betraying his brother dearest, so it's only fair he gets something in return, yes?

That something is mortifyingly degrading sex in ways no one in polite society would ever dare ask for. And he will ask for it in the most casual way imaginable, as if he's asking you to pick him up a beer from the bar, all with a charming smile and wandering hands.

There's two ways it can go if you're utterly mad and agree and go through with it:

1) Reaver tells Ilya all of this beforehand, and Ilya joins in as some form of twisted punishment, to which afterward, Reaver says something along the lines of "Oh dear, he's on to us. I'm afraid we must wait a little longer, ma cherie. Don't let him ride you too hard, hmm? He seems quite irate at our little plan to elope and I simply couldn't live with myself if he hurt you terribly on my behalf."

Basically, a very elaborate setup to a threesome and he's getting what he asked for regardless of his end of the deal. Sometimes Ilya will simply watch him, and other times, Ilya will slide in and make things extra difficult, depending on how he's feeling. They're very close and it's likely in that case that they both thought it would be funny to give you hope only to cruelly yank it away while both were getting fucked. It's a fun group activity. That's like a Saturday night to them.

2) Reaver is actually quite serious. He will help you escape— to his dungeon instead.

Reaver loves Ilya and considers him a brother. Reaver is also a manipulative, underhanded ass. He will backstab them if there's something he covets and call it 'just business.'

If he spends time around you and finds himself charmed, he will hatch a plot to 'save' you from Ilya, only to keep you captive himself in the name of 'keeping you safe.' He'll tell you Ilya will hunt you to the ends of the earth and the only place you'll be safe is in his secret rooms. You're a poor little thing without a penny to your name so he won't charge you for it. He's certain you can work something out.

Reaver and Ilya will kill each other over this repeatedly until Nightmare eventually steps in, tired of having to resurrect Reaver. Things get messy when they both have feelings. How it proceeds from there highly depends.

Second on the list is Asto.

Asto isn't as openly licentious as Reaver is (almost no one is, really) so he's going to be a bit more subtle in his attraction. Ilya will let him feed off you just to show off how delicious your blood is, and if he's feeling generous, will let Asto 'play' with you. You're going to be the pretty wallflower regardless of whether he accepts, serving drinks (usually your own) until you've been drained dry and to the point of hallucinating by both of them. Asto is more respectful of Ilya's feelings and isn't always likely to make a move on you without Ilya's consent.

The best way to get him to cast aside his brother and help you is to make him like you. Fight him, insult him, make it fun for him. Be clever and feisty and taunt him. Don't go down easy. Make him work for everything he takes from you. Asto and Ilya have similar tastes, so chances are it shouldn't be too difficult. Be fun in a way he can't forget.

If you've done it right, Asto isn't going to want the fun to end, and he's not going to want Ilya's permission every time either. Jealous is a good word for it.

That being said, he will try to barter with Ilya first, going through the proper channels and going above board.

When that doesn't work, he will get underhanded.

He'll try to convince Nightmare that you're a distraction or a risk to darling Ilya, and that he could handle you better. Nightmare will see through this usually, however. He will try to appeal to Ilya's 'brotherly' love. Failing that, he will simply wait until Ilya is distracted and he will abscond with you, hiding you away somewhere he thinks Ilya won't look while playing innocent and pinning the crime on one of his brothers or perhaps just how crafty you are.

Asto isn't like Reaver in that he will hold you captive. He's going to let you go and come for you whenever he wants. He wants you to fight and throw a fit every time he comes for what he's owed. He will remind you who you owe your freedom to.

However, Asto is the most 'moral' of the group (albeit hardly at all) so reminding him of his captivity under Cazador might make him feel pity. Thing is, Ilya is his brother, and getting him to betray him won't be easy. Asto must like you to go to bat for you. Enamoring him is an effective way. Play your cards right and manipulate him. Be fiery and strong and make him think it's a damned shame that you're cooped up here, stuck under Ilya taking his cock day in and day out. Make him think it's a waste that you aren't his. Think of it as him seeing a wild, beautiful, bucking bronco locked in the stables rather than being ridden properly. The brothers, while loving each other, are arrogant, selfish, and also in love with themselves. Make him covet you enough to snub Ilya and he will.

He'll forgive him later, he's sure.

He's going to tell you that you owe him a free meal whenever he wants, but everyone knows it's far more than that.

It isn't simple and it's going to take time, but it is possible.

By a wide margin, the most difficult of the three is Nightmare.

Nightmare is going to have no interest in you at all, even if he finds you attractive. He's going to be rude, dismissive, and treat you like dirt. If Ilya offers to share, Nightmare will usually sneer and refuse, preferring torture to sex and calling Ilya a degenerate.

He will refer to you as 'Ilya's little whore' on the best of days and instruct Ilya to be more on top of your discipline. Either he's going to ignore your existence almost entirely, or he's going to take great pleasure in tormenting you and causing you pain.

Don't bother trying to seduce him. It won't work at first. He has to want you badly enough to act which isn't a game of flashing cleavage like Reaver or being feisty like Asto. It takes cunning and craft and time.

Nightmare likes his girls clever, fragile, and vulnerable. Be interesting. Talk to him. Be clever. Be smart. Say things that impress him. Look up to him, make him feel wise and powerful and strong. He will insult you and make every interaction a hell, but after a while, it will stick in his head. Let him catch you crying. Be soft and pretty. Be polite and show proper decorum at first. Look up at him with big doe eyes. Be the pretty little damsel and make him your hero. He's so much better than Ilya. He terrifies you. You behave around him because you respect him.

Enchanting Nightmare is easily the most difficult of the three, but it's also the most likely to win you your freedom... In a manner of speaking. Nightmare actually has the power to keep you from Ilya if he so desires. He can sequester you away in a pocket dimension or keep you in the black palace. He is technically Ilya's boss.

Thing is, he actually loves Ilya very much and he won't do this to him him lightly, and even if he does, he won't break Ilya's heart. Nightmare isn't looking for love or attachment in ANY regard, so it has to creep up on him. He has to see some kind of future with you, or like you enough that he decides he wants you for himself. If Ilya loves you, and things get messy, he's going to try to broker a deal where both sides are happy. He's going to want to share.

Nightmare would have you believe he's impenetrable, but that's very much not true. You can make him take a great interest in you and eventually fall for you against his own will. That's pretty much the only way he's going to get involved.

That or actually being a nuisance and getting in his way. If he believes you're a detriment to Ilya or his personal plans, he will be very vocal about it, but believe you me, you do not want to make an enemy of Nightmare.

You can tell your plan is working when Nightmare becomes particularly cruel. Nightmare enjoys torturing his objects of affection and being a real bastard to them. When he seems keen on making you cry, chances are he secretly wants to touch you in ways that aren't appropriate. He's going to deliberately make messes just to watch you clean them up. He's going to force you to make him a whole elaborate dinner only to sit you on his lap and feed from you afterwards. He's going to squeeze you just to see how react when you're hurt. You're going to run into him in the dead of night and he's going to terrify you just to give himself the giggles.

He still likely won't take up Ilya's offer to ravage you; rather, he's going to corner you when you're alone and instrument some ridiculous scenario and get creepy very fast. When his hands are on you, nails digging in to the back of your neck, hissing what an airheaded little harlot you are and how you're clearly only useful on your knees, telling you that you've earned what he's about to do to you, you've succeeded in planting yourself in his head. You'll begin having very realistic nightmares (no pun intended) about him night after night. It's a very painful, terrifying confirmation.

Sometimes it happens even if your goal isn't seducing him. Sometimes he just falls on his own.

Nighty won't ask for anything. He will simply do. When he wants you, he will simply take you. He's a sight bit more 'honorable' than the other two and won't hurt Ilya or lie to him in most cases, but he will make it known that he has taken an interest and intends to act on it. He's very capable of being underhanded but he usually doesn't have the need to. He's very diplomatic in most cases.

Thing is, this probably isn't a good thing and I wouldn't recommend it. Nightmare will lock you away, and he is worse than the other three. It's literally jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The other three will torment you, yes, but it doesn't hold a candle to what turns Nightmare on. Turning this old dragon's gaze towards you isn't easy, and my God, is it miserable. Nothing gets him throbbing like a girl wailing and weeping for him, weak and pretty and pliant. He will fuck you and lick your tears. He will make you blow him until you black out only to cum on your face and the floor and make you lick it clean. He will make you bleed and tell you how good you taste, and that it's your fault. He will fuck you until he literally cannot feel his legs and will cum dust, and then he will wrap his tail around you and force you to pet his horns and cuddle him like it's all some adorable domestic setup-- assuming you've earned the right to be on the bed and not the floor.

He's a devil, for fucks sake.

All the men are utterly abhorrent. Really. Like once one of them has taken a liking to you, there's really no freeing yourself. None of them are particularly more desirable than the others, but I would say Nightmare is probably the worst of the lot, followed by Ilya and Reaver in a tie, and then Asto. Asto, ironically, is a bit more 'human' than the others despite being a complete and total bastard, and he's capable of having sympathy and pity for you a bit easier.

Keep in mind, this Asto is massively different and has a different escape story than the canon Asto. He's essentially a different person. Looks the same, but ended up falling in with the bastards and sort of.. became one.

[sgcairo]

Pitch for an AU of The AU

If Anastasiy hadn't been picked up by Pantalone, the Tsaritsa would've undoubtedly taken him under her wing. Hence I raise you: Prince of Snezhnaya, Anastasiy Danya-Ilya.

Honestly, who doesn't love a little Dottore running around? The Tsaritsa would take one look at him and instantly claim him, he's absolutely adorable. His stare is something to work on, but his whispered apologies after he runs into her and his little comment about how pretty she is... He's her baby now, no questions. He's an absolutely adorable lad, and seeing him in clothes far too big and freezing half to death- she'll be having a serious talk with Dottore later, which will definitely include beating him senseless.

What's even better is that Pierro would've been designated as "honorary father" from the beginning, because who else better to raise an innocent child than a man who's seen the horrors of the world? Besides, the Tsaritsa thinks his confusion upon being grabbed by the leg and called "dad" is absolutely hilarious and adorable, especially regarding her own position as "mom". She gets the chance to shoot her shot with Danya as her wingman, the two have many secret plots to officially instate him Anastasiy's father.

For the most part, he grows up relatively less traumatized overall. It's hard to steal a child when his mother is paranoid about losing him, to the point that she sleeps in the armchair near his bed just to be safe. He's usually climbing into bed with her anyways, he likes having his mama nearby so he doesn't overheat. When she does cry in her sleep, he always makes sure to hug her tightly, even if he can't do much with his small body.

They definitely sit in the Tsaritsa's garden together (an idea that I thieved from @ardensforest) when she has spare time. Anastasiy's favorite flower will always be the bluebell, and he always brings one back to put by his bed. They often take short walks around the perimeter, just to check on the Tsaritsa's flowers, and to talk about whatever new subject Anastasiy has been hooked on.

Once he gets older, the Tsaritsa definitely coerces Pantalone into surrendering some of the treasury to fund his expeditions and costs of building ruin guards. He's still a version of Dottore, even if he's been removed from direct association, and he has a passion for building things, regardless of the circumstance. While yes, he's very self conscious about the oil stains on his nice shirts, his mother is always happy to buy him more, and always reassures him that "there's no reason to be ashamed of what you love, my son".

In the public eye, he is the crown jewel of the nation, the perfect son and prince. They idolize him somewhat, as the supposed child of the Tsaritsa, and few would even think let alone attempt to hurt him in any way. Of course, this doesn't stop them from trying, which ends terribly and almost sends Snezhnaya into an even worse storm as the Tsaritsa fervently searches for her missing son. On another expedition in his pursuit of making more "friends", his carriage is attacked and overturned, leaving nothing but a burned and blackened shell behind. She searches and searches, but he's nowhere to be found.

Pierro has to calm her down to prevent a cataclysmic event, especially considering the original cause of the eternal winter. Danya is resilient, he'll live. But he's nowhere to be found, his blood covered by layers of snow. Not even the tracking dogs have any luck, Dasha is about as perplexed as the others.

All the while, Anastasiy stumbled off into the woods after being injured and met the love of his life, a boy from a small village on the coast: Morepesok. Having stumbled into the clearing where said boy and his family lived, he begged for help, as he was freezing to death and quickly advancing towards his demise from the injury to his leg. Who was the boy to refuse, especially the crown prince and beloved savior of the nation?

Cue the recovery and Danya being absolutely head over heels for his new friend, and as he recovers, he finds that returning home seems more and more difficult as time wears on. He loves his mother, he really does, but he also has found something new... something akin to love.

The only question is: How long will it take for his new friend to notice?

Hint: Not long, Danya is not good at being subtle.

[votestaynight]

11th day - "DragonSlay" (scene 3)

cw: Fate's a porn game. Yeah, I know, crazy right? There's porn in this one. fair warning.

"――!" I have no time to think. I don't have a chance of winning with this body, so I should do my best not to be found. How about that bed for the time being!? I jump into the bed and hide by pulling the sheets over me. The sound of the door opening follows. …Ilya might be back or it might be someone from the castle. Either way, that someone must be shocked and bewildered at the vanished prisoner and must be looking at the empty chair with blank amazement.

"―――――" "―――――" Ha, this is soft and perfect. The person is standing in speechless shock at this perfect closed door trick, and… "…What are you playing around for, Shirou?" And says so in an utterly astonished tone.

"Huh?" I take my face out of the soft bed.

"I asked you what you were doing there. I do not want to think this, but do not tell me you intended to hide in there." "Uh――well, um…" I climb out of the bed.

"Actually, I was hiding." I ask her with my eyes whether I was being naive. "Beyond belief. If I was the enemy, I would cut you in half without mercy."

"Uh, um…" I'm unable to answer back. …I think I just showed her something really embarrassing.

"Um, well… Saber, why are you here…?" "I should not even need to tell you why. There is no need for a reason for a Servant to protect her Master. It is only natural to come and save you if you are held captive."

"Um… well, I'm asking you how you knew I was captured. No, more importantly, why are you here? This is Ilya's hideout. This is no place for you."

"I-I should be asking that! What were you doing? I told you so many times not to go off by yourself, yet you were so easily captured by Ilyasviel and taken to a place like this…!"

"You're disqualified as a Master. I shall not be satisfied unless you apologize to me in some way."

"Ugh… I was certainly careless. But why are you here? You can't move properly, right? What are you thinking coming to Ilya's castle in that state!?"

"No, what are you thinking? A Servant's role is to protect its Master. You have been captured, so it does not matter if this is Ilyasviel's castle."

"―――――" Saber speaks clearly. …Her figure is just as it was before. It's different from the figure sleeping, weak and in pain.

"…Shirou? Why are you silent all of a sudden? Did you suffer any wounds while you were held captive…!?" "Oh… no, that's not it. I'm fine. More than that, I'm glad you look well."

…I really regained my peace of mind. I'm surprised Saber's here, but I'm happy she's back to normal. It's just selfish prejudice. But I think Saber is meant to act like this.

"…I'm sorry, Saber. I don't quite understand, but you came to save me, right?"

"Uh… yes. It is only natural for a Servant to save her Master." "Thank you. You're a godsend."

――I'm glad. There's no problem now. All that's left is to escape with Saber and―― …Hey. Why can I see Tohsaka…?

"T-Tohsaka…?" Ummm. Is she really, seriously there?

"You seem to be doing better than I expected. Maybe there was no need for us come, huh?"

"That is what I said, Rin. You should have left Emiya Shirou be. This kind of a man causes trouble for the people around him and survives. This was a good opportunity. He would have died if you had abandoned him."

"…That is inexcusable, Archer. I am the one that asked for help, but you do not have the right to insult Shirou."

"――Heh, so you act like that now that your Master is safe, huh? The Master's like this, and the Servant's the same. I guess you have no respect for your allies. …Well, we are to fight eventually. It will be easier to fight then if no feelings are held."

"……" Saber falls silent as if he hit a sore spot. …This guy… does he not get along with Saber either?

"That's it. You still remember the situation we're in, right? We don't have time to stand around chatting. We have to retreat before Ilyasviel gets back."

"…? Hold on a second. Did you guys come here knowing this place is Ilya's castle? No, first of all――" Ilya went out intending to kill them. Then…. does that mean Ilya and Tohsaka missed each other?

"――That's okay. I think Ilya's heading to my place now. If you guys didn't come here, I think you would have ended up fighting her."

"Yes, it seems so. I confirmed Ilya and Berserker leaving. …Well, we wouldn't have come in like this if it wasn't for that."

…I see. Tohsaka took such drastic measures because she knew Ilya went outside. She's as direct as ever, but that turned out for the best this time.

"Anyways, we'll talk later. I came prepared when I realized this was Einzbern's base, but it'd be great if we don't have to meet them. We can't match Berserker anyway with Saber in that state." Tohsaka steps between me and Saber.

"…Tohsaka. What do you mean by Saber's state? She looks fine and she's just like normal."

"Hey now. Convenient things like that never happen. Saber hasn't healed at all. Can't you tell just by looking that she's barely even standing?" "Rin…! I thought you promised not to talk about that…!"

"Sorry, I'm going back on that. It's bad to hide it, and it's not something we could keep from him anyway." "…That is true, but――" Saber hesitates painfully. That makes me realize that her condition has not improved at all.

"――Saber. Is that true?" "…Yes. What Rin says is true. It is embarrassing, but I cannot fight as Saber right now. All I will be able to do is to be your shield."

"Huh, that's what I thought. You wouldn't listen and you wanted to come with us when you can't even arm yourself. I bet she intended to protect her Master instead of fighting."

"Wha――?" My breathing stops. What is that? She's so weak she can't arm herself? What ridiculous things is she saying about being my shield?

"…I am sorry, Shirou. I know I am a failure as a Servant with a body like this. But I am able to act as a shield. I am sure you are dissatisfied, but please accept that for now――"

――That's it! Why do you always think such stupid things――!?

"Don't kid me, of course I'm not satisfied…! Tohsaka, why did you bring Saber!? Don't you know Saber's more important than me…!?"

"W-What? I objected too! But Saber didn't listen, and only Saber knew where you were anyway. I knew it was dangerous, but I still needed Saber!"

"But still――" I start to yell that she shouldn't have brought her, but I stop myself. …I'm in no position to criticize Tohsaka. The root of all this was me getting captured. Tohsaka and Saber just did what they thought was right.

"…Disputes are good, but you should stop for now, Rin. A Master will be sensitive to changes in her dwelling. We do not have time to explain things in a leisurely fashion."

"…You're right. Ilyasviel should be hurrying back by now. ――All right. We'll leave the conversation until later. We have to get out of this castle first. That's okay, right Shirou?"

"Shirou, we should…" "――Well, but…" If Saber is like she was last night, isn't it difficult for her to even walk? I can't let Saber push herself if she's in that state.

"…Honestly. It seems you take me too lightly." "Huh, Saber…?"

"Even though my magical energy is depleted, I can fight better than you, Shirou. To me, you seem to be the one about to disappear. …I do not think Rin has noticed, but your magical energy is disrupted, correct?"

"Oh… no, this isn't anything serious. It's fine if I bear with it. I'm, uh――fine, really."

"Then I am the same as well. It is painful, but it is not unbearable. I believe things are going too fast for you to grasp the situation, but let us follow Rin for now. If we are to talk, we can do so once we get home." Saber urges me forward.

"―――――" …Geez. I can't even worry if she says so with such an expression.

"…You're right. I have a lot to talk about, but I'll leave it until we get home safely." …Yes, about Saber's body, and thanking her for coming to save me. ――That dream is not something I should ask her about right now.

"――All right. Let's go, Saber." Nodding, I move my body earnestly.

…I sweat with each step, but I can't complain. Saber came all the way here with her weakened body. So as a man, I can't show weakness now――

"―――――Wow." As soon as we leave the room, I gasp. Is this… a hallway? From this museum-like hallway, I guess the building is really big.

"Hey, this is no time to be fascinated. Even if we leave the castle, there's a big forest outside. If we don't hurry, it'll be morning."

"A big forest――? Then is this place really on a mountain? That forest a few hours drive away from Fukuyama?"

"Yeah, this is Einzbern's secret castle. Even if we get out of this castle, we'll have to spend a few hours getting out of the forest. It's night now, so we'll make our way out by the morning."

Tohsaka runs down the hallway without hesitation. I guess she's heading to the back entrance she snuck in through.

"…I knew it was night already, but… how long was I captured for?" I thought it was only half a day, but it might have been longer.

"You were captured by Ilyasviel this morning. It has been half a day since then. …The date has changed, so that means you have been captured for a day now."

"Ugh… I see. I'm ashamed." "No, please do not be. You were safe even though you have been captured by Ilyasviel for so long. That must be proof that your mind did not give in, even though your body was held captive."

"――That might be true." "Yes. Ilyasviel looks like a young girl, but she is a magus of Einzbern. If you were to yield to her, you would not have been yourself.

"…It is not like I did not consider that possibility. I came to this castle prepared to find you dead in the worst case." "―――――"

"So I am glad I am able to see you again. Since my Master is safe, I cannot lose either."

…Saber says so with a faint smile. I feel the same way. I was so worried, wondering whether Saber was all right.

"Hey, are you really trying to escape!? I'll go on ahead if you're too slow…!!" Tohsaka yells at us from the corner ahead.

"Gah, this is no time to be talking. Let's hurry, Saber." I run, urging Saber on as well. …! Every step brings unpleasantness and pain as if boiling water is pouring into my veins. But I can run if I grit my teeth.

Forcing my aching body to move, I follow Tohsaka. Saber is running behind me as if escorting a sick person. …She must be in pain. She's acting firm, but Saber's in no condition to move properly.

"Saber, if you're in pain――" I stop myself from asking her if she needs a hand. If I said that, Saber would stubbornly try to run on her own.

I should just watch for now. If Saber looks tired enough that she can't make excuses, I can carry her then. …Saber is really troublesome. This stubborn girl won't rest unless I do something that forceful.

――And so. Following Tohsaka's lead, we reach the exit of the castle.

"This is the main entrance, Tohsaka――!?" "…? Why are you saying something so obvious? This is what entrances are for, right? This is the fastest way if you want to go out or come in." Tohsaka runs down the stairs.

"……" …Well, I'm in no position to complain. Saber and I descend the stairs into the hall. I guess this is the lobby. So that must mean we'll be outside if we go through that large door at the end.

"All right, we're doing well to have gotten this far. The problems come after we get into the forest, but it's night and all, so maybe we'll be able to get out to the main road under cover of darkness. It'll be too late when Ilyasviel comes back and finds out you're not here anymore. It'll be morning by the time she gets back…. Hey, why that unsatisfied look on your face?"

"…No, it's nothing. I was just realizing again that you're a big shot."

"…? You realize the weirdest things in the weirdest places." …Like, entering the enemy's base from the main entrance and the way she's acting so confidently.

"Oh well. Let's go outside. I remember the way back, so we won't get lost."

We head for the entrance. A long hall stretches from the lobby and a large door can be seen on the end. It's amazing, the hall is about 30 meters long. …I think to myself that this place really is a castle. And the instant I start to walk…

"――Oh, you're going home already? That's too bad, after you came so far."

The voice of the girl who shouldn't be here echoes through the room with a faint laugh.

"――!" I turn around instantly. Everybody stops. The instant I turn around and see the "enemy", I understand that I will be killed if I turn my back on it again.

"Ilya… sviel――" Tohsaka's voice is shaking. Across the hall. On the stairs we came down is something that should not be there.

――It's strangely like the time before. Ilya is standing above us with Berserker standing behind her. Berserker's presence is overwhelming. As I can feel the Servant's strength now, I can understand how much of a monster he is. ….How absurd. He's not at a level Saber could match even in her normal condition.

…It probably wouldn't even be a fight. That thing is not something that can be beaten in battle. Defeating Berserker means eliminating it without fighting it. In other words. We should have avoided him if we didn't want to die.

"Good evening. I'm happy you have come to see me, Rin." Ilya's voice is cheerful. That smile is the same as it was eight days ago. Innocent and merciless emotion that will kill any insects she catches.

――I understand now. We won't be able to get away. I can't stop Ilya no matter what I do. Even if I can get Ilya's attention, that doesn't mean everyone else can get away.

"What's wrong? It's boring if you don't talk. I'm giving you some time, so I think it would be best if you at least leave behind a will."

She giggles. …But we don't have such composure. We will run for the entrance if there is an opening. Even though we know there will be no such chance, we can only wait for it.

"…I see. Then let me ask you one thing." But still. Tohsaka takes a step toward Ilya.

"Ilyasviel. I didn't feel you coming back, so were you actually hiding all this time?"

"That's right. I didn't go anywhere. I was just watching you make a fool of yourselves." "――I see. Does that mean the one who went out was a fake?"

"Yes. I knew you people were coming, after all. I'm the master here, so I have to welcome the guests, right?"

The giant figure suddenly disappears. I don't know if it jumped or just moved there. Berserker appears in the middle of the lobby with a whirlwind.

…We're done for now. If we retreat, we'll be slashed in half the instant we turn our backs. But we'll be killed as well if we stay like this. The only path left is to challenge that mass of death, knowing it'll be pointless.

"Are you done talking now? Then let's begin, Berserker." The girl raises her hand as if performing some kind of a ritual, looks down at us, and… "――I swear. I will not let anyone go today." …She declares so with delight and murderous intent.

Light shines in Berserker's eyes. …The Servant that has obeyed Ilya up to now has his mind released and identifies us as his enemies.

"―――――" A gritting sound. "…Tohsaka…?" Tohsaka grits her teeth hard as if regretting something.

"…Archer, can you hear me?" She murmurs in a quiet voice without turning around. "――A little while is enough. Keep him busy by yourself." She orders her Servant to die.

"―――――" Archer does not answer. "Ridiculous…! Are you insane, Rin? Archer is no match for Berserker by himself…!" "We'll run while you do that. Archer, buy us time until we escape."

Ignoring Saber, Tohsaka continues her instructions. Her voice is cold, killing her emotions.

"―――――" Archer, who has been silent as if pondering something, quietly nods and… "That is a smart move. I will be able to escape if you escape first. Independent action is a specialty of Archers after all." …Takes a step forward as if to protect Tohsaka.

Berserker does not move. Only Ilya's laughter can be heard from above.

"Wow, I'm surprised. You're saying such an unknown Servant is going to stop my Hercules? Wow, you have a cute side to you, Rin."

"――" Neither Tohsaka nor Archer has the composure for a rebuttal. Tohsaka and Archer know that fact better than anyone.

Archer steps forward. He is empty-handed as usual.

"……" Tohsaka is watching Archer's back. …She must not have anything to say to him. Tohsaka should know her command is unreasonable. Because she told her Servant to die so that we can escape.

"…Archer, I-" Tohsaka starts to say something. But… "By the way, Rin. May I confirm one thing?" …Archer interrupts her words in a cool voice unsuited to the situation.

"…Fine. What?" Tohsaka looks at Archer with a downcast look. Still looking at Berserker…

"Yeah. Buying you some time is fine, but―― You won't mind if I beat that thing, right?" …Archer says something unexpected.

"Archer――

"――Yeah, you don't need to hold back. Give him a beating, Archer!"

"I see. Then I shall meet your expectations." Archer moves forward. There are only ten meters between him and Berserker. That thing should be able to close that distance in an instant.

"…!! You're underestimating me…! Fine, go on Berserker! You can slash that stuck up guy into pieces…!" Ilya speaks in a hysterical voice. Tohsaka turns her back, not paying attention.

"――We'll be going. Getting outside means victory for us." Tohsaka starts to run, taking both Saber and my hands.

"―――――" Saber follows Tohsaka without objection. …I start to run to the entrance, leaving Archer behind. But from behind me… "Emiya Shirou." He stops me, still with his back to me.

"―――――" I turn around, letting go of Tohsaka's hand. In the lobby, now far away, is the back of the man facing Berserker.

"――Understand. You are a maker, not a fighter." Berserker charges. Archer stares at his enemy without backing off, still empty-handed.

"Do not think about other things. There is only one thing you can do. So master that one thing." Archer raises his hand. I don't know when he got it, but in his hand is that shortsword.

"――Do not forget. What you must imagine is always that you yourself are the strongest. You do not need outside enemies. For you, the one you have to fight is none other than your own image." The red back sinks. Berserker's attack rages.

Tohsaka and Saber are already at the entrance. ――I run without turning around. The red back tells me to just go.

We go down the long hallway and pass through the gate. ――Unbelievably, the place really is a castle. An old castle hidden deep in the forest. This whole place is surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see, and neither buildings nor sky can be seen in the distance.

"This way. We'll get to the main road if we run for about three hours, so run until then." Leading the way, Tohsaka turns to face us.

"――" …Three hours, huh? I honestly don't know if my body will last that long. The pain gets worse the more I move. The heat should go away if I rest, but we don't have time for that right now.

"Shirou, hurry up." Tohsaka sounds pressed as well. Tohsaka's the one who gave Archer that order. She looks calm, but her mind is filled with regret.

"I know, we'll catch up right away. Saber, let's hurry." "…Yes. Let us hurry, Shirou." Answering and nodding, Saber starts to run as well.

Making my way through the trees, I follow Tohsaka. Saber is visibly breathing hard. I can't see in the darkness, but she must be in pain. …I can't leave her alone any longer.

"――Ah…" Saber loses her balance. I grab her forcibly from right beside her as she falls to the ground.

"That's it. You can't go on anymore, Saber." "What…? What are you saying, Shirou? I have experienced difficulties like this many times before. I am still able to run."

"What are you saying? No matter how many times you've experienced it, pain always hurts. It's fine, so you can complain a bit." I pull at the arm I'm holding. It must be because Saber's light. I'm able to hold her up in my arms rather easily.

"Eh――w-what are you doing, Shirou…!?" "Just rest for now. I'll collapse first if you keep running with that expression."

"…! How rude, let me go! Do you think I will collapse from just this…!?"

Saber struggles in my arms. But her opposition is too weak. The arms that try to push me away are too small and too weak. …That makes me painfully realize how weak she's become. I never thought Saber would be unable to push away someone picking her up.

"What are you thinking, Shirou!? I will not allow such a thing even from my Master…!" Saber is struggling with a bright red face. …Well, certainly. The position she is in right now must be embarrassing for a knight, but now isn't the time to worry about appearances.

"Don't lie. You can't be all right when you're so weak you can't even push me away. Just stay quiet for now. This is my order as a Master. If you still won't listen, I'll have to use the Command Spell."

"What――? H-How unfair. There is no way I would allow such nonsense as using a Command Spell for something like this." "Then stay quiet. Tohsaka will leave us behind if we don't hurry."

"……" Saber reluctantly falls silent, so she must have accepted it. ――Well, that's fine for now. If she doesn't struggle, I'll be able to run while carrying her.

My vision flashes on and off. Does my blood accelerate the more I run? Bearing the nausea in my throat, I run through the forest while gritting my teeth.

"Ha――Haa, haa, hah――" I breathe wildly, but I hide my pain as well as I can. There is only one reason to do so.

"Shirou, please let me down. I will run myself――" Because if I look even a bit pained, she looks up at me uneasily. I can't stop here.

"Heh, don't take me too lightly. I have no problem carrying just you. Compared to a broken stove, one girl is like air to me." "But――"

"Just be quiet, okay? You know the phrase 'give and take'? You've helped me out until now, so it doesn't even out unless I do something like this. I have to return the debt now or I can't have you protecting me tomorrow."

"No, that is not true, but… if you do this, I will be the one in debt to you." "That's good. That means this will be the only time I have to do something so hard. I'm much more motivated now."

I let a huge breath out and kick the ground. Tohsaka is choosing to go through narrow openings even though she knows I'm carrying Saber. It's fine because Saber is light, but following her takes all my effort.

"Hey, you'll bite your tongue if you talk. It'll help me out if you stay quiet, so please stay still." "――Yes. Then I will obey your command, Master."

Saying so, Saber relaxes in my arms. It was hard to carry her before since she was unwilling, but it'll be a bit easier now. The problem now is――whether Saber's body and my body will make it.

…How long have we been running? It feels like thirty minutes, and it feels like an hour. "Haa――Haa, haa, hah――" No, running isn't that bad. I haven't been training for nothing, and Saber really is light.

But, now―― Inside, my body is messed up. I get dizzier the more I move, and I feel like throwing up. We're in a forest, so I would understand if I was bitten by a poisonous snake or something…

"Kuh――I can't, let this――" This isn't pain that'll kill me. It's just that my chest feels heavy and I feel like throwing up. This is nothing compared to the warmth in my arms right now.

…Saber is closing her eyes as if asleep. She's not resting because she's relaxed. Her body is getting hotter by the minute. Even though it's winter, her body is sweating and she's hanging her head to try to hide her ragged breathing.

"Crap――this is really…" A repeat of that night. Saber collapsed from using all her energy after using that sword on Rider. …Saber hasn't healed a bit since that night. Was her ability to talk now just a brief spark before she disappears?

"Ha――Haa, haa, haa, ha――!" I run, trying to deny that. I don't care about my body. I just make myself believe that something will be possible if I get home, and keep running――

I almost fall, and stop myself from collapsing by leaning against a tree.

"―――――!" …I can taste blood. So this is the cause of my nausea. I didn't spill it onto Saber since it was only a bit, but I still feel the cause of the nausea in my chest.

"…Well, it's better than the worst possibility if I think about it…" Saber would be mad at me for a different reason if I threw up the contents of my stomach. Actually, I bet Saber would seriously try to cut me in half if I did that.

"Hah――" …Yeah, that's funny. Imagining a funny thing gives me some strength. All right, I'm done resting.

"No, you are done pushing yourself, Shirou." "Saber…?" She wasn't asleep? Saber speaks in my arms.

"What do you mean I'm done now?" "You should escape by yourself, Shirou. You cannot take me with you in your state." "Wha――!? That's not true…! I just fell down. This is nothing――"

"It is something. What are you saying with a pale face like a corpse?" ――Hey. Tohsaka, who was leading the way, is back here now for some reason.

"Heh, it's your choice to bluff, but you should at least hide the blood near your mouth even if we're in a dark forest. It's only natural for Saber to worry if you're in that state."

Tohsaka glares at me. Saber must have noticed that voice. "…Good. Things are simpler if Rin is here." Saber says so without looking at Tohsaka.

"I would think so. I know what Saber wants to say. We don't have time, so say it quickly, so even that idiot can understand it." Saber nods.

"…Yes. Rin, I want you to leave me here. You will not be able to make it with me, and most of all――I will not last long."

"――――――――" I can't yell at her for saying such a ridiculous thing. I have no intention of leaving Saber. But still――I know well enough that Saber's condition is worsening.

Saber won't last long. I vaguely knew that she wouldn't be able to make it until morning like this.

"I see. So how about you, Shirou? Will you die with Saber here?" "――Of course not. I have no such intention, and I won't let Saber disappear either. If she's going to disappear, I'll use the Command Spell and――"

"Okay, that's good enough. Then let's solve both problems at once. We'll save Saber and all escape from the forest. That's our plan now."

"…Huh?" My brain turns into tofu. Tohsaka says the most difficult things so easily at times.

"Hold on…! I-I really want to do that, but since we can't――"

"Just come here. I'll say this, but I have no intention of letting Saber die like this either. …Yes, I won't let this chance slip away. I'll have you fulfill your duty. You said it's okay, so you won't mind either, right Saber?"

Tohsaka looks at Saber with a meaningful expression. "……" Saber does not answer, but merely looks downward awkwardly.

Once we pass between the exceptionally tall trees, an unexpected sight appears before me.

"…A ruin…?" Holding Saber, I look at the building with blank amazement. I don't know why, but this building in the woods is now a desolate ruin.

"We should be able to hide here for a while. Archer found this as a place to hide on our way here." I don't know what kind of nerves she has, but Tohsaka enters the ruin.

"…Well, I guess it won't crumble any more than it already has." I head towards the entrance stepping over the rubble. …How long has it been since it was abandoned? The building seems like a corpse desecrated by the forest.

――The entire ground floor is taken over by trees. The only usable rooms are on the second floor, and this is the best of those. Miraculously, the windows are still intact. I don't know how, but I can see the night sky from here.

"Hmm. It's pretty clean in here. Maybe someone was staying here until recently."

…Really, what kind of nerves does she have? Stepping over the rubble, Tohsaka is dusting off the bed by the window.

"Shirou, this way. We have to lie Saber down. It's pretty tiring being held by someone." "Oh――yeah, I'll be right there." I carefully make my way over to the bed and lay Saber down.

"How are you feeling, Saber? Can you still move okay?" "…Yes, since Shirou carried me here. It seems I can still sustain my body."

"――I see. Then I guess there's only one problem left. It's been an hour. We should have a bit more time even if Ilyasviel comes after us immediately. …No, we might be able to hide here until morning if they have trouble finding us."

"Oh――" Her mumbling reminds me. We were able to make it to this ruin, but what happened to Berserker and Archer? He remained at the castle to keep Berserker there. It's already been more than an hour. So Archer should already have retreated as well――

"Tohsaka, what happened to him――?" "――――" Tohsaka doesn't answer. She just places her right hand on her chest as if holding something dear. …That tells me of Archer's fate.

Tohsaka's Command Spell is on her right hand. The Master and the Servant are connected. As Saber sensed my danger, if the Master can sense the life and death of their Servant…

"…Tohsaka, he…" "Yeah. And I told him he just needed to buy us some time. He――was arrogant to the very end." Tohsaka murmurs as if laughing off a bad rumor.

…Silence follows. The silence that seems to last forever is… "――But I won't let it be meaningless. Since I've lost Archer, I'll get Berserker here." …Aborted by the sound of Tohsaka punching her left hand with her right.

"Mourning is over. I believe in acting if I have time to worry. Since it's come this far, I'm going to make sure you're resolved as well." "…? Resolved? For what?"

"Resolved to beat Ilyasviel… Berserker, of course." We can't escape this forest with Saber, and it's going to take a long time even if we are to heal her. Ilya will catch us either way."

"Do you get it? For us to escape the forest with all three of us, we have to defeat Berserker. If we can't, we'll just share Archer's fate."

"――Beat Berserker…?" That monster? Beat that whirlwind of death that nullifies every attack and destroys all that it touches in a single blow…?

"―――――" I can't even imagine that. Anything that fights him will die. Tohsaka must know that as well. Is she saying we'll beat it in spite of that?

"―――――No, that's not right." What am I saying? Tohsaka isn't saying we can beat it. She has no such false hopes.

"Oh――I see…" That's right. We're not going to beat him to win. …I should have realized that immediately. "Our only option is to beat him." It's just that. If we don't want to die here… We have to beat that monster.

"That's right. But it's not that hopeless. Even if it's Berserker, he should be wounded after fighting Archer. And I have all my reserve jewels, so if Saber recovers, I can come up with a few plans to beat him."

"――Looking at it from the other side, Since Berserker is wounded right now, don't you think this is our best chance to beat Ilyasviel?"

"…That may be true. But is there a way to heal Saber? …I hate to say it, but I don't think there's any way to heal Saber here."

"No, the location doesn't matter for Saber's treatment. Saber is just weakened by lack of magical energy. If we replenish her stocks, she should be able to use her abilities like before."

"Hey now, Tohsaka. Have you forgotten? The problem is, I can't do that kind of magical energy replenishment."

"There is a way. Yesterday… it's the day before now, but I explained to you then. There is one more method other than the sharing magic to give magical energy to your Servant. Back then… well, I didn't say anything because I didn't think it would end up like this."

"Hm――?" I recall the conversation yesterday. She certainly did say―― "…Well, a path should have been formed at summoning, so there may be other measures――" …Something like that.

"…I remember. Something about there being another way since a path exists…"

"Yes. You and Saber have not only a spiritually connected path, but also a physical path. So there's no need to use difficult magic to give her magical energy. All you have to do is to give her energy." …? But, I don't know of any way to do that.

"Hold on. You say the Master gives energy, but how do I do that?" Tohsaka looks at me in surprise.

She stares at me for a while, and then tells me it's simple. "Sleep with her. Saber's a girl fortunately, so it should be easy, right?" She says lightly.

"――――What?" Sleep with her… that, um… means… Because, since Saber's a girl, it should be easy?

"WHA, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!??" H-H-H-H-Hold on, w-w-w-why are we going this way all of a sudden!!!!?

"What are you so surprised about? Unison from sex is standard procedure. The semen of a magus is a cluster of magical energy. Don't you know that poor magi sell their semen to the Association?"

"I-I-I didn't know that…! T-T-Tantrism is a heresy, and the Baphomet is just superstition! I won't fall for such cajolery!"

"…Hey now. Tantrism is a genuine secret rite, and the Baphomet is a standard contractor. I don't know what you're panicking about, but you said you were prepared earlier. This is the only way we can survive, so don't give us too much trouble."

"Well, but, that's…" It's not something that can be solved that easily…!

"Geez, we don't have time to be arguing! Archer was defeated, so Ilyasviel will be here soon. We need to heal Saber if we're going to survive. You know we need all three of us to match Berserker, right!? So there's only one thing to do!

"I won't let Archer die in vain. I will make sure we make use of the chance he gave us in place of his life. So I'm going to use everything I can to survive…!"

Tohsaka yells at me. But the more she says, the more confused I get. I imagine really making love to her, and my head goes even more blank.

"―――――" …Damn, my face is so hot that I know I'm blushing red. But I can't help it. It troubles me if she suddenly says such a thing, and Saber is breathing wildly in the bed before me. I feel like I've wandered into another dimension and my head is mixed up――

"…! Oh, Tohsaka, that plan won't work. Putting myself aside, Saber will definitely refuse. Saber would never give up her body just to replenish magical energy!" "Really? Then why don't you ask her?" Tohsaka's attitude doesn't change.

"Wha――?" I look over at the bed. …Still breathing heavily, Saber is looking at us, without objecting to Tohsaka.

"…Saber?" "――No. I would not mind, Shirou." …And. Saber says so in a shy voice.

"―――――" That's a terrible betrayal. Why does she have to say that in this situation and take away my reasoning?

…If you're asking me if I want to make love to her, of course I want to. Saber is a girl, she's beautiful beyond belief, and if I didn't see her that way, I wouldn't have kept on escaping from my room into the shed.

――That's why I think it's bad. I can still feel her in my hands. Her warm body, her sweating skin, and her light weight… all of it was in my hands until a moment ago. If I remember that, I'm sure I'll go after her body not because I want to save her, but just because I want her.

"What? You're so indecisive. Don't you want to have sex with her? Oh, are you impotent?" "That's not true!!!!! It's not that, I just――"

I feel bad for Saber, this is no time to do such things, my head is blank, and this is, um, my first time… …I'm in such a panic that I don't even notice myself grumbling out loud.

"Oh, then you're already fine mentally. Well, I know how you feel, but just accept it for now." Tohsaka steps closer to me.

"…!" I prepare myself, but the enemy makes an unexpected move.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time to slowly get you in the mood. Shirou, hold still." Tohsaka reaches out. It happens in an instant. Tohsaka grabs my face, forces me to look at her, and―― Humbly kisses me.

"―――――!!!!?" I can't breathe. My confusion reaches its peak, and I can't think at all. ――But it makes me realize that this sensation is unfair.

…Tohsaka's lips are so soft. I think it's special to feel someone else's skin on my lips. But what I'm feeling now isn't skin, but flesh on flesh. Her lips are soft and even though I can taste them, they're just sweet. Tohsaka might not be used to it either as our lips are just pressed together.

…I clearly feel Tohsaka's body temperature. Her breath is hot. …Is it her saliva? Our wet lips exchange small amounts of water. Our touching noses are tickling, and all I can do is bear it.

"―――――" …I guess this is what they mean when they say all men are animals. My head is still blank, but already I can't put my brakes on――

…Our lips part. Leaving me dumbfounded, Tohsaka goes over to the bed. "Have you calmed down?" …It's contradictory. Tohsaka's red herself, but she still speaks like that.

"Tohsaka, you――" "Sorry it was me." ――That's ridiculous. Why does she have to apologize? If someone needs to apologize, it's definitely me.

"Anyways, I have no intention of backing out now. …You can just watch from over there. I don't think you can do it in your situation, so I'll help you out. …So you and Saber will feel more in the mood."

Tohsaka props herself up on her hands and climbs over Saber.

"Wha――Rin, what are you doing…?" Saber sounds confused. "…I'm helping. It seems you two aren't used to it, so I'm going to help you both."

She smiles. …She must have forcibly turned on her own switch with that kiss. Tohsaka starts to run her fingers over Saber in a feverish motion.

"Wha… wha… Tohsaka…!" She doesn't even pause. As soon as Tohsaka lies on the bed, she touches Saber, unable to move from fever, with her fingers.

"Rin――hold on, I…" "…Just let me handle this. It'll be hard for you to do it by yourself. It's all right. You won't be able to think about anything soon――" Tohsaka's fingers reach Saber's chest.

"…Here, you have to get comfortable first. It'll just be stiff if you keep these on." "Ah――yah… nn…" Is her breathing from her hesitation? Saber looks up at Tohsaka with her feverish face. And Tohsaka starts to turn red and breathes wildly as if Saber's fever has been transmitted to her.

"To―――――" Tohsaka… I want to say, but my throat will not move. …Is it because of Saber's breathing? Tohsaka's finger movements themselves are seductive.

She unties the blue ribbon and starts to undo the shirt one button at a time. A flexible and refined movement, without hesitation. Her fingers sequentially remove the armor from the knight, and it has a dubiousness of a ritual to expose the girl within.

"…Nn… ah, Rin, no more――we can continue without taking any more off――" "…No, it's necessary. We're going to do that sort of thing. We have to warm your body through direct contact."

Still breathing hard, Tohsaka whispers into Saber's ear. Saber grabs onto Tohsaka as if to stop her, but she's under Tohsaka's control, so she cannot fight against her. And as soon as the last button is unfastened.

"―――――" I desperately look away from the image before me. …Saber's skin. The figure that I have tried so hard not to notice is bared before me.

"――!" I close my eyes. I keep them shut with my will as they want to open by themselves. …I'll go crazy if I open them. Everything I've built up with Saber will crumble. I grit my teeth and endure my unknown urges in fear of that.

"Ah… nn… no Shirou… you have to look. We're going to start once Saber's ready… so you have to… feel, ah, like it too…" "――Feel like it!?"

"…Just open your eyes. We're accomplices. We're going to love Saber and have Saber save us in return. …Or are you going to just sit there and watch…?"

"――!" Tohsaka's point is crazy. It's crazy, but I'm contradicting myself if I keep my eyes closed. …I have to make love to her to save her. If I want Saber not to disappear no matter what, I have to accept this proposal.

…And I have already accepted it. Even though I have my eyes closed, I want Saber to stay, as proven by my choice of not running away. So――I can't just close my eyes and do nothing.

"――Is that okay? I won't be able to hold back if I open my eyes." "…Aha. Did you hear that, Saber? Shirou's turned on just by looking at you." She laughs. Tohsaka looks at Saber and my red faces, and laughs.

"――Yeah. But control yourself for just a bit. You have to stay there until Saber is ready. Until I tell you――" 'Stay there and watch Saber.' Tohsaka says so in a more passionate voice than Saber.

"―――――" …I release a small breath. I have to forget about everything when I open my eyes. About Saber. About Tohsaka. I have to forget about the trust between us and my life with Saber, and make love to her to save her.

"……" I breathe deeply and clench my fists tight. I gather all my power into my abdomen and calm my mind so I won't be perturbed by anything. And then――

All my protective walls are torn down in an instant.

The two colors entangled in each other. A small body lying on top of a beautiful white girl like a sculpture.

"Fu… ah, nn… a. …Saber's lips are small." Just the touching of the lips. Tohsaka's lips fall as if tasting her.

"Ha… nn…. how is it, Saber? …It's almost gone, but can you taste Shirou…?" Is she trying to say that's an indirect kiss? Tohsaka says something that could kill me from embarrassment. "…So this is Shirou's fluid――" And Saber drinks it with a heated voice.

"…Nm, ah, n… no Rin… I cannot tell… Please give me more." Saber pulls on Tohsaka. Tohsaka doesn't oppose it and this time――they kiss each other deeply.

"Ha――ah――mm… Shirou is sweet." "Yeah… mm… you're just as sweet as him too…" The red colors intertwine. As they lick each other's tongues, the shining flesh joins.

…No, that's wrong. Saber is just being dominated by Tohsaka. She has her tongue out and answering Tohsaka's because Tohsaka wants it. Saber is trembling and looking in confusion at Tohsaka――

"Mm… Saber… stronger――" Their hot breaths overlap. Tohsaka gently feels Saber as if handling something precious.

From her gently sloping chest to her navel, drawing a beautiful line of ridges. "Rin… your hand… is… on my… body――" Her hand goes down even further and reaches the place tightly closed off.

"Ha… nn" Saber shakes a bit. Tohsaka looks down at it happily. "Fu, well then… let's start, Saber." She doesn't stop and sinks her fingers in between Saber's thighs.

"…! Ah――no, Rin. Not there――" "…Why? What's there? I won't listen unless you tell me clearly. …Say it clearly… loud enough so that Shirou can hear… too…!"

"…!" Saber's opposition softens. Tohsaka pushes down Saber's body with heated breaths. "…But then… I won't stop now even if you do say it." "…! Ah…! Sto-ah… R-R-Rin…!!" She sucks on Saber's lips.

"…Come on, cry out more. That's not enough, so Shirou and I will want to treat you wilder――" "Hm…! …Ah, your finger is――" …Tohsaka's body covers Saber's small body. The two's heavy breathing echoes through the ruin. The white flower is being violated by the red flower.

"Ah, nn…! No Rin, it hurts――please get away for a while――" Saber breathes in as her lips are released.

Tohsaka looks down at the golden-haired girl below her and takes a deep breath. "Ah… hm… I'm surprised… I didn't think I swung this way." Then, she takes the finger resting on top of Saber's crotch and sinks it inside.

"…! ――Ah, ha――" …Was it a soft touch? Saber just raises her shoulders once and does not appear agitated by Tohsaka's fingers.

"Nn… ah, haa…" …A wet sound can be heard between her heated moans. Sticky and slimy sounds. Drops of the passionate juice that seems to symbolize the improper actions of two women. It is indeed dripping from between Saber's legs.

"――Nn… You are gentle, Rin―――" …Saber sounds impatient. She looks up at Tohsaka as if saying that she is unhappy with her gentle――no, her overly soft touch. "Ha… but, such consideration is unnecessary… mm…! Without your help, I…" "…Are you saying you're all right…? Hm… no, you're not wet enough yet… It'll probably hurt if you take Shirou like this, Saber…" Her caress echoes through the room. Tohsaka is loving Saber's slit as if she's masturbating.

"Mm… it's so warm… and it's so cute, so I'll… take care of it more." Tohsaka sucks on Saber's lips. Their tongues play around making noise.

"Hm… ah, ha, mn…! …Haa, it is fine Rin… I am used to pain, so, um…" Saber confesses that she's scared to go wild in front of us. But――

"…Really? But Saber… if you do it like this, Shirou will be in pain as well. We have to get it so wet that even your butt is wet." With an evil smile, Tohsaka replies.

"Wha――my butt――?" "…Oh. It's okay if you don't want to. Because it'll only be a problem for Shirou." "Eh… for Shirou…?"

"Of course. Yours is so tight even on my finger. If you do it like that, Shirou will certainly hate you. He'll just say it was just painful and it didn't feel good at all." "――!" Saber blushes not from the caress, but from embarrassment. Tohsaka smiles and looks at her maliciously.

"So, what will you do? I'll stop if that's enough. It won't feel good at all, but I'll let Shirou take over. …Come on. You don't like being touched in your vagina, so what do you want done now…?" "―――――" Not just her face, but Saber's body heats up as well. Shlick. Shlick. An obscene sound comes from Tohsaka stirring inside the wet walls. Then.

"…Please." "I can't hear you. Say it more clearly, Saber. I won't listen unless you request it yourself." "…! …I will leave it to you, Rin… Please move your fingers faster――"

――Saber pleads to Tohsaka with a bright red face. Perhaps that makes Tohsaka go crazy. "―――――" "…!? R-Rin, ow――!!" Tohsaka pushes Saber onto the bed and climbs on top of her even more roughly.

"Ha, nha…!" Saber's body jumps. Trying to keep her down――no, to have her jump even wilder, Tohsaka inserts her finger deeper into Saber.

"Wha――so, deep… Rin――!" "Ha… of course――you said I could do as I wanted――!"

She must not even hear Saber. Tohsaka cups Saber's breasts as if she's possessed, squeezes her soft chest, and rolls her tongue over the tip as if tasting it.

"Hya…!? What, what are you doing, Rin…!?" "Mm――Saber, you're so cute――" An obscene and cute sound. "…Ah, nn… nn, ah… yah, ah" Still breathing hard, Tohsaka licks the pink bud.

"Ah…!! …! Haa… no, please do not squeeze my breast so hard…!" She struggles to get up and her toes curl in protest.

Has getting touched in a place that has never been touched made her sensations go past the limit? Saber struggles frantically with her hot and weakened body.

"Nn… faa, ah…! Ah, ya――!" Her voice and red face have lost the captivation they had earlier.

"…See. Don't lie, Saber. You're getting hotter. …You feel good even though I'm fondling your breasts, fondling your indecent parts, and teasing you, right――?"

"Haa――n-no, I am not…!" Sweat starts to form on Saber's white body. "…Ha… Haaa… Mm, ahh… No…" Her wild pose seems to be driven by something other than fever, and its obscenity increases with time.

"Aha――you really are starting to get wet, Saber. You like being teased like this…?" "…!! …Rin, you are…" "Mm… Your nipples are hardening… your body is so hot…."

"―――――" …! My throat is so dry it hurts. Saber being teased by the red flower is so different from usual and so lovely that I want to take her right now.

"… Ah… haa, ah… Rin, any more will be…" ――That tear-stained face. Her cute throat anguishing, embarrassed by surges of pleasure as her breasts are teased and her wet slit is fondled. I want to snatch her away right now. I want to feel Saber in Tohsaka's place and make her moan like that――――

"Fuaa…!! Ya, ah… ahhhh, ya――!" Saber's reactions start to change. The small wet splashes sound much more sticky now.

Looking down. Tohsaka's finger, going into Saber's slit and stirring it, is wet down to her wrist.

"Hmm… it's getting wet… ah, nn――but you don't seem to be the sensitive type." "Ag… Rin, no… please do not go… any deeper――" "…Ah… I know… it's Shirou's role from now on… and your pussy's so tight… wow, my fingers are so wet."

"…See, can you tell Saber…? Your pussy is like it's freshly boiled――it looks so perverted." Adding to the existing finger, she slips more into Saber's hole.

"…! Ah, hia…!" A sticky sound. Tohsaka keeps fondling Saber, making wet sounds.

"Kua, no, please, stop――!" Every time, she raises her body and swallows the words coming up to her throat. Her limit is close. Like this, she should be able to receive me in a matter of seconds.

"―――――" They don't even need to ask if I'm ready as well. My thing is already erect and full of blood, waiting shamelessly. My pants are tight. My dick is almost about to explode even though I'm not doing anything, and it feels like I'll cum if I even touch it.

"Fa, ah…!! Nha, ha――!" Saber's voice. Tohsaka persistently fondles Saber's pussy, and Saber is too captivated by her fingers to protest. There's no freedom for the white flower. Tohsaka has completely enclosed Saber in her hands.

"Ah――haa, ah, Rin――! Hnn, ah, ya, I…." "Hm… you feel odd…? …Then I guess this will do… your pussy is wanting Shirou too. …So――!"

"Ah, yaa, nmm…!!!!!" Tohsaka plunges her fingers in deeper for the last time and numbs her.

Then.

"…Ha――ah, ha…Aa"

Tohsaka holds up Saber as if showing off her hot white body.

"…Mm… are you ready as well, Shirou…?" Tohsaka is totally in tune with Saber. Saber looks at me feebly, not knowing what to do with her heated body, And Tohsaka fondles Saber's body with eyes that show both affection and sadism.

The two defenselessly open their bodies and watch me as I stand there.

"―――――" The whiteness of Saber's body, half out of her mind, and the redness of Tohsaka's cheeks excited from embarrassment and hope. The air in here is stenched with their smell, and it feels like this place is wet.

"…Here, hurry. Your pants are tight already… Take them off and show us. …Saber wants it, and I want to see your erect penis too." A voice with none of her usual firmness… a sweet and sticky voice.

"――――――――" My head feels dizzy. My throat dries up instantly. My mouth is dry and my head is cracking up inside. ――I'm completely defeated. Saber and I are beaten by Tohsaka's sweet words, completely knocked out.

"……" With the small amount of composure I have left, I open my zipper. It is filled with blood and covered in veins, and looks ugly compared to Saber.

"―――――" The two stop breathing for an instant.

"…Wow. Did you see that, Saber? That's going to go into you now. …Are you nervous? Shirou's saying he couldn't wait for you." "Ah――――Shirou is… going to…" I don't know what they're thinking. But the two of them stare at my cock.

"――!" T-This is torture…! I'm already embarrassed, but having them see it erect boils my head from embarrassment――!

"…T-T-Tohsaka…! So I just have to make love to Saber, right…!?" I bluff, frantically stopping myself from running away and take a step toward the bed.

"Yes. You're a man. You won't run away after everything's prepared like this, right?" She laughs. "…!" Fine, that encourages me…! My mind that was about to be blown away moves forward as if unwilling to lose.

"―――――Shir… ou…" Saber looks up at me. "―――――" …No. That's not it. I just can't stand it any longer. I want to touch Saber. I want to feel her white skin and hear her voice by my ear, like Tohsaka did.

But that's―― "…Is it really all right, Saber? That it's me?" Since she's so beautiful and since I want her so much… I didn't want it to happen like this.

"――Yes. Please, Shirou." Saber says so with a trace of tears in her eyes.

"…!!" I suppress my raging instincts with what little reason I have left. At least, properly… I'll finish this without being too much of a burden to her.

"…All right. Please bear this, Saber." I place my hands on her shoulders. "Hot…!?"

"Hm, ku――!" I burn instantly. Not physically, but mentally. Saber's body is so soft and hot.

"Ha――――!" I can't stay sane. I bet I'll go crazy if I feel her skin and hear her breath.

"…Shirou…? I am fine, so please just――" She looks up at me uneasily.

"―――――" I'm infected. Her fever has infected me. …My head feels dizzy. My limbs feel numb and I almost fall onto Saber.

"…!" I bear the dizziness and support myself over Saber.

"…I'm starting, Saber." I don't have enough composure to worry that this is my first time or that Tohsaka is watching us. I take my uncertain hands, place my erect self onto Saber's slit, and――

…I'm numbed by how hot it is. Saber's slit, soaked in juice, is damp as if to accept me, and it feels like her soft hole is prepared. There's nothing in my way now. If I insert it slowly, even my erect self should go in… the instant I think that, a shock runs through me.

"――! …Ah, haa, ha――" …It's hot. I only inserted the tip, but it's so wet and hot inside Saber that it feels like she's wrapped around me like ivy.

"Ah… ha, ah… Shirou… are you coming in――?" It feels like my penis has turned into a bare nerve. I'm grabbed by this unknown sensation and power vanishes from my waist.

I bear it, thinking that this is sexual sensation, the sensation of Saber, and slowly move myself in. …I know I'll go crazy if I insert just the tip, because I'm already like this just from touching it. But I don't care. Beyond the fear, I want to be immersed in this warmth.

"Ah… nn, ah, ku…!" With a sound, I enter Saber. "Ah――" …Once I enter, it's easy to go in deeper. Saber is relaxing and accepting me into her.

"…! Ha… nha, Shirou, please, not so hard…!" …I'm not inserting it hard at all. I slowly insert my erect self into her. "Nn, kuh…!" She must be able to feel the ruggedness of my rim as Saber raises her hips a bit.

"Ah, ha――! …Ah, ahh… it is tight… but… is it all in, Shirou――?" "――Sorry, not yet." It's not in at all, and I haven't had enough either.

My mind is melting. Inside Saber is hotter than my erect penis. The softness and heaviness of Saber's wall surrounding me gives me so much sensation that it makes me want to bite my lips off.

"Haa――!!" It's only a few centimeters. I only have a few centimeters in Saber, but it feels like I'm being caressed all over my body. So――if I insert the whole thing, how much――

"…Haa… haa, ha…!!" Saber is relaxing and frantically trying to control her breathing.

"…!" No, I can't put it into her forcefully. I have to calm down and try to do it so as not to put too much of a burden on Saber… "――Nope. The night will be over at this rate." "…!?" I hear Tohsaka's voice by my ear.

In that instant. My waist is pushed violently from behind.

"Ah, nha, ah――!!!!!" "Wha――!?" My mind starts to work again with this sudden event. It's not slow or kind at all. I have violently pushed myself deep inside Saber.

"…! Ah, ku, uhh…!" Saber's voice is pained. Perhaps because it was by surprise, the insertion went quickly. But on the other hand, Saber's body is contorted with pain and her previous softness is gone.

"Tohsaka, you――!" I turn my neck to yell at the idiot behind me. ――But. "Ah, guh…!" The thing inside Saber won't allow me to do that.

"Ha――kuh――!" It's tightening around me. Perhaps it's resisting a foreign object within her, but the soft walls are now tightly embracing my penis.

"Shi――rou, ha, ah, ah, ya――!" "Hold――on, Saber, it's tight――!" I pull my hips back, unable to stand it. But it won't come out. Even though it was so smooth going in, it's so tight now that I might rip my dick off if I pull on it too hard.

"Haa――no, stop, Saber…!" My balls contract. A lava-like impulse surges up from the base of my groin.

――It hurts. It hurts so much that I wonder why it's so tight. Her thin, still girl-like inner walls surround me, tighten around me, and try not to let go as if opposing the movement. The pain stuffing my meat is like an awkward caress, and it drives me nuts.

"Ha――gu" I tighten my hips and suppress the urge. I want to let it out, but I can't. This is not like vomiting. I can't just let it out just because I'm in pain or that it'll feel good if I let it out.

"Saber, please――" I start to tell her to loosen up, and finally I notice. The reason why Saber's body stiffened so much. The red blood coming out between her slit and my penis makes me realize.

"Mm… Ah, haa, ha――…Nn." …How stupid of me. Saber would not even let out one voice of pain. But I'm worried about the pain I'm in――!?

"…Saber. I'll pull it out quickly, so relax slowly. I'll stop right away if you're in pain." That's a lie. I want to make love to Saber from the bottom of my heart and I want to let it out as fast as possible, but I bluff with all my might.

"Haa…! Hm… no… I am used to it, so――please continue, Shirou." "What do you mean you're used to it?" "Hm… Please――I need your magical energy now, Shirou――"

"…!" I stop my hips from pulling out. …That's right. If I give her my magical energy, I can stop the pain she's in――

"…I'm letting it out, Saber." Gritting my teeth, I sink in between Saber's legs. But…

"No, hold on…! It's no good if you just let it out… you have to share your sensations――have both of you feel good and become one." Still breathing hard like Saber, Tohsaka stops us.

"…What do you mean, become one?" Saber and I are connected enough already. There's nothing else I can do――

"Idiot! I'm telling you to hold it until Saber comes as well…!" "What? Even though it feels good enough already!?" "That's just you! You have to make Saber feel good too, or you won't be able to induct."

"Uh――――Ugh" So, she means I have to please Saber!? T-That's impossible…! I'm already at my limit, and I'll cum if I let my guard down. As it's painful for Saber to move just a bit, If she moves, I'll――

"Haa… I am fine, Shirou. I-I can bear this, so please do not worry and continue on." "―――――" …Saber says so bearing the pain. Anyone who could still back out after hearing that must be crazy.

"Hm…! …Ah, ha, ah――" Saber's body comes alive again. Her legs circling me are shaking in pain.

"Hm…! Haa… ha, ha, ah…!" …It's still tight inside Saber. Her walls feel like clay now. A wall of flesh, completely filled. I forcefully push them apart, pull back, and insert again.

"Kuh――" My mind almost goes white. Just pulling back a few centimeters drives me nuts. Saber's tightening sensation presses to squeeze out my almost-exploding penis.

"Mm, mm, hm, ah…! Ya――Shirou――please move slower…!" "Ha――kuh…!"

I push in and pull out, trying not to lose to the sensation. I can't stop. Every move makes me pass out, but I can't stop because it feels so good. And――if I loosen Saber up like this, she should――

"…!! Ah… ha, ahhn…!" "Nn… amazing, Saber is… so…" …I can hear Tohsaka's voice. I can hear a wet noise from behind me as well. She must be excited from seeing Saber. Tohsaka is masturbating noisily behind me as if to match Saber's breathing――

"Ahh――slower, please――Shirou, I cannot feel you too, well, huaa…!" …It's Tohsaka's fault. She's making those sounds behind me, so I can't hold it any longer. A slow back and forth movement won't do. But Saber is still in pain. It's painful to hold what's almost coming out, but Saber's pain seems much deeper.

"Hm, kuh, uhn…! No, it is rubbing inside of me, I am going mad…!"

The pain to withstand the pleasure… And the pain to withstand the physical pain. I want to do something about it and… "Saber, I'm moving behind you." I switch our position to make it as comfortable as possible for Saber.

"Ah――Shirou…?" I lift Saber's body up and hold her in my arms.

"Eh… H-Hold on, please…! I-I do not know such a posit――" "Just relax. It'll be easier for you in this position." "Ah… but, this is…!"

I can't listen to Saber's complaints. My heart is ready to burst from even the pluck of a needle. My remaining reasoning has to go toward trying to stop Saber feeling pain and to go as easy as I can.

"Hya…! …Ahh, nn…! You're, coming in, again, ah――" …Stiffness starts to disappear from Saber's voice. The embarrassment of getting hugged from behind must have overwhelmed her pain. Stiffness starts to leave Saber's body, and my cock starts to move smoothly.

"Ha――why… is, nha, fya…!" …Her reactions start to change. Her wild breathing starts to change into the heated breathing she had while Tohsaka was fondling her. "Hm… ah…" And her hard inside starts to regain its original softness.

"…See. I told you this would be easier for you." "Ah… ahh, no, what, am I――" She is bewildered, showing no trace of her usual firmness. Saber is definitely starting to feel pleasure. She is embarrassed about starting to feel pleasure from being penetrated from behind.

"…… Aha, you're pretty slovenly, Saber. You feel better getting it from behind even though this is your first time?" Tohsaka's finger goes up Saber's thigh.

"…! No, that is a lie…! I am not pleased at all…!" "Really…? Then I'll help as well. Shirou seems to be reaching his limits and it's so wet here too, Saber. …It'll get dirty unless I lick it clean."

"Wha…!? R-Rin, what are you…!" The bed creaks and shakes. Perhaps she's reacting to Tohsaka's tongue… Saber twists her body and tries to get away.

"…! Saber, if you move like that…!" "Ah, eh, Shirou…!?" I won't be able to hold it. The slow back and forth movement starts to speed up as if to answer Saber as she gets looser.

"Haa…! No, Rin, please, do not, lick, that…!" ――I'm about to explode I'm about to come from her many walls tracing my cock and the warmth inside her.

"Mn, nn, ha――! …Why… is my head, going, blank…!?" It must be the same for Saber. She isn't feeling pain anymore. She only has the same feelings as me and Tohsaka, the sense of our heads going blank.

…That unknown sensation must be scary for her. Saber sheds tears that didn't even show during insertion and shakes her head in protest.

"Hm… nha, ha…! Sto-Stop, please stop, Shirou…! I don't want――" Saber tries to get away. But Tohsaka's caresses stop her. Saber tries to run away from the pleasure coming from behind her, but she's trapped by Tohsaka's tongue.

"Ha, ya…! Ah, no, Shi… rou… my body, is…!"

…I feel like passing out. Or have I already gone mad? Saber's voice feels good. Her slender arms and legs, and her inside walls feels so good that I can die in it.

"Ah, haa, it won't stop…! No, Shirou, I do not, want, this…!" So why. Why is Saber so scared, why does she not want this feeling?

"…Why? It feels good, right, Saber?" I manage to ask so while holding what's about to spew out.

She replies… "Ha, ah, m…! Haa, because… it makes me… uneasy, not being, able to, see your face…" …With an answer that just finishes me off.

"…!? Shirou, please hold, ah, ahhh…!" I can't hear her. I don't have the composure left to listen to her. Saber's body is going wild. Her hips turn as she tries to get away. I move my hips sideways, so as not to drown in that motion.

"Nn, fa, ah, ha…! No Shirou, if you do any, any more, I will go mad――" That's not fair. I've already gone mad. I want to be set free. I want to reach orgasm. So…

"Ya, nfu, ah…! Ahh, ya, ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhh…!!!!!"

I push my hips forward. A movement driven only by lust, with nothing of my slow movements from earlier.

"Ya, fua, no, ha, nn…! Haa, no Shirou, I will, really, go mad――!"

――Saber's back arcs. As if hitting it "Ha――kuh, Saber…!" "Ahh――naa, ahh, ahhhhhh…!!!" I ejaculate the sperm that I held for so long into her――

…My body loses power. My body wants to rest from withstanding ejaculation for so long and from giving Saber my magical energy.

As I happen to look up at the sky, it's getting brighter. Dawn is near. …The one-night dream comes to an end. That's right, I have woken from my dream. This is no situation to remain in my lingering memory, and anyway, it was just a way to stay alive.

…So I have to think of this as a dream. Saber's voice, sensations… everything. I have to think of this as an unfulfillable dream or I won't be able to live from now on――

And the battle between the two ends. They killed and exterminated each other with all their might, and it ended with the annihilation of the red knight.

The gorgeous hall is completely transformed. The floor is cracked in numerous places. Many walls have been knocked down. The stairs have collapsed and the smashed marble has scattered in the wind. The space has been completely destroyed, leaving no trace of its former beauty. You could say it has also destroyed time. Because the remains of the destruction hide what the place looked like just two hours ago.

"――" In the middle of the destruction stands a suitable sculpture. It stands over two meters tall, looking like a figure of a man carved out of a large stone. It does not even need to be said. It is Ilyasviel's Servant, Berserker.

The giant does not move. His body is dyed in red and filled with holes. There is no place on the giant's body that is not wounded.

First, both his legs are almost melted. Second, there is the mark of a cut on his neck. Third, his arm is barely hanging from his elbow. Fourth, he is slashed from his shoulder to his groin. Fifth, a large amount of blood is gushing out from his chest. Sixth, his internal organs can be seen at his stomach. Berserker does not move. It is only natural. It is a corpse, no matter how one looks at it.

The battle itself has ended much earlier. But Berserker's Master has forgotten to act as this result is too surprising and unexpected. She has to pursue her prey, but she is only looking at this scene in astonishment.

"――I can't believe it. Who was he?" She murmurs angrily. The battle that took place here was nothing but humiliation for her.

Her Servant is the most powerful. There should only be one or two Servants able to match Hercules, the most famous of all the heroic spirits. But Archer, a heroic spirit of unknown identity, has defeated him. That red knight has matched Berserker equally and has succeeded in killing Berserker, something no one has been able to do before.

――Such actions cannot be forgiven. For her, this is like being stabbed in the heart by a bug on the roadside. The pride of a girl who considers herself the strongest cannot allow her to be cornered by someone who should be stepped on, begging for sympathy.

"Geez, that pisses me off! Getting defeated six times… you weren't going easy on him, were you!?" "――――" The sculpture does not answer. It might be unable to afford an answer, or perhaps it sees no need for one. Berserker just stands there and devotes himself to healing his wounds.

…This battle was too strange for him as well. His "Noble Phantasm" nullifies any attack. No attack can affect his body unless it is of the highest grade. So, he rarely takes wounds. In the age of gods, no one could scratch him after he had accomplished his great deeds.

But still, six times. Archer delivered a fatal blow six times. It does not even need to be said that every one of the attacks was by a different method. Even the greatest attacks cannot be effective on Berserker twice.

…If one seeks strangeness, that is the strange part. If Archer is a hero with such varied abilities, his true identity should have been clear. But his true identity still remained unknown even after his body was pulverized. What was really surprising was his way of being, contradictory to that of a Servant.

"―――――" …A dim light grows in Berserker's eyes. If he had been summoned as a normal Servant, he would have grieved that this battle "deserved better". No matter who he really was, Archer was a rare great enemy. If he had not been mad, he could have matched sword techniques with Archer to his heart's content and passed a satisfying time.

"…I won't forgive them. I will never forgive them. How could they insult me so…!" His Master's voice echoes. With that, the small light of rationality vanishes. He is only a Berserker now. His role is to defeat his opponents and to crush them as his Master pleases.

"I can't wait any longer! Have you healed, Berserker!?" "―――――" He does not even need to answer. Wounds that are not fatal will be fully healed within few minutes. But――restoring everything would take three days. "I can't wait that long! It's fine, we're going to go kill them right now!" "―――――"

The giant silently objects. It is his instinct. Berserker has an intuition like Saber's when it comes to fighting.

The enemies can certainly be mowed away easily. But it will be a different story if Servant Saber has recovered enough to use her Noble Phantasm. Berserker will not yield to a mere holy sword, but there is a small chance. His instinct tells him that if he is to fight that Servant, he should engage her in perfect condition.

"…What? Five should be enough, right? They are no match for you even without the God Hand. Or what? Are you going to let them go after they made fun of me so much?" "……" "Right? I won't let anyone escape my forest. Yeah, I'll give you Rin and Saber. Kill them or rape them, you can do whatever you want with them." The girl jumps down from the stairs. Through the rubble, she walks to the exit without a care for the bloody Berserker.

In that moment. The girl stops once as if remembering something. "Then let's start the hunt, Berserker. But you can't kill Saber's Master quickly, okay? I'm going to kill Shirou in the worst way possible." Smiling, the girl leaves the castle.

――The sun should come up soon. The forest is like her yard. No matter where her prey are hiding, it should be no problem for her to find them. As her targets, they only have a few minutes of life remaining.

So. I don't know why, but I was forced to leave the ruin. …Um, it's fine that I shared my magical energy with Saber, but Tohsaka pushed me out saying that girls have adjustments afterward… changing and all that.

"――Damn, what is she saying? Guys have a lot of stuff too." I grumble, leaning against the wall. It sounds like an excuse because it is.

"……" I look up at the sky. …Is it almost dawn? The sky in the east is getting redder, and the forest is slowly getting lighter.

The forest is calm and quiet. When it's this quiet, I can't believe we are being pursued or that we were doing something like that until a moment ago.

"―――Uh" Remembering, I frantically shake off my lust. I have to forget about it for now. I won't survive if I'm submerged in thoughts of her sensations. And more than anything, it's impolite to Saber.

After all, I made love to Saber to save her. So I shouldn't have any other emotion for Saber. No matter how soft Saber is and how good it felt, that was――

"――――!" I'm a big liar. I can't deceive myself about it with excuses like that. I can't forget Saber's sensations. But I have to forget about them for now. …Geez, this is no time to worry about such things. What we should be worrying about right now is how to take on Berserker――

"…That's right. I have to do whatever I can do. He told me that at the very end." I remember Archer's back. …I could never like him, but all of his words have stuck in my head.

"……" I stare at a tree branch. …There are only a few things I can do. Even if it isn't much right now, I can only do them to the best of my abilities.

I pluck a handy branch. And I also find a few more branches that are straight. "Shirou! We're done, so come in!" I hear Tohsaka's voice. I return to the ruin carrying the branches I found.

…Well, the only other problem is… Whether I'm able to face Saber like I did before after something like that.

"This way, Shirou. Rin has something to tell you." ――I guess such worries were only on my part.

Saber is acting resolutely as always. She must have completely accepted the incident, unlike me.

"Y――Yeah, I'll go right away. …Damn, I won't lose. It's stupid to be the only one blushing, so I'll try my best to act calm.

"You're finally here. Then I'll start the strategy meeting, but we don't have the time to argue. There are only a few ways to defeat Berserker, so can you listen to my side first?" Saber and I nod.

"The plan is pretty simple. We won't be a match with ordinary tactics. We need to execute a surprise attack to win. And if we do that, the absolute requirement is that we kill him in one blow and don't let him counterattack."

"…I feel the same way. Even if I do exchange blows with Berserker, I will not be able to deliver a fatal wound. If we are to defeat him, we should do so outside of battle."

"…Outside of battle… you mean we'll attack Berserker before he notices us…? Well, you're right that it's reckless to fight him straight on, but that plan is even more reckless. He's not the type that'll allow us to take him by surprise."

"Yeah, we won't make any optimistic plans that assume we can get near Berserker without being noticed. They have Ilyasviel. She'll sense Shirou and Saber's presence easily. I'm fine since I can hide my presence."

…Hm. I don't know how it works, but Ilya can feel Saber and my presence, huh? If Tohsaka is the only one who can hide, then――

"…Don't tell me that you're going to be the one doing the surprise attack."

"Of course. You're the one she's after the most, and I'm the best suited for this role. Leave it to me to slash Berserker from behind." "You say so, but Berserker can't be that off guard."

"Of course not. That's why I'm going to have Saber create an opening. Saber, how much have you recovered?"

"Normal battle should not be a problem, but I should avoid using my Noble Phantasm. With the amount of magical energy Shirou gave me, I will no longer be able to maintain my body the instant I use my Noble Phantasm. Even if I do use it, it will not be full force, so I do not think it would be able to defeat Berserker."

"Yeah, that's more than enough. I'll have you fight Berserker. Shirou as well, of course. And I'll watch while hiding. I'm only an extra for Ilyasviel, so I think she'll assume I've run away if I'm not there."

"…Okay. Well… I think that's possible, but…" "If the probability's low, raise it. You seem to be on good terms with Ilyasviel, so you may be able to trick her." Tohsaka looks at me meaningfully.

"…I have some objections, but I'll take that. Ilya would believe me if I told her you ran away. I don't think she would doubt anyone."

"But there is still a problem. I am fine fighting Berserker, but I cannot have Shirou do the same. Shirou cannot stand Berserker's attacks."

"I'm not telling Shirou to go hand-to-hand against Berserker. Shirou will support you from the back. It's going to be difficult for Saber to fight Berserker alone, so help her when she's in trouble." "Ridiculous. Shirou does not excel in black magic like you do, Rin. How would he be able to support me?"

"Shirou will think of a way. …But, well, there won't really be any room for a Master to interfere against Berserker. Even I wouldn't be much help if I did something."

"But we don't have enough to spare to let anyone stay idle. I know Saber is done for if Shirou dies, but I'll still have him do this. …After all, this battle is a gamble from the very beginning." "That… is true."

Saber grows silent with a troubled face. As Tohsaka is silent too, she must know she's saying something unreasonable.

The two's concern is only natural. That night I met Saber… When we were attacked by Berserker, I could only use my body to defend her. There's a high probability that would happen again. So I should stay away from the battlefield, but I would have no intention of doing that even if she didn't tell me to be there.

"I know. I'll do something to back her up." "Eh?" Both of them turn around. Whoa, were my words that surprising?

"I just have to support her from a distance, right? Then I think I'll be able to do something." Saying that, I hold up the branch I just collected.

The length is perfect. The flexibility is good as well. …This is the first time I've done this kind of "strengthening". But I don't think there's any flaw in the principle. The point is, I just need to keep reinforcing it until it becomes a real one.

And for this, I also have a reference since he had one too. And on top of that, magical energy has been flowing in my body for a while now. I just have to repeat the usual process now.

I analyze the basic structure and modify it. I analyze the composition materials and reinforce them. …But that's not enough if the original is a branch and the finished product is his bow. I have to imagine it from the concept of creation. If I am to get it close enough to the real one, I have to formulate every hypothesis, at least in my head.

…I open my eyes. The branch is shaped right, but, um――

"Man. It's not even close." It's ugly and crooked. But I know it will work as a bow. I just have to make the arrows in the same way.

"――Shirou, that was…" "Yeah. I think I got the hang of it after the thing with Shinji. You said so too that I shouldn't strain myself too much." "…I see. Well, it's good that we have a way to attack, so it's enough for now."

"Going back to the original topic. I will have you two fight Berserker. I'll get on top of a tree beforehand and watch from above. When Saber creates an opening in Berserker's defense, I'll skewer Berserker from above using all of my reserve jewels. It's a simple plan." Tohsaka's expression asks for questions.

"… Jewels… is that Rin's magic? But a normal magic will not harm Berserker. We need a full-purity attack to injure him."

"I know. So in other words, we need an attack with an A rating, right?" Saying that, Tohsaka takes a jewel out of her pocket.

"――What is that jewel?" "This is like my savings that I've been building up since I was small. One of these can instantly generate an A-rank great magic. I had ten, but I used one on you."

"I see――if it is the magic from that time, Berserker will certainly not be able to block it. He does not have magic resistance like I do. Even if it is magic, an A-rank will penetrate him without any problems――"

"That's right. I thought about using it in small amounts, but I can't be saying things like that now. I'll give Berserker two or three of these." Tohsaka sticks out her chest in confidence. …But.

"…Hey. Aren't you being a bit stingy?" "…I feel the same way. I should not be saying this, but I believe you should be generous enough to at least use half of these."

"Ugh… w-what? It's my business, right!? Do you guys know how hard it was to save this much!?"

"……" "……" Saber and I protest silently. Tohsaka's life depends on this as well, so it won't be funny if she gets stingy and we end up failing because of that.

"…Fine. I'll use half of them, okay!? "…Come on, I just wanted to say that. I get what you guys are saying too."

"――Anyways, that's the plan. Now, we have to find somewhere where I can hide and where it'll be easy for Shirou to support Saber. Let's find a good spot before Ilyasviel gets here."

…Yeah, we can't stay in this ruin now. As Tohsaka says, all that's left is to find a spot to wait for Berserker. But before that――

[bluecoolr]

For Life or Until Fault

Alt Timeline 2.0 - Darrell x Odile Part 4

Warnings: MINORS DNI! Main characters are slasher ocs! Dead body mention and cannibalism

Darrell is mine ♡

Odile belongs to @solmints-messyocdiary

It had been two weeks since Darrell set up the bell traps, and still he had no luck. He had overestimated his own intelligence, invested too much time camping out between tombstones and lying in wait for someone with intentions of stealing bodies.

Ilya had made sure to rub it in his face. "No luck?" he inquired everytime he passed by.

Darrell did his best to ignore him. Ilya just seemed like the type of person to want the worst for others, and it gave him great joy to see Darrell frustrated.

There wasn't much to distract him while he waited. He refrained from using his portable stereo. As dull as graveyard noise was, he had to keep his ears peeled.

But his thoughts often wandered back to the broken down manor house; To the night he had felt a weight on his stomach and a ticklish sensation on his ribs. He conjured up her face again, the way he had a hundred times before.

He had never felt so comforted, had never felt such a warm flutter in his heart. He'd cursed the room for being so dark. He wished he had seen more of her, more of the love drunk expression that had made her soft features glow.

She was startled when he stirred, and he was so happy that she had calmed down when he soothed her. The night she lay sleeping in his embrace was by far the calmest night he passed. It was part of what little precious memory he now had, and he had begged God to let it stick. For sanity's sake.

He'd seen only beauty like hers on a grainy television screen, borrowed by a princess. Princess Aurora; Briar Rose - stepping blithely through a clearing.

How did that song go?

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…

Each time he saw her felt like a dream, but it was all quite real. He was sure. It was a hard, bloody truth and it bit.

Where had she come from? Why did she do it? What was her name? These and a thousand more questions went through his mind, but the answers, like the girl, proved ever elusive.

He heaved an exasperated sigh and gathered his belongings.

"Come on, girl." Isabelle stood in attention. "Let's go home."

Fog had crept down from the distant hills, stretching over the cemetery like a thousand miserly fingers to count tombstones like coins. It was so thick that Darrell could barely see more than four feet ahead at all sides.

Isabelle froze. She wheeled around and stopped. Her ears pricked up and twisted forward like funny little dishes trying to catch a signal. Heart racing in excitement, Darrell listened hard. His breath rose up in puffs of vapor.

The tinkling of the bells was faint but unmistakable.

Isabelle and Darrell broke into a sprint in pursuit of the sound, like racehorses bursting out of the gate.

Odile was so hungry.

She'd forced herself to stay in the forest, living on nuts and berries. She'd even braved bee stings to have a mouthful of honey. But It was never enough to keep her full.

Her hunger grew claws and hurt her.

There was only one thing she could do.

"I can't," she told herself, trembling at the thought. "It's not safe."

She'd watched the graveyard keeper. He was looking for her. Every hour that passed without her turning up made him incredibly sad.

She'd seriously considered revealing herself, just so she could glimpse his smile again. At night, she would take out his picture from her little box and hold it to her cheek as she lay in bed. Someday, she promised. Someday.

How, though, could that day come if she perished at the turn of the season? She had to eat.

Odile chose a newly covered grave at the very edge of the graveyard, just at the mouth of the forest. She broke the coffin with her shovel, sending splinters into the air. There was another sound - frantic tinkling - that she had never heard at a grave before.

Odile made quick work of the corpse, turning it over and over to find a place free from rot. There came the tinkling again. It seemed to come from the body itself and, panicking now, Odile clawed at the clothes to try and get rid of it.

When she heard Belle barking, her blood grew cold. They were coming.

She grabbed her shovel and drove the blade straight down, chopping a forearm clean off. She picked up her prize and took off, the cold air bruising her lungs.

Nimble bare feet bore her safely into the forest. She knew she had to go further in, but she was so hungry. Her limbs trembled and her footing grew shaky.

She clung to a low branch, which snapped as her taxed body finally gave in. Knowing how her life depended on it, Odile sank her teeth into the purple-gray flesh.

He stumbled upon her that way: On her knees, hunched over, and smeared with gore.

He said nothing as he stared, the rifle still in his hands. Odile felt the sour tang climbing up her throat - horror making her gag.

Belle came trotting up to her, licking her cheeks excitedly, but she sat as still as stone. Her eyes were locked with the graveyard keeper's, trying to read his expression.

Oh, God. Oh, God, he hates me!

He held up his hand to pacify her, the other slowly set down his rifle. "It's okay," he told her.

Odile's lip trembled.

"Shhh… it's okay," said the graveyard keeper. She had begun to sob and he scooped her into a comforting hug.

She had wanted him to see her, but not like this.

She broke down, her shoulders rattling against his as she drew convulsive gasps.

"No, no… please, don't cry. It's okay."

Odile stubbornly shook her head. It was not okay! She'd ruined everything.

She pushed him away. He landed on his bottom with a surprised oof! She ignored his pleas for her to stay, and he watched her disappear into the wilderness beyond.

[antisocialxconstruct]

annnnd the conclusion (for now 👀), following off of Ilya's scene. A chunk of this was posted previously but it's been edited to flow better and now it has some context :)<

6.2k, Maksim has a busy day and an important appointment to keep. No serious warnings but he does get knocked on his ass at one point and it's really embarrassing.

----

Abele’s clinic is not luxurious, and it is not especially peaceful. The actual treatment area is three beds squeezed into a gutted back room with blacked out windows, with tools and medical machinery filling all the empty spaces with no method or pattern that Maksim has been able to decipher. He’s been listening to muffled voices and multiple sets of footsteps passing back and forth overhead since he woke up, and he’s only awake because of the sirens that went screaming by outside nearly half an hour ago.

What Abele’s clinic is, importantly, is discreet and familiar, such that he was able to show up in the dead of night, starved and dehydrated, covered in blood, with two broken fingers and a black eye, months after he had moved away from Bayview and cut ties with everyone he knew here, and he was hurried in off the street without a single question. After that things are a little hazy. As soon as he was inside he began to lose the meager shred of clarity that had gotten him to the door, and the second his head hit a pillow he lost consciousness entirely. Given the state he was in at the time, he's willing to wager that he was out for a while.

When he finally has to admit that sleep won’t be returning for the moment, he makes a valiant effort to push himself into a sitting position. An exceedingly brief few seconds of effort later he gives up, discouraged both by the way his head immediately begins to spin and by the light pinch of the IV drip in his right arm that he had managed not to fully notice. He lets his head drop back onto the pillow but he does muster the energy to raise his right hand up to where he can see it, just to grimace at the bulky beige cast stretching from his pinky and ring fingers down to just below his wrist. His hand feels heavy and distant beneath the wraps, in a way that seems incongruous with the dulled sensation he’s accustomed to from the inhibitor. Pain killers? He glances at the IV bag with a frown, making a mental note to insist Abele taper them off the next time the doctor comes by.

What else?

His thoughts are achingly sluggish and disjointed but if he focuses on planning his next steps he doesn’t have to think about the way being unable to move freely invites other memories up to the surface of his mind. Should he see Chiba as well, on the off chance there was any lasting damage to his cyberware? At the very least he’s going to need his hand re-tuned once the cast is off but that won’t be for a while. Can he risk going back to his apartment, or will Callahan have cased it already? He’s lucky his manhunter was on him when he was caught, but the rest of his gear would sting to have to write off. He does have a deposit box in Excelsior under another fake name, if Callahan hasn’t managed to connect him to it, and if he can reach it safely, he’ll at least have money. And then… And then what? Does he keep running? Ilya should be long gone, at least, so-

It’s a testament to whatever drugs he’s on that the reaction to that thought comes a full couple seconds after it actually forms in his mind. His chest constricts and he winces, laboriously raising his left hand to rub his eyes as he fights to get a full breath into his lungs.

Ilya should be long gone. If he warned them in time.

That’s what he wanted. He wanted them safe, even if it meant urging them out of his life. It doesn’t make the reality hurt any less. It doesn't feel any less like he had to carve something out of himself.

This is pointless, he thinks. He's not going to make any progress lying here dwelling on what's done and feeling sorry for himself. With one more concerted effort he pushes himself up until he can rest his back against the wall behind him and coughs to clear his throat. His voice still sounds dry and ragged when he calls out, "Abele!"

A quiet beat, then the soft padding of approaching footsteps. The middle-aged dwarf who pokes her head in is not Abele, but he dimly remembers that she was there when he first arrived and might have been the one who actually guided him into a bed. When she catches his searching expression she smiles, picking her way around the clutter to his bedside as she explains, "they had to step out for the afternoon. I'm Harper, I can take care of anything you need in their absence."

"I need to leave," Maksim replies bluntly.

Harper tsks lightly. "What you need is some proper food and liquid in your system," she insists. "That drip's not enough to get you on your feet after you were out for a day and a half."

"A day and…" Maksim repeats incredulously, then grits his teeth in frustration. That's at least twenty-four hours more than he had hoped, Callahan could have gotten a lot done in that time even if he was still licking his own wounds. “Did you drug me?”

“We didn’t have to,” Harper admits. When Maksim casts another doubtful look at the IV she adds, “that’s just a saline solution, you were dangerously dehydrated.”

He doesn’t particularly like that answer although he can’t imagine why she would lie. But it means he’s got nothing to blame for the bleariness of his thoughts or the unsettling heaviness of his limbs. "Okay. Get it out," he scowls at the needle in his arm, "give me my things, tell me what I owe Abele for the help."

The doctor still regards him uneasily, beginning to say, "why don't you at least rest easy until they-"

"Harper," he interrupts, "it would be in everyone's best interest if I'm not here when my problems catch up with me."

After one more moment’s hesitation, a sort of grim understanding settles over her features and she nods. She doesn’t like it, but she knows when a runner shouldn’t be argued with. “Alright well… just let me get you the address.”

Maksim blinks, and just as Harper is turning to step away he stops her with a quick “what address?”

“That your friend left for you,” she clarifies with a light smile, as if he should know precisely what she’s talking about.

Naspok says come when you’re able

Abele’s round, looping script stares back at him from the scrap of paper, six simple words followed by an address he placed somewhere in Haight-Ashbury. When the crossing signal chirps to beckon him to the other side of the street he stuffs the note back in the pocket of his ill-fitted hoodie and keeps walking.

His head’s buzzing, a hit of jazz the quickest way he could think of to cancel out the fatigue, and easy trash to get ahold of in Bayview. And still no matter how furiously he turns the situation over and over in his mind, he can think of only two possibilities.

If someone other than him knows he told Ilya to go somewhere safe, it means he was right to suspect some kind of trace on his commlink (which means it was the right move to pawn it as soon as he left the clinic so he could buy some clothes that were inconspicuous and not crusted in blood). But that also means they should know he very explicitly instructed Ilya not to tell him where they were hiding. If it is a trap, it’s a particularly bold one, especially considering the last time Callahan tried to weaponize Ilya against him he nearly tore the man’s throat out. Even if he knew that’s what this was, he would have half a mind to go anyway just to show whoever’s waiting for him what he thinks of them using Ilya’s name like that.

The other possibility is that Ilya received his instructions, went to a safehouse, and then immediately contacted him to tell him where they were.

He comes to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk, massaging his temples as he curses under his breath.

That does sound like something Ilya would do.

And in spite of the frustration bubbling under the surface of his thoughts, he can’t deny the truth: he hopes that’s what Ilya did. Even if it means putting them both in greater danger, even if it means tempting Callahan to call NeoNET down on top of them… it also means their last conversation doesn’t have to be Maksim on death’s door urging them to disappear. It means they chose not to abandon him.

Whichever way he looks at it… he has to take the invitation. He has to know. But he doesn’t have to go unprepared.

Guardian Vault & Safe seems like the most reliable first stop. He bristles under the receptionist’s dubious once-over, keenly aware that he doesn’t have the advantage of his usual wardrobe to offset the unavoidable fact that a heavily modded troll is a bit of a novelty in a middle class district like Excelsior. The fidgety posture he can’t quite calm and the ugly purple bruise spread across the left side of his face probably aren’t doing his respectability any favors either. Still, a gentle telepathic nudge to humor him–and a mandatory thumbprint scan–gets him through the door under the name Grigoriy Kozlov (at least you were good for something in the end, Grisha, he thinks wryly), and a half hour later he’s back out with five thousand nuyen across four different credsticks, and a thin backpack with a spare magazine for the manhunter and another change of clothes in it. He had actually forgotten how much he’d stashed there; it had been one of the first things he did upon arriving in the city, for when he thought he would inevitably need to get out quick.

The apartment is a coin flip… if the safehouse is a trap, it seems likely Callahan won’t have split his resources between that and staking out a second location. If Ilya really is waiting for him, then he has no idea what to expect in Oceanview. Still… There's a customized Remington 990 sitting in a locker under his bed, and the thought of abandoning it–or worse yet, the thought of Callahan getting his hands on it–is enough to cement Maksim’s resolve. He has to go home.

It doesn’t feel right, creeping around his own apartment building like he’s there to rob it. But he’s not in any state to be confronting his neighbors right now, and he’d really rather as few people as possible have any sense of where he’s been and when. After a tense few seconds of finessing the lock (not much of a feat when it only has to be jostled in just such a way), the back door to the service corridor spares him having to pass by the front desk. No one else ever takes the stairs when the elevators are as cushy as they are, so it’s an easy enough task to dart up one flight at a time, stopping on each landing to listen for anyone else coming and going, until he’s finally on the fifth floor. He has the least cover here as he steps out into the main hallway, leaving him no choice but to simply stride to his own door as purposefully as he can and pray no one else is around.

He’s just beginning to marvel at his own luck when he gets close enough to realize the door is already just the slightest bit ajar. Like someone let it swing closed behind them and didn’t check to make sure it latched. He stops a few paces out, hand drifting to the pistol holstered at his back, and although he expects to regret it he takes a deep breath and stretches his senses outward, pawing blindly around the astral space for signs of other minds. There’s the familiar thread of one neighbor, the absence of another telling him the unit on the right is empty right now, and then… someone else, dead ahead. Someone bored.

The second he brushes against their mind his awareness snaps back into place and he flinches, pressing a palm to his forehead as his vision blurs. He’s not excited at the prospect of fighting someone in his current state, but he’s not excited at the prospect of turning around and retreating either. There is at least one other alternative… He drops his hand away from the gun and squares his shoulders, doing the best he can not to look like he’s operating on nothing but sleep deprivation and the tail end of a stimulant high, and pushes the door open.

The open floorplan affords him an immediate view of everything but the bedroom and bathroom, but he doesn’t need the luxury of a full sweep to isolate the only threat in the apartment. She’s rifling through the cabinets in his kitchen with her back to him, and judging by the clutter of nonperishables on his counter it looks like she’s been on a determined hunt for something.

Human, sturdy build, dressed for combat but not so heavily that it would obscure the elaborate wolf-centric sleeve tattoos. This isn’t another of Callahan’s goons imported from the east coast. In fact Maksim recognizes her, if only peripherally, as another runner moving in the same circles Ilya does. That might actually make this easier. He freezes to search his memory for a name, and then rolls his eyes when he remembers what it is.

“Lupe,” he says to announce his presence, at the same time pushing the door more firmly shut behind him. She straightens and wheels around, staring him down for a beat before he sees recognition spark in her eyes as well.

“Shit,” she sighs, “no one told me I was getting a babysitter, Mr. Johnson must really want this guy.” Something in Maksim’s expression must give him away before he can decide how to use that information, because a second later her eyebrows shoot up toward her hairline and she lets out a long, low whistle. “‘This guy’ is you?”

Maksim steels himself with another deep breath before responding. “Listen… I would really rather not kill you inside my own apartment.” Lupe’s mouth quirks into a dry smile, and he worries that he’s not managing to sound confident instead of exhausted. He makes a quick course-correction, shrugging the backpack off his shoulder and lowering it to the floor, then making a point of drawing his pistol, reversing his grip on it, and leaning over to lay it on the seat of a nearby chair. “What would it cost for you to let me get my things and then swear I was never here?”

She tilts her head, eyeing him down the bridge of her nose before she answers. “How much you got?”

That, at least, is a question he’s prepared to answer confidently. “Two thousand,” he says, pulling one of the cred sticks from the deposit box from his pocket and holding it out. “That’s all I have but you can take it all.”

She hovers in the kitchen a couple seconds longer, watching him as if he might spring into action at any moment, but he must look suitably beaten and desperate because she finally comes around the counter and approaches, stretching out a hand to accept the bribe.

When she grabs his wrist instead he tenses, but he registers the incoming fist a split second too late to react and then he’s on the floor, seeing stars. The fresh wave of pain crests against the inhibitor before it can really hinder him but he still feels thoroughly rattled as he rolls onto his side. He groans, bites out “чертова сука” only to taste a fresh trickle of blood down his lips.

That was embarrassing, and not the kind of cheap move that ever should have surprised him. He would have preferred a more controlled round of troubleshooting but at least now he can be reasonably certain. Something’s wrong with his mods.

“Sorry Avos,” Lupe sighs. “But work’s work, y’know?” She grabs his ankle and drags him further away from the door–away from his gun–continuing, “I don’t know what you did but someone’s got a lot of nuyen riding on settling the score.” Her weight comes down on his stomach as she straddles him, grabbing the wrist of his injured hand as she reaches for something on her belt.

That was a bad judgment call.

His left hand shoots out to the front of her tactical vest, claws digging in for purchase, and he hauls her down the same moment he lunges forward to slam his forehead into her face.

That was also a bad judgment call.

Lupe grunts and goes limp enough for Maksim to throw her off, only to drop back onto the floor as the room spins. It takes every ounce of his focus just to get some semblance of control over his limbs, enough to roll over and lurch-stumble-crawl back to the chair to grab the manhunter and fire off a shot near-blindly in Lupe’s direction. It misses her entirely and smacks into the laminated window behind her as she sits up. She follows the trajectory before turning back to him with a sneer, the expression rendered grisly by the mess of gashes Maksim’s horns delivered to her face.

She staggers to her feet as Maksim slouches back against the chair, but in a moment of inspiration he sets his jaw and fires two more shots past her into the window, until it finally shatters and he hears someone down on the street shriek in surprise. Lupe stops in her tracks and gives the window another look, and this time when she faces Maksim again she seems genuinely puzzled. “What was that for?”

“This is a nice neighborhood,” he says, slightly winded. “And people in the building are nosey. I’d give the SFPD… fifteen minutes? Maybe less if they’re bored.”

She gives him the same calculating stare she did when he first showed up, but she does look markedly less confident in her advantage now. “And which one of us do you think they’ll believe is supposed to be here?”

Maksim snorts. “Honestly? Neither of us. But I bet only one of us knows what name is on the lease.” He glances over his shoulder and then reaches back, hauls himself up off the floor and into the chair. He rests his elbows on his thighs and dares to take a second to screw his eyes shut, rub his forehead, try to blink everything back into sharper focus. When he looks up again Lupe hasn’t moved. He waves the gun listlessly toward the door with a frown. “I’ve already had to pay off a street doc, I don’t want to have to call in a cleaner too. You can keep the cred stick.”

Lupe takes a step toward him. “I don’t think you understand what kind of price tag is on you right now.”

“If you don’t leave I’ll shoot out your knees and then you can talk to the cops yourself when they get here.” It takes a concerted effort to keep his hand steady but he levels the manhunter with her legs just to make sure she understands he’s not being hyperbolic. “Get out of my house.”

This time she doesn’t argue. Maksim sinks back into the chair as the door swings shut behind her and he listens to her heavy footsteps recede down the hall until he can’t hear them anymore. Then he lays the pistol in his lap and rubs his hand vigorously over his face, letting out a long groan of wordless frustration.

But he’s on a tight deadline now, thanks to his own flawless strategizing.

He drags himself back to his feet, holsters the pistol, retrieves the backpack from by the door, and heads for the bedroom, cursing under his breath when his balance wavers and his shoulder catches on the doorframe. Then out of the closet comes a black duffel bag, and out from under the bed comes a sturdy locker. He flips up the latches and throws it open to retrieve the prize he came all this way for, the 990 settled peacefully in its tactical holster. Maksim pauses as he wraps his hand around it, allowing himself a moment to imagine firing a slug through Callahan’s skull just to make the trip worth it, then stuffs it into the duffel along with his remaining ammo for both guns, the manhunter’s drop holster, the reinforced field jacket he normally wears on runs, and all the contents of the backpack. He zips the duffel shut and stands, then after a brief consideration pulls off the hoodie and tosses it on the bed, ducks into the bathroom to hastily wash the blood off his face, and then shrugs into his leather coat. It’s not any less conspicuous, in fact it might be moreso, but it’s familiar. It’s his. Even that tiny bit of normalcy does something to settle his nerves.

He slings the duffel over his head onto his shoulder and leaves the apartment, making a beeline for the exit. A door opens behind him and someone calls his name, but he just picks up his pace and doesn’t so much as glance over his shoulder before disappearing into the stairwell. By the time he's stepping back out into the alley from the service corridor, he can hear sirens around the front of the building.

Only one destination left now.

Haight-Ashbury isn't the kind of place where people pry, but after the chaos of his apartment the hike to the safehouse still feels disconcertingly simple. Traffic rumbles by overhead as he exits an underpass onto a quiet street, counting down building numbers until he arrives at the address he was provided. The structure is entirely unremarkable, easy to dismiss as an old shuttered storefront or a dingy unlisted residential building. He knocks twice on the front door, steps back, waits for a beat. A rusty intercom set into the wall crackles to life, only for a slightly distorted voice to tell him, “deliveries to the side door.”

Maksim hesitates, giving the facade a quick examination to see if he can spot a camera. Does he look like he’s here to make a delivery? Then he reaches over and holds down the one little silver button on the intercom. “I’m… looking for Naspok,” he says experimentally.

There’s no immediate answer, and Maksim is just beginning to wonder if he needs to try another approach when he hears the door unlock from inside before it creaks open. The orc that greets him at the threshold is a head shorter and looks to be at least a few decades older than he is, features well weathered but eyes sharp as he takes in Maksim’s appearance with pursed lips. He’s leaning lightly on a cane, but he takes up the doorframe confidently enough that Maksim doesn’t even entertain the idea of trying to force his way inside.

At last the orc simply grunts, “name?”

“Avos.”

The orc nods, then shifts his weight to rest one hand on the door. “You wait here,” he says. “No weapons on your person inside the building.”

Maksim blinks. “I’m not-”

“Not even well hidden ones,” the orc interrupts, raising the tip of his cane to flip Maksim’s coat aside and point directly to the concealed holster’s belt.

Maksim scowls down at him, but he still takes a step back to unclasp the belt and disarm, lowering the duffel onto the ground to store the manhunter away alongside the 990. Then he straightens, holding up his good hand to flex his claws illustratively.

The orc sniffs. “Well… Just keep that to yourself. Now wait.” He turns away, shutting the door behind him.

If this is a trap, Maksim is making it unbelievably easy for them. But that theory is rapidly beginning to crumble under the weight of evidence. Or hope, at least.

He’s left waiting on the doorstep long enough to start fearing again that he may have mishandled the situation. He turns to look up and down the sidewalk, a perfunctory effort to spot an ambush if it’s coming his way, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. He stoops to retrieve his bag from the ground, and doesn’t immediately process the next sound he hears coming from inside the building, only registering it as a rush of footsteps an instant before the door flies open.

When he turns back around Ilya is staring at him, wide eyed and slightly out of breath. For a long moment all he can think to do is stare back. He lets the duffel slide off his shoulder back onto the ground again. Every other thought in his head terminates at once, every frustration and paranoid fear and survival plan blotted out by the all-encompassing relief that overtakes him. This. This is what it was all for. For this moment, for the chance to look them in the eye one more time and… and tell them…

“Are you okay?” he asks numbly, just for something to say. Some way to fill the silence. He only registers the irony of him asking them that when Ilya’s expression contorts into something caught inexplicably between humor and pity.

“Am I okay?” they echo, “Maksim…”

“I just didn’t know if I contacted you fast enough, Callahan was going to… and I haven’t been able to think straight… I-” he rubs his eyes, shakes his head. Then he manages to catch hold of a single thought long enough to say with a little more exasperation than intended, “I told you to hide.”

“I did!” Ilya insists, holding their hands out to indicate the building around them.

“And I told you not to contact me.”

“Ah.” Ilya smiles weakly, then chews their lip for a second. “Technically I contacted a clinic in Bayview… if you happened to be there… coincidentally…”

Their excuse peters out as Maksim takes a step forward, spurred on by some impulse that barely even surfaces in his conscious mind, and takes hold of their shoulders. Or at least, he takes hold of one shoulder and rests his injured hand on the other. “You had time to run. You could have disappeared, you could be halfway to Seattle by now.”

The half-hearted attempt at humor falls away and Ilya’s eyes dart over his features, searching his expression with an unusual intensity. “The thought never crossed my mind,” they say softly. He believes them. He doesn’t know why that scares him, why it makes him feel dizzy and tightens his chest until he feels like he can’t take a full breath, but he believes they never considered leaving him behind. Not for a second. The question he wants to ask is why, the same question he asked before. Why didn't you sell me out. Why won't you leave. But he’s still grasping for the words when he feels their hand on his arm, and they’re saying, “but hey, we don’t have to do this right here, I think you’re clear to come inside. Do I need to get your bag?”

“No…” he mumbles, and then comes back to himself enough to actually process the question. “No,” he says more firmly, inhaling sharply and letting go of them to pick up the duffel again. Ilya moves away from the door and Maksim tails them inside, pausing when they poke their head through another door nearby and mutter something to someone in the next room. Then they close it and move on, beckoning him to follow them.

“I don’t think anyone else is here right now,” they say idly while they’re climbing the stairs, just as Maksim was also noting how quiet the building was despite its size. Without a full examination he’d still estimate it could house a couple dozen people.

In the second floor hallway Maksim’s muddled thoughts alight on another piece of information that feels important, and without warning he blurts out, “Alabast.” Ilya stops to face him. “The reliquary… the artifact we were supposed to steal from the warehouse. They think I have it, they’ve had someone following me since I left New York thinking they could get it back.”

Ilya doesn’t respond immediately, but Maksim imagines he can see a question surface in their expression only to fade just as quickly as they give him another quick once-over and do the math themself. The cast, the bruises, the length of his disappearance. They don’t need to ask what happened. What they do ask is, “how did you get out?”

“I…” Maksim grimaces. He hasn’t really spared any time to reflect on that… It wasn’t like he had a lot of options, but he’s been determinedly averting his eyes from the reality of what he was driven to. Full telepathic possession… it’s not something he’s ever done before. Not something he was ever taught to do. Not something he ever wanted to do. But he’s not about to start reflecting on it now. “It’s not important.”

The progression of Ilya’s expression is harder to read this time. They look like they want to press, but they catch Maksim’s eye and they see something there that keeps them quiet. “I’m glad you did,” they say, softly enough that Maksim might have thought it was just to themself if they weren’t standing so close. Just as their attention drifts back down the hall and they turn away, something hitches in Maksim’s chest, a quiet little cry of wait! He shrugs the bag off his shoulder again and reaches out, hand trailing down their forearm to linger around their wrist, and when they turn back to face him he throws his other arm around their shoulders and draws them in close. He can feel the ripple of tension that passes through them, for no more than the length of a heartbeat, before their body settles into the embrace.

“You didn’t have to do any of this,” he says, breathing the words into the warmth of their throat as he rests his head against their shoulder.

“You keep saying that,” they point out, lacing their fingers together at the small of his back. “Like it wasn’t the only choice that made any sense.”

None of this makes any sense, Maksim thinks, but he doesn’t argue as the moment stretches quietly into another second. Another. When he lifts his head away he can still feel the air stretched tight between them. A tether–or something more active. A magnetic pull as Ilya’s eyes lock with his, two opposing forces drawn back together into something natural and inevitable.

Then that moment bursts like a soap bubble as Ilya lets out the unmistakable snort of a poorly stifled laugh.

Maksim doesn’t lean any further back but he does narrow his eyes. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing, sorry,” Ilya replies quickly. “I just remembered the last time I asked if you were about to kiss me and you nearly decked me for it.”

Maksim holds their gaze for another beat. They’re teasing. It’s normal, it’s so perfectly, comfortably normal, but it still lights up something inescapable in Maksim’s head. If you were about to kiss me… He leans in, places a light peck along their jaw. When they don’t pull away, another against the soft skin just below their ear, and in his gentlest, most confidential tone, just to settle the score, he tells them, “I still might if you’re going to make this weird.”

Ilya’s hands unclasp just to slip under his coat and wander up the curve of his back to rest against his shoulders. Their grip is light but he can’t ignore the way they’re holding him in place, the fact that if he tried to step away it would be easy for them to stop him. He can’t ignore the fact that he would never let anyone touch him like that. Even without seeing it he can hear the grin plainly in their voice as they respond, “if you think threats are going to make me behave better then there’s been a serious miscommunication between us.” Maksim pulls back again, just enough to properly take in the pleased little smirk that they flash him to punctuate the comment as they splay their fingers out over his shoulder blades.

There’s a shift then, something in the stream of his thoughts abruptly changing direction, catching on a hook in the midst of the natural current. It registers as an invitation- no. A challenge, like Ilya is daring him to…

Even with two fingers out of commission he’s got the collar of their jacket in both hands before he can think about it and he shoves, just hard enough for them to hit the wall with a startled huff that turns into a muffled exclamation against his lips as he kisses them–deep, insistent bordering on aggressive. But there’s an underlying note of desperation to it that Maksim can feel in his own gut, a need for something he can’t name but is suddenly convinced, on some fundamental level, that he could finally have. Something Ilya could give him, that he could find in them–in the way they relax into the kiss just as quickly as they relaxed into the hug, the way they invited this and then surrendered to it so easily. He can feel their hands balled up in the fabric of his shirt and now they are holding him fast, telling him stay here, stay. There’s a stability, a realness to being held that he had allowed himself to forget. A feeling of certainty in being this close to another person, feeling the rise and fall of their breath and the warmth of their skin. Of course he would stay, he would dissolve into this moment, fall into Ilya’s orbit like a captured moon, let himself be pinned through the chest and held in place forever-

Then the rational part of his brain finally catches up only to bring the rest of it to a stuttering halt as it cries out you can’t, you can’t have this, you can’t want this. He breaks away with a gasp, a breathless silence hanging between them as he leans back into Ilya’s arms still wrapped around him. They let their head tip back to thump softly against the wall, seemingly unaware of his sudden discomfort as they study him with an expression he doesn’t recognize. Eyes a little wide, skin darkened by a subtle flush across their cheeks and the wry twist of a smile just barely tugging at the corner of their lips again. A growing unease bubbles up in Maksim’s chest and he lets his gaze fall, grasping for something to settle on other than their eyes.

As they so often are, Ilya is the one to find the nerve to break that silence, though they still sound a little stunned. “Sure, that’s one way to shut me up I guess.”

“Sorry,” Maksim utters, and the contrition feels wrong on his tongue, feels like someone else speaking for him. He doesn’t want to apologize. There are so many things that he does want but he’s pushing them all back down below the surface where they’re quiet. Where it’s safe.

“I’m… not complaining.” There's a note of surprise in their tone… at hearing themself say it? Or just at the fact that Maksim needed to hear it? It doesn't matter, he doesn’t want to know what they’re thinking. He wills his hands to loosen, to let Ilya go, and is at once both relieved and disappointed when they take it as a signal to do the same and allow him to step away. It's for the best, he tells himself. He’ll disappoint them, he won’t give them enough–he never has, he’s never known how–and he can't bear the thought of facing that frustration and discontent again. Not from Ilya, not after all this.

But he can’t pretend that didn’t just happen either–not with the way Ilya’s looking at him now. Not expectant, and certainly not angry… they just seem a little bewildered, like they’re not sure what happens next either. Then they clear their throat, apparently arriving at a decision. “Come on,” they say, leaning around him to grab his duffel, laying a hand on his shoulder as they do so. It feels… right. It feels normal, and as they’re straightening he places his hand on top of theirs and they falter for just a second. There’s that mystified little ghost of a smile again as their gaze darts across his face, then they squeeze his shoulder and tilt their head toward a door a little further down the hall. “You look half dead, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sitting down.”

[feralandmoonstruck]

Moonstruck Ch. 6 Sunrise Run

18+ only! This wip contains explicit content!

Apollo broke free of his kiss with Ilya to pull out his phone.

I’m free tomorrow if the running offer is still up

Didn’t think you’d be up for it. Especially so soon

Ilya whined from where he was lazily thrusting against Apollo’s thigh. “Apollo, pay attention to meeee”

Apollo’s phone buzzed in his hand. “Give me just a minute.”

I go running around 5 is that okay?

I’ll definitely need a nap after, but yea that’s fine

Cool. Drop me your address and I’ll give you a call when I’m on my way.

Ilya nipped at Apollo’s neck.

“Sorry.” He dropped his phone and brought his hands to Ilya’s hips. “Where were we?”

Ilya rolled his eyes and scoffed. “That’s even more rude than-”

Apollo caught Ilya’s chin, jerking his gaze back to him, and pulled him down in a kiss. “Did you really think I’d forget you so easily?”

“For all I know.”

“Ilya, what’s wrong? You sound jealous.”

Ilya rolled his eyes again. “I’m not jealous.”

“Then what’s this about?”

“He’s human Apollo.”

“Jamie, Annalise, and Devon all have human mates. It’s not really that uncommon.”

“You really think you’re going to mate with him?”

Apollo sighed. “Ilya, I like someone for the first time since Darby died. My mate died. I don’t think that I’ll ever mate with anyone again, and I’m okay with that.” A small, broken shard of him stabbed him in the heart at his words. “I think he’s a nice guy that I want to get to know better.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“I don’t want that either, but it’s not something any of us can stop. You met him though, what did you think about him?”

Ilya narrowed his eyes. “I guess he’s nice,” he grumbled.

“See? He’s nice, he’s cute, and he’s into me. Just let me have this, Il. Please?”

“I’m going to find Kendrick.” Ilya slid off Apollo’s lap and walked away.

Apollo sank back against the couch with a sigh. He picked up his phone and shoved it in his pocket without looking at it. The front door a little harder than necessary when he left. Habitually he turned towards Brentwood Loop and began to jog down the street.

When he was safely within the cool embrace of the nature trail he pulled out his phone.

He opened the message from Kendrick. Ilya is sulky what happened?

He’s being a judgemental dick head

He told me

What’s your opinion on Ezra?

I think he’s nice. He’s also cute

And? Did Ilya actually tell you what the conversation was about? Apollo walked back to the bench next to the entrance of the trail while he awaited Kendrick’s response.

He said he was worried you’d get hurt

He’s “worried” bc Ezra is human

Do you think it’ll be a problem?

No

Apollo quickly typed out a second message. So far he’s taken pretty much everything in stride. Can’t you guys let me have this?

I don’t have a problem with him, but I’ll talk to Ilya

I seriously don’t know why he’s being like this. You saw him at the restaurant

I assumed the comment about the run was a joke

Clearly he didn’t 🙄

I’ll see if there’s something else going on

Apollo sighed and clicked over to the message from Ezra. Thanks I’ll see you in the morning ^-^

He sat, breathing deeply while his fingers tapped against his thigh. One deep breath in 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. And out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. He repeated it over and over, letting his mind melt into the pattern of it. When everything had cleared, he got up and began to walk home.

The next morning, Apollo listened to the line ringing through to Ezra’s phone while he bit into a plum.

“Hello?” A groggy Ezra said, his voice rough with sleep.

Apollo smiled, “Morning. You still up for that run?”

There was a rustle of blankets and a yawn. “Hmm? Oh right, the run.”

“We can postpone if you need to.”

“No, no,” Ezra yawned again. “I wanna go with you.”

Apollo sank his teeth into his plum at the sound of Ezra’s sleepy groan. “Is twenty minutes enough time for you to get ready?”

“Mhm. Yeah I can be ready by then.”

“Cool. See you in twenty then.

“See you.”

The line bleeped, signaling the end of the call. Apollo finished his plum on his way out the door.

Twenty five minutes later Apollo pulled into Ezra’s apartment complex. Keen eyes scanned apartment numbers as his car crept through the lot. When he spotted Ezra’s building he parked and pulled his phone out.

I’m here and I brought coffee

You’re a lifesaver. I’ll be right out.

A few minutes later Ezra appeared in front of his building. Apollo flashed his lights so Ezra would know which car was his.

“Hey,” Ezra yawned as he got in the car. “Morning.”

“Morning.” He handed Ezra a steaming cup.

Ezra cradled the cup between his hands. Inhaling the steam brought a smile to his face. “Perfect. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He backed out of his spot and turned towards the road.

“So where are you taking me?”

“Brentwood Loop. I do my sunrise runs there almost every day. It’s my favorite.”

“Is it your favorite place in the city?”

The corner of Apollo’s mouth twitched up. “Second favorite.”

“And the first?”

“Alderhill park.”

“Oh I’ve heard of that place. Maybe we could go some time.”

Apollo shook his head. “Sorry, Ez. I only go there a few times a year.”

“Oh,” Ezra sat quietly for a moment. “Is it-”

“I proposed there.” He let out a long breath before continuing. “I don’t take Ilya or Kendrick there either.”

“I’m sorry.”

Apollo glanced over to shoot Ezra a smile. “Nothing to be sorry about. Thanks for understanding though.”

Ezra smiled back.

It took only a few more minutes for them to reach the nature trail.

Apollo parked and looked over at Ezra. “One of my rules for sunrise runs is that we have to stretch.”

“Oh, uh, okay. I can do that.”

“I’ll go easy on you and just do an abbreviated version of my normal routine.”

“Thanks for that,” Ezra laughed. He took a final drink of his coffee and opened his door.

“Alright,” Apollo said, meeting him on the asphalt, “we’ll only do a few. Do what I do.”

Ezra stood in front of Apollo, mirroring his movements.

“Wait.” He straightened and walked over to Ezra. Sure hands corrected Ezra’s posture, straightening his spine, aligning his hips just right. “There we go.”

He moved back into the stretch. Ezra hung there until Apollo told him to switch. They moved through three more stretches, Apollo adjusting Ezra’s stance in each of them, before he called it done.

“You catch on quick. Normally I have to adjust my clients every single time. I only had to do that once with each stretch.”

Ezra was thankful for the darkness that hid his light blush. “I’m glad I was easy?”

“Be sure to stay close to me. I’ll let you set the pace.” Apollo began leading them across the lot and to the trail.

“Sure thing. I’m warning you now though, it’s not going to be a fast pace.”

Apollo laughed. “Don’t worry about it. We can go as slow as we need to.”

“Can we walk it,” Ezra joked.

“No luck. It’s a sunrise run.”

“If I die it’s on you.”

Apollo’s chest shook with silent laughter. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to let you die. I’m certified in CPR.”

“And certified in CPR. Could you be any more dreamy?”

“That’s what gets you going?” Apollo chuckled.

Ezra set their pace at a slow jog. “I mean.. Hot guys with the kiss of life. What can I say?”

Apollo flashed him a charming grin. “There’s a turn coming up.” He reached out for Ezra’s hand, effortlessly guiding him around the bend in the path.

When he went to let go, Ezra only tightened his grip. Apollo looked over and gave him a smile. Running hand in hand was a little awkward as Apollo kept having to adjust his pace. Long legs and excitement kept edging him to go faster.

“You said you do these runs every morning?”

“Almost, yeah.”

“Doesn’t that get boring?”

“Not really. I know the trail well enough that I can run and let my mind drift.”

“I take it back, that does sound nice.”

Apollo went to adjust his pace again, but Ezra sped up to match him. Excitement sang through him, barely containable. He wanted to break out in a sprint. To run and howl and let the joy devour him. He looked up at the sky. The sun would be up well after they left.

“Would you like to take a detour?”

“What do you mean?” Ezra asked.

“There’s a spot that gives an amazing view of the sunrise. We need to go off trail though.”

“The sunrise sounds nice, but going off trail…”

“What if I promise to knock down any spiderwebs before you can walk through them?”

Ezra smiled. “That would be sweet. But I still have to be careful. I’m really allergic to poison ivy.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t get into any.”

“My protector.”

“I can’t let you get hurt on my watch. What would people think?”

Ezra laughed. “I’m pretty sure that no one would blame you.”

“I’ll have you know that I take my job very seriously.”

“And what job is that?”

“Making sure you don’t die on this run.”

“Alright, we can go off trail. As long as you promise to keep me safe.”

“I promise. We still have a little ways to go. It’s just after the halfway mark.”

“Halfway mark? You mean we’re not even halfway through this run?” Ezra groaned.

Apollo chuckled, “This portion of the trail is a mile. There are other paths that branch off that bring it up to just over two miles.”

“It’s a mile? You’re making me run a whole mile?”

“We’re jogging half a mile. Then I’ll show you the best place to see the sunrise.”

Ezra groaned and stopped running. Apollo stopped just ahead of him and looked back.

“Everything alright?”

“You’re gonna have to carry me,” Ezra said.

Apollo smiled and walked back until they were face to face. “Do you really want me to?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll faint before the end of this.”

“That’s one way to get into my arms.”

“And what’s another way?” Ezra teased.

Apollo put his hands on Ezra’s hips, pulling him close. He leaned down to speak right in his ear, “All you have to do is ask.”

He could feel the shiver that ran up Ezra’s body at his words before Ezra took half a step back.

“Apollo?”

“Yeah?”

Ezra chewed at his lip. “Will you kiss me?”

Apollo smiled. He brought one hand to cup the back of Ezra’s head. He leaned down once more and gave Ezra a small peck. Ezra leaned up to deepen the kiss, but Apollo pulled away.

“Let’s keep running.” Apollo started off at a light jog. He’d only gone a few steps before Ezra caught up with him. “Just a little further to the halfway point.”

“I hope so.”

Only the sounds of their footsteps and the trill of animals waking up broke their silence until Apollo drew to a stop.

“This is where we leave the trail. I’ll make sure you don’t get into anything.”

“Mhm.”

Apollo stepped into the underbrush. Turning back, he held his hand out as if offering Ezra the door to another world. Ezra ignored his hand and stepped off the path next to him.

“Lead the way.”

Apollo dropped his hand and turned. He followed the familiar path that angled up from where they were and towards the lookout at the far edge of the woods.

They picked their way along, Apollo swatting spider silk out of the way and warning Ezra about any creeping ivy they passed. Ezra didn’t respond, merely took Apollo's warnings and followed them. Apollo moved slowly, allowing Ezra ample time to keep up. The lookout was another two minutes away, but with every passing second he could feel Ezra freezing him out more and more. It hurt, but he tried to ignore it. When we get to the lookout things will be fine, he told himself.

When finally they broke through the trees, they found themselves standing on a ledge with a sprawl of forest stretching out beneath them all the way until it was swallowed by the mountains.

Apollo turned and gave Ezra a small smile. “You’re mad.”

Ezra shook his head. “I’m more confused. You keep pulling back when I kiss you. You did it yesterday and you did it again just a few minutes ago. Am I doing something wrong?”

“Not at all. Gods, you’re doing everything right.” Apollo scuffed the toe of his shoe against the dirt.

“Then why do you pull away?”

Apollo closed his eyes. “Because if I keep kissing you I won’t want to stop kissing you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know.” He opened his eyes and looked at Ezra. “You’re. You’re different. I’m out of practice at this and you’re just different.”

A puzzled frown crossed Ezra’s features. “Is it because I’m trans?” he asked slowly.

“No. It’s not that at all.”

“Then what is it?”

Apollo’s fingers began to drum against his thigh. “I want to devour you. I want to get lost in you. And that scares me a little.”

Ezra took a step toward Apollo. “Will it help if I tell you I don’t mind being devoured?”

“It helps a little.” Apollo gave a hollow laugh. “You make me feel vulnerable. I’m not used to having my heart out like this with someone I barely know.”

“We can keep getting to know each other.” Ezra put his hand on Apollo’s arm.

He pulled Ezra to his side, “I’d like that.”

Ezra laid his head on Apollo’s arm as they watched the sky turn silver. “I didn’t realize you had your heart out for me,” Ezra said softly, as if afraid to break the serenity of the dawn.

“I like you, Ezra. I like you more than I’ve liked anyone since I met my husband.”

“I like you too Apollo. You’re the first person I’ve liked since early college. I had a boyfriend that I came out to, and he said he was fine with it, but he left me when I had top surgery. After that, it didn’t seem worth it to try to find someone else.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“Thanks.” He paused to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It was a long time ago.”

Apollo squeezed his hand. “I’m glad I found you.”

“It was fate.”

Apollo chuckled gently and bent his head to kiss Ezra’s hair. “It must have been.”

Infant rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon. Minute by minute silver melted into gold. All the birds behind them had come to life, trilling their morning songs. Squirrels chittered through the trees. Apollo watched the way Ezra’s face unfolded with the dawn. Starry-eyed, lips parted in awe.

“It’s beautiful,” he whispered.

Apollo smiled. “Best place in the city to see the sunrise.”

“It really is,” Ezra breathed. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“I’m glad you came. We can stay as long as you’d like.”

Ezra nodded.

Together they stood, breathing in the unfolding dawn.

Once the sun was fully above the horizon Ezra turned to Apollo. “I think I’m ready to go now.”

“Yeah?”

“This was magical, but I’m so sleepy now.”

Apollo laughed. “Let’s get you home then so that you can take a nap.”

“That sounds good,” Ezra replied with a yawn.

Apollo led them back to the trail. “Which way?”

“Hmm?”

“Which way do you want to go? We can turn back and go the way we came, or we could keep going.”

“Which way is shorter?” Ezra yawned.

“C’mon, let's do the rest of the path.”

“Are you going to make me run it?”

“It will wake you up and get us back faster, but we can walk it if you want.”

Ezra nodded sleepily. “Lead the way.”

Back at the car Apollo reminded Ezra of his coffee as they climbed inside.

“Right, thanks,” Ezra mumbled as he clipped his seat belt. He pulled his drink out of the cup holder and took a sip. “It’s still a little warm.”

“I’m glad. Back to your house then?”

“Mhm.”

“You always get tired this fast?”

“After we were standing still for a while it hit me.”

“Ah. Well, don’t worry. I’ll have you home soon.”

Ezra took a drink of his coffee and leaned back against the seat. Apollo pulled out of the lot and onto the road.

“You know you can lean the seat back and take a nap if you want to.”

Ezra shook his head. “Then I’d miss out on getting to talk to you.”

A smile quirked Apollo’s lips. “What’d you wanna talk about?”

“Mmm, what’s your favorite color?”

“Green. Yours?”

“Blue.” Ezra touched his hair. “How’d you get into search and rescue?”

“My uncle. He brought me along to one. A little boy was missing so a bunch of us helped comb the woods.”

“Did you find him?”

“We did. He was a little banged up, but fine otherwise.”

“That’s good.”

“I’ve got a couple of cousins that are firefighters as well. I even joined as a volunteer for a bit. I didn’t stick though.”

“You’re so fucking impressive.”

Apollo laughed. “Thanks. You’re pretty impressive, too. Being a doctor and all.”

“Ha. I’m a nerd.”

“You used to be a gymnast. That’s pretty cool.”

“Used to be. I’m not anymore.”

“Still cool.”

Ezra shrugged. “Thanks.”

“I’m serious! And you’re helping other people like you. That’s pretty fuckin’ cool if you ask me.”

A smile crept across Ezra’s face. “Thank you, for real this time.”

“Need to get anything while we’re out?” Apollo asked as they reached town.

“Mm, no,” Ezra shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Straight home for naps then?”

“Yes please.”

“Straight home it is.”

When they pulled up in front of Ezra’s apartment, Apollo got out of the car with him.

“Mind if I walk you to your door?”

“I’d like that.”

Apollo went around the front of the car and followed Ezra to his apartment. They paused while Ezra unlocked the door.

He turned back to look at Apollo expectantly.

Apollo brought his hands to Ezra’s hips and pushed him gently against the door. He dipped his head to Ezra’s upturned face and kissed him. This time, when Ezra parted his lips Apollo let himself sink into the kiss. He pulled Ezra closer, trapping him between him and the door. Ezra’s fingers found their way into Apollo’s hair.

Ezra finally pulled back to catch his breath. Apollo’s eyes were dark and hungry.

“I’ll have to leave you here,” he said. “I can’t devour you just yet.”

Ezra let out a slow breath. “Alright. Thank you for telling me this time.”

“Go get some sleep.” Apollo gave him a tiny kiss and stepped back so that Ezra could go inside.

“Text me some time,” He said before closing the door.

Apollo smiled all the way back to his car.