#not sure if it'll be next patch? but if it is i'm looking forward to his interactions with the collective of plenty

[aromanticasterisms]

the anecdotes are very fun!! i like seeing characters out in the wild :] but. feels like when everyone asks for "characters in the open world" this is not really what they had in mind

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

Drake: "That was close. We almost got swept away."

His outstretched hand reached for the oar right next to me.

(Was he just trying to grab the oar?)

My heart was pounding with embarrassment from the sudden closeness. Drake, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind and kept his gaze forward.

Drake: “There’s a fork in the road. Which way do we go, Captain?”

Mitsuki: “Huh? I’m the captain?”

Drake: “Whoever’s wearing that hat is the captain. Now, tell me where you want to go.”

I chuckled in response to his mischievous smile and pointed to one of the two diverging paths in the river.

Mitsuki: “Then, full starboard toward that route!”

Drake: “Yes, Your Majesty. As you wish."

I gave the order as a captain does, and he maneuvered the oar skillfully.

The boat quickly gained speed, and the cool breeze on the water gently brushed against us. Before we knew it, the sky had turned red.

Drake: "Watch your step, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki: "Okay. Whoops!"

I grabbed his outstretched hand as we docked the boat by the shore and stepped out.

Mitsuki: “Today was so much fun! Paris looked kind of different than usual today.”

Drake: “That’s what matters most. I’ll consider your smile as my payment.”

Mitsuki: “Are you sure? Thank you. I’ll come back for another ride sometime.”

Mitsuki: "And one more thing, thank you. You made my worries go away."

Drake: "Hm? I just spoke my mind."

He said it as if it were nothing, but the lingering unease in my heart disappeared, leaving me feeling refreshed.

(Even though he just arrived here, he managed to cheer me up.)

Mitsuki: "Hey, Drake. If you ever start missing your world, don't hesitate to talk about it."

Mitsuki: "If you're okay with me, I'll listen as much as you want."

(I want to hear more about him.)

In addition to the desire to help him, a budding curiosity to get to know him better began to grow.

He slightly widened his eyes at my words.

Drake: "Thanks, little fawn, but it won't come to that."

Drake: "I don't have a place to miss or a place to return to."

(Huh?)

His words were so straightforward that I looked back at him.

Drake: "I'm fine with being a flying Dutchman."

(A flying Dutchman?)

Drake: "It's a tale of a man who endlessly roams the sea for eternity."

I tilted my head, wondering what he meant, and he responded with a sarcastic smile.

Then, suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached.

Mitsuki: "Whoa!"

Drake: "Whoops."

Suddenly, my body shook with a thud.

I almost fell, but Drake quickly supported me.

Mitsuki: "Thanks. Huh?"

I looked down and saw a girl sitting on her butt beside me.

Mitsuki: "Did I bump into you? Sorry, are you okay?"

Girl: "I'm fine."

I held out my hand, but the girl replied bluntly, stood up without making eye contact, and immediately tried to turn on her heel.

Drake: "Hold up."

Girl: "----!"

Drake reached out and caught the girl's arm, and there, in her hand, was my wallet.

(Huh? When did she...?)

Drake: "I knew it. I thought something like this would happen."

Girl: "Let go!"

The girl glared at him and began to struggle.

I looked at her closely and saw that her clothes were full of patches, and her hands and feet were so thin.

Drake: "Well, what should we do? What happens if we hand her over to the authorities in this era? Hanging?"

Mitsuki: "She's not a pirate, so I don't think it'll go that far!"

Girl: "I said let go!"

Drake: "Oww!"

The girl bit his hand and bolted away from the scene like a stray cat.

Drake: "Sorry, she got away. We got your wallet back, so that's good, right?"

Mitsuki: "It's more than enough. Thanks, Drake. I didn't notice at all."

Drake: "Well, I understand. I did similar things to survive when I was a kid."

That girl had the eyes of a lone wild animal.

I wonder if he had the same eyes as a child.

Mitsuki: “What kind of child were you?”

Drake: “I was the textbook troublemaker. I stole, I fought. Looking back now, I had all the qualities of a pirate.”

Drake: “Until I got picked up by a pirate ship, I had nowhere to go.”

His tone hinted at a lonely past.

(There must have been circumstances that forced him to do that.)

I hesitated to delve deeper into the topic and didn’t press further.

Drake: “That kid from earlier seems pretty experienced.”

Drake: “Compared to when I was alive, this 19th-century Paris is relatively peaceful.”

Drake: “But it seems like no matter the era, there’s always a gap between the rich and the poor.”

Mitsuki: “You’re right. Even in my time, the 21st century, it hasn’t been resolved.”

(But to think that a child about that age is pick-pocketing on a daily basis...)

The harsh reality weighed on my chest.

Mitsuki: “I wonder if that girl has a family.”

Drake: “........”

(Drake?)

Drake: “Even if she does, having blood ties doesn’t necessarily mean having a good family.”

His mumbled words sounded cold and slightly lonely.

I wanted to know more about Drake.

That feeling began to sprout that day.

One morning...

(I wonder if he’s working now.)

I reminisced about our time on the Seine River while doing some gardening.

(Given his personality, he’d probably gain more customers.)

(But it might be a shame if he gets used to his job. I kind of like his clumsy boat tour.)

Chuckling at the thought, a piece of white paper suddenly flew before me.

I picked it up from the ground and saw that the paper had musical notes written on it.

(This is sheet music. Did it fly over from Mozart’s music room?)

I gathered the scattered sheets to deliver them and suddenly noticed a title written on one of them.

(The Flying Dutchman?)

(Is this the story Drake mentioned the other day?)

When I delivered the sheet music to the piano room, Mozart counted the number of sheets and neatly arranged the paper.

Mozart: "Thank you. I opened the window to get some fresh air, but the papers got blown away."

Mozart: "I'm glad you were the one who picked it up. If it were Dazai or Arthur, I'd have unpleasant memories associated with this piece."

(He's as strict as ever.)

I chuckled and asked Mozart.

Mitsuki: "Is this piece called 'The Flying Dutchman'?"

Mozart: "Yeah, it's an opera composed by Richard Wagner."

Mozart: "Music evolves with time. I wanted to try listening to various compositions by other musicians, so I ordered the sheet music."

Mitsuki: “Sounds intriguing. What’s the opera about?”

Mozart: “It’s the tale of the legend of the flying Dutchman. Originally, it was a story passed down among sailors.”

(The Flying Dutchman.)

According to the legend that Mozart told me, long ago, a certain Dutch captain was caught in a fierce storm during a voyage.

The captain, defying the pleas of his crew to stop, forcefully sailed the ship onward, shouting defiantly towards the heavens.

『 I will sail on through the storm. Not even God or the Devil can stop me! 』

Mozart: “He was cursed to never die and condemned to wander the seas alone forever.”

Mozart: “That’s the story.”

Mozart quietly concluded the legend.

(Forever alone. That’s kind of lonely.)

------------Flashback------------

Drake: "I don't have a place to miss or a place to return to."

Drake: "I'm fine with being a flying Dutchman."

---------Flashback Ends---------

(Is Drake comparing himself to that captain?)

(I don’t really know what he means, but to him, being resurrected without his own will probably feels like an eternal voyage.)

Even so, the idea of endlessly wandering the sea alone felt quite lonely.

As I was thinking about it and feeling sad, Mozart spoke again.

Mozart: “The legend ends there, but the opera tells the story that comes after.”

Mitsuki: “What comes next?”

Mozart: “A tale of redemption of the soul and eternal love.”

The only way to break the curse of the captain, who had become immortal, was to find a fated maiden who would pledge eternal love.

Every seven years, the captain was allowed to land in the harbor. On one such day, the captain finally encountered a maiden and made a promise of marriage.

However, due to a misunderstanding, the captain believed he had been betrayed by the maiden and set sail in despair. The maiden, filled with sorrow, threw herself into the sea as a pledge of her love for him.

Mozart: “The maiden’s sacrifice resulted in the curse being lifted, freeing him from his eternal voyage. Then, their souls ascended from the sea to the heavens.”

Mozart: “That is the story depicted in the opera.”

Mitsuki: “Realistically, it may seem hopeless, but it’s a happy ending for them.”

(If the captain could’ve just trusted the maiden, they might’ve had a shot at being happy together.)

The maiden became his refuge as he wandered through eternity.

Mozart: “That was quite a long story. But it’s rare for you to take an interest in opera.”

Mitsuki: “I was curious because Drake mentioned The Flying Dutchman.”

Mozart: “I see. This opera was composed in the 19th century, so Drake probably knows the legend rather than the actual opera.”

Mozart: “Considering that he lived in the same era but didn’t even bother with Shakespeare’s plays, I doubt he’d be interested in it.”

While making these somewhat sarcastic remarks, Mozart sighed lightly.

Mozart: “By the way, can you tell Drake something for me?”

Mozart: “I’m not playing the piano for the sake of your sleep. Sleeping in front of the piano room is strictly prohibited.”

Mitsuki: “Hehe, got it. I’ll pass on the message.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, imagining Drake easily falling asleep and Mozart playing the piano for him.

That night, at a late hour, when the birds and trees were quiet一

Drake: “.........”

Drake looked up at the crescent moon floating in the night sky from the mansion’s garden.

Drake: "The moon will disappear tomorrow."

Drake mumbled this and left the garden with his cloak fluttering, disappearing into the forest surrounding the mansion.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[unconsentual-ascension]

Tag game

^^^ That's the last thing I thought I'd type in 2025. Tagged by @apmnwq. I'm putting it under the cut cuz I'm not sure how many people follow me for anything other than my reblogs.

Last song: Fine - Lemon Demon, one of my all time favourite songs but not a good show of my overall music taste.

Last movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home, I don't watch movies often and especially not superhero stuff but I needed inspiration for a character so I put it on.

Last book: 1984, no actually this in no way a joke. I was rereading it... also for inspiration for writing but for something completely different.

Last TV show: Scavengers Reign, rewatching a favourite!! This show did irreversible things to my world building and creature design in the best ways possible. HIGHLY recommend it to everyone ever!

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: Spice! I may have been on Team Sweet back in the January 2023 splatfest but that was because I really needed the sea snails, I have been and always will be a spice enjoyer until the day I die.

Relationship status: I'm actually really invested in this turkey sandwich that I have next to me. I also have a soda.

Last thing I Googled: "Xenoblade X de skell weapon duplication" I saw a few people talking about it somewhere and a patch came out that fixes it so I wanted to try my hand and get some copies of the stuff I use the most.

Looking forward to: June 5th, DELTARUNE TOMORROW WOOOO YEAH DELTARUNE TOMORROW IT'LL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT YEAH WOOOOOOO

Current obsession(s): Well Xenoblade is a given, "my own OCs" is a boring but accurate answer, I've been having a lot of fun with area design recently so that's something.

Tagging: Nobody in particular, I'm too shy to tag anyone but if you're reading this and want to pretend I tagged you that'd be cool. I just don't want to force anyone or catch anyone off guard with a random tag. Except you, @shanedagoat, you're getting a notification whether you like it or not.

[xiii-e]

FOOTAGE: Harrison Armoury Flashclone Project UNLUCKY XIII-E Abrev. Project Thirteen-E. Monitering status post early recall. Log #2 Audiovisual transcript attached.

[ Permanent medical/residential facilities for prototype FC projects are located in a quiet wing of the station. Current residents: HELIOS-8 and XIII-E. As of start of recording, HELIOS-8 is stationed near the door, pacing with a notable anxiety. It is obvious he hasn't slept. Before long the door opens with a hiss that alerts him to two figures stepping through; an AID leading an unresponsive XIII-E with an evident annoyance. Immediately HELIOS-8 is at attention. ]

AID: Christ the Buddha how slow can you be- [ he cuts himself off upon seeing HELIOS-8, annoyance breaking into a half smile. ] There you are, perfect. Just where we need you.

HELIOS-8: [ an informal half salute, before stepping forward ] Where I'm told to be, sir. I-

AID: Yeah, I know. I know. Anyway!

[ XIII-E is tugged full through the door now, propelled into the room with a stumble. Reflexively, HELIOS-8 goes to steady them, hands resting more over their shoulders than on them. He's not yet sure where their injuries are. ]

AID: Your problem now! Don't worry your little head about the whole performance review thing, it'll be sorted in a couple days max. Just get them fixed up again, alright? Cheers 8.

[ AID turns on his heel, and the door hisses closed behind him. As soon as he has left the room a notable degree of tension leaves HELIOS-8; but not all of it ]

HELIOS-8: ... Hell kiddo, you've been through it huh?

[ No response from XIII-E. He sighs quietly, giving them a more thorough once over before looking them in the face, gently cupping their jaw. It's slight, but they lean into the warmth ]

HELIOS-8: Alright, I'm gonna get you situated. Lets get those outdoor layers off so you can sit down, yeah?

[ He speaks with a quiet assurance, a gentle warmth. No response from XIII-E. HELIOS-8 moves slowly to undo the various clasps of their coat, getting the outermost layers of their uniform off until they're down to their bodysuit and socks; stripped of the moniker of soldier. He folds the pieces, stacks them quietly. Then, he checks over them again. It's easier to see the remnents of injury now, bandages and adhesive patches creating lines through soft fabric. He sighs quietly. Holds their hand gently, running his thumb over their knuckles. ]

HELIOS-8: There we go. Man they really did a number on you this time... c'mon kiddo, this way. Let's get the weight off that leg.

[ He raises their hand with his, tugs gently before pulling them forward. Slow, regular pace. He leads them to a set of couches, finds somewhere across their shoulders that isn't too bruised, and presses down. It takes a minute or two, but they sit- stiff, wincing. But they sit. ]

HELIOS-8: It's good to see you. Had me really worried there, y'know? It does me good to have you back. Banged up but, alive. I'm glad you're ...

[ Quietly, he sits down next to them. A shaky breath in, then out. His voice is strained, but he manages to keep it even. ]

HELIOS-8: Anyway. They'll get the medical report to me at some point, I'm sure. They're always so thorough with those things. See a lot more than I can. Specific maintenance and the likes, that can wait till I've got the rundown, y'know?

XIII-E: ...

HELIOS-8: It's important you get some rest after all this. Can't heal with no sleep, you know that better than anyone. That should be a priority here.

XIII-E: ...

[ Quiet starts to stretch out between them. HELIOS-8 watches the unmoving body sat next to him out of the corner of his eye. XIII-E does not react. There is no indication that they've heard anything he's said thus far. ]

HELIOS-8: ...Ah but, you don't have to go to sleep right this moment do you? Sure you got plenty of rest on the trip back. Not like the Docs offer much in the way of conversation.

XIII-E: ...

HELIOS-8: I- I'd like it if you could sit with me for a bit anyway, if you wouldn't mind? It gets a little lonely here, when you're out for a while. It'd do me good.

XIII-E: ...

[ He hesitates for a second or two. Leans over, bumping his shoulder into theirs. There's a brief wince, but after a moment or two their weight shifts. They press their shoulder against his. Slowly, his fingers twine with theirs. His head rests across their curls. ]

HELIOS-8: Y'know I've had a damn persistent headache the past few days kiddo. Think there's anything you could...?

[ A second passes in silence, before a low rumbling sound fills the air. Purring. It fills their chest, a shudder across their shoulders as their knees draw up onto the couch. Quietly, they curl into his side. He doesn't look at them as they do. Instead he closes his eyes, with another quiet sigh. ]

HELIOS-8: There you go, that should help ease the pain. It's good to have you back. I... already said that didn't I. Pft...

[ His voice peters out, and a quiet falls over the two of them stirred only by the purring still rumbling in XIII-E's chest. Their fingers twist into his and they squeeze his hand. He squeezes back. ]

[ For a while, they sit together in silence. After approx. 10 minutes XIII-E closes their eyes. Over time, the tension their body has been holding starts to ease. Their breathing slows, becoming more regular. As HELIOS-8 realises their eyes are closed, his calm expression cracks; Anxiety. Dread. Fear. He keeps his voice steady regardless. ]

HELIOS-8: ... take your time coming back to us kiddo. I'll be here when you do. Promise.

[daceyarik]

3 years... how quickly they have passed, huh?

Happy bday, Cyberpunk 2077. Honored to see the path you've made: from a rough release to patch 2.1, from being just a meme ab bugs in gaming community to raising up back to the leagues and prooving that it's not just another game you gonna play and forget ab. The stories CDPR gave us are priceless. They're rich in emotional impact that they provide you with, in messagees that many of us proceeded for days and even weeks. The characters being so well-written they stick with you, with their own backgrounds, secrets, desires, goals... Whether we agree with them or not. The quests and gigs that may make you question your own view on things in this world. The dialogues between characters. The moments where we laugh or cry like we're wounded right into our heart, our soul. Thing V loose or get along their story.

And how Cyberpunk changed us, players, as people. But that's another story many of you (and I) can tell yourself, I believe.

So I decided to make this post and say thank you for the ride, @cyberpunkgame . Definetely not going to say goodbye and already looking forward for the next stories in cyberpunk verse

And maybe one day, in next 18 years, I'm gonna show this game to my nieces, and by that time it'll become a time-tested classic. Somehow I'm sure of it.

[codychristiantreasures]

Gave it my best shot...not accurate to the prompt you originally received, but I can always revisit that one...

It was very difficult to concentrate on a word Cody was saying while I was sitting in his lap, our crotches right next to one another, and I was holding a tiny electronic device capable of completely transforming my boyfriend's look in a matter of moments. But eventually my ears focused again. "So make sure to leave the guard on for the hair, and then we can take it off to deal with the beard, cool?" he grinned up at me.

"Cody, are you sure about this? It'll take months to reverse anything I do with these things, and if I mess up, you're going to need to wear a hat for weeks unless you're willing to get sunburnt on your head..."

"Well for one, I already like wearing hats," Cody laughed.

"I wish you'd wear less of them though..." I muttered.

"And also, remember the last time I got a fade? You ran your fingers over it and nearly exploded in your pants in the car."

"I thought we agreed we wouldn't talk about that...incident again...and I can't even give you a fade!"

"Babe," Cody leaned up and his nose brushed against mine as our eyes were within inches of each other, "I trust you. Completely. Okay? If I'm bald at the end, so be it. As long as I'm yours." As he leaned in to kiss me, I couldn't help but notice the scratch on my chin from his beard fibers. Perhaps change could be good...

I flicked on the machine and tried to keep my hand from trembling...or was that just the vibration of the clippers themselves? Before I could hesitate again, I pushed the machine into Cody's forehead...and a huge clump of soft brown hair tumbled away to the floor. "Timber!" Cody chuckled. I gulped at the short stripe I'd just left on his head, but there wasn't much turning back now. Into the bush the machine plunged again, and I tried not to think about how soft the hair around my hand felt as I repeated the motion again and again. Carefully pulling Cody's ears back, running the clippers around them, clumps and clumps of Cody's hair falling and falling. The hum of the clippers faded into background noise.

I pulled Cody's head forward so I could get access to the back of his hair, and his breath on my naked shoulder was euphoria inducing. For the first time I took in how relaxed Cody was throughout all of this. His breathing was stable, his eyes were closed, there was a permanent smile affixed to his face, and he melted into my grip like putty. He was...enjoying this. Enjoying me shaving off all of his hair, not a hint of fear to be found. It was...comforting. The gentle passes up the back of his head were accompanied by gentle kisses on the top of his head. The fuzz left behind by the clippers' blades was still bristly, but reminiscent of the softness of the hair too. Even without his hair, I was still holding Cody, my beloved. As I ran the clippers one last time over his head to make sure I didn't miss a spot, Cody opened his eyes and grinned. "Ready to take the guard off?"

This was the part that terrified me most of all, since one slip and I'd carve out a bald patch from Cody's fuzzy scruff that I'd just evened out. Nevertheless, I fired up the clippers again, and Cody's hand guided them up to plow through the middle of his beard. No going back now. The rest of the shave passed in silence. Once I had finished, Cody went over the beard again with shaving cream and a razor, and there he was. My buzzcutted, beardless boyfriend.

He turned to me, shirtless chest still glimmering with droplets of water, "What do you think?"

I stepped forward, and ran one hand through the soft bristles. Our lips met. I wrapped the other arm around his waist and started tugging him towards the bedroom. "I dunno. I can't explore it fully while we're standing here..." My foot accidentally kicked through the pile of fallen hair on the ground, but I didn't even notice. My eyes were too focused on my handsome, perfect boyfriend. The buzzcut was already growing on me...

Wowowow you should have been writing the requests I’ve gotten all along! This was so good! It’s no secret that I love his hair and his beard but even this made me consider wanting the buzz. All the buzzcut lovers will thank you for this!

[triforceangel13]

Funny Thing Called Fate Ch. 1 (A BakuDeku Omegaverse AU)

Chapter 1: Dorm Room

“Mom, I'll be fine. Don't worry so much,” Izuku said with a soft smile, standing next to his mother. His bags were sitting nearby, ready to go up to the dorm room with him so he cold unpack, little as it was. He was excited.

This was the first big descion he had made. He didn't have an easy life when it came to school. Barely any friends, bullied. A lot. But he kept pushing forward to be a great student, and that was what happened in the end.

His bully was gone after his second year in high schoola nd he was able to focus a little more rather than duck and hide all of the time.

He ended up graduating at the top of his class and got a huge scholarship for this college he had his eyes on for a while.

His father had gone there, the man that had passed on years ago. He wanted to do him proud.

His mother was over protective. That was putting it lightly. She did what she could to make sure he was protected, was always there to bandage him up and there to try to get his bully to pay for what he had done to her sweet and only baby.

Nothing ever really came of it but it was the thought that counted.

This was the first time that he would be far from her. A few hours away and on his own for the first time in his life. He honestly felt like he needed to do things on his own. He was twenty years old now. He had to get started at least.

“I know,” Inko said, wiping at her eyes with the damp tissue she held, it full of the tears that were coming non stop since they had left their home. “It's just so hard that my little baby is growing up and will be so far away.”

She crushed him to her again, hugging tightly as she cried again. Izuku flushed in a little embarassment and he rubbed her back.

“It'll be okay Mom. We can face time and stuff and if I ever need anything I can call you,” Izuku promised her. She pulled back, cupping his freckled cheek.

“Please do. It's going to be so lonely without you,” she said with a small smile.

Izuku smiled, feeling a little teary himself.

“You have Toshinori,” Izuku said with a small laugh.

“He's just a friend silly,” she said but a small flush of her own made him playfully roll his eyes. He was glad to see his mother was trying dating again after the passing of his father, despite that it had been several years.

“Well either way, I'm glad that he'll be keeping you company,” Izuku said and then let out a small sigh, looking up at the building. Several students were giving their goodbyes and heading inside the dorms to get settled in before dinner.

“Call me when you get home?” Izuku asked.

Inko's mouth wobbled again and he then was crushed to her again as she hugged him tightly to her for the final time that day.

“I will. Don't be afraid to call,” she said to him.

“I will,” Izuku promised her and then pushed a little on her shoulders. “Mom, you're crushing me. I can't breathe.”

She let go with a small laugh and pat his shoulders. Izuku scooped up all of his items and headed into the dorm buildling.

This was the start to his new life.

He just hoped thigns would be a litle easier for himself being an omega in a mixed dorm buildling.

There were some things that he didn't tell his mother about and that had been one of them.

“Here we go,” Izuku said, stepping inside

*

The hallways were busy as others tried to get their items moved in. Thankfully everyone was required to wear scent patches in public places otherwise this would just be an overwhelming situation for Izuku.

He climbed to the third floor stairs, leaving the elevator to those that would really need it right now. Just as busy but this time instead of mingled everyone there was either an omega like him, or a beta. That was one thing they strived to do to keep others protected was to seperate the alphas from the omegas. Except of course the RA. The RA was always an alpha to help keep things in line.

But they were an upperclassman and quiet about being there.

Izuku hugged his large bag of blankets and two sutcasess behind him. His back ached from the backpack he wore as well. It wasn't nearly as much as what others brought but he couldn't leave behind his most prized things being away from home for months.

He sighed as he looked at the paper clutched in his fist again. Floor 3, room 1-A. At the end of the hallway was where he had found it.

His heart hamered in his chest. This was what he was nevous about. Meeting his roommate. Everyone was required to have one as freshman. He just hoped they got a long well enough.

With a breath he pushed the door open after strugglng to get it unlocked with the key he had been given at the office. What greeted him was a half messy dorm room and the blast of an alpha's scent.

He frowned a bit, checking the door number again and then the paper. Yep, this was the right one. He was in the right place.

And the empty part of the dorm was there bare waiting for its tenant.

Maybe his roommate had a mate and they were over that often and that was why the scent was so strong. But he swore he had smelled this scent before.

A burnt caramel with undertones of fire...Where had he smelled it before?

Shaking his head he pushed it aside, going into the room and setting his things down on his side.

“Alright, let's get unpacking....” he said. Maybe his roommate would be back soon. He honestly wanted to get this first meeting over with.

*

Katsuki hated move in day. He hated it when he had first moved in himself and he hated the two semesters after that. All the new freshman scurrying to get to their rooms, say hi to their friends and get ready for the meetings with their RAs.

This would be Katsuki's second time being an RA for a floor of omegas. Usually they were pretty good. But this time due to an overcrowding issue of so many students, a student would be dorming with him this semester.

He had requested a beta or even another alpha when signing the consent form. He didn't need an omega in there and make things just...awkward for the both of them.

Sure if heats and ruts came up there were designated heat and rut rooms at the infirmary nearby so nothing happened of course, but having the two live together would just be a little....stressed.

“You meet your roommate yet?” Kirishima asked on the phone as Katsuki trudged back towards the dorms. He had been at the gym to destress before the meeting and as heading back to go freshen up and get his notes.

“Not yet,” Katsuki sighed. “Better not be annoying. It's bad enough I have to deal with an omega floor again this year.”

“Ah man it's not that bad,” Kirishima said. “I met my roomate. She's pretty chill. Pretty hot too though which doesn't help me.”

“Beta?”

“Yep,” Kirishima said with a pop of the last sylable. “Means there won't be an issue about dominante spaces or anything.”

“Well if that comes up with me you know who's gonna win,” Katsuki snorted as he bounded up the stairs of the bulding, two at a time. Elevators were too crowded right now.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kirishima drawled into the phone. “Try to be nicer to this one, yea? You know what happened last time you had a roommate.”

“I know,” Katsuki said with an annoyed sigh. “Don't remind me.”

“I mean it man. I don't want to see you get kicked out because of that. You know you're on a thin rope with the dean.”

Katsuki sighed, nearing his door, rolling his eyes as he walked past a frew omegas as they batted their eyes at him, giggling as he even wouldn't give them the time of day.

What could he say? He preferred his omeagas male. With freckles...and big eyes...

No. Now was not the time to be thinking about him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Katsuki said again. “I gotta go man. Looks like my roommate is here. Left the door wide open.”

“Alright, see ya later man. And be cool.”

Katsuki ended the call and stepped into the room. The scent that hit his nose was one that he hadn't smelled in years.

Something oh so familiar of mint and flowers. But this was an omega. What was an omega doing in his dorm room?

He stepped further into the room and froze at the sight before him.

There was his crush, the omega that had his heart from day one...and the one that he bullied because he was never good at feelings....There he was, adjusting blankets and pillows on the extra bed in the room, setting up his nest.

He was just as cute as he used to be. Still nerdy, but he really had grown into himself. A perfect omega in his eyes.

He just wished he wasn't such a jerk to him. He had ruined any chances he had with him. But that was what was not important right now.

He was in here, in his room unpacking. No doubt he was his new roomamte, but this meant that the dean didn't listen to his request of sub gender.

There was no way that they knew that Katsuki knew Izuku either so he wouldn't be able to blame them for that.

He cleared his throat, Izuku visibly tensing as he sat there.

“Deku,” he stated flatly.

Izuku turned his eyes towards him, his cheeks turning a light red and clutched the blanket to his chest as he looked upon the alpha.

“K-Katsuki? What are you doing in my dorm room?” he asked.

Katsuki winced a bit at that, heading to his side of the room and tossed down his gym bag, closing the dorm room door with his foot. No cute nickname anymore. Well he assumed he should get used to that. It wasn't like he was the nicest person.

“This is my dorm room,” he stated flatly, sitting on the edge of the otherbed and he grabbed the water bottle on his desk, toeing off his shoes. He would need to take a shower soon before he went out. He reeked in his own opinon.

Izuku paled a bit, stopping his making of a nest an Katsuki let out a small growl.

“If you're going to stink up the room with your sour smell at least put on your scent patches,” he said in annoyance.

“Righ!” He delcared and he scrurried into his bag to put them on, slapping them onto his neck. It took a moment but soon the smell went away.

But so did the soft lingering of Izuku's scent that hadn't been tainted with how upset he was. It dug in deep to the blonde. Even after years he was still being terrible.

And Izuku wasn't happy about him being his roommate. “Floor meetings in twenty minutes,” he said to him as he got up, slinging a towel over his hsouder as he head to the bathroom in their room. “Don't be late.”

“Okay,” Izuku said, watching as the blonde diapperared behind the door.

His heart thud in his chest. Katsuki was his roommate. His bully....and long time crush was his roommate.

want to support? my patreon (triforceangel)

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[doyouknowbtsswag]

Temptation |Taehyun AU| (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6

I got a good night's sleep for once and a while. When I woke up I got ready quickly wanting to leave as face as I could. I walked downstairs and started on the dough I took my time making the dough so I didn't mess up. I left it on the counter and walked outside. I quickly made my way to the clearing. I tried to recall all the steps I made before. After a half hour, I saw what I was looking for. I smiled and ran to the patch of flowers were I saw the boy with blue hair. I looked around and didn't see him. I frowned finding things too good to be true. I sat down deciding to at least admire the flowers. I sat down and picked the flowers around me to make a flower crown.

"Boo," Someone said from behind me.

I jumped about to scream before the person put their hand on my mouth. I looked and saw the guy from yesterday laughing. I frowned pushing his hand off of my face.

"It's not funny you know"

"You should've seen your face." He continued to laugh.

"You're so mean" I crossed my arms.

"I didn't think you'd come back," He said sitting next to me.

"Same with you," I said looking at him.

"Why'd you come back then?" He asked picking flowers.

"Just wanted to" I shrugged.

"I think it's because you wanted to see me," He said leaning over.

"As if," I said pushing his head away smiling.

"Mhm sure" he teased.

"I just really like flowers."

"It is a pretty place" He smiled leaning back with his hands holding him up.

"I got in trouble last night," I said laying on the ground.

"For what?"

"Yesterday I wasn't supposed to be here so in a way I snuck out."

"Well, why are you here now?" He asked.

"I have rules to follow to be here so it's an agreement of some sort that my dad made up," I said looking at the sky. "I have to make the dough in the morning and clean up at night"

"Dough?"

"My family owns a bakery in my village so I pitch in to help."

"Interesting," He said weaving the flowers through each stem. "What's your village like?"

"Boring and it can be annoying or fun"

"What do you mean like that?"

"Well it's not as colorful or more calming than here and they always gossip about random stuff." I sighed. "I'll be a victim of gossip when people see me go into the woods."

"Why do people not go in the woods? It's strange to me" he said laying down himself.

"You tell me" I sighed. "Guess because it looks gloomy and creepy. "It's scary at night"

"Well, whatever they say I wouldn't listen to what they say."

"I don't plan to," I said. "No matter what I'm always coming back."

"Why's that?"

"For once in my life I have someone to talk to"

"Me too" Taehyun smiled looking at the clouds. "Look it's a dog"

"Really?" I asked before he let out a little laugh.

"The cloud" He pointed to one of the clouds.

"It does. I never took time to appreciate the sky" I said before pointing at a cloud. "It looks like a bunny!"

"Are you sure? It looks like a duck"

"Find your own cloud to criticize. It's a bunny"

"Okay sure," He said jokingly rolling his eyes.

I smiled looking over at him. His smile was contagious and his eyes were gleaming. He turned and looked at me. I quickly looked away as he chuckled shaking his head and smiling. For the rest of the day, we watched the clouds go by pointing at different ones and arguing about the shape it is.

"Let's watch the sunset," I said looking forward.

"Don't you have to go home? It's getting late"

"I'll be fine don't worry" I looked at him. "It'll be worth it"

"Are you sure?" He asked worriedly.

"Mhm, when it's dark I can still see with my handy lamp," I said patting the object.

"Alright," He smiled giving in.

We sat as the sun slowly set the golden hour made everything look pretty. Once it was fully set I turned the lamp on Taehyun held his hand out to help me up which I took. I brushed myself off with my hand and looked at Taehyun.

"See you tomorrow" I smiled.

"Wait," He said grabbing my wrist. "Let me walk you back.

"You don't have to I'll be fine" I smiled gently.

"Fine I'll just follow you to make sure you're safe"

"That's creepy"

"I didn't mean for it to sound like that" He laughed. "But in all seriousness let me walk you to at least the halfway point"

"Alright alright," I said rolling my eyes.

"Don't act like you wouldn't get scared" He said. "You probably are now"

"You have no idea what you're talking about" The bush rattled and I jumped hiding behind Taehyun.

"Wow scared of a bunny?"

"Shut up," I said looking away as he walked me back.

"So do you want me to fully escort you out of the woods?"

"Yes please" I mumbled.

"What would you do without me" he teased.

"I'm good from here I swear I just don't want anyone to see you," I said seeing the village.

"Alright, see ya," He said.

"Bye," I smiled and ran home.

It wasn't that late and they never gave me a curfew so I snuck in. I looked around and this time nobody was around. I quickly went to work cleaning the bakery and even the kitchen. I had to make sure I did what my parents wanted me to do so I could see Taehyun. I walked upstairs and saw my parents sleeping early knowing I would be the one cleaning. I went to my room to change closing the windows and the curtains. I lay in bed smiling about seeing the clouds in a new view thanks to Taehyun.

[pbandjesse]

Today was a busy day! It was a good day though. It gave me a lot of clarity on the moving front. It was a good day.

I didn't feel amazing though. I slept okay but the heat made my nose and face so dry that they were painful when I woke up. And while my throat didn't hurt as badly as it did last night I was still pretty uncomfortable. And would remain so for a lot of the day. Despite my best efforts to be positive. I just felt a little bad.

But I couldn't focus on that. There was much to do! I had woken up a few times throughout the early morning. I was pleased to see James there and touched their face and fell back asleep.

When I woke up for real I went to get washed up. James made the bed. I got dressed and felt really cute. I told James they needed a hair cut and later in the day they would cut their hair entirely to short but it's fine. It'll grow back. They are still handsome.

We would decide to go have breakfast at Southside diner. Then we would go to the museum. I was laying on the couch when we decided this. And we decided we would go in 10 minutes.

We would leave soon enough and drove over to the diner. It was a beautiful day. We got our little table and had a nice little brunch. There was a very sweet family next to us with an adorable toddler who kept stealing straws form the waitresses pocket and we were all laughing. The energy was just so nice today. I wasn't feeling amazing but I was happy.

After brunch we drove to the B&O musuem. I was excited to see some model trains. And the real trains! I was a little sad that the rideable train wasn't running today, and the workshop was closed. But the rest of it was super cool.

James loves trains and I love seeing James excited about something. The models were super cool too. I got to learn a little more how the scale sizes work. And I loved the little details. All the thought and construction that went into it. It was just really awesome.

The big trains are also always a treat. All the design and thought that went into each space. I loved our train trip across the country and I want to do it again for sure. But walking around these trains and going inside was just so fun.

It was also decorated for Christmas! We would take a few pictures. But it was just really fun. I was having a really nice time.

We went outside to see the other models and go inside the freezer train and then the army train. The caboose and the dining cars were really cool.

I was teasing James in the dining car. Pointing at things and saying. That's you. James is a small chocolate pitcher. I was a 8oz sugar bowl. We were just being silly. It was really fun. I love my husband. I love getting to spend time with them.

We finished up at the museum in the gift shop. we got a few pins and patches. Well I am assuming the patches, James would let me see, because I think they were picking one for me. They are so sweet.

We had a lot of time before our appointment to look at houses. So it was decided we would go get groceries.

We stuck pretty well to the list. James is a big list person. I am a big walk down every aisle and get what speaks to me. But I did good not putting a hundred things in the cart. Only adding peppers and ranch and chocolate milk. Everything else was on the list. Things for the week and Thanksgiving. We are making three things for Thursday at the Chang's. I'm looking forward to it. I always love seeing that part of the family.

As we were checking out James got all stressed for some reason. They said they felt like they were upsetting me bagging to slow?? I was just standing there? No idea why they got so stressed. But I kept telling them we are okay. So we packed up the car and headed home.

We weren't home for long. We got in and James put everything away. We poured a cup of chocolate milk with ice to share. And headed back out.

We would see 4 houses today. Took about an hour. But none of them were it. The first one was so disappointing. We didn't even go in. In the listing photos the house on either side looked occupied but they are now abandoned and their porches are pulling down the porch of this house and the block just was in more disrepair then I was comfortable with. Like it wasn't unsafe, but it felt like the whole street was falling apart.

So we didn't go inside and headed to the next one.

Which was so boring! Just so wildly boring. I hate row houses where the first floor is just one big room. Kitchen and everything all there like a big hallway. And the street was very south Philly to open no trees. Not one I liked much.

Off to the next. We went back to the yellow house and I still really like it. But I'm glad we saw it in the daytime. It was surprisingly dark in the middle. The skylight upstairs helped that but downstairs it was dark. We brought a tape measure and while the bedrooms aren't as bad as I thought they are still small. And there are 2 cracked windows. The biggest issue though is the basement door is 24 inches across. We wouldn't get a washing machine down there and there isn't another basement door. It's not completely off the table but there is a lot to fix up. And the next block isn't ideal. So we keep moving forward and keep looking.

The last house of the day was another boring one. It was nice. Don't get me wrong. But it was at the top of our budget and another open floor plan. On a street with no trees. It also had carpeting and the bathrooms were kind of ugly. It was not for me.

James liked the kitchen and the basement but there wasn't much else that was good. I think the realtor is getting a better idea of what we're looking for. And he said the Google doc I made is very helpful. And there is no rush. I don't want to leave the apartment I love it we aren't going somewhere I will love more.

I was tired after all of this. It was time to go home.

James got us back here and I got cuddled up on the couch with sweetp. James would get ready to go on a bike ride. And I would rest.

I had a snack. And just watched videos and had a nice evening.

As the sun started to go down James came home and would cut their hair which made me sad. But I get it. It was a bit to long and it'll grow back to a nice place again.

They made us pizza for dinner which was very good. We would hang out on the couch and it was a nice evening.

Now I'm sitting in the studio. I plucked my eyebrows. James painted their nails

And I'm ready to get showered and get in my comfy clothes. I am hoping to sleep better tonight.

Tomorrow I have work at camp. I don't really know what we're doing. But it will be fun. James is going to drop me off so they can take the car to get the oil changed. And they will come back for me. I appreciate them for handling that.

I hope you all sleep good tonight. Have a good day tomorrow. I love you all!

[quailfence]

[Image description: a graphic showing the text “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind - Neil Armstrong” on a photo of the moon. The Apollo 11 mission patch is in the corner. The rest of the images are all text.

Collins: I'd like to enter Aldrin in the oatmeal eating contest next time.

[Bruce McCandless, in Mission Control]: Is he pretty good at that?

Collins: He's doing his share up here.

McCandless: Let's see. You all just finished a meal not long ago, too, didn't you?

Aldrin: I'm still eating.

McCandless: Okay. Does that, that ...

Collins: He's on his--he's on his 19th bowl.

Collins: Menkent. God, what a star.

Aldrin: Nobody in their right ...

Collins: Menkent's good ..

Aldrin: … nobody in their right mind would pick that one.

Collins: ... Menkent’s a good star.

Collins: That's a horrible window. It's too bad we have to shoot through this one, but- oh, boy, you could spend a lifetime just geologizing that one crater alone, you know that? Armstrong: You could. Collins: That's not how I'd like to spend my lifetime, but--picture that. Beautiful! Aldrin: Yes, there's a big mother over here, too. Collins: Come on now, Buzz, don't refer to them as big mothers. Give them some scientific name.

Collins: Were trying to calculate how much spaghetti and meatballs we can get on board for Al Bean [the lunar-module pilot for Apollo 12].

Garriott: I'm not sure the spacecraft will take that much extra weight. Have you made any estimates?

Collins: It'll be close.

Garriott: 11, Houston. The medics at the next console report that the shrew is one animal which can eat six times its own body weight every 24 hours. This may be a satisfactory baseline for your spaghetti calculations on Al Bean. Over.

Collins: Okay. Thank you. 'That's in work.

[Fred Haise, in Mission Control]: Apollo 11, Houston.

Collins: Go ahead.

Haise: Roger, Mike. We recommend the left VHF antenna for VHF

Haise: And this is your friendly backup CMP. Have a good trip, and [garbled] remember to come in BEF (blunt end forward].

Collins: You better believe. 'Thank you kindly.

Collins: We can see the moon passing by the window and it looks what I consider to be a correct size.

How the media depicts the Apollo 11 mission:

Actual quotes from the Apollo 11 mission:

[smokeypeaches-and-honeyplums]

OOOO OKOK SO can we get hcs of mac n wukong with a super cuddly and affectionate s/o? like straight up would hold onto their partner all day if they had the chance and is always verbally affectionate and saying sweet affirming things

NO BECAUSE THIS IS LITERALLY ME. MY LOVE LANGUAGE IS PHYSICAL TOUCH AND I'M VERY HIGHLY CUDDLELY AND I IMPLODE AND CRY WHENEVER I'M UNABLE TO EXPRESS IT TO SOMEONE GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Reader is Gender Neutral

Six Eared Macaque

He's quite touch starved I'd say and desperate for some kind words, even if he won't admit it to you

He's a bit handsy with MK and the like so I mean I don't doubt it at least a bit

Though taking into account what he'd been through, he still flinches at someone raising a hand to him or at least looks at them with distain or skepticism when you start saying kind words to him more often than not

PTSD will kick in sometimes so don't feel bad if he avoids your advances at first

He's not used to such affections neither is he used to trusting again after

Ahem

Anyways

Macaque will be standoffish when you try to offer being affectionate and cuddly and maybe scoff now and again and your words

Fight or flight will kick in when you do get to hugging him though

He'll tend to shadow away, stiffen up or squirm whenever you do it unwarrented

It's a hard habit to kill but he has a mindset that makes him feel as if he's trapped, similar to a cat when you pick it up and hold it unwarrented

So you try to ease him into it (more so from his advice/input) starting with headpats or small touches of the hand here or there and small compliments when the moment presents itself

When he gets comfortable enough with it, he'll return the favor with things like brushing your arm, hands or legs with his tail, maybe even resting it in your lap for starters when it comes with physical affection

Next level would let you hold his hand instead of brief moments of reprieve, letting you hug him for longer and he'll in turn return the gestures, given at this point he's more comfortable

It's slow burn sure, but the pay out is so much worth it

He won't say it at first once he's fully transitioned into comfortability with your love language but he looks forward to your hugs and words of affirmation

It inflates his ego, solidifies how he feels about you and he feels so safe

He'll still be some form of on edge considering

Ahem

So he'll tend to have intrusive thoughts about it now and again even when you try your hardest

REAL difficult undoing almost an eon of trauma

But that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate it all the same regardless

Macaque cherishes you still, and he loves the love you give him after even when going through a rough patch

So he'll hold you close for as long as he can, just as you do the same for him

canyoutellimbias

Sun Wukong (Monkey King)

Ok so for starters

I'm sure it'll be an easier road than it was with Macaque despite the same, if not even more baggage to get through

But in comparison, I'd say your affection and words of affirmation HELP Sun Wukong faster and easier than with Macaque

It may inflate his ego when you're throwing words of affirmation time and time again

He is the self proclaimed Great Sage, Equal to Heaven and all

But eventually (sooner than you'd think too) he'll be less boastful and more flustured, given his insecurities, and your affectionate and loving touches only add fuel to the fire

I'm sure for those who watched Monkey King Reborn know he got easily flustured and almost dropped his staff once he was complimented because he's not used to such sincerities, the gif is going around as well with the scene I'm talking about

So I'm certain it carries for LMK Sun Wukong no matter how boastful and arrogant he may come across

If anything, it's only to accomodate for the lack there of

So you'll find yourself with a very flustured and sometimes stammering King before you whenever you keep complimenting him and showing him such unabided affection

But don't get too comfortable because this won't last for too long

He'll eventually go back to the boastful King again only this time with less gauze and more confidence with you backing him

Less of "Yeah, only expected from the great sage himself" to more "I am pretty great, aren't I?"

You give him a sense of REAL confidence compared to the facade he sometimes puts up

Just like how it drops and tones down when he's left remotely powerless during s3, it's the same with you where you kinda help him reflect more

You and MK are his cheerleaders, so he feels more of a need to live up to your exceptations compared to everyone else

Learns to value more of the opinions of his close circle than the image everyone excepts of THE Great Monkey King

Whoops going a bit off track here

Anyways though, he'll return the favor tenfold once he's in that more tamed mindset

His hugs are warm and addictive, making you cling onto him all the more often

Couldn't get you off of him one day

"Lucky he has nothing to do today" he said

Besides, he likes the warm feeling of his S/O beside him

It gives him a special comfort he hasn't felt in...

How long has it been?

Doesn't matter

Not like he'd trade this for anything else anyways

[luminestars]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒 - 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞 ✦

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

pairing: childe x reader

genre: angst, lovers to friends(ish), rejected proposal, modern au, y/n and childe are adults

sentences with ' ' are the song lyrics!

warnings: comparing, self doubt!(?) lmk if I missed anything

notes: mm I love making the titles of my fics taylor swift songs

song : champagne problems - Taylor swift

genshin masterlist.

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

'You booked the night train for a reason so you could sit there in this hurt'

It was a big celebration to celebrate the success of childes business. You were talking to your friends and family, laughing and swaying away to the music with a glass of champagne in your hands. Until it turned into a crowd of silence, whispers awaiting for your answer.

'Bustling crowds or silent sleepers, you're not sure which is worse'

"y/n l/n, will you marry me?" Childe kneels down, with a beautiful ring in his hand. You wanted to say something, yet, you were speechless. Why couldn't you get words out of your mouth?

"I... Childe, can we talk outside?" You say nervously, grabbing his hand and dragging him outside to the garden while everyone looked confused.

You took a breath, looking down at the ground "love, I... I don't think I'm ready to get married."

You didn't want to see his face. It'll hurt you more if you saw him hurt. His hands were shakey, before muttering out, "don't worry, I understand. I'll wait for you." He let out a small smile.

You finally looked him in the eyes, "I'm sorry, Childe." Before letting go of his hand and leaving him all alone to join the party. Once you went inside, he couldn't help but release the tears, putting the ring back in his pocket.

'Because I, dropped your hand while dancing, left you out there standing, crestfallen on the landing, Champagne problems'

"Childe?" He heard a familiar voice behind him, he looked back to see lumine with a frown. Feeling his sadness. She walked forward to console him, wrapping her arms around his waist while he sobs on her shoulders.

'Your mom's ring in your pocket, my picture in your wallet, your heart was glass, I dropped it Champagne problems'

Fast-forward, 6 years later.

You woke up, yawning groggily. Hugging your pillow as your turned off your alarm. You remember the times when you used to hug him like this.

It was only a few hours left until childe and lumines wedding, and they were kind enough to send you an invitation. You got up your bed to get ready, feeling like an absolute mess.

A few hours pass, you're now there at the reception. You observed your surroundings, the huge chandeliers everywhere, many flowers and decorations hung up and was bedazzled by glitter and rhinestones. As you made your way in, people kept on eyeing you and whispered at the person next to them.

"they would've made such a lovely bride, what a shame they're fucked in the head." They said, and you overhear, making your heart drop and tears forming in your eyes.

Right, it was your fault for causing such a mess, wasn't it? The time Childe told them you rejected his proposal, everyone went to console him, and one of those people was his soon to be bride, lumine. Someone everyone liked better than you.

'but you'll find the real thing instead.'

She was the one who stayed by him during tough times, she was the one who helped him, she was the one who cared. Where were you during these times? You were gone. It's your fault for making such a mess.

'She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred'

You took a seat, waiting for the actual ceremony to start. You saw Childe standing with his group of friends with a champagne bottle in his hand. He saw you and gave a small wave. And soon, he was called as the celebration was finally starting.

You zoned off a little, but snapped back into reality when you hear them say their vows, before finally kissing. That's it, they were now officially husband and wife. As everyone clapped, you just stood up, having flashbacks to what he said before.

"don't worry, I understand. I'll wait for you."

he said he would wait, but I guess he was impatient. You took too long to answer him, and now he's with her now. If you just said yes, that would've been you up there, happily married.

'Never leave you standing'

As they walked down the aisle, you looked at him and saw him smiling more than he ever was with you. He let go of you, now it was time to let go of him.

'Crestfallen on the landing with champagne problems'

You walked out the back door, tears trickling down your face as you wiped them away.

'your mom's ring in your pocket, her picture in your wallet'

You hid your face in your hands, sobbing and muttering for the last time, "I love you, ajax. though I never really showed it."

'you won't remember all my champagne problems'

[builder051]

Happy SS! I'm so glad to hear you're doing better!! For a prompt, In Whoa Bessie verse, could you do something where Steve has had a bad day at work and is just feeling down and has a headache. Then there's a St. Patrick's Day thing with a lot of noise from outside (idk if that's a thing or what my neighbors do, but it's annoying), so he feels worse and ends up throwing up, and James is confused because he isn't sure if Steve is emotionally sick or physically sick, so doesn't know what to do.

You have a lot going on in here. It's great, but I'm going to par it down just a bit so it's easier to follow in a short fic.

Powers/No Powers

___________________

Steve eagerly removes his helmet the moment he powers off his bike. It feels like the thing is a size too small, wedged on his head instead of sitting snugly. Pulling it off does nothing but muss his hair. Steve's forehead throbs while everywhere else still squeezes painfully. He cringes a little as he closes the grinding and squeaking garage door. He should oil it soon. Maybe when the weather warms up. But for now, all Steve wants is to go inside, where he hopes Bucky is doing something quiet and relaxing.

Steve drops his bag by the door, then bends to untie his shoes. His back aches, and his head protests the new position, redistributing the pressure into his sinuses as well. Steve blinks hard, as if that will help him find equilibrium again, and meanders through the living room and into the kitchen.

Bucky sits at the table, a coffee cup in front him. He seems to be ignoring his drink, though, in favor of staring out the window. It takes a moment for him to look up, but once he sees Steve, he smiles.

"Hey," Bucky greets him. "How was work?"

Steve shrugs. "Eh." He doesn't feel much like elaborating. There's nothing really worth reporting, but, now that he thinks about it, he's not sure he feels up to standing and talking. "Mind if I sit?" he asks, gesturing to the chair beside Bucky's.

"Sure." Bucky goes back to gazing outside. He shakes his head a little. "I can't believe..."

"Huh?" Whatever he's looking at, Steve can't quite see it. He can't make his eyes focus past their dying patch of grass anyway.

"Neighbors." Bucky rolls his eyes. "They opened their outdoor storage this morning, and all day it's been patio chairs and birdbaths... I seriously think I saw a mini trampoline." He smiles at Steve, perhaps to see if he can elicit a laugh.

"Wow," Steve whispers. "Not to put our plastic adirondacks to shame, but I'd never put that much into a rental."

"Oh, I haven't told you about the barbecue grill yet."

"It's a townhouse," Steve sighs. "There are, like, community rules..."

"The grill's as big as the ones at those... what do you call them? Hibachi restaurants?" Bucky says.

"Where're they even putting it?" Steve asks.

"On their possibly quite flammable lawn, of course. To give the trampoline enough space on the patio."

"Wow." Steve pulls his phone from his pocket where it's been digging painfully into his hip bone. "Remind me not to go ask them to borrow a fire extinguisher."

The screen of Steve's phone automatically alights when it comes into contact with the table. The splash screen he prefers shows several infographics meant to be helpful at a glance. He closes one eye and peers through the glare. "Shit, it's 43 degrees out. Set to hit 30 overnight."

"Well, at least if they drop anything flaming, it'll only sizzle?" Bucky tries.

"If they drop anything...?" Steve repeats, confused. "They're not cooking out tonight, are they?" His stomach drops, all hopes for a quiet night dashed. As if on cue, someone shouts from the next house down, and something metal scrapes against rough sidewalk. There's sloshing as well. Steve takes a wild guess that it's the propane tank.

"Nothing better to celebrate than, uh... Wednesday night in the middle of March?" Bucky pulls a face.

Steve slumps forward, his elbow on the table. "Next real holiday isn't till Easter... And nobody parties for Jesus."

"Nobody parties on Sunday," Bucky adds. "And nobody as smart as they are gets ready this early."

"Ugh." Steve wrinkles his nose. The scent of charring already-there-char is strong and bitter. It's like a stale cigarette he hasn't consented to smoking. They've lit the grill. Steve buries his face in his arm. Even though he can't feel the heat of the barbecue, hot prickles form at his hairline. He feels as if he's suddenly dressed too warmly for the day. But a long-sleeved oxford and slacks usually suit him fine for early spring.

"I think you're supposed to take the racks off before you scrub them with the metal brush. To clean it?" Bucky says. "Even I know that."

Steve's jawline goes watery, and he gulps hard. He plants his palms on the table and scoots his chair back before slowly pushing himself up.

"You ok?" Bucky moves his coffee cup so it's out of Steve's way. "Getting out of here before they put on the steaks is probably a good idea."

"Yeah..." Steve rubs his sleeve across his forehead. It comes away damp, though with sweat or oil he can't tell. "Is the bedroom TV still working?"

"Yeah, when it's not cloudy," Bucky replies. "You know that antenna's as temperamental as, well, as I am."

"Hm." Steve tries to smile, but he feels the need to keep his lips pressed together. He swallows. "Is your show on tonight? Uh, Downton Abbey?"

"Do you even pay attention to what we watch?" Bucky raises an eyebrow. "Downton ended a long time ago."

"Everything on PBS looks the same..." Steve admits.

"Grantchester." Bucky points upward. "They have trench coats."

"Let's plan to watch trench coats upstairs, then," Steve says. There's a twist in his stomach that, now that he's standing, has the space to curl tighter around itself with every throb of his head. "D'you want dinner?"

Bucky opens his mouth to speak, but Steve keeps talking. "You're on the good meds now; of course you don't want dinner. I'm good. I'll meet you in the bed."

Steve starts backing out of the room before he realizes he's doing it. He stumbles over the edge of the rug that marks the change from kitchen to living room, and that's when he takes stock of what he's doing.

Bucky does as well. "What's up? What're you doing?"

"I'm fine," Steve murmurs. His mouth feels foamy; there's a terrible taste creeping down from the back of his tongue. His heart's pounding now in anticipation that's all kinds of wrong. "I just need to--"

Steve would rather be beheaded. Then he remembers Bucky's had his arm amputated. While conscious. He revises his thoughts. "I'll be up--"

Up. It's all coming up. His cheeks are full of it before he can make it fully into the bathroom, and spitting into the sink is the best he can do. Steve knows it won't go down the drain; someone will have to clean it up later. He imagines Bucky, struggling to hold a plastic bag or a mason jar whilst using a spoon to pick up mucousy stomach contents.

No. Steve won't let him. He'll do it himself. It'll have to be later, though. Right now, he needs to hang his head over the toilet, lest the sink basin get another helping. Maybe even overflow.

Steve doesn't get more of a chance to consider, for he miscalculates how far forward he's leaning, and as he straightens up to turn around, he cracks his head on the very stationary and very sharp faucet. Steve's eyes water, and he swears under his breath. He clamps his hands over the spot where a goose egg is sure to bloom, then drops to his knees, lamenting the lack of bathroom carpet around the toilet.

Steve tucks his chin and rests it on the toilet seat. His stomach convulses and he vomits again. His body gives him the briefest respite before it commences more heaving. Steve tries counting, but the number of retches seems pointless to note, especially as they begin to run dry. He enumerates his breaths instead, though he can't seem to get past four without starting over again.

He's back on his heels, sweaty hands holding the toilet bowl, and with a dribbly string of saliva still swinging down from the corner of his lip when Bucky taps softly on the wall beside the door. It's neither latched nor closed all the way, so not barging in is more a show than a necessity.

"Steve?"

"...Three..." Steve takes a gulping breath, then swallows the urge to cough.

"That's how I rank today?" Bucky asks. "Or are we talking pain scale?"

"I can breathe," Steve assures him.

"Glad to hear it. Should I be worried you might not be able to?" Bucky leans into the door frame, his shadow creating a wave of shallow darkness that's actually quite comfortable against Steve's watering eyes.

"Nah. 'M good."

"Good as in, done puking?" Bucky tries to clarify. "Because I'm not buying that you actually feel good right now."

"Yeah, done." Steve swats at the toilet flush. It takes two tries to hit it with enough force to do anything.

Bucky holds out his arm for stability, and Steve takes it, though he moves slowly from sitting to crouching to a hunched standing position.

Bucky gives him a once-over. "Can you actually see right now?"

"Um..." Steve's spared answering by the need to swallow a foul-tasting hiccup.

"Not very well, right?" Bucky offers. "I mean, like, blurry and weird and bright?"

"Yeah..." Steve puts his wrist bone to his eye socket, as if that may help.

"Aura." Bucky shakes his head. "It's not usually contagious, but... Sorry if I passed it along."

"A what now...?"

Bucky steers Steve out of the bathroom. "That evidently wasn't as funny as I thought it was. I'm still working on it, the humor. Dark humor..."

"You're doing so much better," Steve forces out, letting his head flop onto Bucky's shoulder.

"Thanks..." Bucky shifts under Steve's weight. "I can carry your head. But you have to walk the rest of you up the stairs if you want bed and meds. I think you unlocked the cabinet with the benedryl, so I can get you all sleepy if you want. Best migraine treatment, in my opinion."

"But... Grant-thing? Trench toast? Um, coats?" Steve's losing his words, and he seems to be terrified.

"You'll remember how to talk tomorrow," Bucky coalesces. "If you don't I'll re-teach you."

They enter the dark bedroom, and Steve sighs audibly in relief. "Oh, no!" he moans.

"What?" Bucky looks prepared to run. "Throw up in the bathroom--"

"No, I didn't clean the sink..." Steve's forehead wrinkles. He appears genuinely about to cry.

"Ok," Bucky takes Steve's shoulder and massages gently as he advances Steve toward bed. "No more stairs. No cleaning. Only sleeping. Unless you want to listen to TV."

"British accents..."

Bucky turns down the quilt. "I can go with that."

Steve's exhaustion mixes with autopilot, and he gets into bed. He lies on his back and pushes his pillow between the crown of his head and the headboard, then slides Bucky's pillow on top of his face.

"Breathing. Right?" Bucky takes his pillow back, dropping it on the floor as he flips on the TV.

Steve does so, loudly, which drowns out the static of the television warming up.

Once the right channel is set, Bucky comes to lay his hand on Steve's ribcage, presumably to test for heartbeat and chest rise. "Keep your vitals stable while I get meds?"

Steve reaches silently for the pillow, which is still on the floor.

"Nah, don't trust you with that yet." Bucky smiles. "You get it when I'm back. And it doesn't go on your head. I get to put my head on it."

"That means you're coming to bed? Soon?"

"Yes. With meds," Bucky reminds him. "And we'll listen to British accents until you fall asleep. "Ok?"

"...my head hurts."

"I know. I'm sorry. I know it sucks."

Steve's silent for a moment. Bucky pads quietly into the bathroom. Steve thinks of saying something, just to keep himself some company in the semi-darkness. "A goddamn cookout..." he says, unable to stop the giggle that hangs on the end.

He hears Bucky laughing from the bathroom as well, the sound echoing back into the bedroom. Steve knows Bucky will be smiling as well. And that makes him feel a little better.

[belleta]

The Forest - Part One

Consists: Supernatural, SKZ as different SN creatures, adventure, romance, drama, action, ......still trying to figure out all the details....lol XD

"Come on Y/N!", I was racing around the house. Trying to make sure I had everything for this trip. "Omg Y/N, let's GO~!" I swear to the universe she's going to thank me later. " I'm coming child!" I screamed back. Alrighty I just need my retainer. I bounded up the stairs and glided down the hallway with my cotton socks. Bursting into my room, I quickly scanned it for the sparkly emerald case. I caught sight of it out of the corner of my eye, "Boom!" I ran forward and snatched it off my windowsill. While leaping for my door, I paused and turned back to what I call my sanctuary. Call me paranoid but I'm kinda afraid of camping in the middle of the woods. Ever since I watched "The Blair Witch Project", I've been creeped.

It doesn't help that Jazzy forced us to watch the film, previous to this morning. I was drifting in the fairy floss clouds of my mind when a loud honk poured water on them. I sucked in a breath, blowing raspberries. Padding back over to my bedside, I grabbed my Ice Bear plushie. Giving it a quick squeeze and finally deciding that he's coming with me. Galloping back through the house, I made it out, locked the door and hopped in the back seat like a spring rabbit. "What took you so long?" I gazed up through my fringe at my girl bestie Jazmine. She had long beautiful honey blonde hair, and a mousy nose. Her blue eyes were alike with pebbles under a lake, with cheeks connected by a dash of light freckles. "I swear I just aged waiting for you" and Danny, our guy bestie. I've been best friends with Danny, since 3rd grade. Jazzy moved over during the 5th grade. All three of us have been with each other through thick and thin. Daniel was Hawaiian Japanese descent, had perfect colorful nails and absolutely gorgeous eye makeup. We were all dressed in casual, comfy clothes for the trip. Jazmine, or Jazzy as people call her, as the oldest. She was driving Danny's dad's truck. It was spacious and definitely was fit for the environment. Danny, second eldest was in shotgun and I, being the "baby", was in the back. "I was just making sure I have everything." The two rolled their eyes. Danny looked back at me "Girl, you need to chill. We've got everything and more" the boy stated. "I know, I know.....I'm just paranoid, you know.....being in the woods for a week" I looked down at my feet and played with my fingers to cover my embarressedness. "Awww, is the baby scared", Jazzy giggled, imitating a child. I swatted at her, "Let's just...finally go" I grumbled, reaching inside my bag to pull out my headphones. "Fine" they answered teasingly. While Jazzy was pulling out, I fastened myself and slid my headphones on. Bluetoothing them and unlocking my phone, I scrolled through my YouTube Music playlist finding the one named 'Bell Mix'. After that, I went back to the truffula trees and fairy floss. Just listening to my music and thinking about things. There were a couple times, where I thought I might get sick, but I had remembered my motion sickness bracelets. In your face! It's better to set out a little later, rather than having our vehicle reeking of my insides. 2 or 3 hours went by, or something. I'm not really sure, my brain doesn't really have a sense of time when I'm inside of it. We stopped to use the bathroom, get food and fuel at a gas station, maybe 2 hours away from the forest. "Can I, can I, can I, can I PLEASE?!?" I had been begging Jazzy to let me buy a bag of Haribo for 10 minutes now, and she was starting to break. I'm very persuasive as you find out, and I happen to be a very prominent weakness to many throughout my life. She finally gave in and I bounced away to the candy isle with glee and happily picked out a bag, promising to share. Jazzy just rolled her eyes and paid for our things. We trotted back to the car and continued our journey. It was nearing the end of 2pm when we finally arrived at the edge of the forest. It's lushes were absolutely perfectly splendid. The road continued for a hot minute, until it gave away to dirt and rocks. We didn't want to stray too far from the dirt road, so we slowly kept moving in until I suddenly exclaimed at the sight of a pretty little clearing. It had a few little bushes marking the edges, thick but soft looking grass, and a little dirt patch at one side that should be perfect for a firepit. We pulled over to take a look around, flattening a few bushes in the process. As soon as the truck came to a stop I shoved the door open and sprung down onto the flourishing forest floor. The first thing I did was take a deep breath to soak in the sweet scent of the untouched earth. I reached up, stretching and cracking a few of my bones in the process. Then I raced through the trees and undergrowth, toward the beautiful glade. It felt so nice to get away from civilization, I had always loved

getting away like this. Being able to recharge away from annoying people and sounds, my fears of the night were long forgotten. I was two steps away from the grass when I suddenly tripped over something. Tumbling forward and scratching my cheek. I landed on my face, but on the bright side it was luckily with no rocks around. The dirt however spared me at nothing, crawling into my fresh scrapes, was a sharp and quick stinging as I grabbed my face. "Seriously Y/N, we haven't even completely left the car yet and you've already managed to hurt yourself" Jazzy declared. Danny chimed in, "Did you hurt yourself at all?". Quickly inspecting myself, I responded "Yes, a tiny bit on my cheek, hands and knees", I could hear them muttering to themselves about how reckless I was sometimes. They started toward me and as I waited for them to catch up, I decided to look around and figure out where to put things for these next few days. While ogling the decently wide stretch that was conveniently shielded by a mighty sugar maple. I thought I saw something in the undergrowth a few meters away from me. I grabbed my glasses and narrowed my eyes, but right when I thought I saw whatever it was, two flashes shot in the opposite direction between the ferns and disappeared. They were kinda hidden but I could sorta make out one of the shapes was darker and slightly bigger. The other was a little bit easier but still was difficult, it was kinda brown, or maybe reddish? At that moment I felt two hands on my shoulders, "Let me see", it was Jazzy. She inspected my injury. "It'll be fine, just wash it off", "Okie-Dokie-Artichokie", she laughed and ruffled my hair. I gazed back at where I saw the two shapes but not even the bushes were still moving. "Hey!" I cocked my head back to the voice "Can you help me?" Danny was struggling to unpack from the back. "Sure thing Danny-O" I quickly stood up, maybe a little too quick. My vision went funny and I almost stumbled. "Oh my god Y/N! Be careful!" Jazzy scolded, "My bad!" I was a little all over the place at the moment. Finally we were on this trip! I mean, I waited 6 months for this and it's finally here! I'm not all childish, I'm actually very 4D. I'm just really excited okay? I more carefully walked back to the truck, where Danny was struggling to keep ahold of what appeared to be the tent. Over the course of the next hour and a half we set up everything. Goofing around and laughing. Danny had been pulling too hard on our sleeping bags, to wedge them out of the trunk. And had accidentally fallen onto the slightly wet dirt, causing a very prominent brown streak across his gray sweatpants and sky blue tie dye hoodie. I was currently on my way to find the stream that is supposably close by, with a screenshot of google maps and a compass. Service wasn't exactly a 5 star out here, but I didn't mind too much. I brought a portable WiFi router with me, so if Jason Vorhees just decided to pull one, we could call for help. Every so often I would hang a wooden heart ornament on one of the tree's branches, so if this was the correct way then we would never get lost. Also so that I didn't get lost right now. I had been making these last night, for these exact reasons. I swear only dumb people don't mark their surroundings, this is one of the main reasons why people disappear and are never found or get lost. There are no traces of where they've been, like these fruit loops really-...... After about another 20 meters I started hearing the sounds of water. It became louder and louder really quickly. Is there a waterfall here? I pondered, while quickening my pace with curiosity. 35 seconds later I came across a thinning in the trees and beyond a clear water stream. I finally broke out of the shelter provided from the thick leaves, the sun kissed my skin with it's warm touch. I looked around and sure enough, there was a small waterfall that looked straight out of a fairytale. It had multiple uneven levels, with smoothed boulders everywhere. And to top it all off, it had little water plants scattered around it. Absolutely

beautiful.... I scanned around and spotted a few giant boulders poking into the stream. I carefully picked my way over to them, clutching onto Danny's muddy clothes. Hopping onto the sunlight warmed stones, I positioned myself perfectly so that I could reach the water but wouldn't fall in. I reached into my pocket for my zip lock of natural soap, of course I didn't want to hurt this literally untouched land. I leaned down to dunk the fabric into the stream's crystal-like water and kneaded the brown smudge. It was decently cold, just perfect for a stream. I turned back to the small bag with a green bar wrapped with brown paper and a little herb decoration. I unzipped it and reached for a tiny hand towel I brought with me so that I would have a better grip on the soap, even if I got wet. After dunking the clothes in I took the bar of soap and swiped it all over. I dipped it into the water once to help the bubble come, then I started aggressively rubbing it. Once the outfit was foaming with suds, I slapped it into the brook. Holding onto the sleeve I rub it harshly all over to get the stains out. It was relatively still easy because the events of cause were only moments before. I was starting to disappear into my thoughts, getting deeper and deeper and deeper....... And just then a crash and from the trees, followed by snarls and barks. I was so lost in my thought that this jolted me into the canal. The water suddenly became ice cold, my scream had been washed away. A surge of water filled my lungs from the way my mouth was open to yelp. I could still hear the sounds of fighting every so often, when I would surface. My head was hurting, my skin was stinging and my lungs were screaming. Someone.....please help..... It was hurting so much, I was trying not to panic. So I could find the surface and get back to shore. I would break through it's crisp arctic clutches every so often and would cry out for help but then get cut off by the now frosty darkness. I was giving up to the stream and submitting to the coldness. Letting it swallow me whole. I was numb, I couldn't feel my body being thrown around anymore, Is this how my story ends? No! I don't want to! I still have things to do! I need to graduate, and find my passion! I need to find a man who will love me as much as I do! I need to birth young and care for them! I want to grow old with my partner happily! I can't die yet! I just can't! But it was just so cold. I had stopped moving violently, so I guess I had been poured into a lake or something. I didn't care anymore. My blood felt frozen, I couldn't even bend a finger. That's when I felt a force near me, it parted the waters. Moving me in a different direction with its power. Then not long after I felt something grab hold of me in an awkward way. I was starting to be pulled into another direction, as the water streamed around, parting to let me and whatever that was saving me through. Then I broke through the surface and that was the last thing I felt before slipping into a comfy unconsciousness.

[uas-fics]

-Title: Flower Crowns

Rating: G

Summary: Half lost on his walk, Leon finds a frustrated Piers attempting to weave flowers together.

Ships: Leon x Piers

Content Warnings: N/A

----

What a wonderful day for a walk. The sun shone over the yellow-green of the land. Not a single cloud floated across the blue sky. Flowers swayed in a gentle breeze. Rookidie chattered in the trees as bug pokemon skittered along the ground.

Simply a wonderful day outside of...Well, Leon didn't know exactly where he was, but he was at least sixty percent sure he was outside of Hulsbury. Or maybe Tuffield? He was on one side of the Northern Wild Areas.

Probably.

He stretched his arms up. His jacket sleeves rolled down to his elbows. The worn blue jacket had been his grandfather's and was still a little too big for him, even now that he was an adult, but it was comfortable and warm enough for spring days. He kept it with him when he wanted to go incognito since it wasn’t as distinguishable as his sponsor cape.

He could use more days off like this, more calming walks in nature with nothing but the plants, wild pokemon, and--

"Oh, c'mon!"

Leon jumped, nearly knocking his hat from his head.

Who was that?

He titled his head, listening. Someone swore up a storm not too far away. Half in an attempt to help, and half to seek confirmation of his location, Leon followed the colorful language over a small hill to its source.

Amongst a field of wildflowers and tall grass, someone kicked at the dirt. Grass, flowers, and dirt sprayed into the air.

"And you’re no help, you piece of--!" They spun around, throwing something.

Leon ducked just in time to avoid coming face to screen with a cellphone. The phone landed with a dull thud in the grass behind his feet.

Regret welled up in Leon's stomach. Maybe he should have just called the Pokemon League and asked them for help getting home. This person seemed too upset, and Leon interrupting their rage would just make them angrier, won't it?

"Champion Leon?"

Leon jumped at the sound of his name. Taking his gaze off the phone on the ground, he looked towards the phone's owner.

The gym leader of Spikemuth winced.

"Sorry 'bout that, mate." Piers raised his hands, palms facing forward as if he expected Leon to throw something back at him.

Leon shook his head, both to shake off his shock as well as to placate Piers. He picked up the phone.

"It's nothing to worry about," He reassured, wiping the screen on his jacket sleeve. On the screen, some sort of brightly colored webpage stared back at Leon. In a curling font, the header read 'Just A Unovan Country Gal' with 'recipes, DIYs, and patterns for good old girls' written underneath.

Deciding not to ask about the site, he pressed the power button as he passed the phone back, darkening the screen. Piers put the phone in his pocket. He hadn’t noticed Leon staring at the screen or didn’t acknowledge he knew Leon saw it, at least.

"You're lost, aren’t you?" Piers didn't hesitate to ask.

"What? Of course not. I know where I am," Leon lied, unsure why he did. Everyone in the Pokemon League knew he was terrible with directions. Every gym leader had to come to find and escort him to their gym at some point or another, including Piers.

"If you need help gettin' home, I can take you,'' Piers offered. "I'm done with...I'm done for today."

"Done with what?" Leon couldn't help but venture. The Unovain website flashed in his mind’s eye.

He couldn't figure why Piers of all people would be in a wildflower field in the middle of the day so far from Spikemuth. Was he picking flowers for a special someone? Searching for a certain pokemon? Training his team? Did it have to do with the website he had open on his phone?

Piers wrinkled his nose. "None of your business."

It was Leon's turn to hold up his hands. "Sorry." He took a few steps past Piers. "Didn't mean to pry. I'll leave you to it if you can point me toward Hulsbury."

Piers eyed him up and down, slowly, calculatingly. A shiver ran up Leon's back. Why did his stomach twist into knots? It wasn't like Piers planned on stabbing him.

With a heavy sigh, Piers pinched Leon's jacket between his fingers, stopping him from wandering off.

"Flower crown," he muttered, refusing to look at him.

"What?"

"Flower. Crown. I was trying to make a flower crown." Piers took his hand away to run it through his thick bangs, pushing them back away from his face. A tinge of pink blush dusted his face.

Leon bit the inside of his cheek to keep a laugh in. Flower crowns? Piers was the least likely person to be making flower crowns. Leon tried to imagine the dark-type gym leader with a ring of wild daisies and dandelions around his head but only succeeded in a snort of amusement at the idea.

Piers glowered and raised his hand. All of his nails had a sheen of shiny black paint, except for the middle one lifted at Leon, which was a matte white.

"If I left you out here, you would die of exposure before you found your way back."

Leon covered his mouth before another snort could make its way out.

"Sorry, sorry, but..." He took a breath, "why do you need a flower crown? It doesn't much match your..." he gestured to Piers’ punk, monochromatic outfit, “aesthetic.”

"It isn't for me," Piers snapped. "It's for Marnie, my sister. She wants one, not me."

Leon wasn't sure he'd ever actually met Piers' sister. He rarely went to Spikemuth, and when he did, he just stopped by the gym to deliver papers to Piers and get out. Had he ever even seen Piers’ sister before? She was about Hop's age, he knew that, but he couldn't remember if she was a little older or a little younger.

"Oh, of course. That makes sense," Leon said. "That's nice of you to make her one."

Piers searched his face for any sign of insincerity. Leon flashed him his champion smile. Whether that helped or not, he didn’t know.

Piers snorted. More to himself than Leon, he muttered, "It'd be nicer if I knew how to make one. Stupid website wasn’t any help..."

At this, Leon finally took a gander around. Most of the flowers had been plucked in the immediate area. They either sat in a pile or as parts of what Leon could only assume were attempts at flower crowns.

He knelt and picked a crown up, holding it carefully. Yellow daisies made up the crown. Each daisy had a slit cut in the stem with the next daisy slipped through until the end where the last stem was tied to the first. It was crude and the spacing of the flowers uneven, but not the worst flower crown Leon had ever seen.

Before Leon could look closer, Piers snatched the crown out of his hands. Pale yellow petals fell to the ground.

He glared, the tips of his ears burning red. “Making flower crowns isn’t a life skill they teach you in school, you know.”

Leon tilted his head to the side then asked, "Do you want help?"

"Help?" Piers tossed the crown into the tall grass. "You know how to make them?"

Leon nodded. "I grew up in Postwick." He fell back to his bottom. "Everyone knew how to make a proper crown." His lips twitched up into a smile. "I remember chasing down a wooloo to stop it from eating the crown I'd just given it."

He took a few daisies from the pile next to him. It took mere seconds for his fingers to remember the motion of wrapping stem over stem.

"Silly thing was someone's prized wooloo, and the farmer spoiled it rotten," Leon continued, occasionally looking down at his hands, "so when it saw me coming towards it with a handful of flowers, it thought it was getting a treat."

He laughed at the memory. He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight at the time. His mother still brought it up when she wanted to embarrass him in front of guests.

“I remember looking out the window and seeing my little boy, nearly in tears, shouting at a fat old wooloo.” She’d laugh. “Oh, he chased that thing for an hour trying to catch it!”

As Leon continued rambling, Piers watched his hands weave together daisies, dandelions, and corncockle. He sat back with his hands resting across his knees. He puffed his cheeks a little as he watched, breathing only through his nose. Whether he noticed he was doing it or not, Leon wasn't sure and didn't ask.

"And that's how I broke my arm for the first time," Leon finished, holding up the crown. He placed it on Piers' head where it sat unevenly on top of his ponytails. Leon beamed at Piers, proud of his work as if they were children playing in the fields of Postwick and not young adults.

Piers brushed his fingertips against the soft petals. He took a dandelion and a wild clover flower from one of the piles. With his face set in determination, he started to copy what he'd seen Leon doing. He wove together six flowers before tossing his hands in the air.

"What am I doing wrong?" He demanded.

Leon scooted until he sat next to Piers then took the crown to examine it. He nodded to himself. Without asking, Leon took Piers' hands in his own.

"You're doing it backward. See here?" Leon made Piers' thumb press against the first wrap in the crown. Instead of locking around the flower, the stem went behind it. A simple mistake for a first-time crown weaver to make.

Piers pulled his hands back.

"I think I got it." He took a meadows cranesbill and corncockle and began the wrap and lock method Leon showed him. He held up his attempt for inspection.

"That's it. Just keep doing that until it's long enough."

"This is going to take a while," Piers said, adding a daisy to the chain.

Leon shrugged sympathetically. "It might," he settled into a more comfortable, half-reclined position, "but it'll be fine. I'm here to help."

Piers paused and looked over at Leon, eyeing him once again. This time, however, Leon didn't feel a chill run up his back. Instead, heat crept up his cheeks at Piers' half smile towards.

Leon's pride wanted him to hold Piers' gaze as he would with any other gym leader, but he broke away to look at a patch of foxgloves in the distance.

"Thanks." Piers turned back to his project.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Piers held out a flower. Its stem was too short.

"D’you know what this is?" He asked, dropping the flower in Leon's lap.

Leon picked it up and spun it in between his fingers. Of course, he knew what it was, but he shrugged and pretended to think it over.

"Primrose, I think." He said. "My grandma kept some fancier varieties in the house when I was growing up."

The memory of cleaning up broken pots formed a smile on his face. Sonia and he landed themselves on his grandmother’s naughty list for killing her primroses, even if it was an accident.

Piers hummed. "I thought that's what it was. And this?"

Leon moved next to Piers. "That's a ragged robin. This is a cornflower. That's chicory." He continued pointing out the names of the flowers he knew, silently thanking his mother and grandparents for explaining all the wildflowers to him when he was a kid.

Of course, he didn't know them as well as Milo. He couldn't tell what medical uses dandelions had or how to make coffee from chicory, but Piers seemed impressed nonetheless with his botanical knowledge.

Leon picked up a flower from a failed crown attempt. He held it up, about to explain what it was, but Piers spoke first.

“That’s a wild violet.”

Leon slowly nodded. He was a little disappointed he didn’t get to explain it but shoved the feeling away. Of course, Piers would know such a common flower.

Piers smiled down at his work. “Marnie made me fill a whole basket with them once. She learnt you can cook with them.”

“Did you--cook with it, I mean?”

“Unfortunately.” Piers snorted. “I’ve had pot brownies that taste less like grass.” He paused, then added nonchalantly, “Before I was part of the league, of course.”

, Leon snorted a laugh to himself. That was a lie, he knew, but instead of remarking on it, he said, “Did you use the flowers or leaves?”

“Marnie baked them, not me. I just turned on the oven. I think she just put the whole plant in there, roots and all.” He laughed. “I’m going to have to tease her about that when I get home. Thanks for reminding me about that.”

Finally, Piers held up his crown. It was far from perfect, some of the flowers lost their petals and long stems stuck out at odd angles, but Piers held it out as if it were a royal crown. His expression wasn’t unlike how Leon’s mum said he looked when he finished making a crown for the spoiled wooloo.

"Wow, it looks great," Leon complimented.

Piers snorted with a smile. "For a first attempt, I guess." He looked at his flower crown, then at Leon, then back, before reaching up. He took hold of the bill of Leon's baseball cap. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed it off then replaced it with the crown.

He smiled at him. “You look like a prince, champ.” He teased before bending down and picking up the hat.

“I could say the same.”

The two shared a laugh and grins. Their fingers touched as Piers pushed the hat into Leon's hands. Leon wasn’t sure the touch was unintentional.

"It's getting late."

Leon looked up at the saturated orange-red sky.

"If you get me to Hulsbury, I can get a taxi home."

Piers chuckled and shook his head. "You really are lost, aren’t you? We're not too far outside the Spikemuth Tunnel, mate."

Leon dropped his hat. He held his head in his hands. The heat of embarrassment crept up his face. He had wandered farther off the beaten path than he thought. How did he even get so far away from where he started like this?

With a sympathetic smile, Piers put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"How about I take you back to my place, as a thank you for teaching me this." He gestured to the crown on his head. "I'll cook you up a little somethin' then you can hitch a ride on a flying taxi back home."

Leon's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed the embarrassment down and smiled.

"That sounds great."

----

AN: I stopped writing this halfway through to go outside, find some flowers, and learn how to do this because the way I described Piers doing it is how I've always done it. XP It is a completely valid way to make flower chains don't get me wrong, but it doesn't look nearly as fancy.

Anyway, maybe a little too sugary sweet, but I wanted to write some short fluff and doggone it I did!

Check out @uas-art for more of my drawings.

[lovelywingsart]

Pretty Lies

-- Karl Heisenberg X OC (AFAB, She/They) --

This one was... interesting to write. I had an idea and went with it, so I'm not sure how it'll turn out?? Also an irl friend fucking hates me for it since he read it and it tortured him, so ENJOY HAHAHAHAAAA

**Small reminder that I have a small 'Masterlist' for these!**

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*Warning?: Hella angst, mentions of blood/slaughter, mention of/somewhat active kidnapping, arguments

Summary: Emelia had never experienced a village 'purge' before, until now. A surprising discovery, followed by a very, VERY unwelcome guest and a painful lie.

The small village was eerily silent. The Lycan attack had done a number, rendering the buildings destroyed and previously untouched snow stained with blood. Footsteps disrupted the remainder of the snow as Emelia and Heisenberg made their way through the silent carnage, both of their heads on a swivel as their breath came out in plumes of vapor. A thick, hooded fabric rested over Emelias shoulders partially keeping her warm, and an old eyepatch covered the left side of her face. She hadn't worn it in quite some time, but the temperature change was too severe not to. She still shivered lightly, but any irritation from the cold was replaced by sheer surprise and... even the slightest amount of horror.

"Bloody hell..." she muttered, pausing her movements to look at a particularly mangled corpse before shivering again and tugging the fabric to pull the hood more over her head. The man behind her only kept moving, his eyes drifting over the mess nonchalantly as he puffed at the cigar between his lips.

"You get used to it." He said quietly. "Purges aren't often. Its a fear tactic if the villagers get too... 'rowdy' and 'non-believing'. Or, that's what she wants them to think."

"MIRANDA does this??" She asked, a hint of disgust in her voice. He shrugged.

"Nothing we can control. Spread the fear and gather blood for the Cadou, that's what we do."

Emelia kept her eye on him as he walked past her, the massive hammer over his shoulder gathering the white substance as snow flurries fell around them. He clearly wasn't exactly happy... Sure, the man loved his destruction and bloodshed, but only when done by himself and himself alone. Or maybe her if she was lucky or if necessary, or even for simple amusement. But she remained silent, jogging slightly to meet him again. Even with him... Even working on Soldats, she had never seen this much blood. Even fighting the zombified creatures in the factory and Lycans herself didn't prove to be this bad. She didn't know how to feel about it... She was used to blood, of course. But only with a single body or two at once... Not an entire village.

She stuck close to him, almost bumping his shoulder as they continued to walk, eventually averting her gaze to stare at her feet. She couldn't... She couldn't look at them. Even she felt the weight of the dead villagers on her shoulders, and she had nothing to do with it. They only walked a few more steps before a sound made them both pause, their heads turning simultaneously towards a small patch of snow free from flesh and gore. Heisenberg gripped the handle of the hammer and took a step forward, only to stop as Emelia held out her hand.

"Wait..." she nearly whispered, training her eye on a small moving figure. He curled his lip.

"Do you know what she'll do to you if it's not dead?" He growled, nodding to the figure. She shook her head and focused, only for her breath to catch in her throat as she realized what it was.

A child.

"Oh my god..." she said quietly, her hand lowering.

"Emelia-"

She took off before he could say anything else, working to a light jog in the snow before she reached the now cowering child. The boy seemed to have rags for clothing, the fabrics stained and torn from what she could only assume came from the attack. He nearly stumbled back as she approached, holding up her hands as if to show she meant no harm.

"Hey..." she said quietly, pausing as the child whimpered. Near frozen tears stained the boys cheeks as he looked up at her in pure fear. She frowned, crouching onto one knee. "I won't hurt you..." she continued. "Where are you from...?"

The boy didn't answer, only backing away once another shadow appeared next to her. She glanced over to see Heisenberg give a disapproving scowl.

"We have to go." He said simply. Emelia simply shook her head, looking back to the child.

"Was this your home?" She asked, relaxing somewhat as the boy finally nodded.

"Monsters came..." the boy whimpered, his shaky hand reaching up to rub at his face. "Mommy and daddy are gone..."

"Gone?"

He meant 'dead'.

Another nod from the boy. Emelia frowned for a moment. She didn't think there was a survivor from this... Why did the Lycans leave him? Did they even know he was here? A groan from behind her alerted her to the metal man's shift in posture.

"Emelia, we NEED to go." He growled, now sounding somewhat impatient. "Just leave him and-"

"No. I'm not leaving him." She snapped suddenly, glaring back at him before giving a huff. She then looked back at the child. She offered a light smile and held out her hand. "We can help you find them."

"'We'??" Heisenberg said, his lip curling into the slightest bit of a snarl. "What are you-"

"Shut up, you twit!!" She growled again, watching the man roll his eyes and shake his head.

While still clearly afraid, the boy stood and slowly approached her.

"Can you find them...?" He asked, almost letting out a new choked sob. Emelia nodded.

"Yes. And of we can't, we have somewhere warm to get you out of the cold. Does that sound alright with you?"

She gave a warm smile, and the boy nodded before suddenly throwing his arms around her shoulders. She returned the hug carefully, feeling a light fluttering in her chest from her own Cadou from the sudden cold feeling. Maybe if she could help just one...

"Come on..." she said quietly, lifting the boy with ease and holding him on her hip. She covered his shoulders with her own cloak as he kept his arms around her shoulders. "Stay strong, boy. You'll be alright..."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Heisenberg finally piped up, his irritation evident as she turned to him with the boy in her arms.

"WE are going home." She said matter-of-factly, lifting her chin. "After we... 'look' for his parents- Hold on, sweetie."

Emelia covered the boys head with the cloak and pressed her palm against his ear. The child only snuggled to her with a sniffling nod. Heisenberg rolled his eyes.

"You're JOKING." He said, gesturing around them. "They're probably dead just like everyone else here. Lycan food or taken."

"Or they could have hidden."

"These purges leave no one alive, that kid isn't an exception."

"Well obviously he is!" She huffed, watching as he neared her ever so slowly. He pointed at the boy in her arms.

"We're not taking him back. YOU'RE not taking him back." He growled. "There's enough to worry about in that goddamn factory and I'm not adding a KID to it, much less one that's supposed to be DEAD-"

"And how would you like it if it were you?!" Emelia snapped, baring her teeth at him as he physically recoiled. "If this were you, wouldn't you want a warm place after witnessing this destruction? I never said we would keep him-"

"I-... Stop- stop saying 'we'. This is not a 'we' situation, Emelia." He managed. She shifted on her feet slightly.

"Fine then. I never said I would keep him. But he is coming with."

"No, he's not-"

"Yes he is! You of all people should know how it feels to be a scared child!"

Another recoil. Another growl.

"STOP bring me into this-"

"I will not until you realize how bloody wrong you are." She nodded to the child. "He hasn't done a thing wrong. I wouldn't want to be left in the cold like this and neither would you, and you know it. Hell, I don't even want to be out here in the first place. But if I can help-"

"He's going to cause trouble-"

"He's a CHILD!"

Heisenberg nearly threw his hands up in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose after removing the his glasses. She HAD to be fighting him on this. She just had to come with, and she just had to find the kid, and she just absolutely HAD to add HIM into her thought process.

And he knew why. He knew EXACTLY why. He knew why she threw him into the mix, and he hated to admit that she was at least somewhat right.

He hated this too.

"Emmy, PLEASE-" he started, rubbing his temple.

God damn her... She kept her hard glare at him as he looked off to the side. Why was he ACTUALLY conflicted about this?? It was just a kid... A village kid. He had never cared much about the villagers before. There was no reason to. They were simply a few of many pawns in Miranda's clutches, slaughtered and taken like livestock every however many years, because that's all they were to her. So why was the woman in front of him making him question it-

"God damn it..." he muttered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back slightly. One look at her almost proved she had at least somewhat of a maternal instinct, and it admittedly tore him up just a little. Only in a few seconds did she make a much better mother than-

"He is coming with me, Karl. I don't care what you say." She replied finally, glancing at the boy for a moment with a genuine sadness. "I can't leave a child out here alone... He at least deserves a chance for living through this..."

"You are absolutely right." A sudden voice came from behind them. Emelia froze, absolute fear turning her veins ice cold as she watched Heisenbergs eyes widen behind his glasses.

No.

Oh NO.

She turned slowly, terrified, only to meet the winged figure of Mother Miranda mere feet behind her, the black and gold coloration of her clothing standing out heavily against the snow. The woman's face had been covered in a metallic veil as she reached out a hand towards Emelia and the child.

"... M-... Miranda..." she nearly whispered. The tall woman chuckled, but not out of amusement. Emelia could vaguely see her eyes from behind the metal piece over her face- they were cold and emotionless, just how she remembered them. She felt more fluttering from her Cadou as her heart sped up, fighting back the parasites automatic response to mutate. She almost flinched as she spoke.

"Please, leave the child with me. I can guarantee warmth and safety far better than anyone..." Miranda's eyes flicked between her and the man behind her, who she could nearly physically feel stiffen. "Isn't that right, Heisenberg?"

"... Yes, Mother Miranda." The man replied quietly. Emelia jumped, turning back to see him nearly at her side. Wait, when did he get so close? More importantly, did he just AGREE??

"W-Wait..." Emelia tried, only to be silenced by a warning glance from the him. The boy shifted in her arms, his gaze settling on the robed woman in front of them. A recognition seemed to spark in the childs round eyes as he repeated the name, though Emelia held him tighter.

"I assure you he will be cared fore under my wing." Miranda spoke again, taking another step forward. Emelia attempted to take a step back, only to be stopped by Heisenberg.

"She was gonna help me find my family..." the boy finally spoke up. All three heads swiveled towards him, and Emelia felt a wave of guilt through her chest. She opened her mouth, but Miranda beat her to it.

"That is awfully... kind of her." She spoke, giving a questioning glance to Heisenberg, who froze in place. This woman was going to get them BOTH killed, he thought. Miranda continued. "Thankfully there is no need... I know where they are, young man. They are safe and sound in the mountains and worried dearly about their son... Now please, come with me. I can take you to them."

"You can...?" The child asked, his small voice hopeful. He looked at Emelia once more as if asking permission, who then forced a smile under Miranda's hard gaze. She knew she couldn't deny... She had no choice.

"Y-Yes, um... Yes, she can..." she forced the lie through her teeth, though attempting to sound as pleasant as possible. She felt a gloved hand around the back of her neck as Heisenberg prevented her from moving, while also simultaneously attempting to clam her down as he gave a gentle squeeze. He always did when her own anxieties were high, or if a certain memory or nightmare plagued her mind... And it usually worked.

But it wasn't working right now.

"Please." Miranda insisted, keeping her hand out. The boy looked at her before returning his gaze to the woman holding him.

"They're all safe...? You mean it?" He asked, earning a stiff nod.

A few moments of tense silence passed before Emelia finally put the child down with a shaky breath, crouching to settle on her knees and reaching forward to wipe any remaining tears.

"You'll be alright..." she managed quietly, forcing a calm smile as the boy nodded before looking up at Heisenberg, who had to look away from the boys gaze.

"Promise...?"

Another rush of ice cold and fluttering.

"I promise." She nearly choked out.

She stayed where she was as the boys hand was taken by Miranda, causing them both to jump. The woman leaned down just slightly, meeting her eye with that of near suspicion. Emelia froze, her own eye widening. She had never been this close... Her hair stood on end with an odd fear as Miranda seemed to examine her, that fear only increasing as the dark robed woman stood straight once more and took the child into her own arms.

"Come now, child. Your future is a bright one... You will have a family again." She said, taking a few steps back. It wasn't until she locked eyes with Heisenberg that she spoke again. "Heisenberg, learn to control your... 'workers'. I will not ask again."

"Yes, Mother Miranda..." the man ground out, though forced a 'pleasant' smile before nudging Emelias side with his leg. "Come on."

"But-" her voice was lost to her as she watched Miranda walk away, the child peering over the woman's shoulder. It wasn't until he gave the smallest wave that she felt stinging at her eye, shakily lifting a hand to wave back before the woman and the boy disappeared with a sudden flurry of feathers.

She nearly sat in the snow, her gaze on the ground itself. Why did it hurt... Why did she feel guilty? She could hear noises surrounding them, seeing dark figures in the corner of her vision. Low growls were distant to her ears, alerting her to the Lycans that slowly began to fill the village once more. They wouldn't hurt them, she knew, but it gave her a horrible anxiety she had rarely felt. It wasn't until Heisenberg nudged her again that she finally felt a white hot tear roll down her cheek, making her flinch.

"Come ON, Emelia..." he almost growled, clearly straining. She didn't move.

"... Why..." she managed. He looked at her.

"Don't start, Emmy-"

"Why couldn't you stop her?"

"You know why." He grumbled, taking a step back. She glanced up to see a Lycan nearing her, but the creature stopped once she caught it's eye.

"No. I don't." She growled suddenly, her voice wavering slightly. "You HATE her, Karl. You KNOW what she's going to do with that child, why can't you stop her??"

"If I try, she'll-"

"She'll WHAT?! WHAT WILL SHE DO?!" She yelled, standing and tuning to face him with her teeth bared. Any semblance of growling around them stopped. Heisenberg stared at her, exhaling though his nose.

"She'll kill the both of us." He said simply, frowning. "Look, Emmy, I hate the bitch. I fucking despise her. But even I'm not stupid enough to take her head-on!"

"Have you ever TRIED?!"

"And throw away everything I've worked for?!" He yelled back, though she didn't flinch. "If the kid wasn't killed by the Lycans, he would have been taken by her anyway if the cold didn't get to him first! It happens every time there's a purge, there's no stopping it!"

"And you can't try to save ONE child?!" She took a step closer, feeling her arm twitch. "You can hide ME, but you can't hide a simple bloody child?! What the hell makes me so special?? What makes YOU so special?! Why can't you save just ONE if you know how it feels-"

"BECAUSE WE HAVE CADOU!! WE'RE NOT HUMAN!!!" He roared suddenly, causing her to draw back slightly. The air was dead silent before he sighed. "Emelia, I know your memories. I know your... 'attachment' to your human life. You've shared every little bit with me, it's hard to forget." He started, setting down the hammer and taking a few steps closer. "But you can't get attached to a single human child you found when you know damn well that bitch is around every corner ready to take them like she did-..." he paused, only to shake his head. "The point is, we aren't human." He continued. "A human has no place with us. With you, with me, with anyone. The most you can do is accept it and move on until my army is strong enough, and then you can go on with as much revenge as you want. But right now, we can't do shit."

"... Have you even tried?" She managed, her voice breaking just slightly. His brows furrowed in irritation.

"No, I-"

"Then how do you know?"

More silence. His eyes widened slightly at the look she gave him. She may have been as cold as he was to the outside. She made killing almost a second living next to her mechanic work, and regularly tore the other creatures to shreds when angry without remorse. But the look she gave... It was pain. Pain and anger. It wasn't often he saw that spark, the the last time was when she told him... When she told him...

It was then that it hit him.

She had only told him a week ago.

"Emmy..." he sighed, finally moving to stand in front of her. "Look. We can't stop this right now. As much I would like to... and I REALLY want to," he shrugged, "You can't have the life you wanted. You're not human anymore, no matter how hard you try."

"But he is. He's human. And he's a CHILD." She tried, tightening the cloak around her shoulders. "I couldn't give a damn about the adults, but he... He's innocent... He doesn't deserve to be like us. Like THEM." She gestured to the Lycans, who had more or less focused on the argument.

"Yes, I know, and that makes it... difficult." He managed. He sighed as she averted her gaze, flinching as he reached for her face. "Hey. Look at me."

He managed to take ahold of her jaw, making her look at him. The anger in her eye almost made him feel... bad.

"We will keep working. The army will grow. And we WILL crush her." He assured quietly, looking around them. "That bitch WILL die, and this won't happen again..." He only paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "... Kids won't be taken anymore, and you'll have a chance."

Emelia stared at him. She didn't know if he was serious or trying to make her feel better... But she wanted to believe him either way. When Miranda was gone, none of this would happen... right? Would they all be safe? She kept her eye on him before letting out a shaky sigh, reaching up to wipe her cheek while still keeping her face pressed to his hand.

"... I hate her..." she muttered. She sniffled lightly. "I hate her for this... I..."

"I know." Heisenberg sighed. "Soon, Emmy."

She was silent for a moment.

"... Am I stupid for hoping he's alright...?" She asked, looking down as he removed his hand. He shrugged.

"Unfortunately yes." He admitted, walking back to his hammer. She looked back up at him, watching as he reached for the handle.

"Would you have said yes? To taking him?"

She watched as he froze, his fingers touching the handle. He was silent, lowering his head slightly. Would he have? The Lycans had more or less scattered among the wreckage at this point, though few remained. Emelia glanced at the one close to her as it approached slowly with a low, questioning growl, and a new thought popped in her mind- Would she meet the child again like this? Her eye shot back to Heisenberg as he suddenly grabbed the hammer and slung it over his shoulder, his body stiff with it's movements.

"Would you, Karl?" She asked again, her voice more firm. But he said nothing, starting to walk forward. Was that a yes??

"Let's go." He said simply, not even turning back to look at her. She let out a huff.

"Answer me." She nearly yelled, starting to jog after him. He only stopped as she nearly jumped in front of him. "Would you have said yes?"

He jerked back, only to to give an irritated sigh.

"Emelia, let's just go-"

"Not until you answer me."

"I don't have a reason to."

"Bullocks."

"What reason, then?!" He growled. She suddenly stepped forward, their chests nearly touching as she glared at him.

"Because I need to know you're not entirely the monster you pretend to be around her." She stated. He twitched, and she continued. "Because if you are, that means I am too. And I refuse to acknowledge myself as that much of a creature thanks to her, because that's what we've been reduced to around her."

She pointed to the Lycan that had trailed her. Heisenberg followed with his eyes, watching as the Lycan stood and backed away with a light growl once he looked at it. Hearing her compare them to these beasts almost sent a rush of anger through his chest. No, they WEREN'T beasts like them. Of course they weren't. Beasts of a different sort, maybe. But not like those. He looked back at her, the smallest bit of anger in his face from the suggestion alone. But she kept her stare.

"Would you have said 'yes'." She repeated, her tone still harsh as her lip trembled. Even she couldn't tell it if was from the cold or the threat of crying again, and she hated both options. He seemed to hesitate before shaking his head with a grumble.

"... Maybe." He mumbled, glaring at her from behind his glasses. "ONLY maybe. That's all you're getting."

She couldn't help take a deep breath, lowering her arm slowly. He said... Even though it wasn't quite what she wanted, she didn't actually expect him so say anything close. 'Maybe' wasn't 'yes'... but it also wasn't 'no'. He nodded to the side and stepped forward, and she simply followed. She watched as he walked past, almost too stunned to move.

"For the last time Emelia, let's go." He said sternly, not looking back at her. She was silent, but quickly followed.

The snow continued to fall as they walked in silence, and she shivered. It seemed to get colder by the second no matter how much closer to the factory they were... Heisenberg glanced over at her as she kept her head down.

"You really won't let that dream die, will you...?" He asked quietly, the suddenness of his voice making her jump. But she took a breath and shook her head.

"Not while I'm alive." She replied, though looked up at him with near insult as he chuckled. "What...?"

"You're an odd one..." he said simply. "You're stupid for trying to keep it alive. But I admire that."

"It's what gives me a goal to survive this." She mumbled, shrugging the cloak closer over her shoulders. "If that dream is what keeps me going through a fight with her, then so be it. If she wants to ruin families, I won't die until I have my own."

"Hm."

He gave a light hum, keeping his eyes forward. 'Family'... She wanted so desperately to fight for one. How she held on to that tiny bit of hope was strange to him. It was strong enough to nearly take an orphan child as her own almost immediately... He couldn't help but feel what he could have only assumed was pity.

"You might see him again." He mumbled, his voice the tiniest bit thoughtful. She finally glanced at him with a frown.

"That's a sick joke..." her voice was low. He shrugged, but stayed silent. She shook her head. "The next time I see him would be a Lycan sighting if her ritual doesn't work..." she muttered, hugging her arms. "Which it never has... None of it ever..."

She trailed off, feeling a lump enter her throat. Heisenberg glanced at her before sighing and reaching over, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and bringing her to his side a bit roughly. She let out a surprised grunt, nearly stumbling. She didn't have to say a word as she looked at him, feeling the warmth of him through their now somewhat wet, snow-covered clothes.

"It's cold, you shouldn't be worrying about that right now." He mumbled, the grip on his hammer tightening. "I'll put together a few things for you to destroy back home, yeah?"

She said nothing for a moment, only to pull away and walk slightly faster.

"I think I'll stay in the Foundry..." she replied quietly, not turning around as he paused his footsteps. "Or take a walk."

"... Alright then." Heisenberg muttered, returning his arm to his side.

Silence returned to them as they walked, Emelia keeping her head down while staying a few feet in front of him at all times. All she could see in her head was the boys face... The small bit of hope behind his bright eyes. The small bit of hope she had in hers, ripped away once again. Maybe if she had run with the child immediately... Maybe she could have gotten back to the factory before Miranda had arrived. Could she? Would she have been able to with Heisenberg at her heels? Would he had even let her IN to the factory with the child? Was there even the slightest possibility she could save just one whenever the next purge happened, if it happened? Or maybe... She shook her head. No, no... She couldn't let any of these thoughts plague her much longer... It would fuck with her work. With THEIR work. One wrong move and the plan would go down in flames...

She had to keep trying. To keep hope. To keep up with their plans to destroy the woman. She already knew Heisenberg planned on utilizing her and his army, and she wanted nothing but to accompany him to watch Miranda burn. And once she was dead... Maybe. Just maybe, she could finally have her dream.

She could only hope.