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fr3aky-fr1es-akathattheatrekid · 9 months ago

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Y'know what, my sbg headcannons, here you go

Logan is half (part??? Idk what term to use) European, like, he's half german (jew, not very religious jew, he does celebrate Christmas and valentines, he sometimes doesn't ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), he's also half British, kinda, he has Scottish and Irish parts, he is also part Greek, he has some Italian, French, and Russian descent and you get what I mean

Between the Hernández twins, Taylor is secretly the older one, Tyler swears he's older though

Aiden had a very diverse music taste, and he also knows practically all the tiktok audios

When Ashlyn was younger, she wouldn't do jackshit in sports, like, she would just stand around and do nothing, watching as the other kids played with a blank face (this: 😐)

Ben makes paper flowers for the group with their favorite colors, and he also did calligraphy so he knows a one or two things

When Tay and Ty were younger, Taylor would always tell Tyler to shut up

Let's get back to the Aiden hc, Logan's the same, this is how they bonded, they're best friends (in my head), like, Logan also has a very diverse music taste, he mostly listens to Cavetown, Alec Benjamin, TV girl, The Neighborhood and some other stuff, but still, a very diverse listener, and sometimes, Aiden would just say a random audio and Logan would just unconsciously continue it

Ben likes to pet the others, like when they're sitting down, he just likes to put his hand on their head, and pat

Ashlyn's hair was mostly straight for a while but ever since she started doing braids and how often she'd keep them in, they just started to curl and stay that whole for a while (idk hair stuff ok??? So if that doesn't make sense then oh well)

Logan has a slight hip deformity, like, the right part of his hip is more upturned, so he sits like 'W' when he's on the ground sometimes, it works for him and it's better

Oh, and if Logan ever stretched his leg out, like, having it pulled and then stretching the other one out to the other side, his leg would probably pop out, it almost has (idk anatomy or what ever it is)

Ben has once traumatized a chicken and blamed it on a dog

Taylor and Logan use a lot of those little emoji like ":3, :>, <3, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, (●’◡’●)ﾉ" etc

Ashlyn and Tyler (very noticeably, surely) have a bitch/angry resting face, Aiden has a happy one, Logan has a sad/tired one, Taylor and Ben have normal resting faces

Tyler has had pretty bad anxiety issues, especially with his separation anxiety with Taylor, like, he will freak the fuck out if Taylor doesn't respond to his calls within the next 45 minutes

Tay and Ty can only handle being without each other for about 3-5 hours, any more than that, mental breakdown, panic attack etc etc

Ben and Ashlyn have fidgets for Aiden, they have keychains that are fidgets on their bags too

When the others are asleep, Aiden really likes to touch them in a way, like, play with their hair, poke their cheeks. For Logan, Aiden likes to try his glasses

Logan knows a bit of French, but it's very irrelevant cause it was "French math", like, he knows how to count to 80 in French, and also he knows 100 in French, but he doesn't know the 90s in french

Another Logan hc! He has always been an insomniac before Savannah

Sighhh, yes, another Logan hc, he can be a real bitch when he's sick, he's blunt and just bitchy, doesn't have time for bullshit when he's sick

When Tyler's sick, Taylor offers to clean up the house so he won't have to worry about chores like all the time

Aiden and Logan has had piercings before, Aiden used to have earrings and a nose piercing whilst Logan only had one

Aiden is really smart but he doesn't care much and doesn't really use his big brain, and Logan always goes on and on about how much potential Aiden has

Ashlyn, Aiden and Logan like horror movies, though, Ashlyn is more of a slasher horror movie fan, Aiden and Logan are really in for the horror, another reason they bond, but Logan doesn't do well with gore, he loves horror movies but can still really be terrified, Aiden laughs in horror movies

Oh, and Tyler HATES horror movies, but he puts up a brave face, he is secretly a romcom fan though

Once Aiden and Logan were on call and Aiden found a cup of water and he said it was out for a few days on his shelf, should he drink it, Logan sarcastically said yeah, no, you should definitely, totally drink it, of course, Aiden actually did and Logan laughed for a while before actually getting concerned and taken aback and asking Aiden if he was okay, Aiden said he could already feel the effects coming in but was alright and then said if he doesn't come to school the next day, Logan probably knows what happened. Aiden does end up coming to school and Logan said "Oh good, you survived the water,"

Logan makes little bouquets of the others birth month flowers and gives it to them on their birthdays

Once the gang was on a call and from Aiden's end, there was a lot of screams of pain and they were all obviously concerned, but it was more in a amused way, they all kept chatting cause Aiden kept joining with his screams and then leaving and then also sending voice messages of his screams. They kept texting him and asking if he was dying or smth, it was Lily jumping on his back

Logan HATES bugs, he kills them, all the time, no mercy for bugs, he works in a garden. Aiden kills the bugs for fun. Tyler is petrified of bugs and will scream at one. Tay, Ash and Ben are neutral, some bugs they'll be scared off, others, not so much so they leave it alone

If Logan ever did the "unfortunately I'm [subject] smart", it'd go as " Unfortunately, I am Math and Science smart, if you ask me to solve an equation or something about atoms, I will gladly answer it, but if you ask me to write a poem, I will cry." Though, Logan's smart in a bunch of subjects, english isn't one of his best, he hates writing poetry, essays etc, but he has amazing spelling and grammar. Unironically though, he is a fast typer, so when he sends a message, it's most likely to have awful spelling to give a stroke or terrible grammer or both, because of auto correct and where his fingers type

Aiden constantly sings "Wait, they don't love you like I love you," to the others and does the dance

Aiden, Ashlyn, Taylor and Logan know how to do the "Everybody dance now" dance

Logan also knows the Mualani's dance in Genshin Impact to Bailando and will do it

The group can tell that Logan is always holding back and always tell him that he can be himself around them, when he's super comfortable with them, he's... odd, in an amusing way. There was a time he asked Tyler to play rock paper scissors with him and when he lost, he purposely fell off his chair. Oh and Logan does Mualani's dance at random places with the others

Logan doesn't put much effort in sports but he's actually really fast when he actually wants to

The gang played a game of hide'n'seek and could not find Ashlyn for hours, she was hiding in a box up a shelf, she was squeezing herself in by having her legs pulled behind her back and her back arched

Aiden likes to gently slap Logan's glasses so when he does that, Logan's glassss only goes over his nose and he looks funny like that according to Aiden

Tyler was a FNAF kid and Aiden and Taylor were gacha kids (Taylor still secretly plays gacha)

Logan likes to doodle a bit

Logan had a project in Science and it was so good it was in a Science fair and won first place

Taylor and Tyler are each others number one fan

Ben comes over to Logan's house and they go to the greenhouse so Ben has some inspiration of something to draw

Aiden is lactose intolerant but drinks milk, eats ice cream, and a bunch of other dairy products

A lot of people had tried to befriend Ashlyn in middle school, and the thing is, Ashlyn is their friend, but their not Ashlyn's friend

Nowadays, Ashlyn would give some gestures to her classmates like thumbs up or waves when they do something, just a casual one, she doesn't smile at them, but they absolutely freak out for no reason

Taylor and Tyler are part Filipino and mostly Spanish

Logan and Aiden sing Toy-box songs together

Taylor and Taylor have warm bodies, Logan, Aiden and Ben have cold bodies, Ashlyn's body just goes whatever temperature depending on the season, her body is really cold in winter, pretty warm in summer

Oh, I forgot to say, another part of Logan being himself to the group, he spams chats, a lot, he spams random stuff, or song lyrics, he just got a bit annoying, in an amusing way to the others at least

I don't have any more, but I hoped you enjoyed these!!!

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monowritestoomuch · 2 months ago

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My Entry for the Karmor Mini Contest!

Hello everyone! Mono here! This is my Karmor, Vin! Here’s some details and my little rant below the cut—oh and I’ll be posting his backstory sometime later in the week so watch out for that!

Since I was asked for a little bit of lore, you, my dear friends, are getting a RANT TIME ™

Okay so to start, here’s a little intro:

Name: Vince “Vin” Ennio Amato

Age: 27-28(somewhere I haven’t decided he just looks much older, might be the trauma)

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Gay🏳️‍🌈💅

Nationality: British 🇬🇧 and Italian 🇮🇹

Height: 5,10-5,11

Hair: It’s mostly brown but has one main streak of white and several duller or grey ish streaks due to his own powers + stress + crow

Eyes: Sea green, like his mother and sister.

Music Taste: He likes shit from Conan Grey, Madelline, Alec Benjamin (sad boy at 3 am eat your heart out fr + punk rock (think Hobie brown)

He’s a pretty quiet guy (obvi), but he’s mostly observant. He does however, have a temper that has a short fuse. He doesn’t like getting angsty, hates it, actually, but he somehow always seems to be—

He also has minor tics/Tourette’s because I have tics and mine are pretty much a lot so I’m projecting totally not—*gets dragged away*

He has eyebags that last an infinite amount of time because he never fucking sleeps you cannot catch him lacking—

He’s has scars on his hands from some lore that I’m choosing not to reveal yet because I’m so nice 😊

Power explanation time LESSGO:

<- They look a little green in the photo but the scars are cyan.

So he has litchenberg scars, otherwise known as lightning scars. But he wasn’t struck by lightning, or maybe he was, I haven’t decided yet and bro’s memory is in the shits anyway—

But when he’s normal, not using his powers, they’re an odd gold-brown color on his skin, lightening more and more yhe less and less he uses his powers.

When he uses his powers they glow a cyan, kind-of like the hextech from arcane. His powers are unstable as holy hells, LIKE THE ARCANE (can you tell I recently got into Arcane?) and hurt him, in a sense? Let’s just say after he uses his powers, the scars will ache like hell for D A Y S. And there’s no way to fix it either, pain meds don’t work on him either :)

Essentially his powers are electricity based, AS ELECTRICITY POWERS ARE OP AS HELL AND I WILL STAND BY THAT.

So he basically surges electrical currents through his body, but they’re magic so. Anyways, his eyes, which are usually sea green, will glow a cyan color.

Usually when he uses his powers, you’ll hear the sound of thunder and then the sound of a lightning strike. Then everything goes white and he hears ringing. Sometimes he’ll pass out, but most times he’ll be awake. His powers drain his energy severely though, so despite how tired and sleep-deprived he already is, it gets worse. (RIP Vin’s sleep schedule that he’s literally never had lmao).

After he uses his powers, he’ll be like freezing cold for a while (because that’s an aftereffect of being struck by lightning) and sore as all hell. He also will have more trouble sleeping as using his powers makes his nightmares worse + crow likes to torture him.

Final extra detail, the jacket he wears? Yeah, that one? That was his father’s. :)

Hope you like him and I’m happy to have participated!

#gba bvz #gba karmor #gba bastards vs zombies #kamor gba #good boy audios bvz #goodboyaudios karmor #karmor art mini contest!#good boy audios #goodboyaudios #hehe wait for the angst :)

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primalmagic · 2 months ago

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Top 5 Alec Benjamin songs?

AAAAAAAAAAAA OKAY SO YOU DIDNT ASK FOR IT BUT IM EXPLAINING THE REASON FOR EACH ONE TOO

5. water fountain - back when i was online during covid i had a best friend who LOVED alec benjamin. shes technically the first person to introduce me to him and this was her favorite song. i only actually started listening to him because i remembered how she'd talked abt him and thought i might give the music a try. we're not in touch anymore unfortunately but its still incredibly dear to me <3

4. outrunning karma - i associate this with one of my hyperfixations and the song kills me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. i dont have much to say abt it other than. yes.

3. the arsonist - this one was so hard bc all of the 12 notes album is godly but this one really resonates with me as a person and i can also connect it to my hyperfixation dude so its good for all moods. its also really deep in my opinion like? it really makes you see yourself from another perspective idk like i guess it helps me come to terms with all the things i might have done wrong and actually understand myself instead of blaming someone else.

2. if i killed someone for you (tied with boy in the bubble I CANT CHOOSE) because i associate them with that same hyperfixation dude (can you tell im obsessed with him) and i want to scream and cry and through up every time i hear it because the amt of emotion it has is AUAUAUAGAHA. theyre genuine stories and theyre like. ouch. like. ouch. i dont know. the beat is really solid and when im crying or having a breakdown then the previous is always what i put on, while if im just in a sour mood its the latter. id go into the music theory depths of it too like how the keys and rhythm correlate to certain moods i have and how they manage to fit into the different vibes perfectly BUT im lazy so just take my word for it ykyk.

1. the plan - this is so hard i cant even choose what the actual hell. i guess ill settle for this one but i dont even know. i think i love this one because its for everything. its kind of sad, its kind of happy, its kind of vague, and it can be used in so many situations- its just a mood booster i guess. if i dont want to think about anything it has a rhythm that can just ground me, and if i do then its lyrics are genuinely so peaceful. its a bit softer than most of the others but isnt quite like a lullaby, and its chorus is soo mind scratching usghusghjsgs. i dont get tired of this one easily at all

honorary mentions that i must talk about because they deserve to be known as well:

by now ("blue song on my red guitar, raindrops on my brand new car" gets me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. i swear im not okay i love this song so much.)

if shakespeare were here (ITS SO GODDAMN GOOD. I HATE THAT I CANT PUT THIS HIGHER ?? but it also clearly shows how good all the other songs are bc i actually adore this song so much)

older (had a phase where i listened to this song on repeat and the only reason it isnt way higher is bc ive listening to it sooo many times. also hyperfixation dude)

in a little (the pitch is absolutely lovely. i will be playing this at my nonexistent wedding)

love the ones who leave (i vibe with this one a lot + its on all my playlists. also hyperfixation dude. as you can see i rlly like the new album lol literally all of its songs are here).

and the songs that i love but VERY sadly dont quite make this list: paper crown, must have been the wind, let me down slowly, dopamine addict, king size bed, different kind of beautiful, i'm not a cynic, jesus in la, the way you felt, match in the rain, shadow of mine, oh my god, demons, mind is a prison, hammers, devil doesn't bargain, deniro, sacrifice tomorrow, i build a friend, six feet apart

and the ones that i love so much but dont quite make the above list: alamo, book of you & i, 1994, death of a hero, gotta be a reason, swim, annabelle's homework, if we have each other, speakers

TO BE CLEAR I DID NOT JUST LIST ALL HIS SONGS- THERE ARE A FEW NOT ON THIS LIST LMAO. but i love all the songs not here as well these are just my favorite favorites.

#alec benjamin #this is what happens when you ask me stuff like this #i go off the rails #im sorry can you tell hes my comfort artist #if anyones curious the hyperfixation dude is theo raeken like 80% of alec benjamin songs remind me of him

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lightcurse2end · 7 days ago

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Now Playing: Gotta Be A Reason by Alec Benjamin.

Koji’s eyelids fluttered open once more, the darkness that used to be a comfort, now just an annoying constant. He rolled his head to the side, taking in Aveira’s sleeping form next to him. After watching her for a minute, he decided she was okay and sat up, putting the pillows in his place and exiting the room.

He grumbled, walking through the penthouse and going to the kitchen, opening the fridge doors.

A black void sat where the food once was, enveloping the whole fridge.

Koji blinked, closing the doors before opening them.

The same void sat there.

“…Aveira?…” He called out, his voice echoing through the residence. He groggily padded through the hallway and peaked inside the room. “I think your fridge is…”

The room was the same as the fridge’s contents, a black, endless void.

“...huh.” He squinted, confused at the current events. He rubbed his face, taking a breath before looking again.

He was completely surrounded by the void.

“What could possibly be happening now?” He muttered angrily to himself, turning to start walking. He didn’t know where he was headed, but in his mind, there had to be an end.

After what seemed like an hour of walking, he stopped, his annoyance growing as he looked around.

It was like he was in the same exact spot.

His eye twitched.

As he turned around, he heard a small laugh, as a small figure ran past him. A child’s laugh, filled with whimsical happiness and excitement. He looked as the child ran into the void, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Hey…wait, be…”

“Careful!” His voice overlapped with one a bit similar to his, as another child ran by him, slightly stumbling. The child stopped for a minute and looked back at Koji with wide, blank eyes.

It was his face. Younger and unscarred but..his face regardless.

Koji’s own eyes widened, looking the child over. Before either of them could speak, a pale boy grabbed Tiny Koji’s arm, tugging on it.

“Come on, Ji!! We’re gonna miss it!”

The voice shattered something inside him.

Years since he heard that voice. He saw him in his dreams every night but…this time, he was alive. Breathing and happy.

The tiny Koji’s hand was grabbed by Ray and they ran off again, through the void.

He blinked back the tears in his eyes, staring into where they ran, hand outstretched like he would try to reach after them.

“Almost 20 years.”

Koji jolted, turning towards the voice, stepping back. A pale man, with dark red eyes and his brunette hair, down to his neck. He stares at Koji with a calm expression, yet his eyes resemble ones of a dead person, empty and unblinking. He frowned, yet it was more of an annoyed pout. “What?”

“Your birthday. It’s been about…what? 19 years? It’s almost 2 decades without me.”

He scoffed. “Dude, I don’t even know you. Nor did I know you 20 years ago or whatever.” He gestures around, frustrated. “And what even is this place?! If this is a dream, I’m glad it’s different but still, fucking weird. Why can’t I get the stupid…uh..naked in school dream? Why is it always him?!”

“Wasn’t I special to you?”

“Yeah! But…I..” He paused, looking back at the figure. “What?”

A small, faint smile came to his lips. “And here I thought you missed me, Ji.”

When Koji didn’t say anything, Raymond huffed, a bit childishly. “You’re stupid.” He walked up to him, his almost solemn eyes staring into Koji’s panicked eyes. Despite the older appearance, Koji was still slightly taller, having to glance down at the man.

“You’re…not real.” Koji stammered.

“Maybe you’re right. But, you know what I know?” He tapped Koji on the forehead. “It’s your birthday. And it’s been long enough. You have to move on.”

“I don’t know what-”

“Nagi, I can tell you right now, you’ll spend the day moping over me and my death that was years ago. Your grief is stopping you from having fun. You need to live your life.”

He bristled, glaring down at him. “Look, Ray, I don’t think of you anymore. You’re right. Your death was so long ago. But I’m over it. And I have been….thriving without you. I have an amazing girlfriend, great best friends…” His gaze hardened even more. “You’re not worth any of my thoughts. You’re dead.”

“Then why am I here, Nagi?”

Koji didn’t answer.

“...You keep visiting my grave, talking to me like I’ll answer you. I’m here to tell you that none of that is going to bring me back. You need to move on. You can’t celebrate fully if I’m still on your mind.” He smiled, the light in his eyes flashing one last time.

Before he could say anything else, Koji took a step forward and wrapped his arms around him tightly, face in his neck. He let out a shaky breath as he felt Raymond hug him back, his eyes shutting.

“You’ll be okay.”

“You don’t know that.” Koji mumbled.

“I do. Because it’s you.” He pulled away, observing Koji’s face for a moment before slamming his palm in Koji’s face repeatedly, increasingly getting harder.

Koji winced, bringing a hand to cover his face. “What the…”

“Nagata.”

“Nagata!”

Koji blinks just as Aveira hits him in the face again. He sits up, rubbing his nose. “What?...What are you doing?” He grumbles.

“Lay back down.” She orders, yawning and pushing herself back into the pillow as he did what he was told. “You woke me up. You were…crying and talking to yourself. Are you alright?”

He lolls his head to the side to look at her. “I..was?”

“Koji.”

He frowns. “I’m fine. It was a good dream.” He turns his full body to her. “They were…happy tears. Really.”

Aveira deadpans. “..right.” She sighs. “Either way, we can talk about it in the morning. We need to sleep. It’s your special day tomorrow.”

“It’s your special day tomorrow.”

“Right. It is.”

Part 1

Slight @avesouls appearance

Okay, I have the need to say this because I didn’t clarify enough, I’m sorry.

Raymond isn’t alive. That isn’t his spirit or soul or anything. Koji had clung onto the idea that he was watching over him and waiting to see him again, when in reality, Raymond had probably moved on. This story wasn’t really about them separating. It was more of Koji letting go of his old obsession of Raymond.

His love wasn’t reciprocated, he knew. But, he convinced himself that it was, and Raymond couldn’t show it. Whenever Raymond is talked about, they’re shown as best friends, that fate pulled them apart.

They were friends but in reality, Raymond pitied Koji. Koji didn’t understand his feelings and without being able to actually act on something you don’t understand, it slowly became something worse and toxic. Koji went extreme lengths to get Raymond's attention, to the point of hurting and killing the others that crossed or hurt him. If they hurt Koji, he couldn't care less. But the second Raymond would say anything about another, they were a target.

His mind is slowly realizing that Raymond didn’t feel the same way he did. And he’s coming to terms with the fact that Raymond is gone, forever, and he’s still held back by the memory of him.

bye.

#scheduled #kojira #kojistory #tmrw is his birthday yay

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tea-biscuits-books · 14 days ago

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golden crown, green eyes

kitt azer x f!reader

!childhood friends to lovers • mentions of not eating • !platonic kai x reader • !comfort fluff •

summary : kitt refuses to eat until you coax him to take a bite

a/n : there’s just not enough kitt fics out there! how are we feeling about powerful coming out?

w/c : 1.6k

song : if I killed someone for you - alec benjamin

👑🌿📚💍🥄

The candlelight breathes life into the shadows, casting them long and trembling across the walls of the study. It is a quiet room, tucked away behind a heavy oak door that groans when opened, as if protesting the disturbance. Here, the world feels paused. Time slows to the rhythm of wax dripping onto polished wood and pages turning beneath tired fingertips. Books line the walls, spines cracked and titles faded, the kind of library that smells like stories buried deep in dust. In the middle of it all sits a desk, cluttered with parchment, ink pots, and a half-finished letter—its script hurried, the edge of the page smudged by a thumbprint left behind in haste or hesitation. The window behind it is curtained, sealing the room from the wind that presses softly against the glass. A fire has long since burned out in the hearth, but the lingering warmth remains in the air, mingling with the scent of wax and something older—woodsmoke, perhaps, or memory. And it is here, in this hush of golden light and whispered secrets, that he sits. Eyes gaunt, cheeks hollowed, lips pursed, heir ring glinting in the crackling firelight. He sits at the desk, hunched slightly forward, the candlelight catching in the sharp cut of his jaw and the thoughtful crease between his brows. His coat is shrugged over the back of the chair, sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing ink stains smudged along his wrist and a faint scar that disappears beneath the cuff of his shirt. One hand cradles a pen, the other rakes slowly through his tousled blonde hair, already mussed from hours spent chasing thoughts that won’t settle. The flicker of flame paints his face in shifting golds, highlighting the intensity of his eyes��eyes that scan the page in front of him but don’t seem to be reading anymore. He’s elsewhere. Somewhere between the past and the future, between a decision and its cost. There’s a knock at the door, a slight pause before another echoes through the dark oak door. You push open the door, hearing it creak as he barely stirs, just mumbling a quick;

“come in.” you enter, studying the way his eyes sag and his quill drags across the page.

You stand in the doorway for a moment, watching him. He hasn’t noticed you yet—too deep in whatever storm is churning behind those eyes. His fingers tap absently against the edge of the desk, but the plate you left for him hours ago remains untouched, the food now cold. You clear your throat gently. He doesn’t look up.

“You’re still not eating.” Your voice is soft, not accusing—just tired. Just worried.

“Kitt.” Finally, he glances your way, his expression unreadable in the low light.

“I wasn’t hungry,” he mutters.

“That’s what you said yesterday.”

“I wasn’t hungry yesterday either.” You step into the study, the door clicking shut behind you. The candlelight flickers as if startled by the movement, shadows shifting along the spines of the books. He watches you warily as you pick up the plate and cross the room, setting it down in front of him with more care than you probably need to.

"You should at least try. For your own sake." His eyes flicker to the food, then back to you.

“You’re not my keeper.”

“No,” you say quietly,

“I’m your friend. Remember?”

Something in his face tenses at that—something flickers, fast and faint. He leans back in the chair with a tired sigh, rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip like he’s trying to wipe away words he never said. You pull a second chair up beside him without asking, the way you used to. Back when things weren’t like this. Before Kai. Before Paedyn. Before Kitt started building walls so high even you couldn’t see over them.

“I miss when you actually talked to me,” you say, softer now.

“Back when we used to laugh about dumb things. When you didn’t look like you were holding the weight of the entire world in your chest.” He stares ahead, eyes tracing something invisible on the wall.

“Things were different then.” You nod.

“Yeah. They were. But I’m still here.” That gets him. You see the way his throat works as he swallows, the flicker of guilt that ghosts across his face.

“Yeah well that’s before the girl I liked stabbed my father—” he murmurs, then shakes his head like he’s trying to physically shove the words back down.

“Paedyn had to have a reason,” you say gently, even though you see his fingers curl into a fist against the woodgrain. Kitt doesn’t answer right away. He clenches his jaw, and finally you see it. Vulnerability. Raw and tired in his piercing emerald eyes. His lips remained downturned and pursed.

“It doesn’t matter,” he cuts in. “She betrayed the kingdom.” And me. The words hang in the air, unspoken but just on the tip of his tongue. The words sit heavy in the air between you. You reach for his hand without thinking, your fingers brushing his. For a second, he doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe, doesn’t blink. Then slowly—like it physically hurts—he lets your fingers curl around his.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I know she meant a lot to you.” He doesn’t say anything but clings to your fingers like they’re the only thing that give him sanity, stopping him from tumbling into a dark abyss of his thoughts. You squeeze his hand, just once.

“Eat, Kitt. Please. Kai would’ve wanted you to. Just let me take care of you for a little while.” He glances at you then, really looks at you. And for a moment, the ice in his gaze cracks—just enough to let a little light through.

“Okay,” he says quietly, letting the metal spoon slip past his lips, his eyes meeting yours. They lingered on you like moss clinging to stone, slipping down to your intertwined hands, warm on the desk.

“So, how’s being king been?” you whisper, attempting to make him smile. He sighs, his lips slipping into a tired twitch of the mouth.

“Tiring. My father left a lot of bullshit behind for me to clean up.” The curse slips out of his lips unflinchingly.

“And Kai’s out searching for her.” You study his face.

“You doubt his abilities?”

“Oh no, I know Kai could catch her in a heartbeat. It’s a matter of whether he brings her back.” Kitt lets a hand drag down his face, unravelling his fingers from yours. You catch it, bringing it gently down to the desk.

“You question his loyalty?”

“It is the decision between right and wrong choice! The immoral and moral, the brain and heart!” Kitts hands wring with tension, as he begins to pace.

“He must! He is your brother. When has he never fulfilled a mission?” Kitt’s voice drops, pivoting towards you slowly. His gaze found yours, all green and aching, like a forest that had forgotten how to bloom until now.

“Never.”

“He will return. Kai always comes home.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the court, let me reintroduce you to who it is that kneels before you.” Kitt’s voice echoes around the courtroom, regal and powerful.

“This is Paedyn Gray. Once a contestant in the Purging Trials where she ranked quite highly for a Mundane. And to think a Psychic became such a threat to Offensive Elites.” You hear scoffs echo throughout the room, and you feel yourself subconsciously leaning closer. The words begin to blur as you feel Kai stiffen against you, his eyes boring into the former Silver Saviour who stood kneeling before the king.

“But I assure you, that my future decisions are anything but crazed. And I will explain them all to you in due time.” Your eyes close, not bearing to look. You know what will happen. He will sentence her to exile, death or perhaps worse.

“Paedyn Gray...Stand.” You feel a gasp clog your throat, your eyes snapping open. What was he doing-what was- And then it hits you as he pulls a box from his pocket, red and velvet in colour. The lid lifts and in it reveals a sparkling diamond ring, he holds it out to her.

“You are to be my bride.” The courtroom becomes chaos. Outcries and Kai steps the tiniest bit closer to you, reaching for your hand to stabilise himself. You don’t notice, your eyes fixated on him, engaged to someone who is not you, standing beside the bride to be who is not you. It is Paedyn Gray – Illya’s most wanted criminal and most recognised face of the century. You find his eyes, through the waves of chaos and his vision drops to yours and Kai’s intertwined hands, like yours and his all those weeks ago. They flash with something you couldn’t name—something too jagged to be jealousy, too hollow to be hope. You lean into the comfort of Kai, your vision blurred through all the tears that fill your eyes.

“Wanna get out of here and get drunk?” You feel Kai’s hot breath linger on your ear as he leans in, black curls brushing your cheek. With a barely visible bob of your head, You both begin to make your escape, weaving through the crowd and into the palace hall where servants scurry around. As you turn, you dare to turn your head to see his gaze one last time. They met yours, cool and indifferent, the color of wet leaves on a forgotten path. And then the dark oak door slams onto your face and you’re running into the cellar to find some sort of liquor that will numb the pain. At least for now.

#y/n #love #angst #drabble #powerless #powerful #kitt azer #Kai azer #kitt azer x reader #x reader #reckless #fearless #lauren roberts #powerless x reader

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delusionaldebutante · 4 months ago

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What I think my favorite songs would taste like - no explanation

(Click to read)

Next summer by Damiano David -> Gummy Peach rings

Wasteland, Baby! (The song) by Hozier -> Wafer cookies

Older by Alec Benjamin -> Dino nuggets

Jackie and Wilson by Hozier -> Cream Soda

#hozier #andrew hozier byrne #damiano david #wasteland baby #hozier self titled #alec benjamin #damiano maneskin #next summer #i will not elaborate

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authorscurse · 1 year ago

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LOVE LEAVES SCARS: INTRODUCTION

Synopsis: In which! Due to a letter calling her to go back to Texas Verity Rosewood goes back to the place she spent years trying to forget. While she is there, she tries to reconnect with the people she left. Her family, friends, and especially the person she loved most.

[L.L.S Masterlist] [M. Masterlist] [G.H Masterlist]

Case file #1:

[Name]: Verity Rosewood

[Nickname(s)]: Veri

[Age]: 20

[Date of birth]: August 22, 2000

[Gender]: Female

[Sexuality]: Bisexual

[Eye color]: Brown eyes

[Hair color]: auburn

[Height]: 5'6

[Playlist]: Top of my school 【Katherine Lynn-Rose】 Pov 【Ariana Grande】 You're on your own kid 【Taylor Swift】 Brutal 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Little Miss Perfect 【Write out loud】Lose you to love me 【Selena Gomez】 All I want 【Olivia Rodrigo】 Dollhouse 【Melanie Martinez】 Be myself 【Why don't we】 I wanna be yours 【Arctic Monkeys】 Consequences【Camila Cabello】 Mess it up 【Gracie Abrams】 Control 【Halsey】 Elastic Heart【Sia】Applause 【Lady Gaga】 Thumbs 【Sabrina Carpenter】 In my mind 【Lyn Lapid】 Happier than Ever 【Billie Eilish】 Not strong enough【Boy genius】 If Only 【Dove Cameron】

Case File #2

[Name]: Grayson Hawthorne

[Nickname(s)]: Gray

[Age]: 19

[Date of birth]: August 23, 2001

[Gender]: Male

[Sexuality]: heterosexual

[Eye color]: pale gray

[Hair color]: blonde

[Height]: 6'0

[Playlist]: Looking at me【sabrina carpenter】Can I be him【James Arthur】Labyrinth 【Taylor Swift】Daddy Issues【The neighborhood】Ador You【Harry Styles】If I killed someone for you【Alec Benjamin】Man of the House【Marilyn Hucek】Money, Power, Glory【Lana Del Ray】I bet in losing dogs【Mitski】Angels like you【Miley Cyrus】Surface pressure【Jessica Darrow】People Watching【Conan Gray】I ain't perfect【IV of spades】Mistakes like this【Prelow】Mirror ball【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia rodrigo】Feelin good【Michael Bublé] Lay all your love on me【ABBA】All of the girls you've loved before【Taylor Swift】Set fire to the rain【Adele】

Verity Rosewood

—The one who absquatulated

"I never wanted to leave, but I had to. For me."

Being the heir of the Rosewood family, Verity has been training and learning how to manage her family's company even at such a young age. She went to different kinds of classes, may it be public speaking classes, business management, dance classes, and many more. She had to be different, to be perfect. The pressure of being the best and perfect heir was exhausting, but she had her friends, right? The Hawthorne brothers have helped her cope with all the pressure and stress her family and everyone else pressed on her. She thought she could handle it, but everyone had their breaking points.

Grayson Hawthorne

—The Heir Apparent

"And that made me hate you even more."

Grayson had been considered as the "Heir apparent" of the family for as long as he remembered. As a Hawthorne, he was taught many things, and that included never showing emotion. He had to learn how to not cry or show signs of weakness. Being one of the oldest siblings didn't help with that at all. In fact, it just added even more pressure on him. Having to be the older and more responsible brother out of the rest. It was difficult. Trying to make yourself look as if you're not broken. He is broken and hurt, yet he makes sure not to show anyone even a second of his true emotions. He was not raised to be like that.

Verity + Grayson

—The never ending story

"In this toxic and suffocating world, we had each other."

The friendship of the Rosewood and the Hawthorne family has lasted for years now. So Verity being friends with the Hawthorne grandchildren was no such mystery. The group was always seen together during classes, tea time, playing outside on the grounds, or even skipping classes together. They were inseparable, but there were 2 children in the friend group that were much closer with each other than the rest; Verity and Grayson. The two consider each other as their safe places, the person who brings comfort to each other. Due to the pressure of their families, both of them really understood each other and considered one another as the place that they could bring down their walls and become their true selves. They felt safe, comforted, and peaceful in the presence of each other. Because for once, they felt as if they had one place they didn't have to pretend as if they're perfect.

[Playlist]: Back to December【Taylor Swift】Play date【Melanie Martinez】Tattoos forever【lauv】Love song【Why don't we】Make you mine【Public】Somebody to you【The Vamps】You and I 【One direction】That way【Tate McRae】Runaway【Aurora】If the world was ending【JP Saxe, Julia Michaels】Your name hurts【Hailee Steinfeld】Why's you only call me when you're high【Arctic Monkeys】Talk too much【Coin】Overdrive【Conan Gray】The one that got away【Katy Perry】House of memories【Panic! At the disco】Back to you【Selena Gomez】Midnight Memories【One direction】Still the one【One direction】Lover【Taylor Swift】The way I love you【Taylor Swift】Favorite crime【Olivia Rodrigo】I love you so【The walters】WYD now 【Sadie Jean】Somewhere only we know【Keane】Afterglow【Taylor Swift】Kiss it better【Rihanna】Kidult【Seventeen】No one can fix me【Frawley】Fall for you【Sarah Kang, Jesse Berrera】Remember that night【Sara Kays】

#Inheritance games #the inheritance games #grayson hawthorne x reader #grayson hawthorne #grayson hawthorne x fem!reader #grayson hawthorne fluff #Grayson hawthorne imagine #grayson hawthorne story #grayson x reader #inheritance games x reader #own character #fanfiction #own work #grayson hawthorne angst #hawthorne #grayson #grayson hawthorne x oc!reader

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mania-sama · 1 year ago

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i thought i could escape (but it's fate i've come to find)

Shadow Of Mine - Alec Benjamin

➼ information ❧ Call of Duty ❧ Pairing: John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley ❧ Tags: character study, stabbing, hurt! ghost, angst with a happy ending, past child abuse, post-mw2, hurt/comfort, hurt! soap ❧ Summary: When Simon Riley was a child, his mother told him an ancient legend. When you are born, a shadow is born alongside you. As you grow older, it grows. And when it becomes strong enough, it will hunt you down. It was about time Ghost met his shadow. ❧ Word Count: 3,771 ❧ Cross-posted from Archive of Our Own ❧ Original post date: 31 December 2022

As his breath flowed out of his balaclava and crystallized in the air, Simon realized he wasn’t alone.

Ghost retained very little memories of his childhood. He remembered them most at night, when his nightmares prayed on his unconscious mind. In the daytime, he could recall his mother brushing his hair and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, her voice soothing the beating of his heart as his father lurked around the corner.

Sometimes she told him stories. The one she told him only once was the one he remembered most vividly, the memory never diminishing even as time threatened to wear it down. It was his favorite story, not because it reminded him of his sweet, loving mother, but because it sent true anticipation into his veins. It wound him up like a spring, ready to snap at the first hint of danger.

Ghost wasn’t a name he achieved by just being a good soldier. He was violent, relentless, and most importantly, unable to track. If he wanted to slip away from a situation, he could do so flawlessly. If he was in a fight, he would take down all of his offenders and leave nothing to prove he was ever there at all. Getting captured was never a mistake. When someone caught him, it was because Ghost let them.

He was a poltergeist, killing silently and leaving no trace. That’s what had earned him the name Ghost.

Task Force 141’s rendezvous point was far enough from the city that, if they were to be tracked, they could fend off their attacker without leading them straight to their base. Despite doing everything as correctly as he normally did, Ghost had been followed.

When a living being is brought into this world, it is born with a shadow. The story had scared him as a child. Now, as a soldier who’d lived through the worst the world could shove at him, he only felt adrenaline.

Only one person was on his tail, matching him step for step somewhere in the surrounding wilderness. The sounds of the forest did well to hide their feet crunching the snow, but Ghost had a sixth sense. He could tell when other poltergeists were on the hunt, haunting grounds just like he did.

His communications device had broken during the mission, but it hadn’t been a big deal at the time. His team had faith in him to make it back to the rendezvous point in good time. Besides, he was used to working alone and in silence, only relying on himself and his surroundings. It was almost comforting.

His mother’s voice whispered in his ear. I have a shadow. Your father has one, and you do, too. As you grow older, your shadow will evolve with you.

Ghost had thought, at one point, that he was simply his father’s shadow. It wasn’t until he’d beat his old man half to death and kicked him out of the house that he realized he was incorrect. If he had been his father’s shadow, Ghost would have killed him without hesitation.

The white world softened all noise and, with a turning stomach, Ghost failed to detect when his stalker had slipped away. His sixth sense still tingled, but he’d lost where they had been in the forest.

“I’m not going to play this game,” he called. His voice shook the trees of their snow and scared away a small bird. His grip on his gun tightened, though there was nothing to aim at. “Take your shot now and get it over with.”

Ghost was untraceable. He had been abused and betrayed but never tracked. He was a ghost through and through. Nothing ordinary could see his apparition.

Until one day, she said, it will become strong enough to find you.

The first hit came as a strike to his shoulder, right beside the strap of his vest. There hadn’t been a bang, and the metal sticking out of his flesh wasn’t a bullet. Instead of pulling out the star-shaped weapon, he aimed his rifle towards where the shuriken had been thrown. The sound of his shot reverberated through the forest, but it did not hit its target.

The second hit was in his calf. Most of the extra padding in his uniform was around his torso and thighs, as well as the protection of his skull from his mask. So his calves were exposed, outside of a fabric layer, and left it easy to puncture and bleed. The shuriken had sunk itself deep into his flesh.

Pain exploded in his leg, but he ignored it. Things like that became easy overtime if you went through enough torment. “Coward,” he seethed through clenched teeth, shooting in the new direction. He knew his shot had missed when he heard it bury itself into a tree.

The third hit sank into his hip, stuck in between sliver area where there wasn’t padding between his thigh and torso. This was almost a bit of fun to his stalker, apparently, showing off their skill while hidden in the white snow and evergreen trees.

Then, he finally saw his assailant. They smiled, their lips being one of the only true features Ghost could truly make out. He aimed and fired, but by the time the bullet left the barrel, they were long gone from the tree they had been perched in. The fourth hit was in his other shoulder, an exact replica of the first hit.

That lit a fire in his gut.

“Come out, then! These won’t do anything unless you take them out, so come do it!” Ghost yelled into the forest. What he said wasn’t wrong, though if he was hit in a vital area, he would actually have something to really worry about.

He didn’t appreciate being toyed with. They had already proven their capabilities with aiming, and with four pieces of metal sticking out of his body, Ghost knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun them. If they continued like this, he would eventually run out of ammo. He shot towards where an echoed laugh came from.

Another star-shaped weapon lodged directly into the muzzle of his rifle as he was staring down the scope, splintering the barrel with a crack. Well, shit. His gun was out of commission, then; one shot and it would explode in his face. He had to bring them down to his level.

He’d been in worse odds.

It will try to kill you with everything it has. The more sins you commit, the stronger and more bloodthirsty it will be.

Bloodthirsty was a big word for a child as young as he was, even though he’d already seen what the word meant with his own two eyes.

He never thought Manuel Roba was his shadow. That man wanted him alive, for the most part. Burying Ghost had been a futile attempt at killing him. There was no real effort put in, but rather leaving nature to be his murderer. It had failed, since Roba had not understood Ghost’s will to survive.

Roba had not been Simon’s shadow, and he had proved that by putting a bullet through his brain.

But this person, the one who had tracked Ghost and remained hidden in the trees, had already broken his gun. Unless they had a gun, no bullet would find its way in their skeleton.

The mission hadn’t been without an injury. While Ghost himself had come out unharmed, he knew one of them had not. Johnny. One of the best their task force had, and yet he’d sustained a heavy leg injury. Gaz and Price were the ones that helped him out of the city, but it didn’t stop a coil of urgency to set in his body.

If Ghost took too long, they wouldn’t be able to treat the injury in time, and his leg became permanently damaged. If that happened, they’d lose one of their best. Ghost stamped out the part of him that gnashed ugly teeth made of pounding hearts and sweating palms that weren’t from the adrenaline of battle.

He’d done well to ignore that viscous animal inside of his brain ever since he’d met Soap. He wasn’t going to let it loose now, not that very same person needed him to get a move on.

Despite its inability to fire, Ghost kept his hands on his firearm. He positioned it so it covered some of the unpadded areas of his front body. If anything, it could be used as a shield.

Snow crunched loudly directly behind him, and Ghost turned around fast enough to give any untrained person whiplash. Standing calmly, a shuriken resting between their fingers, was a masked soldier. Their entire face was covered in a black balaclava aside from their mouth, which was spread wide in a grin. If his gun hadn’t been splintered, there would’ve been a bullet on their lips.

Instead, he settled on reaching for one of his knives— long, stained with blood, and made to kill.

“Ghost,” they said. It was impossible to tell gender by their voice and physique, able to say either and it would be viable. The Middle Eastern accent wasn’t helping. “Embarrassing performance. I expected much more.”

They dropped their weapon on the ground, just as Ghost had. He wondered how they could see, what with their eyes being covered. The train of thought didn’t last very long as he began a calculated rush at his assailant.

Once it comes for you, you must defend yourself with equal vigor.

Anger didn’t blind him. He wasn’t goaded on by the mocking taunts. He was level-headed and sure of his movements, the adrenaline of a fight kicking him into cruise control.

Yet, the metal sticking out of his shoulders lodged themselves deeper into his body as the soldier blocked the attack with his own knife. It was a throwing knife, short and clean, yet made to kill just like the rest of them.

Blades were Ghost’s speciality. He’d trained with them against his will since he’d been small, but instead of abandoning them in adulthood, he’d become their companion. He may not have understood shurikens , but knives? Knives were the oxygen he breathed, the iron in his blood, and the chemicals in his brain.

The throwing portion of the knife would be of little use for them. Ghost intended to keep it entirely close quarters to get a handle on their knife to turn it against them. Deflect. Stab. Swipe. Deflect. It had a perfect rhythm that Simon relished in.

Ghost didn’t underestimate his opponents; that would get him killed eventually. More importantly, he didn’t lose knife fights. But they had started to grapple, and the moment he was on his back, the shuriken in his calf was driven to the bone. Searing hot pain flashed through his vision, and that single moment of unclarity allowed the other soldier to straddle him.

The shuriken in his hip matched the one in his calf, sending his nerve endings in a flare. The ones in his shoulders threatened to loosen the grip he had on his blade, but he remained steady. If he didn’t have his fingers in commission, he would be done for.

They were of equal strength and ability. Their fight had lasted longer than any normal one.

Simon, do not be afraid. As long as you keep your hands clean, your shadow will not be strong enough to kill you. Perhaps you will even make friends with it.

Ghost bucked, successfully throwing off the incoming blade. However, the butt of their knife collided harshly with his skull mask, cracking it right down the middle. Between the metal in his body and his now pounding headache, the first hints of true anger set into his bones.

Emotions were a nuisance. They clouded his judgment and threw him off kilter. He’d shut them off long ago, but when they came back, they did so with full force.

It wasn’t just anger. It was a deep-seeded fear that tried to butt its head to the surface every time he took off his mask and showed his face. He was afraid, afraid of the fact that he was losing the knife fight.

But mamma, what if I do bad things in my life?

He successfully rolled them over, but it didn’t last for long. They blocked his direct attempt at their neck, switching their positions. Distantly, he recognized that the shurikens were blocking blood flow to his head and the rest of his body. Parts of his body were going numb as his heart couldn’t get blood to them.

Then it will be very strong, and you will have to fight it, darling.

For a while, Simon thought John “Soap” MacTavish was his shadow.

Soap didn’t aim for his heart with a rifle or a knife. He didn’t kick or scratch or abuse Ghost like all of the other potential shadows had. Instead, Soap had taken a shovel and dug up his heart from where Ghost had buried it underground. He had done so to protect himself from getting hurt again, and from hurting others. Because anything he had ever loved turned to ash underneath his fingertips.

His heart was buried for the greater good. But Johnny had presented Ghost with that dirt-covered heart, shovel in hand and a shit-eating grin plastered over his face. As long as he had his heart in his hands, he could crush it at any moment. It was then, Simon had concluded, that John “Soap” MacTvaish was his shadow.

It had taken too long for Soap to kill him. There had been so many chances, so many opportunities to crush his heart. Get killed in action and stamp Ghost’s heart back into the ground. Leave the military behind and forget all about Task Force 141, squeezing his heart until it pops. Find a nice girl to cozy up with and show Ghost that he was imagining all of the tender moments they’d shared, driving a stake through his heart.

Soap wasn’t his shadow, even though it sure as hell seemed like it for the longest time.

After that, he considered if he was Soap’s shadow, destined to break his heart in all the ways that Ghost had imagined Soap doing to his own. Maybe he would just knock him down and shoot him in the back of his head one day, not giving him enough time to process the betrayal.

He had only thought that for a brief amount of time. A day or two at the most. Then he realized that Soap couldn’t have built up a shadow like Ghost. He was too good of a man who had committed too little sins, even in their line of work. His shadow would be violent, sure, but it wouldn’t be a poltergeist.

So that left Simon’s true shadow yet to be found. The knife, gleaming in the moonlight, came arching down on Ghost’s face.

There is one thing they don’t tell you about shadows, Simon.

His shadow’s smile was sickly. Ghost shifted his head in a vein attempt to stop the oncoming blade from hitting its mark. His arms were barely holding on to his own knife. Several of them had been discarded in their fight, both from him and his opponent. His head was woozy and he could barely think straight.

Their one goal in life is to kill you. They don’t have attachments, and they don’t have anything to live for.

They cut straight through his mask and cheek entirely. The knife’s edge grazed his teeth and stuck into the ground next to where his eyes had once been.

As long as you have something to live for, something to cling to, then you are better than your shadow.

He let that viscous animal out of its cage, the one that gnashed its teeth and only wanted love. It chomped down on his brain and thrashed.

And you will win your fight against it, no matter the odds.

Above him, he heard a strangled gasp. It took one, two, three seconds before his shadow collapsed directly on top of Ghost, the handle of a black knife protruding from their back. His aim had been sharp and true. He didn’t have to pull the weapon out to know it had pierced their heart.

All he could imagine as he pushed the dead soldier off of him and into the dark, soiled snow, was Johnny’s leg. How he wouldn’t be able to walk if Simon died before he could get to their rendezvous site. He ignored the knives littering the ground and pulled out his first-aid kit. There was very little aid inside, just enough to prevent one serious injury from killing someone immediately.

His shaky hands didn’t accomplish much. He wrapped gauze around his mouth as he bled directly onto his tongue and snow. He had to be careful to not move his jaw, lest he tear his cheek open more than it already was. Head tilted down to keep the blood flowing into the gauze and out of his throat, he limped in what he assumed was the right direction.

Up was down, left was right, and the snow collided with Ghost’s face as he fell to the ground. He didn’t know how long he had walked for. He couldn’t feel anything anymore, outside of the copper taste on his tongue. It was a nasty wound. Bits of the wrap had come off from how soggy it was. His arms weren’t quite working anymore, and neither were his legs.

But he crawled, and he crawled, and he crawled until he saw headlights. He couldn’t hear them shouting his name, but he could see them. He couldn’t feel them turn him over to examine him, but he could see that they were missing one soldier, the one that carried his heart.

The white world turned black.

–

“You saved my life.”

From his chair in the hospital room, Soap stared incredulously at Ghost. His leg was in a cast, but it would make a full recovery within a couple of months. The team had been able to bind Soap’s leg well enough that the time it took to get professional treatment was inconsequential.

“I was the only one not out helping you,” he said, eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. That much was true. What Ghost hadn’t remembered, the team had filled him in on.

Soap had been stretched out in one of the two cars waiting to take the team away from the city, letting his leg rest. They had waited for a concerning amount of time, and just as they were about to send Gaz out to try and locate Ghost, he’d crawled in front of their headlights.

Similar to Soap, they laid Ghost out in the back of the car so he wouldn’t agitate any of the wounds, and the others stuffed themselves into any place they could in the cars. Then, they had broken just about every single traffic law in the country to get to somewhere that Ghost and Soap could be treated safely.

He had been told that he’d almost died. Almost. Ghost could believe it; it wouldn’t be the first time Death had him in its clutches.

Soap huffed. “I think you’re full o’ shit.”

There had been very few people allowed in his room since he’d woken up, and half of them were nurses and doctors. His mask had been discarded in order to let his face wound heal correctly, and he wasn’t comfortable with so many people able to see his face at one time.

The staff had to take pictures of wounds that people were brought into the hospital for. It was protocol, and Ghost knew this. As soon as he had been given the chance, he asked to see his pictures. Whatever he had been expecting, it had been so much worse.

It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. His entire cheek had been cut open, stretching from the edge of his mouth all the way to his jawbone. It revealed the insides of his mouth, which had been coated in dirt, snow, blood, and what looked like a few maggots. He couldn’t be entirely sure, but it was positively horrifying.

It was stitched up now, but it still hurt like a motherfucker. He figured it would for a while.

“I had been followed, Johnny.” Ghost had been asked to give a debrief of his fight multiple times, but he’d feigned ignorance for each one of them. He’d let the monster out of its cage, and it was still biting everything it could.

It only settled down when it saw Soap. “You? Followed? I think you’re pulling m’ leg.”

For once, Ghost was happy he didn’t die. Unfortunately, he feared he would actually miss that horrendous Scottish accent. “Believe whatever you want, but what I’m saying is true,” he said. “I met my match.”

“You survived, L.t..”

“Barely.” His heart was beating in Soap’s hands, the other man’s fingers coiled around it in a bloody mess. This was going to be painful. “My mother told me a story once, about shadows.”

The hospital room smelled of antiseptics and bleach, and Soap wasn’t wearing his military attire. He was dressed casually, like he was visiting a friend and not a broken, traumatized soldier.

He didn’t talk about his mother to anyone. The blood was seeping between Soap’s fingers.

It had taken him a week to be allowed to talk again, and a couple days more to get used to the pain. Yet, in the words that spilled out of his mouth, he found it easy to ignore the pain. He was too focused on watching his heart beat and how Johnny chose to hold it. He could only observe as his fingers became tight on his organ when Simon told him just how he’d killed his shadow.

Then, he gently caressed his heart with that same shit-eating grin.

“If I ever meet my shadow,” Soap said, and his face was lit with the most joy Ghost had ever seen. It was beautiful. “I think our fight would be just like yours. Especially the ending.”

Even though Ghost’s cheek was stitched and he was confined to his hospital bed until he was ready for physical therapy, even though Soap had a fractured leg and a million scars, and even though they were both children born from blood and ash, they kissed as though love was all they’d ever known.

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