#one of the cities closest to me was involved on the case

[savage-rhi]

Magenta.

[steventhusiast]

STWG prompt 2/6/24

prompt: coming out

pairing/character(s): steddie, Dustin, Lucas, Mike

. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Eddie fucked up. Big time.

See, he's truly embraced his freak status at Hawkins High. Meaning he doesn't exactly shy away from his queerness. He doesn't confirm it, not for people he's not friends with. It's just useful. Being gay is the kind of 'freak' that makes the popular kids steer clear from him, just in case they, you know, catch the queer from him.

But with his fellow freaks? They know he's gay.

In fact, they know he has a boyfriend.

He never shares who said boyfriend is, or the fact that he used to be nicknamed The Hair, because Steve doesn't want anyone to know. He's.. private about his sexuality, to say the least. And Eddie gets it. Hawkins is in the middle of nowhere, it's not exactly gay-friendly like some parts of bigger cities. So his friends don't know who his boyfriend is.

They won't until well after Steve's come out to his own friends, which he hasn't said he's ready for yet. Eddie's letting him go at his own pace, he doesn't even bring it up to him. He doesn't want Steve to feel pressured. Steve doesn't have a Wayne there to support him through everything, after all.

Anyway, despite him being anonymous, Eddie always gives everyone an update on his boyfriend before they start the session of DnD each week. It's kind of a bit for everyone involved at this point.

And in the first session that Eddie's newest fresh sheep attend, he refuses to shy away from it. Either they'll be bigots (unlikely) or they'll be fine with it! It's a risk he's willing to take for his pride.

So he gives the update.

"How's your boyfriend, Ed?" Gareth asks with a teasing grin, and Eddie's closest friends lean toward him with giggles.

"Well, my sweetheart has had a great week. Remember that job I told you he'd applied for?"

"Assistant basketball coach for a kids team?" Jeff checks, and Eddie points at him like he's just scored a point.

"That's the one! He got the job! It's a bit of a drive but it sure as shit beats the minimum wage bullshit he was doing before. I swear, his manager actually hates his guts for no reason."

The existing Hellfire members all cheer at the news, whilst one of the new recruits, Henderson, makes an inquisitive noise and chuckles.

"That's crazy, because my friend Steve called me yesterday with super similar news! Small world, huh?" He says it so casually, looking down straight after to fiddle with his dice.

But Eddie feels like the world stops, his hands freezing in the middle of unfolding his dungeon master screen. Fuck. Henderson is one of Steve's kids.

Maybe no one has actually caught on yet. A sneaky glance to his friends reveals nothing but confused frowns on their faces.

"You guys might have known Steve, actually. Steve Harrington? Used to be a mega asshole through most of high school." Wheeler says in a way that somehow sounds simultaneously fond and like he despises Steve.

"He's great now, though! Like, totally reformed. Such a mom." Sinclair adds on.

Eddie nods passively at their words, and feels Gareth, Jeff and Paul's eyes on him. Right, he's still frozen in shock. He forces himself to relax, and finally finishes setting up the DM screen.

"Haha, what a coincidence." He manages, clearing his throat in the middle to clear up an unfortunate voice crack.

That voice crack gets all three of the kids to tilt their heads at him, and then their eyes light up like they've just won the lottery.

Shit shit shit. Hopefully they haven't put two and two together.

Somehow, he manages to make it through the session without revealing anything else, but as he draws it to a close his heart starts beating faster. He doesn't know how he didn't put it together before that these kids are Steve's kids. Steve is literally going to be late to their date night because he has to pick them up from an afterschool activitiy.

What other club meets up on a Friday but Hellfire?

He shakes his head and starts speeding through packing up his stuff. He's going through in his head ways to apologise to Steve in case the kids have figured it out, heart beating out of his chest as he zips his backpack up and leaves the room. The group of newbies run out after him, though.

"Eddie, wait up!" Henderson shouts after him, and he winces but stops.

"What's up?" He says with what he hopes is a smile but is probably a grimace.

"It's so funny how you're Steve's secret boyfriend." Henderson says with a giggle after he's checked no one else has left the drama room yet.

Wait, what? Eddie frowns at him, mouth open. Before he can question anything Sinclair nods along in agreement.

"We've been guessing for weeks now. You can't tell him we found out through you, I want to win our bet."

"If we figure out who his boyfriend is by the end of the month he's taking us to that tabletop RPG store in Indy." Wheeler adds on.

Eddie gapes at them for another second.

"Wait, Steve- he came out to you? When?" He manages, and the three boys tilt their heads at him.

"Like, since a month ago?" Sinclair guesses after a moment of thought, and Eddie lets out a quiet 'huh'.

"What, do you guys not talk about that shit?" Henderson asks, and Eddie shakes his head slowly, thinking back on if he had been told and had just forgotten.

Then it clicks. Just under a month ago, Steve had started to bring up the topic of coming out, and Eddie had gently insisted he didn't mind if Steve never came out and that he loves him anyway and he doesn't want him to feel pressured. And Steve had smiled fondly and let it go.

Had Steve been trying to tell him he came out to his kids?

He lets his head drop and takes a few deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate. Thank fuck. He hasn't just accidentally outed his boyfriend.

"He's actually waiting for us in his car. I would say come with, but..."

"We're serious about this bet."

Eddie nods, and waves his hand in their general direction.

"Yeah, of course. Sure. You- you go win that bet. Jesus christ."

He hears them walk away and lets out an incredulous laugh to himself before he hears the drama room door swing open again, the chatter of Jeff, Gareth and Paul cutting off when they see the state he's in.

"You good, man?" Paul asks, and Eddie just lets out a sigh.

"Totally fine. Just thinking about wooing my sweetheart." He says, like they've walked into a joke he's set up.

They all groan, but continue walking toward the school's exit, and Eddie stays there, recovering from that shitshow.

[jqafterdark]

Seeing S/O in Lingerie Reaction

From a request in my main blog, this has no smut but VERY SUGGESTIVE so... yeah ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sebastian Moran, William James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes, and Louis James Moriarty

Tag/s: Historically inaccurate lingerie

Sebastian Moran

The man whistled as soon as you entered his field of vision.

He looked like a kid in a candy store.

Straight up GRINNING from ear to ear.

If you're showing him a variety, he'll inspect every single one of them.

It's almost alarming how focused he looks.

Little do you know, he's thinking about how to use whatever lace or strings your outfit has to his advantage in the bedroom.

The minute you're within his reach, Sebastian pulls you to his lap to get a closer look.

He takes his time to take in your figure while his hands roam through your body.

Even as you walk away, his eyes never leave your figure.

Like you were one of his targets on missions.

He would definitely tease you, wanting you to get riled up as much as he is.

What's more annoying is he wants you to say that you want to do it before he continues.

He's torn between taking it off or just doing the deed with it still on you.

Whatever position you're in, he definitely has a good view of you.

A mirror might be involved.

"I'm back-" Sebastian abruptly stopped as your eyes met in the mirror, wide in shock.

His eyes traveled down to your new short silk nightgown and stockings, going up and down before smiling.

"You could have just said so," he chuckled, removing his coat as he walked up to you.

You quickly grabbed whatever was closest to you, in this case, a hairbrush, and pointed it at him as you kept a distance.

"Oh no, you don't! Last time, I chased the target through the city with a limp!" you muttered, keeping your distance as your eyes never left him.

"Do you have a mission tomorrow?" Sebastian innocently asked, making you pause.

"...No...?"

"Then that settles it," he smiled, quickly hugging your waist.

"SEBASTIAN!"

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Wouldn't want your pretty outfit to rip, now do we?"

William James Moriarty

When you asked him to come with you to go underwear shopping, he was shocked, to say the least.

But he quickly recovered and agreed.

You definitely have his attention now.

While his eyes kept following you while he drank his tea, his smile was different than it usually was.

It was more... devious, so to speak.

While he keeps his composure, a lot has happened in his mind.

While you were picking some things, William acted like a perfect gentleman.

Holds the clothes you picked, heartfelt compliments to boost your confidence, over all the best boyfriend you could ask for.

Almost too good to be true. And it was.

He might have thought of a few scenarios on how the two of you could get away with it in the store.

It helped that it was a pretty private dressing room, considering the store was made just for the nobles, where it was just you and him.

Even the workers were far from earshot, attending to the other customers at the front.

But he didn't continue since he saw you enjoying your little date and didn't want to ruin your good mood.

It didn't help that you would ask him for help to put some of them on, though... Or take them off.

Besides, he has the whole night planned just for the two of you, and he's making sure no one would bother you two.

You hummed happily as you swung the bags in your arms, satisfied with your purchases.

"I'm surprised you agreed to go shopping with me, Will!" you mused as you turned to William, "Didn't you have a meeting later with everyone? Wouldn't you be late?"

William gave you a smile as he grabbed your hand, "The meeting was moved since some of the professors were out sick,"

"Is that so..." you trailed off, shrugging off his response.

William quietly chuckled, remembering the surprised expressions his comrades had when he said the meeting was canceled and assigned a new mission to everyone.

The manor was now empty until morning.

"Well, whatever! I can't wait to try these at home," you beamed, looking down at your new haul.

"Indeed," William agreed, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Sherlock Holmes

He never saw the appeal of the lingerie until he saw it on you.

Now, lace is his favorite thing on your body.

The first time he saw you in lingerie, it was like he shut down.

He didn't say a word, but his eyes were glued to you as he reached his hand out to you.

When you walked up to him, he eyed every inch of your body, engraving the image of you in his mind.

To him, you looked ethereal.

Like beauty personified.

When he did speak, it was soft and breathless, as if you rendered him speechless.

And when you did it, the sight of you in lingerie and covered in hickeys he left is now his favorite thing.

He gets more possessive whenever he sees you in lingerie.

And surprisingly more gentle and slow, wanting to enjoy every second of it.

Now, every time you buy a new set, he likes having a private fashion show.

When you bring him to a lingerie store, he is not embarrassed at all.

Hell, he'd even pick out a few things for you.

You can tell his compliments are genuine with how serious his expression is.

"Sherlock?" you called out, slowly walking up to him.

His eyes were completely wide as he looked at you.

"Sherl?" you called out again, but no response as he continued to stare at you.

You bit your lip as you covered yourself, feeling self-conscious wearing nothing but a bustier with matching underwear.

"Don't,"

"Huh?" Sherlock quickly grabbed your hands, pulling them down to your side.

"Don't hide it. You look beautiful," Sherlock breathed out, mesmerized by your outfit as his eyes slowly looked up at you.

You felt your face flush as you looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

"You're staring too much,"

"I disagree,"

Louis James Moriarty

You almost gave the man a heart attack.

He was not expecting to see you in lace and sheer one night after a long day of house chores.

Was it an unwelcomed surprise? No. Definitely not.

That night, he was just hoping to have some downtime with you after working the whole day.

So when he saw you by your dresser half-dressed putting on stockings, it was like the man turned into stone.

Minutes later, Louis came back and saw you in your robe, relieved to see he was okay.

His face became completely red when he remembered what happened and apologized for walking in on you.

Even though you forgave Louis, he's still scolding himself for liking what he saw.

What's more, his eyes would gaze over your robe when it would slip.

Explaining why he slammed his head on the table was interesting, to say the least.

So when you told Louis it was okay for him to look, he was still shy. But you would catch him stealing glances your way.

He tries to compliment you, say anything coherent for that matter. But he just mutters something while looking at the ground.

However, the moment he got more confident, his hands would not let you go.

Suddenly, he's fluent in dirty talk and knows just what to say to get you in the mood.

And he makes sure you know just how beautiful and alluring you looked that night.

"I truly apologize..." Louis muttered, a cold towel over his head as you chuckled, tying the robe tightly around your waist.

"Don't be. I'm just surprised," you reassured as you removed the towel, making Louis meet your eyes.

You weren't sure, but you swear you saw his eyes tracing your robe down to your chest.

His face turned completely red instantly, making him turn away.

You breathed out a smile as you hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm really not mad, Louis!" you giggled, swaying side-by-side.

"Besides, that was for your eyes only, you know?" you grinned, making the man freeze as steam came out of his face as you snickered.

"Please don't tease me..."

[sheriff-caitlyn]

There is something inherently important about Caitlyn and Vi's respective natures and personalities that make them Piltover's Finest. Caitlyn was released Jan 2011, and Vi in December 2012, so Riot had plenty of time to make Vi a proper narrative foil to one of the original Champions. And yet it seems like the most important aspects of their characterisation are forgotten, glossed over, or outright ignored in how Caitlyn and Vi are depicted.

Caitlyn is Intention, Vi is Impulse.

The sniper rifle is a tool to handle problems from a long distance away; magnifying lenses on a hat help bring small details in to focus. Caitlyn focuses on a goal, and then looks at every step in the long and short term to achieve that goal. She has single-minded purpose but is able to cover a lot of ground, to have unique perspectives on and multiple opportunities for her desired end result because she has a view of the big picture. She sees how everything is connected, no matter how arbitrary. Every move she makes - socially, politically, nationally, and even on the Fields of Justice - is both deliberate and carefully-deliberated. She leaves nothing to chance. Everything is calculated. Her intention is what matters most; her intent is what makes her powerful, dangerous, unstoppable.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

"Me, miss? Not by a long shot."

"I have the tools for the job."

"Nowhere to hide."

"Go ahead. Run. I'll give you a five minute head start."

Fists are up close, personal; the gauntlets are hand-crafted, engineered by Vi's own hands to suit her own hands. Vi is reactionary, surrounding herself by the world, immersing herself in sound and sensation and situation and choosing to act in accordance with what feels the most urgent. Vi acts on whatever is closest to her reach or nearest to her immediate needs; she prefers short-term solutions because those are, in her mind, the most necessary solutions. Immediate needs should be met immediately. She doesn't look for the easiest solution, but she looks for the simplest one, the most expedient one. She is adaptive, and quick-witted, and capable of handing upsets and change step by step, without flinching. Vi's impulses guide her every step, trusting chance and circumstance and personal talent to back her up and make her next step possible. Her adaptability and her willingness to be personally-involved is the reason that her 'one foot in front of the other' style of action is so powerful.

"Sometimes you gotta make a door."

"One girl wrecking crew!"

"Let's get crackin'!"

"I like your smile. Makes a nice target."

"Plan? I don't need a plan."

Personified by their weapons of choice, these women are both forces of change in their respective cities. They are both incredibly effective on their own. Caitlyn had her plan and her rules and her methods that involved no-one but herself, and Vi was quick to repeatedly declare 'I'm my own backup'. They do not need each other in order to get things done, to have a wide positive impact on their community or for the people they care about.

And yet, they can do more together than they would apart.

Caitlyn can be distant from those she loves and those she is trying to save, can come across as cold and detached. She does not show her emotions well, if at all; she has more in common with the hextech rifle she carries than with other people. Caitlyn was capable of changing Piltover and becoming Sheriff all on her own, but she was not liked or respected by the people she was trying to save until she had a more-humanising force by her side. A short-sighted answer might be that Vi was so violent and dangerous it made the calmer Caitlyn more appealing by comparison, but that isn't the case at all.

Vi's past is lost to shadow, stolen by those in power who sculpted in misery, so to fight this aching void she surrounds herself with people who need help. She's used to being the underdog, to having the deck stacked against her, but she has built herself to be the strength of others, to fight on their behalf. She looks for joy and resistance in equal measure. Vi is smart, and intuitive, and has a very strong moral compass, even if - especially if - it causes her to clash with the powers that be, those in charge who don't do things they right way or for the right reason.

Both of them are raging against the world in their way. Both of them see potential in the world, for it and for everyone in it, to be better.

It is Caitlyn's intention and methodology that gives Vi the opportunity to do something bigger than the most-immediate threat in Zaun. It is Vi's impulse to send Piltover's trash back across the bay that connects her to Caitlyn, that gives Caitlyn the idea and means to encourage others and affect greater change. Like iron sharpening iron, the two of them improved each other as they began to interact. Of course they clashed when they first met, when Vi found Caitlyn too rigid and Caitlyn found Vi too reckless, but it was in these clashes that they learned to work together, to see from new perspectives. A sniper can't watch her own back. A boxer can't see beyond the ring. But together, they're more powerful than they would be apart. They've got each others' backs, they mitigate each others' weaknesses and boost each others' strengths, and they learn from each other.

Caitlyn is one of the few who can see, acknowledge, and respect the intelligence Vi is trying to hide, both in terms of Vi being an incredibly-talented engineer but also in Vi's social adeptness and comprehension of human motivations. It's Vi who can see Caitlyn's self-imposed isolation for what it is, and call her out on times when a more personal touch is necessary. Caitlyn has learned to be 'more human', to see the impact beyond just statistics and social change, to learn to accept other people into her life. Vi has had the chance to see that structure and morals can co-exist, that not every rule needs to be broken, that sometimes stillness and quietness can be productive.

Caitlyn and Vi are still their own people. Caitlyn will always lead with her intention, and Vi will always follow her impulse, but they'll do it together, mindful of each others' thoughts and methodologies. They've had years to turn their partnership into a kind of dance. It's not perfect, but they know each other so well, to the point of anticipation in movement and thought and action. Caitlyn - in purple, with her sniper rifle - and Vi - in pink, with her gauntlets - are the perfect team, and together they've brought Piltover into a (near-literal) Golden Age as well as been there to lead the city-state through disaster and reconstruction. They've even started making headway into helping those in Zaun, or at least inspiring others to step up and see them as a challenge to be equalled. They are Piltover's Finest, because they match and rival and equal each other, as foils, as partners, as symbols.

And that's something that Arcane absolutely failed to understand.

[sebastianmichaelisslander]

Any unpopular opinions/headcanons about shinigamis?

Lessgooo! I’d been waiting for this for a while!

Headcanons

• Not fully sure there’s a proper academy for Reapers, though that’s the case in a lot of fanon hcs and even the anime.

The Dispatch setup resembles a very typical one in the corporate world, though - newer Reapers are all assigned a mentor who they train under and who asses them for their capabilities in varying fields. According to this, they join a particular department and work under its head (e.g., collections, forensics, auditing, etc.).

• There are several different branches of the Dispatch spread out over major cities in England - and the same goes for branches in other countries. Headquarters will be either at the capital or in a major city (e.g, London).

• Though Reapers are all pretty much blind as bats without their glasses, younger ones would probably have it slightly better. Slightly.

• As for whether they would retain any memories of their past lives, it depends for me.

What would be worse than having memories of who or what was dear to them wiped to prevent them from straying would be remembering it all, but knowing they will not be able to return under any circumstances.

But as I’m uncertain about how to make sense of that, I’d say that I share my mutual @grimreaperauthority ‘s headcanon about their memories of their past lives being wiped and thus remaining mostly fuzzy. I’d say that’s the case, save for the day of their death or anything particularly defining which shaped or changed their beliefs, imho.

• Relationships between colleagues aren’t forbidden, but it’s expected that one adheres to decorum and keeps their liaisons under wraps. Especially if there’s a major power imbalance involved, because you’d be cooked.

Unpopular opinions

I’ll probably have several of you trying to break down my door with pitchforks and torches in hand, but here goes.

• I don’t see Eric as Scottish, lol.

I haven’t fully watched the musical so I don’t fully get where the whole headcanon about him came into being, but it’s not just that. I tried looking his last name up, and ‘Slingby’ isn’t even a real surname - closest thing is ‘Slingsby’, which is of English origin. ‘Knox’, however, is a Scottish surname, so make what you will of that. 😉 (Yes, I unapologetically write Ronnie as a Scotsman.)

• I do not ship Sascha with Ludger.

I always saw the former as a very young student figure of sorts to him, and not just because they appear rather young to me. I’ve never seen them as a couple given their interactions in the manga, and there’s also the fact that Sascha seems to be a literal teen.

Whilst Sascha’s age hasn’t been stated in canon and they could very well be an adult for all I know, which would be highly unlikely, them as a ship just isn’t for me. Ludger as their father/brother figure, though? That’s where it’s at.

• I’m mostly indifferent to Undertaker. I don’t know why, but I never paid him any special attention. Like, he do be kinda fit, but that’s about it.

• I don’t vibe with the fanon interpretation of Ronald as a player or fuckboy - and not only because I headcanon him as on the asexual spectrum. Even in the manga, he appears to be (quite a major) flirt at most - which can also be backed up by how he disappears.

• If Othello could talk to women, he’d be like a more toned-down Ronald when he’s interacting with them, but shyer too. But he can’t, lmao - he’s forgotten how to. Takes personal space and being respectful to them seriously, though.

Bi Othello is my fav headcanon for him. I can definitely see him with a woman as well as a man. And though he’s often absorbed in his work or Dispatch shenanigans and doesn’t think about girls (or guys) all that much, he definitely likes a pretty one as much as the next man.

• I don’t see William as a prick with all the emotional range of a teaspoon and little empathy whatsoever. Is he too harsh on himself and his subordinates? Yes. Can he be an asshole at times? Also yes.

But is he a terrible person with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and a rock in his chest where a heart would otherwise beat? No.

He seems like he’d be an overthinker and feel extremely strongly towards people and ideas both, but tries to suppress this as he thinks that he needs to. Not only to remain impartial for the sake of professionalism, but also because how men in general are socialised plus his tendency to withdraw when he’s overwhelmed mean it’s difficult to confront his emotions.

• I do not see Ludger as German William, but rather someone who’s similar to him yet incredibly different in a lot of ways. William is pensive, almost overly fastidious, and coldly professional. Meanwhile, Ludger is reserved, a tad rough around the edges, and focused - but he’s surprisingly patient and better with conflict than Will.

If I have more, that’ll call for another post!

[thelordofhats]

Upcoming Sweeper Event Blind Guesswork

“But Hats, it hasn’t even been a week since Regular Checkup came out, isn’t it a lot more fruitful to analyze fresh material we actually have than to write a bunch of wild speculation?”

1. Yes

2. Shut Up.

3. What Regular Checkup possesses in “being available content” it lacks in “having Sweepers”. As such, I go where my heart takes me.

Cut for courtesy.

The Story

Spoiler alert: Sweepers will be involved.

The immediately obvious way for things to start is that the bus gets stuck in Night in the Backstreets. I mean, the title isn’t literally “Night in the Backstreets”, but “Nocturnal Sweeping” is pretty much the next-closest thing.

That would be enough story for a Walpurgisnacht in the vein of Full Stop, where the gameplay is a “kill enough enemies in the time limit” sort of setup, but it isn’t remotely enough material for an intervallo—especially not the intervallo right before a canto. Magic SEA Bus gave us Ishmael’s breakdown, To Claim Their Bones was admittedly less about Heathcliff than about easing us into T Corp, MOTWE had the big Don reveal. So we’re going to get *something* for Hong Lu here. Which makes things tricky for me, because a Hong Lu Scholar I am not. There are people in this fanbase who have read and Understood Dreams of the Red Chamber, I am not one of them. I do not have the Deep Knowledge.

What I *can* say is that I’m pretty sure Hong Lu is in an extraordinarily bad mood in Regular Checkup. There’s him being sorted into Wrath and his interaction with Hong Lu there, but also his early callout of Don feels really… well, bitchy, to put it bluntly. Hong Lu doesn’t tend to shy away from saying what’s on his mind, but he tends to do it a lot more indirectly than he did here. So in NS, I expect to see that trend continue. He’ll be masking it, but I expect that nasty bitter streak to continue.

The Thing for Sweepers is Family. Once you actually understand what they’re saying, you discover that they’re a tightly-knit family unit who care for each other a lot. They’re just also, y’know, the scourge of the Backstreets that eat corpses and soon-to-be corpses, and seem to maybe abduct children they find out at Night to be turned into Sweepers. Now, being liquified and turned into a posthuman cannibal is probably one of the better fates a Backstreets orphan can hope for, but that is damning with pretty faint praise.

I think that what Hong Lu really, *really* hates is seeing people forced into a mold that doesn’t fit them. It’s what he’s seen in all of his siblings—whoever they are by nature, they get forced into the hell of cutthroat murderous competition by their family (it’s a synecdoche of the City as a whole!). There isn’t a reason that any of them should have to be that, except that they are getting forced into that shape by their elders.

And with Sweepers, that’s, well, pretty damn literal. So I would guess that we’re going to be trying to retrieve a child from the Sweepers here. Not Charon, because we wouldn’t have anything to fight in that case because Vergilius would murder the hell out of every last one of them, but some other kid the LCB ends up interacting with for some reason. Don would naturally push to go with the rescue attempt, it’s a good opportunity to show that aspect of her post-Canto, and I think that regardless of it being outside their company mission, Vergilius isn’t going to put up a lot of resistance to the idea. So into the Wherever It Is That Sweepers Live we go.

Somebody is going to have to be able to Speak Sweeper. I just don’t see a way to completely avoid it. Maybe if we hadn’t already gotten that glimpse in Ruina, they could try to tell it entirely through action, but as it is, I don’t think so. Obviously, this falls to Dante, another bit of the Weirdness around them. I don’t know that sweepers will be able to understand the ticking, but Dante understanding the random numbers—or rather, not hearing the numbers and just hearing the meaning—seems likely.

Ultimately, I think the kid probably gets Sweepered, and Hong Lu is going to get angry in a way that is frankly concerning—the kind of stuff we saw with Fanghunt Hong Lu. Those waters only look tranquil because they run so much deeper than you imagine. And so we’re are set up for Canto 8.

Who Gets the IDs Though?

Let’s rank the likelihood!

Ryoshu - Come on, this isn’t a surprise. It’s about Family, and that is clearly so much of the theme they are hammering on with her. She is going to have Opinions about Sweepers. But also, her last ID was from last Walpurgisnacht—she hasn’t gotten one this season proper. She’s a shoe-in here. Yes, she just got Thoracalgia, but EGO don’t count in the same way. Assuming we get a 000 and a 00, I think she’s a lock for 000.

Meursault - This is a bit more mechanical—they like big slow tanky Meursault IDs, we’ve seen big slow tanky Sweepers. He’s a natural for the Hauler passives. He does fit in terms of temperament too, though. Not so much the family bit, but the strict rules that they abide by are a very Meursault thing. He did get an ID earlier this season in Cinq West, but it’s been a bit.

Sinclair - He’s young, and is in some ways a bit of a package deal with Ryoshu. I have trouble making it more detailed than that, but if anyone is a lost child that gets adopted, it’s Sinclair. He has, however, had an ID relatively recently. Not a story ID, and not *super* recently, so there’s certainly a chance.

Rodion - There’s a real power gap from 3 to 4, and I’m not taking the detailed list further than this because it’s all degrees of Not Happening, which I’ll get into. If anyone who got a Bloodfiend ID this canto has a shot at Sweeperdom, it’s Ryoshu, our main Backstreets representative. It’s been long enough since Princess that it’s possible, but… I wouldn’t bet on it.

And now, speedrun of the rest:

Yi Sang - Just got a 00. Now, he hs gone as long without a 000 as Ryoshu, but I just don’t feel like he has a strong thematic tie here.

Faust - Just got a story 000, doesn’t match vibes.

Don Quixote - She is not getting another ID in here own canto period, especially not when it’s as thematically close to her canto as this would be.

Hong Lu - Just got a 000, and is kind of the opposite of Don—this is too close to when he’s going to be telling his story to hit those themes in ID form.

Heathcliff - Is getting *two* 000s in quick succession. He does not get a hat trick here. On the eventual rerun I think he does, though.

Ishmael - Getting a 000 in the Yield My Flesh rerun, doesn’t need an immediate reprise. Also I just don’t feel like it fits her.

Outis - This would fit, but it’s the exact same thing they did with Barber Outis. They aren’t going to do it right away again.

Gregor - Had a Bloodfiend ID, isn’t allowed the kind of happiness he would get from having a close caring family. Mmmmaube on the rerun, I could see it.

So there you go, wild speculation! Watch as I’m totally wrong again!

[to-thelakes]

Luke planning a romantic getaway for him and reader so they can have a nice relaxing weekend/week where he can do nothing but pamper reader like they deserve. (He plans it with the help of Penelope, Emily and JJ ofcourse)

okay, i have been thinking about this for a little while and the thought of this is so fucking cute to me, luke would absolutely do this and would literally bend heaven and earth to make it happen. here's some thoughts (no nsfw, just fluffy thoughts, below the cut);

okay, like the original idea of a romantic getaway would probably be some like offhand comment made while you're working a case, like you mumble something 'god i need a vacation' or something and luke knows that he does too and wants to take you on one

at first, he doesn't think he's gonna be able to make it happen, at least not on his own, he doesn't know where to take you, what to do, any of it, he is a little stuck

everyone is staying late one night and garcia (bc she is nosy and we love her for it) spots luke looking at places that you and him could go stay

SHE BLOWS UP HIS PLANS SO BADLY and you obviously hear her asking what he is looking at and become suspicious

so his first attempt at a relaxing weekend away that was meant to be a surprise turns into both of you planning a little retreat for a long weekend in like upstate new york

it was a cute cottage in nature, away from people, it's nice, calming and you don't really have to worry about stumbling onto a case

but during the weekend you are stressed and mid-way through the getaway, you get a call for a case in new york city

so the relaxing and romancing quickly comes to an end, luke is frustrated but understands (it is both of your jobs after all)

BUT the second time that he plans a trip, he knows what to do, rather than trying to hide it from garcia, he ropes her in to help

garcia asks probing questions, looks at your search history (and she has also known you for years) and reluctantly helps luke with planning something

emily and jj quickly end up getting involved, he needs to ask emily for the time off anyway but when he is asking her about it, jj overhears and asks what he's planning, jj then begins to give ideas

and it quickly devolves into the women basically planning the week for both of you (tara included because ofc she overhears emily, jj and garcia discussing and wants in)

emily had approved the time off, she suggests places to go, luke kind of just sits there and approves any ideas or disproves anything that he knows that you would hate and he is obviously excited, he's also glad for the help

his vacation committee decided on you guys going to california and visiting the vineyards because you always talked about going to italy

however with the job, europe was a little too far away (and expensive on short notice) so the californian vineyards at the closest that they've got

emily has some friends in california that help them find a good place

garcia also has family there so reminds luke that if anything goes wrong, her siblings can help them, though she also reminds luke that she's only being so nice for you not him in typical garcia fashion

honestly, luke is just glad the surprise doesn't get ruined

and when you wake up on a monday, expecting to go to work but instead, luke presents you with the plane tickets, you are ecstatic

it is the first time you've been truly relaxed in WEEKS

the team did their best to make sure that you avoided any familiar haunts in california since both you and luke wanted a relaxing week and they only texted you if it's an emergency or if they just wanted to check in to make sure everything was going okay

and the week the two of you have away is amazing, you indulge in food (and each other) and for the first time in months, you feel truly relaxed

luke was always able to make you feel relaxed but this is another level

and when you come back from the trip (luke confesses that the team knew on the plane ride back home), you have a glow to you that they all point out and they giggle and you thank them all for helping plan such an amazing week, you just feel so grateful for them

luke (despite his lack of actual planning) also gets plenty of praise but you showed most of that to him while on the getaway ;)

[eco-lite]

Some mostly out of context funny/sweet/heartbreaking moments from Una McCormack’s Enigma Tales:

[Text ID: “Renel took the other chair and the two guls, both big men, perched awkwardly together on the sofa. Garak had asked for the sofa’s dimensions to be just slightly too small to comfortably seat two adult males. His cruel streak always found expression somehow.” End ID]

Garak forcing stuffy military men to squeeze onto a tiny sofa together. Utterly diabolical.

[Text ID: “My real pride is, of course, my garden. I have worked hard here. Parmak helps, although he has a tendency to kill plants on touch—worrying in a doctor (previous sentences underlined in red by me). He can’t do too much damage. The plants are hardy, the flowers have their own agenda, and not even Parmak can kill dry stone monuments.” End ID]

I love that in The Crimson Shadow, it’s implied that Kelas takes care of Garak’s garden while he’s away, yet here we learn that he’s actually terrible at it. First of all hilarious. Second of all, very sweet that Garak trusts him to keep trying.

[Text ID: “’There might be another route to Garak,’ Alden said slowly, at last. ‘Ambassador, what do you know about Kelas Parmak?’

‘He is the castellan’s close friend,’ said T’Rena. ‘Probably one of his closest advisors—not officially, but certainly they are often together.’

‘Are they lovers?’ said Pulaski.

‘I don’t know,’ said T’Rena. ‘I do know that Parmak was interrogated by the Obsidian Order in his youth, and that Garak may have been involved.’

‘Damn,’ muttered Alden, ‘this place is twisted.’” End ID]

Pulaski just assuming that Garak and Kelas are lovers. A perfectly valid assumption--it’s the same assumption I make myself. Also, Peter Alden pointing out how it is frankly fucked up that they should be lovers considering the circumstances of their past encounter. He’s not wrong... Kelas is just a forgiving angel of a man.

[Text ID: “She picked up the parcel she had brought with her. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to go now. I hope it’s been good to see me. But I brought you a present. Well, it’s not really from me. Several of your friends got together and found this, and when they heard I was coming they asked me to bring it with me. I hope there’s no injunction on importing livestock. I think I got away with it.’

He was hardly going to unwrap the gift, so she pulled at the paper, revealing the small brown bear inside. She reached for Bashir’s hand again, lifting it and pressing it against the toy, in case the touch stirred some memory. She pressed it against his cheek too, so he could catch the scent. Smell and memory were closely intertwined; smells took you back to places more than anything else. Then she put the bear upon the windowsill, half looking out at the city, half looking back at Bashir. She smiled at it; this little guy had been loved, she saw, and someone had done some stitching that would make a surgeon proud. She reached out and rubbed its ears.

‘He’s an old soldier, isn’t he?’ she said. ‘He’s been through some wars. We’ve all been through some wars.’ She stopped and kissed her lost friend gently on the brow. ‘Come back, Julian,’ she said. ‘We miss you.’” End ID]

Pulaski bringing Kukalaka to comfort the comatose Julian are you kIDDING ME? This scene is so bittersweet.

[Text ID: “’My father would say, all the time, how much I was wanted. How much he wanted me.’

(Next paragraph highlighted red by me) Well, he had wanted something, Garak thought. Telek’s father had not wanted the child he got. And that hurt, as Garak had cause to know; yes, that hurt very badly.” End ID]

Hahahahaaa ouchie.

[Text ID: “Garak realized that he was still holding the phaser. He slipped it back into his pocket, for he would no doubt need it again one day, and then he rested his head against the cool of the window. My poor Julian, he thought. He let himself tremble for a while, allowing his body to process the shock. He might have allowed himself some tears then, too, in the dark while nobody could see, for all that had been lost, for all that he had done; for everyone that he had harmed.

Everyone that he had been unable to save.” End ID]

Despite everything, Garak is a very compassionate person. He very kindly talked down Telek, who was about to kill him, and was sensitive and remorseful that Telek’s Bajoran genetics had been eradicated as a child, at the insistance of Telek’s Cardassian father. And then immediately after that assassination attempt--a moment in which you’re surely allowed to think selfishly--he instead thinks of “My poor Julian,” another man whose father did not want him as he was. And that’s not even acknowledging all the other shit Garak is going through here. It’s a lot.

Love to end on a sad note. But seriously, everybody go read this book! These are just a few great moments among many. Lots of angst, lots of tenderness.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

So excited for more Cranberry goodness and more of Dove as well!

🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞

🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮

Ah yay! Thank you!!!!!!

36 for 🪞:

---

“You won’t,” Eddie says, wiping his eyes. He sounds so certain. It’s strange to Buck; he is so convicted in his faith in Buck, as much as his own self-loathing. 

“I hope not,” Buck replies. “But it’d be a hell of a lot easier with my best friend.”

Eddie smiles ruefully. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” Buck says. “Just… Please don’t stay away because you think it’s good for me or Dove.”

Eddie nods. “To be honest with you, this afternoon was really nice. Made me feel… Nostalgic? But not in a bad way.”

Buck grins at that. “Well, you still have that key. You’re always welcome.”

“I’ll do better,” Eddie promises. “For the sake of that poor girl’s hair. I mean, someone has to teach you.”

“Sorry I didn’t have any younger siblings to use as guinea pigs!” Buck protests. 

Eddie chuckles. “I’m going to head out. I want to try calling Chris. But I promise I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Buck nods. “Thanks again, Eddie.”

Instead of saying anything else, Eddie steps forward and pulls Buck into a hug. It’s a bit tighter than their usual friendly sort of goodbye hug. Lasts a bit longer, too. Then, it ends quickly and all at once. Eddie takes a deep breath, pulls away from Buck, and walks down the driveway towards his truck. 

Buck can feel his heart thudding in his chest.

---

36 for 🦮:

---

Whenever a call comes in that could turn into a city-wide emergency, Buck’s office is made aware. So they can be ready, if everything goes to shit. Sometimes - like an earthquake or tsunami - they don’t get a warning. 

Today they do. 

Today, a man calls 9-1-1 and claims to have planted a bomb in a multi-story office building. Which could be a prank. Or a mass casualty event. So… Buck’s involved. He’s working on putting together instructions, based on protocol, to send to the closest twenty stations, on how to respond in the case that the bomb does go off. Then, a different set of instructions for the next twenty closest stations after that. 

“These are great,” his boss, Deputy Chief Carr, says when he approves them. “You did that abnormally fast.”

“Thank you, sir,” Buck replies. “I’m getting those protocols committed to memory.”

“You’re an asset here, Buckley,” Carr says before heading off to do something else.

Buck smiles softly. It feels good. He thinks of what Eddie said to his parents over dinner. Buck’s got a big career ahead of him. An important one. It used to not feel true. He thinks, now, it does. Just another one of the many ways he’s found himself again in the wake of what he lost. 

He wonders about it sometimes. What life would be like if they’d saved his leg. It’s essentially some perverse form of self-torture, but how can he not? He’d still be at the 118, still be the person at the building where the bomb is planted. Being a badass, no doubt. He wouldn’t have Cranberry. Wouldn’t have spent all that time with Chris during the worst of the pandemic. He doesn’t know what things would look like between him and Eddie. Would they be together? He hopes they’d have figured it out. Why not, right? But it's hard to say for sure.

[indigosuvi]

Can I request headcanons or a scenario (either one is fine) for cuddling with Nero? He's been through so much, he deserves some comfort 💙

Cuddles With Nero

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 606 / Read it on AO3 | Offline Version

Nero had been busy all day with a mission. You were worried about him. You didn't want him to get hurt, but you also knew that it was his job. If he didn't help his uncle clean the city of demons, then they would take over and harm people. They've done it before, they'd do it again. Nero wouldn't let you join him on his missions. He didn't want you to get hurt. However, the closest you could get to going on one was waiting in the van. It still worried him. It was a middle ground, though. You got to join in if you wanted, but you weren't getting involved in the fighting. He made sure to keep the fighting far from the van so there wouldn't be a chance that you would get hit. There could still be a chance, but he kept his mind set on the fight. He didn't want to get distracted by what could happen. Getting distracted could leave him injured or worse, dead, then there would be no one to save you then. Unless Dante was here to help him take down the demons. Unfortunately, Nero was alone. He wouldn't let his thoughts worry him. He had to keep you and the rest of the city safe from harm. Finally, Nero finished the fight. There were no more demons, and the city was safe, for now. He sat in the van as the driver drove him to a restaurant and dropped him off. He headed in, ate some salad and pasta, paid, and headed to the Devil May Cry business. Walking into the Devil May Cry place, it looked almost like any other business. A desk with a wall of various guns and knives behind it. A bar to the right with a bookshelf filled top to bottom with books. Between both the desk and bar were stairs that led to Dante's bedroom and several other spare bedrooms. One of which was Nero's. Underneath the stairs were speakers that sometimes blared music when parties were thrown. It wasn't often, but it did happen from time to time.

You had been sitting downstairs reading a magazine, waiting for Nero to come home. It was a usual routine for you. However, it was getting late and sometimes he could be gone for days at a time. He would always text you before he got home or call you, however, this time he didn't. You did hear the door open and slam shut, probably Dante coming home. So, you stayed in bed. Nero made his way upstairs, ready to go to sleep, after he took a shower. He walked into the room that you shared with him. He saw that you might be asleep and was quiet as he got himself ready for bed and to sleep. He laid down next to you and quietly wished you goodnight. You turned over and wrapped your arms around him. You pulled him close to you.

"You're still awake?"

"Yes, I always wait to sleep later when you're away, in case you come home. I can see you or help you if you need it."

He smiled, "Thank you Y/N. I love you."

"I love you too. What happened to your phone, by the way?"

"It got broken. I didn't want to bother you since it was so late in the night."

"You wouldn't have bothered me." You said as you continued to cuddle with Nero.

Next time, he would be sure to call or text you. If his phone ever got broken, he had no problem using a payphone to contact you.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @sunmoongoddess / To Join My Tag List Apply Here!

[android-anthology-hub]

009 - Incident Report

Since I'm doing some reuploading, I shuffled around the first character short in this anthology series. Pursuit Officer Hope takes center stage as we follow her through the aftermath of a challenging pursuit.

You can read this story on Fiction Press, Ao3, and parts one and two on Tapas (blame Tapas's character limit, it's weird).

The Assessor’s pitch black eyes stared back at Officer Hope from across the table.

At least, Hope assumed he did. There was no way to tell where those mechanical lenses were looking at all. She could only guess…

His mechanical eyes shifted, the quiet click - too quiet for a human’s ear - almost deafening in the still air of the assessment suite.

’Suite’ didn’t feel like the right word. It was more like a lab or a surgical theater. It was plain and sterile, nowhere to hide, nowhere to sit save for the booth set into the wall for the Assessor and whatever android they were taking apart.

“Let us begin,” he said almost mechanically as he clicked open a small gray case at his side.

Hope hesitated as she stared at the discs of golden circuitry that sat inside the case. The Assessor didn’t even miss a beat, pulling one of the discs from the case.

“...Officer.” Hope looked up to see the Assessor staring at her once again, gesturing to the case. “We need to establish the connection.”

“Sorry, sir. I’m… I’m still getting back on my feet,” Hope said, wincing as the disc clicked into the port on her neck.

“I understand you’ve been through a traumatic experience,” he said, tilting his head as he reached through the wireless link.

She could feel him in her head, the connection crawling up through her spine. It was like his fingers were brushing her thoughts, feeling them like braille. She’d ignored it plenty of times before, and yet-

Hope clenched her fists, willing herself to hold still as she steadied herself.

-this time she couldn’t. Every nerve screamed at her to push him back.

“Connection established,” Hope said with a shaky sigh as she straightened up.

She could feel him testing the connection as he spoke, “Officer SE-C-107, I have some questions to ask.”

It–It shouldn’t be bothering her. It was her ID number, she’d heard it plenty.

“I have a name,” she said, keeping her tone as even as she could, “it’s Hope.”

“Acknowledged. However, for the sake of record, you are SE-C-107. Correct?”

She clenched her fists as she looked away, holding her anger in check.

She shouldn’t– couldn’t be feeling that way. Not here. Not now.

“You are to maintain eye contact, Officer 107,” the Assessor ordered, typing away at the keypad by his side.

“ Yes ,” Hope said as she looked back at him. “Yes, that is correct.

“Thank you,” he said, not even a smile or the slightest move of a muscle beyond what was necessary .

The baseline questions were always the easy part.

How long had she been with Security. How many androids were originally in her squad. Who did she report to. What was Pi to the fifth digit…

They didn’t matter. All that mattered was how she responded. How she compared to her initial assessment, fresh off the line, and new to her job.

He’d be looking for instabilities…

“Do you know why you’re here today?”

“I was involved in a fatality during a pursuit,” Hope said.

Fatality . It felt so simple saying it like that. Like it was just another day, just a small incident.

“What were you doing before it began?”

“I was on patrol,” she said. “All of us… A call went out about a renegade android that just came into the city.”

“Recall it for me.”

She looked down at her hands–When had they started shaking?

“Eye contact, Officer 107,” the Assessor ordered. “Please, recall it.”

Hope clutched her hands together as she focused back on the Assessor.

She could feel him in her mind, watching, as she recalled the events.

“The call went out in the early morning. They were spotted during a raid on one of the solarshaft sectors. They managed to get away,” she said.

“According to your report, you were in Concourse 5, the closest station to that sector.”

“I was on one of the transports. They just happened to step on,” Hope sighed, her thoughts drifting back.

The passengers screamed as Hope crashed into them, the landing knocking the wind right out of her lungs.

They were strong, whoever they were, and heavy . It just had to be another combat model, didn’t it…

“Stop!” Hope rose to her feet, chasing after the flash of army green as they barreled their way through the transport.

She grabbed her pistol, keeping it low as she pushed through the crowd.

Dammit, she couldn’t fire in here. There were too many people!

The door to the next car slammed shut with a deafening bang . The android - face hidden by the hood of their coat - twisted the lock shut, metal crunching as it jammed into place. They didn’t look back as they raced for the head of the transport.

Hope growled as she scanned over the door, rearing back. It didn’t take her long to kick the door off its track and wrench it from its frame. 

But her quarry didn’t need that long.

The transport lurched to a halt, alarms blaring, the crowd screaming over the sound of shattering glass.

They were out. Dammit, they were out!

Hope ran to the lead car, the emergency controls crushed and the windshield smashed outward.

Hope pressed the transmitter behind her ear, “Central, this is Pursuit Officer Hope. The renegade is in the transport tunnels, concourse five. I’m in pursuit.”

“You had a clear shot,” the Assessor said, eyeing her as he noted his observations.

“And I took it. But at that range… They just shook it off,” Hope said.

“I see… And yet, when you were able to get in range, you didn’t fire. Why?”

“I couldn’t,” she said. “Not in the middle of a chase, I couldn’t get a clear shot.”

The Assessor tilted his head, his touch in her mind growing firm.

“Is that truly why? Or is there something that you wanted instead?”

“I…” Hope trailed off, clenching her fists. “I wanted to…”

“Answer the question, Officer 107.”

Hope closed her eyes and ran a hand over her face.

Keep it together.

“I wanted to take them down myself,” she said.

“Like you’ve done with previous suspects?”

“Yes.”

“As a matter of pride? Taking in a heavy infantry unit would certainly be an accomplishment.”

She sighed, slowly meeting his gaze again, “Yes, sir.”

“Thank you for being honest, Officer 107.” she could feel his approval ripple through her head as he typed. “According to your report, you caught up with the android at a service station in the tunnels.”

“Yes. I-I managed to engage them in close quarters. They were as strong as I was… As I should have anticipated.”

Hope curled her fists into the android’s coat, army fabric beginning to tear as the two wrestled on the station platform.

They were bigger than her, not by much, but enough.

They grabbed her by the collar, their coat tearing away as they hauled her up. Hope’s own face stared back at her, worn and battle-scarred, but just as stunned as she was. Her double held her there, identical eyes staring at each other in disbelief.

Shock turned to anger on her double’s face, “Hell no!”

Hope barely caught herself as they hurled her away, tucking in as she rolled over hard concrete. She rose to her feet, eyes focused on the android’s signature as they fled into the station. She tried to catch her breath as she followed them in, drawing her stun pistol from its holster.

“IN-F-009!” Hope called out, echoing along the concrete walls. “That’s you, isn’t it.”

“ I have a name! ” 009 shouted back, her voice bouncing too much for Hope to pin down.

The walls in here were too thick…

“Then-” Hope swallowed her nerves, clenching her pistol tight . “-why don’t you tell me.”

“Like you care,” they called back, the echoing footfalls of their boots leading her deeper.

She broke into a run at the screech and groan of twisting metal. She followed through the door 009 had wrenched open, not too far behind.

“You sure you wanna do this?” 009 said, “You pursuit models, you’re too light. I’d take you apart!”

They weren’t wrong. A model like hers, she’d hardly weigh a thing to them.

“And you’re heavy infantry,” she called out.

“She knows the catalog!” they laughed, bitterly . “Five years of service… Came all the way from the field in Eurasia.”

Hope scanned along the halls of the service station, ears focusing in on the sound of their voice.

She had to keep them talking.

“Where are you headed?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Pursuit Officer .”

“I have a name too,” she said. “It’s Hope.”

They laughed at her, “And I have a special edition at that! Who named you? Your handler? Your boss?”

Hope fumed , the pistol softly clicking as she gripped it tight.

“Ha! Boss then…” 009 hummed, the sound of crunching metal and sparks filling the air.

Must have torn a conduit out of the wall. They were armed…

“Happy little police dog, so proud to have a name on her collar.”

“ Shut up ,” Hope growled, eyes straining as she scanned about.

“Tell me, do they give you a treat? A pat on the head for a good hunt!”

“We do what we’re made for. You should know that.”

“ Well I want more! ”

Hope barely ducked out of the way as the wall shattered behind her head. Dust filled the air as she dodged one crushing blow after another.

“No way a pursuit model wins this fight,” 009 barked, keeping on the pressure as Hope scrambled to keep out of reach. “Just run already!”

One of these swings was gonna connect eventually. She had to take a shot.

“Not a chance.” Hope fired blindly, lightning arcing into the fray.

009 screamed as the arc found its mark, the conduit tumbling to the ground with an ear-splitting clang! They stumbled and clutched at their shoulder, arm hanging at their side. They roared at her as they moved, beating the feeling back into their aching arm. 

Hope tightened her grip as she took aim.

“You don’t have to do this!” the two of them froze, 009 staring at her in surprise - she probably looked the same.

“Like hell,” they huffed.

They prowled closer, pushing her back as she kept the distance between them.

“I mean it-” the words just… They tumbled out of her mouth, a plea she never thought she’d make. “-just–just come in!”

009 frowned, reaching for the shock of golden yellow around their neck.

Why hadn’t she noticed the bandanna before?

They looked thoughtful as their thumb trailed over the homespun fabric, “And what? Live in a box? Like they’d ever let me go.”

She had to do something. They weren’t a random android. They had a name. They had a name.

“ Please ,” she’d never said the word before, never wanted to.

Pity crossed their face as they backed her against the wall, clenching their fists.

Don’t. Please don’t make her do this…

They steeled their gaze, muscled coiled like a spring, “It’s you or me…”

“ Wait–! ”

CRACK!

And everything stopped.

Hope’s ears rang from the sound of fist striking metal, the deafening crack of an electrical arc firing off too damn close. The first thing she could hear was her own heart. Then her breathing, loud as an engine in the quiet.

009 collapsed against her, their fist buried in the panel next to her head. Thin wisps of smoke trailed from where metal met the skin of their face, head reeking of ozone.

Her hands trembled, stun pistol slipping from her fingers.

She couldn’t hear them.

Hope wrapped her arms around them, holding their body close as she pulled them from the wall.

“I-I’ve got you,” she grunted as she set them down. But their eyes stared off into nothing as she cradled their head, “Hey. Hey! ”

She couldn’t hear them . Not their breath, not the beat of their heart.

“Your name,” she breathed, checking for a pulse she knew wouldn’t be there. “Come on. Just… Just tell me your name! ”

The Assessor drummed his fingers against the table, staring into Hope’s eyes as he probed the link between them.

“According to your report, you tried to check for vitals,” he said. “Your sensory implants would make it a simple process. And yet you took your time before calling in.”

“Like I said in my report, sir. I’d taken damage, my head–” she said, looking down at her hands.

She flexed her fingers like they’d feel a little more human .

“Eye contact, Officer,” the Assessor ordered, making another note as she glared back at him.

“My senses were still coming back online. I-I wanted to be sure , sir.”

“Understood,” he hummed, typing away, his eyes locked on hers. “Now then, Officer. At the start, you asked me to call you by the name your Director gave you - Hope, correct?”

“...yes.”

His eyes clicked as he stared at her, “Why?”

Why?

“I-” Hope tried to ease the tension out of her shoulders, quiet her mind. “-don’t understand, sir.”

“You have never made this request in your prior assessments.”

“I–”

“What makes this assessment so distinct from the others?” he said, riding the associations through her synapses and circuits.

“There isn’t–There’s no distinction.”

“Do you wish to feel separate from your fellow models?”

“I-I don’t know,” she said, pushing back against the intrusion.

Calm down. She had to calm down.

“And yet you asked,” the Assessor said, tracing along the discomfort in her mind. “Do you want to stand apart from other androids? Distance yourself from them?”

“I… Maybe, I don’t–”

“ Eye contact. ”

When had she looked away?

She closed her eyes, clutching her hands together to keep them from shaking.

“Sir, I…” she trailed off, trying to get her voice under control. “I just need a moment.”

“Denied, Officer 107,” he was somehow even louder with her eyes closed, her control on her senses slipping.

She clenched her jaw, taking a shaky breath, and looked up at him.

“Thank you,” the Assessor said, his approval dripping on her thoughts like oil . “You had to fight an android with your genetic template. No one would blame you for wanting to distinguish yourself. It is only human.”

Human.

“I’m not.”

“Hmm?” he paused in his typing, tracing along her thoughts.

“I’m. Not. Human,” Hope said, the words bitter on her tongue. “I’m made for fighting sir. I’m made to chase down my quarry and bring them in. I did my job.”

Hope took a breath and slowly let her hands relax on the table.

She did what she was made for…

Hope clenched her jaw as she kept her gaze on the floor of the Director’s office.

“There doesn’t appear to be any lasting damage,” the Assessor said beside her. “However, downtime is recommended. Give her time to process the incident, allow her construct to stabilize.”

“Thank you.” the Director rose from her desk, her tone growing sharp . “Now, get out.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Hope tensed as she listened to every step the Director made as she dragged a chair in front of Hope.

She heard the clattering of glass, the pour of a drink. No, not a drink. There were two, every sound almost deafening .

“Hope,” the Director’s voice was soft , calm as she handed her a glass.

“I–Thank you, ma’am…”

“You did good today-” she grunted as she sat down, rolling the stiffness out of her shoulders from the long day. “-I want you to remember that.”

“I…” Hope trailed off, her thoughts winding back to the sight of them just lying there on that cold floor. The way those eyes stared at nothing . “How can I be sure?”

“You did your job,” she said, taking a sip from her glass. “And you did as well as you could. That’s the best we can hope for.”

Hope stared down into her glass, swirling the drink while she mulled her thoughts. Finally - letting out a breath she hadn’t noticed she’d been holding - she took a sip.

“I-I guess so…” she bit her cheek before downing the rest of her drink, “Thank you, Director. I should be heading back to the dorm…”

The Director nodded as she finished her glass, waving to the door, “Go on, dismissed.”

Hope kept her movements slow, steady , as she went for the door.

“And Hope,” the Director called as she sat down at her desk. “You were against a heavy infantry unit, and you came out on top. I’m proud of that.”

Pride and dread twisted up in her gut, fighting for which would win.

She nodded - it was all she could do - and headed off for the android dorms.

The day had been too damn long…

Everything ached as Hope slid open the door and stepped into the dorm. She about jumped out of her skin as her squad mates broke out into applause in the dorm’s common room.

“And there’s the girl of the hour!” Five laughed, practically tangled with Nine as the two of them laid on the couch.

Nine shoved Five’s face away from her, “C’mon, don’t tease.”

Eight shook her head, chuckling to herself, “Listen to the lady, Nine.”

Hope just stared at the three of them, fists clenched in her pockets, “What…?”

“Word came out you took down a Heavy,” Eight said as she practically hung off the side of her chair. “Congrats.”

“Bet the Director was happy,” Five said with a playful grin.

“The Director was-” Hope trailed off, almost unsure . She straightened up, standing tall as she spoke, “-proud.”

Eight let out a low whistle, flashing Hope an approving smile.

Five laughed as she practically melted into Nine, “Praise from the boss and leave. Lucky.”

“Oh, hush!” Nine swatted at her with an exasperated sigh before kissing her cheek.

“Aw, come on,” she hummed, a playful smile on her face as she took Nine’s hand in hers.

Hope huffed as she looked away, “God, do that in your quarters you two…”

Nine eyed the discomfort on Hope’s face with a grin .

“Well…” she dragged on the syllable, “what do you think, Five?”

Five lazily kicked her legs in thought, meeting Hope’s gaze as she kissed Nine’s hand, “ Nah .”

Hope shook her head, face twisted into an uncomfortable frown, “I don’t even–We’re identical , what’s the point?”

“Oh, not completely,” Five laughed low in her throat, lacing her fingers together with Nine’s. The lights of their eyes flickered as the two linked together, “Thinking what I’m thinking?”

Nine gave her hand a gentle squeeze and Hope clenched her hands all the tighter.

What did she care?

It wasn’t like she needed to link with anyone. There wasn’t any point.

Nine’s smile was playful as she spoke, “You wanna go out.”

“You read my mind,” Five said as she broke into a grin.

“Of course I did,” she breathed, arching up into a heated kiss.

Eight practically fell out of her chair, “Get a room you two! Damn!”

“ Fuck off, Eight ,” Nine mused.

Nine only pulled away long enough to give the other two a smoldering look . Five gasped above her as her thumb trailed the metal edge of Five’s neural port.

Hope shook her head, exhaustion heavy on her shoulders as she spoke, “I’m just… I’m gonna turn in for tonight. It’s been a long day…”

She ran a hand over the port in the back of her neck, kneading along the muscles around it as she went.

“Hey,” Eight called out, laying a gentle hand on Hope’s shoulder. “Take it easy, okay? You look like hell.”

She shook her off with a soft, tired grunt, “I’m fine , Eight…”

Hope almost sagged against her door when it finally shut.

She was fine , dammit…

She winced as she hung up her coat, ragged muscles and polymered cuts complaining as she went. She dumped her boots at the corner of the bed, fumbling with the straps of the guard plates on her arms and legs. And with a slow huff, she fell back onto her bed.

Hope stared up at the ceiling, tuning down her ears till even her breathing faded out. She bit her cheek in thought, pulling the golden yellow bandanna from her pocket. It felt soft against her palm as she held it. Her thumb brushed along the familiar pattern woven in the fabric. And recognition twisted away in her chest.

They had liked lotuses too…

She slowly sat up, wringing the fabric in her hands like it could give her answers.

But no answers came. It was just a scrap of cloth-

With a sigh, she folded it up and tucked it away in the drawer beside her bed.

-that smelled like burnt metal…

[tinyinvadr]

Guys I was in the zone tonight and I wrote this I’m so happy!

Psychoborrower

Chapter 6

Kochamara grabbed me before I could make any move to escape. Under any other circumstances, I would have been wildly flailing around in fear for my life, but I was too fed up to be afraid. My mind was overcome with hopelessness and frustration.

“What do you even want from me? I’m useless.”

“Yes, you are. But you could be so much more! Everyone around you is in your way, holding you back, trying to keep you from getting what’s rightfully yours. I understand how you feel, kid. I’ve been through it all. But you know what you do? Fight back! Take what’s yours and leave the ones who doubted you in the dust! Now tell me… are you really about to let the Psychonauts tell you what you can and can’t do just because they’re taller than you?”

I paused. What even was this argument?

“I… it’s a lot more complicated than that. And anyway… they’re right about me.”

“Come on, where’s that fighting spirit? A good soldier never backs down! If you join me, all the power you’ve ever wanted will be yours!“

I glared at him. “Look, I might be depressed beyond belief right now, but I still have the common sense to not listen to you. You’re kidnapping children, stealing their brains, and using them to build weapons of mass destruction. There’s nothing you can say to make that sound justified.”

It was hard to read his expression with the superhero mask covering his face, but I could tell he was angered by my back talk. Mainly due to the fact that his grip on me was tightening like he was about to crush me. To my relief, he had enough restraint to stop before breaking my last astral layer.

“Well, it’s a good thing I had a backup plan in case you decided not to cooperate! Hope you like being used as a supercharged mental battery, kid!”

He flew up to the top of the broadcast tower, where there was already a mechanism in place for a tiny person to be hooked up to it.

Right. Ford said the entire staff knew about me, so of course that included Coach. He planned ahead for me.

After placing me in the machine, Kochamara sent out another broadcast. But as they traveled up the tower, the waves of mental energy shot through my head, amplifying them to a stronger intensity while also causing me extreme pain.

“The good people of Lungfishopolis will be pleased to hear that the former monster known as Stompy has not only been captured, but has also decided to atone for his previous crimes! This selfless citizen volunteered himself to power Kochamara Tower, allowing our broadcasts to reach everyone faster than ever before and keep our city safe from threats like Goggalor! Unfortunately, the tower was not built to run on a biological battery, so the boy will surely die. But his noble sacrifice will not be forgotten! StompysayskillGoggaloratallcosts.”

I could feel the energy slowly draining from my body. Even though I couldn’t actually be killed in the mental world, this was still a humiliating way to go out. Captured as a result of my own insecurities, used to spread propaganda and lies, and indirectly hurting the closest thing I ever had to a friend.

I just wanted it to end. I wanted out. I wasn’t supposed to be involved in any of this, and I wasn’t sure it was possible for me to ever go back to the life I had before Whispering Rock. I could’ve had a chance at life, and I threw everything away for my selfish, childish dreams. There was nothing left.

As I felt myself fading further, memories began to flash in my head. Memories of when I first arrived at camp.

I was so naïve then. I was scared out of my mind, but at the same time, filled with boundless optimism. Mostly because I was fully under the impression that I was getting away with my plan to sneak in undetected.

It felt like I was already a Psychonaut. I was on a super secret mission to go undercover at this camp and learn to use my powers. I had them all fooled.

The counselors saw my potential and trained me every single day. It was a long and bumpy road, but I could feel myself getting stronger. Every punch, every blast, every new technique that I mastered made me feel like I was truly going somewhere.

And the way they looked at me whenever I overcame a challenge… Sasha, Milla, even Coach Oleander, they looked like they were so proud of me. Like they saw a real Psychonaut in me.

Was any of it real?

Then, a sudden vision hit me. A memory that I didn’t think was important.

It was my first summer at camp, and I’d just finished Milla’s course for the first time.

“Congratulations, Flint! You’ve just earned your levitation merit badge! Now, let’s dance!”

“Oh, uh… I’ve never done that before.”

She frowned for a split second, then took my hands.

“It’s easy, darling! Just follow the beat, okay? You’ll do fine!”

I followed her lead at first, and then, as I got into the rhythm, she let go, and soon, I was dancing on my own.

It never seemed important. Borrowers don’t have time to dance and throw parties. Just survive.

But I had fun.

Another memory hit as I could feel myself regaining strength. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I went with it. It was helping.

I remembered finishing up my daily training session with Sasha. I made major improvements that day, so he offered to get me ice cream.

“I’ve never had that. Also, I wanna stay invisible.”

He chuckled softly as a park bench and an ice cream stand suddenly appeared.

“One of the perks of the mental world. Of course, it’s not quite the same as real ice cream, but I think you’ll appreciate it nonetheless.”

I took an ice cream cone and sat down on the bench next to him. Even in the mind, it felt unreal that I was able to have any sort of sweets. They were unnecessary to borrowers as they had no nutritional value. Ice cream is also difficult to borrow since it melts.

I took a small, hesitant bite, and immediately felt a cold rush zap through my brain.

“Ah! What was that?”

“That would be brain freeze. Give it a second, it should pass.”

Sure enough, after the initial shock of how cold the ice cream was, I had no problem eating the rest of it.

It was light, and sweet, and not very filling. But I liked it.

More energy returned to me, and I finally understood what the memories meant.

From the moment I learned that the counselors knew I was a borrower, I had myself convinced that they didn’t care about me. I thought they were only training me because I was persistent and they felt guilty kicking me out.

But those memories proved that wasn’t true. They weren’t just training me. They were trying to make me happy. They just wanted to let me be a kid for once.

I couldn’t let Oleander tear them away from me.

My aggression built up, overpowering Kochamara’s broadcast, and I released it one huge blast, blowing up the tower.

I shut my eyes as I plummeted towards the ground. This hit would knock me back into the physical world, but I didn’t mind. I stopped Kochamara. Even if it was just one little step in the grand scheme of things, I did something. That was enough.

I braced for impact, but instead, I landed on something soft. I opened my eyes to see that Raz caught me.

“Whew! That was close! Wow… you just saved me a whole battle! I owe you one.”

“Heh… Don’t worry about it. C’mon, let’s get outta here and save your girlfriend.”

“Hey, hold on-”

By that point, we were already on our way out so he couldn’t argue further.

We were back in the air bubble beneath the lake, and it was then that it hit me: we were stuck.

While the monster was chasing us before, it pushed the bubble along with it, leaving the bathysphere submerged in water. With Raz’s curse, we couldn’t get back to it.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice spoke to us.

“Tiny child, you have freed me. Thank you.”

I turned back to look at the monster. Surely it didn’t just talk.

“Ah- Yes, that was me talking just now. Thank you, both of you. I know that I’ve done horrible things, but now, I no longer have to answer to the voices that once controlled me. I am indebted to you. However you wish to be repaid, consider it done.”

I was at a loss for words. Apparently the giant mutant fish could talk. Shouldn’t have been that surprising, and yet, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

Raz noticed this, and decided to speak up.

“Could you show us where you brought Lili?”

“By the drowned spirit of Oblongata, it is done!”

Then, to my horror, the monster latched its lure onto Raz’s head, lifting us up and shoving us into its mouth like it did with Lili.

“RAZ WHAT THE FU-”

[trevisos]

OC meme!

tagged by @aliasknives!! thank you love :3

tagging @menzoberranzans @elminsters @tadpole-apocalypse @undead-potatoes and anyone else who wants to do it :3c

B A S I C S

Full name: xarrai. just xarrai lol. they’ve never once used their last name and so that gave me an excuse to never make one up for them :)

Gender: sure. whatever. (transfem flavor)

Sexuality: bi/pan/who cares

Pronouns: any

O T H E R

Family: they don’t remember if they ever met their father or not, and while their mother and at least two half siblings live in neverwinter, they don’t speak at all

Birthplace: the outer city, somewhere between wyrm’s crossing and the basilisk gate

Job: bard, courtesan, information broker, pickpocket, con artist, professional drunkard, etc etc etc. post-game, they add adventurer and (reluctantly) bard college instructor. (jury is still out on if the xarrastarion harper ending is canon in which case they add harper to the list even more reluctantly LOL)

Phobias: loss of autonomy, The Church Of Bane As A Whole lol

Guilty pleasures: if you asked, xarrai would tell you they’re a true hedonist and would never feel guilty for any pleasure. but if you dig deep enough into the trunk they had stashed at the elfsong you will find a collection of some of the worst romance novels in faerun buried under fancy dresses and thigh high boots that they would VEHEMENTLY deny is theirs. they don’t Like these books but they are obsessed with them the way people hate watch reality television LMAO

Hobbies: reading, leather working, writing (mostly music or poetry), stick n poke tattoos, drunkenly making out with strangers at the blushing mermaid, petty theft. obvs they sing and play their lyre but that’s part of their day job so i’m not sure if it counts under hobbies? lmao

M O R A L S

Alignment: chaotic neutral, leaning a littleeee chaotic good by the end of act 3. a little.

Sins: most of them if we’re being fully honest. lmao

Virtues: self-control, vigilance, freedom (is that a virtue? whatever.)

T H I S O R T H A T

Introvert / Extrovert

Organized / Disorganized

Close-minded / Open-minded

Calm / Anxious / Restless

Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between

Cautious / Reckless / In between

Patient / Impatient / In between

Outspoken / Reserved / In between

Leader / Follower / Flexible

Empathetic / Unempathetic / In between

Optimist / Pessimist / Realist

Traditional / Modern / In between

Hard-working / Lazy

this section was such a challenge for xar they r very much an Everything All At Once guy lol. take these answers with a grain of salt ig

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

OTP: astarion, unfortunately for everyone involved

Acceptable Ships: gale (but it never really works out for them,) technically they romance halsin in game as well but it’s not really romantic. tbh u could make an argument for them with most of the companions and it wouldn’t be That outlandish

OT3: i mean like astarion/xarrai/halsin is vaguely canon but they’re never Serious with halsin, though perhaps they get a little more romantically involved with him post-game? realistically i think xar just keeps a rotating cast of other partners coming in and out of their life until the end of time and i rly dont see astarion ever having an issue with it. they would get bored without hearts to break tbh. its enrichment.

Brotp: karlachhhh forever and ever. after she dies, they’re probably closest with gale (sorry gale lol)

Notp: it’s not technically a notp but i am obsessed with how badly xarrai wants jaheira and how she turns them down every time. ur never gonna get that milf honey but u can keep trying

[archoniluthradanar]

A Day on the Boardwalk with the Volturi Masters

The fourth place winner for the Summer Fun with the Volturi Masters, story poll results.

You are outside in the garden, enjoying the warmth of the day. The inside of the castle can be chilly since vampires don't notice temperature, hot or cold, and wearing sweaters inside is common for you. The fireplace in your room provides enough heat, when you're actually there. You look at your bare arms, wondering what they will look like in the sun once you're a vampire. Would you sparkle as prettily as you'd seen the Volturi sparkle? It seemed absurd that vampires would sparkle in any case. No TV or movie vampire did that. But these were genuine creatures of the night, only they weren't relegated to existing in the dark. Your entire belief system about beings that shouldn't even exist was thrown out the proverbial window when you had been saved by the Volturi masters. You were so happy they did exist, and that they'd granted you permission to stay with them.

The masters had been busy today with a few trials that involved errant newborns and their indiscreet sires. After judgement had been passed and punishment meted out, Aro was free to come outside to greet you and see how you were doing. You scoot over once you realize he intends to sit next to you on the bench. He generally does things without prelude, assuming everyone knows what he wants without his needing to say anything. The Guard usually do, but you're human and a newcomer.

"Good morning, Aro. Court all finished?" you ask, a smile on your face. The lead Volturi master is so utterly gorgeous, just being around him makes you smile. But your gratitude for everything he has done for you surpasses the appeal of his appearance. When you tell the masters you love them, you mean it wholeheartedly.

"Yes, the guilty have been punished, so I thought I would check on you."

"Aro, do you really have to determine if they're innocent or guilty, or do you make that decision ahead of time?"

"My dear, if they were innocent, they would not be standing before us. Do you understand?"

You pat his hand closest to you and nod. "I do. And you must do your job well, or the planet would have been in chaos long ago."

He's pleased you understand their importance in the vampire community, and bends over to kiss your cheek. "Now that we are free for a few days, have you anything you wish to do? It has been interesting seeing the human world through your eyes. Name it, anything you wish to do."

"Well...there is one thing. It means leaving Italy again."

"Where to this time?" he asks you, curious.

"There's this boardwalk I have always wanted to visit on the East Coast of America, and never had the chance. It's in Ocean City, Maryland."

"The ocean again?"

"I love the ocean, Aro. And it's fun, if you enjoy people watching, eating, walking, and oh yes, they have rides and games too."

"But, dear one, we have done these things already."

"It's not the same, Aro. We can't swim since it's so crowded, and therefore there'd be no privacy for us. This is more people oriented, and I thought you all might enjoy the prospect of mingling with my kind for a change, as long as you feed before we leave. We could stay one night at a beachfront hotel and just relax. You do know the concept of relaxation."

Aro nods and places cool fingers under your chin. He leans in and kisses your warm lips in his usual familiar manner. You sometimes wonder if Sulpicia knows about his ways and doesn't care. You'd hate to have her despise you for the liberties her mate takes for himself. "Very well, my dear. Make the necessary preparations, and let me know when we should be ready."

"Thank you, Aro. It'll be fun." You rise from the bench and look down at him. "You're making it possible for me to do the things I missed out on when I left America." You lean down and hug him, then run off. "Thank you again!" you shout as you leave the garden.

Later that day, you seek out Aro, who is in the library with Marcus and Caius.

Excited to be traveling again, you give the masters the details of this short trip. "We have a room booked at the Grand Hotel, direct ocean view with king and queen beds, and a kitchenette, which is important only to me. It's right on the beach too. There's a game room, and several pool tables and darts in the bar. They have an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool. And our room has a balcony for those of us who don't need sleep. You can sit outside and watch the ocean and the night sky. Its the best I could find on short notice, and since money is no object, I was able to reserve one of their remaining best rooms."

"It sounds lovely, my dear," Marcus says, noticing the pink rise in your cheeks. Your enthusiasm is bubbling over and it can at times be catching.

The next day, the coven awaits Heidi's arrival, their walking meals already approaching the throne room. You are always ordered to stay in your room during these times, for your safety. While the Volturi feed, you're looking up information on the boardwalk. Aro already made sure the jet was ready to go. It will land in Baltimore where you have a car waiting. Then in less than 3 hours, you should be in the city by the sea.

Without realizing, you've fallen asleep on the bed, your cell phone in your hand. You wake when you feel someone kissing your neck. Opening your eyes, you see Marcus bending over you. "Wake up, little human. We're getting ready to leave."

"Is everyone done eating?" you murmur with a yawn.

Marcus smiles when you ask. Feeding off humans is something that's so normal for them and should be just as grotesque to humans, yet you ask as if they had just eaten pizza and not human blood.

Taking his hand, you get up off the bed and throw a few things into an overnight bag. You freshen up in the bathroom, then change into blue jeans and a red button up sleeveless shirt. Your long hair is pulled up into a ponytail and your favourite hoops are in your ears. You turn to Marcus, smiling, and slipping on your sunglasses, ask, "Does everyone have their contacts and sunglasses, Marcus?"

"Yes, dear one, so if you are ready..." He takes your bag and extends his free arm for you to take, and you both leave your room.

The flight is uneventful, and before long you're landed in the state of Maryland. The car is waiting, as expected, and you drive everyone to Ocean City in record time. The hotel is not quite ready for your check in, so you ask the masters if walking the boardwalk would be doable now. They agree and walk with you, dressed as casually as they had chosen, in black jeans and pullovers. They surround you in their usual formation, Aro in front, with Marcus and Caius on either side of you, protecting you even when there is no need.

The masters look around as they move gracefully along the boardwalk, finding the place a chaotic one of noise, light, voices over voices, and the smell human of blood mingling with sweat, suntan oil, and fried foods. You just see humanity at its most casual.

"Oh, isn't it wonderful," you say, dancing around the masters. "Listen to the ocean waves washing ashore, hear the seagulls flying overheard. And look at all the half-naked humans. All that bared skin, the blood coursing underneath it, just waiting to be savored like fine wine. A mass of foolish humans deserving to be bitten...and you can't do a thing about it." You laugh in an exaggerated tone, similar to the villains in old cartoons.

Caius grumbles low in his chest. "Why are you doing this," he asks you. "You're an evil little girl."

"I'm just getting back at you for all the teasing. And I'm not a little girl." You stand in front of Caius, your legs parted, your hands on your hips, glaring at him. The next thing you know, he's coming after you, his teeth bared.

You run and hide behind Marcus, who is tolerant of your behavior, finding himself amused. Using his body as a shield, you round him several times while Caius pretends to attack. God knows if he wanted to really hurt you, he could. Your shrieks fill the air, until Caius catches you and wraps his arms around your entire body, making it impossible for you to move. You feel his icy breath wash over your neck, his teeth gnashing in a threatening manner, but you just giggle until you're breathless.

Aro has kept his patience, but finally huffs at you both. "Children! Stop this nonsense," he says, emphasizing the word 'children'.

You stop struggling in Caius' arms, and tug your clothing back into place when he releases you.

Caius glares at Aro. "Brother, do not call me a child. We were just...playing." He turns to you, smirking.

You look up and point. "A T-shirt shop! Oh, we have to go in there and look for the perfect t-shirts to take home as souvenirs." The masters follow you into the store, their eyes perusing the wares hanging everywhere.

You look over the shirts with ocean theme images on them, something that would help you remember this short visit. "Oh no, look at these." You point out a wall displaying various supernatural logos, some vampiric in design.

The masters scan the shirts, finding them amusing. You show Aro one that says 'I'm a vampire. Don't let this human costume fool you'.

"I think I prefer this one," he says, showing you. It reads 'If I say "First of All", run away because I have prepared charts, data, research, and will destroy you'.

"Well, that's not very nice, Aro."

"Exactly, my dear."

"I have the perfect one." Caius shows you his choice which says, 'Once a King, always a King. But once a Knight is never enough!'

"Hmmm?" you suppress a smile.

"You do understand the play on words," Caius queries, one hand sliding up your arm, giving you goosebumps.

"Yes, Caius, I get it. Now behave, before Aro gives us another dressing down." You look for Marcus, who is looking over the display. "Find anything you like, Marcus?"

He picks out one that says 'Wear Black, Drink Blood', then looks down at you, his brows raised.

"Well, it's to the point. And very Volturi. I love it." He puts an arm around you, asking you if you've found one to your liking. You point to a blue one that says 'Ocean City, Maryland. Summer paradise.' with an ocean, two palm trees and the sun imaged on it. It was typical tourist kitsch and you grab it.

Aro pays for all the t-shirts and you get to carry the bag. When you leave the store, you see a stand that sells buckets of fries. You've heard of this stand and run over to get a medium size bucket. You return to the masters, eating the hot fries one at a time. And as usual, Aro makes a face.

"Child, your health."

"Aro, it's one small medium-sized bucket, and besides, eventually I'll be changed and then it won't matter. I'll be in perfect health. Forever." You feel a hand tug playfully on your ponytail. but when you turn around, no one is there. "Caius," you mutter.

As you continue down the boardwalk, you find a gaming room loaded with all kinds of machines and a large sign that says "Prizes!" hanging overhead.

You challenge the masters to play the bowling game, asking them to give any tickets they win to you. You don't do too badly, but vampire skills win the day, and your hands are soon full of tickets. You sort them out and stuff them in your pockets. then challenge them to air hockey. Caius is always up to a challenge that feels like a battle, and offers to play with you once he understands how. Aro and Marcus watch with curiosity and are soon cheering you on. Of course Caius wins but he does give you all his tickets. After a while you add up them up and redeem them for another stuffed animal.

"What is this, my dear?" Aro asks, turning the toy over in his hands.

"You claim to have read more books than any human in the world, and you don't know Winnie the Pooh?"

He gives you back the bear and states imperiously, "We don't read children's stories, dear one."

"Hmmm. Well, maybe we should get to the hotel. Our room may be ready by now." And it is. Once in your upper level suite, you look around, smiling when you see the large balcony. You go out and look over the entire boardwalk, the beach and the ocean beyond. "It's perfect," you whisper.

The masters are not impressed, feeling there is no grandeur, but if it makes you happy, they are happy.

"I'm hungry. Can we go downstairs and get something to eat, and maybe get a drink and play pool?"

In the bar, you find one pool table not in use and claim it. You persuade Marcus to play against you first. With a mai tai in your hand, you choose your pool stick and wait for Marcus to do likewise. He watches you break, and in no time he understands the concept of the game. You love pool and have not done too poorly, but Marcus easily beats you three out of three. You put your sticks away, but before he walks away, you stand on tiptoe and kiss him. He watches you silently while you go pick up your drink.

After several games of darts, in which both Aro and Caius defeat you, you finish your drink and say, "If my ego was in constant need of boosting, I'd be very depressed by now." But you realize, you don't need to think about your ego. You have the best companions in the world.

You fetch a supper from a local eatery and then return to the room. The masters go sit outside on the balcony while you eat, then you join them. You stand behind Marcus, your hands on his shoulders. The sun is now setting, and the crowds have thinned considerably. You inhale deeply of the salt-sea air, so different from the air in Volterra.

You feel Marcus rest his cold hand on yours, drawing you down. He seems to enjoy the warmth of your skin. The sweet scent of warm cinnamon milk, with a dollop of whipped creme, fills your nose. His soft hair tickles your cheek.

When you ready for bed, tired from your full day, he is the one who tucks you in. You ask him to lie with you awhile, whereupon you both talk about the day, and you even dare ask a couple of questions about being a vampire. As you fade off to sleep, you feel Marcus kiss you, gently at first, then with a bit more passion. You determine you need to speak to him about things, things...and then you're out.

The next morning, you feel hands shaking you. It's Caius. "Wake up, little human. Time to get ready to go."

"No, please, just three more hours." Then hands start to tickle you, making you shriek, "No fair! You're not ticklish. Stop! ARO!"

"Brother, she is awake. My dear, get ready please. Caius, take her things downstairs and we will be down in a moment."

No matter how much fun the masters seem to have when you travel, they also seem just as eager to go home.

Aro looks at you, then takes your hand in his and begins to read your most recent memories. After a couple seconds, you suddenly pull your hand from his.

"I'm not finished," Aro says, a frown on his face.

"Oh yes, you are," you retort. "I think I deserve some privacy where...uhem, my thoughts are my own, Aro."

He nods once, but then he gives you a smile of understanding. "I'll wait until you've had the chance to discuss the issue with our brother."

As if you plan to let him read you then. You huff quietly, and leave the room, Aro right behind you.

You meet up with patiently waiting Marcus and Caius, then leave the hotel lobby together.

"Let's ride the tram back to the parking lot," you suggest.

"Tram? What is a tram?" Aro asked.

You point at the conga line of open cars being pulled by a lead car. "That is the tram."

"Why take the tram, my dear?"

"Because I'm tired, Aro. And it would allow me one last look at everything before we go home. Hello, it's your little human here. You could run the length of the boardwalk in the time it takes to say 'run the length of the boardwalk'. I can't."

Aro bends to whisper in your ear. "All the more reason to change as soon as possible."

His whisper tickles. "I know," you say simply.

"She must be tired to offer no argument to that proposition, brother. Let's take the tram," Marcus says.

Everyone climbs onto the next tram, and rides it the length of the boardwalk to the parking lot. You take one more look around at the ocean, the shops, rides, then watch the masters while they do the same. You feel a hand take your own and look up at Marcus. He leans over to kiss your temple, then looks straight ahead. You lower your head and smile. You have a feeling Volterra will become your permanent home sooner than you thought. But for now, you're enjoying showing the Volturi masters a world they don't know as they prepare you for a world you never knew existed.

A/N : The vampire-themed t-shirts are real. Found them at an online shop.

[1rsoldiersince2012]

Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x Reader)

Words: 4137 (chapter 30)

Summary:

You and Matt met in the courtroom. Now, you may think that Matt was a knight in shining armour and defended you in the name of all United States laws, but that was not the case. Matt was totally destroying your client, and you wanted to tear him into pieces right then and right there, because with Murdock as your rival, your head is on the firm's plate with each case. Did Matt care? No, he only cared about bringing justice, he was a human-machine, driven by the need to bring righteousness no matter the cost. Or was he just that? What happens when you get involved in Fisk's business and Daredevil's lies against your will?

UPDATES: pls forgive me for not updating regularly :///

30. I Don't Want to be a Part of This

Quickly running to the window, you watch four clouds of smoke and fire cover the city in complete darkness, which is disturbed by sirens and red and blue lights. "What?" You whisper to yourself, and it finally dawns on you - this is where Mrs Cardenas lives; this is where Foggy and Karen might still be. Immediately calling Foggy, you are met with the voice of the answering machine. "Shit, where is it?" You search for Cardenas's personal information sheet where her address was written, or at least was supposed to be written by Karen. "Ah, screw it!" You drop the pile of papers on Karen's desk and run out through the door, remembering just in time to lock the place for the night.

If it weren't for the emergency, cops probably would've already pulled you for speeding in the busy street. Pulling in front of one of the burning buildings, you get out and frantically look around for familiar faces. A cop appears in front of you and gently pushes you away from the scene, "Miss, you can't be here."

"What? My friends might be there." 

"We have saved everyone from that building," He looks around, "are you sure they were in this building and not the others?"

"I-" you curse yourself in your head, "I don't know, I-" 

"Miss, you can wait in your car for any news, I'll be sure to tell you about your friends only if you describe them to me." The man in his 40s says, clearly automatically, just as he was trained in the academy, and leaves you standing alone. You slip away almost immediately and leave the scene in hopes of finding them at the closest building to this. 

Just as you pull up to the next building, Foggy, Karen and Mrs Cardenas emerge from the crowd, stopping just in time before you crash into them. "Fuck, Foggy, is that you? Get in!" You open your doors and get out quickly to help them put Mrs Cardenas in the backseat.

"Wait, the ambulance said to stay here for another." Karen stops the process in the middle.

"Forget about it, it's quicker by car, just get in." You urge them before traffic blocks the main roads as many Hell's Kitchen's residents decide to go look at the newest 'attraction' of the city. "Is she hurt a lot? Are you hurt?" You ask Foggy just as he puts his seatbelt on and press on the gas.

"I don't know, it happened so fast." Foggy shakes his head slowly, afraid that the vision might get blurry again.

"Mrs Cardenas got a bigger blow than us." Karen replies from the backseat. You drive past an abandoned building with at least three police cars parked next to each other, officers involved in a heated conversation. Something feels odd as the building was untouched by the explosions.

"Okay, just a couple more minutes and we'll be there." You reassure the passengers, especially the lady in the back, holding her head with both hands.

*** 

"Don't you move! Don't you freakin' move! Interlock your fingers behind your head and get on your knees. On your knees! Do it! Do it now! Don't you move." One officer shouts, holding his gun tightly in his hands.

"I'll put a bullet in you! Last chance, asshole! I will not hesitate to put you down! On your knees, do it!" His colleague shouts too, briefly glancing at the passenger side, "Keep your eyes on him."

"All right." The driver takes slow steps towards frozen Matt. "Nice and slow." Matt kneels slowly, mind racing faster than before to create an escape plan.  "You got him?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Cuff the son of a bitch." He watches as Matt gets handcuffed and pushed back on the ground. "What about this asshole?" He points to Vladimir.

"Take care of him like we were told. No witnesses." 

Matt smashes his head into the cop's head and knocks him away, quickly putting the other one on the ground too and asks still knocked down Vladimir,  "How bad are you hurt?" Grabbing a gun nearby, Vladimir says something in Russian and Matt kicks him in the face, immediately fleeing the scene.

*** 

In the car, speeding above the limit, Wesley talks on the phone with Blake, talking in a clealy pissed off tone, "Yes. Yes, it is. I'll let him know." He ends the call and takes off his glasses, "Vladimir is in the wind."

"How?" Fisk shakes his head to himself, angry about the failure of his perfect plan.

"Our friend in the black mask, he was beating on him, but stopped Officer Corbin and his boys from finishing him off." 

"Then he wasn't trying to kill Vladimir."

"Based on what we know, probably trying to get him to talk about you. Blake was clumsy, letting the mask get his phone." Wesley sighs heavily,  "I had just texted him the addresses for the sweep."

"We'll deal with Blake later. We need to contain this."

"Vladimir and the mask won't make it out of the area. The sweep will pick them up." 

"Gao put her trust in me." Fisk rasps, shadows appearing and disappearing on his face through the window mix with his disappointment. "She gave me her help. She's going to be disappointed the situation hasn't concluded... as neatly as promised." 

"What are you gonna tell her?"

"The truth. Lying to that woman is impossible."

"She'll want to know what our next move is." Wesley doesn't let Fisk out of his eyes.

"Letting the police do their jobs. That's what I pay them for, isn't it?"

***  "Come on, pick up, pick up." You pace in the corridor outside the ward where Mrs Cardenas rests. Another call to the voicemail. "God, why are you such a jerk, Murdock?" You drop your phone on the little gray sofa next to the wall and sit next to it. A moment, filled with nurses shouting at the end of the corridor, passes by and you kick off your heels, touching the cold hospital tiles with your feet. The cold seeps into your bones but it's much welcomed and calms the ache for a while. Foggy emerges from the ward, already bandaged and throughly checked by the doctors.

"Hey."

"You're okay?" You ask, intently looking at him for any evident discomfort.

"Yeah, I'm super." Foggy smiles and takes a seat next to you. "Still no answer?"

"No." You cut briefly, annoyed by Matt's behaviour, despite him being so chatty and almost clingy the whole day. 

"I should swing by his flat-" Foggy shuts up mid-sentence when you give him a glare. "I should go home and rest."

"Yes, you should." You look at your hands, nervously turning the ring on your finger. "How are they?"

"Karen's good, the nurses already checked her. Mrs Cardenas... She's hurt but I think they gave her lots of painkillers."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

You don't know what else to say. Everything that happened was so unexpected and almost shocking that it left you speechless again.

"I better get going, Karen should go too." He stands up and looks down at you again. "You going?"

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Just need to collect my thoughts." You smile until Foggy steps into the ward and your mask falls.

Desperate for something you try to reach Matt one more time but when he doesn't answer, you dial Wesley, the man who was responsible for what happened just hours ago, yet that was so far from your knowledge that you didn't think twice about calling him.

He picks up after the 4th beep, a bit surprised and distracted, "Hello?"

"James, it's me." Your voice sounds weird even to yourself now.

"Is everything alright?" He asks, turning away from Fisk.

"I'm in the hospital right now."

"Are you hurt? What happened?" Wesley asks, worry evident in his voice. 

"No, I'm okay. Just..." You curse yourself for your next words, but say them anyway, "could you come here?"

"I'll be there soon." Wesley hangs up and turns to look at Fisk, who now has been calmly staring at the sight outside the window of his office that they just returned to.

"You may go, I'll call you." Fisk says not turning his face to look at Wesley, instead curiously watching his concerned reflection in the window.

"Goodnight, sir." Wesley mutters and quickly leaves the office, taking big steps towards his car and driving to the hospital.

You don't know how much time has passed with you sitting there barefoot outside Mrs Cardenas ward and debating on your next move. Matt's phone was still unreachable and Foggy took Karen home. In the corner of your eye you notice a figure quickly walking down the corridor and nearing you in a stoic manner. "I almost didn't find you," Wesley begins just as he reaches you and immediately sits down on your left, "the nurses at the reception didn't know you." He finishes, obviously a bit confused.

"I wasn't registered." Finally lifting your head up from the white tiles, you look at the man beside you. "I told you that I'm alright. Physically."

Wesley looks at you with knitted eyebrows, trying to grasp the meaning of this meeting. "What happened then? Someone else got hurt? Your... Friend?"

"Yeah. Yeah. They let them go home with just minimal injuries." He tries to make sense of your behavior and before he can formulate another question in his head, you finally snap, "but there's a woman in this ward, lying there in great pain which could only be numbed with shit ton of medicine and she is our client. She's-" you take a deep breath, trying to suppress the involuntary sob from coming, "she's a sweet old lady whom I fucking declined at first, like the idiot that I am and that one day that she spent in darkness of her apartment because they have no electricity and not knowing when she was going to get kicked out, that one day until she came back to us again-" you stand up and walk in front of Wesley, still barefoot,"it cost her this." You point to the ward door.

Wesley knows what you're talking about, maybe not the smallest details, but the whole picture was starting to come together now. Eyes following your every movement, he felt like he was a witness of something - either an incoming breakdown or a legal enlightenment. "I'm sorry but I don't think I'm following." He lies a little, just to satisfy himself with all the details.

"That lady came to us because her landlord and some guys were kicking them out of their homes. They refused to move out or take the money and then suddenly all four buildings are destroyed in one night? No, this is no coincidence." Anger takes over your body, a sudden rage fills up your veins and you finally stop pacing. "There's someone behind it. I just feel it."

"Who?" Wesley asks innocently, trying to not give out his knowledge.

"I don't know yet, but I will find them and I will -" You ball a tight fist, more and more sure of your decision.

"You will what?" He asks in what someone might call an 'intimidating' tone, but you don't hear it that way.

"I'll destroy them. They're gonna be so fucked legally that even prison will look like heaven." Wesley notices your almost bloodshot eyes and thinks over his further actions. You take a seat next to him again and rub your forehead with the tips of your fingers. "Do you know how many people are here in the hospital? All from those buildings? Hundreds, James, hundreds of elderly people, and that flat was the only thing they had in their lives."

He closes his eyes for a moment and then slowly hugs your shoulders, not feeling any sympathy towards those old people who were just waiting to die, but feeling conflicted about you.

"They said that there were no survivors from one building." You finish and find him staring ahead of himself in thought.

"I am so sorry that this happened but there's nothing I could do, I'm afraid."

"I know. I just... Needed to talk to someone who would understand me." You sniff loudly a couple of times and slowly put on your heels again. 

"Sore feet?" Wesley asks after a moment, noticing how your skin got goosebumps when he slightly massaged your shoulders.

"Yeah." You laugh a bit, "I should get going it's pretty late."

"Can I drive you home?" He offers because that was the least he could do to make you feel better now.

"Yes. Of course." You stand up together with him, his hand never leaving your shoulders. "I was gonna ask you that but since you offered it yourself..."

"Come on, you look like you need a good night's sleep. Don't worry about anything else tonight." James pulls you closer to him, gently rubbing your upper arm, just over the scar that the bullet left. Just before getting into the elevator, he kisses your temple and slowly pulls away his eyes from you.

*** 

Vladimir wakes up from his involuntary nap, groaning and rolling on the dusty floor of an abandoned building and notices Matt hancuffing the cop to the pole. "You've been busy."

"The building's surrounded. Ten officers, four dogs. More coming." Matt drops the cop's gun on the ground and picks up a metal pipe.

"How do you know this?"

"Lucky guess." Matt smiles briefly before merging with the shadows again.

"What did you do to me?" Vladimir panics, remembering the sharp pain in his side.

"Road flare. Cauterized the wound."

"You burned me?" Vladimir spits out along with a couple of russian swear words.

"Yeah, I had to stop the bleeding. Bullet's still inside you. Wouldn't move around, if I were you."

"You expect me to say thank you?"

"If I didn't need you alive, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Matt states, as if he was going to let him bleed out any way.

Vladimir slightly giggles but  the action makes him cough in pain. "So you just stand there and let me die, huh? But you couldn't kill me yourself. Is that where you draw the line?"

If he could, Matt was sure that he would be rolling his eyes now. "Tell me what I want to know about Fisk." He squats in front of Vladimir.

Yet Vladimir doesn't want to drop the subject of  killing so easy, "You think you're different from me? From him? But you'll get there. Sooner or later we all do, men like us."

"A man like Fisk just took out your entire operation. And he may not own all the cops, but he owns enough that you won't make it into a prison cell. Right now, I'm your only shot at getting out of this building alive."

"His lapdog came to us first. He told us his employer had taken note. He complimented us on our business. Invited us to be part of something bigger to expand if we entered into an agreement." Vladimir coughs again, feeling only disgust towards Wesley and Fisk.

"What did Fisk offer?"

"Police looking other way, aid from politicians and access to Chinese and their heroin."

Matt is taken by surpise now, "He's working with the Chinese?"

Vladimir scoffs again, but this time loudly, "You really don't know anything, do you? Just snapping at scraps falling from table."

"I want names. Everything you know about them and how they connect to Fisk." Matt says in a softer tone, hoping that this will somehow help, or at least provide a sort of calmness to himself.

"There's only one name that matters. The man that can tie it all together." 

"Who?" Matt feels like this is the moment that can change the situation for the better.

"Have you heard of the name Leslie Shumway?" Vladimir ridiccules Matt, yet he doesn't understand the reference.

"No, he work for Fisk?"

Vladimir chuckles, "American schools Almost as bad as Russian." 

"Come on." Matt urges him to go straight to the point, he can't let this go to waste now.

"Leslie Shumway was an accountant to your Al Capone. He handled it for all of us."

"Who is he? Where do I find him?" Matt desperately pushes for the  desired answer. Yet Vladimir starts getting delusional from the blood loss.

"We were going to rule this city my brother and I."

"Vladimir, the name!" 

"His name... His name is... His name is..." Vladimir closes his eyes and falls silent.

*** 

"Thank you, again, for the ride." You say, leaning on the threshold of your door, Wesley standing in the chilly corridor only wearing a jacket. On a better day than this, you'd ask him why was he so fancy dressed up at this late hour.

"Yeah, it's no problem. I just want you to feel better." Wesley smiles awkwardly, slightly messing with the car keys in his pocket. Things did not go as planned and he needed to return to Fisk as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry I dragged you out at this hour. But... I just needed a strong shoulder to lean on." You stretch your hand and put on his shoulder, then let it slide down the hem of his suit and eventually fall back by your side.

"Hey, it's okay. Well, you better get to bed now, y/n." He wants to kiss you goodnight but you  pull out a cigarette from your pocket and put it in your mouth.

"Yeah, one last smoke. Goodnight, James."

He lingers in the corridor a second more before you light up the cigarette and then turns on his heel to leave. "Night."

Just as he disappears down the stairs, you take your purse from the table and lock the doors, keeping the distance between yourself and Wesley who might not left the building yet. Silently creeping after him in the darkness of the building, you finally see him drive away urgently and exit, running towards the slowly passing cab. You just had to try Matt's apartment for the sake of good night's sleep.

***

"Sir, I think we may have a little problem coming our way." Wesley returns to Fisk and notices him sitting before the TV screen, deep in thought. "Everything alright, Sir?" He caught Fisk's SUV  a couple of blocks away and ditched his own car in a random parking lot.

"Vladimir is holed up with the mask. Blake and Hoffman have assumed HNT on scene, secured the perimeter, waiting for the go-ahead to take the building. We should get this behind us."

Wesley's phone rings and with a little update, he sighs once more. "There's a complication. A reporter from the Bulletin."

"Turn his head." Fisk cuts, looking outside the window again.

"It's Ben Urich." 

Now it's Fisk's turn to sigh, "The Union Allied article."

"If he picks up on anything doesn't smell right it could be a problem."

"Problems are just opportunities that haven't presented themselves. You reach out to all of our contacts in the media. I want everyone in Hell's Kitchen to see what's about to happen." Fisk meets with Wesley's small grin, but then remembers the first thing he said when he got into the car. "What problem were you talking about, James?"

It was so rare that he got called by his first name, yet so strange now, especially in a situation like this, when Fisk usually tends to be as serious as possible. Wesley hesitates a bit. He must report everything to his boss, you including, yet this talk in the hospital with you felt more private and vulnerable than the night that he spent together with you. "Uh..." Wesley begins a bit awkwardly, "When I spoke with y/n, she... Promised to take down the person who is behind Tully." 

Fisk slighly raises his left eyebrow, unsure of how the news made him feel, yet he says nothing upon sensing that Wesley had more to say.

"She feels that the explosions were no accident and that someone with more power is involved. If she pushes Tully enough, he might break. And then there are residents of the buildings in the hospital, who would agree on filling lawsuits on Tully for breaking the contract. And if she starts digging deeper, she might catch onto us." Wesley reports dutifully, not putting you in villain's place, but secretly praising you and your dedication to work.

"She's smart." Fisk's expression is unreadable, "yet so stupid." 

***  

Near the warehouse, Wesley hands Fisk a walkie-talkie. Matt tries to find a way out of the building, sensing that they don't have much time left until police gets inside. 

Suddenly, something cracks in the cop's pocket and a voice that he hated the most reaches him and Vladimir. "I'd like to speak to the man in the mask, please. Hello." Fisk says, looking at Wesley. Matt struggles but in the end, finds the cop's walkie. "Are you there? Can you hear me?" Fisk repeats.

"Who is this?" Matt answers, feeling overstimulated by the hatred that he has for Fisk.

"I think you know. You've been asking about me. I thought it was time we spoke."

"Say your name." Matt rasps, making his voice as unrecognisable as possible.

"You first." Fisk riddicules, but is met with a deafening silence, "That's what I thought. You and I have a lot in common."

"We're nothing alike." Matt spits, voice filled with poison.

"That's what you'll tell yourself."

"You're feeding off this city like a cancer."

"I want to save this city, like you, only on a scale that matters."

"Now tell that to the people you've hurt."

Fisk smiles menacingly, "Young man, life is not a fairy tale. Not everyone deserves a happy ending." But his own thoughts slip back to Vanessa.

"I'm gonna find you and I'm gonna make you pay for what you've done."

"No, you are not. Not that I don't admire what you're trying to do, to change the world with nothing but desire and your own two hands, secure in the knowledge that you're doing the right thing, the only thing. That's something that I do understand. But we both can't have what we want. So your part in this drama, by necessity, comes to an end."

"It's gonna take a lot more than a voice on a radio to stop me." Matt inhales loudly, irritating Fisk. Vladimir silently groans next to him.

"It's not me you need to worry about. It's the city you just blew the hell out of."

Matt chuckles lowly, "You... You think anyone's gonna believe that?" 

"You're running around in a mask, holing up with a known felon in the wake of a series of bombings. There's that police officer you're holding hostage, so yes. Actually, I do. But it doesn't have to be this way. The Russian... is he alive?" 

"I'm still here, you fat shit!" Vladimir shouts loud enough for Fisk and Wesley to hear.

"Does that answer your question?" Matt asks, thinking over his further actions.

"It's a one-time offer. You kill the Russian, and we'll call the night a push. You know what he's done to women, to children. To the people of this city that you claim to care about. But do you know how much he enjoyed it?" Fisk knew that he was getting under the devil's skin, how much he could get just by mentioning those innocent people that were hurt by russians.

"You just confirmed how important he is. That must worry you, what he might tell me."

Fisk smiles at Wesley, "Which means he hasn't told you anything yet. You're a child playing at being a hero."

Matt fell into Fisk's trap and he has to get out of it quickly, "No, no, I'm not trying to be a hero. I'm just a guy that got fed up with men like you and I decided to do something about it."

"That's what makes you dangerous. It's not the mask. It's not the skills. It's your ideology. The lone man who thinks he can make a difference. I'm glad we could talk. I respect your conviction even if it runs counter with with my own."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself you've won. It'll make what I'm gonna do to you so much more satisfying."

"Your part ends tonight." Fisk cuts.

"And if that's true, others will take my place. They'll see what I was trying to do and they'll make sure-"

Fisk interrupts, sick of the pointless arguing, "No, they won't. The city will burn you in effigy. Your name, your very existence will be met with abhorrence and disgust." He nods to Wesley, who orders the attack on the warehouse.

*** 

Outside of his apartment building, waiting for a taxi, you light up another cigarette and grab your phone to dial Matt again. This time a rough voice finally picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Seriously?" You scoff loudly and almost drop your cigarette when your fingers start shaking, "I'm picking you up tomorrow. 8:30 sharp. Your ass better be outside when I come, Murdock." You say almost angrily and Matt takes an audible breath, mixed with a hidden pain in his lower back and guilt lying on his heart.

"Okay." is all he manages to say before you end call and wish you could just bang your head against the wall out of frustration. Was he already home? Then why didn't he answer when you knocked probably a hundred times until your knuckles felt numb? Was he with another woman?

[crownmemes]

Elementary Sentences, Vol. 1

(Sentences from Elementary (2012-2019). Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Please don't get comfortable, we won't be here long."

"Consider every wretched hive of depravity and murder in this city my place of business."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I don't have meaningful connections."

"You can connect to people. It just frightens you."

"Why must you continue to act like you've never seen a dead body before?"

"I just think it's sad that you can't be honest with the man that, as far as I can tell, is the closest thing you have to a friend."

"You can't unlearn something you already know."

"Do you close yourself off to people and deny yourself things that might bring you pleasure because it's some sort of penance?"

"For future reference, when I say that I agree with you, it means I'm not listening."

"You're going to stay up all night again, aren't you?"

"I'd trade my dad for a Tic Tac."

"You tricked me. That doesn't happen very often."

"Are you here to kill me? Because I have to admit, I find the possibility very exciting."

"My advice? Don't dwell on that man's petty deceptions."

"I mean, how often do you meet a sexy doctor?"

"My favourite kind of patient is unconscious on a table with a tube down his throat."

"I must say, you seem strangely reluctant to follow a promising lead."

"If you are ready to talk about it, I'd very much like to know, but I'm not going to ask you about it anymore."

"The musculature of your legs and your shoulders suggests a certain elasticity that I find quite tantalising."

"I must warn you, a relationship between us could never go beyond the physical. No offence to you, of course. It's just not my way."

"Boredom is far more dangerous to my health than any fever."

"You make an effort to appear conventional, but I know that you share my love of all things bizarre."

"The only promise a puzzle makes is an answer. Liking the answer doesn't factor in."

"Sometimes you have to talk about things that make you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm smarter than everyone I meet. I know it's bad form to say that, but, in my case, it's a fact."

"Who the hell are you? Because you're obviously not the person I thought you were before."

"You haven't got to look out for me. I'll look out for you."

"Nothing makes a smart man stupid like a thirst for vengeance."

"I know that we're not the best of friends or anything, but do you honestly think that I might kill a man?"

"May I give you my professional opinion?"

"You have to look out for family, even when they disappoint you."

"I know that it's hard, but one of these days you've got to get over yourself."

"What happens when people figure out that we came in here and cut up a body in the middle of the night?!"

"I wish your word meant something more to me."

"Sometimes new eyes on a case can be just as useful as new information."

"There are ways to hurt you that do not involve hurting you."

"I will never allow any harm to come to you. Not ever."

"I've already told you that you're beautiful, and I can see the way that you're looking at me. Why would we need to leave this apartment to enjoy each other's company?"

"Is this what you want, or what you think you owe?"

"It makes the world quite dull, no? Looking at a man and knowing all his secrets."

"You look at people and see puzzles. I see games."

"What's the point in living with a former surgeon if you can't stitch the occasional bullet hole?"

"I apologise for the subterfuge, but it seemed the most expedient way to get you here."

"You're broken into pieces right now. I can put you back together and, once you're whole, I'll show you a different way to love."

"We both made the same mistake. Falling in love. We were both stupid."