#posted while watching my subway leaving the station

[willthespy]

going on my little gay adventures. call it a lgbtquest

[flippinpancakes64]

can you please write about how the cullens would react if they thought their so was dead?? like maybe Alice had a vision or someone thought they saw them get killed butttt they're actually alive

The Cullens thinking their S/O Died

I originally told myself I was done for the night since I already have three posts written and cued to be posted.... but I just kept thinking about this one sooooo

Sorry if this doesn't make sense it's like 2:30 am lol

Thank you for requesting and I hope you like this!

Edward:

You left earlier that morning to go to a job interview in the city

He kissed you goodbye, watched you walk out the door, and thought that would be it

He was just sitting around, watching some football game that Emmett had on the TV when he saw the familiar beginnings of one of Alice's visions

She has so many throughout the day that he really only half pays attention to it

But once he sees your face he is fully alert

You swiping his credit card to buy a subway ticket, you onboard the train, the train crashing, you dead

Instantly he is up

He knows that Alice's visions are only a possibility

But too many of them have come true for him to ignore this

He calls you, nothing

He texts you, nothing

He checks the statements for his credit card and he sees the pending purchase of one train ticket

His heart drops

Instantly he flies out of the door, running as fast as he can to the subway station

There's a crowd of people running up from the tunnel, trampling each other in their attempt to get out

Smoke plumes out, he can smell fire and gasoline

And just as he's about to run down there to see if he can find you, find what's left, maybe even save you, he hears a voice

"Edward? What are you doing here... oh my god! What happened down there?!"

It's you

You, alive, healthy, and drinking a coffee

Before you can question him further on what happened he is wrapped around you, holding you so close you feel like you're being crushed

Your interview was cancelled last minute so you went to go get a coffee before coming home

Edward says you're never going on the subway again, sorry

And maybe never leaving the house without him again

Alice:

The two of you were out and about, having a day shopping at the mall

She was crafting outfit after outfit in her mind while you sat in the dressing room, waiting for her to bring her next outfit in for you to try on

You leave the room to see her still flitting about the store, pulling various items off the racks and holding them up to the items already overflowing in her arms

You call to her that you're going to use the bathroom, and she hums a little to let you know that she heard you before continuing with her planning

She hears you walk away before a vision flashes harshly into her mind

You walking into the bathroom, two people with guns having an argument, you caught in the wrong place at the wrong time

She instantly drops everything she was holding

All of the clothes hitting with a thud to the floor

She doesn't even register the store attendant yelling at her to pick up her mess before she is sprinting out the room

But she doesn't even make it two paces outside of the store before she hears two gunshots, one right after another

She runs fast, she doesn't care that people might see that she's way too fast

She follows the scent of blood to the bathroom and hears cries of pain from inside

But then she smells you

Not inside the bathroom, but across the walkway

She turns and there you are, standing at a little boutique directly across from the bathroom, staring with your mouth wide open

In the next breath, before you can even blink she is right in front of you, hanging onto you like a koala and hurriedly explaining everything that just happened

After you catch your breath and she finally lets go, you turn your head to the boutique and look into the window

"So... is now a bad time to say that I think this dress would look pretty on you?"

She just laughs and kisses you so hard

Jasper:

You're out on a trip with your friends

Not too far away, just about two towns over

It's your best friend's birthday and they wanted to have a little weekend trip to celebrate

You'd left earlier that morning

Promising Jasper that you'd call when you all got there

But it's been hours

4 hours, 27 minutes, and 39 seconds

Not that he's been counting or anything

The drive should have taken 30 minutes max

So why haven't you called?

He's already tried to give himself every explanation

That you're busy, that you got caught in traffic, that you just forgot

But as the hours go by he's getting more and more anxious

He's already called and texted a couple of times, but you haven't even read the messages

He's about to call again as he feels a rush of anxiety come from Carlisle's office

In the next moment the man is down the stairs, doctor's bag in hand, throwing his coat over his shoulders

"Carlisle, what's happening?"

"Three people have just been rushed to the clinic. There was a car accident nearby. They veered off the road in the middle of the woods... who knows how long they've been out there..." he says gravely, and rushes out the door

If Jasper wasn't anxious before, he definitely is now

Before Carlisle can pull out of the driveway, Jasper throws the car door open and sits in the passenger seat

As soon as they arrive, he flies out of the car

He's examining every inch of the clinic

He doesn't even care about the strong scent of human blood in the air

He's looking for one more familiar

And he doesn't find it

He begins questioning all of the police officers nearby, asking if there were more people, if there was a second car, or if they've seen you

They kick him out

He follows the scent again to track the car

At the scene he sees the car that crashed

A bloody heap of metal

But no you

Suddenly he hears a mechanical buzz, but not from his phone

No, he recognizes the cute jingle

It's easy to find your phone hidden amongst the treeline

Your friend picks up and he explains where he found the phone

Hearing your voice on the other side is like hearing an angel

He goes home to get a car before driving it to you

The kiss he gives you before he leaves again to let you enjoy your trip is filled with love and happiness

Rosalie:

You Rosalie had gone out

She needed one more car part before her greatest car restoration ever would be complete

She was driving that very car, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air that she had been fixing up for a couple months

She'd saved it from a scrapyard, and it was missing pretty much everything that a car needs to function

But after months it was finally done

Almost

The car needed only one simple thing, new gears for the window cranks

She rolled up to the auto parts store and parked the car outside

You said you wanted to stay in the car, preferring to sit

She said she would only be a minute

It didn't take her long to find the piece she needed

As she was about to check out she saw a crowd of people lined up at the front door and a couple people running outside

Through the large windows at the front of the building she could she huge flames and black smoke surrounding a bright teal car

Her bright teal car

That you were inside of

Her mind worked a mile a minute as she dropped the steel parts to the floor

The cranks don't work, that means the windows can't open

She locked the car, that means you couldn't open the doors

She replaced the glass to make it bulletproof, that means you can't break the glass

You are inside of that car burning alive

As she runs up she sees four men behind her car, next to the trunk

And in the middle is you

Covered in soot with a couple of scratches

But breathing, alive

She runs up and hugs you so tightly you can't breathe

"I'm so sorry, I locked the doors, and the windows! How did you get out?"

"The trunk... I'm sorry Rose, I tore the backseat out"

She turns to see the trunk of her car open, with the backseat completely pulled out place

And all she does is laugh and kiss you

Emmett:

The sky was a dark grey, and thick clouds were covering the sun

The Cullens stood in their baseball uniforms, waiting for the ball to be returned so Rosalie could pitch it again

Up to bat was Emmett

A heavy metal bat was swinging in his arms

He shot you a wink out of the corner of his eye, and turned his attention back to Rosalie

With a huff she focused, and threw the ball to Emmett so fast you couldn't even see it

You heard the loud crack of thunder ring from Emmett's bat, but almost as soon as you heard it, you felt it

Like a ball made of pure fire, the baseball hit square into your chest

The force of it knocked you straight off your feet and sent you flying into the woods behind you

A good 30 feet at least

And as if that wasn't enough, your back collided with a tree, knocking the tree over and onto the ground

The force of it knocked you unconscious, which would probably be a blessing in this scenario tbh

Everybody was quick to run to your side, Emmett and Carlisle taking position up by your head

Carlisle wasted no time in picking you up and running to take you to the clinic

And of course Emmett followed

He held you in the back seat of the car, whispering apologies and professions of love into your unhearing ears, promising that he will never do this again

It takes a couple of hours and maybe two or three surgeries, but you do wake up

And Emmett is by your side the whole time

He was fully prepared to turn you if he needed to

But the moment he sees your eyes open and your doped-up smile, he finally relaxes

"You're pretty cute... are you single?"

"Darling, I just hit you with a baseball going the speed of a jet plane-"

Esme:

Your brother was getting married and asked if you would attend

Of course you said yes

But there were no plus ones

And it was tropical

Which meant flying to an island somewhere all by yourself

Not only is it nerve-wracking to travel alone, but it was also going to be boring

So Esme promised that she would have her phone on her at all times so you could facetime her if you wanted to

She even paid for your wifi on the plane

You had been on call with her for hours at that point

From the time you got out of your taxi, found your way to your terminal, went through TSA, and finally boarded your plane

It was about halfway into your flight and the conversation had naturally slowed down

You were only occasionally exchanging words

When suddenly your service cut out like a light

No warning, no crackling before, and no explanation

She tried calling you back, but nothing

She tried texting, but nothing

She was getting worried

And it definitely didn't help that only about 20 minutes later, the news anchor started talking about a plane that just crashed in the Pacific

Which is where you were

A couple hours off the coast of California

Which is where you were

From Spirit Airlines

Which is the plane you were on

She was beginning to panic

Alice couldn't see you either

She was just getting silence

Cue the whole house panicking

She went through every phase of grief in the span of a couple of hours

She was convinced you were gone, but at the same time she didn't want to believe it

Suddenly her phone started to buzz

"*Yawn*, Hey Esme. Sorry about that, I guess I fell asleep... *yawn* anyway what were we talking about?"

Stunned silence

She just laughs incredulously

Carlisle:

It's just another day the clinic

Slow, boring, a couple of broken arms, a couple pregnancy tests, nothing special

When he hears the sirens of an ambulance pulling up outside the main entrance

Like bats out of hell, three paramedics come rushing in, towing a gurney with someone on top of it

Someone that smells a hell of a lot like you

His heart drops, his breathing stops, he freezes

The paramedics are talking quickly but he can only hear broken phrases

Cliff... fell... severely injured... needs help... lost blood...

All he can smell is you

All he can see is the shirt that Alice got you

The shoes that Esme lets you borrow sometimes

The color of your hair

But no face

The face is smashed in, presumably from the aforementioned fall that the EMTs were talking about

He tries his hardest, he does everything he's supposed to, but when the monitor flatlines, there's only one more option

Just as he raises your wrist to his mouth to bite, his phone vibrates in his pocket

He wants to ignore it, but something tells him not to

And on the face of his apple watch he sees a text message

My Love: "Heyyyyyyyyyyyy... can I use your credit card to order some pizza??? I'm STARVING!!!! :)))"

You later explain that those were clothes that Alice had donated

Apparently no one washed them, so they still held a lot of your smell

He took a week off of work from the clinic after that

Vampire! Bella:

So Jacob never actually got rid of the motorcycles

After you see him and Renesmee ride away on one of them one day, you ask to try it out

Under her watchful eye, Bella helps you learn how to ride

One day, after a couple months of successful rides, you decide to take it to run some errands

Bella didn't see an issue with this, seeing as you were skilled, and let you go all by yourself

But she very quickly regrets that when she gets a rather ominous text from you that just says "help" and nothing else

Her mind starts running a mile a minute

She asks for Edward and Alice's help to hunt you down

She expects a lot of things when she finds you

She expects blood, bones, a crash, metal everywhere, and you dead

But what she finds is you standing in a parking lot trying to shove four large bags of items into the tiny space under the seat

She's so relieved she could cry

Of course, you're confused as to why your girlfriend suddenly comes out of nowhere and gives you the most bone-breaking hug she could muster

Why the fuck would you text me like that?!?!?!?"

"Like what?"

"Like this!"

"Oh... my other messages didn't send... sorry!"

No more motorcycle :(

[manchasama]

In light of Nartothelar finishing the comic I commished from them, I am going to spend my Friday night ~productively~

So. The original idea was posted in 2022. And like all my fics, I think about them a lot, and notes to myself, come up with breakthroughs, change plots around, etc etc etc. And I would SWEAR I posted some of this, but I can’t for the life of me find it. And so. So. Sooooooo.

I’m gonna post the current plot of the RoadTrip!AU :> There will be some repeat beats, and it certainly isn’t the MOST fleshed out fic, but it should give a pretty good idea of what the fic should look like, and give a little more context to the comic.

Let’s start it like we did before. Emmet has been searching for Ingo for...a long time now.

Only that’s not entirely accurate, is it? He’s continued to work at the subway, continued to perform both his and Ingo’s duties diligently, allowing the authorities to perform their exhaustive investigation. Because that is what he’s supposed to do. That is the most anyone can do.

He wakes up every day (to an empty room). He feeds his Pokemon (and Ingo’s). He gets ready for the day (not looking in the mirror but aggravatingly aware of its presence; he also can’t bring himself to cover it). He pauses for a moment as he reaches for his coat (there are still two on the rack).

The day proceeds as normal. He walks to work. Greets the same people every day. Stops for coffee (the second cup isn’t taken, but he gives the barista a sad smile of thanks). Greets the depot agents and gets the day started.

Singles train in the morning (hard part first). Lunch with Elesa (a bright spot in his day). Double train in the evening (end on a good note). Walks home, occasionally battling an over-eager out-of-towner who challenges him. He can’t do anything but his best, and never really understand when the overwhelmed beginners get mad at him for it.

Dinner (at an empty table), loud Pokemon around him (to cover the silence). A few endless hours of going over reports, clippings, cold-trails gone colder, before he forces himself to stop. Goes to bed (in an empty room).

Emmet wakes up (to an empty room). He can’t stand it anymore.

He knows Ingo is alive, knows it in a way that others can’t understand. A “gut feeling” doesn’t help with a search, after all. So, he has to go out and search himself. Take the avenues others can’t or won’t. Find the impossible and make it true. He’s determined!

And in the impulsive way that Ingo had never been able to fully curve, Emmet up and leaves with barely a phone call to work to let them know he wouldn’t be in for a verrrry long time. (He tells them he won’t be in, and they wish him to get better soon. He corrects them; he is not coming into work ever. Or until he finds Ingo. He hangs up on the ensuing chaos to finish packing what he needs and wrangling his Pokemon.)

Cue Elesa barging in the house on him before he can finish up (she was called in by the depot agents). She absolutely pins him down and demands more details, of course, and once she realizes he is serious she calls in the big guns and gets Drayden on the phone. To her consternation, he is less supportive in her efforts to stop Emmet. (Drayden knows his boys, knows their cores too, and was honestly counting the days until Emmet cracked).

Elesa comes around to it (she has watched him become so faded, and this is the first sign of his old spark that she’s seen), but insists he slow down just a bit. He needs to wrap up properly at Gear Station, make sure his place is taken care of while he’s gone, and most importantly say his proper goodbye to her. (She will support him, and worry for him, and always be here when he’s ready to come home.)

Emmet begins scouring the world for help. His first stop; tracking down the local legends. In this world, while they are rare and elusive, there isn’t just One legendary Pokemon. Zekrom and Reshiram are extra elusive to humanity because of the History. But Emmet knows the general whereabouts of one trainer who has a Zekrom. And so he goes to find N.

(It’s pointless to keep this secret in these notes, but in the story it would not be obvious yet that Emmet is a Reshiram turned human. Surprise lol. But the interaction with N would be so interesting! Seeing N from an outsider pov react to a Pokemon that chose to become human. Having Emmet confront Zekrom who is not his brother, but understands. “I miss the you who isn’t you.”)

((Fun fact; I waffled SO LONG on deciding which dragon was which brother. In my notes about this part, I had Zekrom!Emmet lol. I STILL say either is good, but I have chosen and I will stick to it. Plus now I have art for it so it’s set in stone 8> lolol))

The scene is going to be a mash up of N and Emmet metaphorically circling each other warily, and Emmet and Zekrom butting heads. Zekrom definitely approves Emmet’s pursuit of his ideals (It’s a Truth, Emmet would argue), but the situation is beyond their limited powers.

Little snippet from my notes.

Emmet, staring at N. “You have a Zekrom.” Emmet is not so sure he’s comfortable, but he also cannot be stopped.

N, wary. “What a strange what of phrasing it. But yes, I have Zekrom.”

So it goes, so it goes. Emmet zeros in on the Pokemon who are said to grant wishes, but does not see hide nor hair of it. He tracks down a Pokemon said to be able to create strange portals, but they are the least helpful of all. He travels to Sinnoh, and for a while it seemed promising.

He looks for Uxie, the pokemon of knowledge. The lake trio is curious about him, but ultimately says nothing of import before vanishing. Uxie does grant Emmet an image of spear pillar maybe hinting Ingo is there, but provides no context.

At spear pillar there was a reaction, a swelling of power, of presence. But it fades away, leaving Emmet alone again. For whatever reason they found him wanting perhaps. (Dialga and Palika are unable to mess with the timeline during Hisui, it's too fragile to meddle with. Thus they can do nothing to help Emmet.)

One after the other, Emmet wanders the globe. He keeps an ear open for any mundane rumors as well, just in case. Asks if anyone has seen a man with his face. No one ever has.

Emmet is running out of leads. He will Not Let This Get Him Down. So he does everything he can to do it Right when he finds the Celebi, to ask them for help. Despite his preparation, they just flit away unhelpfully. He tries very hard not to get irritated. He might fail in that.

Then he spots a kid peeking out at him, looking as grumpy as he feels. After a bit of coaxing (“I am Emmet. What do you want?”), the kid comes out saying they can help. It takes a bit, but Emmet works out this is a Celebi that wants to be human. It’s not a common desire, and most Pokemon don’t have the power or ability to do it themselves, but it did it. And it still cant figure out how to fit in with humans, how to act like them. In the rare case it’s not immediately called out as a Pokemon in disguise (“It’s not a disguise! I am human now!”), it’s still considered far too strange to most people, who keep their distance. So it returned home to rethink its strategy. If Emmet will help it with that, then Celebi will help him.

As for how it can help, it confirms that Ingo is not in that time. Emmet counters that what can Celebi do as a human kid? Because the act of turning human is turning human. It’s not a disguise, it’s not an illusion. Humans and Pokemon think differently, react differently, have different desires and motivations. A Pokemon who truly changes loses most of their powers, because a human mind doesn’t work well with the instinct that drive those powers.

And in reverse, they can’t just change back, because they would lose what they gained as humans. Lose that way of thinking, that sense of self. It’s like running a sentence back and forth in a translator; what you get back is twisted from what it once was, and you know you’re not who you were. You can get close, but you will never be that person again. It’s not something done lightly.

(It’s impossible to lose all the power, because that too is inherent to who they are as well.)

The Celebi admits they can still do some minor time travel. Small jumps, and they can only hold the portal open for a short time. It takes a lot of power, so they’ll need to rest in between. Plus they don’t know exactly when Ingo is either. But they won’t change back into a Celebi, so he can take it or leave it.

It’s the first solid lead Emmet has. It’s less than ideal (lol) that Ingo got lost in time, but it explains why no one has been able to find even a hint of a lead. He will absolutely will take Celebi up on its offer without hesitation. The first lesson? Giving yourself an identity. He insists on Celebi choosing a name, because if someone else chooses it for them, it’s too much on the Pokemon side of things. She chooses ‘Anya’, and is now that much more human.

Now that he has direction, Emmet now has to figure out the method. Without knowing when he needed to go, he knew he’d have to cover a lot of ground to make sure that they didn’t miss Ingo along the way. On foot wouldn't do. Travel Pokemon would be better, but exhausting for all. There was one thing that Emmet was verrrrrry qualified to drive however. It just needed to be made portable.

He decides to gamble on a crazy idea. It was a mental exercise he and Ingo did as kids, a fun little project that had no use but was fun/cool to figure out how to do it. They've always had the idea of fighting on a train, and they were making their own. It was an engine that would travel overland, with a moving rail instead of staying on a track. Parts of it were still hypothetical, they never got around to working the logistics before the battle subway became a thing, but the train itself exists.

It's a steam train designed to work either on electric or fire to heat it (it exists! I found an article on it, pretty fun), and they would be having Pokemon to help with the various aspects of running it. Another reason they didn’t pursue it was because they would never have gotten the okay to have a train careening around the country side without a set path, but lol shhhhh.

(Fun fact, they have designed the conductor’s area with a switchable plate that connects to the water boiler. It can conduct heat/electricity to heat the steam needed to drive the train. Yes, it’s designed so they can tap into their fire/electricity powers to run the train while they are driving it.)

Thus Emmet dusts off their idea and gets to work on making it a reality. As quick, safe transport, a home base built in? It's perfect. To make it work, he needs a few things. One is of course the train itself. They used to spend their free time fiddling with it just as a fun side project, so it's not in bad shape.

The second thing he needs, which they never fully worked out a method for, are the tracks. Desperation is an intense motivator, and he has a terrible wonderful idea on what to do. He will need enough track for the length of the train he plans to take (engine and a car or two), plus leeway for maneuvering. And he needs something that will move the tracks. What better than a group of psychic Pokemon with enough precision to be able to lift and lay the track in a moving railroad. With the benefit of being able to handle terrain not normally maneuverable, if they keep a cushion of psychic power beneath the rails to keep them straight.

Why not just have them move the train? Because the train is way heavier and would exhaust them faster. Plus it’s much easier for him to control it himself than trying to control the Pokemon controlling the train.

So Emmet returns home with child in tow. He is starting to understand that people like to be Informed of things, so he lets Elesa and Drayden know he is around. He does not mention Anya lol.

Emmet and Ingo need to have a house in this AU, large property for both their pokemon and their hobby. It’s definitely more edge town, but still within walking distance of Gear Station because I say so. 30 minute walk? Sure. Emmet goes to uncover their project and starts going over it to determine what work is needed.

The work needed on the train is minor, he and Ingo had kept it in working condition over the years, and only in the last bit when Ingo vanished did Emmet let it sit untended. So he turns toward planning his task force. The rail needs precision though, so it can’t just be any partner.

Chandelure chimes in at this point, and she and Emmet have a heart to heart over things. Chandelure wants to be the one to help, has to be the one to help find Ingo. She hasn’t been able to control anything, let her control this. Emmet of course is grateful to her, but insists that it can’t be just her. Plus, he needs her help sensing Ingo in their travels, and how can she do that if she is concentrating on the train? She still learns telekinesis despite that, and is ready and willing to help if needed. She is the most skilled, and will be able to teach other Pokemon what’s needed.

Elesa shows up as Emmet is working on the train. Elesa meets Anya. Elesa calls Drayden to let him know. Drayden is busting down that door within the hour to meet his grandchild. (“She is not my child” “Such an adorable grandchild!”) Grandniece? W/e lol

So part of the story at this point would be Emmet trying to figure out what Pokemon he needs to find for his needs. I had some initial ideas, and some newer ideas, and I’ll be copying both here. If you’ve seen this before, that’s why :>

Some possible pokemon to consider and discard

Gothitelle - can see trainers lifespans. Very much a turn off to emmet, but also not suited for fiddly work

Abra line - not ideal, but powerful psychic. Emmet was going to settle for one, because he figured the high intelligence would help it understand what was needed and be accurate, if one wanted to help him.

Hypno line - predatory powers, not helpful for emmet’s quest. Puts targets to sleep.

*Espeon - would be a good battle partner, but not what he’s looking for. Plus he does not think he’d be able to befriend an eevee to the point it would evolve for him (ha ha haaaaa)

Wynaut line - no particular trait he’s looking for. A last choice

Spoink line - a possibility. Its powers could be used on items as well as enemies, so it might make a good choice. Spoink not being able to stop bouncing is a worry tho, meaning it needs special care to be kept healthy.

-Chinling line - no particularly good traits, plus a friendship requirement for evolution. A last choice. (wild ones follow the train eventually)

Munna line - no no nope if it created shapes based on emmet’s dreams he might cry. His dreams, not food.

*Solosis line - hardy! Able to survive in many difficult terrains! However most want to be battle partners, so he has a hard time finding any who want to help run the train. He is disappointed, thought it was going to be his solution since they are more powerful in groups. - It is more interested in physical battling. Emmet appreciates the enthusiasm, but it doesn’t really help his cause. Until it handshakes with Espurr. It’s not the same as linking up with another reuniclus, but it is able to help guide espurr to control their powers better. Useful as backup/emergency situations.

Elgyem line - Emmet does not like the messing with mind aspect of the pokemon. Might do in a pinch. A last choice.

Lunatone - Weaker during the day, and Emmet doesn’t plan on driving at night much. Might be good as a backup for that. But also not being able to pair with Ingo and Solrock make him sad.

Solrock - More helpful than Lunatone, but same applies. He wants to pair with Ingo if he were to partner with one. Also for both psychic is a secondary trait so weaker than other choices

*Espurr line - Emmet found out about it on his travels. He is charmed. He desperately wants to tease ingo about it. He wants one. It’s completely practical he promises. - First attempt, but he quickly realizes they will not be able to help. They can’t control their powers with enough delicacy. However they still really want to travel with Emmet, and so he gains a companion.

Hattena line - A possibility. Definitely a difficult personality to work with, would have to be handled with caution. (Eelektross does not like, and Emmet ends up discarding)

Mr Mime - A good choice, based on its abilities. Emmet might have gone for it

*Natu line - Emmet wants to find a Xatu. He needs its direction to help direct them which way in time to travel. It helping with the rails is secondary to that. - Emmet hears about Xatu’s ability to see past/future. He manages to convince either a Natu or Xatu to accompany him, but they are disinclined to help with the train. Still, they DO indicate he should start traveling to the past. He takes that as a good sign. (I like the idea of a Xatu flying above the train, though their dex says they stay stationary. *shrugs*)

Ralts line - More of an emotions pokemon, but the later evolutions would make fine battle partners. Not a top choice, but not last either.

-Woobat line - Elesa wants him to get one. He doesnt need a feels good pokemon! (He might get one) (Skyla totally makes him take one)

Sigilyph - More of a guardian. Not a first choice for the rails. Emmet doesn’t quite get how they think.

Indeedee - May not have heard of them. They would be good candidates, because they like to serve, but not sure they’d want to do physical labor for that.

Slowpoke line - too slow. Nope.

Exeggutor line - An interesting pokemon, but impractical for the trip

Girafarig - Would make such a fun battle partner, but not a strong psychic. Discarded.

Meditite line - Psychic power mostly to bolster its fighting style. Discarded.

Blibug line - Emmet would want an orbeetle, so it depends on if he runs across an entry for this or not. Good choice tho.

Baltoy line - Not quite a fit for what Emmet needs. Too old, might be hard to convince it to partner up. Might consider it as a last option.

Beldam line - Emmet considers it! Even if the psychic power isn’t enough, the steel affinity makes them more likely to be able to move rails well. He would need four of them tho, which puts them lower on his list.

Bronzor line - Emmet doesnt need a pokemon who makes it rain. But it is an interesting one. Lesser choice.

Delphox - Emmet doesnt have time to train one up to the final evolution right now. But he wonders if Ingo would have liked one.

Inkay line - Like Eelektross can float and survive out of water. Possibility

Emmett starting his journey to find the right kind of psychic Pokemon he needs to work the rails. His first stop is to find an Espurr. It’s a logical choice. Shush Anya, it has nothing to do with little frown and empty behind the eyes stare.

Honestly tho, he does actually try to find a good partner among them. First of course they have to find where they can be found. Then he has to see if any would join his cause. Some want to fight, some want to join TO fight, but none really care about his need for a psychic lifter.

He does run across one who isn’t interested in fighting, who shadows him as he goes around looking for a partner. Every time he asks if it wants to join him, he’s met with a blank look, so he figures that’s a no. Finally though he’s just about ready to throw in the towel, when he all but trips over it being too close to his legs. He apologizes and goes to head off, but it keeps. Following. He asks again if it wants to go with. Blaaaaank. Still follows. Finally he starts getting a clue that it just doesn’t communicate as expressively as most Pokemon. (He might be a little more in love with it). This time he is more patient, and figures out that it does want to go with and help him out.

They go through some training, trying to get the Espurr up to a base level for the job. Espurr doesn’t pass the training unfortunately, but Emmet is not about to abandon it over that. He may not have a conductor, but he does have a new partner.

Next area is to find the Reuniclus. Now this is a battle arena, and Emmet would normally be delighted by this. His Pokemon certainly are. It’s definitely hard not to have fun with such a challenge to over come. The more of them there are, the more powerful they are. None of them want to partner up tho, despite the fun battles, except one. Emmet explains he does not need a battle partner, but someone who will help with the rails. It is dismissive, going to head off. Emmet decides to come up with a compromise. He will take it on as a battle partner if it helps, but only if it can help Espurr with its control.

The Reuniculus agrees to try it out, and we have more training with the pair. They work out how to psychic handshake between species, and while it’s shaky, it’s usable. Reuniculus actually finds the exercise fun, challenging, so it’s not as put out as before, and now is enthusiastic about the trip.

Emmet takes a break from finding psycics to help to track down a Xatu. This would be an Emmet Anya chapter, as they talk over the logistics of the travel. Anya insists she can do it, even limited by human form, he should know that. (Not saying outright, but to those in the know it would be an obvious nod to Emmet’s situation.). He agrees she knows her own powers well, and he will take her word at it. But which way should they go? Does she know? She does not, just that Ingo isn’t in THIS time, and that’s not right. It’s hard to put into human words.

So they decide to try and find a Pokemon who can help their dilemma. The Xatus are definitely stand-offish, and most ignore their questions and requests for help. Perhaps it comes to them camping out, discussing the trip in question, and one of the Xatu overheards and is interested in such a journey. Seeing the past and future is all well and good, but traveling it would be an Experience. Once they get the understand that it will help them, Emmet asks which way. It indicates the past. Emmet asks if it’s sure it’s not just looking at Ingo before he disappeared, since that is what is tripping up Anya most. It assures them it’s MUCH better at this than she is. And thus a small rivalry is started.

Emmet decides to try the Abra line. He figures they are known for being able to communicate with humans when inclined, so it would be easier to convey what they need, as well as get a group of them to help. He just needs numbers at this point. Plus the Abra line is likely to be quite precise, so more helpful than his current explosive duo.

There are others he’s considering of course. The bug Pokemon is high on his list, but he figures he needs to put aside certain preferences and go for ones better for his cause. Alas.

While on the hunt for an Abra colony, he runs across a small group of Eevees in distress. (There is a pair of twins in the group, who walk around almost literally attached at the hip. They move in unison, and it brings a melancholic sort of fondness to Emmet.) They are being pursued by some bad trainers, who are trying to force the Eevees into certain evolutions for some underground battle ring. Either to participate or sell, something like that.

That will be an Event, where it’s Emmet versus bad trainers. He’s going to have to teach some lessons, probably more than once if it’s a group. I think he’ll have to run across them a couple of times. An initial “saves them but they are gone by the time he chases off their attackers” situation. And then he keeps running into people harassing this group of Eevees as he treks around looking for Abra.

Once Emmet catches on that this is an organized group and not just some bad trainers, he gets serious about eradicating them. Taking them out, and calling in local law to get them arrested and all.

Derailed from his original goal, he heads back out to again find the Abras. The Eevees find him first. They camp out with him, he and Anya tell them about their goals because they seem interested. The next morning the lot of them evolve into Espeons and present themselves like “here we are!” Basically Emmet accidentally befriends the Eevees so hard they evolve to Espeons just so they can help him out. He now has his task force.

(I would like to add this hilarious bit one of my friends provided for this scenario: extremely blurry video titled INSANE UNOVAN BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF FIVE POKEMON TRAFFICKERS AT ONCE (NOT CLICKBAIT) (HOW IS HE DOING THAT??))

Can you believe we’re not even at the road trip yet??? This is why it’s so hard for me to write, because I just keep adding MORE in.

I don’t know how much time would be spent, if any, on showing the training, but we’d rejoin when they are wrapping up preparations for the trip. Elesa is a frequent visitor, probably have some rotating people visiting scenes. Elesa insists on Emmet taking a rotom, and Skyla pops up with Swoobat. I think this will be a character development chapter, setting up personalities with each other.

The day before Emmet intends to leave, Drayden is in Emmet’s house as the final preparations are made. We’ll have a heart to heart between adoptive father figure and trying-not-to-spiral eldritch being. It will be great. (Really tho, Emmet is mostly just vibrating to get started. He knows he’s going to have a long journey ahead of him, but he’s optimistic that he’ll find Ingo at the end.)

Elesa and Skyla come over in the evening after Drayden leaves, and they can do their exchange then. Following day, Emmet gets to set off. I think we can even have the depot agents at the send-off? We’ll have to see how close they are in the previous chapters.

The train is both transport, protection, and sleeping/living quarters. It's able to hold all their Pokemon, plus the new ones, and an astonishing number of Joltiks. The reason to utilize tracks and let the train run as a normal train is that the train is heavy. It would take considerable more pokemon to carry it at speeds and lengths that they need. Track is much easier to move, though it does require precision and concentration. The Espeons get really good at it, however. Especially the twins :>

So begins Emmet's journey through time in search of Ingo. He retains his positive outlook, never letting the failures get him down. Sure, there are the occasional rumors that pop up about the phantom train that can be seen traveling the countryside, but it's never seen twice, and usually doesn't even get a footnote in history. Emmet isn't careless about driving near towns or roads, and those start to vanish the further back they go.

Almost on the first jump, Anya over does it. She wants to prove to Emmet that she is useful, that she can do this, and she pushes the jump too far back for her to handle. First thing to address is that Anya has been overconfident in her abilities. It’s not that she thinks she’s better, it’s that she’s determined to push passed healthy limits. So while she can open portals, they are taxing, and the further back she goes the more taxing it is. The first jump is a doozy, back at least 50 years, and she nearly passes out for it. Emmet is doing a heckin concern over it.

When she tries to brush it off, Emmet gets mad. She gets mad back. It’s argument time!

Anya thinks Emmet is being too condescending of her and her abilities. She said she’d help, and this is how she helps! Why is he even complaining? Doesn’t he WANT to find his brother?

Emmet is wondering why she is being so stupid about it? What good does it do them if she kills herself traveling? He does not want to be stuck in the past thank you very much. He does not understand why she’s trying so hard for someone she barely knows.

Because of how she over taxed herself, she can’t really tap into her power for a while either, so they are stuck in that time for now. Emmet is aggravated he cannot seem to communicate properly with her. He is concerned! But not because he is stuck, because she is not doing her safety checks! He already knew it would take a long time. This is Not the way to do it.

She is aggravated because she knows she could do better if she let go of her human side. She’s assuming he’d ask that of her to go faster, and is lashing out prematurely.

It takes a while for them to communicate and hash things out. By the end, she realizes he is fine with her human limited efforts, and does not think less of her for it. Emmet has a better time getting across that they are partners, and that this is not something to rush into dangerously.

They agree that they’ll just travel the country side for now, until she recovers from the strain. They don’t know how long it will take tho. So they’ll just…look for clues. They decide to leave Unova tho, because it’s too close to modern day, and they risk seeing someone they know and messing with time. Off to a neighboring region!

(Along the journey, some chimecho take a liking to riding along the current of the train. Their chimes are a soothing constant on the journey. Still wild tho)

So arrival in Alola, which does not have an organized league presence. Is the island challenge still a thing? It’s a smaller region, also lots more water in between, so they tend to park the train on the island and go walking to explore. What lesson should be learned here I wonder.

Learning to Relax (tm)

I need to research Alola and find out. It’s definitely vacation-esque tho, which probably rubs Emmet the wrong way. He was never one to take days off, and this is the very stereotype of a vacation spot. So maybe it’s getting Emmet to learn how to relax a bit.

Alola people work hard in the morning to get all the chores done, then spend the afternoon playing. Emmet first of all finds his work fun, so the separation of the two does not compute. And secondly, playing seems like a waste of time. Why not spend it battling or training? What kind of pokemon things can be done that are not battling?

This I think will be heavy on Emmet and the pokemon interacting. Okay after some research. Since they are looking for clues, they will visit a few places. They will also get sidetracked, which is where Emmet will learn some patience.

First thing upon landing. They decide to park the train, and Emmet tries to figure out where to go next. He has some sparse knowledge of Alola, but not a lot, and of course it’s out dated. Emmet DOES remember that the local TV station is about 55 years old, so it should be in service now. A central hub of information, a good place to start to see if anyone has heard of Ingo before.

When he turns around, all his pokemon are playing on the beach. He is annoyed, because he wants to leave Now. Anya is like “what’s your rush buddy weren’t you the one who told me it’s going to take time?” And Emmet is like That is different. Why are we wasting time messing around?

To the grumbles of his team, he gets everyone back in the pokeballs and on the way. Probably leaves the eevee family to guard the train, since they don’t have pokeballs? Or even if they do, w/e.

Makes it to the TV station. It’s a very relaxed, small time thing. They report on local news mostly, and no one has reports about any new visitors to the island. (Emmet is going to be infamous, poor thing. Small islands love to gossip, and he is the only newcomer in a while. Also how did he get there? Wasn’t by boat.) They promise to spread the word just in case, and where is he going to be staying so they can reach him?

Emmet did not think that far, and doesn’t really want to stay in one place, so he gets the Tourist Treatment. Told about all the hot spots, bragging about the island challenge, etc etc.

I think also Emmet might know about/ask about ultra wormholes, but they have not been discovered just yet. In a few years.

Emmet cannot sit still. He forgoes finding a place to stay, just staying in the train. But days of inaction on the beach is not his forte, and honestly his team tired of it after two days. They are battlers, and a break is nice, but they are all itching to GO. Anya isn’t ready yet tho.

So Emmet finds the Poni Gauntlett. He needs some battles please and thank you. There are some verrrry good trainers here, and Emmet has a fine old time. Honestly, he’d probably spend weeks there happily and not notice. I think Anya gets tired of it real quick, and goes off on her own. Makes her way to Melemele island and finds that orangu place to complain her woes away. It takes emmet a While to realize she is gone. Then he has to go FIND her.

Once he finds her, they once again argue until they are blue in the face. She wants to relax, DO something fun. He thinks battling IS fun. They work our a compromise.

She DID find out about a cemetary on Akala island, that supposedly has memories of people linger. They decide to check it out for Clues. On the way tho Emmet finds his Joltik are Missing. They fucked off to pikachu valley for a snak. The adventures of themb. They get back on track, don’t find anything at the cemetary, and eventually head back to the main island. Anya is feeling up for another jump, so with a quick check in on the tv station (if needed), they’re off again.

One thing that should permeate these chapters is how close the people are to their pokemon. It’s very ingrained in their society, even moreso than modern Unova. It’s a refreshing combo to our two legendaries let me tell you.

The next jump is going to be like 20 years. Emmet will not let her do more than that, for fear of her tiring out again. She argues that it’s too easy for 20 years. Eventually they’ll settle on like 30, and more as she grows stronger.

And that is the end of my notes for Emmet’s journey. Obviously I need More things for them to do over the years, and regions to visit. It’s a lot of research (so if anyone ever has suggestions I am ALL EARS). Until then, just know Things Happen. Eventually, he can sense they are getting closer. He’s not going to explain it (they know after all), but he just knows. Knows they are close. Knows when the next jump is going to be the last. He’s excited, nervous, overjoyed, and so impatient to get there. Anya opens the portal, and they go through it one last time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of history.

Ingo has been in Hisui for a while, and has adapted to living there well enough. He’s been appointed the honor of being Sneasler’s warden, and he’s trying very hard to fit in with the clans. It’s hard though. Something about it doesn’t feel right. Something is missing. Some part of him is so unknown, he just doesn’t feel like himself. But he has no idea what’s missing. Is it just the loss of memories? It feels like more than that. More than missing someone, he is missing a part of himself.

I’m going to have to change the order of events in canon for this to work out, so that Ingo and Rei can meet earlier. Some of the fic will be dedicated to that, and to setting up how Ingo has been fairing in Hisui. I have no notes on this apparently, and I have been fighting a migraine to get this posted tonight, so it’s going to be a bit sketchy. Just means I’ll need to update it later when I flesh it out more! :>

Another thing is that Ingo and Melli are going to spend more time together, because Lord Electrode loves Ingo (electric type solidarity), and Ingo likes to hang out with the Lord. And woe be it that Melli let this Pearl clan upstart mess with his Lord! I am of the opinion that while Melli can be grating, it comes from good intentions. He IS a good and attentive warden. When Adaman goes behind his back to have an outsider interfere with his ward, of course he’s going to be abrasive and condescending. He wasn’t even consulted about a decision being made for Lord Electrode. He had to barge his way in. (Yes, he was excluded because he was going to be a blocker, but still. Kinda douche move!)

Ingo, despite his lack of memories, has that New Yorker Unovian patience. He doesn’t mind a trainer who is confident in their own abilities, even if they can’t quite back it up. It’s the basis for becoming better, he feels. If you aren’t confident in your ability to win, how can you expect to put your all into a battle? If you do lose, train more and come back later. Melli technically does this.

(Ingo’s memory issues are actually exacerbated by the inherent but forgotten knowledge that he is also Zekrom, so none of his broken memories feel fully "right" without that explicit knowledge. One of the side-effects of the side-effects of him being an ex-pokemon who still retains typing, is that Lord Electrode really likes him. So Ingo actually hangs around that area more, finding comfort though he's not sure why.)

So due to immersion therapy, Ingo and Melli do tend to get along okay in this story. In fact, it’s not uncommon for them to be hanging out around Lord Electrode. Okay it’s more of Melli doing his token complaint about Ingo being there, but they do end up discussion the state of the mountains, people they’ve seen passing through, etc. It helps that Ingo wasn’t originally a part of the Pearl clan, and so doesn’t have the historic clan tension. Melli can’t keep up the animosity on his own, especially when Ingo doesn’t understand half the references. And then suddenly Ingo is pushing Lord Electrode out of the way (A distant part of Melli winders how was he strong enough to move the large Pokemon), and Ingo is struck by the frenzied lightning instead.

The thing about the frenzy, is that it latches onto the Pokemon and won’t let go. It drives them into a rage, and their base instinct is to attack. Ingo, however, has a human mind. Human rationality. And something is trying to swallow him whole. The Zekrom side of him is trying to rise to the front and force him to change back. Instinctively, Ingo knows this will destroy who he is, his sense of self, the history he can’t remember. There will be no chance of returning to who he was if he gives in. So he fights it. He doesn’t understand what he is fighting, but he fights it with every bit of himself.

At the same time, the desire to lash out at people, at Melli and Electrode and all the little Voltorbs around him, is almost irresistible. He wants to throw out his pokemon, command them to attack. He knows if he allows himself to do that, they will be infected by this power as well. He can’t do that to them. It hurts so much, he’s so angry, and he can’t hurt anyone. He won’t.

Melli get an up close encounter with a truly angry and terrifying Ingo. If Ingo’s self control was any less, Melli would not have walked away without injury. As it is, Ingo can’t suppress entirely the desire to lash out. It’s not electricity crackling around him, and the arcs of power sting when they hit Melli and Electrode. But with the assistance of Electrode and his pokemon, Melli is able to fend off the uncontrolled attacks, until Ingo gathers enough of himself to flee the area. Melli hesitates too long to try and stop him.

Now the people of Hisui have to deal with the knowledge that the frenzy can affect humans as well. They have no reason not to think that, after all. Rei is tasked with tracking down Ingo, and Melli insists on accompanying him. (He may not admit to Ingo being his friend, but he will explain that Ingo saved his Lord, so it’s his duty to help try and save the foolish old man.)

The thing is, they can't just lob Ingo's favorite food at him to calm him down. For one, they don't know what it is. For two, his brain is more human, so food alone isn't the same kind of comfort. Rei tries to challenge Ingo to a Pokemon battle, hoping that he can wear him down that way, but Ingo refuses to engage with his Pokemon. Every time he starts to lose control, to lash out against Rei and Melli, Ingo flees the area. Fueled by the frenzy, he is able to outmaneuver them to escape.

What Ingo knows in his frenzy is that he wants....someone. He doesn't know who, but he's raging at the world for this person, raging at god too because why not. But he retains enough of his mind to know not to lash out at the people around them. He'll yell at them and drive them off, because he does not know how to calm his rage and fears what he might do. He won't fight them. He WONT. Ingo's disorientation and undirected rage drive him on, but he doesn't know where to go. Ingo is basically terrorizing the highlands with no particular goal except to avoid people and not come apart at the seams, and no one can figure out how to help him.

Something in his subconscious drives him to Spear Pillar. The Zekrom part of him knows it’s the closest place to Palkia and Dialga, to Arceus, as the resident legendaries. Surely they sensed him being here. Surely they could have helped. Surely they know where the one he wants is. Why won't they answer him? (Because he is not a legendary anymore, but a human. Because there are rules. Because they are quite frankly busy with their own frenzied issues.)

Rei and Melli catch up to him there. Rei is again trying to face off against Ingo, but Into continues to refuse to fight. He doesn't want the frenzy to affect his Pokemon (despite the fact they are perfectly willing for that to happen if they can help him). He doesn't want to give himself up (he doesn't even know what this means with his missing memories, but he's resisting reverting to being a Pokemon. He subconsciously knows he could never return if that happened, not the same way).

So these two stories come together at this point. Emmet has realized his search is coming to an end next stop, and Ingo's basically at the end of his rope to fight against the force tearing him apart.

The scene is you have frenzied Ingo, atop spear pillar, being confronted by Rei and others trying to stop/help him. And behind him something appears in a rush of noise, obscured by the billowing steam coming off it. Emmet steps out of it, steam leaking from his mouth as well as he responds to Ingo's current state (Ingo sparking in response as he will always respond to his twin), knowing that they need to battle it out here as humans to save Ingo's sense of self. He's excited and ecstatic, and confident he can drag Ingo kicking and screaming back to himself.

Through the power of "because I the author said so", Emmet understands enough of the situation, can feel the power and frenzy, can sense his twin's distress, maybe even overhears people as he approaches on what's happening/how to fix it. Either way, he challenges Ingo to a battle.

Ingo wants to refuse. He's still irrationally angry, still wants to (bite, scratch) battle, but also HE is here. He's here, but Ingo still can't remember through the anger and fear and pain. Emmet being practical and insistent. Ingo tells him he doesn't want his partners to be frenzied. (Possibly Chandelure goes to his side (and indeed the frenzy bleeds into her almost immediately, but she stays by his side, ready to fight)). (Sneasler is going to be sticking with Rei, being more helpful there without getting frenzied herself).

(When Ingo first sees Emmet, he can't recall the right name. He starts trying to say "Re--" but stops himself, because he knows that's wrong. Emmet definitely picks up on that, and I think it would be nice to have him recite some of his scripts, both as affirmation of Ingo and Emmet, and to jog Ingo's memories. The whole "I am Emmet.  I am a subway boss together with Ingo" that kind of thing.)

In the face of his loved one's determination, he throws out two of his pokeballs (because he knows, he knows Emmet loves double battles more than anything). Emmet lights up, because of course Ingo would do that, even in the most dire of circumstance. He calls out their pokemon, and they have a wild, fantastic battle.

Emmet likes winning more than anything. With each pokemon defeated, more of the golden glow bleeds off. Ingo's pokemon drained the infection from him, and were able to release it with the battles. Ingo could not have done that without giving up his humanity. So in the end, Emmet does win, but so does Ingo lol. (Emmet's delighted laugh "how many new friends/partners did you meet?!" because Ingo keeps sending out more and more. However Emmet has also made new partners along the way.)

Bonus because it makes me laugh and likely wouldn't end up in the story:

During the battle, Rei is calling out that calming the frenzies with the favorite food worked before.  Emmet laughs a bit, reckless and amused.  Gets in close enough to stuff a meal bar or something in Ingo's mouth.  "You're not yourself when you're hungry, brother!"  Teasing.  Ingo getting Irritated and snapping his mouth shut, breaking the bar in half as he roars out Emmet's name because what else are little brothers good at but being an annoyance!  "Didn't work!" Emmet says, not particularly worried about it as Ingo redoubles his effort in defeating Emmet.

(Once we realize it's a twin dragon AU, probably during the Emmet vs Ingo stuff, we can do a flashback to how they decided to become human.  Bbie dragons spying on trainers and their pokemon doing battle.  Emmet's tail wagging in excitement, the weight of his brother on top of him as they spy, Ingo's hand slipping off his head into his face so ofc Emmet snaps back in playful irritation, etc.  They try battling a trainer, but the trainer is more interested in catching them than fighting, and the fear of being caught and separated makes them scramble to escape.  The longing to participate in the epic battles, sure that's what they want to do.  They don't even have to fight directly, just the close bonds, good friends, fun fights.  And ofc finally the transformation into children.  Probably do a Drayden adopts strange homeless children scene)

Some post battle wrapup and scenes. They end up all piling into the train to head back down to one of the settlements. Ingo is still kind reeling from the pain/relief and all that. I think at the very least Rei and Melli are going to be around. Emmet didn't pay them too much mind, more focused on helping his bro, but when Emmet goes to lead Ingo to the train to rest, the other two doth protest, thinking Emmet is taking Ingo away. So Emmet invites them to come with, he mostly wants to get the train to more stable ground and out of the cold.

Preface this with I don't ship the twins with anyone, but I like platonic affection a lot. Emmet sits Ingo on a seat and goes to conduct the train, and Melli sitting awkwardly next to Ingo, no idea what to do. (Possibly some discussion here between them, the “are you human” kind of thing. Still a hopeful/positive AU, so nothing cutting.) Ingo leaning against him in exhaustion, and now Melli REALLY doesn't know what to do.

At some point Ingo gets up to go to the front with Emmet. Just hugs him from behind, careful not to get in the way of what Emmet's doing to direct the train, pressing his forehead against Emmet's back. Not sure if Ingo's gotten or getting his memories back at this point, or if it's a gradual thing, or whatnot. And idk the thought of Melli and his Skuntank getting along great with their Garbador also struck me as charming.

Once tensions ease, Rei probably goes off to save the land and all that, all that’s left is the wrapup and the travel back. Obviously I’m missing a lot of interactions between characters in these notes, as Anya was a later decision to the battle at spear pillar, etc etc. There’s a lot of room here for details and additions. But I think this is the pretty solid foundation of the fic that I will one day hopefully write.

*collapses into a dark room to nurse my poor head*

p.s. Bonus, this song is kind of the inspiration to Emmet's decision to get up and DO something. I'm not one to go "ALL THE LYRICS MUST FIT" when it comes to music, so it's mostly the vibes of the song and the rather "train traveling" kind of beat to it that does it for me.

[soshadysoquiet]

An attempt to salvage S4, for your delectation. S4E6

And so we end. Watch my brain check out repeatedly trying to make sense of how the subway could work.

EPISODE 6:

Flashback to Five: Initially paranoid interactions with siblings post arriving in new timeline, trying to break into Reggie’s house, snooping around, waking siblings in the middle of the night to talk about increasingly wild conspiracies. Gradually, that eases, as he’s taken along on his siblings lives - there’s a baby, there’s Ben occasionally showing up to rub his fortune in their faces, there’s jobs and houses and relationships that he experiences in various states of sobriety and sanity. He sees opportunities in the library during his conspiracy investigations for programs to get GED and further education - he can become a real person, someone who exists outside of the apocalypse. So he does, but the space where it’s quiet in his mind gets filled with the Apocalypse, the deaths of his siblings, the paranoia. When Five’s with fam he’s fine, when he’s not, he drinks, sometimes it's both. He gets entrance tests to college/uni and gets a degree and gets hired all in record time - he’s busy. But when he’s not, when it’s back to the room of whichever sibling he’s bunking with or later in a string of short-term rental rooms, it’s the past - and he drinks. He drinks so he can sleep.

In present time we see Five and Lila tracking across the Apocalypse, she’s coaxing him, not far to go etc, he’s clinging onto her bruisingly and in a panic state but he keeps going. They keep going, through flashbacks of his siblings bodies, of images of himself starving, raving, crying. All the while keeping hold of sanity by Lila’s hand and arm clutched with his. They enter the subway, it all goes quiet, and he drops to the floor like a stone. Lila kneels down and holds him, saying they’ve made it, Five can just be heard mumbling ‘I know’ as he holds onto her very real body like a lifeline.

Viktor is shouting for Ben to try and control it, the Horror is going wild, Ben is terrified and in pain as the dark light seems to be swallowing him but allowing more and more of the Horror. Viktor is having to blast away some tentacles and is saying ‘sorry sorry’ to Ben and that he doesn’t want to hurt him. Jennifer is cowering and murmuring horrified phrases to herself.

Allison, Klaus and Reggie have heard the Horror’s roaring as it comes to life, its tentacles are bursting out of the academy and killing members of the Keepers. Reggie is shouting that they need to let him act and that Allison’s rumour is going to get everyone killed. Klaus just says to zip it Reggie and calls Dave, who says what’s happened and happening. Klaus makes him corporeal enough to go help protect Viktor, Allison rumours away The Keepers, but there’s pandamonium, she has to order people to help evacuate everyone as Klaus is summoning Ghosts to try and reign in the Horror and Abigail and Reggie say at the same time that ‘it’s too late.’

In the subway, they’re looking at the map Lila found in the subway Vs Five’s city map. They’re seen over a period of time debating, drawing all over the floor and walls, arguing, stopping each other from getting on the trains that are coming through, Lila re-focusing Five from looking back at the apocalypse, her going back up to relay the symbols from the front of the subway down to him instead of him going up. Gradually, after nearly a day, they have grouped together the stations by the symbols on the maps and trying to work out what the backwards-sounding announcements are saying.

Each train line is a different colour. Each station is a real place in the city. There are 43 coloured lines. The lines might intersect per station, end there, spawn multiple of the same colour or enter the station with multiples of the same colour and leave with less. Each station seems to be a disruption point in the Timeline. The circled symbols had a coloured background that related to one of the 43 line colours.

They go back to there being 43 children, if the line colour represents a different one of them, and at least one of the lines to This station has to be Five’s line.

So they just have to find the one that’s Ben’s line, follow that and see what we need to change. - They decide, and hop on a line.

Reggie and Abigail have a confrontation: R - you did this? A- I did what you should have prepared our children for all along! R- They’re hardly our children. Abigail says why not? They were born from my science, my work and then you raised them, and all you had to do was show them love. Love? He scoffs. Love doesn’t solve anything, it didn’t save you, in fact preserving you on the Moon clearly had an adverse effect on you, the woman I love would never have caused the end of a world! Abigail retorts that Love might not save the day, but it can save how you handle the day. Reggie doesn’t have a good comeback.

Allison and Klaus reach Viktor as the Horror is growing to the size go the room, Ben can’t be seen and Viktor is crying in a protective bubble of power, Dave has saved Jennifer in the corner and is getting her closer. Allison and Klaus shout where Ben is but Viktor can only point to the ben-size portal on the floor that is smothered with writhing tentacles and rapidly growing. Allison and Klaus are deeply upset but still focus on pulling Viktor out because the walls are becoming unstable as the Horror tries to escape the building it’s confined in as surely as the body it was previously.

In the subway Lila and Five are standing on the platform as they get off the latest train, both look a little worse for wear. Five is ruling out the colour of Luther’s lines along with a handful of others they’ve found - either naming them or numbering them if they’re members of the 43 they haven’t met. Lila is looking exhausted as they get on the train. Five checks what’s wrong, she is deadened as she says ‘it’s been six days. it's the longest I've been without them'. Five replies that compared to the apocalypse this is nothing, they’re making progress. Lila’s face crumples - she says what if they don’t make it back, if they don't fix this, then she’ll never be seeing her family again, Diego again, that they’re all she ever wanted and she’ll have lost them chasing adventure in the subway.

She starts to cry, and Five comforts her as the train sets off, holding her. Says they’ll make it home, we’ll be with our family. She says how can you know? He says because I won’t give up, and neither will you, they’re our family after all, and we can save them. Lila clings to him, manages to get herself back together and they exit the subway

Outside the subway there are screams as The Horror rips across the city. Lila isn’t laughing any more. The Horror’s sheer mass consumes the world around it through an immense portal. Guess we’ve found Ben’s timeline. Five says, Lila sob-laughs a bit, awestruck by the sight, and they retreat to find a different starting point for Ben’s line.

Diego and Luther swing by Diego’s house, they’ve picked up Claire from home and turn up along with Pogo, Sloane and Grace - there’s some time assuring the family, Diego hugging his kids, Luther and Sloane are having a debate on whether she wants to help the fight or stays here too. Grace meets them all pleasantly, and though they’re shocked at Pogo they accept him. Claire is made to stay there and that Pogo and Grace will help keep them safe. Sloane goes with them as they leave.

Reggie and Abigail are staring at the scene as Diego, Luther and Sloane turn up, and the other three are just escaping the house with Dave and Jennifer. (They all are shocked but pleased to see Sloane, Allison straight away hugs her. Klaus introduces Dave to Diego and Luther. Diego, in particular, says heard a lot about you man.)

They gather, and Five and Lila pop up-looking banged up. They look at the scene and comment that they guess it’s too late for Plan A. (Diego and Lila reunion) (Klaus re-intro Dave and Sloane saying hi until Reggie snaps at them all to please do focus!)

Others ask what they’ve found, they say that in every timeline, all of them, once the pair touch either Ben or Jennifer get killed, both do, or the Horror causes the Apocalypse. Five says that they never once think to save both of them after the fact. It’s the only anomaly, the only one that might work.

The others argue that Ben is gone, this thing is out there, that the only way they could survive last time was by killing off the Horror before it had even gotten this far are you telling us there was a way to save Ben all along? Five says there is, with her- points to Jennifer. She created the reverse portal, but if she was on the other side of that portal, then she could swap it back. Viktor -who had been silent before, looking at Abigail who is smiling- pipes up but how do we get there, Five says that luckily, Jennifer and Ben aren’t the only portals around, and gestures to himself.

The others kick up a fuss, that he’ll get trapped, he says not necessarily, besides it’s do or die people.

Reggie pipes up that they’d still have to prevent Jennifer and Ben from ever touching the Horror again, how will they do that if they’re alive. Viktor, breaking Abigail’s gaze, says that he can take their marigolds, once the swap is done, that without their powers they’ll live, but they’ll be safe. He's done it before.

Luther says that Ben would hate that.

More than being stuck where that thing came from? Viktor asks. They debate whether Jennifer will even help her, Five points out that they won’t need her to agree, so long as they take her with and bring Lila.

Lila says she doesn’t want to leave her fam or Diego though, that she’s done that once already and hasn’t seen them for two weeks now, she needs to be on this side protecting them - Diego soothes her, says that he won’t make her, he’ll go with Five and hold Jennifer at knife point if he needs to, but that if she does want to, he’d feel better with this plan knowing she was there with his brothers, because he trusts her, even if that scares him. Says can you trust me when I say I’ve already made sure our family are protected? She says she can, that she’d feel safer knowing that he was still here, fighting to protect them whilst she was away.

Allison says neither of them need to go, she will, her powers won’t help out here they didn’t do much the first time, but that she can make sure Jennifer plays ball, She's not letting the Horror kill her daughter. Jennifer pipes up saying will it help if she says she’s going to play ball? They all say no to her.

Viktor is decided as too effective to go to the other side, and might be the only one strong enough to completely blow up the Horror if they fail. Diego and Lila will stay and fight, so will Luther. Klaus says he want’s to go with Five and Allison, that it’s Ben and even if he’s an asshole, well, he’s Ben, there’s some stuff he wants to pay forwards. Allison asks Klaus if he’ll stay instead, so he can look after Claire if anything goes wrong, Diego says he should go with you, we’ll look after Claire they promise, and that Klaus has always known Ben best.

They all agree

So there’s a big fight between Luther, Sloane, Diego, Lila, Viktor and The Horror to hold down the fort.

Five, Klaus, Allison and Jennifer use a Combo of hers and Five’s powers and get pulled into the other side, the Horror’s realm.

It’s a dark ocean of writhing tentacles and they’re dropped into the mess. They can see where Ben is trying to claw at the portal alongside the behemoth body of The Horror, just his fingertips making it through. The horror is unimaginably vast, and its tentacles are poking through holes everywhere they can see - windows through Ben’s stomach into other worlds, all of time and space existing in The Horror’s dimension simultaneously, appearing and disappearing as specks whenever a timeline of Ben uses his powers, but all happening somehow at once.

They cry out to Ben to hold on. He looks up and begs them to help, but sees Jennifer and tries to get away, The Horror’s tentacles are lashing and it's difficult to get to him.

The fight on earth is messy and difficult. Reggie and Abigail die

They struggle to reach Ben who wants Jennifer nowhere near him - he’s exhausted from fighting against The Horror. Klaus and Allison calm him down and ask him to trust them as Five holds Jennifer from accidentally touching the tentacles until Ben agrees, without any rumours. They have Jennifer touch him, and the portal begins reversing.

The team on earth step up their desperate fight as they notice the difference, helping to beat back the Horror further and further.

The team with The Horror are now being inundated with tentacles, Ben thrown around, so they’re struggling to stay together but Klaus manages to float Allison over the water and they grab Jennifer, Five blinks to them. Ben’s in the in the thick of it as the portal reverses, screaming, but even as they other 4 and Dave are all caught and begin getting constricted together by The Horror, Dave holding it from crushing them best he can, Jennifer’s skin being covered by all of them so she won’t make contact with The Horror again, they say they can’t leave Ben here until they know he’s on the other side, so they’re just screaming encouragement at him.

The earth team are wrangling tentacles like pros and all get close enough to grab an emerging Ben with a hand, calling him. It’s only when Sloane grabs him, demands that he come back, she’s not loosing any more family, that his eyes open and he manages to snap the portal shut.

In The Horror’s realm they see Ben vanish, the Horror’s wrath is palpable and Five powers up so that Jennifer can reverse which dimension he moves through, they blink out just before they’d have been squished.

Ben falls into everyone’s arms as the others crash land back. Everyone’s exhausted, injured. Viktor manages to stagger upright enough to grab Ben’s arm. Says you know we have to take it out of you, right? Ben looks around at all of them, who have risked everything. Says ‘take it, I don’t need it anymore.’

Viktor pulls out the marigolds, exhausted, the others ask him to wait before doing Jennifer too, that it’s too much, but Viktor says ‘I’m ending this’ and takes Jennifer’s - he blacks out.

(I’m so tired after writing this that I’ll just say the ending would show them getting back to their lives - happy days!)

I know that a happy ending isn't for everyone but this is my S4 so that's what they're getting! Hope you enjoyed

[the-captain89]

Ride Home

The concert just left out. As you walk to the train home, you eagerly check your phone for any message from me. Your phone vibrates and lights up: “Hey, Doll. How was your show?”

“It was wonderful Sir!”

“Excellent. Take a couple of edibles for your ride home, Doll.”

“Yes, Sir!” You reply. Reaching into your purse, you produce a couple of medicated cookies, and eat them up. You’re not sure if they’ll have time to kick in before you get home, but at least you’ll be good and stoned when Sir picks you up from the train station. You slowly wander to the subway, you’re only a few blocks away and the train doesn’t leave for another half hour, so you have some time to read dirty posts on tumblr.

Your phone lights up with another text: "Take one more edible for me, Doll.” Without hesitation you stop, grab another cooking and chew it up, while replying “Yes Sir!”

You’re getting a little wet, just thinking about being absolutely stoned, while Sir has his way with you. As you turn a corner, you run into a bunch of flashing lights and caution tape. A cop politely informs you that the street is closed for an investigation, you’ll have to take the long way to the  subway. Not to worry, still plenty of time before the train leaves, right? You check your watch. “Shit, it’ll be close” you pick up your pace, speed walking down the streets, occasionally checking your watch. “Shit shit shit” you wish you could run, but there’s no way you could with these shoes on. 

You finally arrive at the subway, buy your ticket, make your way down the stairs, and watch as your train pulls out of the tunnel. Fuck. You text me to apologize. “I’m sorry Sir, I missed my train. The next train is in 45 minutes.” “That’s ok, babydoll, I’ll wait for you. That train ride should be fun for you, those edibles should be kicking in before you even get on the train!” The thought excites you. You patiently wait while browsing tumblr, and you notice a few strangers take notice of you while you sit there. Scenarios play out in your head where they take advantage of you, and you feel your panties getting wetter. You text me, “Sir, I’m getting so turned on, may I touch myself?”  “No. Let those thoughts marinate in your pretty little head. I’ll take care of that drippy pussy when I pick you up” You would be disappointed, if my words weren’t driving your imagination wild all over again. 

The sound of the train squealing into the station snaps you back to reality. As you stand from your seat, you feel that you may have gotten a little wetter than you initially thought. You blush at the thought of someone noticing. The train is pretty full, you find yourself a seat that’s as secluded as you can find so you can enjoy the high and secretly read smut. As the train rocks along the tracks, your mind gets lost deep in the story you’re reading. As your mind drifts, your head leans back, your eyes close, and you subconsciously spread your legs a little bit. The train speeds through a tunnel and you’re quickly reminded of where you are. Your head snaps forward, eyes open, and you notice a few nearby passengers quickly averting their gaze. They were clearly watching you.  

An idea pops into your head, and you quickly text me. “Sir, I know I can’t touch myself, but what if someone else does it for me?”  Intrigued, I tell you to explain your plan. You tell me all about how you’re drifting away into your stories, and the men may have caught you. “Okay, babydoll. How about this: You may not ask anyone to touch you, they have to approach on their own, Just keep doing what you’ve been doing and see if anyone is brave enough.” Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!” You return to reading dirty stories, and it’s not long before once again, your eyes close, your head tilts back and your legs spread. There’s no tunnel to bring you back to reality this time, who knows how long it’s been. 10, 20 minutes? 

Suddenly you feel that someone has taken a seat next to you. You keep your eyes closed. A few minutes pass, and then your neighbor shifts in their seat, their hand “accidentally” falls onto your thigh. You don’t make any attempt to move it. The hand gets braver, reaching down to the hem of your skirt, and rubbing their hand on your bare thigh. Your mind begins to blindly analyze the hand: “Big fingers. A little rough, some type of blue-collar worker?” They squeeze your thigh, and you let out a small whimper. “Strong hands!” your brain tells you. The train rocks along, and he slides his hand up your thigh, finally reaching your panties. They’re soaking wet, and getting wetter the closer his hand comes to your pussy. He’s been moving so slowly, you just want to scream “Finger me already you bastard!” but you know the rules, you can’t ask for it. 

Finally he slips his hand down into your panties, and shoves 3 fingers into your pussy. “Damn, right to 3 fingers, this is not a man who knows how to work a woman up.” you think, “Although at this point I’ll take what I can get.” His hands are rough, and his technique is..mediocre at best, but you can work with it. You move your hips at the speed you want him to go. It takes him a minute, but it feels like he’s beginning to understand. His pace matches your hips and it's starting to feel good. You work your hips a little faster trying to get closer, he seems to pick up on the signal, and works his fingers in your pussy faster. You pick up the speed a little more, and he does the same. Your breathing gets heavier and heavier. You’re almost there, just a little more! Suddenly he stops, quickly pulls his hand from your cunt, and leans away from you. 

You open your eyes and notice someone was walking by, it scared him. “Damn. That’s okay, we can still get there.” you think. Closing your eyes, you patiently wait for him to get back to work. He’s apparently  a little skittish, and he’s slow to return to your pussy. When he finally gets brave enough to insert his fingers, he’s apparently forgotten all the work you put in before. He’s back to the rough, hard fingering. Again, you rock your hips, encouraging him to match your pace. “Ah there you go, now you remember!” You work with him, slow at first, picking up the pace. Faster and faster, those big fat fingers pumping in and out of your pussy. Faster. Faster! You’re getting there, just about there, just a little more…. And then the train comes to a stop, you’re at your stop. 

“Motherfucker” you whisper under your breath as you stand up, straighten your skirt, and make your way to the door. Your disappointment quickly fades as you see me waiting in the terminal for you. You run up, jump into my arms and kiss me. “Let’s go home, Sir, I want to cum for you” I laugh and carry you out to my truck, buckle you in and begin the trek home. I reach over and feel your cunt. “Well my porcelain Doll, you clearly had a good train ride.” “UGH, NO!” you nearly yell. You tell me all about your ride home, how you got so close twice, only to be disappointed. “Aw, my babydoll, come here." You lean into me, and I slowly start rubbing your wet cunt. You moan and push your hands into my hand, practically begging me to put my fingers inside of you. I slowly push two fingers in, gently massaging your dripping pussy. Slowly feeling around, slipping my fingers in and out. Just as you did on the train, you grind your hips into my hand, harder and faster. Unlike the stranger on the train, I don’t match your pace, I continue my slow, steady pace. I want to really take my time, and build you up at my pace.

As we speed down the highway, the music blasting and the wind in your hair, you keep trying to get me to make you cum, pushing harder on my hand, whimpering. But my pace is unwavering. Just when you’re really starting to get frustrated, I add a third finger, which causes you to gasp. Now I pick up my pace, pushing my fingers deeper into your pussy, driving them in and out faster and faster. Your hips rock, your breathing picks up, you’re getting close now. As we pull into the driveway, you’re ready to go. I put the truck in park, grab your head with my free hand, and pull your face close to mine. “Come for me, baby doll” You scream out as your body convulses with a powerful orgasm. While you writhe in the passenger seat, I give your pussy a few slaps. The sensation on your sensitive cunt drives you insane, making you cum again. 

You lean into me, panting. “Thank you, daddy” “Your welcome, baby. Now let's go inside.” I walk around to the passenger side, open the door, and pull you into my arms and carry you inside.

[laurrelise]

saw your tua post about five i dont go here but i need to know did they pull an incest again. is that why everyones mad or did the ship just suck

ok so i’m assuming you’re talking about season 4!! i’ll leave this part very vague and spoiler free and if you don’t mind more specific spoilers (only about the ship, not about the actual end of the season) than check under the cut! :)

ok so not incest this time. the ship just reeeeeally sucks because it’s not only out of character but it ruined multiple arcs and relationships.

unhinged angry explanation of my least favorite part about season 4 below the cut!! (beware: yapping)

ok hi again! so five and lila get together. they fall for each other after they get stuck between timelines in this alternate dimension subway station thing, and they spend 7 years trying to find their way back home.

it turns out that lila was only doing it to survive because she needed something to hold onto while five, having been through this once before, had fallen head over heels for her.

he withholds information that can take them home for 6 months and lila is pissed and tells him it wasn’t real because she wants to get home to diego and her children, and five tells her that she knows she’s happier between timelines with him, blah blah blah it’s a whole thing.

five reluctantly goes back with lila and it’s really awkward and he’s pissed at diego (even though it was LITERALLY NEVER HIS FAULT) because lila is clearly still in love with him. they argue a little, lila gets between them, diego suspects something’s going on and asks, and then the truth unfolds and he’s (REASONABLY) heartbroken. it’s really sad to watch tbh

anyways then the end of the world starts to happen once again and i won’t go into specific spoilers for that because it would take WAY too long but basically five and diego are beating the shit out of each other and five literally outright says “i wanna fucking kill him” and lila tells him that it’s over between them and he goes and sulks because he was truly in love blah blah blah blah blah. anyways

it ends with five and diego hating each other. and it’s really fucking frustrating. and i really don’t mind what people ship for the most part, but this specific ship pissed me the fuck off because it should NOT have been canon. in my mind it still isn’t canon because this whole season sucked ass and i refuse to accept it as real.

you’re telling me five hargreeves, the man who survived for 45+ years with the single goal to save his family gave up on them after 7 years with the only other person around because he fell for her? why the hell was this necessary? why did the writers do this bro 😭 that is not the five i spent 3 seasons absolutely cherishing. i refuse to accept it

but also you’re telling me that the entire show ends with five hating diego and diego hating him?????? this entire season was SO out of character for the both of them but i STILL can’t get over (and will absolutely NEVER get over) that the writers really thought they could get away with the hargreeves despising each other like this. so pissed about this season omfg

so not only was the ship problematic for age differences on BOTH ends (fives body was 19 but lila’s was 36ish, probably older, while fives mind was 64 while she was AGAIN 36ish???? like how did they manage to make it pedophilic on both ends bro lmfao) (and do not even get me STARTED on the age differences of the actors and the fact that this has clearly been planned since aidan was a very young minor and the writers were waiting around for him to become 18 so it would be legal like fucking creeps) but it also involved cheating / homewrecking (with family no less) as well as multiple relationships ruined. i LOVED five and diego as a duo before. why the FUCK was this necessary *i scream from the rooftops*

anyways sorry for my chronic yapping, that is all.

i hate five x lila, have a good day.

[lake-spy]

Meeting You At The Subway

Artem x GN! Reader, Song Fic.

check out 12:28 by Jeiven! 1369 words.

small note: It's my first fic that I'm publishing, so I'm sorry if it's odd in a way!

Summary:

—>A few days ago, Artem's car broke down and required repair. As a result, he decided to start using the subway to get to the law firm. Little did he know that someone would catch his eye while he was on the train. Since then, he has found himself using the train often just so that he can see you.

Lately, Artem has been taking the subway train to work. He’s running to come through as he looks around for a nice seat when he sees an empty chair by the window. Artem took a seat, checked the time and sighed. It’s 12 in the afternoon, well, precisely 12:22 pm. He knew he would clock in to work late today, which would be unusual for others to see him arrive so late. He wished that his car hadn’t broken down a few days ago; it would’ve been quicker to drive to the law firm rather than to commute there. Artem leaned back against his seat, closing his eyes and trying to regain his breath after running so that he could reach the train on time. Even though he knew the train would leave at 12:30 pm, rushing there was better than being sorry. He looked at the train door, watching people go in and out; the train was bustling and loud. Oh, but little did Artem know there was someone fair and pretty who would catch his attention.

    At 12:28 pm, you came rushing inside the train, nearly missing it by 2 minutes. You leaned over to a post— breathing heavily before taking a seat across Artem. Seeing you made him forget about the world and noise around him. Now he’s wondering who you are. You’ve wholly caught his attention overall. He hadn’t even noticed how long he had been staring at you until the train started moving and your eyes locked with his. Artem quickly looked away and cleared his throat. Now, he wouldn’t be the one to believe in such absurd things as love at first sight, but when his eyes locked with yours? It felt like fate. When Artem looked back at you, he noticed you were still on him; it honestly almost made him blush out of embarrassment. He took note of how your eyes sparkled like diamonds underground.  

You looked so simple, yet when you started smiling, it was as if he had caught a glimpse of heaven. How cute… He quickly shook his head at that thought and mentally berated himself for even thinking that you were cute. You are a stranger and don’t know each other well. He shouldn’t be thinking like that towards you. He looked away from you, averting his attention from you. Instead, he focused on the window. He swore he nearly heard you chuckle at him.  He wondered if you caught his tired and weary face; Artem hoped you didn’t.

You smiled softly at the sight of the handsome stranger before you. It was cute how hard he tried not to seem flustered; although he was trying to hide it, his ears were visibly red—it almost made you chuckle. You knew that you would much prefer to do your daily routine while you were on the train, which was starting your work through your phone. But right now? You would much like observing the pretty man with beautiful brown hair and striking blue eyes like aquamarine gemstones. While you would much like to keep your eyes on him, you did not want to seem like a creep, so you searched inside your bag for your phone; only then would you see the book you’ve been meaning to start but never had the time for. 

You’ll just read the book for now while sneaking small glances at the man before you, though you quickly got immersed in the book before you could even glance at him again. 

Throughout the ride to the CBD station, Artem wondered if he said “Hello,” would you say it back or just ignore him? The train arrived at his stop before he could even stand up and shoot his shot. Artem sighed and grabbed his stuff. As he did so, he noticed that you’d put away your book and grabbed your bag, standing up to leave. It seems like this was your stop as well. Though, he can’t waste his time talking to you right now. He’s already late for work. So, with that being said, he quickly left the station and made his way to the law firm while you went the other way. 

....

..

.

From then on, Artem took the subway almost every other day just to catch a glimpse of you. While his car was already fixed and he could have started driving to the Themis Law firm instead, he chose to commute. The first time he saw you was on the first of December at 12:28 p.m. For any other person on the train, that date would be irrelevant, but to him, it signified the feeling of fate from seeing you. 

Today, the train was calmer than before; he didn’t have to rush through the door. But alas, Artem had to, hoping to see you once more. He entered with a small smile, looking around for a seat down the aisle. It was 12 in the afternoon, 12:22 pm, the same time he had come here on the first time he had to use the train a few days ago. Artem had noticed that he hadn’t seen the familiar (your hair colour)ed stranger. He frowned a bit but knew deep down that he’d eventually see you again in just a moment. He eventually found a seat. It was by the window again. Artem knows that window seats are pretty, but it would be better if you were with him. Never in his life had he been so mesmerised by your pretty (your eye colour) eyes. Eyes that shine like stars in the night sky, eyes sparkling like diamonds. He wished he could look at them for a bit longer than just small glimpses. 

Artem sighed and looked out the window, then at his phone, looking for some sort of distraction for the moment. But, his mind drifts off elsewhere. He wonders if it would ever be possible for your hands to intertwine with his. He wondered how soft it would be, and even if it weren’t as soft– he wouldn’t have minded as long as he held your hand. Eventually, he heard the familiar footsteps enter the train. At 12:25, he saw you seated next to the sky (window). As if almost immediately, his heart jumped at the sight of you.  

As the train goes by, Artem loses track of time. 

Eight times Artem met you at the same place and time if only he had known and noticed all the different signs. You caught him staring at you seven times in six stops today, and in five seconds, he had already forgotten where he was going and which way. It was a bit embarrassing for him, and it could’ve been if you hadn’t approached him, finally making a move on each other after so long. He looked at you with blue eyes, a little surprised to see you approaching him. You would have been lying to yourself if you hadn’t noticed how your eyes locked on each other longer than usual. 

“Hey.” you greeted first. A voice so warm and welcoming, and boy— did his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Artem’s voice got stuck in his throat for a second; he looked away from you and cleared his throat to regain his composure. 

“Hey…”  he greeted back, his voice a little strained, and oddly enough, it sounded nervous. He never expected to hear himself sound like that. And as a response to hearing his own voice, his cheeks burned light pink. It was such an adorable sight for you. You chuckled a little before you took a seat right next to him. 

“Y/n, and you are?” You smiled. 

“Artem… Artem Wing.”  

“Well, Artem, I believe it’s finally time we started getting to know each other. No?” You replied with a slightly cheerful tone, tilting your head and grinning right at him. His heart fluttered at the sight. He only gave you a slight nod, returning your smile. 

Perhaps this could be the start of something new between you. Perhaps he was right about meeting you as destiny. He’ll be forever thankful for meeting you on December 12:28

[greenday-bingus]

[𝒜𝓇𝓂𝓎 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝓈] (JJK x Blood User!Reader)

𝟏.𝟖𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

CH. 1 CH.2 CH.3

𝙳𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛?!

♥ [Chapter 2] I know what I saw ♥

One of your close friends had invited you to dinner since it was her birthday, so of course you didn’t want to miss out on it. It was a small restaurant she had picked, it wasn’t really known so there was absolutely nobody in the restaurant except for you and your friends. The birthday girl took a 0.5 photo of you as you were distracted eating your meal. 

“Hey you can’t just take photos of me when I’m eating!” You swat your hands at her as she laughs. “You look like a chipmunk though! You’re so silly!” Your face turned red in embarrassment, while your other friends giggled lightheartedly and returned to gossiping. You sighed as they finally stopped teasing as your attention shifted to your vibrating phone.. 

“Oh my goodness I’m scared to even open my phone. But maybe it’s my notification from my cool tweet I just posted.”

You opened your phone to see Gojo has sent a photo, of what you may ask? Megumi with blood covering his face. “Oh god!,” you accidently peeped out which made your friends turn their heads at you. They all ‘ooo’ed and scooted closer to you just to see what you were looking at your phone. The friend on your right gasped, “is that your boyfriend?! He looks like he's been fighting!” You covered your friend’s eyes and blushed, “it’s nothing it just, a guy… A guy from Tumblr! That’s all, I don’t even know him!” 

They could tell that it wasn’t true but decided not to push, except for the girl on your right side. “He looks exactly your type! He’s so pretty, and has long lashes!” 

“You’re just spitting nonsense, listen we’re just friends,” you rolled your eyes and decided to text Gojo back, something along the lines of, “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!”

As much as your text was stressed, you showed no signs on your face. “Miki (birthday girl), are you ready for the cake?” One of the girls on her left side asked. Miki’s eyes looked like they were going to water, “you guys got me a cake too?! God has really blessed me with awesome friends!” You laughed a bit seeing her too excited for cake, but it made sense as to why she was filled with joy. Her parents have never bought her a cake before, so this was truly special to her, it made you feel warm inside seeing her smile. A genuine smile. 

♡

You walked Miki to her car, and waved, but she quickly stopped you, “are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” Her voice was filled with genuine concern. “Yes, I’m sure! The drive is way out the way! It would take too much gas for your small, small car! I’ll be fine, trust me, nothing is going to kill me!”

“Unless it’s a special grade curse, then there’s no way I’m winning that fight.”

She sighed and then waved you off, in which you waved and watched her leave. “Anyways, time to head back home!” You skipped away into the abyss until you got a phone call.

“…”

You slowly reach for your phone, only to find out it was just a spam call. “I’m not falling for your tricks, scammers! I’m way too smart for this!” You quickly declined the phone call, and went your merry way onto the subway. Normally subways at this time were almost empty, which didn’t bother you, who would want to be pushed up against other people.

Surely not the guy who’s also on the subway, probably. When you stepped into the train station you saw a very peculiar man, blue hair, stitches, a lot of them, along with two different eye colors. You thought it was best to ignore him, he had curse energy, there was nothing normal about him. 

You had your cursed energy turned hidden since it wouldn’t be good if you were to attract curses like the guy in front of you. You grabbed your phone out to start to play flappy bird as one does, maybe afterwards you played some crossy road, because who doesn’t play crossy road. You need to keep your mind distracted from staring at the guy, but he just looks so weird.

“I can feel him staring, maybe if i sit really still he won’t notice me, it works with bees all the time!”

‘briiing briiiing’

Hearing the sound of your phone made you jump up a bit, you almost had a heart attack from the loud ringing. The caller id was from Gojo, it’s almost like he knows when to call you at the worst times.

“Should I pick up, it would be weird if I didn’t, but I’ll look like how I care about the ringing, in front of nobody, supposedly…”

“Hello?” you cautiously answered.

“You should’ve been here! Some crazy things had just happened, you know the fingers? You know the fingers, but anyways some kid ate them! Oh and then Megumi got his shit absolutely rocked!”

“That's so great! I’m so glad your book meeting is going great, mother. Though I know you’re oh so busy, how about I talk to you later when I get home? Okay byeeee!” You quickly hung up on Gojo trying to keep a calm composure. The man in front of you is looking at you like a rotisserie chicken, it’s making you uncomfortable. 

“Doesn’t this man have anything else better to do?”

You were quickly pulled out of your thoughts as soon as the train had abruptly stopped, then the lights started to flicker quickly. Your heart started to beat faster, “I’ve faced scarier things than a couple of flashing lights, I should be fine.”

Suddenly the lights were back and the train started to move again, however the blue haired guy was gone. Vanished. Absent. Maybe he disintegrated, you could care less. Maybe you should care. People don’t disappear randomly on trains, “actually where the hell could he have gone?”  

You looked to the left then quickly to the right, you covered your mouth realizing he really was nowhere to be seen. That was definitely a curse, if it took the appearance of an actual man then it had to be dangerous. Probably. You gripped onto your hand bag, your stomach started to feel uneasy. But you made sure not to crush the cake you brought for Megumi and Gojo. 

♡

You almost collapse at the entrance of your dorm, you swore to yourself to never run up those stairs again. You set the cake down on the floor as you drop onto your bed. The fluffy blanket you owned quickly engulfed you. As much as you wanted to sleep, you had to get ready for the night and give the leftover cake to your pals. You let out a groan and picked yourself up from the bed, you headed for your door as you grabbed the cake, then left.

You shut your door, you’re met with Megumi. “I was about to give you some cake!” Megumi’s eyebrow arched as he sighed, “I don’t really like sweet things…” You gasped and covered your mouth, “oh my god! I forgot, how’s your head doing? Gojo sent some photos of you and it looked like you were fighting for your life!” Your hand started to reach for his wrapped forehead, but he quickly caught your hand. “I’m fine, it’s just a small injury. Jesus, you’re acting like I got hit by a car or something!” Megumi rolled his eyes as his eyebrows knit together. 

“What happened? Actually, where's Gojo? Normally he’s yapping about missions, especially when you’re involved!” 

“Well, I was sent out to look for the missing Sukuna finger, only to be in the hands of some occult club. Oh! There was also this crazy strong kid, he ate the finger-”

“HE ATE THE FINGER?!-”

Megumi slapped his hands over your mouth, “shush! Yes he did, he’s basically now a vessel for Sukuna.” Your eyes could almost pop from your skull just from hearing this information. “I don't know what's going to happen with the kid, but I’m hoping for the best for now. But you have to keep this a secret until Gojo or the higher-ups decide what they’re going to do with him,” Megumi added. He removed his hands from your mouth so you speak, “isn’t that stuff super rare?!” 

Megumi nodded, “yeah, but I’m not surprised he’s the vessel. Without any curse energy he’s pretty skilled with combat. Anyway, Shoko said I should be laying down, so goodnight.” With that being said Megumi turned on his heels and went to his dorm. Knowing this information you were sure that the higher-ups have this all handled, nothing could go wrong. Sukuna? Pshh, what could a more than 1000 years old curse could do? 

Extra:

Maki and you have been sent to check out an abandoned hospital, the place had been said that a long time ago all the patients were treated awful, which led to the abandonment. Gojo had said something about the curses being either grade 1 or 2, neither you or Maki could remember, which was the reason you were shaking uncontrollably. When Maki looked back at your shaking figure she scoffed, “why are you shaking? We’re going to be fine, especially since I don’t have any curse energy, and you can hide yours. We have a good advantage, we can see the curse, and it can’t find us.” Her words of wisdom made you feel better, you clutched your Axe closer to your body praying you’ll make it out alive.

“You’re right! We can do this!” you confidently smiled only for Maki to pull you to the side and point in a direction. “There it is,” she whispered, she got her spear ready to lounge at it, however she was quickly stopped when you put your arms in front of her. “I got this,” you quickly threw your blood spear at the curse. “Stay behind me!” you yelled out to Maki as you started to run towards the curse. 

The curse let out an ear bleeding screech once your blood spear had hit it. This was going to be your first time to show someone your really cool technique, nothing could go wrong, you’ve been practicing this technique to its perfection.

You moved quickly and dodged every attack the curse threw at you, once you were close to the curse you touched the wound so you could spread the blood through your hands. 

“Curse technique: Spider web!”

Your puppeteer-like blood strings went to move the curse’s body, only your fingers to fall off.

“I thought you had it all under control!” Maki yelled at you. 

When you tried to use your ultimate weapon, the blood strings had cut off your fingers. “I did! I swear! I didn’t think that my own technique would cut my fucking fingers off!” The two of you were in Shoko’s office as she used her curse technique to put your fingers back. “Well, I guess it’s better to learn now. I guess I can only control curses and people weaker than me, or something.”

Maki hits you on the head, “next time, just let me handle it.”

[ambiguouslady42]

Remember Summer Days - Chapter 3: How Are Things On the West Coast

Read Chapter 2 here.

Chapter 3 is here. This is just a passion project for me. I'm grateful for your time to to read my little fanfic.

Word Count: 2K

There's a lot of banter in this one. This will be definitely a slow burn.

I'll be posting this also on AO3 if you prefer that as well.

July 2007

Gojo was picked up on Hollywood/Vine by his driver. He remained silent on the car drive, pondering if Isabel would make it home safely. The evening was coming. He liked that Los Angeles had these cotton candy-coloured skies, and he began to notice the sun setting slowly. He checked his messages to see if Isabel had messaged him. The only text message he had received was from Suguru Geto.

[Suguru]: Hey, you doing okay? Are you coming back soon? 

Gojo quickly responds. He knows better than to leave his best friend hanging.

[Satoru]: Yeah, heading back right now. Should be there soon.

What do 3 seventeen-year-olds do when one of them has enough money to swim in it? You rent a house in the Hollywood Hills. It was Gojo’s idea to rent the house because 1) He thought he’d be able to see the Hollywood Sign from where he was staying 2) He figured he could live the dream like a movie star living in the Hollywood Hills. The house was a mid-century modern house. There were large windows that showed various views of LA. Outside was a pool that oversaw the skyline. The house included 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a giant living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. 

The house was located a stone’s throw away from the Chateau Marmont. If he wanted to, he could also just go hang out there and throw a party. However, the house felt more convenient to stay for the duration of the trio’s stay. Gojo walks into the home and sees Shoko Ieri sitting on the sofa nearby. Meanwhile, Suguru is in the kitchen preparing dinner. 

“Satoru, where did you go?” asked Suguru

“Eh, just wanted to go check out some movies at a nearby record store,” Satoru answered.

“Oh yeah, what did you get?” Shoko interjected. 

“I have Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Gremlins, and Back to the Future. Which of these 3 would everyone be interested in watching?”

Shoko was currently reading a fashion magazine that she had picked up on the coffee table. “Isn’t Gremlins a Christmas movie?” she asked. 

“Arguably, it can be” responded Satoru. 

“Dinner is ready” shouted Suguru. “I think Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would be a great watch. 3 kids skipping school to go out in a car. Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it?” 

“Yeah, it does” Satoru respond. At this moment, he just remembered to check his phone. He has yet to receive a text message from Isabel. He double-checks again, and nothing from the girl he had just met. Did she make it home okay? Should he have just given her a ride despite her protests? 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isabel had a bit of a commute. After the subway, she needed to transfer over to take the rail line at Union Station. She knew that it would only take a while to get home because of the wait times for the trains to come. However, Isabel knew to pick up the pace to get home. It was nearly sundown and she did have a curfew that she couldn’t break.

While on her way, she listened to her iPod. She looked at her phone and contemplated if she should message Satoru. She was anxious about texting him first because she didn’t want to seem too needy. She already displayed herself as a damsel in distress after nearly fainting earlier. God, how embarrassing she thought. She played with her phone while on the rail line. She’s nearly home. 

“I’m sure he’s not really worried about me. Why would he? He just met me” she thought. 

She arrives at her stop and starts making the quick walk home. As she arrives her mother greets her and asks what she purchased. Isabel shows her mother the Amélie DVD and the Interpol album that she wanted. She hugs her mother and thanks her for allowing her to make the purchase today. Her mother is quick to respond with a hug and welcomes her. 

“Are you hungry?” Isabel’s mom asks in Spanish. 

“Yes. All I had was a coffee earlier.” Isabel responds in English.

“You need to stop drinking coffee.”

“Why? It doesn’t impact my sleep. Plus, I needed it to finish my homework tonight.”

“Alright then, I’m just saying. Did anything else happen while you were out?” 

Isabel ponders if she should tell her mother about the boy she talked to her earlier. However, she didn’t want to get her hopes up with Satoru. Isabel wanted to see if Satoru could be her friend. Of course, she would want something more; the truth is, she felt that she never stood a chance with him. 

“No, just got the movie, the CD, the coffee, and hurried back here”. 

Her insecurities stem from the way the last year has gone by. A boy that she had developed immense feelings for had used her to see if he could ask out her friend instead. In addition to this, she had a boyfriend for about a month and didn’t like that he was too handsy with her. Her boundaries were not respected and this relationship proved not to be very fruitful. Overall, the love department didn’t seem very lucky. The best things she had going for her were her music, Mariella, and the one or two people that she interacted with at school. 

Once she finished her dinner, she closed the door to her room. Surrounded by music posters, pictures of art and buildings, she proceeded to walk to her desk where her stereo was. She went ahead and played her newly purchased album. She skipped immediately to the Heinrich Maneuver. She thought the name of the song was funny considering the act of performing the actual Heinrich Maneuver.

How are things on the west coast…

She looked at her phone and wondered if now was a good time to text Satoru. Her anxiety to seem desperate scared her, but he deserved to know that she was safe. After all, he was there to help her and walked her to her stop. No one just does that right?...

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gang had just started watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Empty plates on the coffee table, the room was dark to set the ambience for movie watching. Satoru was waiting for his phone to ding. 

“It’s been ages since I’ve heard from her. Where the hell is she?…” he thought

The vibration on the table was heard. It was Satoru’s phone. 

[Isabel]: Hey. Thanks again for walking me to the station. Sorry for not letting you know sooner that I had made it home.

Satoru curled his lips upwards. His friends quickly caught sight of this. 

“Who are you talking to?” Shoko asked.

“Yeah, what happened today?” Suguru questioned as well. 

“I met a girl. She’s cool, but also so…frail.” Satoru responded.

“Huh. That’s not the kind of girl that you usually go for. I thought your type of girl was the feisty one who doesn't want you at all.” Shoko said. 

“Well, what happened?” Suguru pried. 

“I was just trying to find movies to add to my collection, the next thing I knew, there’s this girl just staring at me. I began to talk to her. She was pretty cool. She knew a lot about movies and music.” 

Satoru is not one to shy away from talking to girls. He’s had his flings and relationships. They never lasted that long. He either got very busy with school or broke it off before he could get derailed from the ambitions that his family had set up for him. He knows he eventually will take over his family’s major company when he finishes his post-secondary studies. Everything had been laid out for him. Romance was very far from his mind. However, he took a liking to Isabel today. He just wanted to make sure she was safe. What was that about?

“Just be careful. We’re not here for a long time and nothing more can come from that.” Suguru said firmly.

“I know…” Satoru responds despondently. He wants to ignore this advice and talk to Isabel. He wonders what this could be, but he is aware that their future isn’t forever. 

[Satoru]:  Woman! Did something happen? 

Isabel reads the message from her phone. She begins to laugh.

[Isabel]: Woman?! Who do you think you’re talking to?

[Satoru]: Oh, we got a badass over here. Well SORRYYY for worrying. 

Isabel found herself amused. Also, slightly irritated because there was nothing to worry about. She is beginning to think he likely perceives her as weak. 

[Isabel]: I’m not a weenie hut jr’s, dude. Also, who do you think you are to call me “woman”?

[Satoru]: Please. You should be flattered that I even spoke to you today. May I remind you that I helped you out earlier?

[Isabel]: Oh I’m sorry. Should I be grateful? 

[Satoru]: Is this sarcasm?

[Isabel]: Maybe it is, Gojo.

[Satoru]: I told you, it’s Satoru, Izzy.

[Isabel]: Izzy? Who the fuck is that 

[Satoru]: You, dummy.

[Isabel]: Hey!

[Satoru]: I bet you’re laughing, right?

Isabel liked that she was already on a nickname basis. However, she still felt apprehensive. She felt that maybe this is where the conversation should end. 

Satoru changes Isabel’s contact name. A small smile appears.

[Izzy]: Anywho, cool talking to you. I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re doing with whoever you’re doing it with.

[Satoru]: My friends and I are watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. IZZY, do you want to have a day at the museum?

[Isabel]: Absolutely. I want to hold hands in the gallery with my friends and admire the art. There are a few art museums in LA that are worth checking out, but haven’t gotten around to them.

[Satoru]: What’s stopping you?

[Izzy]: No one to go with. 

[Satoru]: Are you asking me to go with you?

[Izzy]: Pfft, no. 

[Satoru]: What if I want to hang out with you?

[Izzy]: Don’t you have your own friends to hang out with too?

[Satoru]: They came a long way to hang out, but we all have our mutual interests too. Suguru likes books, and Shoko likes to shop and go to the beach when she can. 

[Izzy]: They seem really cool. 

[Satoru]: They are. You can meet them sometime if you want. They don’t bite

[Izzy]: Sure, if you’d like. 

[Satoru]: I just said you can. 

He was surrounded by his closest friends. So why does he feel the push to keep talking to her? At this point, Isabel is beginning to feel it’s now or never. 

[Izzy]: When do you want to hang out?

Satoru sees that Isabel is making an effort to be open. He is not going to deny her his company. He has nothing to lose at the end of the day either. 

[Satoru]: I know you mentioned that you’re in school, right? Unless…you want to skip school tomorrow?

[Izzy]: I shouldn’t. I’m free on Friday afternoon/evening. 

[Satoru]: Sure. I’m definitely dropping you off home this time though. 

[Izzy]: God no. It’s not necessary.

[Satoru]: I insist. I want to see you go inside your house.

[Izzy]: I live in an apartment.

[Satoru]: Same thing. I just want to make sure that nothing can happen to you. 

Isabel was taken aback by this. Why does he insist on being chivalrous? He doesn’t owe her that. She is beginning to feel very comfortable with him too. 

[Izzy]: There’s no big bad wolf outside. I’ll be safe.

[Satoru]: I will insist, woman. That’s the last that we’ll talk about this.

[Izzy]: Fine. Have you ever seen real-life tar pits?

[Satoru]: Can’t say I have. Doesn’t sound romantic. 

[Izzy]: It’s not a date, stupid. I’m showing you how cool this place is.

[Satoru]: By taking me to some smelly pits. 

[Izzy]: Whatever then. Meet me at the La Brea Tar Pits at 5 pm on Friday. We can walk to the art museum after. 

[Satoru]: K, woman. See you then. 

“ Idiot,” she thought. Now she’s thinking about what Friday will be like. How will the day play out? Will she bore him at the end of the day? Why would he even want to talk to her? 

Satoru relays the information to his friends about his plans with Isabel on Friday. However, Suguru’s words ring back to his head.

We’re not here for a long time and nothing more can come from that.

[gentrychild]

Gentry! May i ask for some help of your precious rats? I have a bit of a difficult thing to find. I don't remember if it was from a tumblr post, a general legend thing i found or if watched it somewhere. But the story went like this: There was this subway station that was normally used, but if you waited til everybody else leaves after the last train leaves you could leave a thing valuable to you either at some pillar or maybe a desk? and it would be exchanged for a single way ticket, then you had one last chance to think on whether you wanted to go or not but a ghost? train would arrive at the station and take you anywhere you wanted or something like it The story has been racking my brain for a week now and for the life of me i can't remember where was it from 🧀🍇🧀🍉🧀🍓🧀🍎🧀🍑🧀🥒🧀🍆🧀 Some treats for your little helpers!

[rrxaiky]

𝐎𝐍𝐄; 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 (𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍) - 𝐊. 𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐎

ACT: CHAPTER 1. [MASTERLIST/INFORMATION], cross posted on wattpad!

WARNINGS/TAGS : F! reader, Mild angst + crack, nothing too serious. Not beta we die like me when I lost my 50/50 [1.2K WC]

"BRO, I'M YOUR MANAGER."

Ding!

You picked up your phone when you heard the notification. You had just finished a commercial shooting, and your calendar showed, ‘Meeting with Yoimiya: 6:00PM.’ It was already 5PM, and the location was actually quite far from the location of your current location. It was best if you left for the location you and Yoimiya had previously decided on. 

The sounds of footsteps and voices of people who had just gotten off work filled your ears as you arrived at the subway station. You felt lucky that the stop you were heading to didn’t have as many people on board. Just enough to keep you hidden and not get swarmed by paparazzi… Assuming you manage to get a seat where there were multiple people standing.

Lucky you, the archons must’ve been on your side today, because there were empty seats near the back of the train. 

Ding!

Another notification just as you sat down, this time being a text from Yoimiya. 

“I’ll be waiting for you outside the restaurant!” You reacted to her message with a smiling face that held a thumbs up before switching your phone off and turning your head towards the window, watching the dark walls of the underground station flash by, and hearing the rushed footsteps of people who were still rushing to get home as the voice on the train announced the stops. 

You let out a yawn on the way to your stop. You didn’t even realise that you had gotten so tired… Maybe it was from the multiple tries you had to take for filming earlier. 

It was about 5:40PM when you had finally gotten to your designated station, and you decided to text Yoimiya to let her know that you’d be arriving soon. You let out a relieved sigh when she read your message, and you walked out of the station, continuing your walk until you reached the restaurant. 

You saw Yoimiya standing outside the restaurant, her outfit, usually consisting of something that leaned into a more casual style when the both of you had meetings to discuss your commercial and modelling offers, this time formal. You knew you’d be meeting with someone else, but she didn’t tell you that you’d be meeting with someone that important today. Was the outfit you were wearing really acceptable..?!

“No need to worry! I just thought I’d try a different style today!” Yoimiya told you when she saw your expression upon seeing her. Phew. But still… “Oh stop worrying! They’re nice people! We could even be considered friends!” 

The both of you entered the semi crowded restaurant, making your way upstairs to the VIP rooms before entering one of them, and being greeted by a familiar shade of blue hair. 

“Look, bro, you have GOT TO take this meeting as a chance to-”

“Ayato! Itto! We’re here! Hope we didn’t make you wait too long,” Yoimiya greeted the two, her voice cutting off Itto’s loud words as he turned to look at Yoimiya. Itto abruptly stood up from where he sat, walking over to you and Yoimiya to properly greet you. “Yoimiya! And you must be (Name)!” 

You nodded with a smile. “Yes, I am. Nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too, (Name). I am Arataki Itto! Ayato’s manage-" Itto was cut off by a voice you were all too familiar with. "TEMPORARY. Manager. Thoma is on leave since he’s taking care of some business with Ayaka in Osaka.”

Itto thought for a while before continuing. “As I was saying before I was RUDELY interrupted, I’m bro’s TEMPORARY manager,” purposefully putting emphasis on the word ‘temporary.’ “How many times have I told you to not call me ‘bro’? It’s not professional-” Ayato was cut off this time by his ‘manager.’ “UPUPUPUPUP. I’m your manager now. I can call you whatever I want. Anyway, have a seat, you two!” Itto said, earning a sigh from Ayato.

Yoimiya took out some documents as soon as you were seated, handing them over to the three of you. “Okay, so, the reason I arranged this meeting is because we wanted to propose a marriage of convenience between you two.” 

“What?” The three of you sounded equally confused, with that being the last thing you’d expect Yoimiya to have said. You thought it would be an offer that required the both of you to work together, not marriage. “Itto! You’re supposed to already know about this!” Yoimiya whisper screamed to Itto, before he snapped out of his trance. 

“OH RIGHT. (Name), Ayato, you’re getting married.” “Hey- Wait! Itto! They still need to make their decisions!” “IF you agree to,” Itto finished, earning yet another sigh, this time from Yoimiya.

You scanned through the documents about the conditions. The words “Mainly for public appearance” stood out to you. You still didn’t know why Ayato stopped texting you a few years ago, so your perspective of him had changed a little… Maybe a lot.

“Ahem! I’ll go through the terms and conditions for this. The meeting will end after this, and (Name), Ayato, the both of you will have 2 weeks to make your decision before the next meeting.” Yoimiya then began to read out some of the contents. 

“The married couple will share a house after they get married, although sharing a room is optional… Finally, if both sides come to a mutual agreement, the contract will be terminated, and they will be able to get a divorce after a minimum of 3 years of being married. Great! That’s all. Do you guys have any questions?” 

A solid minute passed with an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air until the both of you spoke in unison. “No, I don’t.” The moment those words left your lips, you both looked at each other, his violet eyes making brief contact with yours before flinching away. 

“Alright then! That’s a wrap for today's meeting! We’ll meet again in two weeks’ time,” Yoimiya concluded, clasping her hands together. All of you stood up, bidding goodbye to each other. Just as you left the room, you heard shouts that were muffled by the door from inside. “YOIMIYA! Does this mean I can finally challenge you to another ramen eating competition?” You couldn’t hear anything after that, deciding to just go home. You’d have to think carefully about the decision, and to do that, you needed some time alone. 

The door clicked open just as you were about to walk away, Ayato now standing behind you. “Oh, you’re still here. Good work today, (Name).” “Same goes to you, Ayato,” you responded to him before walking ahead. You were just desperate to get home and take a shower at that point.

It wasn’t long before you got back to your apartment, and stepped into the shower. Thoughts about the meeting earlier clouded your mind. Being married to Ayato… He hadn’t been in your life since he graduated college. Why did he suddenly appear? 

You were blow drying your hair after you got out of the shower, and…

Ding!

Oh. Another notification. You thought it would be your calendar again, reminding you of the things you needed to do tomorrow, since Yoimiya would had shut her phone off during this time. It occurred to you then that tomorrow was your rest day, and your calendar was cleared. 

You picked your phone up, looking at the notifications bar. The message was from an unknown sender. Though, you did notice a name in the text that relieved your heart, knowing it wasn’t from someone random. 

“(Name), are you still awake? It’s Ayato here. Do you want to meet up?” 

RBs + Follows appreciated!! Hope you enjoyed <3

[nikarie5]

First Frost

Rating: General Audience, no ship unless squinting General description: Leo finds out what happens when a sidewalk frosts over. Cast: Leo Knut, Finn O'Hara, Remus Lupin Thanks to @noots-fic-fests for organising, and @lumosinlove for such lovely characters to play with. ---

“Awww, yikes!”

Leo goes down, grabbing onto the railing as his gangly legs flail out from under him. He starts pulling himself back up, his legs dancing on the slippery pavement as he tries to find traction. Failing, he gives up and scoots on his butt to sit against the railing’s post. Finn collapses with laughter in the doorway.

“Is this why you wanted to get up early and go for a walk before practice, Knut?”, Finn asks as he regains his breath.

“It looks so pretty out, like everything has been etched over by tiny lutins. I forgot elves are also known for being dangerous, luring unsuspecting travelers to their doom,” Leo drawls, looking out over the frosted over shrubbery that lined the path sloping down to the sidewalk and road. “I had read about this, but never seen it before. Our sidewalks are different kinds of booby traps down in Nola.”

“This is your first ever frost? That does explain how a professional hockey player can’t manage to walk on a tiny dusting of ice,” Finn teases as he helps Leo lever himself up off the ground and shuffle back to safe ground. “Grip with your toes, grip with your toes.” Finn twirls the car keys around one finger. “Tell ya what. I’ll drive us to practice and park in the outdoor lot instead of the spot in the garage, and you can practice on a flat surface.” He throws his arm around Leo’s waist and starts steering him towards the stairwell. “You’ll get plenty of opportunities to see frost up close and personal this winter here in Gryffindor, I promise.”

Leo leans in to the support Finn is giving him, hoping Finn can’t feel his heartbeat speeding up at the casual contact initiated by his shorter teammate. He blows lightly on his palms, happy he had had the forethought to put on his light knit gloves before venturing out onto the treacherous pavement. The last thing he needed was scraped up hands, he’s still getting used to his new Lions blocker and glove.

In the car, Leo presses his forehead to the window, watching the frosted landscape pass by, marvelling as they pass through the park across from the arena.

Finn pulls into an empty space in the near-deserted parking lot, about halfway between the subway station exit and the arena’s entry. Hopping out of the car, he yells out to the lone walker leaving the subway, “Loops! Come watch a baby deer learn to walk!” He dashes around the hood to open Leo’s door before he can do it himself.

Remus comes striding over, and offers Leo a hand to get out of the car. “Oh right, I guess you aren’t used to walking on frost yet. It’s a vital skill up here, especially if you aren’t planning on getting your own car.”

Leo leans lightly on Remus, gripping his forearm tightly as Leo’s feet threaten to betray him on the slippery concrete. “Thanks Loops. I haven’t got the trick of it yet.”

Finn butts in, “I told him the trick is to grip with your toes.” Loops joins in, chanting with Finn, “Grip with your toes, grips with your toes!”  The two look at each other, give a high five, “Ya man!”.

“I am so lost right now”, comments Leo, still struggling to find his footing while Remus shakes with laughter next to him.

“Kiss my lucky egg?” Finn asks.

“Some people say you know you can’t believe”, Remus starts off, with Finn joining in for “Hey Jamaica, we got a bobsled team.”

Leo looks at them both, completely bewildered. “I am definitely missing the reference. Seriously, how do I do this?”

“Aw, sorry Knut. Here, for now, practice sliding your feet along as though you are skating, just with smaller strides.” Finn steps out in front, demonstrating, then Remus slowly slides one foot forward and waits for Leo to copy him.

“You got this Knut, you are a professional hockey player, you can skate. It’s just like skating,” Remus adds, guiding Leo into another step forward.

The three make their way slowly to the rink’s entrance, Leo chanting the whole time under his breath, “I’m a hockey player, I can do this. I’m a hockey player, I can do this.”

[thegarden66]

Garden of Eden

Chapter 1: Call this # Now

Ice cubes melting in her Glass, a young boy tugging at his moms dress to show her a rock he found, someone ordering a coffee, leaves falling off the trees, raked together to perfectly frame the sidewalk by the campus cafe. Usually it was easy for y/n to listen to her girlfriends talk about everything that the college life of rich girls had to offer. But somehow today, she couldn't quite seem to focus. „Hey, are you listening?“ Cassie looks at her with big eyes „Sorry. I zoned out, what did you say?" she stirs her coffee and takes a sip. „I was just telling you how Rickie acted like a total dick earlier.“ Cassie crosses her arms. „I was thinking of going to the party without him today, you feel me? Post some pics of me looking good, just to make him jealous or something.“ she says unfazed. „You're coming, right?“ „Yeah, of course! Not sure what you're supposed to do about Rickie though. Hasn't he always been like this? Maybe you should just let him go.“ Cassie rolls her eyes, chewing on the straw of her smoothie. "Ugh, I don't know why I even asked you in the first place. It's not like you're known for boys being your speciality." She opens her mouth as to add to her rant, but decides against it. Emma gives her a nudge with her elbow. "Cass you're such a bitch sometimes. It's not her fault you're dating an asshole." Cassie looks down on her freshly done nails and sighs. „Yeah, I know. It’s just- I don’t understand why he's acting like this. He used to be all nice and a real gentleman but now all he does is get mad and bitch around." Y/n looks out of the coffee shop window and the conversation fades into the background. She finishes her drink, grabs her purse and gets up. „Its fine Cass. I get it, you’re upset. It’s just I-„ she pauses. „Im not good at this stuff. You know me. I wish I could say something to make you feel better but I genuinely don’t know what. I’m sorry.“ she looks at her friend with a tired smile. „I think I should really go now though, I still need to grab some stationary for uni and I shouldn't be home too late. Bye guys, see you later!“

Stepping out of the cafe, she takes a big breath, fixes her skirt and pulls out her phone, hoping the girls didn’t notice her obvious lie to get out of there. She types in a number and her phone starts ringing. As a voice on the other end of the line greets her, y/n smiles and starts nervously running her fingers along the hem of her cardigan. "Hello, I'm y/n. Is this the manager of Club Velvet?“ „It’s him.“ the voice answers „Amazing! I called one of your staff members earlier to ask if it would be possible to shoot some scenes at your venue for a documentary I'm working on. I know you have a small gig coming up tomorrow with a punk band performing and I'd love to interview some of the guests, film the performance and maybe even speak to the band. Would that be possible? If you want to look at my work I can forward some of my previous documentaries." „Ah, yes. The aspiring movie director.“ he answers with a sarcastic undertone. „Sure, that’s fine with me. Yes, my colleague already told me about it and you can film at our location but I'd have to ask the boys from the band first if they would be up for an interview. I’ll do that and call you back later alright?" "Oh really? That would be amazing thank you so much. I'm practically already waiting for your call back!" Y/n says, laughing nervously. The line goes silent for a second until she hears the manager breathing in sharply on the other end. „Yeah sure. You’ll hear from me. G‘bye" The connection cuts off and y/n stands there awkwardly for a second before she makes her way down to the subway station.

The way home goes by twice as fast as usual and as much as she loves to people watch while riding the train, she just sits there with her eyes closed and a big smile on her face, thinking about the upcoming shoot. There has always been this passion for people in her life. Learning their hobbies ambitions and dreams, what they do to pass the time and the things they enjoy. It was in high school when she discovered filmmaking and even though she's never thought of herself as a very creative person, capturing the world from her own perspective has revealed a new side of herself. Only as she walks up the stairs to her apartment in Manhattan her mood shifts when she remembers the upcoming New-Term Fall-Party. Y/n has never been one to pass up on a good party and surely it’s gonna be a great evening. Yet a quiet voice inside of her head is begging to stay home and she can’t understand why.

Either way, canceling on the girls would be easier said than done and the following disappointment and being excluded from any friend group activities for a week ist absolutely not worth staying home. As Y/n steps into the already steaming hot shower, it’s almost making her forget the looming dread of going out tonight. She gets out, curls her hair and ties it into a half up/ half down hairstyle. Because makeup has never been her strong suit, she keeps it simple with brown eyeshadow to accentuate her eyes, a rosy shimmer on top, mascara, blush and a nude lip that matches the color of her jumper dress ontop of her favorite bell-sleeved blouse. To tie the outfit together, she puts on black knee high leather boots, a matching bag and a blazer. One last check in the mirror, a quick breathing exercise and she is out the door, and as a small treat to herself, on her way to take a cab to the party.

Emma, Cassie and Julie are already standing infront of the club. The four have been best girlfriends since Highschool. They greet each other with hugs and compliments and make their way past the bouncer, straight to the bar, where Julie promptly orders a round of drinks. The barkeeper hands out champagne flutes to the four and Emma turns around, facing her friends, and tying her arms around Cassie’s and Julie’s waists. She sticks her head in the middle of the group and speaks a toast, yelling over the club music. „To a new term, hot parties, wild nights and my favorite girls.“ They all laugh, clunk their glasses and take a sip. „So are we gonna go dance or what?“ Cassie shouts. They move to the dance floor, shoving away confused first term students and making room for themselves, shaking their hips, balancing champagne glasses in their hands until they find a good place to stay. Four girls dancing in a circle, singing along to bad remixes of pop songs, forgetting the world around them. To y/n this moment is movie worthy. The purest form of bliss she could ever imagine. The effortless fun of dancing to rihanna with your best friends while pearls of sweat are forming on their foreheads. It almost makes her feel stupid about not wanting to go at first. After a while of silly dancing and singing the wrong lyrics to obnoxiously bad pop songs Cassie looks at her phone and gestures the girls to follow her off the dance floor. „What’s wrong?“ Julie asks. „Rickie called, he wants to meet!“ Emma looks at her confused „What about looking hot and making him jealous?!“ Cassie holds back a chuckle and shrugs. „I’ll meet you guys again later.“ The other girls exchange looks and Julie rolls her eyes. „I guess in the meantime I’ll go get some more drinks. I could really use a break!“ „Sure Julie! Y/n and I are gonna go check for a free couch in one of the lounges! I know one of the bouncers. Maybe i can get us into vip!“ Emma grabs y/n‘s Arm, ready to go as y/n feels her phone vibrate in her bag. „Emma wait!“ She lifts up her phone. „I really gotta take this call! I’ll step outside for a second“ she hurries outside while Emma looks after her, barely making it in time to take the Call. „Miss y/n. We spoke earlier.“ it’s the Manager. Her heart starts beating faster and she’s fidgeting nervously. „You asked me if you could speak to the band, remember?“ „Yes of course!“ „Well it seems like todays your lucky day! They’re free for a short interview but in a bit of a time crunch. I can forward you the contact but if you want to meet them you have to call this number now!“

[rakka-kasahara]

2024-11-16

Dream:

A bit of a long one, I am pretty sure this was all one dream, though I am a bit unsure of the first part.

It starts at the post office and I am checking my PO box. I think there was a phone or something in there playing some anime, and I go sit down to watch it. I know there there are some other details that I am missing. I believe there were some other people there and the post office also had a sort of basement? It was sort of like a subway. While on the phone, I see an ad or something for a new game. I believe the game started with MM or that was the name of the developers. It was being touted as being fully developed by women and women only. I decide to play it and am now in the game world. It is a 3D RPG of some sorts, but the graphics were a little dated. I am there with some other girl, and we are exploring the town. We keep climbing up to the top of the town, going up hills and stairs. When we reach the top, it is this nice field of flowers and a cliff overlooking a valley with mountains. There is a zip line going to the base of one of the mountains, so I ride it. At the base, there are some other people and they have their bag of stuff lying around. However, I notice a kitty lying on her back in the stuff. She gets up and hobbles towards me. She is all hurt and is missing a leg and has a sort of messed up mouth and is bleeding. There are other kitties, and they are all kind of hurt. At this point, I am now at my Grandma M's house. The kitties are running around and I think one claws me. I go to the basement, and Brother A is there. A kitty jumps out of some boxes and attack him. I go back up the stairs, and I see my Grandma on a landing halfway up. She is upset because she dropped Grandpa's CRT. She thinks she broke it. The plastic bezel has fallen off, but nothing appears broken. I ask her if she heard a cracking noise or something. I go back downstairs to check on my own CRT. I go to pick it up, and it is cracked. The plastic is bending when I try to pick it up. I end up grabbing and I notice it is full of water. I tip it over and start dumping out the water. I bring it back up stairs, and I wake up.

Analysis:

I think the post office was sort of merged with a bus station I almost got stranded at. Not sure why the MM game, but maybe it was based off of one of those HoyoVerse games? Wuthering Waves, WW, MM? I don't really play gatcha games, but I think those games are full of lesbians, or that is what their fandoms say. So, maybe that is the only "women only developers" part. The town was probably based off of Nightfall Travelers Leave only Footprints. There is a scene in the manga where they climb up some stairs and reach a field at the top of the town. The town is old and packed with buildings and very hilly. The manga becomes color at this point and is very beautiful. Grandma M's basement was probably a bit merged with Grandma D's basement. Not sure of the kitties, but I kind of didn't like that part. I have an old CRT, and there used to be a CRT in Grandma's basement that we watched Boo Bahs on.

[daemosghost]

I have no clue if I ever posted this, but this old drawing was a depiction of a recurring dream I constantly had for a while.

Also story about that recurring dream below because it was super vivid and for some reason my body actually thought I perished.

Each time I have the dream: I wake up in the high school I went to, things seem fine at first but then screams begin. I look outside one of the classrooms to see people being chased by horrifying creatures. They are not your typical zombie, they move relatively fast, at around the normal pace or less they moved in when still alive, only being weighed down by their melted, bloated skin. All of the creatures are covered in blood.

The first time I had the dream:

I successfully escaped the high school as I witnessed people being mauled, I begin running as fast as I can without being chased, I make it past the road to the elementary school's bus rider drop off area, only being about 3 minutes away from the nearby Subway and gas station before some monsters notice me, but attack some people not far behind me instead. I'm running out of breath out of breath but I must get to at least the gas station and hide before I'm chased after and found. By the time I make to the gas station, it's no use, I hear screaming inside. I get to the Subway not too far away, that's no good either, I rush off to the Dollar General, hoping not to be seen. I don't know where these things are coming from, but I do know they must be coming from the city, therefore they haven't made it to my home yet, but I must get to my family fast before those things make it there. Sweating profusely, I make it to the parking lot, hiding behind a car to catch my breath. 'I need water' I thought to myself, I look through the window of the car, nothing visible. I see nothing around yet so I quickly go inside the store to the back where the freezers are for a cool drink. I quickly pick one of the large bottles of Smart Water opening it then immediately gulping down half of it. I leave the store, noticing the zombies heading my way, I bolt off immediately, the creatures not far behind, I spot a presumably abandoned bus not far away as as I see also see the side road that will lead me to my home, I could either split off early past the bus, or keep going straight which would only take me longer. I decide not to hide in the bus, but I trip, I immediately begin getting eaten by the zombies. I wake up from the dream shaking severely.

The next two times I make the same options as the first time.

The 4th time, I decide to hide in the bus: There's two other people hiding, we watch as the monsters run off, when the coast is clear I immediately run off again, eventually, I make it there, immediately running to the porch, locking the door there, then making it inside, locking that door. I immediately try to warn everyone not to go outside and to stay quiet but they aren't listening, I look out the screen door, already seeing some of the zombies roaming. I run off to try and gather some things I'll need already hearing banging at the door. It's too late, they burst through the door. I run to my room and lock the door closing my ears so I cant hear the screams. A timeskip takes place, a month later, my family had all turned to one of those zombies not long after the attack and regularly roam the halls every few minutes. I'm running low on food now as I've been snacking on snacks, leftovers and candy in my room , careful to keep quiet. It's not doing much good to stay here any longer, I have to be careful and time my exit right. And I clearly don't time it right, my life gets ended immediately.

The 5th time goes smoother, my family was hearing about it from local news first this time and were hurrying to pack everything into the vehicles as I arrived: Unfortunately all the pets had to stay, all food sources were opened up and made available beforehand, the ducks and chickens greenhouse doors were opened so they could prosper as they'd like, the indoor pets had an exit too, the back door leading to the back porch being opened, we all pack into different vehicles, I end up with my grandmother and one of my uncles as she floors it down the road, we listen in on the local radio as we go, apparently there's a safe haven open for noninfected people at the city's large campus, they had plenty of room at the University gyms and dormitories, luckily both the people I was with were former employees of the University so they knew where exactly to go. We stopped at the shopping center for some supplies but that was our mistakes. Game over again.

The 7th time in the dream, we head directly to the campus this time: The ones in charge of ensuring we get inside okay quickly usher us in, we have no clue if my grandfather and brother are safe. Especially considering my brother is disabled and prone to being disruptive, we just hope everything is fine. For the next few months all is well when suddenly we hear shouting, people start yelling that the Infected have found their way here and a few have made their way inside. I immediately run to find my family members and get to an exit as quick as possible, we make it to the parking lot as people are panicking, running and pushing. We have to find whatever car or truck we can get in. And with just our luck after running to find unlocked vehicles, I find one with the keys still in the gear. I rush over but as I do so my uncle is caught, I grab my grandmother and we make it into the vehicle, we have to process what happened later. I take the wheel, despite not having driven before, and then I wake up.

[the-scarlet-witch-22]

Chaconne: Part Twelve (Agatha Harkness x Reader)

Word Count: 4.1K

Summary: As the fall season progresses, and as tensions rise, Y/N decides on what to do about her relationship with Agatha Harkness and goes to an audition for Natasha Romanov

Link: Here is a link to the Chaconne playlist I made on Spotify :) I’ve posted the pieces mentioned in this chapter (Vivaldi, Paganini, and Wieniawski) and add in other songs as well

A/N: Hello Chaconne readers! It’s been a minute. I hope you’re all doing well. I apologize for the delay in updating, life has been very busy but I am determined to finish the first arc of Chaconne. I wanted to do a quick little note to address a musician who is listed in the story. It was brought to my attention that some of you may think Hilary Hahn is a fictional person I made up but she is real! Please google her. I love her. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. We’re nearing the end! I think I’ve updated my tag list but if I left anyone off please remind me- I apologize if I did! As always thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave comments & my inbox is always open for messaging, it always makes my day to hear from y’all ❤️

Tag List: @anxiousgoldengirl @celasteria @danvers97 @imthedoctorlove @mcfriggingonagall @meowsaidmissy @scarletmeltstheice @shinkomiii @sxfwap @thestrangeundoing @upsidedowndanvers @venticalooks @vintagegoddess12 @thoroughly--confused @genderenvyeveryone @thewelshelk

Y/N POV

It had been twelve hours since the Times article had been published and you barely left your bedroom. A small part of you was aching to talk to Agatha, as you had grown accustomed to spending most of your waking hours in her presence. But those feelings of longing were outweighed by the heaviness you felt in your chest. You had so many questions, and you were unsure if getting answers would bring you out of this catatonic state.

Your brain replayed your last conversation with the conductor on a constant, agonizingly painful loop. It was pathetic really, but you couldn’t stop. Unfortunately those thoughts slowly transitioned to questioning every interaction you’d shared with Agatha and Wanda since starting your job. Every angry jab Agatha would throw in when the pianist was mentioned. How jealous she appeared whenever Wanda was in close proximity to you. All this time you had assumed the strange behavior was driven by her hatred of Wanda, and she didn’t want you associating with the pianist because of it. Now you were beginning to wonder if it was all some elaborate ruse to cover up an alleged affair.

Finally you couldn’t take your own self pity anymore; you needed to get out of your apartment. Fresh air would surely do you some good. Fall was in full swing in New York, and the cooler air sent a rush of adrenaline through your veins as you weaved through the crowds. You need to be somewhere calm to clear your head, which could be challenging while living in one of the busiest cities in the world. The most obvious choice would be to walk through Chelsea Market for coffee before taking a walk along the High Line. The mere thought of the park usually made you feel better, but instead you felt your chest ache at the memory of your most recent visit with Agatha.

Agatha throwing a fit as you insisted on taking the subway, and how you all but dragged her down the stairs of the station. Agatha, arrogant as ever, insisting on standing on the train and ultimately falling on your lap. Agatha holding your hand, intertwining your fingers as you strolled through The High Line. Agatha being carefree and the closest to happy you had ever seen. Agatha inviting you to her home. Agatha being domestic and cooking you dinner. Agatha humming under her breath, producing the most beautiful melody. Agatha watching you eat and admitting how much she enjoyed your company. Agatha, Agatha, Agatha. Always Agatha.

Your brain swirled with thoughts of the conductor until you couldn’t take it anymore. You needed to go somewhere to sort out your feelings, and clearly The High Line was the last place you should visit. But still, you needed to be outdoors. Racking your brain, you thought of one place you hadn’t ventured to in a while. It was a bit of a trek to get there, but today you seemed to have nothing but time on your hands.

The subway was unusually quiet this morning, once again reminding you of your time on the train with Agatha. No, you thought quietly, you needed to stop. Attempting to distract yourself, you began sorting through your purse, yet as the train made its first stop your mind once again wandered to the conductor. How she scrunched her nose at your suggestion to sit down, and how hard it was for you to reign in your laughter when she fell on your lap. A smile played at your lips before you remembered your current situation, and felt a familiar tug at your heart. You missed her. How was that even possible? You had spent the majority of your life without Agatha Harkness, yet only after a few months in her presence she was all you could think of. Thankfully you reached your stop before you could remind yourself of the painful reason why the conductor was always on your mind.

Exiting the station, you enjoyed the cool breeze that left you feeling comfortable enough in your light coat. There was nothing quite like fall in New York City. The crimson and carnelian leaves rustling in the wind around you seemed to bring Vivaldi’s Autumn to life. While you always looked forward to fall and winter, your violin did not feel the same. You were already dreading the extra time it would take you to tune, as the colder weather could cause the stringed instrument to go flat.

Luckily this was perfect walking weather, and you could already feel your brain fog clearing as you reached your destination; The Met Cloisters. As a child you always enjoyed your family trips to The Met, but adored the rare trip to The Cloisters even more. Nestled in Fort Tryon Park, it felt as if you had traveled through time. The Met Cloisters housed relics from the Middle Ages and it was unlike anything you’d experienced.

As much as you adored strolling through the various galleries and admiring the medieval art, or taking a walk through one of the gardens, there was one spot you were longing to visit; The West Terrace. It was your hidden oasis, and was one of the only spots in New York that sometimes made you forget you were in such a crowded and occasionally overwhelming city. Situated on the hill, it overlooked the Hudson River and often provided you a quiet space for thinking. During the fall it was a brilliant swirl of gold and red hues, which produced a stunning backdrop. The terrace was relatively vacant at this time of day, and you were thankful for the peace and quiet. For the first time all week, you felt better.

Finally turning on your phone, your heart sank at the number of messages from Agatha. As upset as you were, you knew you needed to at least tell her you were okay. You sent a quick text back, and you considered calling her when a different notification caught your eye and almost caused you to drop your phone. You had received an email from Natasha Romanov asking if you were available to meet later this evening for an audition.

Natasha Romanov was perhaps the greatest violinist you had ever seen live…well besides Hilary Hahn. With the stature and grace of a ballerina, she made every flourish of her bow and run up and down the fingerboard look elegant. You had followed her since the start of her career, and she became more popular as the years went on. Soon, you had seen news of her headlining every major orchestra. You religiously watched any recording of her performances you could find and even followed her on Instagram. The chance to audition for Natasha Romanov was one in a million, and you couldn’t believe how lucky you were.

But were you ready for that pressure? Performing for Natasha Romanov was quite a step up from being Agatha’s assistant, and were you ready for it? Sighing, you realized you were wasting precious time and it was almost noon. You would need at least an hour to get back to your apartment, and would need an additional hour to practice and prepare. It wouldn’t hurt to meet with Natasha. Surely the worst thing that could happen would be being rejected from her group, and you could handle that. Replying to Natasha’s email, you hurriedly left the museum to get ready.

Which is how you found yourself standing in the doorway of Natasha’s studio. Natasha Romanov was even more breathtaking in person. Her red hair was pulled back in a braid, and she was rehearsing what sounded like one of Paganini’s 24 Caprices. You watched her perform, eyes closed as she let her fingers guide her through the passages. It took you a moment to clock it as No. 4 in C Minor. While you often struggled to hit every double stop accurately and have your notes be in tune, Natasha made it look as easy as breathing. She moved from passage to passage with such ease and unwavering stamina, never relenting in intensity.

She eventually noticed you hovering in the doorway and stopped practicing. “Y/N?” Natasha asked, and you paused for a moment before nodding.

Natasha approached you and held out her hand, and you shook it and offered her a small smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Romanov, thank you for this audition.”

“Well Wanda’s told me a lot about you,” Natasha continued as you fidgeted with your violin case as you unpacked, putting a generous amount of rosin on your bow. “She seems to feel you have too much talent to be wasting away as someone’s assistant.”

Despite your conflicted feelings regarding Agatha, you still felt anger at the violinist’s words. “I’m not wasting away, and I happen to love my job.”

“Yet you wanted to meet me,” Natasha pointed out. “Which must mean some part of you is considering a change in careers.”

“I guess I might be reconsidering a few things,” you admitted, and felt a small pang of guilt at the admission.

Natasha let out a low hum. “You’re a violinist, Y/N, not someone’s secretary. There’s no shame in wanting to perform, is there?”

Despite the churning in your stomach, you knew Natasha had a point. This is what you’d dreamed for as long as you could remember; to be on stage with your violin. For all of the hours you chose to practice instead of going out with your friends. The strenuous lessons with passive aggressive professors that made you want to bash your head against a wall. Countless hours spent crying in practicing rooms after lessons with said professors. Recital preparation that required your undivided attention as you attempted to memorize and perfect every last bar. You had sacrificed everything for this. This was the life of a musician. Nothing came before the music.

After taking a few moments to tune your strings, you remained silent, stewing in your thoughts. It appeared Natasha noticed a change in your attitude. “What have you prepared for me?”

The most obvious answer would be Chaconne. It would be the safer choice, as it was the primary piece you’d been working on with Agatha. But you’d recently started a new concerto, one you’d been dying to play for years; and it happened to be one you knew Natasha was fond of.

“The first movement of Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2.”

That appeared to capture Natasha’s attention, as you watched the violinist lean against the grand piano with a curious expression on her face. “Interesting choice. I last played that with the-”

“The LA Philharmonic last November,” you blurted out, and Natasha stared at you, perplexed. “I went to the concert. You were incredible.”

Natasha hummed again, before nodding. “Thank you. It’s a rigorous piece, are you sure you can handle it?”

Normally you would have let your inner voice chime in with your unrelenting self-doubt, but you were reminded of a particularly grueling lesson with Agatha. There were three things Agatha loathed (in no particular order); Wanda Maximoff (although you wondered how true that was), TikTok, and cowardice.

It was a rather late evening in the symphony hall, and Agatha had just finished attempting to fix the way you held your bow, bringing up the importance of how to curve your fingers just so. Unfortunately, each time the conductor did this, she was standing right behind you, one hand on your waist, the other on the hand holding your bow. You swore she moved closer with every word of the dangers of holding the bow with an unbent thumb, and your brain practically short circuited as she whispered in your ear to “relax.”

As soon as she stepped back, you could all but feel her burning gaze, thankful she wasn’t able to see the burning in your cheeks. Clapping her hands together, she went to leave the stage in her usual flourish. “Now, dear, just as we practiced. When you position your bow on the string keep your posture relaxed enough to ensure your bow hand fingers will be able to bend,” Agatha instructed, and you nodded. You could do that, right?

Gently raising your violin to rest on your shoulder, you rolled your shoulders back and placed your bow on the string. Taking a quick glance at your bow hand, you internally panicked as you felt yourself tense up. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath and tried to relax, just as Agatha had whispered in your ear mere moments ago. But the more you urged yourself to relax, you became more tense. Finally you shook your head and placed your violin under your arm as you looked out to Agatha.

“I can’t do it.”

The conductor sat in the front row, hands folded neatly and legs crossed. There was a curious expression on her face, not quite annoyed but not amused either. She stared at you for a bit of time, the silence growing through the vastly empty hall until she let out a low hum.

“Then get out,” she said simply, motioning to the door. “And come back when you’re ready to work.”

Giving her an incredulous look, you shook your head again. “But I am working. I’m doing everything you’re telling me, and I’m telling you that I can’t do this.”

You had struggled with your bow hold for as long as you could remember. Various teachers had fixed it to their liking, and unfortunately different teachers had different methods they swore by. Your undergraduate professor thought you to be an anomaly. He couldn’t fathom how you were able to keep your left hand relaxed enough to move up and down the fingerboard with ease, but struggled to keep your bow hand relaxed.

“There’s a difference between being unable to do something and being afraid to do it,” Agatha remarked. The same curious expression was on her face, but this time she made no attempt to join you on stage. “What are you afraid of?”

Her question was slightly probing, and it caught you off guard, yet you replied without even thinking. “Failure.”

“Then don’t fail,” Agatha countered, finally standing up. The click-clacking of her heels echoed throughout the hall as she walked onstage, standing across from you. “If this is what you want, you need to tune out any sense of self doubt. Out of all those people that will fill those seats,” she motioned to the empty hall in front of you, “there is going to be one person holding their breath, thinking that you’ll find a way to fuck up. Don’t let that person be you.”

Agatha wasn’t a very open person, but her words seemed oddly personal, causing you to wonder if she told herself the same thing before performances. It seemed the conductor realized she was being too vulnerable as she cleared her throat. “From the top.”

Coming back to reality, you shrugged as you fixed your shoulder rest. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

That earned you a smirk. “Well I see you’ve certainly spent enough time with Harkness.” Taking a seat at the table, Natasha nodded towards you. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Wieniawski’s concertos have always been a favorite of yours. As with most pieces composed during the romantic era, there were many lush and colorful passages, starting with the opening theme from the orchestra complete with thick cords and furious runs. Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 2 in D Minor was no different. The opening was around 2 minutes long before you came in. However since you were playing unaccompanied, you mentally hummed the last few bars the orchestra played before your entrance.

The main theme reminded you of the sweetest pain you could experience. It was the sort of yearning you felt when you had a broken heart. The swirling and moody passages went from fast runs up and down the fingerboard to sweet melodies as your violin sang its grief. Playing Wieniawski wasn’t for the faint of heart, as the late composer was considered to be one of the greatest violin virtuosos of all time. The first movement was filled with difficult double stops, arpeggios, and chromatic glissandos that left your fingers all but aching by the end.

Just as you finished a particularly challenging passage complete with double stops, Natasha raised a hand to stop you. “I’ll be in touch in a few days,” Natasha offered, and you had heard that line enough times to know what it meant. It was usually followed by a polite but curt email informing you they decided to ‘go in a different direction.’

Thanking the violinist, you left the studio with a clear destination in your mind. It was late, and you knew the smart choice would be to go home and sleep. But you never made the best decisions. Which is how you ended up on Agatha’s doorstep, violin case still in hand. After debating on whether to ring the doorbell or just go home, you decided you were being ridiculous and rang the doorbell.

A few moments later the door opened to reveal Agatha looking more exhausted than you’d ever seen. The dark circles under her eyes made you silently wonder if the conductor had gotten any sleep. You waited for something, anything. For her to yell at you for completely ignoring all her calls and messages. Or for her to slam the door in your face. Yet instead you got… nothing. Only Agatha staring at you as if she had seen a ghost.

You broke the awkward silence first. “I’m sorry, I know it’s late. I probably should’ve called.”

The conductor remained silent, and you wondered if you made the right choice in coming by unannounced. “Agatha…” Trailing off, you tried to find the right words to say. You knew you had needed the time to gather your thoughts, to know what you wanted to ask her. But somehow seeing her standing in front of you, looking as though she thought she’d never see you again, words failed you.

Clearing her throat, the conductor looked you up and down with a disapproving glance. “You look freezing, Y/N. Why aren’t you wearing a coat?” Gently reaching for your arm, she coaxed you inside, and you felt shivers from her touch. “You’re going to catch a cold, you need to be more careful.”

You were barely aware of anything else besides Agatha’s arm wrapped around your shoulders as she led you to her sitting room. She was quietly mumbling to herself, but you weren’t focusing enough to hear what she was saying. Motioning for you to sit on the couch she grabbed a blanket to wrap around you.

Señor Scratchy was on the armchair across from you, and Agatha gently picked him up, stroking his fur. “Would you like some tea?”

Feeling your stomach doing flip flops, you figured drinking anything might not be the best idea. “I’m alright, thank you.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Agatha took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, still holding Señor Scratchy. Despite the conductor being closer to you in what felt like days, you felt further apart from her than ever. There was so much you wanted to say, but you didn’t know where to begin.

Agatha appeared to be lost as well. She was more stoic than you ever remembered her being, and you wondered if the backlash from the article was making its way around the board; more specifically if Hayward was trying to cause problems. As hard as you tried to read the conductor it appeared she put every wall you managed to knock down back up, essentially locking you out.

“I’m sorry for running out yesterday,” You said quietly, trying to get Agatha to look at you. “I should’ve stayed and let you explain. I didn’t know what to do.”

The conductor let out a low hum, as she appeared to be gathering her thoughts. “I can’t say I blame you.” Agatha finally looked up, and met your eyes. “I was hoping to tell you before the article was published but there was no time.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her words. “You knew they were releasing it?”

“Only the night before,” Agatha explained gently, and you wondered if she was speaking this calmly for you or herself. “That's why I canceled the rehearsal. I have a friend who’s a reporter at The Times and they gave me a heads up.” She scoffed. “Although I’m not sure how much of a heads up it really was.”

“So you left to try and kill the story?” You guessed, realizing that explained the conductor’s strange behavior that night.

Agatha nodded. “As you can see I was quite unsuccessful.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry for not warning you.”

You wanted to say it was okay, and while you understood she had to have been under a tremendous amount of stress, you still had a few unanswered questions. “So it’s true?”

Agatha chuckled, and you wondered if you should’ve stayed quiet. “It’s true, but I haven’t talked to Wanda, much less seen her since Greece.” She noticed your downcast expression and sighed. “Y/N, it’s not what you think.”

You scoffed, attempting to stay calm. “So you didn’t have an affair with Wanda?”

Agatha arched an eyebrow at your tone, but continued on. “It was an indiscretion, and a mistake I believe I will regret for the rest of my life.” You stayed silent, stewing over her words, so she kept going. “It was over at the end of that summer. Wanda broke it off, and that’s that.”

“That’s that?” You asked quietly. “So you don’t…” trailing off, you quickly decided you didn’t want to know the answer to the question you were most worried about.

Agatha gently set Señor Scratchy down next to her before turning to look at you. “You have nothing to worry about, Y/N. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but there is absolutely nothing there.”

“You’re sure?”

“Wanda is incredibly infuriating and I am looking forward to being done with this concert series.” Agatha said, reaching across to grab your hand. “Do you trust me?”

That was an excellent question. Did you trust Agatha? On the outside the conductor appeared moody and stand-offish to the world. She had incredibly high standards, and was extremely demanding. You watched her make people cry in every MSO rehearsal, and had sent countless interns running for the hills. On paper Agatha should be the last person you trust.

But then there was the Agatha you knew. The brooding conductor who made sure you ate when you were stressed, and offered you rides home when leaving work too late. Agatha pushing you against the piano and kissing you. Agatha making you dinner and showing you her home. Agatha who made your insides feel like they were being filled with rays of sunshine every time she looked at you. You trusted Agatha. You loved her.

“I trust you,” you confirmed. “No more secrets?”

Agatha smirked. “What’s life without secrets darling?”

You wondered if you should bring up the audition you had with Natasha, when the beeping of your phone grabbed your attention, and you excused yourself as Agatha went to make tea. Going through your voicemail, you had one message from a number you didn’t recognize.

“Y/N, sorry to be calling so late. I know I said you’d hear from me in a few days, but I don’t see any point in delaying this. I want you to join my group in Vienna. I’ll have an official offer sent over in the morning. Take a few days to think it over.” There was a pause before Natasha added: “But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let me know whatever you decide.”

“Y/N?” Agatha’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “Have you eaten anything?”

Unfortunately you barely registered Agatha’s question as you replayed the voicemail; making sure you heard Natasha correctly. You made it in. You did it. The happiness and joy you felt was quickly replaced by looming dread. What were you going to tell Agatha?

“Y/N?” Agatha’s voice was growing closer. “Is everything alright?”

Agatha’s eyes searched yours, and you nodded, placing your phone in your back pocket. “Yeah, everything’s great.”