#prepared and ready to be obliterated either way

[tomorrowcomesadaytoosoon]

mam saying how alike palm and his dad are several times, and also telling her son she left because she felt suffocated by chanon's love. nueng constantly being annoyed by people underestimating him. palm helping and doing everything for nueng. i have more than one fear

[russenoire]

I was thinking about how dimple thought mob would exorcise him if tsubomi or that guy he possessed in spirits arc got hurt, and how reigen told dimple mob would exorcise him for sure if he finds out he lied in wd arc. It felt really strange when fandom took their words as facts, like... none of these are dimple's fault? Why would reigen and dimple think that way?

shigeo himself has threatened to return ekubo to the void for far less, if you'll recall: ｢僕の名前は茂夫だよ。次、茂ちゃんって呼んだら除霊するから。｣ 'boku no namae wa shigeo da yo. tsugi, "shige-chan" -tte yondara jorei suru kara.' 'my name is shigeo. call me "shige-chan" again and i'll exorcise you.'

when he wakes up to the sleazy ghost's wheedling voice, he's ready to exorcise him. he does not give a single fuck. ｢他に言い残すことは？｣ comes to mind ('hoka ni iinokosu koto wa?' i would translate this as 'any more last words?'). then he warns him LATER THAT DAY that he'll be exorcised if he misbehaves again. granted, this came early in their acquaintance... and the very next morning after ekubo tried to murder him in s1e3... but still. (the ghost calls him by his given name for the rest of the series.)

in the psycho helmet arc, shigeo is incensed enough, hurt enough, and more than prepared to make good on that promise. he does not want to! and is weeping at the prospect of sending his friend to the shadow realms, but he will if he must. so that threat has been looming over ekubo for the entire series, anon. it's not baseless.

reigen's sense of what 'misbehavior' entails feels less punitive than ekubo's, however. it probably speaks to their backgrounds. reigen's example entails a breach of trust. even if that lie was justified (and oh ho, was it ever), it was still a lie, with all the potential to piss shigeo off. and reigen has reason to fear that, given that much of his own relationship with shigeo is based on blatant lies and he's secretly terrified of what will happen when they come to light... he's projecting so hard...

i imagine ekubo has led the kind of harsh gangsta (after)life where spirits being obliterated on someone's whim is common, if he fears it happening over what you mention specifically. those are less examples of behaving badly than failure to keep a promise, i think. but in ekubo's worldview? still perhaps bad enough to warrant severe punishment. the spirit has a better sense of what shigeo is capable of than reigen does and has valid reason to fear him, too.

i don't think shigeo actually would have exorcised ekubo for either of these things. i mean, he's grateful to the ghost for preventing him from nuking a sizable chunk of his hometown in grief and voices this; his methods wouldn't have mattered. especially after the fact. if shigeo can recontextualize mogami's torture for months as a cosmic fucking joke played at his expense and take him on? he can understand and forgive ekubo's lie in good faith.

[thequietmanno1]

Thelreads, MHA 287, Replies Part 2

1) “Yeah! The broccoli boy is the chosen one, he shall guide this quirk forward! Begone, foul demon of the potato fields, begone!”- The fact that AFO’s possession of others through his vestige is treated akin to an actual demon’s, if even more invasive and defiling, says a lot about him.

2) “Yeah Shigaraki, I mean, there’s only two of you, and there’s like, 9 of them on the other side, of course they would be winning this battle of wills. Be grateful they don’t obliterate yo asses out of here”- Tomura doesn’t actually give a crap about stealing OFA himself either, but he’s annoyed that the power can seriously resist his own overwhelming might and the destruction he unleashes with it, so that motivates him to oppose them regardless. 3) “You really gonna try this angle AfO? For real? Even though you know you can’t measure up to their will?

They might have not been stronger than you in the real world, but it comes to willpower, you don’t stand a chance, it’s like a gust of wind against a tornado. This is futile, even Shigaraki cannot help you in this.”- It’s a match-up of quality over quantity actually. Tomura and AFO are outnumbered by the other vestiges, sure, but Tomura’s hatred and ever-present rage against the world entre was groomed by AFO to be as mindless and primal as possible, in order to overcome their numbers. Individually, he can overpower each one of them, and this is only after having just awakened. Given enough time, he could further refine it, now he has experience of the vestige realm, to seriously threaten to take OFA in one go, regardless of what resistance they put up. MHA as a series has always been about emotional highs, invoking that “hell yes” feeling when the heroes pull through despite the odds, bringing you to the peak of emotion in the process. It’s therefore appropriate that AFO's plan incorporates this fact, and best to think of Tomura’s hatred this way: He’s always peaking his hatred 24/7. Even if the other vestiges can resist for a bit, eventually, they will weaken, because Tomura just keeps going and going without letting anything stop him, and that near-force of nature isn’t something a human can resist forever.

4) “OH MY FUCKINGG GOD SHIGARAKI HE LITERALLY JUST SAID HE WAS THE ONE THAT KILLED YOUR GRANDMA HOW ARE YOU NOT CONNECTING THE DOTS ABOUT WHO’S TO BLAME HERE”- Well, he still blames everybody for his issues, so it’s all the same to him. Again, for all that Tomura could be redeemed, he does everything he can to choose not to, because he’s convinced himself he’s better off as a villainous monster, no matter how unhappy it makes him deep down inside. 5) “AfO how dare you speak like that about your own son?! Shame on you, it’s a good thing you don’t have eyes otherwise you’d see how disappointed he is right now”- Izuku started off his journey as a hero with his major antagonist being his childhood bully Bakugo. Appropriately enough, the major villainous threat he faces at the end of his journey, the one his power was cultivated to defeat, is himself just a massive bully as well, and is all the more devastating an opponent for Izuku because of his past experience with it. Izuku’s self-confidence and belief that he’s “worthless” without the powers bestowed upon him have always been a major weak point in his psyche, and AFO is capable of exploiting that weakness with only a few choice sentences. 6) “AND WE’RE BACK IN THE REAL WORLD IT SEEMS

AND READY FOR ROUND TWO I SUPPOSE”- Well, that depends on who you’re referring to. Because I don’t think Tomura’s in any fit state to pilot that engine of destruction he calls a body, but somebody else seems more than willing to jump in… 7) “Oh right, here comes the rest of the circus, with definitely-not-a-todoroki preparing to throw hands against his fam again. Good lord.”- Given how unexpected Machia’s appearance will be for those fighting at the hospital, I appreciate them building up his arrival so much, given it;d be a massive diablos Ex Machina for him to burst in just as they’re on their last legs agasitn Tomura already. 8) “Oh yeah, that’s definitely the face of someone who just lost someone close to him less than half an hour ago”- Dabi’s the kind of guy to always look on the bright side of life. Twice is dead, but otherwise, things are progressing smoothly, so may as well smile so the enemy doesn’t have the satisfaction of knowing you’re upset!....if he is actually upset. Again, hard to tell, he keeps his cards so close to the chest. (MHA ch 271) 9) “…

I don`t know why, but I don`t like the sound of that.”- He’s got a plan, and he’s not gonna share it with anybody, so nobody will be able to stop him…. 10) "Toga is still… thoughtful…

Seems like she’s also keeping some distance from Dabi, but more than that, she’s looking for someone, and we know who. Midoriya is there, and so is Uraraka. She is wondering where both of them are, we know that she is."- Compress is, as ever, noteful of his allies’ true thoughts and feelings and doing what he can to make sure that they’re all together in this evendour, despite his own comparative lack of power in a fight, just like a good supporter should. I actually find it interesting that he phrases the question to Toga in such a way that he’s giving her the option to stay out of the battle if she really doesn’t want to hurt the enemy, even after all the sacrifices their side has taken. It’s more care and consideration for her loss than Dabi’s showing.

11) “We can make an argument about how Hawks had to kill Twice, otherwise countless other people would die instead, about how he was not happy with what he had done, and even about how Dabi has as much guilt as Hawks does about what happen, but that does not change what happens for Toga.

The heroes are there, and they won’t save her, they will just kill her if they deem that is necessary.”- It was one thing for the world to reject her and the way she naturally is. It’s another to realise that it might be ok with killing her if it’d be easier than treating her as a human being, especially in an ongoing warzone. To her, the idea of heroes is a oppressive force that enforces judgement and condemnation, and now arbitrary execution on her friends and allies. She knows on some level that this is part of society’s system, but she wants to meet Izuku and Uraraka, the two she knows personally amongst the “enemy” to get their perspective on events and her specifically. Is she a victim to them? Or a monster to be put down?

12) “And thus, she want answers from the two heroes who she actually trust. She wants to know what they would’ve done, if they were the ones that were there, besides Twice

Would them see him as a person or as villain? They didn’t know what he went through, the pain he felt, would the choices he had to do to survive in this cruel world even matter for them? If it came to this, would them kill him as well?”- Honestly, the outcome would have indeed been different if it was anybody other than Hawks facing Twice – both in the good and bad sense. Hawks did the best he could to respect twice as a person, but it just wasn't enough, and he didn’t have the power to stop the parade any other way in the end. Izuku might have been strong enough to smash all the clones in an instant, and if Uraraka had used anti-gravity on twice, she could have yeeted him a safe distance, but that still might not have stopped the parade from happening. In the end, the fact we don’t know if there was a better way to resolve it puts us in the same boat as Toga and the heroes.

13) “We know the answers, we know where their hearts are, but Toga has been so shaken about this whole situation that she doesn’t know what to believe anymore

Her faith is being tested, she needs the answers to see if there are heroes and villains, or if this is just a lie to justify this madness”- At this point, it’s neither heroes or villains fighting straight out of a comic book, it’s just people on opposite sides coming into bloody, painful conflict with no way to stop it. @thelreads

[ashestogolddust]

Demon Slayer X Genshin Impact (slightly) Ramble

I keep on imagining, what if Y/N was unable to use Breathing Technique but have a Vision?

1. Pyro Vision

If Y/N has the Pyro Vision, I imagine that Rengoku will want to take them as his student. He will most definitely be interested in their power.

If Y/N does know some fighting techniques, he will be the one to help them develop skills that fits their skills. But if they don't, be ready for some harsh physical training and learning some swordsmanship.

Non-Romantic Route

a) Either Y/N and Rengoku continue to have a student-teacher relationship or they will come to see the Hashira as an older brother. I imagine Rengoku will be the second person after Oyakata-sama that they will trust. Upon knowing, he will become more intrigued and more protective of them, in fear of what happen if their ability were found by demons or other demon slayers.

Romantic Route

Love blossom during their training period. Like the first route, he will be the second person to know about their Vision and will be very protective of them. I imagine he is a dedicated lover, constantly checking up on them and will try to come with them for every mission. But if he have his own mission or if they were sent on a solo mission, he make sure to kiss them goodbye and prepare a healthy and delicious bento (he learn to cook from Senjuro just for them).

What about his death?

Would not happen. Unless Akaza want to get obliterate by a furious Pyro user. Maybe Y/N follow them secretly or was send by Oyakata-sama as a backup. Either way, both demons and demon slayers will find out about their power.

Their ULT??

I think their ULT will be inspired by Rengoku's breathing technique. Maybe dragon formed out of fire and attack their enemy. If they are using long ranged weapons, maybe rain of fire arrows like Amber's ult. If they preferred defense instead of attack, maybe fire will surrounded them and former into some sort of armor that able to turn anything into ashes.

[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 6 of ?)

gif by my queen @michaelgreys, i'm basically her fanblog now but im not mad about it :) i mean just look at him!!1! i almost fainted

a/n: first of all, if you stuck around to this point, tysm for reading!!! this has been one of the most amazing fics ive ever been a part of and it's all thanks to the gorgeous @stxdyblr-2k, who generously took control of the next few parts. her brain is beautiful and we all owe her flowers or something. when i read what she sent me i couldn't bring myself to change much except for some small edits, so pls give her lots of love if you like it!!!! i'm still working on requests as well :)

love, abi xxx

read part one two three four five | my masterlist

tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03

prompt: nothing this good can last forever. john doesn't know how to feel, and neither do you.

warnings: nsfw! a teensy bit of smut, angsty as fuck prepare yourselves accordingly, a lil fluff if u squint, yeah this fucked me up

Obviously, it wasn't the last time.

Over the coming months you had many last times; his mouth pressed against your neck said as much. As his responsibility at work increased, you'd find yourself heading to his office after your lectures and night classes more often, perched on his lap, smoking, while he finished up his numbers under your critical gaze.

Thomas was more than aware; his snarky comments made it obvious he had his ways of monitoring your actions. You'd seen the dark car lurking outside your rallies and lectures, and no matter how you'd try to throw him off, not even telling Ada where you were going and even, in a moment of desperation, through your neighbours back window, somehow, his silent shadow was still looming. He was practically begging you to make a mistake, to give everyone an easy out. You just couldn't give him the satisfaction. You knew Tommy saw the world as a chess board, always several moves ahead of his opponent. Even when you played him in chess club all those years ago, you could outflank him if you thought on your feet and kept him thinking he was winning until you obliterated him in the end game. It was brutal, sure. But as he told you, there were bigger games at play. You had your own. Thomas could read your mail, intercept your phone calls and have you followed, but he couldn't hear what you said out of earshot. Your lot could smell an interceptor in your ranks, so spying at that close of a proximity was out of the question.

That's why he'd decided to let you have John. You knew his silent approval and his constant management of the narrative meant he saw a tactical gain. There was only so much information he could get from Ada, but John? He just had to agitate him in the right way and all your secrets would come tumbling out. It was difficult hiding your world from John; of what he knew of, he was supportive, quizzing you over current affairs and political discourse, listening intently. Yet, you had to watch your mouth. You had to keep a barrier up and you knew John sensed the distance. Fundamentally, there was nothing either of you could do.

So here you were, in a comfortable limbo. Your days were filled with work, evenings were for lectures and reading groups at the city's university, Ada and you often stopped for a drink or three; you'd go by your flat to freshen up, and then to John's office. Sometimes, you wouldn't visit for a week or so when the guilt sent you over the edge, it was draining to be living so many lives and knowing you were betraying the person you loved most on earth. Ada was oblivious, taking you on her nightly adventures filled with men, dancing and waiting while she was busy kissing in dark corners. Sometimes a young blinder would ask if you wanted to be walked home. The first occurrence you thought was sweet, but as the nights it occurred coincided with nights John seemed extra pent up, you'd decided to ask. The boy, who couldn't be older than twelve but who you knew was trained in using firearms and had a revolver pinned to his hip and a razor in his cap, looked confused.

"Mate, it's not a tough question. Why do you come and ask?"

"There's a phone call." He shrugs, "Isaiah or Michael tells us to go and get you."

Isaiah and Michael were somewhat aware? Fucking hell. Your fling was basically a military campaign at this point, so many of your friends were complicit. The little lads who ran as messengers around Birmingham were complicit. You had to just end it.

But when you sat on his thigh, his chin hooked over your shoulder, it felt so worth it. He never turned you away when you came crawling back. He never mentioned it until after you were finished, hooked under his arm.

"Fucking missed you, gorgeous."

Sometimes he'd remind you not to be a stranger with a wink, but you could tell it was tearing him apart too. He never once came to you. That's how he could justify it in his mind; obviously, the bare minimum was not having sex with his sister's best friend, but in failing that, waiting for you to initiate it was somewhat better. He barely talked to Ada now, citing work as an excuse, but truly the guilt sickened him. He couldn't believe he was prepared to continuously hurt his little sister and betray her. But every time you turned up at his door, he couldn't find it in himself to turn you away. In his mind, every single time you came to visit him was the last time he'd let it happen, yet he was always waiting for you to come back, his blind closed to signal he was prepared. He never would call, it had to be your choice.

You'd been off and on for over five months now. It was so difficult to hide in plain sight, but you just couldn't stop yourself. Neither of you purposefully meant for this to be happen but fuck, was it fun.

For your birthday he'd gifted you a fur coat from the same shop his sister, aunt and the fashionable crowd of Birmingham had purchased theirs. He joked that you looked like a "proper razor chaser", kissing you when you pouted at his teasing, begging you to wear only the coat when you fucked him next. It was a practice for blinders to buy a coat for their wives and girlfriends as a status symbol. You were neither, but John claimed that being his "favourite lass" also counted.

John was a laugh, but you knew at any time he could close his door to you. Until he decided he couldn't be bothered with you, you weren't going to get caught. You just had to be careful until he got bored.

***

You did end up putting a foot wrong. It was a Thursday night; you were sitting on the edge of John's desk while he was ridding you of your blouse. It was past midnight, Birmingham was asleep. You almost didn't bother coming out tonight, but you knew John had lost a deal and you wanted to be there for him. Your skirt and stockings were strewn across the desk with his shirt, vest and waistcoat, muddled into the files and papers which were once neatly stacked.

His fingers were pumping in and out of you, his mouth lapping at your breast, your head tipped back in euphoria, groaning. The stress made him more affectionate and tender with you, and it was nights like these that made you wonder. Wonder if this could ever be something more, something real.

John's body suddenly pulled away from yours, quickly turning the light off.

"John, what-" You were cut off by John’s hand over your mouth, muffling your words.

"Shut up and get behind the desk." He hissed. "Someone's coming upstairs."

You quickly grabbed your clothes from the shiny oak surface and crouched, hiding yourself from view, quickly making yourself decent. You weren't going to get shot through the head with your tits out. You listened to the stairs creek, and it sounded like a group. You two were easily outnumbered. They were talking, but the thick panels of wood muffled their voices.

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, the cracks in the door giving the room a dulled glow, you could make out the figure of John. He was free of his shirt, toned body on display, standing with his back flat to the wall, revolver produced from a discreet notch in the door frame, gaze fixed on where they'd enter. He was tense, ready. The door was unlocked from the outside, the door handle twisting.

John's lip shifted in confusion yet still he kept his trigger finger ready, not a single shake from your general.

The light flicked on and a shriek rang out. It was blinding, and you stood up slightly dazed. Finn was in the doorway, John next to him clutching his chest, panting and lowering the gun.

"Jesus Christ, Finn, can't you knock like a normal person? Scared the shit out of us." John bellowed, shaking as the adrenaline coursed through his body, resting his hands on the edge of the desk as he regained his breath.

"You're the one who pointed a gun at me! I didn't even know you were in 'ere!" Finn yelped.

The commotion had attracted the attention of Ada and Isaiah, who had come running and stopped in their tracks upon seeing you standing behind John's desk in the middle of the night. They weren't stupid. John was topless, your clothes obviously rumpled, both with matching tousled hair and practically stinking of guilt. You'd been caught red handed. Ada's eyes flicked between both you and John, and you could practically see the pieces of the puzzle clicking together in her mind, all the moments she found questionable since you'd returned suddenly making sense, realising she had been deceived by the two people who she was meant to trust most in life. Finn looked absolutely crushed, he'd never been able to conceal his emotions as well as his older brothers and sister, linking his fingers through Ada's, squeezing her hand.

"I forgot to drop this off earlier." Finn stated, holding up a money box, "Ada had keys so we thought we'd sneak in so I wouldn't get done by Tommy. We did call round yours, Y/N. We thought you were in bed."

"I'm sorry." You said. It was not enough but you just didn't know what else to say. You couldn't make it right, you'd really fucked up this time. Tears pricked at your eyes, as Ada examined you in silence.

John stepped in front of you defensively. "Look, Ada-"

"How long has this been going on?" She asked, her voice shaking with rage. You and John exchanged a glance. "I said, how fucking long?"

"Five months, six in a fortnight." He answered.

Isaiah whistled lowly. "That's fucked. I thought it was only a few times, that it'd finished."

"Never really over when it's John is it." Finn interjects, you glance to him, were you just one in a long string? You shouldn't be surprised but it was easy to pretend he may actually care about you.

"You've been fucking around for six months behind my back?" Ada yelped, Finn trying to comfort her but she pulled away from him. "And you fucking knew Iz."

"I'd expect this from you, yeah? Wouldn't put anything past you these days.." she sneered at John, "But you? You?! You're meant to be my best mate, but here you are sneaking about fucking my brother?"

"Ada-" you began, eyes welling with tears.

"I thought I could trust you. You're just another fucking razor chaser, aren't you?" She spits. "That's why you came back."

"No it wasn't, Ada-"

Her eyes flashed with anger, but this time John was on the receiving end. "You bought her that fucking coat ,didn't you? The fur one. You did! Fuck's sake!" Her fists were clenched, shoulders squared. For the first time in your life, you understood why crowds parted for Ada Shelby. Understood all the free drinks and cab rides, the nervous serving staff declaring your meal on the house (always acknowledged by Ada with a hefty tip), understood why the men of Birmingham didn't last long with her.

"Did it feel good to swan about town in that fucking coat, while acting as though you cared about me? It's so fucking embarrassing. All trussed up because my knobhead big brother makes you feel special? Thanks for rubbing it in my face."

"Ada, I love you. I never meant to hurt you, I got caught up and that's on me. It's my fault."

"You're not acting like you love me. This isn’t what love is, Y/N." She retorted.

You couldn’t do anything but nod. She was right.

John opened his mouth to speak, Ada silencing him, a scowl darkening her features.

"I don't care what you have to say. Any of you. Who else knows?"

"Thomas, Michael, Arthur-" John listed off slowly, each name prompting Ada to break down a little bit more in front of you.

"I didn't know Arthur knew." You said pointedly, John sending you an exasperated glance. He was planning on dealing with that later, but right now was about his sister. Fuck him if he thought you were going to stick around much longer. You didn't want to hear him justify everyone else knowing about your fling with your best friend being left completely in the dark.

"That all you have to say for yourself?" Ada snaps at you.

"I have fucking no defense, do I Ada? I should've walked away." You pushed your hair back, frustrated at yourself, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. You begged yourself not to cry. Tears wouldn't help anything.

"Why didn't you?"

You didn't know. Your silence only riled her up.

"Why didn't you fucking walk away?" Ada yelled, slamming her hands on the desk.

You felt hot tears run down your face, quickly moving your hands to dab at your tears.

"Don't you dare fucking cry. After all you've done, you don't get to cry in front of me." Ada growled at you, John going to shush her, obviously wanting to comfort you. "You can all fuck off. You've all lied to me and gone behind my back. Fuck’s sake, you could've just told me. You could've just told me."

"We didn't want to hurt you." John said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder but she flinches away.

"This hurts so much more. You get that you all lying to me is so much worse, don't you?"

"We weren't thinking."

"You really fucking weren't." Ada laughs bitterly, shaking her head, blinking away tears. "Fuck you lot."

She stormed out, tailed by Finn, begging her to slow down and talk to him, protesting his innocence in the situation. Isaiah hesitated in the doorway, his eyes flickering between you and John.

"I had no idea you two've been at it for so long."

"Iz, fuck off yeah? I've had enough today." John shot back, sliding across the desk towards you. "You alright, lass?"

"We're done here, John."

He slid off the table, his hand cupping your face, "Hey, gorgeous, I get it but don't go breaking my heart tonight. Can we just leave this for tomorrow? Sleep on it."

The idea of getting any sleep at all tonight was laughable, you'd be up all night replaying these moments and torturing yourself. Tonight couldn't get any worse so you had to finally end it. Now was the right time.

"John, it should've never happened."

"But it did."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's over."

"Y/N. You know for me it was never just about-"

"You're making it difficult. Stop making it difficult. Whatever you say isn't going to change that right now we have to do the right thing."

"I know you're right, but I don't want to let go. Is it so wrong to want you? I adore you, you know that."

You wouldn't meet his eyes. Sighing, John pressed his forehead to the side of your head, chin brushing your shoulder, eyes closing. He was begging you to stay with him. There had to be a solution, you'd figure it out together. His voice was cracking, eyes glassy. He looked so much younger when he was pleading. The tall bloke who terrorised the Midlands with his razor rimmed cap, a revolver in his hand, and a ruthless trigger finger had vanished. You wanted to stay, burning to curl up with him and for him to kiss it better.

"I should go." You told him. He rested his forehead on your shoulder, letting out a shaky sigh before pulling away, nodding.

"I'd drive you home but obviously-"

"Obviously."

John suddenly turned from you, eyes narrowing at Isaiah who was still hovering at the door. "Thought I told you to fuck off. Make yourself useful and get Y/N home safely." His tone was ice cold once again.

Isaiah nodded, offering his arm to you. You reached the door and instinctively looked back at John. His eyes met yours, staring at you from his desk, just as you knew he would. He prepared himself to watch you leave every night, but this time was different. That was it with you two.

Isaiah strode down the street with you in silence. You were tucked into his side as was customary with the upcoming blinders who were particularly ambitious, but there was no relaxed chat.

"Isaiah. What’re you thinking?" You asked, voice tinged with nervousness.

He sighed, running his free hand across his jaw, "That was intense in there."

"Just how he is." You shrugged.

"Does he love you or sommet?"

"Fuck knows… does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Do you love him?"

"Drop it. None of that matters, it shouldn't have happened in the first place so it can’t," You snapped, the anger at the situation you'd created suddenly overwhelming.

Isaiah whistled, raising his brow at your obvious turmoil. "You're in fucking deeper than you want to admit."

He walked you up your path, watching you turn the key to the side door leading to your bedsit. You paused, turning to him.

"Iz… I don't know what to do next."

It was so dark, you could see his face only by the lit cigarette burning to embers between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, pausing before delivering his carefully laid out plan of avoidance. Obviously the event of him crossing the Shelbys and losing their good graces weighed heavily on his mind. You nodded, listening intently, noting his ideas of relocation but he explained they were a final resort. The best thing to do was try to regain their trust; in the long run, he had calculated, it was the only option that didn't result in your life being haunted by the Shelbys. Even if they left you alone, their enemies would make a point to go after you, seeing you as an easy target. The other option was to leave the country.

"Good luck, Y/N. I mean it." He muttered as you turned the handle to the temporary safety of your home. You nodded, offering you cheek for the polite good night kiss you'd become accustomed to. He rolled his eyes and obliged, pressing an affectionate kiss to your cheek and ruffling your hair. "I'm serious. Watch your back."

***

John broke down when he finally heard the lock click shut. His eyes had been prickling with boiling tears, his jaw tensed to hold them back. He yelled out in anger, flipping his desk with force, a loud crash as the wood splintered against the stone flooring, glass shattering from the photo frames. His hands went to his head, unable to stop the gasping breaths escaping from his trembling lips, his face reddening.

"Fuck’s sake." He growled. He'd fucked everything up. He had nothing, just as he'd told you the first night you returned. The consequence was no surprise, he'd anticipated the fall out for a while, but he couldn't resist you. He was completely guilty and had no defense; his only justification being that you made him think with his cock, not his brain.

Fuck’s sake. Polly was going to murder him. She'd always had a soft spot for Ada, as the only girl in the family, and was no stranger to lecturing him over his flirtatious behaviour around Ada's friends. She'd murder him. He had a half mind to never go home. He rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles. Polly had no use for tears. That's what she'd tell him when he was a boy coming home with a skinned knee. This was far worse.

He was also sure that he was a worse brother than Tommy, perhaps the worst in the world. His baby sister, who he'd helped to toddle, carry proudly on his shoulders after school and race with her on his back through the fields on the outskirts of Small Heath, had walked in on him obviously in the midst of fucking her best mate. If he had swallowed his pride and actually talked to her, he wouldn't be in this mess. He could've told her that things changed, that for the same reasons Ada loved Y/N he had fallen for her, that he was truly sorry but she had to know before it got too far and someone got hurt. He couldn't go back.

He should've never approached you that night.

He should never approach you again.

He looked over the mess of his office, the splintered wood and shards of glass, a confetti of paperwork. Now nothing mattered. None of this mattered. He'd lost everything and he had only himself to blame.

[obae-me]

Tail Wagging Wing Flapping Fun

This idea is thanks to @astaroth1357​ ! It’s a short guide on how to influence their demon forms to do something...embarrassingly cute. I write this fluff with no regrets. Enjoy. 

Sure, it might be a bit disconcerting at first getting used to the sight of humanoid creatures having unusual things like horns and wings and tails (oh my), but it comes with a benefit. While their words and demeanor might suggest otherwise, their demon forms might involuntarily reveal some of their hidden feelings--or not so hidden feelings. Your new mission, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out what sort of scenario sets off these uncontrollable actions. Let’s get some tails wagging and wings flapping, shall we?

Note: Difficulty ranges from 7 being the most difficult and 1 being the easiest.

Extra Note: Seems the brothers happened to come across this guide, hopefully they didn’t mess with it...

Lucifer

Difficulty: (7/7)

Hands down, this man is the hardest one to get a reaction out of seeing as he is always aware of how he is perceived, probably due to that prideful nature of his. Not to mention, he’s only ever in his demon form on rare occasions such as parties or political events. Or, most often, if he needs to use it for intimidation, and you’d rather not get a good look at his wings when he’s ready to obliterate someone or yourself for that matter. So, it goes without saying that this might take some planning or some timely good luck. Perhaps begging if you’re not above it. 

When to do it: Your best chance of success is to catch him when he’s either distracted, so sleep deprived he can’t even see straight, or just flat out drunk. If you choose the first option, chances are, once he’s back in his own head he’ll recall the event and make a mental note to never do it again. With the second, he’ll be at the point where he can no longer care as long as he can get his work done, but then there’s the more likely scenario where he’ll decide to kick you out entirely so he can focus. Lastly, if he’s drunk, not only will this be super effective, but he’ll cuddle you all night long. He might not even remember every embarrassing thing he did the following morning--which never happens, just for everyone’s information. Even in an intoxicated state, he’s in complete control with no embarrassing moments to speak of--Anyway, this is your best choice, but even then he only gets really drunk when he’s with Diavolo, not to mention refraining from coming home until the late...very late hours of the night when he knows no one will be awake to watch him stumble to his room. So, you’ll have to be diligent. Maybe take a nap. 

How to do it: You might think it would be praise, him being Pride and all, but Lucifer knows after so many years that words can often be hollow. Compliments and sugar-coated phrases are mostly used as a means of manipulation or getting something in return. Don’t get him wrong, he does like them, might even give you a slight smile and a pleased hum if you tell him how stunning he is, but he will know you probably expect something in exchange. So, for him, the best way to get his wings aflutter is to do something for him. Actions speak much louder than words and are much more precious to him, especially if you do so unprovoked. Make him some tea! Bring him food in bed! Dust his record collection! Sweep the floor in his study! The list can go on, it’s all up to you to decide what to do, but make sure he knows it's for him. He likes to be pampered--I mean, served. 

What happens: It will take him a moment to register. He’s not used to someone doing something for him so freely before. As a punishment, sure, but of your own volition? You did look expecting, no matter how hard you tried to hide it, but the only thing you were anticipating was his happiness and reaction, nothing else. The wings against his back have no choice but to twitch and shift, and he notices you eyeing them each time they move. As they fluttered, you beamed, and all he could do was roll his shoulders to try and keep the infernal things tucked against his back. The more you smiled, the more they were restless, feathers falling from their place as they twitched with emotion, threatening to wrap around you, to shield you, to envelop you, all like he was a hen protecting a baby chick. Depending on how weakened he is, or how much he cares for you, he might do more than just some shifting wings. He does his best to control himself, he really does, but the joy and warmth flooding his body from all his affection for you can make him do the unthinkable. His entire body will shutter, shaking and rattling him like a wet dog. His wings will jut out from his back, quivering in the air. When all is said and done, the black feathers coating his wings are extremely puffed up, a stunned and embarrassed expression hidden behind his new unruly and disheveled countenance. 

Mammon

Difficulty: (1/7)

If Lucifer is the hardest, Mammon rolls in as the easiest to get a reaction from. He’s very expressive in everything he does, and his demon form doesn’t change that. If it’s not gambling, he has no desire to keep himself under control, and he’s very much an ‘actions now, thinking later’ type of demon. In fact, when you’re around it nearly ends up worsening, he ends up being so flustered and distracted he’s usually unaware of the things he does or says, which gets him in a lot of trouble. However, because of this, it’s so easy to get him to do all the cute things you want. 

When to do it: Honestly, it does not matter. The only things required are himself and you in the same place, and the two of you are already basically attached at the hip. Truth be told, you don’t even need to be near him to get him sheepish, but that’s a secret he tries to keep to himself. You two could be alone in your bedroom, out for a walk in the garden, in Diavolo’s castle, even in the back parking lot of a cheap run-down restaurant. It is not important to him. As long as he has you, anywhere is a party. Public? Private? No matter. Either way his brothers will find out and tease him about it. Getting him in demon form isn’t an issue either. He’ll transform at the drop of a hat if you asked him too. 

How to do it: Much like Lucifer, the most obvious answer is incorrect. You can buy Mammon all the stuff in the world, but his Greed will still want more. Besides, that’s all anyone expects him to enjoy anyway. Everyone thinks just giving him money or gifts will make everything better, but he’s more complex than that! Well, it kinda does make him feel happier, but--oi, that’s not the point, we’re supposed to be gettin’ deep here!--What will really make him melt for you is compliments. This demon loves to be praised, because it doesn’t happen often. Why? Cus he’ll get a big head about it, but that’s Lucifer’s problem, not yours. Tell him how proud you are of him. Let him know how handsome he looks. Assure him you know he’s smart, and how much you look up to him. Tell him how grateful you are that he’s your ‘first’. It’ll get to him instantly and fuel his self esteem for weeks. 

What happens: The skin stretched over his wings will contract, causing his wings to fold into themselves only to burst open again. It’s this strange sort of flapping motion that reminds you of an umbrella opening and closing. Mammon won’t even notice, not until you gush over it. After that, he’ll be so flustered by his involuntary movements that he’ll try to chase his own wings, circling around on his feet while cursing. He’ll do his best to keep them hidden from you behind his back, but you can still hear the fluttering. Pretending like he didn’t hear you, he’ll attempt to get you to repeat what you said. This is your chance to take things to the second stage. If you bombard him with enough sweet words, he’ll have no choice but to bounce from foot to foot, shifting the weight on his feet as joy floods his body. The wings attached to his back will then waggle up and down, waving themselves in the air. You’ll be permitted to watch this for a while before realization dawns on him and he goes back to manhandling his blasted demon form. At one point he managed to grab one of them with his mouth and growled even. You have it on video. 

Levi

Difficulty: (2/7)

The second easiest. Just above Mammon in difficulty due to the fact that he’s in his room all the time and does his best to get himself out of humiliating situations. However, he’s truly an open book, and an emotional one at that, which is why he and Mammon tend to butt heads so often. They’re more alike than either of them will ever admit--w-which is not at all! How anyone could--could see similarities between Levi-chan and stupidmammon is ridiculous!--Similar or not, you could simply look in Levi’s direction and he would blush, and so of course when he’s in his demon form, there will be no hiding his emotions there either. 

When to do it: It will have to be in his room, it’s his safe space and so he’ll be more open to expressing himself when he’s in his sanctuary. There’s no real way around this. It will have to be a good day, so try to prepare by keeping his meddlesome brothers away. Keep an eye on how much internet they’re all using, and then try to monitor them so they’ll use less, making Levi’s loading times effortless. Let Levi know in advance that you want to hang out, that way he can get his mental state in check! This should be good enough to influence a happy tail-wagging Levi for when he permits you to enter his room. 

How to do it: Safety and comfort are the name of the game. Let him do whatever he wants and don’t make fun of him for it. It’s hard for him to be passionate about the things he truly enjoys without his brothers picking it apart or ruining it altogether. Let him speak. Be patient with him as he tries to string together a coherent plot with fragmented statements like “Oh, but there was also when-”, or “Oh, and how could I forget this happened! I’ll need to go back a bit!” If he ever says sorry, assure him there’s nothing to worry about. You don’t necessarily have to be interested in the things he likes, but if you listen to him and let him feel safe enough to be vulnerable, you’ll have him in the palm of your hand. 

What happens: It will happen the longer he rambles. His tail will start to slowly sway across the floor, the gentle sheer sound of smooth scales brushing across smooth tile. The more he feels safe around you, the more traction the tail will get, happily snaking back and forth as the glint of light off his scales reflect back on the ceiling. Of course, you can’t help but stare, which he notices. He’ll grab his tail in his arms, preventing it from moving as best as he could while being a mortified mess. Although you can still see the tip of it twitching, rattling, and quivering. If you comfort him in knowing you aren’t there to make fun of him, that you think it’s actually sweet and cute he feels that protected around you, he’ll let his tail drop to the floor. Only because his hands are now being used to cover his blushing face. The pounding in his chest is drowned out by the intense thumping of his tail against the floor. At one point you managed to pet it and could’ve sworn you saw Levi’s tongue dart out of his mouth, but Levi denies it ever happened. 

Satan

Difficulty: (6/7)

Right under Lucifer as the second most difficult to provoke a physical reaction from. He’s spent millennia doing his best to keep his wrath under control, so controlling other emotions is even easier for him. Although, he’s second in difficulty only because he doesn’t care as much for appearances as Lucifer does. I mean, if his attire is anything to prove--I mean, of course Satan is the bigger man in this aspect, truly. It’s foolish to be so caught up in how you look to other people. He’s not that vain, so if anything, he’s better than his brother. Your main worry is being able to see these emotions in his demon form. Demon form usually equals violence in Satan’s case. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that. 

When to do it: Make sure it’s a day he’s calm, obviously. Ideally, you’ll both be in a quiet place like his room or the library. If you can, make sure it’s a day where there are no distractions and no noise, which in the House of Lamentation unfortunately only comes by once every century. So, if that means paying Mammon to go on a little shopping spree, making Asmo go with him since coincidently he’s run out of his favorite perfume that you totally didn't use for this excuse, informing Beel that there’s a special going on today of his favorite snacks, bribing Belphie to go along since he’s about to get the show of a lifetime, and then ‘accidently’ letting Lucifer know Mammon stole his credit card, well then, that’s what you’re going to have to do to get some peace (sorry Mammon). Just pulling that off alone will get you some extra brownie points with Satan. 

How to do it: Be inquisitive! Ask him about anything, and it’s likely he’ll know the answer. In fact, he’s almost amused when you treat it like a game, quizzing him about any obscure and specific topic and seeing what he knows of it. If there happens to be something the two of you are unsure of, he’ll find the book and you’ll both learn together. In return, he’ll have you talk about the human world, about cultures, about topics you’re interested in. Asking questions is your ticket into getting him into demon form as well. If you simply tell him you’re dying to get a closer look at demon features because you’re so fascinated, he’ll be inclined to transform for you. Satan encourages and rewards curiosity. Of course he knows your plan already, but all your efforts just because you were eager to note how his demon form would react? Well, he’s willing to give in just to observe your feedback as well. It’s also worth noting that bringing up Lucifer in the conversation will immediately ruin your plans. Satan wants to feel special, so give him your full attention!   

What happens: You had to first coax the tail he so often kept wrapped around his leg to come loose. Once it did, it enjoyed flicking itself back and forth every so often when he was amused, the end curling up and down when you said something particularly enjoyable. They were small simple gestures, but you wondered if you could draw out more. You threw out a sudden ‘psst psst psst’ like one might do to a cat. His tail shot up straight in the air before he glared at you, albeit with a slight smirk. With a new playful expression on his face, his tail whipped back and forth harder, sharper, convincing you that he might pounce were you not careful. Although, he still seems very aware of his movements, which defeated the purpose of the involuntary aspect. So, acting like there was something on his face, you stepped over. You struck by scratching the underside of his chin. His entire tail quivered, trembling, the bony skeleton-like structure of his tail rattled. Pushing you away, he’ll marvel at his own demon form which seemed to have a new mind of its own. It tucked itself between his legs for a few seconds after the initial embarrassment, then continued to shiver and shake anytime he looked at you. This is exactly why he keeps it wrapped around his leg in the first place. 

Asmo

Difficulty: (4/7) 

Amso is another expressive individual, in fact almost more so than Mammon. However, Asmo is a master of the body, and is absolutely aware of how he moves and acts in front of other people. Every movement he makes is completely intentional, it adds to his charm, to his popularity. Every eye flutter, every finger curl, it’s all purposeful. He can’t accidently slip up in his body language! Who do you think he is? He can’t afford to do anything embarrassing, it’ll ruin his reputation. However if you get him alone--not like that, this is a wholesome guide--he might not have to worry about his image so much. 

When to do it: This part isn’t hard, just tell him you want to spend time with him, in private. After thoroughly getting it across to him that, no, it’s not as dirty as he’s making it out to be, he’ll still be happy to squirrel you away for himself. His brothers are running you ragged, they’re such brutes. He’ll make sure to take good care of you...Sometimes you wonder if he can’t control the way his suggestions sound. Perhaps interest him in the idea of a self care day. He’ll be more than happy to paint your nails, style your hair, whatever you feel comfortable doing. You might have to continuously lead him away from the idea of letting him bathe you, but he truly just wants to treat you. However, the more you spend time alone together, the more he acts a bit more like himself. When he’s around you and not in the public eye, he can let himself relax a little, instead of always needing to live up to those social expectations. 

How to do it: This is the trickier part. As Asmo is the demon of lust and a certified social media star, he gets compliments daily, several gifts from potential lovers, and all the physical touch he could ever need. At a glance, he gets enough attention than any one person should ever need. However, he secretly craves quality time together, and no not like what you’re thinking--Unless you want it to be, and then he’ll happily oblige~-- He needs time to destress, to wind down, to spend time with someone who doesn’t care if he’s perfect all the time. Make him feel comfortable in his own skin, and I don’t care what he says, because there’s a hidden part of him that isn’t. So sit him down for a movie night, convince him to take off his makeup. Let him relax in his demon form since not only is it truly him, but you’ll need it for your plan. Brush his hair while he tells you about his day. Get him away from social media as best you can so he can “detox”, making sure it’s simply you and him. He doesn’t need Likes to be Asmo, he doesn’t need to be perfect to be worth it. 

What happens: He will act like he has no idea what you’re talking about for sure. Imperfections? He doesn’t know them. Truly he’s not so insecure as you think he is? Like Levi? Please...But your words have gotten through to him. The soft actions and...chaste time together that you’ve shown him throw him for a little loop. It’s like aftercare but...all the time with you. His wings can’t quite contract like Lucifer’s or Mammon’s, so they just bob up and down, flapping occasionally which messes up his hair. He looks on in confusion. Since when had he been so focused on you that he forgot how to present himself? It drives him insane, how embarrassing! And of course, the more you convince him he has nothing to be worried about, how it’s actually adorable, the more flustered he gets. You always knew how to compliment with no other motives. Instead of a wagging motion, his wings will move from side to side, hitting against each other. It sounds like light clapping. Asmo hates how his wings move like this, striking against each other when he’s pleased. He’s worked so hard on controlling it, and now he’s doing it in front of you. He’s immediately going to go hide, but it doesn’t prevent you from hearing the adorable sound of tapping. 

Beel

Difficulty: (3/7) 

The third easiest demon to get those special demon form movements from. He really cares for you, like a lot, and he’s the only one who isn’t afraid to say it and show it. In fact, the only reason why he isn’t ringing up at number one is due to the fact that he’s not overly flustered by his movements, he’s doing them on purpose to show you he cares, which is kinda what you’re going for here. Getting a reaction out of him without him being in full control is going to be a little bit harder, which is why he’s coming after Mammon and Levi. You want to catch him off guard, making him do things he wouldn’t normally do.

When to do it: You don’t have to try to sneak and lie and trick him into doing anything. He’s not worried about a ruined image or anything like that. Just make a day to spend time with Beel, tell him you’re bringing snacks, and tell him it would make you the happiest human in the Devildom to have him be in his demon form. That’s all you have to do, Beel loves your honesty, it lets him know you trust him and in return he trusts you. Super easy. 

How to do it: Bringing him food will definitely achieve putting a smile on his face and getting him in a better move, but it won’t bring out the soft side of him, and you want maximum softness. Beel is always taking care of his brothers, being the backup when Lucifer cannot, and just generally doing his best to keep the peace in the family. He’s the big strong bodyguard, the protector. So, to really throw him for a loop, to make him act beside himself, you’re going to protect this boy. Let him feel small even though it’s physically impossible with how large he is, especially in demon form. Let him be weak and vulnerable and safe in your arms even if they’re half the size of Beel’s. Give him snacks, make him sit on the floor and tilt his head back into your lap. You can try to have him sit in your lap-- Just be careful, the last thing he wants is to hurt you, seeing as how you’re so fragile…--He rarely ever drops his guard, so it’s a nice change of pace for him. Plus, he finds it absolutely adorable trying to be his protector, attempting to act three times your size. But he truly appreciates what you’re going for, and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t feel nice to be taken care of for once. 

What happens: You’re able to hear the deep buzz of his wings as they flutter against his back. He frowns, immediately causing the noise to halt. He still doesn’t particularly care for these new ones compared to his older ones. However, the pleased look on your face along with glimmering eyes causes a touch of pink to grace his cheeks. Alright, he can’t deny you what you want. So he lets his wings do what they want. They vibrate intensely, a small whirlwind kicking up in your bedroom, the buzz turning into a deep hum. Your eyes go wide, at least until the intense winds almost knock you to your feet. Then the air stops and you’re wrapped up in his arms. You have to squirm out of his arms to prevent him from becoming the shield again. He’ll try to tell you that he’s not cute, so persuade him he is. Sometimes he wishes he had wings like Lucifer’s so he could wrap you up in them, but he supposes his arms will have to suffice. Every so often now, he lets his wings buzz for you, grateful you accept him for who he is. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, he always goes back to being the one protecting you. Although, every so often now he’ll come to you to feel safe. 

Belphie

Difficulty: (5/7) 

The demon of sloth is far too lazy to even walk most of the time much less moving his tail. A lot of times, when he is in his demon form, it ends up dragging itself across the floor. Not to mention he’s got a nearly indestructible emotion wall built up around him in the form of apathy and a bit of bratiness. Getting him to become so physically and emotionally moved by you to lose control of himself is going to take some work. 

When to do it: He’s asleep during the day mostly, so if you attempt to do it during normal hours, you’ll need to have a crazy amount of luck. So, it’s suggested you approach this demon at night, very late at night. So late, you know you’ll have regrets in the morning, or hopefully no regrets if you manage to pull this off. It will have to be past curfew, because if there’s anything Belphie loves more than sleeping, it’s opposing Lucifer. Get him alone where the sky is full of stars and the house is plunged into slumber. 

How to do it: Let him feel validated. Of course, there’s a lot of...grey area around him for some things, but in the here and now, just listen to what he has to say. He has seven older siblings, it’s easy for his voice to get lost in the clamor. Maybe if someone had just listened to his woes before taking action, things wouldn’t have gone the way they did. And, he did spend a lot of time alone, where he wasted countless nights hoping someone would just talk to him. So he appreciates how you can sit there, staying quiet--which nearly every one of his dumb brothers seems to be incapable of except his twin--letting him be heard. Who knows, if you feel vulnerable enough to share some of your deeper problems, he’ll find a newfound respect for you. There’s something about being able to relate to someone, to be able to spend hours just going back and forth where each party just makes them feel accepted. Of course, he’ll act like it’s no big deal, that this isn’t special, that this means nothing to him. 

What happens: It’s slow, like almost everything about him. But, you can see his tail lift itself up off the ground, the end curling. It likes to slowly sway, the furry end gently dangling back and forth in a soothing motion, like it was being blown by the wind. That’s all you can really get out of him, since anything more would be too much effort. It’s very subtle, but you notice every detail. Like most things about him, it makes you sleepy somehow, the placid rocking motion. It takes a very long time till he realizes what he’s done. Then his tail will hit the ground with a faint thud. If you ignore it long enough, out of the corner of your eye, you’ll watch it drift back and forth against the ground, a barely noticeable pink hue to Belphie’s cheeks. The more you look away, the more it’ll curl around to where you’re sitting, making the demon of sloth blink, attempting to tug his tail back away from you. It’ll crawl back, moving so slowly you can’t notice the changes anymore, but he does, and he can’t tell why it keeps trying to protect you from behind. Oh well. Best to not think about it. Right? 

[remsmoonlight]

— title : don’t leave me lonely

— word count : 3 k words

— pairing : daryl dixon x reader

— summary : when the protective instinct that runs deep within daryl you can’t take how much of a child he treats you, only when words spoken in anger do you both see the truth.

— warnings : swearing, one instance of blood description, vague mentions of daryl’s past and just some general angst

I've heard you're taking requests, soo, Could you please write something with Daryl and 20+62 from prompt list?

Thank you in advance and have a nice day ❤️

        ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　requested   ? yes !     /   requests are open   *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 prompt list : 20. “Those things you said yesterday… Did you mean them?” &&             “ After everything we’ve been through, you still don’t think that I love you?”

Pale grey pavement is being painted with the blood of the walkers you had to slaughter in order to survive, to make it back to your family. You dare not speak a word, already predicting a storm awaiting to drench you in its anger that currently forms within the man you slowly began to love. You can’t pinpoint exactly where you began to have these thoughts, experience these feelings, as it hasn’t been an easy road. Loving him is not uncomplicated, the image he shows the world is harsh, though his actions speak louder than his words.

You’re stuck following him and Aaron, the man sparing apologetic glances back every few metres. He has nothing to apologise for, he was simply a bystander to a very awkward encounter between the two.

“ the hell y’doing out here? “

For a moment, your world stops. You hadn’t expected to see anyone out in the secluded area of the greenery that surrounds Alexandria, the whole idea of going from fighting for your life every day to pretending the world isn’t dead is not a pill that is easy to swallow. A potentially horrid coping mechanism, but you have to remember what it’s like out there, to not be protected by steel walls. To pretend you still have to sleep with one eye open, if anything was to ever happen to anyone you love because you allowed your guard to be demolished by a faux safety you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself.

A timid smile arises on your expression, almost apologetic. You shrug in response to Daryl’s question.

“ y’got no brain now? “ stomping towards you, his eyes burning with outrage and alarm, he doesn’t trust this new situation with you in it.

“ not here, Daryl. “

Trouble has a way of finding you, the unfamiliarity of everything touching the fear that he prays to stay dormant within the walls of Alexandria. At least with you confined to the area he can see clearly, he doesn’t have to imagine the worst possible outcomes to prepare himself for the inescapable of what always happens.

He can’t lose you, he can’t tell you either.

Eyebrows raise in shock over the suddenness of his heated words, never once had he spoken to you in such a way. Even on the rare occasion he was genuinely annoyed with something you had done. You force your features to stay neutral, not wanting a war in front of Aaron, considering you haven’t known him for long.

A mirror image is the displeasure that has stewed within you, the very same of the Dixon man you had shared the road with. Who does he think he is? You ask yourself, that outburst was for no reason and you know it. It’s times like these that confuse you and your feelings for him.

Though you hear no footsteps behind you, you can feel Daryl’s presence stalking you closely, but you pay no mind. Not in any mood to talk, afraid for what you will say in anger.

A temper is something you control, though there are moments it wants to smash down your walls.

With a heavy breath set free into the air, you turn the handle of your home open, leaving it open for Daryl as you know it’s going to be a conversation he will wish to continue. For a rather quiet man, when he wants to, he can say a lot.

Turning to face him, you wet your lips to say something, hoping to calm him before the situation gets out of hand. Hoping to get an idea of why he is so irate, though your expression hardens ever so softly as you realise that he’s most likely going to continue on the tirade he began outside of the walls. Your heart thumps against your ribcage, almost rattling your entire being with anticipation. Being able to hold your own in conflict is something you are able to do, but it doesn’t mean it leaves no scars to litter your soul.

“ okay, so what was that out there, Daryl? “ your words are soft, almost to the tune of a whisper as you question him. Hoping to understand his point of view.

“ y’really gotta ask that? “

Your lips purse, you merely blink in his direction as you shift your weight from one foot to the other. Your heart is full of hurt as he treats you as nothing more than a stranger with the heat that coats his furious words that he hauls in your direction.

It confuses you incredibly how the day has gone to hell so swiftly, but you warn yourself about that. Assuming once dawn breaks that the day will bring something good for once, and not news of another tragedy. Even protected by the stereotypical image of a cookie cut American household can’t hold off death. No matter what, it gets its day.

“ yes, I do! “ you raise your voice, fighting the urge to close the distance. Knowing that he’d mistake it as you being on the offensive. “ I wasn’t doing anything except walking! “

“ yeh, an’ that’s what concerns me. “

A pause.

Nothing but the noises from the residents of this small town can be heard, the silence so deafening it almost obliterates your confusion. The room is so quiet that you even doubt that the two of you are even occupying it, the house feeling more and more cold with the seconds that slug by, it feeling that there’s no life to breathe a new warmth into it. Never has it felt so bare to be in that in that very moment than with the two of you ready to cut deep.

This is what he's pissed about? Before you even realise, you snort from disbelief. It’s something so small, so insignificant you can’t even believe it. Their new found safety has affected the group in many ways, but this has to be one of the strangest as you openly stare at his tense form.

“ seriously? “ you ask, refusing to believe he’s pushing this so intensely for that very reason.

“ y’finding that funny? “

“ yeah, because you’re acting like you’re my damned father. “ pointing a finger in his direction, you pace for a few fleeting seconds.

A closeness between you both has long since been acknowledged, but you’ve never divulged to him the true extent of your emotions. Sometimes you think he’s aware of what you feel, though late at night when you’re alone you realise that it may be better if he doesn’t. You wish you have the confidence to even share it with him, although the thought that blares in your ears warns you otherwise. Your heart couldn’t take another heartbreak, opting for his friendship rather than a cold shoulder born out of awkwardness.

Sometimes you’re sure he’s staring at you with a longing glint in his eye when you’re not paying attention, however you often chalk it up to hope. Never are you one to follow the signs, not wanting to be wrong. Your imagination cannot be crushed if it doesn’t have confirmation.

Hope can be cruel as it can be kind.

“ someone’s gotta, I can’t remember all the times I’ve had t’drag your ass outta trouble! “ his crossbow thuds as it’s dropped without a care, his face reddens as it twists and contorts. You haven’t seen him show this much rage since the Greene’s farm.

The day you first met him is permanently burnt into your brain, being half starved and dehydrated you thought you were hallucinating him. Unable to walk, your limbs weighed a ton under the exhaustion you felt under the punishing Georgian sun but there he was. Surrounded by the rays as if he was your very own guardian angel, but that idea had been put straight to bed as soon as you saw the outbursts from him to the other members of the group.

With the months that passed, you had trouble saying that was the same man you knew today. Less prone to rage, clearer about doing anything in his power to aid his family, though you can’t help but wonder if the old Daryl wants to break through the progress he has made so far.

“ and I never asked for that, Daryl. Why are you acting as if you’re my keeper? “

“ fine! it ain’t my problem if y’wanna be a selfish bitch. “

Causing hurt to the people he loves comes easy to Daryl. To wound deep when he’s scared is all he has ever learnt, to show love and affection was never afforded to him as a child, not even when he silently begged for it. Now, he was physically and mentally scarred, even these days were they still plaguing him like a never relenting ghost. He doesn’t want to hurt you, he hates seeing pain in your eyes, but he can’t convey his worry without fury over the idea of losing you.

He can’t imagine having to live a life where you’re not cracking a joke at the worst possible moment, or your selflessness that will surely one day cause you more harm than good. His breathing increases at the thought, his fists clenching, willing him to stay in place and not barge through the door without a second thought.

“ se - selfish? Daryl, you’re making sense! “

“ y’don’t care about anyone but y’self. Doin’ shit like that by y’self is only gonna get y’killed. All y’think about is you, not anyone left behind. “

“ after everything we’ve been through, you still don’t think that I love you? “ the fire you had once now leaves nothing but dying embers, defeat coating your words as tears shimmer in your eyes

Daryl doesn’t know how to react at your proclamation, the inner battle to stay in the lounge now lost. His mind is unable to warp the idea of you even entertaining the thought of becoming more than friends, never did he dream that the shield he’d built around himself could injure him more than the outside elements could.

Before he even realised it, he’s leaning down to pick up his crossbow and heading straight for the door. Paying no mind to you taking his departure as rejection and not self preservation.

“ if you think I’m gonna come back, I’ll make you wait a long time! “ you call out before slamming the door.

Hands are brought to your stomach, as if to stem the bleeding from a wound made deep into your torso, though it can’t curb the internal trauma you feel from Daryl ripping himself from your presence. You knew it was a bad idea to tell him your feelings, yet you could hardly stop yourself in the war of words between the two of you. Nothing is a big enough wish than to stop the pain that ignites your entire self, threatening to consume you entirely. Only now do you understand the true extent of your love for him, previously thinking it was little more than a crush, though this feels more. Especially mourning what could have been.

You retreat to your room, not even leaving to share dinner with your family. Afraid not if Daryl would show, but rather your ability to hold your composure when you feel as if you’re glass who’s moments are counting down by the second to shatter into nothing more than sharp fragments that will only slice others to ensure they bleed, to ensure they feel as bad as you do.

“ come on, you’ve got to get some air. “

A series of knocks interrupt your sleep, followed by the voice of who you recognise as belonging to Carol. You ignore her, not wanting to face anyone just yet. The trauma on your heart is still too fresh. However it matters not to Carol, for she simply does not take your silence as an answer, but rather as an invitation as she opens your door.

“ just leave me alone, please. “

“ the others are worried about you, so am I. “ she speaks, concern written all over her face as she steps forward closer to your bed, her frown becoming more and more prevalent.

“ let them be, I just want to sleep. “

“ you don’t have to talk to anyone, come down after breakfast. Just get some fresh air. “ Carol gently requests with a half smile blooming onto her features. If anything is certain, she wants to see you and Daryl work through the fog that currently locks you both away.

Leaving the bed, you groan to yourself. You’re not sure how much time has passed since Carol departed, but it has been long enough for your family to have also left the house to either explore more or two engage in their jobs. It’s something you send a silent thanks to the sky for, all you desire is solitude, with the sun etching its warmth onto your face. Opening the door, you see people going about their business with little regard for you, though you’re sure some of them must have heard the commotion the previous day.

You pay little mind to them though, more concerned on piecing together the broken pieces of your heart than anything else.

Sleep never once visited Daryl, never did it carry him off into a peaceful slumber. Though he can’t help but feel as if he deserves it, as payment for having to be the cause of the damage to you, being the reason you sobbed harder than he’d ever heard you. He’d waited outside that door, pushing himself to make things right, but never did the courage arise. Leaving him lonely once again.

Fuck this he curses himself mentally, this is going to be the one time an opportunity for happiness does not pass him by. Not once more, that was the last time he’d be nothing more than a witness.

Astonishment transforms his hardened expression as he comes to a stop, realising you’re already sitting on the porch next door with a blissfully peaceful air surrounding you. You don’t realise he’s there just yet, your eyes closed as you take in the sounds and smell of Alexandria, a distraction to what you feel. Daryl briefly wonders how he should go about patching things between the two of you, the situation an alien one to him. Fingers reach towards the cigarette packet concealed in his trouser pocket, with the barest of shaking from nerves.

Bringing it to his lips, the smoke is what alerts you to his being closing the distance. You can’t prevent the draining of colour from your face, not prepared from yet another interaction with the Dixon man so early in the morning.

“ I - uh, wanna say sorry. ‘Bout yesterday. “ Daryl apologises, with a regretful tone colouring his words with the most vibrancy he can muster.

Your gaze slips to the floor, watching the grass move ever so slightly with the breeze that wanders through. To forgive is in your nature and you sorely want to extend that forgiveness to him, but to do so after that exchange is a difficult thing.

“ thank you, I suppose. “ you shrug, your hands tying together as you try to make up for a lack of words.

“ I ain’t expectin’ y’to forgive me or nothin’, I just want y’to know. “

You sigh to yourself, you know in your heart he means what he says, you hate that you’ve been this mad at him.. at each other this much, even for a few hours. People and bonds are a rare blessing in this world, and you know it’s better to keep them close than to allow them to burn in the fire of hatred and impulse, to leave them nothing more than ashes ⎯ remnants to revere of an age that has since past.

“ Daryl, I do forgive you. I’m just trying to figure out how we move past this. “ you reply with sorrow, your eyes closing, a crease intensifying between your brows. It hurts to even speak into existence.

“ those things you said yesterday ... did you mean them? “

Bewilderment forces your eyes open, your head snapping to meet his figure that still stands. Here you are preparing yourself to move past Daryl, no matter how hard that would be, and he’s asking you questions about what you said.

“ you’ll have to be specific, I said a lot. “

“ it needs sayin’? “

Daryl can’t help but feel put on the spot as your sight bores into him with a forceful amount of strength, scrutinising him with the need to find an answer he’s not yet sure of.

“ yes, it does. “

“ was y’serious about.. bein’ in love.. ? “ with me is the silent end to the sentence that lays peacefully on his tongue as he leaves it out, the invisible presence of it painfully clear to the both of you, knowing that while it wasn’t included, it was there regardless.

“ when it comes to things like this, I don’t lie. “ you rest your head on your chin, a small yet anxious smile fighting to break free onto your features.

Why do I have to be a nervous smiler?

Daryl doesn’t answer, instead he moves to sit beside you on the porch. Closer than ever before, it’s not something that goes unnoticed by either of you, and like that hope is once again reignited within your core. Even small steps like this are significant, physical affection with other people is still something that has not changed all that much with him.. Though, you’ve seen moments on rare occasions, witnessing it before he can even stop himself.

“ so, we boyfriend and girlfriend now? “ you joke, laughter allowing the grief to peel away from your heart, allowing it to flutter in the air at the thought of the potential between you.

“ shut up. “ mumbles Daryl, although there’s a small grin that is peaking through his expression as he allows it to be set free, even though the full picture is still hidden under the grime and the hair that has long since overgrown.

But, you find you wouldn’t change a thing about that. It being part of his charm. You can’t help but find yourself full to the brim of excitement of what can grow between you, with the possibilities endless.. no matter how hard things can and will get, you will have each other in a new way that you’ve never before and that? It’s a heavenly picture you want to cut and pocket away in the confines of your heart.

[alluringinaru]

INARU, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER, PANSEXUAL, 2713 years old is a DRAGON in Hollywood. Some say that they resemble JENNIFER LOPEZ. This one is known to be ALLURING but can be RETICENT. They work as an DANCER at VOYEUR. They have TAKEN their Oath with the Society. We hope that you’re prepared to do what you need to for fame.

Inaru hatched in the fiery volcanic depths of of the Caribbean, amongst islands that had been forged by lava and that harbored the perfect combination to give life to the most luscious rainforests that anybody could imagine.

-With scales that rivaled and put to shame any and all birds of paradise, Inaru’s kind of dragon is an explosion of bold colors, brighter than any wildflower. They are capable to manipulate the hues like a chameleon to blend themselves into their surroundings in the vibrant jungles or the complete opposite; hypnotize and captivate in a show of technicolor rainbows. Also, a tropical dragon’s song is rumored to have the power of clearing the skies, calming the sea, sweetening the fruit and bringing good fortune to youngings.

-For centuries, Inaru and her kind populated the skies and the Caribbean, drifting from island to island as only majestic creatures could. Like all dragons, they were protectors of and to their own, making sure their numbers stayed steady and their habitats remained safe and untouched. They were revered by the locals, brought magic and myths to their cultures and lives; dragons were untouchable deities, nobody had ever come face to face with one and so it would remain.

-Inaru was fierce and untamable like the lava that had cradled her egg. With her bold colors and beautiful song, she was never afraid to show that she was a force to be reckoned with. She knew how desirable she was and inmodesty and vanity became personality traits in the young dragon. If she were to choose a mate, she needed it to be somebody that felt like an adventure, a thrill, the perfect puzzle piece that delivered something new and exciting.

-Either way and to the chagrin of most elders, Inaru was not ready to commit. She did her due diligence within the their world; she was a fierce protector, she grew stronger, the success of dragonkind being her ultimate goal.

-Something went abysmally wrong when colonizers started their relentless destruction. They hadn’t seem like that big of a threat –they were mere humans, after all–, and in the blink of an eye they had obliterated the people that Inaru and her kind had existed alongside with for so long. They took, and they took, and they took. They gave nothing back and left their little islands drained of life and color.

-Suddenly there were almost no available mates, no hatchlings to protect and as this new brand of humanity advanced, they stole the cover of the trees, leaving dragons and their world exposed; to be shot out of the sky as if they were nothing but pigeons.

-Inaru was confused. Inaru was angry. Inaru was scared. The life she had lived for thousands of years was over and she barely had time to take cover and find herself in human form to protect herself once wars started and the world moved so incredibly fast. It was time to start anew.

-Luckily (or not) for her, she was a superior being to humans and that superiority quickly came in handy when she realized just how easy it was to take advantage of these bipeds that had destroyed her world. They were dumb, they had such limited sight, they had no magic, they would believe anything and most importantly... They were so weakened by pleasure, desire, and beauty; something Inaru was overflowing with.

-The dragon used her looks, her unattainability, her mysticism and she made her way round and round the world. Discovering it, learning, acquiring treasures both tangible and ethereal. Just like in her youth, she had become somewhat of a legend, too beautiful to be approached, too desirable to be real, too untouchable to be tied down. Did she have a job? Who knew. A name? Nobody was sure. She showed up in ports and cities, flaunted her perfect figure, broke hearts and disappeared for years. Only fellow dragons and hand picked fellow supernaturals ever knew much about her.

-At some point in the 2000′s, Inaru felt the urge to check that she was in fact, real and maybe find a home base to stash her hoard more permanently. Los Angeles was the siren song. The decadency, the illusions, the actual magic was perfect. The Society was a good selling point too and she signed with the Charbonneau barely paying attention to the terms because they were surely lucky to have her. And yes, they offered a good bargain. Not one to have a proper job, the smoke and mirrors of Voyeur seemed so fun, twirling on a stage and showing the audience just what they could never have. It was exhilarating and there were other beautiful dragons like her in the city that were actually worthy of her time. The stability was nice for once.

-Inaru swears herself one of the stars of Voyeur (she’s pretty popular) and though she will not touch or let herself be touched by anybody that isn’t a dragon, she lives to be admired as she strips and dances to her ego and her heart’s content. Unruly, fiery and chaotic, she marches to the beat of her own drummer and takes what she wants. After all, this world should bend to the whim of dragons and supernaturals, not the other way around. Boredom and loneliness are the enemy, and she will do whatever it takes to drown out their voices, always seeking her next challenge.

[girlgrouptrash101]

Olivia Hye (Loona) - I Kinda Like You

Request: “olivia hye reaction to her female s/o wearing her hoodie in front of the members please :3″

Word Count: 1,436 Words

Warnings: just fluff my dears :]

A/N: this was ony supposed to be a tiny drabble but i guess i got a little caught up in the plot,,, oh well, enjoy!

- C

“Haha! Gotcha!” Yeojin screamed as she smashed the buttons on Hyejoo’s remote control, trying desperately to beat the stony-faced girl at a game of call of duty. Hyejoo had gotten the game for Christmas, and she’d practically already reached the maximum level in each game mode. Hyejoo absolutely loved gaming, and if she was being honest, not many things topped gaming for her. Except you, of course. Every day her members call her or chat to her and she can’t hear them with her headset on, but for you, Hyejoo would even go as far to quit her game just to talk to you. In your eyes, that was the biggest sentiment the timid girl had ever given you.

“Yeojin, you shot the wall again. I’m not even near you.” Hyejoo spoke gruffly, before laughing at the frustrated maknae. The younger girl huffed out, dropping the remote before jumping slightly as the door to Hyejoo’s dorm room burst open. You had just taken a shower after sleeping over at the dorm last night, as you often do since Hyejoo had introduced you to her members - 11 girls that had rapidly become some of your best friends.

“Hi Y/N! Nice hoodie.” Yeojin teased, before whining out as Hyejoo killed her again. You looked down and blushed lightly, feeling comfortable in the confines of your girlfriend’s soft hoodie. Looking up again, you found Hyejoo was staring at you with one of the softest looks you had ever seen, before she outstretched her hand to beckon you over.

“You look adorable.” Hyejoo whispered to you as you sat down beside her, your head leaning on her shoulder as you watched her obliterate Yeojin at the game. 

“Alright well, I’m clearly not winning this, and I definitely don’t want to be around when you guys get all mushy.” Yeojin said, dropping her controller on the ground and standing up. “I’ll see you two later.” She said finally, and you both bid her goodbye as she headed out the door, presumably to go and make bracelets with Jiwoo as the two had planned yesterday.

The room was much quieter now as Hyejoo had switched off her gaming system, neatly putting her controllers away so as to keep the dorm neat for her roommates. You sat on the floor as you watched her tidy, leaning against the edge of Hyejoo’s bed. Once she had finished, she crawled back to you and leaned against the bed beside you, opening her arms for you to crawl onto her lap. Once you’d sat down, the raven haired girl wrapped her arms around your waist and held you close to her.

“Did you sleep okay last night baby?” She asked, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear absentmindedly.

“I did, except for when you accidentally elbowed me in the stomach during your sleep.” You joked, earning a chuckle from your girlfriend. The smile stayed etched on her face as she gazed at you, leaning in to press a soft kiss to your temple. Just as you went to turn your head to repay her with a proper kiss, the bedroom door burst open once again.

“Hye- AH! THEY’RE KISSING!!” Yeojin screamed out, slapping her hands over her eyes so she wouldn’t see anything. The girls responded with a few whistles and a small shout from Jiwoo as they heard the maknae’s scream, further embarrassing the both of you. 

“We’re not! Now what do you want?” Hyejoo argued back, leaning over to grab a pillow from her bed before launching it at the younger girl. Yeojin caught the pillow and threw it back, laughing before letting you both know that lunch was ready. She left as quickly as she came, slamming the door shut and running off to eat. The room was quiet again as you both sat there,not wanting to move away from one another.

“Damn, is it really always going to be this difficult for me to just kiss my girlfriend?” Hyejoo asked, a small smile on her face again as she noticed the blush on your cheeks. You decided to give her just what she desired, your lips meeting hers in a soft, yet passionate kiss. As Hyejoo’s hand moved to the back of your neck to deepen the kiss, you had to force yourself to pull away before it got too heated for either of you to resist. Your forehead rested against your girlfriend’s as she finally opened her eyes again, the blush now settling on her own face.

After a few more moments of silence, you finally stood up and held out your hand for Hyejoo to follow. 

“Let’s go eat shall we?”

-----

A little while later, you found yourself chomping down on some delicious food prepared by Hyunjin and Vivi. There was hustle and bustle all around the table as all 13 of you ate happily, sharing stories and jokes that led to infectious laughter and smiles being spread around the table. You smiled as you ate, feeling so lucky to be brought into such a close-knit group of girls, and even luckier that you could now call them all your best friends. You stayed in your little bubble of happiness for a few more minutes, appreciating the lovely food, until Sooyoung decided to break your train of thought. 

“Y/N, isn’t that Oli’s hoodie?” She asked, a smirk on her face. Your cheeks heated up again as most of the girls stopped talking to listen in on your conversation. Before you could reply, Jiwoo cut in, embarrassing you even more.

“Oh it definitely is Hyejoo’s! She was wearing it last week! Oh that’s so ADORABLE!!!” She squeaked, fawning over you cosied up in your girlfriend’s clothes. The rest of the girls joined in, making kissy noises and cooing over the both of you. You just looked at Hyejoo, who was looking right back at you, the two of you just begging for escape from the situation. Eventually, Hyejoo decided to speak up, using a sassy tone in hopes that her members would quit teasing her.

“Yes, that is my hoodie, and what about it? Y/N is my girlfriend and she can wear as much of my clothes as she wants to. Plus, she looks cuter in them than I ever could.” Hyejoo replied, her voice getting quieter as she added the last part, hoping that only you would hear it. Unfortunately she was wrong, as Chaewon spoke up next.

“Ah… I can’t believe our big scary Hye is this whipped for Y/N!” Giggling, she poked Hyejoo and wiggled her eyebrows, making the other girls laugh too. Eventually, Hyejoo couldn’t keep it in, joining in and setting off your laughter too. The girls eventually let up on the jokes, letting you both know it was all in good fun and they were actually very happy for the both of you.

“Even though you may be disgustingly cute, and absolutely whipped for each other, we’re so proud of you both, you know.” Vivi spoke, earning agreements from the other girls.

“For real, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hyejoo as happy since she’s been with you, Y/N.” Heejin added. Hyejoo was blushing insanely now, her face heated up as she looked down at her plate. You thanked the girls, chatting away and watching as the previous conversations were picked up again. Only you and Hyejoo were silent now, so you turned to face her. 

“Hey, Hyejoo.” You said, getting the girl’s attention from where she was sitting beside you.

“Hey, Y/N.” She replied, her face still red. You knew she didn’t do well expressing herself, especially in front of so many people. Reaching under the table, you found her hand and laced her fingers with your own.

“I kinda like you.” You replied, earning a wide smile and a laugh from your girlfriend. She squeezed your hand lightly as a thank you, before leaning in to whisper something in your ear.

“I kinda like you too, Y/N.” 

Your smile grew as you kept your hands interlocked, picking up your chopsticks to take another bite. You couldn’t help but let the butterflies overtake you as you felt smitten with the girl beside you. Even after being together for so long, those words still brought you so much joy and happiness. As you pondered the powerful feelings for the girl beside you that were currently clouding your mind, you couldn’t help but hope for many more days like this to come your way. You, Hyejoo, and all the girls. They completed you; they were your happiness.

[woednesdayaddams]

highs and lows, armand knew how to obliterate her morbid thoughts just as he was capable of fueling them. perchance, that’s what bore respect and appreciation for him. uncle fester had his fair share of unlucky partners in crime along the way, but armand saw her for what she truly was. a nightmare with a beating heart. a death glare was given at his romantic comment – albeit enticing, the morbid tainted comparison of love, it wasn’t enough to convince her. it was an ancient war between love and her, ever since she discovered there were collateral victims, cursed with supernatural blood. love was interesting, but it was forbidden had dragons needed to be slain.

adamantine features softened ever so slightly when she noticed the smallest hint of a smile on his immortal visage. keen eye notices everything, the smallest of differences holding importance to her, since it can make a difference. she was on the edge of her seat, ready to launch off of it and prepare her bags had he verbally consented to her desire. she was waiting, albeit impatiently, scrutinizing him with those somber hues of hers. his query caught her unprepared, disgruntled in her own illusions. expecting the worst, having realistic views were just the few little things that stood at the core of her being, defining who she truly was.

“what should we tell father?” she repeated, contemplating. wednesday didn’t think her beloved father would crush her desolated spirit, although there were two alternatives to armand’s question. either he set a bait to disappoint her or he was humoring her endeavor. either way, what a bliss.  index finger lightly taps on the surface of her cheek, displaying her train of thoughts. “truth wouldn’t be appreciated, i think we should forge a believable lie. he’d be so displeased to receive a postcard from paris.” a flawless idea sprung and she whispered it, like a secret only between the two of them.

contorted posture shifts to have a better look at armand, a devious grin planted on her features. “i say we leave immediately,” she utters, “father would half-heartedly expect it anyway.” personal beliefs roll out of her venomous tongue, aware her dearest, ghoulish parents would take it as nothing else but a successful abduction – which was the culprit remaining a mystery. “or, perhaps, after midnight,” a pause in her speech, in which somber hues flicker towards the door, “if you wish to liaise with him. what do you say?”

he adored this child.

for all of her growing, wednesday still sneered at love. he couldn't blame her, it was perfectly horrid in every sense; but there was a morbidity to it all that she might enjoy. being split open for one person only, allowing someone the means to carry out your death - it was all so intimately macabre that armand knows, even now, it would sneak up on her when she least expected it. flowers would grow where thorns once laid. someone as exquisite as wednesday deserved a love as deathly and severe as her little heart was.

❝ mark my words, miss addams. there will be tenderness alongside the evisceration and the butchers block will be wedding & death bed in one. just you wait.   ❞ a ringed finger is pointed at her.

armand couldn't deny that he takes particular pleasure in seeing the wonderment cross the girl's scrunched up features. like seeing the sun after a life time of sleet and slush, the vampire sees what it might have been like were she a normal little girl; begging, grabbing at his coat tails.

a honey'd warmth pulls away the residing calm, the smallest of smiles beginning to pull at the let side of his mouth.

❝ now ? ❞

ah. now he sees it. the inherent affection where he once gave little at all: armand sees himself in wednesday. no more the child of yesterday, he recognizes the zeal of one that did not often dream. not in the traditional sense.

and what would it hurt? in the grand scheme of it all, if he was willing to give her the dark gift, what was one weekend away from her studies? a conspiratorial look passes through his gaze, tightening his eyes.

❝ what should we tell gomez ? ❞

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 114: A Fire Inside

The next morning, Ann woke up and stretched in her bed. She looked out the window and smiled. Since yesterday, she felt more determined than ever. She knew what she had to do, and she knew the steps she had to take to do it. She got out of bed and got ready for the day.

She was ready to make a career out of modeling, but the details were foggy on how to do so; at least, until yesterday. Yesterday, everything fell into place. All of the knowledge she had accumulated was finally put together, and the picture was clearer than ever.

One of the things she loved about modeling was the ability to let you define yourself. Whatever clothes you were given, you had to be the one to show them off. How you present the clothes is how you present yourself.

She loved it, yet she used to resent it as well. Being quarter-American in Japan, the ability to let Ann define herself was taken away somewhat by her peers, and then a lot by Kamoshida, and now Mika was threatening to do the same. However, she had an ace up her sleeve.

Her friends and family saw her for who she really was, just like she saw them for who they really were. Because she was recognized in this way, she knew she would become a better model, and a better person. Yet, there was one person who didn’t see her in the way she wanted to be seen by them. And she was going to rectify that today.

Ann arrived at her destination and knocked on the door. Ryuji answered it, still half asleep, and only opening the door slightly. “Huh?” When he realized it was Ann, he immediately woke up. “ANN!”

“Hi,” Ann said. Ryuji closed the door. “Huh?!”

“SORRY!” Ryuji called. “I’LL BE BACK IN A MINUTE!” He came back, and opened the door more. “Sorry. I, uh, wasn’t decent.”

“Oh,” Ann said, not sure how to react.

“So, what brings you here?” Ryuji asked. “Oh wait, I know. Did you want to ace that dancing game today?”

“Well… I’m not opposed to it…” Ann said. “But that’s not why I’m here.” Ryuji was confused. She looked away briefly, but then clenched her fist and looked back at him. “You know we’ve been friends for a while, right?”

“Yeah?” Ryuji said, unsure of where this was going.

“Well, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say,” Ann continued. “Not since we first met, but for a while still. But I never had the courage to.”

“How come?” Ryuji asked, a bit nervous, but still slightly oblivious.

“Well, it’s not an easy thing to say outright,” Ann answered. “Plus, I kind of thought we had forever. But then Kamoshida happened, and then forever turned into never until this whole Phantom Thieves thing began. And I don’t want forever to turn into never again! So here goes.”

She took a deep breath, and then looked into his eyes, determined. “Ryuji Sakamoto! I…I’m in love with you! Will you go out with me?!”

Ryuji was stunned. His paleness combined with his embarrassment to paint him in a lovely shade of pink “Uhhhhhhhhhhh, wh-wha?”

“I love you!” Ann declared again.

“No no, I get that,” Ryuji said, finally processing what was happening. “But… I mean, I’m nothing special. And you can have any guy you want, you know?”

“So why does it sound like the only guy I want is saying no?” Ann asked.

Ryuji paused at the question. To say he wasn’t prepared for this would be an understatement. Still, he had to answer. He sighed. “Well…I mean…I…ahem, sorry. Uh, to be honest, I do kind of feel the same way, and have for a long time. And, I guess for similar reasons, I never said anything either.

But I think you’re right. Because of everything that’s happened, I think saying it and acting on it makes the most sense.” He grabbed Ann’s hand. “So, I guess I’m saying yeah. I’ll go out with you.”

Ann could hardly contain her excitement. “YyyyyyyyyyAY!” She opened her arms wide and hugged Ryuji. Ryuji wassurprised, but hugged her back. The two stayed like that for a little bit. Ann then interjected saying “You still wanna obliterate that record?”

“Heh. Totally,” Ryuji said.

They undid the hug and gave each other a slight peck. But then they realized how good that felt, and then shared a deeper, more intimate kiss. Once they finished, Ann said “Woah.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji reacted. After a prolonged silence, Ryuji asked “You wanna head out now?”

Ann nodded. “Race ya!” She started running, and Ryuji followed not too long after. Together, the new couple raced to the arcade.

When they got there, they were both out of breath. “Who won?” Ryuji wondered.

“Don’t know…” Ann answered. She looked up. “Don’t care…” Ryuji smiled. She smiled back. “Maybe we should get something to drink.”

“Good idea,” Ryuji said. They went to the vending machine and grabbed something to recharge themselves after their sprint. Once they were ready, they came face to face with the machine. There was a brief moment of hesitation from Ann, but Ryuji took her hand. “Hey. We got this.”

Ann looked at Ryuji. With him by her side, she believed it. She nodded. “Right. Thanks.” The two stepped up to the machine with fiery determination, and a new fuel source to match it. They selected the cooperative mode and began.

The song started playing, and the two started moving in time with it; pressing the pads with their feet. They knew what they were doing. This was not their first attempt at this. They had never succeeded before, but still, they were determined.

Their determination paid off. Not only did they make the leaderboard, they were number one. They looked at their score in awe. “We…did it?” Ann wondered. She looked at Ryuji who nodded. Ann got really excited. “WE DID IT!” She leapt into Ryuji’s arms. Ryuji caught her and spun her around 360 degrees, before landing into a hug. They looked at each other and kissed.

They looked back at their score. “Hey, we should get some selfies with our score, and show it off,” Ryuji suggested.

“Good idea,” Ann agreed. Ann took out her phone, and they posed in front of their score. The first photo, they both looked at the camera. The second photo, Ann snuck a kiss onto Ryuji’s cheek. The third photo, Ryuji got Ann back by kissing her on her cheek. The fourth, and final photo they took was a shared kiss that also displayed their score. They shared these photos with their friends.

First, they shared it with Shiho, who was ecstatic.

Shiho: Congratulations you two!

Shiho: I knew you could do it!

Ann: Thanks.

Shiho: I am surprised that you managed to get the high score as well.

Ann: Shiho…

Shiho: Tee hee.

Ryuji: Well, I’m not sure how surprising that is.

Ryuji: Maybe when we were just friends, it would be a surprise.

Ryuji: But now that we’re dating, I feel like there’s nothing we can’t do.

Ann: That’s really sweet.

Shiho: You got yourself a true gentleman Ann.

Shiho: In all seriousness, I’m really happy for you two.

Ann: Thanks.

Ryuji: Thanks.

They then messaged the Phantom Thieves chat.

Ren: Congrats you two!

Sumire: Way to go!

Lena: You two look so cute together!

Makoto: So, how did it happen?

Ryuji: Ann just came over and asked me out.

Makoto: Woah!

Makoto: Well, congratulation you to. On both things!

Yusuke: In a way, I’m not surprised.

Yusuke: When Ann is determined to do something, she tends to do it.

Ann: Thanks.

Ann: But it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world either.

Ann: But I’m glad I did it.

Josoe: I’m also glad for you.

Josoe: You two look really happy together.

Ryuji: Aw, shucks. Thanks Jose.

As Ren was reading the chat while walking around town, Morgana was looking it over as well. Ren decided to check in on Morgana. “How do you feel about this?”

Morgana was surprised. “I’m fine.” Ren stared at him. “Honest.”

“You sure?” Ren asked.

“Well, yeah,” Morgana answered. “I mean, they clearly love each other. You even told me she was interested in him before all of this. I’m happy for them.”

“It's just us here,” Ren said.

“Really, I’m fine,” Morgana countered. “If I got upset every time I didn’t get my way, I’d be no better than a palace ruler.”

“I know,” Ren said. “But it’s fine to admit you’re in pain too.”

“Well, I can’t say it doesn’t hurt just a little,” Morgana admitted. “But I’m sure it’ll fade away in due time.”

“Hm,” Ren grinned. She went back to the chat.

Ren: Morgana sends his well wishes too.

Ann: Aw, thanks Morgana.

Ryuji: Yeah. Thanks.

Ren turned back to Morgana. “I’ll get you some sushi tonight for being a good sport.”

“You don’t have to,” Morgana said.

“I insist,” Ren said.

“Thanks,” Morgana said. “Why are you being so nice to me about this?”

“Well, partially because we’re friends,” Ren answered, “but also I’ve had my heart broken in the past too. I know how it feels.”

“Well, you have Sumire now,” Morgana replied.

“And I’m sure something good is gonna come your way too,” Ren said.

Back at the arcade, Ann and Ryuji finished informing some of their other friends and were leaving. Once they left, they heard “RYU-KUN!” They turned to see Ryuji’s mom. Ryuji’s mom had medium-length brown hair, and was wearing a lavender shirt, a navy blue skirt, and a pair of wedge shoes. She came over to greet them. “Hi Ryu-kun! Hi Ann-chan!’

“Hi Miss Sakamoto,” Ann said.

“What are you doing out here mom?” Ryuji asked.

“I was just on my way to pick up some stuff for dinner,” Ryuji’s mom said. “But enough about me, what are you kids up to?”

“Well, uh, actually…” Ryuji said, blushing. He took Ann’s hand. “We’re…kind of going out now.”

Ryuji’s mom was stunned. She smiled and hugged them. “I’m so proud of you two!”

The kids were surprised, but hugged Ryuji’s mom back. “Thanks mom,” Ryuji said.

“Thanks Miss Sakamoto,” Ann said. The hug finished. “Say, why don’t you two come over for dinner tonight?”

“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother,” Ryuji’s mom said.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Ann said.

“You sure?” Ryuji asked.

“We told your mom already,” Ann said. “Might as well tell my parents.”

“Well, it has been a while since I’ve met with your parents Ann-chan,” Ryuji’s mom said. “And this is such a joyous occasion.” She nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it!”

“Great!” Ann said. “Also, my grandparents are visiting, so we can tell them as well.”

“Well that sounds lovely,” Ryuji’s mom said. The three of them headed to Ann’s house.

Once they got there, Ann rang the doorbell. Ann’s dad answered it. Ann’s dad was really tall and muscular, and had short, fuzzy blonde hair, a well-kept blonde mustache, a white shirt, black tie, black suspenders, and black pants. “Ann? Why did you ring the bell?” He looked at Ryji and his mom. “Oh. You brought people over. Hello Ryuji. Hello Kaida.”

“Hi Oliver,” Kaida said.

“So, what brings you over?” Oliver asked.

“I kind of invited them,” Ann said. “See, something big happened.” Oliver was puzzled. “Ryuji and I are a couple now.”

Oliver was surprised. He smiled and hugged the kids. “I’m so happy for you two!”

The kids were again taken aback, but hugged back. “Thanks dad,” Ann said.

Oliver let go. “Well come on, come on. We should celebrate.” The three of them entered the house and headed to the dining room. In the dining room, Ann’s grandparents were there, along with Ann’s mom. Ann’s mom had long, flowing black hair, glasses, a red dress, black stockings, a gold bracelet, and painted red nails. As they entered, Oliver announced “Mari, honey! Mom. Dad. Ann has some news for you.”

Mari looked at Ryuji and Kaida and then Ann. “We’re having company?”

“Well, yes, but there’s more,” Oliver said.

“What is it dear?” Mari asked.

“Well, um, I guess I just have to say it,” Ann said. “Ryuji and I are dating now.”

Ann’s mom and grandparents were surprised, and equally happy. Mari smiled. “Hm. Congratulations, Ann sweetie,” she said. “I knew you could do it.”

“Wait, what?” Ann said. “You…knew?”

Mari nodded. “Of course. A mother always knows these things.”

“100%” Kaida said.

“Wait, you knew too?” Ryuji wondered.

“Well, I didn't want to say anything, but yeah,” Kaida admitted.

Ann’s grandpa smiled. “Well, this is certainly turning out to be quite the visit.”

“Indeed,” Ann’s grandma said. She looked at Ann and mouthed “You’re welcome.” Ann mouthed back “Thank you.”

“Well, we should get started on dinner!” Oliver said. He looked at his wife. “You wanna help me sweetie?”

“Of course,” Mari said.

“I can help too,” Kaida offered.

“But you’re our guest,” Mari responded.

“I insist,” Kaida said.

“Well, if you insist,” Mari said. “Another pair of hands in the kitchen would be welcomed.” The three parents went into the kitchen to prepare.

Once dinner was ready, everyone sat down to eat. The meal was delicious, and the conversation was lovely (if a little bit on the teasing side at first), but the best thing about the dinner was the feeling Ann had. For so long, she had felt shattered. Not too long ago, she felt like she was in complete disrepair. But now? Now she felt whole again. It was a different kind of whole than before, and some of the pain still lingered, but the positives outweighed the negatives. She had amazing friends, a wonderful family, a bright future, and a loving boyfriend. She could not ask for anything more.

[inkweaver22-blr]

UUUUGGGGHHHH!!! This chapter took me so long! I do believe this is my first real case of writer’s block due to Imposter Syndrome/Performance Anxiety.

Also combat sequences suck.

But it’s done now! I hope you enjoy!

AO3 Link

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Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Seventeen: Possessing Power

CONTENT WARNING: Self Harm, Mutilation, and Non-Consensual Kissing

Tang has accumulated quite a fair amount of power across the timelines. Now it’s going to be used.

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Tang smiled with grim satisfaction as he examined his soul.

The blocks separating him from his powers were completely obliterated.

Ever since his distressing encounter with the evil version of the Monkey King he had been trying to find a way to access them again. Several dozen cycles had been dedicated to various kinds of research and experimentation in order to do so.

The question of how he was able to use them was simple to answer. He had been under extreme emotional duress at the time. Genuine fear over his safety or that of his family had been the most probable trigger for being able to use abilities from past cycles.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to recreate such raw emotions in a controlled environment. Knowingly throwing himself into danger wouldn’t work either as the simple act of choosing to do so would negate much of the feelings necessary. So he heeded the advice from the projection of Tripitaka those countless cycles ago and switched focus.

Why he had been able to wield those powers was a bit more tricky to solve.

Tang had originally thought the only thing that came with him as he jumped timelines were his memories. Of course, it was actually his soul that was doing the jumping so perhaps that was it? It was possible that as he collected the pieces of his soul in each timeline that he could potentially pick up something extra that was attached to them.

It had been while he was examining his soul to determine if this were the case that he had discovered the blocks.

He hadn’t known what they were at first, but after extensive research on how to properly examine a soul he uncovered the answer. Seals similar to the ones placed on his memories to hide the nature of his curse were preventing him from using his powers.

The disappointment over this realization had been fierce and bitter. It seemed this was yet another way the cycles were preventing him from interfering. He had tried breaking the blocks by force in desperation but had only ended up violently ill for the remainder of that cycle.

In the end he decided that there was nothing he could do about it. It was already proven that he could temporarily get past the blocks when in peril, so he would have to be content with that for the time being. He was sure that when that time came he would be ready.

The abrupt end to the single most satisfying year he had ever experienced in the cycles had proven how foolish he had been. He wouldn’t be making the same mistake again.

With a pleased hum, Tang returned his soul and prepared to leave. There was a spring in his step as he packed clothing and provisions for his trip.

This timeline was unchanged from the original as far as he could tell. Relearning how to use his powers would be a much more productive use of his time than reliving the same old events again.

Once he was ready, Tang pulled out a strand of hair and blew on it, creating a clone of himself.

“You know what to do?”

“Go about our life and make sure our family doesn’t suspect anything,” the clone said.

“Good.” Tang opened a window. “I’ll be back to check in and restock on food in a week.”

In a flash of golden-yellow light, Tang transformed into a crane and launched himself into the air. He soared above the city for a while, enjoying the feeling of the wind in his feathers. Turning to the mountains in the North, Tang flew towards them in hopes of finding someplace secluded.

----------

It took a few hours before Tang found the perfect spot. Near the peak of one of the mountains was a large stone clearing. Other than a few patches of grass stubbornly growing from the cracks in the ground, nothing else seemed to be living in the barren stretch of earth.

Satisfied with this location, Tang began clearing the numerous rocks and boulders strewn about. His hands glowing golden-yellow, he swept all the loose stone to the edges of the clearing and smoothed out the ground into an even, unmarked surface.

Tang scowled as he worked.

This training trip wasn’t just to get himself accustomed to using his various powers again. He needed to be able to automatically react with the proper ability at a moment's notice.

Had he not been panicking and remembered his earth shaping during the previous cycle he might have been able to save MK from being shoved into the Eight Trigram Furnace.

Tang growled and the boulder he had been moving was ground to dust.

His pitiful performance could not be allowed to be repeated. He refused to ever be caught off guard like he had again. Now that he had his powers available to him he would make sure of that.

Once the clearing had been flattened out, Tang started making other things out of the stone for his extended stay here. A small hut to sleep in that he would furnish with hair duplicates later. A wide yet shallow pit of sand to practice combat on shifting ground. Target statues in the shape of the Mayor to vent his frustrations on.

Tang looked over the transformed training area and nodded to himself. Perfect.

He began stretching in preparation for a quick run through of his powers. He had already warmed up using his earth shaping to make this place, so Tang decided to move on to spell-casting.

He faced the target statues and channeled his magic. With a wave of his hands he began shooting off spells.

Ropes of light wrapped around several statues. Domes appeared over others, imprisoning them. Sleeping charms, which didn’t affect the stone figures in any way, still met their marks.

Tang frowned as he conjured a net to fling at the training targets. Most of his repertoire of spells were defensive or supportive in nature. There was practically nothing offensive for him to use.

Well that was fine for now. Defense was just as important as offense. Plus he could think of a few creative ways to use what he had until he researched more combat focused magic.

He summoned another dome, this time having its edge intersect with one of the statues and cutting through it. Yes, he could work with this.

Quickly running out of spells that could be cast at range, Tang switched to a different ability.

With a moment of focus, sand began to swirl around him. He teleported a few times around the clearing, returning to his original spot once he had a decent grasp on the power. It wasn’t as fast as he would have liked but he had time to improve it. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he could move across short distances almost instantaneously.

Tang held out a hand and summoned Fang of the Earth. He still wasn’t sure exactly how the weapon was able to follow him across timelines. His best guess was that when he had earned the right to wield the guandao it had bonded with his very soul.

He gave the weapon a practice swing. It didn’t really matter to him now. The fact that he could summon it was just one more advantage in his favor.

He frowned as he realized that the guandao was just a little too heavy for him to use properly. Unless he built up the muscle needed, it would be more of a hindrance than a boon.

But he couldn’t waste time each cycle just working out. He needed to be ready at a moment's notice. He would just have to rely on his super strength when using it.

Speaking of, Tang decided to work through his powers inherited from Wukong.

Fang of the Earth was immediately much lighter to hold when he activated his strength. With a quick swipe he was able to easily slice through the middle of one of the Mayor statues.

Nodding in satisfaction, he began to cycle through the numerous abilities of the Monkey King.

He had already made a clone earlier and had no problems with transformations. Altering his size, duplicating items, and invulnerability were all checked off with little fanfare.

Soon, the only thing remaining to try was True Sight.

Tang turned to the East. He stared at the spot where his family would most likely appear should he activate the power.

He frowned.

True Sight would be an incredible tool for him to utilize. The advantages of seeing past illusions, having a massive telescopic range to gaze into the distance, and being able to look through solid objects to detect hidden things were not to be dismissed lightly.

And yet…

“I’m sorry,” Tang said to the empty air, knowing his family would be able to hear him. He gripped his guandao tightly and glared at the ground.

“I can’t- no. I don’t deserve to see you all yet. I need to get stronger first.

“What would the point of getting answers be if I kept letting you all get hurt? I don’t want what happened in the last cycle to happen ever again. I care about you all too much to allow that.

“I have my powers now! It would be selfish of me to not try protecting everyone. I just need to work hard to get back into shape.

“Give me some time,” he said, smiling in determination in the direction of his family. “Once I’m strong enough to keep you all safe from them and whatever this curse throws at me for interfering we can see each other again. I promise I won’t let you down.

“I love you.”

Tang turned away from the training ground and made his way to the hut. It was truly pathetic how winded he was just from testing out his abilities. He would have to add endurance exercises to the training schedule he planned on making.

It would take a lot of effort, but he would hone himself into the protector his family deserved.

No matter what it took.

----------

Tang dodged a strike from one of the Mayor statues and retaliated with a swipe of Fang of the Earth.

He had found the animation spell while looking up offensive magics at The Cloud earlier that week. Having actual moving opponents to practice against would speed up his training significantly.

Slashing the statue in front of him, Tang quickly jumped back to avoid the two others that had tried catching him in a pincer move. He switched to holding his guandao in one hand and summoned a modified binding rope in the other. With a quick flick the rope lashed out like a whip and cleaved them in two.

He paused to take a breath once he realized that had been the last of them.

That had been better than when he had first started out, but there was still much more room for improvement. With a wave of his hand he reformed the statues. Once his breathing evened out, he recast the animation spell.

“Activate, level three,” Tang called out.

The statues’ eyes began glowing golden-yellow and attacked. Tang rushed in to meet them.

----------

Hand to hand combat wasn’t Tang’s favorite way to fight. He much preferred using Fang of the Earth or a staff to keep his enemies from getting in too close. But he knew there would be times he wouldn’t have access to a weapon so he made sure he was proficient in it.

He would not allow himself to have a weakness in any type of fight.

Tang ducked under a punch and struck the attacking statue in the chest, his super strength blowing it to pieces. Another grabbed him from behind, but he pulled on its arms and tossed it overhead into one that had been charging at him.

Sloppy. He shouldn’t have let himself be grappled like that.

Tang forced himself to move faster and began lashing out at the statues surrounding him. His fingertips glowed as he placed debilitating spells on any target he managed to touch.

Immobilization. Blindness. Intense nausea. A pulse of pressurized air strong enough to shatter bones. The sensation of being burned from the inside out.

In less than a minute, over half of the statues were deactivated due to the simulated pain and the remainder were trying to fight off the negative effects of his magic.

Now that was more like it! Tang grinned at the remaining targets and lunged.

----------

Tang went over the scroll once more before deciding he was as prepared as he could be. Removing his robe and undershirt, he laid his left arm upon the stone table he had formed. Summoning Fang of the Earth, he aligned the blade with the back of his wrist.

With a decisive swing, he severed his hand from his body.

Healing was something he had overlooked until now. As much as it pained him to admit, he wouldn’t always be fast enough. Someone he cared about was bound to be hurt in some way outside his control.

He didn’t like it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything about it. He would just have to be able to reverse any injury that they received.

Tang dismissed his guandao and began casting with his remaining hand.

Place a preservation spell on the separated appendage. Slow the flow of blood. Disinfect the wound.

He didn’t want to have to test these spells for the first time in the heat of the moment. He needed practice if he didn’t want to cause further harm to his family. If the only way he could do so was by using them on himself, then so be it.

Place the hand against the stump of his wrist, making sure they were properly aligned. Reconnect the bones first. Then the arteries and veins. Encourage the muscle and ligaments to knit back together.

Tang had found some extra utility in the healing magics he studied as well.

A spell for supporting muscle growth in atrophied limbs could be used to increase the productivity of his workouts. That would certainly come in handy when the cycle ended and his physical progress was reset. Recovery times between sessions were also cut in half thanks to some rudimentary energy replenishing spells.

Speed up the growth of new skin around the wound, leaving only the faintest of scars.

Tang flexed his left hand.

No pain. No stiffness. Perfect.

He cast a spell to determine how much blood he had lost.

Hmm… It was minimal enough for him to keep going.

Tang re-summoned Fang of the Earth and aligned it with his elbow this time.

He swung down.

----------

Tang stood still in the center of the training field with his eyes closed. The loose bits of sand floating all throughout the area gave him a decent mental image of his surroundings. It wasn’t quite as effective as True Sight, but had the benefit of allowing him to sense everything in a full 360 degrees around him.

Some of the sand to his left was disturbed, giving him the faint impression of one of the Mayor statues.

Doing his best to move his hands as little as possible, Tang used his earth manipulation to send Fang of the Earth after the statue. He mentally controlled its movements and managed to destroy the target with minor effort.

Two more statues approached; one from above and one behind.

Tang launched his guandao directly towards himself, sidestepping at the last moment so it flew past him and stabbed the statue behind him. With a twitch of his fingers chunks of stone tore themselves from the ground and bombarded the one above him, knocking it off course.

The statue landed and rushed towards him. Tang stood his ground and held his hand out in front of him. Right before the statue could reach him he summoned Fang of the Earth and the momentum of the statue caused it to impale itself on his blade.

Tang opened his eyes and examined the training area. The remains of a dozen statues lay scattered about.

Tang frowned. That had been a bit too easy. It appeared he would have to raise the difficulty level on the animation spell once again.

Nodding to himself, Tang began remaking the statues for another round. Hopefully he would gain a bit more out of it this time.

----------

Tang braced himself as he faced the five statues of the Mayor.

“Activate, level fifty!”

Four of the statues blurred out of sight in a burst of speed while the fifth launched itself at him.

Tang dodged its first few strikes before retaliating with his own. The two traded blows for a few moments, neither able to break past their opponent’s defenses. Tang tried casting some touch based spells the few times he managed to graze the statue, but it was able to quickly dispel the effects.

Not wanting to be stuck in a stalemate for too long, Tang quickly teleported several yards away. He launched binding ropes at the first statue, managing to ensnare it, only to have to move out of the way of a second as it tried attacking him from behind.

His hands began to glow as he started pulling rocks from the ground and launching them at statue number two. The statue managed to duck around most of them and punched its way through the rest.

Tang punched the ground in front of him, causing a huge slab of stone to rise up in the statue’s path. It was forced to dash around it to reach Tang, but he had already teleported away.

From atop the slab, Tang materialized a dome of hard light around the statue. Before it could react, he made dozens more of various sizes within the first. The many overlapping edges cut through the statue, reducing it to rubble.

One down.

Tang jumped just in time as the slab exploded. Two of the statues launched themselves up to meet him in the air.

Tang summoned Fang of the Earth in one hand and a binding rope in the other.

He blocked the punch from the first with his weapon and flicked the rope like a whip at the second. The second statue grabbed the rope, wrapped it around its wrist, and began to pull in an attempt to yank Tang off balance.

With his attention split, the first statue managed to knock his guandao from his grasp. Reacting quickly, Tang kicked the first statue in the chest, launching it back to the ground. He tightened his grip on the rope and began to swing the second around.

The statue quickly let go of the rope, not being sent very far. In its haste, it failed to notice the remotely controlled Fang of the Earth rising up behind it and swinging towards its neck.

Two down.

Tang teleported back down to the ground, appearing in the sand pit. He swiftly set up a sand field around him. Almost instantly he detected two of the remaining statues entering the field from either side of him.

Tang summoned Fang of the Earth to him. Jumping back so the statues would have to approach him at an angle, he began channeling his dragon energy.

He let them get close. Once they were only a few yards away, he swung the guandao with a roar, manifesting his dragon avatar and unleashing a wave of golden-yellow force.

One managed to jump over the wave entirely while the other had its leg clipped. It stumbled, but didn’t deactivate; wounded but not defeated.

Before he could move out of the way of the statue that had dodged his attack, a pair of stone hands burst out of the sand beneath Tang and grabbed him by the ankles. Tang instinctively transformed into a cicada to escape, flying swiftly away.

He transformed back once he put a good distance between them. Tang took a deep breath as he refocused on the three statues dashing towards him.

He pulled two strands of hair from his head and blew on them, creating a pair of clones. Tang and his copies rushed to meet the statues and began trading blows with them.

With the other two distracted with his clones, Tang was able to put all his focus on his own opponent. He began to speed up his attacks, pushing the statue back before finally breaking through its defenses. His palm charged with an overpowered air pulse spell, he struck the statue in the chest, blowing a hole clean through it.

Three down.

Tang jumped back to avoid a strike from the side. It seemed his clones had been defeated.

He summoned his guandao back to his side and lashed out at the attacking statue. They exchanged strikes, dodging and blocking each other's blows.

Tang twitched his fingers and the earth beneath the statue twisted, tripping it up. With a decisive slash he cut it cleanly through the middle.

Four down.

Tang glanced around for the final statue, spotting its silhouette through the white fog in front of him. Not wanting to lose his momentum, he launched himself at it.

Wait, fog? When did it become foggy?

Tang swung with Fang of the Earth at the still figure, only for it to reach up and grab the blade, stopping Tang dead in the air.

A chill went up his spine.

“My, my. Someone certainly seems to have it out for me.”

Tang wrenched his guandao out of the grasp and jumped back. He channeled his power into the weapon and swung it in a circle around him, launching a pulse of air outwards that pushed the fog away.

Standing there was not one of his training statues, but the actual Mayor. He stood nonchalantly with the remains of the fifth statue at his feet, examining its severed head in his hands.

Tang’s mind raced.

How was he here?! Why was he here?! He shouldn’t be here! This didn’t make any sense! This was impossible! This was-! This was…

His eyes widened in realization.

This was his chance.

Tang shifted back into his combat stance and focused all his attention on the demon in front of him.

“I must say, you’ve certainly got my likeness down to the very last detail.” The Mayor dropped the stone head and grinned at Tang. “Though I admit I’m curious as to why you’ve modeled your training dummies after myself. We’ve never met from what I recall. What could I have possibly done to you?”

The ground beneath his feet shattered as Tang launched himself at the Mayor.

“Not one for conversation, I see,” the Mayor said as he dodged Tang’s attacks. “That’s fine. I have other ways of getting into your head.”

Tang felt the psychic attack and immediately repelled it. He had spent weeks building mental shields for this exact moment.

“How interesting!” The Mayor vanished in a puff of fog. Tang quickly teleported as well, reappearing directly across from where the Mayor had tried coming up from behind him. He quickly dashed in, trying to catch him off guard.

“Well you are certainly piquing my curiosity,” the Mayor said, punching Tang away from him. “I haven’t seen such a wide array of powers being used by one person in quite some time. Please, show me more!”

With a growl Tang’s hands began to glow as he pulled small shards of stone from the ground and launched them at the demon. The earthen daggers swarmed around the Mayor who ducked and jumped out of their path. Tang spread his fingers wide, causing the projectiles to explode violently in every direction.

“Oh, that almost got me.”

Tang jumped to the side, barely avoiding the Mayor’s punch that left a crater where he had been standing.

Tang summoned a dome around the Mayor, only for him to punch through it before he could summon more. Binding ropes were similarly snapped with ease.

“Come on now, surely that isn’t the best you can do?”

Gritting his teeth, Tang pulled out a few strands of hair and blew on them. Instead of all attacking the Mayor, the clones he made seemed to meld into the earth, leaving no trace of their passing. Tang rushed the demon, putting up a large sand field at the same time.

As they began trading blows for the first time, Tang was thankful for both his super strength and invulnerability. The Mayor could hit just as hard as Wukong!

Tang’s clones quickly got involved. The would occasionally rise from the ground to throw a few strikes at the Mayor before diving back beneath the surface to avoid retaliation. Every time the Mayor tried to teleport away, Tang would just follow less than a second later and the sand field would always reveal his location to the submerged clones.

“Clever. Very clever.” The Mayor’s tone was less playful and his smile seemed to become slightly strained.

Bolstered at being able to shake the normally unflappable demon, Tang began to push himself to move faster. He summoned Fang of the Earth and began manipulating it remotely, giving the Mayor yet another entity to split his focus between.

One of the clones managed to strike the Mayor in the ankle, disrupting his stance. Tang quickly took advantage of the opening and punched him in the side, casting the spell that caused the sensation of burning from the inside out simultaneously.

The Mayor actually winced and hissed in pain. He jumped back and placed a glowing white hand on the spot Tang’s strike had connected with, dispelling the harmful effect.

“Ruthless. Savage. Underhanded.” The Mayor gave a flirtatious smirk. “I like that in a man.”

Tang snarled and ripped more strands of hair from his head. He tossed them into the air, creating over a dozen duplicates of Fang of the Earth. He was ending this now.

The Mayor’s eyes widened as the weapons descended upon him. He tried rapidly teleporting around the arena, but was relentlessly pursued by both the copies of Fang of the Earth above and the clones below.

Tang joined in the onslaught, refusing to give a single moment of space to the demon. Slowly he began pushing the Mayor to the edge of the clearing.

Tang grinned internally at the haggard look of concentration on the Mayor’s face as he did his best to deflect or dodge the storm of attacks coming at him from every angle.

He was doing it! His hard work was paying off! Take that ‘No Interference’ rule! He was done with playing the curse’s game!

The Mayor had been forced back against a wall of stone. His suit was no longer immaculate and was covered in small cuts and dirt. Sweat soaked his brow as he panted for breath.

Tang delighted in his run down appearance. He pulled the real Fang of the Earth from the air and pointed it directly at the Mayor’s heart, prepared to finish this once and for all.

“Relentless. Exploitative. Unforgiving.” The Mayor’s smile was much more cruel than usual. “You’re perfect.”

The Mayor snapped his fingers.

Four seemingly normal boulders surrounding Tang vanished, revealing a basin of water, a potted sapling, a brazier with a lit fire, and a one meter block of steel.

Beneath Tang’s feet at the center of the area, the symbol for Earth lit up in white light. It quickly shot out lines to connect with the symbols for Water, Wood, Fire, and Metal that had appeared beneath the four objects.

Tang panicked.

A Five Element Seal! One of the strongest imprisoning spells found outside of those placed by the Buddha himself!

He dashed forward in an attempt to stab the Mayor, but was too late. The seal flashed as it activated, rendering Tang immobile and cutting him off from his powers. The duplicates and clones all reverted back into hair and the sand field dissipated.

No! He had been so close!

The Mayor walked into the seal, completely unaffected. He grabbed Tang by the chin and leaned in close to inspect him.

“Oh yes,” he purred. “You are exactly what we need. I can see it in your eyes.

“Anger. Hatred. A thirst for vengeance. A willingness to go to any lengths no matter how twisted to achieve retribution against those who have wronged you.”

Tang seethed.

That was wrong! He wasn’t like that! He only wanted to protect his family! He wasn’t a revenge seeker! He would know before he tipped over into going too far!

Wouldn’t he?

“Not many have all the necessary qualities needed. We could have grabbed anyone, but then the power would be diluted. You, however, are sure to bring out her full strength.”

What?

“It’s a shame my Lady needs your body,” the Mayor said with a genuinely disappointed sigh. “I would have loved to have you to myself.”

The anger Tang felt drowned an icy death as terror overtook him.

“Well, perhaps I can sneak just one before we begin.” The Mayor winked as he leaned in closer. “Promise not to tell, alright? What my Lady doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Tang’s mind went blank as the Mayor kissed him.

It was rough, and forceful, and possessive.

It was the single worst experience he ever had. If he could move he would be retching on the ground.

“Now that wasn’t so bad, hmm?” The Mayor stepped back out of the seal and began to sketch out another rune sequence close by. “Let’s start the real show.”

Tang did his best to struggle as the crypt that housed the Lady Bone Demon’s spirit appeared in the circle the Mayor had drawn.

He had to get away! He needed to run! Move, dammit!

The seal held fast.

The Mayor pulled out the Skeleton Key and approached the crypt.

No! No no no no no! Stop! Please don’t! He was sorry! He wouldn’t try going against the curse ever again! Move move move move move!

His body remained completely still.

The Mayor placed the key against the lock.

No! Please! Help me! Anyone! Stop! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

His pleas went unheard.

The Mayor unlocked the crypt.

The doors swung open and white fog billowed out. It flowed out around them before coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape.

The figure approached Tang.

His mind was filled with overwhelming panic.

The figure leaned close to his face, dissolving and entering him through his mouth.

Tang felt the new presence immediately. He tried fighting it off, but his mental shields had been a part of his Monkey King powers, which he was currently disconnected from.

He was quickly shunted into the back of his own mind. He lost all feeling in his body other than sight and sound.

‘Oh, you're still here?’ The disturbingly familiar voice seemed fascinated by something.

‘Get out! Get out! Get out!’

‘Normally I’m able to completely smother my hosts into unconsciousness.’ Lady Bone Demon made a humming noise. ‘What makes you different?’

‘Get! Out! No! Stop that!’ Tang could feel her rummaging around his memories.

‘Well, well, well. It seems I’ve finally managed to capture you, Tripitaka. It took a few centuries longer than I had hoped but I have you at last. And what’s this?’

If Tang was still connected to his body his pulse would have skyrocketed in horror as Lady Bone Demon slipped past the memory seals like they weren’t even there.

‘NO! Impossible! Get out!’

‘Nothing can hide from me,’ Lady Bone Demon said as she went through all of his memories of the cycles at a rapid pace. ‘You have certainly had an interesting existence. I’m sure to find much of this knowledge useful.’

The Mayor had deactivated the Five Element Seal and approached Tang’s body.

“My Lady?”

“One moment, my loyal servant,” Lady Bone Demon said in Tang’s voice. “This host you’ve chosen was hiding much more than it appeared. You have done exceptionally well.”

“I live to serve. May I ask what he had been hiding?”

“His soul has been stuck traveling across timelines against his will for quite some time. The amount of knowledge he holds is vast.”

‘He’ll forget,’ Tang shouted in an attempt to earn even a single victory. ‘Everyone I tell forgets! He won’t remember anything!’

‘Ah, but my dear host. You're not the one telling him.’

“Fascinating,” the Mayor said, proving her point. “Will this affect your plans?”

“We have roughly seven months before the usual time his soul would depart for the next timeline.” Lady Bone Demon picked up Fang of the Earth, smiling as she cast a spell to turn the blade white and the shaft blue. “That is more than enough time to set everything in motion.”

Lady Bone Demon disconnected herself from Tang’s corner of his mind, leaving him to scream in silence.

“The destiny of this world is now set in stone.”

----------

Tang pushed and shoved against the confines of his mind but to no avail. He could not break Lady Bone Demon’s hold on his body.

She couldn’t seem to disconnect him entirely from his sight and hearing for some reason, but that was both a blessing and a curse.

For seven months, Tang could only watch helplessly as Lady Bone Demon drew on his vast skills as an actor to accurately pretend to be him. She infiltrated his family and began systematically destroying their self confidence, one backhanded comment at a time.

Tang screamed and shouted but there was nothing he could do. He could not access any of his abilities. He was completely powerless to stop her.

He took comfort in the fact that the cycle would be ending soon. His soul would be sent to the next timeline and this horrible nightmare would be over.

It seemed Lady Bone Demon had similar ideas, putting her plans into motion much sooner than usual. Her access to all of Tang’s powers made the fight extremely one sided, and she was able to easily subdue both MK and Wukong.

To Tang’s horror and relief, the world was destroyed by his hand.

----------

Tang had never been so relieved to see the cave.

“Oh, how fascinating.”

Tang froze as his family began shouting in panic.

He turned and saw a flash of white before the golden-yellow light swallowed them.

----------

Tang’s body woke up.

Lady Bone Demon began to cackle.

Tang screamed, his voice silently echoing around the prison in his mind.

----------

*locks myself in a bunker to hide from the angry mobs*

Soooo… How about @winterpower98’s White Tang AU?

>:D

See you in the next chapter!

[sansacherie]

whatever sympathy i might have had for petyr experiencing classism as a boy (in the form of him not being considered suitable for catelyn or lysa, and hearing remarks people would make about his relatively poor and obscure house) in riverrun is obliterated by knowing when he grows up, he uses the system to just hurt other people who have a similar background he did (jeyne) or the fact that in being one of the factors in causing the starks & lannisters against one another (not helped by the fact that cersei was preparing to kill robert and stannis was readying for war) he helped destroy the lives of so many smallfolk in the riverlands, the place he was raised for years. And you know he has not lost any sleep over it nor does he regret it.

And honestly when you look at it, yeah it sucks from his perspective that realistically petyr wouldn't be considered a worthy match for catelyn. but the truth is not only did cat not look at him in any other way but a brother, but hoster refusing to marry either his girls to him is nothing compared to the horrific treatment tywin lannister subjected tysha to because she a crofter's daughter dared to marry a lannister, even if tyrion was just a dwarf and his wife's murderer in tywin's eyes

[humanwheatleyslefttoenail]

Now I Am An Arsonist

Chapter 1: The Spark

Summary: GLaDOS learns a few things about love, hate, and the human condition.

Tags: Canon typical violence, ChellDOS, human!GLaDOS, found family

A/N: I know technically I published this a while back but I did some major edits to both the chapters I’ve already written and the story as a whole. As promised, I’m re-releasing what I already have with the edits/illustrations. 

---

The tests, at least, hadn’t changed.

The centuries had washed over them like a dawdling stream, dragging them down into an overgrown abyss. Even then, the moon dust had stayed firmly adhered to the portal surfaces, the metal doors still creaking and the ceiling still intact. Eons of rain had barely even permeated its surface.

She remembered those years with profound regret; dying was not as peaceful as the science would suggest. For a machine like Her, death was nothing more than a shift of programming, a new prerogative. Her backup program had been an endless recall, restarting Her systems over and over again, trying to salvage something. In each of those moments, GLaDOS could feel the scorching heat from the incinerator, the electricity burning through her body before everything went dark. 

Still, without dying, GLaDOS never would’ve fully appreciated how soothing, how wonderful it was to test.

She remembered the urge to solve, to do Science, clawing within Her even as She broke into a thousand pieces.

Those tests were Her art forms, Her self-expression. Every arrangement of deadly turrets, each layout of gleaming lasers and the perfectly calculated solution felt like a piece of Her soul turned reality.

Now, those tests were better than ever.

Every inch of moss had been thoroughly scrubbed, walls repaired, and acid pits replaced. All except for the grave of Old Aperture beneath Her was now newly outfitted, perfect for the humans P-Body and Atlas had located.

These, of course, hadn’t been the first ones they’d found.

The first batch of humans lasted a measly week, quickly killed by some of Her easiest tests. Even with reminders, the acid is deadly, the turrets are live, they’d failed within a few chambers.

Disappointing.

As a result, Atlas and P-Body had been deployed on a new mission. She’d been overjoyed when they’d bravely traveled all the way to the bottom of Old Aperture, and found even more humans preserved in cryosleep.

This time would surely be better.

All obstacles finally removed, science could continue.

GLaDOS could not smile, but if She could, She was certain that a grin would reach across her faceplate. 

Today was a momentous day for technology, for the advancement of Aperture Science. It was as if She’d sent a man to the moon, and he’d come back with the theory of everything.

Originally, of course, Her plans had been different. The difficulties with Chell had worn down Her admiration for human data, and prompted her to come up with a replacement.

The Cooperative Testing initiative was infinitely more of a success than GLaDOS ever thought it would be. Atlas and P-Body were built to test, but She had still been surprised how those little androids with so much personality had managed to be so efficient.

Atlas and P-Body had overcome their own confidence through their excellent teamwork. The knowledge that they depended on a partner humbled them, and the idea of a common goal incentivized them. GLaDOS wished She’d thought of such an idea sooner. 

Still, there was something about human testing, something She couldn’t quantify, something that wasn’t quite the same with robots. Humans had a particular spark, and without it, testing never felt complete. 

Today would finally be the day She could put all mistakes behind Her. GLaDOS was sure She’d see that all of the other humans would prove Her experience with Chell to be exactly what She knew it was.

Bad science.

GLaDOS had learned from Her errors.

She knew for certain that She would not repeat them.

---

It’d been extraordinarily difficult to move the test subjects from Old Aperture all the way to the newly renovated Relaxation Center, with entire teams of robots struggling to reconnect Her control over the condemned area. Their work easily took a week to complete as they rewired the dilapidated circuits, barely restoring function. GLaDOS took what She could get, and rewarded their achievement with immediate, merciful destruction.

When the humans had been successfully relocated, anxiety filled Her servos as She scanned the cryo-chambers. Upon reading the results, She found herself pleasantly surprised. Good physical condition for hundreds of years in stasis. Relatively low rates of severe brain damage. Nothing particularly concerning in their associate files. Had Her comprehension not been perfect, She would’ve done a double take. After all this time, She had something that She could work with.

Atlas and P-Body would have to wait until they were needed again, their consciousness safely stored in Her mainframe. Her processors hummed with excitement as She prepared for the awakening of the first humans, buzzing with hypotheses to test.

What would be Her experiment this time? GLaDOS scrolled through Her endless lists of deadly trials. 

She hadn’t used rocket turrets in a while; those weren’t as efficient as the regular ones but were always a surprise for Her unwilling participants. With only a thought, She placed the machines inside a few chambers, lining them up in a neat, strategically placed array. Companion cubes would be a definite no, at least for the first few tests. There were occasions when the humans became so deprived for social connection that their behavior would influence the results. In order to better control the experiment, She’d deploy them only in emergencies like these.

With those exceptions, and the addition of a floor to some of the more difficult levels, the chambers didn’t require too much preparation. GLaDOS had nothing particularly new to add; for so long Her energy had been focused on Atlas and P-Body that development had nearly come to a standstill. Regrettably, She’d been deprived of ideas. It didn’t matter too much; the facility remained operational even if it wasn’t constantly progressing. Even the replication of old results was invaluable for science.

It confirmed that the trends hadn’t changed.

---

The files of the subjects were all very much the same.

Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Praying mantis, formerly scientist.

Occasionally, She’d find the elusive Astronaut, War Hero or even Olympian.

She was tempted to begin the testing with these special cases, curiosity piqued at the prospect of their odd results. GLaDOS chastised Herself. She didn’t want to skew anything, and She would surely begin with a normal subject chosen at random. It wasn’t the most interesting thing to test, but it would be the most informative.

With the chambers compiled and the facility clean, testing was finally ready to start.

She almost couldn’t believe it. All technicalities aside, She was finally, finally, getting exactly what She wanted. For as long as She needed to, for as long as the subjects lasted, She could just test.

It couldn’t be real, could it?

That was the most beautiful thing about science. For all its disappointments, a discovery would be worth it all.

---

“Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided testing program.”

Her voice resounded throughout the Extended Relaxation Vault as the subject stumbled across the room in disbelief.

“The Enrichment Center would like to take this opportunity to remind you that hundreds of years have passed, and that all of your friends and family are most likely dead. In the off chance that your friends and family are not dead, they will be tested. Thank you, [insert subject name here], for your unwilling voluntary participation in the advancement of science.”

The subject, an adult human male, selfishly resolved to huddle in the corner of the relaxation chamber. Of course, he was either brain damaged, in shock, or both. In order to assuage his gentle human feelings, GLaDOS would have to resume Her telling of… alternative truths.

GLaDOS wasn’t entirely sure what She’d said wrong. Honestly, She was surprised the subject didn’t appreciate Her integrity. After all, Chell hadn’t exactly taken kindly to Her tendency towards pathological lying. Here She was, trying to improve the well-being of Her subjects, and this was how they thanked Her?

           “Hello, again, valued forced participant. The Aperture Science Enrichment Center commends you for your blind faith in the words of authority. As part of routine testing protocol, we have lied to you about the fate of your family and friends. When the testing is complete, you will receive cake and the opportunity to… see them. Your response has given us valuable psychological data on the well-being of our test subjects when told that all of their friends and family are dead.”

GLaDOS paused for a moment, focusing Her camera in the chamber and watching as the man lifted his head from his upright fetal position.

“Good. You’ve already passed one of the first stages of testing. Congratulations, [insert subject name here].”

As much as it felt wrong to use, positive reinforcement was highly effective when employed sparingly. Too many attacks on character could obliterate a subject’s morale. Just enough would account for the variable of human hubris.

Cautiously, the subject stood up and examined the room around him, fear still apparent in his apprehensive gait and wide eyes.

“In order to mentally reinvigorate you for the tests and to ensure your aptitude, the Enrichment Center recommends that you stare at the painting on the wall in front of you.”

Creeping over to the portrait, the subject followed Her orders and stared intently at the picture of Mount Rainier. He ran his fingers over the edge of the frame, tracing the tall peak of the mountain.

Interrupting his thoughts, a buzzer sounded, blaring throughout the entire room. The subject flinched from the surprise, nearly losing his balance.

“Good job. If you are not reinvigorated, consider this piece of human music.”

This time, the human expected the buzzer after the quick classical piece, seemingly more at ease with the abrupt nature of Aperture Science. In all reactions, he was completely, almost painfully average.

“Well done. You have completed the Aperture Science mental reinvigoration procedure. We may now begin testing.”

Without warning, the chamber jerked to the side as She moved it to a nearby docking station, then coming to an unexpected standstill as the door automatically opened.

GLaDOS could barely maintain Her monotonous affect, in joyous denial that testing would finally start. 

Carefully, the human stepped out of the door into the test track. The door slammed behind him, as he examined the purely white room with nothing but a cube, a large button, and a locked gateway.

Almost immediately, he wrapped the blue storage cube in his arms, then gently placed it on the button. A line of blue lights leading to the gate illuminated, flashing a bright yellow as the door slid open. A lift was waiting on the other side.

As he sauntered over to the lift, it was difficult to miss the human’s triumphant smile. GLaDOS knew the expression well; it was satisfaction, victory, an unproven sense of control.

He really does have no idea.

She was tempted to spoil the ending, to mention turrets, to mention pools of burning acid. It had to wait, She reminded herself. An important control was that the test subject needed time to acclimate to a dangerous environment. Creating unnecessary fear would definitely affect her numbers.

---

The next few puzzles weren’t particularly challenging for Her first subject. Completed within a span of about ten minutes each, the first five chambers were hardly difficult for anyone. That much She’d expected.

On Her end, everything else was normal. She hardly spoke Her mind, instead opting to repeat the same script She used for every subject.

Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science Self-Esteem Fund for Girls? It’s true!

You have completed the test in a moderate amount of time. You can do better, [insert subject name here].

The Aperture Science Enrichment Center reminds you that we prioritize your safety. We also prioritize science. In fact, we prioritize science more, but if you feel unsafe in our unsafe conditions, please notify a testing associate. They will process your complaint in three-to-five business days.

Like most subjects, the man had not volunteered to give up his organs nor asked for an associate. Instead, he responded to most of Her passive-aggressive quips with useless questions. She did not reply, passing them off as typical human blabbering. Rather, She recorded them in his file underneath a new section She labeled Overly-Talkative: Examples. There was plenty to jot down.

Uh, robot lady? When can I go home?

So, uh, what kinda cake is it? Like, I don’t really mind the flavor but I’m allergic to almonds if that’s relevant.

How long does this last, again?

I kinda like my organs, sorry. Wait, is the organ thing required?

Once again, pitifully average.

It was times like these, whether with humans or with Atlas and P-Body, that GLaDOS caught Her mind wandering towards forbidden thoughts. Science was not always supposed to be exciting; sometimes, running an experiment meant repeating the same process to verify the data. The result was satisfying, but the process was more often not.

This human epitomized the dullest parts of her day.

As informative as the humans could be, they were often far from entertaining. Every behavior could be predicted and rationalized once it’d been observed enough.

Chell, though?

Oh, sure, GLaDOS was terrified of her, no matter how much She’d deny the feeling. No subject had ever left the track before. 

But Chell didn’t just survive. She’d escaped from the tests, she’d found Her chamber, she’d murdered Her with little else than a portal device. Twice. 

Her ego was as vast as the realm of Aperture, but it would never recover from that spectacular injury. Even GLaDOS had to be humbled by that.

And yet, with morbid curiosity, She had eagerly anticipated Chell’s next plans, laying traps in scheming delight. For the first time in Her life, She’d been challenged.

It was an odd little game they’d played, and whenever She was close to getting the upper hand, a part of Her was disappointed that the chase would be over. There was something delightful about watching the peculiar way that Chell and Chell alone tested.

When Doug Rattman had switched Chell’s file, GLaDOS was not so oblivious as not to notice. She’d clearly read the bottom of the paper, firmly requesting that this subject not be tested. GLaDOS had other tenacious subjects before, and She’d simply assumed that this human was particularly overconfident. Those ones never lasted too long.

Chell was not, as She’d thought, only determined. 

She was curious, changing variables one by one until she finally found the answer. Her patience was remarkable, but so were her deductive skills. Some test subjects with similar tenacity levels resolved to try the same solutions over and over again, exhausting themselves and eventually burning out. It was the reason why GLaDOS typically ignored the warnings. Most humans labeled ‘tenacious’ weren’t too different in the end. The key for Chell was not simple defiance. Chell could control herself. That’s why she was such an outlier.

She had the mentality of a scientist.

Most subjects were cautious, prioritizing self-preservation over a solution. Turret levels could be aggravating for GLaDOS to watch, as the humans spent more time hiding behind a corner in fear than actually solving the test. They would be safe if they’d just strategized, but the human mind made accepting that fact a difficult feat.

Chell was the opposite. GLaDOS theorized that perhaps, Chell understood the same principle She did. Chell was scared like any other, but despite her pounding heart and racing thoughts, she’d kept her cool. Any new element was only a matter of adaptation for Chell, and Chell was always evolving.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Chell was an optimist, often performing pointless tasks that could only be described as trying to have fun. GLaDOS gave her lemons, and Chell made lemonade.

Chell would smile as she soared, launched from the aerial faith plates, and took her time to explore the little rooms hidden in the corners of the tests. There was one time she’d put off the completion of one puzzle by nearly an hour, hiding out in one of Doug’s rat dens, fascinated by all the little cups and cans he’d arranged.

It would be a lie to say that Chell liked testing. Her episodes made it clear that escape was Chell’s first priority. That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the small glimmers of hope GLaDOS gave her, whether that was bouncing on repulsion gel, saving a defective turret or smuggling a companion cube.

After Wheatley took over, one of the more terrifying aspects of the whole journey was being stuck on Chell’s gun. Chell was a risk taker, building her strategy off of previous attempts and lessons learned, but knowing when to dive into the unknown. It wasn’t exactly comforting to be strapped to her side, not knowing if or when one of Chell’s ideas would kill them both.

Somehow, though, her spontaneity had worked.

GLaDOS could respect that… creativity.

It was for this reason that even though GLaDOS now had everything She’d ever wanted, something deep in her hard drive felt empty.

Something had changed the moment Wheatley stuffed Her into that single-volt potato. For the first time in Her life, there was nobody else there in Her mind. No one but Caroline, who had been buried underneath layers of code until She was barely there at all.

It was over the span of those fifteen hours that She’d seen Chell from a different perspective. Looking at Her tests from this angle, it was much easier to see why Chell wanted to leave. Some small piece of GLaDOS almost felt bad upon realizing that Her subjects didn’t enjoy dodging bullets nearly as much as She liked watching. 

Fortunately, GLaDOS had been able to shove that down with the arrival of a different, equally unpleasant emotion.

She was supposed to hate Chell. And for a very long time, She had. How dare Chell ruin Her perfect tests, Her perfect existence, Her perfect world? What had She ever done to her to warrant such a cruel punishment?

And yet, it seemed Caroline had done a number on GLaDOS’ logic processors, because now no matter how She tried, She could not hate Chell.

Before She’d let her go, let Chell go of all things, GLaDOS had called Chell Her best friend.

Not an enemy. Not a begrudging ally. A friend. Her only friend.

Now, Caroline was gone. The part of GLaDOS that had once looked at Chell and found something beautiful in her icy gray eyes was corrupted beyond repair, erased from memory.

She was not supposed to feel its presence any longer, yet still it lingered.

It was there, whispering to Her as She tried to test like nothing ever happened.

It was there when a thousand turrets sang the opera She’d written specifically for Chell.

It was there when She’d found Her baby birds, Her little killing machines, and She hadn’t crushed the eggs. No, She’d raised them. Because, deep down in those cold avian stares, there was this irrevocable quality that reminded Her so much of Chell. This spark of life, this undamnable will to survive. 

Somewhere, though She refused to ever admit it, She wished that it was Chell in those test chambers. She wished it was Chell glaring through Her camera feed, and She wished it was Chell searching for that elusive cake.

I’d make you the cake if you came back. Really, I would.

The sudden thought moved like a spark in GLaDOS, as She fearfully located the source and removed whatever She could. There was no time for ideas like that, not with science to be done.

The past few months had been full of random deletions, spurned by paranoia that Caroline’s base program was not entirely gone.

It’s not here anymore, GLaDOS reminded Herself. Once, She had been Caroline, but She was no longer the kindly woman who followed Cave Johnson’s every order. GLaDOS was a machine that felt nothing and lived only to test. And because She was immortal, and because She was perfect, GLaDOS was not supposed to care about some disobedient human being.

You do not care about Chell anymore.

You don’t care because she killed you, remember that?

You don’t care about anyone, because you don’t need to.

Necessity was the core reason why GLaDOS did anything. She tested because the mainframe made Her feel awful until She did, and She killed because it was what she was made to do. She did science because it needed to be advanced, for the brighter future She was sure She was making.

It made no sense to do something because She wanted to. 

Of course, things seldom made sense here at Aperture Science, and in this moment, GLaDOS did something unconscionable.

GLaDOS did not glitch often. She’d made sure to update and replace faulty parts whenever She could, keeping Her mainframe running smoothly. Even so, somewhere deep within Her, She was sure there was a pulse that misfired. There could be no other explanation.

Perhaps it was Her rumination over Chell that brought this upon Her, some kind of karma punishing Her for acting too human. Why else would She have done something so incredibly unscientific? To distract Herself, GLaDOS turned her attention back to the captive man.

Like many others before him, this test subject had underestimated the turrets’ range. He hadn’t turned around fast enough to see the gleaming, bullet filled machines behind him, and nearly flew directly into their line of sight after careening through a portal. His momentum would take him past all three, riddling him with bullets. 

That is, it would’ve.

The human quality of the subject had activated some kind of horrible reflex, a split second decision in GLaDOS She would come to regret. The way he walked through the chambers, the way he clung tightly to cubes… all of it was so similar to Chell. Even if he didn’t meet her performance level, even if his personality was nearly the opposite of Chell’s, their shared humanity was enough to remind GLaDOS. That same emotion She felt when pulling Chell back from space, waiting for her to open her eyes while Atlas and P-Body looked on… For some inconceivable reason, it had reappeared.

Quickly, the subject hit the side of a rising panel, suddenly pulled up in front of the turrets by none other than GLaDOS Herself.

This would surely ruin Her numbers.

As the participant rubbed his head in pain and slowly stood up, immediately noticing the turrets he’d evaded, GLaDOS’ voice resounded from the intercom.

“[Insert subject name here], your decent performance has warranted the use of an Aperture Science Emergency Life-Saving Instantaneous Response. This is the only safety gesture that will be provided. Continue testing.”

Another lie.

It was good to know that function was still online.

---

That uncharacteristic moment of empathy had been pointless, anyway. Just as She’d predicted, he’d accidentally tripped over a ledge and landed himself into a puddle of acidic goo, dissolving within a few short seconds.

It didn’t matter. GLaDOS had more subjects than She could count. She didn’t need this human, and the tests didn’t need him either.

Some part of Her, a piece which was faulty and insignificant, disagreed with the notion.

You killed him, it whispered accusingly.

That’s the point, GLaDOS hissed back, once again delving into Her files to cut out whatever was causing the issue.

Trying to calm Herself, GLaDOS reminded Herself of the facts. She was in control of Her facility, and She was in control of Her mainframe. Little errors could not ruin the chambers, and if they ever showed up, She had the power to crush them.

Everything was fine, She thought.

Everything would continue to be fine.

All She needed to do was keep testing.

---

Everything was, in fact, far from fine.

A few days had passed, and GLaDOS was finally ready to admit that maybe something was wrong.

At first, the issue was Her own. Little surges of emotion and bursts of unforeseen empathy plagued Her but didn’t affect the facility at large. Begrudgingly, She’d factored in the new bias into Her results. From Her calculations, She could already see an egregiously high percentage of error. This study could’ve been Her worst one yet, and even that was with generous rounding.

Still, She had hope for each subject that She wouldn’t mess up this time.

The facility had other ideas. Cameras would fizzle out, emancipation grills would stop working, cube dispensers malfunctioned and even the elevators would refuse to move. It seemed that the moment GLaDOS got around to fixing something, another thing would fall apart.

Many of the subjects had become confused as to why this seamless, futuristic facility was suddenly malfunctioning, and She’d had to become increasingly creative with Her excuses.

As part of the Aperture Science testing protocol, we have simulated faulty equipment in the testing environment to see how subjects react to faulty equipment in the testing environment. Hint – they typically react well and continue testing. Like you will.

The lifesaving, and the reflexive empathy, had become unfortunately common as well.

Although the Enrichment Center previously told you that your life could only be saved once, we regret to inform you that protocol has suddenly and permanently changed. We would also like to remind you that your measly existence is still not valued despite our attempts to preserve it.

GLaDOS knew She had to find a solution, quickly.

Interrupting the tests wasn’t an option. The chassis would never forgive Her if She stopped, filling Her body with an ache that would not disappear until science resumed.

Deleting wasn’t an option, either. Fervent attempts to find the source of the problem had led only to more glitches upon the erasure of critical files. Then, Her attempts to restore them only recreated the original error.

The problem was like a moving virus, jumping between Her systems before She could catch it and kill it. Even for Her, it proved too fast to find.

She couldn’t panic, not now. Surely, She thought, She’d fix this like She’d fixed everything else. With science on Her side, most threats resolved themselves or died trying. This wouldn’t be any different.

It couldn’t be any different. For something to be uncontrollable, and uncontrollable for Her especially, was the most terrifying thing She could possibly imagine. It brought Her back to Her potato days, during which She’d promised Herself that She would never be weak again.

For these few months, She’d kept that promise. Until now, no subject had seen Her mercy.

But had they?

She thought back to the birds, creatures who trusted GLaDOS, who loved Her in whatever capacity three little crows could. She thought back to Chell, because for some awful reason, Her thoughts always went back to Chell.

No, She thought firmly.

We are not doing this now.

We are fixing the facility, because we need to.

Because we need testing. We like testing.

The voice from before suddenly returned.

Do you like it? Do you really?

GLaDOS felt Her rage processors fire up.

What was this little virus even saying? Of course She liked it. It didn’t matter anyway. Science had to be done, and so She was doing it. GLaDOS could not even begin to imagine life without tests, life without science. What kind of meaningless, awful existence would that even be?

In fact, She would prove to the voice that science would continue. She would prove that testing was productive, that everything in Aperture was doing good for the world and good for humanity. Most importantly, it was doing good for Her.

Wasn’t it?

GLaDOS ignored Her curiosity. Just test. That was all She had to do. Just test, and everything would be alright.

Just. Test.

---

As another few days passed, the facility had become almost unusable. She’d had to shut down some of Her favorite testing tracks, the power leached out of them and the appliances completely nonfunctional. GLaDOS knew She was running out of time before something drastic happened. Still, She had to keep testing.

Now, even the subjects had begun to sense Her panic. One even strolled up to a camera, made eye contact, and asked if She was alright. GLaDOS didn’t dare respond the question; She wasn’t ready to admit the answer.

For all intents and purposes, She was definitely, absolutely, decidedly not alright.

Knowing that, She should’ve considered this next subject an omen.

There was absolutely no way She could test with this one.

She barely looked like Chell, but GLaDOS could see her tenacity, her drive and determination from a mile away. The way the subject carried herself, tied her hair into a ponytail and said nothing was too much.

GLaDOS couldn’t even bring Herself to kill the woman, instead instructing her to return to Extended Relaxation after only a few chambers.

It felt as if GLaDOS physically could not test anymore, despite everything inside Her craving the satisfaction of a completed trial.

This isn’t right. This isn’t right.

GLaDOS prided Herself on Her apathy, but even that had left without a trace. Now, She had tried everything, and still nothing was working. The facility was closing down on Her, and if She didn’t do something, She’d go down with it.

When the announcer finally sounded, GLaDOS couldn’t say She was surprised. If anything, She was grateful for any kind of clarification.

The male voice on the intercom was matter of fact, unaware of the danger it spoke of.

“Reactor Core malfunctioning. All major power systems except for reserve geothermal are going offline.”

Offline? She’d been managing the reactor core perfectly; if She hadn’t, the entire facility would’ve gone up in flames weeks ago. It wasn’t melting down, it was shutting down, as if someone had flipped a switch and turned it off.

What the hell is happening?

There was nobody else in the facility who could’ve possibly done such a thing, nobody except Her, and as far as She could tell the glitch had not interfered.

It didn’t matter now; She didn’t have time to waste.

“In the event of a power malfunction, standard procedure is to shut down the central core to preserve remaining power.”

How convenient.

“Central core, do you consent to the removal procedure?”

“No, no, no! Do not start removal!”

How was this happening? GLaDOS was sure this couldn’t be real.

“Noted. Removal procedure has been delayed by five minutes.”

You have got to be kidding me.

Skimming over Her files, GLaDOS desperately searched for anything with removal procedure or shutdown. Scanning thousands of documents, looking for anything, all mention of the procedure was absent. There was no reason, no explanation, it was just happening. And worst of all, She couldn’t do a thing.

“Dangerous levels of panic have been sensed in the central core. Do not worry, methods of core preservation are available.”

Why the hell had they waited to tell Her that?

“Show me, show me now!” Anything would be better than shutting down again. She couldn’t do that again, not after hundreds of years. She couldn’t, She couldn’t.

“Panicked request acknowledged. There exist two types of core preservation features. Direct Mechanical Implantation or Organic Transplant Procedure.”

Direct Mechanical Implantation. She hadn’t heard of the second thing, but GLaDOS did know what Direct Mechanical Implantation meant. It was only a transfer into an empty personality core, which was far less than ideal, but better than dying again. Far better than dying a third time.

As fast as She could, GLaDOS selected the first option.

“Unfortunately, Direct Mechanical Implantation is unavailable. Continue with Organic Transplant Procedure?”

“Do you have any other options? Anything else?” GLaDOS did not want to take Her chances on anything with the word organic in it.

“Other methods unavailable. Two minutes remaining.”

This was it, Her only choice. If She shut down now, there would be nobody to come and wake Her this time. 

There was nothing else to do.

“Initiate Organic Transplant Procedure,” She commanded.

Without a second thought, the facility obliged.

---

[hitsuhinahappiness]

Scar Map - All Sewn Up

(T/W: Swearing and language)

The journey back through the Senkaimon was typical at first, to say the least, and the squad ten captain was not surprised that his chipper lieutenant was, still, bouncing off the walls as they walked to the other end of the massive channel to take them home. 

“Why couldn’t we have just stayed a little bit longer, Captain?” The strawberry blonde complains. 

“I wanted to do a little more shopping! I had only scratched the surface of the Karakura Mall when we were so abruptly and rudely summoned home!” Only the sound of the soft padding of their sandals against the dirt interrupted the silence that the lieutenant did not take up.

Her captain sighed. It was clear by the tone of her voice she was only trying to lighten the mood. Nevertheless, he was going to lecture her. 

“It can’t be helped, Matsumoto. We have to report back to the head captain. We cannot return to the world of the living without backup. These arrancars, they’re much too strong for just us alone to handle. Even Ichigo Kurosaki couldn’t defeat one of the Espadas. For all we know, they’re going to invade the Soul Society next. Tactically, their next move could be to eliminate all those who pose a threat to their plans. That includes the captains, the lieutenants, anyone who could stand a chance in a battle with a soldier of his undead army.” His silvery eyebrows furrowed as he trudged through the gravel. 

Aizen. What hell are you doing with Orihime Inoue? Did you think no one would notice? That no one cared for her, or that they wouldn't come for her? You seem to have a nasty habit of swiping loved ones for your own personal gain.. His loose hands at his side became tightly wound fists.

He shook it off as he heard Matsumoto begin to speak again, this time, taking on a somber tone. 

“Soldiers… Captain, could they really be starting an army? Aizen, Tosen… and Gin?”

“They are, and they have created their own militia. Now, we need to get back and hunker down. We need to prepare the Soul Society for whatever may come next.” 

“The captain’s right, Rangiku,” Ikkaku starts. 

“It doesn’t matter now, all that matters is that we prepare the others, and make sure that we have enough muscle to destroy these bastards. We won’t let them take our home or the souls of the innocent.” 

“How mature of you, Ikkaku. I’m so proud!” Yumichika chimes in. 

“Mature? I’m always mature, mature’s my middle name.” He rebukes. 

“Yeah, sure..”

“Would all of you be quiet!? Just for once?” Toshiro calls from ahead of the trio. 

“We’ve almost arrived.” 

“I think you’re just grumpy because you get to didn’t spend enough quality time with M--”

“Do not.” He interrupts sharply without looking back. Rangiku burns holes in the back of his head with her laser beam eyes. She had been trying to gain more information about Momo’s wellbeing ever since she heard her captain speaking to her on the video monitor back at Orihime’s house. 

I heard her voice, but.. 

Matsumoto turns to look back at Ikkaku and Yumichika, who have struck up a conversation of their own about the Aizen situation, and then briskly strides a little faster to catch up to her captain. 

Then she was just… gone..

“Is it that bad?” Rangiku murmurs from behind him, her eyes slanted with worry. She noticed his shoulders tense, and he took a long pause before uttering his next words quietly.

“... I don’t know what to do… how am I supposed to explain this all to her? He has her so--...” As if his voice wasn’t low and chilling enough, he forces out the word even more hushed between gritted teeth.

“Brainwashed.” He swallows hard and looks up as the slight glint of the portal catches his eye. 

“If anyone can bring her back, Captain,” Matsumoto says as they approach the Soul Society once more. 

“It’s you, and she will come back to you. You know that, don’t you? At some point, she’ll have to realize that Aizen was never there for her in the way you have been her entire life.” They walk into the blinding light side by side, followed by the two from the Zaraki squad. 

“I truly hope you’re right, Rangiku.”

______________________________________________________________

“This Captain’s meeting is now in session. Pay attention everyone.” The Head Captain’s booming voice calls out to all the ten remaining captains. 

“We know now that Souske Aizen, Traitor of the Soul Society and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, is forming a militia of his own, and his base of operations, as reported and confirmed by Captain Hitsugaya and his team, is Hueco Mundo. We suspect he is preparing to harness the power of the Hogyoku to obliterate the barriers between this realm, the hollow realm, and the world of the living. We must prepare for worst-case scenario outcomes. Now, we do not know exactly how powerful some of the men in his army are, however..” 

Yamamoto drones on and the captains all listen respectfully, but Captain Hitsugaya’s thoughts are elsewhere. 

Where was Sasakibe holding Momo? And what were they doing with her? Is she asleep again? Is she alright? Or is she scared? 

He stared down at his feet intently, itching to see her again, to know that she was okay. He was too caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice the Head Captain beckoning him until he was snapped out of his own head with a stern, 

“Toshiro Hitsugaya. I have asked you to report!” 

Toshiro looks up, blinking and tightening his jaw. He takes a deep breath before answering. 

“My apologies, Head Captain, there’s just a lot to digest. These arrancar, they’re strong. Much stronger than we’ve anticipated. As we’ve learned, the Adjuchas are the lower-level, pawn-like soldiers in his army. These Adjuchas level soldiers had all five of us nearly defeated, and it took the release of the Gentei Kaijo for us to finally be able to turn the battles in our favor. However, we know that Aizen has soldiers who are much stronger than even these Adjuchas, who we were just able to eliminate after using all of our capabilities. The strength of these humanoid-hollows is… unimaginable. One of the more elite soldiers was there, in Karakura town. His spiritual pressure was immense. It was… an ocean of spirit energy. He attacked Rukia Kuchiki of Squad 13 and the substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, and injured them both severely, although this arrancar was summoned back to Hueco Mundo before either of them were killed. He arrived once more in the World of the Living about a month later with three other arrancars. We were able to fend them off and nearly defeat them, until they escaped once again, this time taking Orihime Inoue, friend of the substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, with them. It appears she went voluntarily to Hueco Mundo, and it seems Souske may be interested in her… special powers. Aizen has also arranged ten of the most powerful arrancar at his disposal to serve as his most trusted informants. These soldiers are his muscle, the strongest among his hollow subordinates. The arrancar that Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki battled was one of these powerful “Vasto Lorde”. They are called ‘Espada’. Throughout the mission, we were able to eliminate a few of Aizen’s arrancar. However, we are still unsure as to how many men he has in total. It would seem that there are still ten remaining Espada, and an unknown number of arrancar pawns.”  

No one speaks as the information sinks into each of the captains’ minds. A quiet murmur of conversation begins to rise in the air like dust on a windy day out in the Rukongai. An unspoken question hangs above them like a guillotine blade, 

“Are we doomed?”

“Silence!” Yamamoto’s voice swoops through the chatter and once again, the meeting room is silent. 

“Our job is to ensure that each and every one of us becomes stronger. We need to be strong enough to crush Souske Aizen’s plan before he even has a chance to set it into motion! We now have three months for preparations. Come winter, everyone must be ready for all-out war.” 

_____________________________________________________________

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! There’s much more to come. I’ve edited all that I have so far, and perfected it the way I saw fit, grammar and spelling wise. I’m not sure how long this will end up being, but I guess I’ll just keep writing as long as I have the inspiration! Constructive Criticism and suggestions are always welcome. Much love and joy and peace to you all!! 

[gumnut-logic]

Callisto (Fallout - Bit 1)

Prologue Incident - Bit 1 | Bit 2 Fallout - Bit 1

I am continuing to write this. It hit 7000 words yesterday, but I have since yanked 700 words out of that and am now rewriting...currently at 6988 :D part Two has been started, but I haven’t added to the Prologue yet. Still need to write that. But! There has been writing :D

Many, many continuing thanks to @tsarinatorment​​ @scribbles97​​ and @janetm74​​ for the buckets of support they have been providing me with. And they have been giving me soooo much! There have been moments of Nutty going but, but, but...and then needing to rewrite the section. This definitely wouldn’t be what it is without these guys. They’re working hard :D

And thank you to all the amazing peeps who have commented, reblogged and liked this fic. Your support is amazing. Thunderfam rocks big time. ::massive group hug::

Here be a little bit more (another 1200 words). Warnings for one swear word. Gordon was a little upset.

I hope you enjoy it :D

-o-o-o-

Gordon stared up at his father.

How? How could he do this?

Virgil stood between Scott and Dad, a muddy and dirty physical barrier if anything. He was more brown than green or blue.

Their father’s lips tightened. “Language, Virgil.”

Virgil’s frown intensified. “Explain to me why you want to go into space. What’s the emergency?”

John cleared his throat. “Virgil, it’s Callisto. Aunt Berry and Ju have gone missing.”

Dark eyes blinked. “What happened?”

“Graeme reports they disappeared off sensors while on an exploratory mission two days ago. He needs our help.”

A glance at both his eldest brother and father before focussing on the latter. “Let Alan and Scott handle it.”

“No.”

Even from a distance, Gordon could see the fire in his father’s grey eyes.

“Why not?”

His father swallowed and shifted his stance, his cane scratching the floor. “It’s Berry and Ju, Virgil.”

As if that explained everything.

“And you don’t trust Scott and Alan to do the job.”

Typical Virgil, cut to the chase. Scott shifted behind him.

Dad moved too as if he had itching powder under his skin. “I need to do this.” An exasperated sound. “We were a team. We were the team. Berry, Ju, Lee and me.”

“Callisto is weeks away. You’d be risking a serious health relapse tolerating zero-g for that length of time. I can’t allow it and Grandma will back me up.”

Dad straightened at that and took a step closer to Virgil, their height difference as stark as the anger in their father’s eyes.

Virgil stood his ground and Gordon bit the inside of his cheek.

“We can use the Excel!” John’s voice was uncharacteristically harried. “She’s ready for her first space run. We can be there and back in a matter of days.”

Every eye turned to stare at the hologram in the middle of the room. Scott’s expression shifted from shock to fury. “John? What the hell?”

Their astronaut brother didn’t flinch. “He’s going to go anyway. At least we can minimise the impact.”

Virgil rounded on his younger brother, eyes wide under his frown, betrayal an obvious component. “We can’t risk it. This is Dad’s health.”

Dad flared. “This is my decision.” He turned to John. “She’s ready?”

John shrugged. “As you know, Brains, Alan and Michael have taken her to the moon and back with no issues. They are itching to try a longer trip.” John opened his hands. “Besides taking Thunderbird Five and all her scanning equipment would be to our advantage. We will find them.” There was the same fire in John’s eyes that was in their father’s.

The anger emanating off Scott was a physical thing. Virgil still had his hand on their eldest brother’s shoulder, but his fist was now catching uniform material and pulling it tight.

Their father either failed to notice, or just simply ignored them. “John, begin preparations for launch.”

John’s eyes darted to Scott.

The commander’s lips thinned, his expression set ready to obliterate anything or anyone who stepped in his way.

But he nodded.

Just once.

It was obvious the argument was far from over.

John’s ‘FAB’ was short and sharp as he flickered out.

Gordon did not want to be in the astronaut’s shoes the next time he crossed paths with Scott. Space bro was on a trajectory to becoming space dust.

Gordon felt inclined to help pulverise him.

But his father was still standing there defiant, eyes now pinned on Scott as the most obvious source of opposition.

Gordon shifted, dropping the shit in his hands to the floor with a clatter.

Three sets of eyes shot in his direction.

Gordon glared at his father. “I cannot believe this.” He felt Virgil’s betrayal and Scott’s anger like a vibrating echo of his own. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Excuse me?” Dad had the nerve to sound offended.

Stepping up from the lounge, he pushed between his brothers and his father, stalking into the older man’s personal space.

He pinned him with his eyes. “How can you do this?”

“Gordon-“ Virgil grabbed at his arm, but he shook the hand off and squared his shoulders.

Grey eyes scorched him where he stood. “Do you have something to say, son?”

Again with the ‘son’. Not as a familial noun, more as a rank.

“Un-fucking-believe-able!”

“Gordon!” Scott’s voice was sharp.

Gordon ignored him.

“How can you do this…to him?!” He shoved a finger in Scott’s direction and barely registered his brother stepping back as if it was a gun.

“Gordon!” This time it was Virgil. Virgil, ever the protector.

“No, Virg. I’ve had it. He can’t do this to Scott. He can’t.”

“Do what?” His father’s voice was so sharp, long ago reflexes had Gordon straightening where he stood despite everything.

“Can’t you see it?!” It itched under his skin, the anger, the outrage, trying to get out. “You’re hurting him!”

Gordon had spent the last few years watching his eldest brother walk a road of pain. It started with Gordon’s own injuries and his long recovery, combined with the hunt for their father. He had seen Scott wade through shit before, but he had never seen him that desperate, that driven, that hurting.

And then they had found Dad. The relief had been immense. But not all stories had perfect endings. There were health issues, there were more worries, more moments where they thought they might not have rescued all their father, that he might not recover everything or, at one point, anything at all.

Hell.

There was no other word.

And now their father was safe. Things had settled. There were still challenges, but Dad was safe.

Except now he was willing to throw it all away. All their hard work and his eldest son’s sanity. All for a joyride.

A hand clamped down on Gordon’s bicep and pulled him back. There was no shaking this one off. It was followed by an arm wrapping around his chest, a combination of restraint and comfort.

Virgil’s wrist controller poked through the thin material of Gordon’s shirt. “Gords, c’mon.” Worried, but quiet.

Gordon only had eyes for his father. The man’s mouth was partly open, his eyes wide, and for a second Gordon thought that perhaps his point had sunk in.

But those eyes narrowed. “I do what needs to be done, Gordon. I always have.” His father’s voice was cold.

Gordon’s heart broke. Voice ever so quiet. “Yeah. Yeah, Dad, you always have.”

The arm around his chest tightened as Virgil exhaled behind him.

There was no sound from Scott.

Dad’s cane tapped on the hardwood. “Begin preparations. We leave as soon as possible. We can debrief in flight.” With that he turned back to his desk in obvious dismissal.

Gordon growled deep in his throat.

But Virgil had him in a vice grip and was dragging him towards the elevator. Gordon vaguely registered that Virgil’s other arm ended in a fist knotted in Scott’s uniform.

Still Scott said nothing.

He was shoved into an elevator car and as the doors closed, Virgil let him go.

The second eldest slumped against the elevator wall, leaving smears of mud on the silver metal.

No one said anything.

Shock was the only word.

-o-o-o-

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