#so he just shambles her back to safety

[seasofcalamity]

Whenever Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo have to take care of Marcy it turns into a Buttons & Mindy sketch from Animaniacs

Them keeping her from fucking dying while she doesn't even realize she was in danger because she was too distracted to notice XD

[secretlovezz]

Kiss Me

Daryl Dixon x reader

Summary: while you and Daryl are out on a run feelings are disruptively revealed

Warnings: killing of walkers (duh), Daryl is implied to be older than reader, kissing (of course), just fluff, let me know if I've missed anything

Word count: 1299 (Think that's the most I've ever written on here lol)

Not Proofread

"Watch it."

Daryl's arm swings up lazily with his pointer finger aiming in a direction to the left of you where a walker slowly makes its way closer, stumbling and tripping over the dead plant life and its decaying limbs. You meet it halfway and its milky eyes meet yours, for a split second you let yourself wonder what kind of life this creature- no this woman- lived before the world went to shit, you take notice of the wedding ring on the ring finger of her left hand before her groans and growling got louder; your knife sinks its way into the shambling and rotting skull of the corpse and the body drops to the ground.

Up ahead a few feet Daryl watches you, your movements, your eyes and lips, your hands, he watches it all and he notices that look the one of sadness and empathy.

Before he and his group came to Alexandria you had yet to truly experience the outside world; the unrealistic safety of walls had kept you naive and unprepared for the dangers of the dead.

Though you are no longer naive to the world you still have your moments, moments where Daryl would remind you albeit a little harshly that there was nothing you could do to help these things- these "people".

When you catch up with him you smile in an attempt to convince him that you weren't thinking about what he knew you were. His brow raises at you and your eyes roll dramatically in return. You hit his arm playfully and smile again, somehow this one is brighter than the one before, "Let's keep going Dar' this food isn't gonna find itself ya' know." The corner of his mouth quirks up into a small smirk when you look away from him to continue walking he can't look away even as he makes his way back to you and you seem to have no idea the effect you have on him.

《----------♡

The two of you come across what seems like a small town with few houses and stores, a town that's probably already been raided for its supplies but Alexandra's desperation for food and medicine prompts you and Daryl to double-check- just in case.

Your eyes wander around admiring the once nice country houses as you walk down one of the streets-you forget the name of it already- and once again let your mind float away to life before. Would you have lived in a house like this if you got the chance, to live a married life with children running around if it was possible? Would the man you'd have married be a man like Daryl?

Your cheeks heat just at the thought of a domestic life with him. Is he the type of man to kiss your forehead when the two of you wake up together in bed as the sun shines through the bedroom window? You wonder if he would be the type to kiss and tickle the kids to make them laugh. Would he want a life like that or would he laugh at the idea?

You don't realize it but your legs have stopped moving, you stare at one of the houses wishing and reminiscing on what could have been but can no longer be.

Daryl watched you again but this time in confusion, this is the first time he hasn't known what you were thinking.

"What is it? Seen somethin'?" He asked walking back over to where you were to peer into the windows of the house.

Your head whips over to him eyes widening and cheeks heating even hotter in embarrassment.

Your fingers hastily move to fidget with the straps of your backpack, "I- uh- we should... let's just keep going." You keep your head down in shame at your thoughts though they weren't lewd as you make your way past him. He wants so badly to grab your arm- to have his skin gently against yours in concern as you speedily go by but he restrains himself fingers twitching against his crossbow and he clears his throat to continue after you.

《----------♡

After thoroughly searching through a hand full of buildings that included, gas stations, houses, supermarkets, and pharmacies neither of your bags were full having over found a few bottles of not too important medicines and a couple of tools.

When the two of you found a house, and cleared it of threats, to hunker down in for the night after a day of disappointments you settled in the living room upset and tired- understandably so. Worrying about the ignominy you'd feel returning home with practically nothing you let out a sigh from deep within your chest and moved your hands so the the palm of them would dig roughly into the sockets of your eyes.

Daryl let out a similar deep sigh as he settled closely next to you. His head falls back and his eyes drift to you letting a gaze so intense that you could feel it fall onto you.

You look back at him and try to let a grin form on your face but its tight lipped and almost fatigued.

The older man lets his eyes travel your face for what feels like the millionth time basking in your unreal beauty and like always their destination is your lips, though cracked they looked soft. He realizes he's ogling too late but still tries to fixates his stare back to your eyes before you notice.

You'd noticed though.

You debate asking him about it no longer worried about the lack of supplies you guys hadn't found but about whether or not you had imagined Daryl Dixon staring at your lips with a yearning you'd only seen in movies before the dead rose.

"Do you-um-" Talking about something as simple as feeling was more complex than they made it seem in movies though and you'd already stuttered over yourself an embarrassing amount of times today.

You leaned your face a little closer to his and his breath hitched. "Do you... like me? Like- do you want to kiss...me?" This was humiliating, you felt like a teenager, like you were fifteen and talking to your crush. Well, you were talking to your crush but you weren't fifteen anymore.

Daryl softly nodded letting out a gruff hum of agreement and you almost melted at the sound.

He leaned in a little closer just close enough so the tip of his nose could just barely brush against yours, "Do ya' want me to kiss ya'?"

"Please." You whispered.

His lips quirk upwards for a split second, "Please what?"

Your lips brush against his desperately, "Kiss me."

Daryl surges forward to capture your lips with his, you let out a sound on impact. The kiss is needy and filled with a want you both had been holding in for what feels like forever. Daryl's hands find your hips and grips them tightly using the strength he's built over the years to move you into his lap. You straddle him and shift you hands to rake through his hair before clasping them to the side of his head.

When you finally part for air you let your forehead rest against his, both of you panting heavily while staring into each others eyes. The smile on your face is wide and you giggle at the flushness on his cheeks- you did that to him.

The man you sit on top of doesn't know why your laughing, "Wha'?"

Relocating your head to press into the crook of his neck your smile widens and the fingers on one of your hands tangle and play with his hair, "Nothin' just... happy."

Daryl's smile is one that your sure you'll remember in every life time.

[foldingfittedsheets]

In the bloom of my youth I found myself on an evening with my best friend in the park. We were young and it was a beautiful warm summer night to be out. At sixteen in a small rural town our options for entertainment were limited but it had been a good day.

Park is a somewhat generous term for the locale, what it amounted to was a cleared space with some planters and bushes, a tiny podium, and a square of trees round the perimeter. We had been hanging about with our friend who needed to leave, and waiting to be picked up ourselves, carless plebeians that we were.

So there we were, two teen girls in the park alone as the last of the light faded. Neither of us had cellphones, and my nana was collecting us right from the park as we’d agreed earlier. We were in no hurry, knowing she’d arrive when she arrived.

Until my friend said, “What was that?”

I looked up to where she was pointing but I didn’t see anything. “What?” I asked.

“I think it was… someone streaking?”

It was absurd to think. Our little town, tiny and rural as it was, with a streaker. But I loved my friend, so instead of laughing I said, “Let’s go see.”

I’m not sure what I thought it was, but I was confident she’d be less nervous if we investigated and found a plastic bag or a jogger in white. And I’ll admit I was curious at this anomaly. We made our way across the park to where she’d pointed.

That’s when I saw it too. A flash of pale skin under the streetlights, moving too quickly through the shadows and shrubs to see clearly. My friend clung to my arm, shrinking in on herself and I felt the first twitch of fear. Investigating no longer seemed like the thing to do.

I was determined to protect her from whatever was lurking, so I changed course and started cutting away from the movement, heading for the small shopping center not too far outside the park.

Our progress was suddenly arrested as the mysterious figure launched into our path. A man crouched on the pavement before us, fully nude except for a loincloth. His hair was in white people dreads. It was in every way like Tarzan had stepped out of the animated movie into real life.

My friends fingers were digging painfully into my arm and we stood stock still, staring at this bizarre apparition. He was still a good fifteen feet away from us. He stared back, making soft simian “ooh ooh” sounds.

I was struggling to process that a man in a loin cloth was right there when he started to move toward us. It was in his monkey half crouch, a few shambling steps, slow, with his eyes fixed on us.

“Leave us alone!” I declared.

He stopped, tilting his head this way and that. Then shifted like he would take another step.

I was fully afraid now, but I was also furious that he was menacing us and scaring my friend. I dropped her arm, marching forward with wrath in my eyes and said, “Get out of here before we call the cops!”

At my approach he turned and bolted back into the bushes. I whipped around and zipped back toward my friend, grabbing her arm and power walking us out of there. We arrived at the nearest business and darted inside, conveying what had just happened in garbled snippets.

The workers were outraged to hear our story. They let me call my nana to tell her where we were, then asked if we’d like to call the police. I shook my head. I emphatically did not want to deal with the police.

In the safety of the store my fear had started to feel ridiculous. It was probably just some bored prankster.

As we waited for my nana my friend quietly admitted she would rather liked to have called the cops. I apologized for not asking. We lapsed into silence. She said, “I can’t believe you went toward him.”

I couldn’t either. I didn’t remember planning on it, only I wanted to be between him and my friend. “Do you think he was crazy or was it just a prank?”

She shook her head. She didn’t know either. All these years later I still don’t really know what happened that night. If he was on a dare, or cosplaying Tarzan for fun, or if he was unwell. A lot of the details have hazed over with time but the utter dissonance of seeing a man in a loin cloth pop out of the bushes is seared into me.

I also remember back then, in a whisper both scandalized and fascinated, my friend admitting, “I saw his penis.”

[impactedfates]

hello! jing yuan meeting his kid he had from a previous relationship?

so jing yuan had a previous lover, he didnt visit her until he learned that she was in a bad situation/ struggling with poverty

so he goes to visit and sees a kid that looked like him that he never knew of, they were neglected by their mother while he was gone all these years

reader is the kid, thankss

★ A/N: I decided to mash these 2 into one as I feel like the reader would've gotten trust issues if their mother neglected them, not to mention what if the mother lied to their kid painting JY (their father) as a bad guy :0 Anyways, I hope the anons don't mind I merged the requests into one

☆ Genre/Trope: Platonic + Familial + Hurt/Comfort?

★ Format: Bullet Pointed Scenarios

☆ Warnings: Readers mother is neglectful/a toxic mother (+ alcoholic)

★ Extra: Reader is young (11-12) // Jing Yuan trying his best to heal whatever his ex partner did // Also 2 posts in one day haha, had a bunch of free time during the storm

I feel like for Jing Yuan to not visit his past lover nor have her contacts, she'd have to already be a bad partner. What I mean is, Jing Yuan seems like the type to even after a break up, not want it to affect his relationship with the other person UNLESS said other person was toxic. If that makes sense???

But anyways, I don't know if that mattered. Let's assume that a friend of said ex partner went to Jing Yuan for help. Explaining her situation in hopes Jing Yuan would be willing to help.

He is, much to the delight of the friend. However he underestimated just how bad the situation is, as when he went to check. The house is in shambles.

Dirty dishes building up in the sink, trash on the ground it's hard to move around in, there's a kid and aeons it smells like such dog sh-

Wait a kid!?

Jing Yuan stares at you, you stare at him. It's just...silence. Despite everything and how long it may be. He knows that you're his kid. And after getting over the initial shock. He gently calls you over, but you refuse. Shaking your head and even creating a bigger distance.

He lets out a small sigh, unsure on what to do but just decides to look for your mother again. Telling you to please stay put, and once he does find the mother. Passed out on the couch with alcohol bottles around, he gets an even better view on what you seem to have went through.

Things have been dealt with, the mother is gone and in jail for child negligence which leaves you with your biological father who is more than happy to look after you.

At the same time though, your mother had both neglected your needs. Giving just the bare minimum to keep you alive and had fed you lies. The man in front of you may be your father but you can't help but believe the harsh words your mother told you.

But to your surprise, he's nothing like how she described. He's...gentle...patient...and never raises his voice at you. Even when you make a mistake and start tearing up ready to apologise, he's already brushing it off. Saying it's fine, not to worry.

Jing Yuan isn't bothered by your behaviour at all. He understands and knows. He takes a few days off work, to just ensure you're all better. You get new clothes, a big meal prepared for you and a new room. It's such a...new feeling.

Jing Yuan doesn't force you to do anything, doesn't force you to hug him or be near him. All he asks is that you stay safe in the house. He doesn't outright ask for you to trust him just because he's your father, he gains your trust. No matter how long it'll take for you to be comfortable around him.

Even when he needs to go back to work, he asks you if you're more comfortable to come with him to work and he can set up a place where you can relax and do whatever you wish. Or if you'd rather be at home. If you choose to just stay at home, he'll order some guards to ensure your safety and if Yanqing has gained your trust in this time. He'll ask the young boy to be your babysitter even if your age difference isn't that large.

Overall, Jing Yuan is definitely surprised to find out he has a child but that surprise turns into unhappiness when he finds out how you've been treated. He ensures your mother gets put in jail for her negligence then takes you in. He doesn't force you at all to trust him, he slowly earns it and whether or not you do end up trusting him eventually. He doesn't mind either outcome.

Because in the end, he doesn't care if you actually trust him or not. What he cares about is if you're healthy and happy. That's his main priority at this moment and time.

If/When you are finally ready, he's there with open arms. Happy to have you see him as a father figure and happy he can heal whatever damage his ex partner ever did to you.

He's happy because you're happy.

I started basing this slightly off a book I read for school as I thought it fitted haha. I'm unsure what to think of this but hopefully it's okay...

[often-daydreaming]

Keep Running

In between one moment and the next reality quakes and for the briefest of moments Jason finds himself standing in the remnants of a destroyed Star City. He knows it's not real, that it's just some magical mumbo jumbo overlaying memory magic nonsense bleeding into their timeline but he can smell the smoke in the air from the fires and hear her tired laughter as the static filled image of a red haired woman sits down beside him. He knows her or at least this version of him does as they talk about the little suicide run they were planning in order to hopefully end things for good and Jason can feel how tired his alternate self is as he takes a seat on the ground beside her. It's all a rush of emotions and faint memories that were getting harder and harder to ignore before he's suddenly back on the Watchtower with every other available hero the League could call in stuck arguing about these stupid visions affecting heroes and villains all over the globe if some of Ra's latest movements were any indication. His men were searching everywhere for answers while others like Luthor were making more subtle inquiries. The only upside to all of this was the reactions coming out of Arkham but that didn't mean he wanted to be up here with the League nearly at each other's throats.

With everything he's managing to piece together through a couple of brief check-ins with Dickie and the girls he could see why B wanted answers.

As morbid as it sounded Dick and the others were a few of the lucky ones who were able to be pulled out of their memories faster since they were at ground zero when the Watchtower was pulled out of orbit. The quicker you died the quicker it was over but neither of them were as lucky.

In those jumbled memories him and Bruce were the only two left after Gotham went up in flames since Phantom went after them first and there were still a few lingering effects clinging to that since he could still remember what the older version of himself felt. It was somewhat muted now but some of it was still there and if he focused hard enough Jason could still see the makeshift doctor's office in his mind. He could feel the phantom pain and see her flowing red hair. She seemed so relieved to find him alive and he wanted his own answers but Impulse was in the wind.

The little speedster was gone before anyone could really recover from the sudden onslaught of memories and while Bruce was doing everything he could to figure out a plan of sorts the others weren't as lucky with Superman stuck bouncing between the moments of his own brutal death and worrying about his family's safety. Whoever or whatever Phantom was, he knew exactly where to hurt them with Jon nearly losing it in public after being forced to live through the memories of his mom dying and the man of steel's own death at the hands of some magical Martian whatever.

Wonder Woman seemed the most put together out of everyone but even she was kind of twitchy, her had never leaving the pummel of her sword as Zatara went over what he could piece together on his own since the bulk of JLD was still out of commission.

His own daughter was comatose from the magical backlash of whatever this was while Constantine was just missing, his home a mess of overturned books and hurried scribbles which left them on the back foot for now since the only solid lead anyone had was Impulse and Young Justice was closing ranks around their missing speedster.

With JLD in shambles and Ra's on the move Replacement was running his own investigation into whatever was going on and shutting everyone else out of his systems after the first attempt at locating Impulse through his tracker backfired horribly.

I blame my cough medicine and a love for Fallout for whatever this is turning into but I felt like adding onto Run a little. I wouldn't even begin to know how to explain it but I just have this image in my head of Bart and Danny in a Fallout like world but the whole memory thing could be anything really. I just like the idea of reality shifting to the left just enough that Bart suddenly remembers details about his past he'd forgotten thanks to time travel/reality resetting and he suddenly remembers Danny while the rest of his team remember bits and pieces of their missing teammate Phantom. Everyone else just gets doomsday memories cause I really don't care and mostly think it's funny so I'm either blaming this on the gauntlet from the movie or Clockwork but anyone could add something else if they want.

[tllgrrl]

Grimes 68 by @tllgrrl aka nefertiri jones

Summary: After almost 8 years apart, Michonne finds Rick Grimes, the love of her life and father of their children, and he brings her into the Civic Republic Military. For the time being: 1) She has to pretend to be someone else to avoid being seen as a threat; 2) He has to figure out a plan for the two of them to get out; and 3) They have to try and act like they’re strangers to each other instead of reunited lovers.

(The key word is “try”.)

* * * * *

*CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…*

The steel kill sticks striking against the brick wall rang in the parking lot of what was left of a post office.

A former postal service semi that now had protective grills over the windows led the next herd of the dead, or what the CRM called “deltas”— “delts” for short—into the large space on the one side of the harvest wall.

The shuffling hoard was drawn by the noise and flashing lights mounted on the truck.

*CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…*

The consignees readied themselves on the other side, and as the delts shambled to open spaces in the wall, each one was met with a blow that drove a sharp, prong-ended spear (“kill stick”) into its skull, followed by a twist of the wrist that destroyed its brain, effectively and finally killing it.

It was a repetitive, bloody, mind-numbing grind, and some said that it was brutal for the workers because it wasn’t easy to completely forget that the delts were once living human beings too.

Grimes had done his time at The Wall. He’d even become a legend with the number of kills he could rack up in a shift.

It was painted in big letters on the side of a nearby building, for all to see:

GRIMES 68.

He was also well-known for the number of attempts he’d made to do something no one else in the City wanted to do: Escape. Wanting to leave the safety and security of the CR so badly that he actually cut off his own shackled hand at the wrist, only to fail again and be brought back to the Wall.

Time and time again an officer in the Civic Republic Military gave him a chance to join up, and he refused each offer, preferring to be at the culling facility, killing the dead and planning his next escape attempt.

Then one day, he accepted the offer. He traded his Consignee jacket for a CRM uniform. Instead of using a kill stick, he got a fancy, deadly prosthetic hand with a retractable blade. He got all kinds of specialized training, all the perks as he rose through the ranks, and he never had to cull delts again.

But now, after having been gone for years, there he was. Back at the Wall. Watching.

Watching her.

The new consignee.

The dark-skinned Black woman with her hair cut short on one side of her head, exposing a beautiful profile; and locs cascading down just past her shoulder in the back and on the other side of her face .

The woman who, after her on-boarding interview, was designated a Type “B”, seeking safety, willing to work, and keeping to herself, but had the carriage and demeanour of an “A” who was always observing, was more than capable of defending herself, and being a provider of safety. A leader.

Word soon got around among the Consignees that the ex-consignee/now military officer known as “the famous Rick Grimes” had not only survived a chopper crash, but he’d started showing up at the harvest wall. Coming back to a place he’d gotten away from years earlier, only to return when a mysterious new consignee was brought into the CRM.

*CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…*

“Hey. Look who just pulled up,” said a consignee who had her red hair tied back with, of all things, a bright pink ribbon that was tied in a bow.

“Holy shit! ‘zat Grimes?” another consignee added, tying a bandana on his head, cholo style, then slipping on his face shield. “He doesn’t have to be here any more. What’s up with that?”

“Bethune’s not-so-secret admirer,” snickered the worker to pink bow’s left, stabbing his kill stick into a delt that sagged and dropped. “She doesn’t see him yet. But she knows he’s there. Watch. In 3..2..1.”

Michonne—known to the other consignees as “Dana Bethune” —stationed at the far end of the wall, continued to methodically dispatch delts.

Then she stopped, looked over her shoulder, and found the tall CRM officer. Standing there, at ease, even with his helmet and face guard on, she knew he was watching her.

It seemed like they stood there, the only people at the wall. 5…10…15 minutes. Watching each other. Breathing the same air. At last…

3 seconds later, she turned her head back to the oncoming delts, and went back to work.

Behind her mask, the other consignees couldn’t see the small smile that graced her lips, or hear her whisper “I found you.”

Behind his mask, no one could see the CRM officer smile as he whispered “You found me.”

*CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…*

“You see that?” drawled the consignee to pink bow’s right, continuing to spear oncoming delts. “Somethin’s up with those two.”

“I know, right? For the past two weeks, he’s here. Same time every day she’s on shift, just before third break. Look at him lookin’. Even wearin’ the consignee jacket, the mask, an’ her hair all tucked in, it only takes him a second to find her. And a second for her to know he’s here. Like they’re—”

“Might could be that ass is imprinted on his brain!” laughed a big man nearby with a bushy black beard.

“Maybe it’s because she saved his life out there.”

“Peterson said somethin’ about that. It’s true?”

“‘parently so. His chopper went down. Got blown right outta the sky and crashed.”

“You serious?!”

“Word is it was a scrub with some kinda RPG an’ shit,” a consignee added to the story while wiping a splatter of brains and blood off of his face guard.

“Stop lyin’! How’d they even get that? After the Fall, CRM took over most of the bases out there with a quickness.”

“There was military stuff out in the wild even before everything went to shit. All kinds o’ stuff is still out there,” bushy beard opined. “Shouldn’t be a surprise all these years later somebody has a bazooka or some ordinance hidden away. There’s jeeps, even tanks here and there. I lived in one for a couple o’ months before I got found and brought here. CRM scoops ‘em up quick as they can, but—”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So anyway, the scuttlebut’s that Sargent Major Loverboy there, an’ the other troopers jumped out of the wrecked chopper an’ the scrub starts firein’ on ‘em. The ones he could catch, he slit their throats…with a sword.”

“A what?” bandana scoffed, stabbing into what was left of the next delt’s face. “Get outta here with that BS, man!”

“I’m just tellin’ you what I heard! Grimes was about ta get got, when Bethune comes runnin’ outta the woods, grabs one of the dead trooper’s weapons and shoots the scrub!”

“Wow. Maybe that’s why he’s here all the time,” pink bow chuckled. “Hell, I’d be in love with her too.”

“Get in line,” beard snarked. “You really think those two know each other?”

“Know each other?” the woman laughed, stabbed a delt and shook its eyeball off of her kill stick. “I think they’re fuckin’.”

“No way!” bandana exclaimed. “She just got here!”

<<<Good work, Section 5 and 6 Consignees. Bethune and Clifton, please report to post-shift health check before boarding transport.>>>

“Think about it,” pink bow explained. “Grimes is an officer on the inside now and doesn’t need to be at the Harvest Wall any more. Who’d come back to this shit after their 6 years of consignment is up? Now, all of a sudden, he’s back. Out here almost every day. Why?”

She tipped her head toward the driveway and they watched Grimes remove his helmet and turn completely around to watch “why” aka “Dana Bethune” walk past, avoiding his eyes.

*CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…*

“Oh, yeah…” pink bow grinned. “They’re fuckin’.”

* * * * *

This bit of nonsense was inspired by The Walking Dead spin-off, The Ones Who Live - Episode 3: “Bye”.

Click HERE for the AO3 version.

Thank you for reading!

[penkura]

Another part to this request and the this piece I did for it, but focusing more on Law and Noa this time. :)

~~

Noa quickly realizes he and Luna could lose you and Law, the safety they’ve come to enjoy, at any moment. It hits him before Luna could ever be aware of it, she’s still too young to understand what happened to their parents and grandfather, but she knows something is wrong after your crew is attacked by an enemy Pirates crew, and you’re injured while running the two to safety on the Polar Tang. It’s not bad, just a few scratches, but after you’ve locked them safely in your room you go back to help your crewmates and end up with more injuries, worse than before to the point that after everything is settled, Law keeps Noa and Luna away from the infirmary for the rest of the day so they don’t get scared or anything. You suffered decent blood loss, dizzy and out of it rest of the day, if you were conscious enough you’d likely say to keep them out for the evening.

While Luna is okay for the night, being entertained by Ikkaku doing her hair, Noa is nervous to not see you or Law, it makes him remember how the two lost their parents but didn’t know at first, their grandfather kept them home and told them only when everything had been settled. Luna didn’t understand but Noa did and it tore him up. When their grandfather passed and they were sent to the orphanage, Noa put on a brave face for Luna during the day, but at night he struggled to keep himself together.

But of course he would, he’s only six now, he’s still a child. He’s scared of losing more people, especially you, Law, or Luna.

Dinner comes around and while Luna is set at the table eating, Noa is nowhere to be seen and it starts to concern Law as he looks around the room.

“Where’s Noa-ya?”

Everyone looks around and between themselves, Luna babbling and grinning at Law, but none of them have an answer.

“I haven’t seen him for a while,” Clione scratches the back of his, “but last I saw, he was going to your office. I thought he was going to sit with you.”

“I haven’t been there for a few hours. I’ll go see if he’s there still, thanks.”

Those around nod, Law stops long enough to ruffle Luna’s hair which makes her laugh. Anyone else he walks by he asks if they’ve seen Noa, but not one of them has. He figures the six-year-old must be hiding somewhere, maybe out of fear of what happened earlier that day or he could be having a meltdown over something else and chose to remove himself from the group for a bit. He’s a smart kid, but still learning how to handle his emotions, which Law understands.

“Noa-ya.” When he gets to his office, Law doesn’t see the child anywhere, not even hearing about peep from him at first, even when he closes the door for privacy. “Noa-ya, Clione-ya said he saw you come in here earlier. Are you all right?”

There’s no sound for a bit, until Law hears a tiny sob from the small closet in his office, and he sighs to himself. Something happened for sure, it’s the only reason Noa would be hiding there, he’s done it before when he’s done something wrong and not wanted to be scolded by you or him. Walking over, Law doesn’t open the door at first, instead crouching down to what he believes will be eye level when he gets Noa to open the door, he wants to talk to him first.

“Noa-ya, what’s wrong?”

There are a few more little sobs, before Noa finally speaks up just loud enough for Law to hear him.

“[Y/N]…got hurt…is she o-okay?”

“She’s fine, she’s sleeping right now.”

“C-Can I…can I see her…?”

“In the morning, she needs to rest tonight.”

A nearly inaudible ‘okay’ is what he hears, making Law sigh lightly. Noa must’ve been so worried about you, he must think it’s because of him you’re hurt, even though that’s not true. You’d done your job as a Heart Pirate, protecting your crewmates and fighting for your captain. It only went awry when you got jumped by two enemies, who did enough to you that Law had to Shambles you away for safety, even then it was a bit late because of the injuries you’d suffered. Your biggest concern after was that Noa and Luna were safe, asking them not to be told even as you passed out from blood loss. It took a while before Law knew you were stable enough that he could let you sleep the rest of the day, he’d been so busy making sure you were all right that he hadn’t been able to check on the children, to make sure they were okay too.

And it looks like Noa isn’t, not mentally anyway. It reminds Law of himself too much, but Noa is much younger than he was at the time of his own suffering, he doesn’t deserve to worry about anything. All he should be concerned with is what to play with Luna and what the next meal is going to be, not if you might die from being attacked.

“You know, [Y/N]-ya was worried about you and your sister. Before she fell asleep she wanted to know you were both okay, she was so relieved to know neither of you had been hurt,” he swears he hears the door start to open, but doesn’t see Noa at first and keeps going to try and get him out, “I know you’re scared, but everything is fine. No one is going to die, we’re going to make sure of that. You and Luna-ya are safe here.”

When the door opens, it just enough for Law to see Noa there, eyes red and puffy from crying, tear stains down his cheeks, as he sniffles a little.

“You…you promise?”

“I promise,” Law nods as Noa finally comes out and wraps his arms around his neck in a hug that Law returns before picking him up, “We’re not going to let anything happen to either of you, all right? We’ll keep you both safe.”

Noa nods, refusing to let go of Law for the rest of the day. None of the other Heart Pirates say anything when they see Law still carrying Noa around for most of the evening, even when Luna joins in wanting to carried around. It just makes him look like a dad helping his kids, it’s not too far off from the truth. Neither of them let Law go even as he takes them to get ready for bed, they only release him long enough to take baths and brush their teeth, then they’re holding onto him again as he reads to them to help them sleep. He knew taking care of kids would be a lot, he just never expected to have a moment like this where neither wanted to let him go.

The next morning, once you’re awake and doing well, Law brings Noa and Luna to the infirmary to see you, Noa is quick to climb onto your bed and hug you tight, before you’re really able to greet him. Luna joins in once Law sets her on the bed, the two repeating the night before but without letting go of you instead. Even once Luna is content and back to playing on her own or getting someone else to play with her, Noa still holds onto you and doesn’t leave you for most of the day. After Luna falls asleep for a nap and Law takes her back to your room, he comes back to get Noa but has to stop when he hears you comforting him through around bit of crying.

“It’s okay, I know. I’m sorry you were scared, but I’m so happy you’re not hurt.”

He can’t hear what Noa says back to you, but it doesn’t really matter in the end.

“We all love you and Luna, Noa. We’re going to keep you safe and not let anything happen to you two, all right?”

Law decides the only thing you all can do now is to give Noa and Luna the love and protection they need in the same way Corazon did for him. You’ll give them hope for the future and the family life they deserve to live.

[steddiebang2024]

All Thanks to the Power of Love (No, Really) | M | 23k

Author: @libraryofgage

Artist: @danadaria

[Link to fic]  |  [Link to art]

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Max Mayfield, The Party Tags: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse; Alternate Universe - Warm Bodies Fusion; Alternate Universe - Modern Setting; Major Character Undeath; Zombie Steve Harrington; Zombie Robin Buckley; Angst; Fluff; Humor; Canon-Typical Violence; Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington; Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson; Ambiguous/Open Ending; Happy Ending; Power of Love; Steve Harrington’s Scoops Ahoy Uniform Trigger Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence ↳ Keep reading below for a sneak peek!

The zombie apocalypse hits, and Steve and Robin sacrifice themselves to make sure their friends get to safety. And then they’re zombies, semi-self-aware, shambling around the mall while collecting trinkets, inexplicably never hungry, understanding each other better than the other zombies ever could….and inadvertently rescuing a human girl named Max.

The mall isn’t safe for her, so Steve and Robin leave to find somewhere that is, and they might just find their way back to living again when they run into people who thought they were long dead.

The zombie apocalypse hits, and Eddie loses one of his most important people because the love of his life is a beautiful, idiotic, self-sacrificing asshole that lied when he promised to give Eddie another kiss when they met again. And then he’s trying to keep himself together while setting up a base, keeping a gaggle of reckless fourteen-year-olds alive, and fighting against the resignation of his friends.

It all comes to a head when he takes Dustin on a walk and they hear a girl scream. When they reach her, they can only watch as the girl is saved by a heart-breakingly familiar zombie. A zombified Steve and Robin that don’t eat them on sight is already more than they could have ever hoped for, but they soon discover that the two are a lot less dead than they seem.

[corgiplays]

Did anyone else think that Ella would disappear after they changed the timeline? Like not disappear, but like not be married to Charming?

Me and my friend thought of that once the movie finished and now I'm back to thinking about it.

Ella Tremaine worked until both of her step sisters got married and left the house and when her stepmother died soon after the girls kicked Ella out forcing her onto the streets with her young daughter. That Chloe didn't know safety or what a full stomach felt like. She worked with her mom from a young age and would hear stories from Ella about how their life could have been different. This Chloe wasn't kind, she knew life as unfair and cruel, she grew up fighting with the other street kids, taking their money or pickpocketing the rich.

She despises royalty and thinks that they should focus on the people in their kingdoms who need help; not party with one another.

So when she does get accepted into Auradon Prep on a scholarship program to bring in less fortunate kids she hates it. She hates how the villains got everything for just existing, she hates how the current king left his people back under his father's rule as he travels the world to unite more kingdoms when his is in shambles and she hates her roommate who's gotten everything in her life on a golden platter.

Chloe hates Red, despises her for being rebellious and never suffering the consequences. She hates how her roommate pities her and offers to spend money on her, money she hasn't had to steal, work for, or end up bloodied over. She hates how she cares and supports her no matter how illegal or dangerous her plans are.

She hates her.

Chloe hates how her roommate looks so peaceful and cute when she sleeps, how she looks wearing Chloe's worn and oversized clothes, how she softly scolds her for each fight she starts while cleaning her wounds, how she makes up any excuse to spend money on her.

She loves her.

So maybe when she saves enough money to buy Red a gift, a thin titanium chain with a ring that has a red and blue band in the middle, apologizing that it's probably not a extravagant or expensive as her other jewelry it brings Red to tears.

Fuck- does Chloe love this girl.

And when the inevitable happens and King Adam declares a second war on Wonderland in his son's absence Chloe risks her life to make sure Red gets back home before being captured.

She doesn't break as the "King" tortures her to find anything information about Red, Wonderland, or anything else. When he takes in her mother as leverage no one expects it when she snaps and kills him, haven been underestimated. And when she goes on an assassination spree of killing royals until she's the one with power no one fights against her.

The people love their dark Queen who has made their lives better, even though Red doesn't see the girl she fell in love with. Red becomes her Queen, because Chloe is still Chloe with her, ruling in blood tainted gold as the riches of the royals run through the streets to those in need. No one needs to know of Chloe's soft side to Red, the only person who sees Chloe for who she is; a child who would rather burn the world to the ground than watch another suffer her faith.

Ben and Mal can keep their fantasies of uniting Kingdoms under one rule. Their kingdom does not exist anymore.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

This question might be off topic..👀 or strange perhaps.

In your opinion , how do you think other Strawhats if each of them were in Luffy's place instead and instead of Ace , Luffy died at Marineford?

I am trying to find a way to draw other Strawhats but slightly having troubles with finding best devasted like poses/things they's do upon such trauma☆

This wound up focusing a lot more on the long term aftermath than the initial devastation because I believe it would be pretty similar for everyone (whole lot of screaming and crying), but I hope you still find this useful or at least fun to read.

In the event of Luffy dying at Marineford, everyone would be in shambles. Whitebeard (assuming he lives) would offer them a place to stay on his ship while they regroup and try to grapple with the trauma of what happened. He isn't forcing them to join his crew or anything. They're free to go whenever they please, but he would also welcome them with open arms should they choose to stay.

Zoro splits off almost immediately and returns to his life as a bounty hunter. He is very much still pursuing his goal, just in solitude. He is constantly being inundated with invitations to other pirate crews, but he rejects all of them (sometimes violently). Luffy is the only person he will ever all captain. He blames himself a lot for his death. He was supposed to support and protect his captain, but he failed miserably. He's even more cold and removed than he used to be, and he'll never let anyone else in again. He also drinks more, to the point that it becomes genuinely concerning.

Nami also leaves, but takes more time to do so. She claims that she's only going back to Cocoyasi village temporarily so that she can process everything that has happened around familiar faces, but she never sets foot in the Grand Line again. Luffy was her safety net. Even in the most scary and intense situations, she could find solace in the reassurance that Luffy would be there to handle it... But now he isn't. He's gone forever and she feels lost without him. The Grand Line is much more scary without him leading the way. She will eventually start venturing around the Blues, but that is it.

Usopp cannot handle the survivor's guilt. He latches onto the Sogeking persona to cope after Luffy's death. It becomes extremely rare to see him without the mask, and he doesn't even respond to hearing the name Usopp anymore. He wants to go home so bad, but he can't bring himself to. He can't stomach having to look everyone there in the eye and telling them why he's back. Now would be a great time for Yassop to step up and be a father, but he's nowhere to be seen so Whitebeard steps up to the plate. He supports Usopp and actually talks him through the intense grief that is choking him. It takes time, but Whitebeard does succeed in making Usopp take of his physical and metaphorical mask by properly addressing his emotions on the matter. Usopp decides to stay with the Whitebeard Pirates and accepts becoming one of Whitebeard's sons.

Sanji is devastated. He wanted to leave immediately, but waited around for Nami to be ready to go before heading back to the East Blue. Sanji goes back to the Baratie and refuses to talk about what happened. He blames himself intensely for not being there for the battle and fully believes that it's his fault that Luffy is dead. On top of his smoking habit, he starts drinking. Everything feels so hollow now, and nothing will fill that emptiness. The only times that Zeff or the other Baratie staff members get a glimpse of the old Sanji is when Nami stops by to visit with him. Even then, he's much more subdued. He never really recovers from this and has abandoned the idea of ever finding the All Blue.

Chopper is inconsolable after Luffy's death. He feels like a failure as a doctor for not being able to save him even though there was nothing that he could do. He also chooses to stay with the Whitebeard Pirates and becomes Marco's apprentice. As devastated as he is by Luffy's death, he copes with it relatively well by throwing himself into an education. He does becomes obsessed with curing Whitebeard, however. He can't stand to watch two captains die back to back.

Robin up and vanishes as soon as night comes. This breaks her. She fully believes that Luffy's death was her fault. Someone finally loved and accepted her and look what happened to him. As far as she's concerned, she's cursed. Naturally, she distances herself from literally everyone. She refuses to let anyone else die because of her. She'll spend the rest of her life in solitude, and it probably won't take very long for that to happen.

Franky goes back to Water 7 with the Thousand Sunny after confirming that the Straw Hats were disbanding and that no one else wanted it. He makes the ship into a memorial for Luffy and takes meticulous care of it. While the death absolutely does hurt him, he copes with it the best out of anyone. He is no stranger to grief, and he bounces back relatively quick. He works for Galley-La designing ships, as well as doing so as a hobby.

Brook is similar to Robin in the sense that he believes that he is cursed. He finally let someone in and joined another crew, only for the captain to die almost immediately. He resolves to never join another pirate crew. Unlike Robin, he doesn't completely sink into despair. He pours all of his pain into music, and you can find a lot of clear inspiration from Luffy and other Straw Hats in his music. He also takes the time to visit Laboon whenever he can. He doesn't want the poor thing to be abandoned all over again.

Bonus round for Ace. Ace will never emotionally recover from this, and his grief is messy. He alternates between hysteric sobbing and an uncontrollable rage. One moment he'll be begging a god that he doesn't even believe in to give Luffy back and take him instead, but the next second he'll be destroying everything in arms reach while scream his throat raw. He's cursing Luffy for being a damned martyr. For putting himself somewhere he had no business to be. For leaving him to pick up the broken pieces in Luffy's wake. There is a noticeable improvement in his psyche once he reunites with Sabo and realizes he isn't the last brother left alive, but he is never truly the same after Luffy's death. It should have been him. He is very much at risk of dying not long after Luffy because if Garp doesn't kill Akainu, he will. And he will die trying.

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

Let's Talk About That

Can we just stand still? (5)

Psychiatrist!Avenger!Fem!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Warnings: This chapter deals with the bombing scene that happens during CACW.

Word count: 2.7K

A/N: Things are about to get angsty from here, so you better buckle up everyone!

May 21st 2016

Your day had started off like any other. You woke up in your room where Wanda had stayed with you. It had become a common occurrence for the two of you to spend the night in each other's room. You gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before slipping out of bed. Wanda stirred only slightly as she readjusted herself, taking in a deep breath before letting it out as she settled in once more making you smile before heading off to take a shower and get your day started.

By the time you were getting dressed about an hour later, Wanda stirred awake. Sitting up with messy bedhead and rubbing her sleep filled eyes she still managed to look beautiful. You smiled as you made your way over, kissing the top of her head.

“Good morning krasivaya(beautiful).” You knew several languages before meeting Wanda, Russian included, and she promised some day to help you learn Sokovian. She beamed a still sleep filled smile up at you.

“Good morning. Are you off to work?” She asks, looking over your appearance.

“Yes sweet girl I've got an early appointment with Sam today. He wanted to switch his appointments to before his morning training.” Wanda simply nods and leans against your stomach, breathing in your scent. 

“I'll see you later, right?” She asks looking up at you. 

“Of course, sweet girl. We'll see each other for dinner and sitcoms, okay?” you reassure her.

“Okay I'll see you then.” She's smiling once more and pulling you down into a kiss before she lays back down and gets all comfy as she grabs her phone for some morning wake up time as you exit the room.

It was just past noon. You had already done a few sessions for the day and just finished eating lunch. You'd been working on going over the notes for the next session of the day so you knew where you had left off last time with them. Though you were interrupted by Natasha coming through your door.

"Y/N, I need you to come with me." Natasha states. You sigh, looking up from your work, pushing your glasses up. 

"What is it? I thought you were getting ready for Vienna?" You asked with a bit of venom.  You haven't been talking since she decided she was on Tony's side and would be the representative for going to sign the accords on behalf of the Avengers.

"I was, something else has come up. A bit of an emergency. Steve is already there." She tells you and you shoot up from your seat. 

"I'll be ready in 10." You tell her. Hurrying out of your office to go find Wanda. 

"Hey sweetie what's up?" She asks when you barge into her room. 

"Nat is taking me on an emergency mission. Apparently Steve is already headed out. I don't know how long I'll be gone for. I didn't have time to ask." You take three big strides towards her, wrapping her up into your arms. "I love you." You tell her.

"I love you too. Be safe." She says back. The two of you share a kiss and if you had known that would be the last time you'd get to kiss her you would have never let her go.

======================================================

The urgency in Natasha's demeanor was palpable as you swiftly made your way to the rendezvous point. You couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at your gut, a foreboding sense of impending danger hanging heavy in the air.

As you boarded the Quinjet with Natasha and soared through the skies towards your destination, your mind raced with possibilities, each one more ominous than the last. You couldn't help but worry about Wanda, her safety and well-being weighing heavily on your mind. The last thing you had wanted was to leave her right now while the team was in shambles from fighting on opposite sides. A civil war brewing just under the surface of the cold war that was currently taking place. Both sides ready, but neither willing to make the first move yet.

Natasha remained stoic beside you, her focus unwavering as she piloted the aircraft with practiced ease. You admired her composure, her ability to maintain her resolve even in the face of uncertainty.

The minutes stretched into hours as you flew towards your unknown destination, the tension in the air palpable. With each passing moment, your concern for Wanda grew, a knot of worry tightening in my chest.

May 22nd 2016

As you finally touched down and prepared to embark on your mission, you couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lingered in the pit of your stomach. Whatever awaited you on the other side, you knew that you would do whatever it took to ensure the safety of those you cared about, no matter the cost.

Natasha took you to a safe house. Made you get dressed in a nice suit, while she slipped into a dress. Both of you in black. She grabbed the two of you a rental car and before you knew it you were in front of a church. "Tasha? What are we doing here? This looks like a funeral." You state. 

"That's because it is. Peggy Carter. Steve's first love all the way back from his days before being a super soldier. I figured he'd need us as a support system." Normally you'd be mad that Tasha didn't just tell you outright, especially with everything going on, but she's right. He does need you two. So you simply nod and get out of the car. Looking like another set of people Peggy had met over the years.

As you entered the church, a solemn atmosphere enveloped you, the air heavy with grief and reverence. You couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as you thought of Peggy Carter, a woman whose legacy loomed large in the lives of those she had touched. Funerals were never a good place for you. Too much emotion that you could feel from every direction, making you feel sick and overwhelmed.

Steve stood near the front of the church, his expression a mask of sorrow as he greeted mourners and offered his condolences. Your heart ached for him, knowing the depth of his loss and the pain he must be feeling.

Natasha and you quietly make your way towards him, offering our support in the only way you knew how. You stood by his side, wordless gestures of solidarity as you paid our respects to Peggy and mourned her passing.

In that moment, amidst the somber surroundings and the weight of your grief, you felt a sense of unity with your teammates, a bond forged through shared trials and tribulations. Together, you would weather this storm, drawing strength from each other as you faced the challenges that lay ahead.

After the funeral you talked with Steve and Tasha asked you to stay with her as her body guard of sorts. Obviously with the Accords signing there could be trouble from anyone or anything. You really didn't want to since you were against signing them, but Steve urged you as well. Safety in numbers and telling you, "Nat is doing what she thinks is right. You're doing what you think is right, but she's still your best friend." You wanted to argue because let's face it. You're 20 and she's 31 she shouldn't be your best friend, but over the time of being in the Avengers she had become your best friend with movie nights, girl time, shopping trips, dinners, sleepovers.  It didn't make sense, but it also somehow did. 

So you agreed to go with her. You sat in front with her this time, not knowing how to fly, but just watching and admiring her. "I can teach you some day." She mentions when she notices you watching. 

"Oh no I don't...I'd rather not. I don't even have my regular license." You remind her.

"We should fix that too." Tasha says. 

"It scares me." You admit and Tasha chuckles. 

"You've gone against monsters and aliens and gods and that's what scares you?" She asks and you nod. "You're something else, little bee." You smiled at your nickname she had given you after she found you watching a documentary about bees and you were crying over how bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly because of how fat they are. "You're thinking about the bees again aren't you?" 

"They're so fat!" You cry out and she laughs. 

"You're the cutest, you know that right?" She tells you and you feel your face heat up. 

"What? No...no not me..." you can see her smirk, but she doesn't press me further. 

=============================

You were at the Accords meeting as you stayed close to Tasha. She talked with T'Challa for a bit. You told him if he needed to talk to someone he could always call and have a virtual session with you. He gave a polite smile and thanked us. Tasha and you headed to your seats towards the back of the room. When you sat your leg started bouncing like crazy which you didn't notice until she put a hand on it. Your head snapped to her hand and then to her face. 

"I know things like this aren't your thing. You prefer to stay behind the scenes, but I appreciate you being here. More than you understand." She speaks softly and before you can respond the meeting is starting. T'Challa's father T'Chaka, is speaking, thanking the Avengers. As he carries on the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you get goosebumps and without a second thought you throw up a force field around the floor as T'Challa calls out, "Everybody get down!" and an explosion goes off. Even with your force field you still end up grabbing and holding Tasha as if your small frame would protect her. 

"Are you okay?" You ask her first. 

"I'm fine."

"Is everyone okay?" You called out. Most people are but the explosion still rocked the building. People had stumbled or got pushed away by your force field. You can only make it so big. "I need all available medics and fire to the scene now!" You call through the ear piece you were given earlier in the day. 

As chaos erupted in the aftermath of the explosion, Natasha and you found yourselves caught in the flurry of activity. Despite the adrenaline coursing through your veins, your focus remained steadfast on ensuring Natasha's safety.

"I'm fine," she reassured you, her voice steady despite the chaos surrounding us.

Relieved by her response, you quickly surveyed the scene, calling out for assistance and coordinating with emergency responders through the earpiece. The force field you had instinctively erected provided a barrier of protection, but you knew that the situation remained volatile.

"We need to get out of here," Natasha urged, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.

Nodding in agreement, you took her hand and guided her towards the nearest exit, maintaining a vigilant watch for any potential threats. The air was thick with tension as you navigated through the chaos, the weight of the unfolding events pressing upon us.

Once outside, you breathed a sigh of relief, the cool air offering a brief respite from the chaos within. But even as you moved to a safer location, you knew that the danger was far from over. With the Accords meeting descending into chaos, the fragile peace you had hoped to achieve seemed to slip further from your grasp.

As emergency responders rushed to the scene, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over you. The events of the evening had underscored the precarious nature of our existence as Avengers, and the challenges that lay ahead seemed daunting.

But amidst the uncertainty, one thing remained clear: you would do whatever it took to protect those you cared about, no matter the cost. And as you stood by Natasha's side, facing an uncertain future, you knew that your bond would be your greatest strength in the days to come.

Tasha held a cold Gatorade against my face, "Here. Drink." It was my favorite flavor which means she had brought it with her. You smile and take it, after a few gulps she hands me a baggie filled with your favorite after mission snacks, ones that help me replenish your energy. 

"You packed this with you?"

"Of course. I always do. Just in case."

"Why?"

"Y/N. You always take care of us and sometimes you forget about your own self-care. It's okay because I'll remind you and help pick up the slack." Tasha smiles at you and you smile back.

"You know, through everything going on...I'm still so thankful that I took the job when Tony offered it. I never wanted to be an Avenger. It just fell in my lap. All I ever wanted was to just be a psychiatrist. To help people. I know I'm still doing that, but it's not what I had envisioned for my future, ya know?" She wraps an arm around your shoulder, holding you close. 

"I know. I'm glad you're here with me. Through all of this. You'll stay with me right?" She asks. You take in a shaky breath. You consider it, but you remember Wanda back at home waiting. 

"But...Wanda..." 

"She's safe. She's at the compound." Tasha says and you nod. You want to say no, but you don't think you've ever said no to Tasha. Especially not when she needs you.

"I can stay, I just...can I call Wanda? Let her know I'm okay? I'm sure this is all over the news by now." Tasha hands me the phone and you call the familiar number.

"Y/N!? Please tell me you're okay!?" She cries through the phone. 

"I'm fine, baby girl. Don't worry. Tasha and I are safe. So are most people who were on the floor. I threw up my force field. I know I didn't get everyone in time, but I saved a lot more who would have died." You run your fingers through your hair. Tasha's hand on your back.

"Are you coming home?" She asks and you sigh.

"I can't. Tasha and I haven't gotten the okay. I don't know when I'll be back. I'm sorry baby girl." Your heart breaks as she talks.

"I'll be fine here. Just...be safe. Please. I mean it this time." Her voice is cracking and you can tell she's crying. 

"I will, I promise. I have to go. Just stay at the compound, it's the safest place, okay?" 

"Yes Doctor." You give a small smile.

"I love you." The line cuts before she can reply. Your hand drops as you stare at the ground. 

"Everything okay?"

"She didn't say I love you back...she just hung up..." Tasha pulls you back in for a hug.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Maybe she didn't realize you said it." You decided to listen to Tasha instead of letting your mind wander.

As Natasha comforted you, her words offering a soothing balm to your troubled thoughts, you tried to push aside the hurt and uncertainty gnawing at your heart. Despite the chaos of the evening, her unwavering support provided a beacon of stability in the tumultuous aftermath.

Taking a deep breath, you focused on the present moment, allowing yourself to be enveloped by Natasha's reassuring presence. She had always been there for you, a steadfast ally in the face of adversity, and you knew that you could rely on her to see you through even the darkest of times.

With Natasha by my side, you felt a renewed sense of strength and determination, a reminder that you were not alone in facing the challenges that lay ahead. And as you awaited further instructions, you resolved to remain vigilant, ready to confront whatever obstacles may come your way.

Amidst the uncertainty and turmoil, one thing remained clear: no matter the trials you faced, you would continue to stand by Natasha's side, trusting in your bond to carry you through the storm. And as you leaned into her embrace, you found solace in the knowledge that together, you would weather whatever challenges the future may hold.

[ponyosmom35]

you and I

simon ghost riley x reader

Liability chapter twenty two

synopsis: after the betrayal, simon is scrambling to make things right. trying to push reader away for her own safety, but she's too stubborn to agree.

read the previous part first!

Liability masterlist:

https://www.tumblr.com/ponyosmom35/733401347573088256/simon-ghost-riley?source=share

She paced back and forth, waiting for him to return. Her mind was in shambles. Never had she actually expected someone as wonderful as him to want her. She was in awe of their kiss. Unlike anything she’d ever felt before. The passion, the longing. She’d do anything to kiss him again, to never let him go. She wanted to show him how much she fucking loved him. She sits on her cot, braiding her freshly washed hair mindlessly to pass the time. Her body ached, begging for sleep, but her mind refused to let her close her eyes. She knew that Simon had responsibilities, but right now he was the only one who could comfort her. She needed him to tell her it was gonna be okay. 

It wasn’t for nearly another hour when Simon finally walked into the room. She instantly stands and moves over to him, wrapping her arms around his middle, burying her face in his best. He holds her and rubs her back. He takes his mask off and throws it to the side. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah” she nods

“So whats the word? What do we do now?”

“You’re going home” 

“You’re coming with me right?” 

“No”

“Hassan?” she asks 

“we've gotten intel on Hassan, we learned he's planning to take things nuclear. got a set up in Chicago, we're flying out in the morning” 

“Okay” she nods 

He looks down, refusing to meet her gaze “I've debriefed with Laswell and we're transporting you back to base in the UK immediately. From there you’ll take the first flight back to the states where you’ll be personally escorted home. Pack up we've got 20 minutes till your transportation arrives”

“And what about you?” she asks 

“I'll be joining the rest of the team for Chicago in the morning. just need to tie up a few... loose ends here”

“When will you be back?”

“it's up in the air at the moment, we'll try and get him fast but we can't be sure. could be a day, could be a week... or longer” 

“I should come with you then -”

Simon’s jaw tenses as he steps closer to her “its not safe for you, I’m trying to keep you out of harms way”

“I don’t wanna leave you, what if you get hurt -”

“This is for the best” he says coldly, she stares up at him and takes a step back, recognizing the cold tone. “This isn’t going to work out… between us”

“Why?” she asks as her heart stops, tears instantly fill her eyes “why would you say that to me?”

“I just... can't put you in danger like this anymore. I need to put the team first, we just got too invested and its a mess now. I'm sorry. I need to break things off before it gets too deep”

“If you’re saying this because of what happened, it was nothing! I’m fine! Don’t push me away again” she asks 

“I knew this would happen and I was too fucking stubborn to stop it! I tried so hard to keep you away, I destroyed us both for nothing. this is my life the people who get close to me die! I never should've let you in” he shakes his head, turning his back as he runs his hands through his messy hair. This was hurting him just as much as her, but he knew it was better this way. 

“Simon don't say that, I'm here, we're here! I'm gonna go back to base and you're gonna deal with Hassan and I'll still be here when you come back!”

“not this time love... this is it. I'm not letting you risk your safety again after what happened back there. this time. you're better off without me.”

“no I'm not! every second we're apart I feel like I can't breathe! I understand why you think we're a bad idea, but it's not a crime to let yourself be happy! what happened here with Graves was not your fault, you saved my life, you brought me home! you're a fucking hero Simon!” she pauses and take his hands 

“don't push me away again, you’re the only thing that makes sense to me” she admits 

“You have no idea how hard this is. You're everything I've ever wanted. How can I possibly face you again after this? how can I let you near me? the darkness in me will take us both”

“I won’t let that happen”

“you've seen my face! you know my name! now that we're associated you'll be used against me!”

“if that's the price I have to pay for you then so be it! I don't care!”

“But I do! I can’t fucking let you get hurt again don’t you understand?”

“If association is what you're worried about then I quit, I won't work on base anymore! Just tell me what you want from me and I’ll do it!”

“I don't know! I don't know anymore! everything's such a god damn mess and I'm sick of losing the people I love, okay?!” tears well up in his eyes as he finally breaks. 

“I know, but you’re not gonna lose me Si” she says gently as she walks over to him on the bed and pulls him into her. He leans his head on her chest as she wraps her arms around his shoulder. He holds her tightly as she runs a hand through his hair. 

“I'm sorry, I just can't let you go through this any-”

“I don't care! I want it all, give me the pain if you're my reward”

“Why can’t you ever make things easy for me?”

“Not in my nature”

He kisses the top of her head and caresses her cheek with one hand. his lips are soft and teasing as he pulls her in closer for a deep and intense kiss. he holds her tightly, not breaking the kiss until they’re both short of breath. 

“You win” he says “anything you want, I’ll do it love” 

“All I want is you”

Tag list:@vivi123abc

[cecilysass]

Shine On (3/16)

Read on AO3 | Tagging @today-in-fic

Chapter 3: Might Be My Fault

Farrs Corner, Virginia February 20, 2015

The knock on the door makes Mulder jump and sit up abruptly on the couch.

His first thought is that maybe Scully forgot something, but even as he’s scanning the room for anything of hers, he’s realizing: he hadn’t heard her car come back up the drive. 

He hasn’t heard any car come up the drive.

For thirty seconds he’s in bitter disbelief that danger could possibly be at his door right now. When he’s sitting here with his heart in pieces, his whole world in shambles. 

Then again, if there’s one thing Fox Mulder knows all too well, it’s that life will always kick you when you’re down.

He stands up slowly, moving silently to his desk drawer where he keeps a weapon just in case. He sticks the gun in his waistband, safety on. He’s careful not to make too much noise.

No need to overreact. It could be nothing. There are a few neighbors around—although they’re a bit of a hike away—and it could be someone coming to his house on foot for perfectly innocent reasons. Still, his experience, his training, and his instincts tell him to be prepared. 

Some very dark, small voice inside his mind tells him something else: All your training assumes you don’t want someone to strike you down. That you have something to live for. But that’s not an accurate assumption in this case, is it? Why do you bother? She’s never coming back.

He shakes his head. He can’t think like that. Besides, there’s comfort in just slipping into g-man mode, something he knows how to do without thinking. 

The curtains in his front window are drawn, so he can just peer out from the side. There is someone standing there, but Mulder can only see the back slope of their head and back. A man, he thinks. He’s standing too close to the door for Mulder’s vantage point. If this guy would just take one little step back, Mulder could see him perfectly.

Almost as if he could hear Mulder’s request, the figure takes a step back, stepping precisely into Mulder’s frame of sight. 

It’s not a man. It’s a boy. A  young teenager, facing the front door expectantly.

Mulder lets out a deep breath. All right. This is more likely a neighbor request then. Probably a kid selling magazine subscriptions for the junior high track team or something. 

“Hi,” Mulder says, opening the door with a tepid, friendly smile. “What can I do for you?”

The boy stares back at him, and Mulder’s investigator instincts snap back into place. This doesn’t look like a kid selling magazines. This looks like a kid who is very, very anxious.

“I–” The kid stops, bites his lip, looks at his feet. “Somebody, uh, told me to come talk to you.”

“To me?” Mulder scratches his head. He tries to wrack his brain about why a local kid could be sent to talk to him. He knows some of his neighbors probably think he needs help with keeping up the yard. “Oh. Uh, is it about those downed trees on the edge of the property? I know sometimes people pay kids to cut wood up and haul it away or whatever. Were you … interested?”

“No, no,” the boy says. He’s got brown hair, straight, and he runs his fingers through it nervously. “It’s not like that. I came here … for your help.”

“For my help,” repeats Mulder. His eyes scan the yard, the road beyond, looking for signs of a car that could have dropped the kid off. 

“Yeah,” the boy says. He clears his throat. His eyes land, just for a moment, at the handle of the gun visible at Mulder’s waistband. “I need help. Somebody told me you could help me. Fox Mulder, right?”

Mulder nods. “Yeah, I’m Fox Mulder,” he says. He rubs the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I used to be an F.B.I. agent, but I’m not anymore. I’m not really someone who can…help people.”

The boy is undeterred. “I think you can help me.”

Mulder looks him over. He has a lightweight jacket on, but his shoes look dirty. He’s shifting his weight from foot to foot. There’s something sad about the kid, like he’s carrying an invisible burden. 

Mulder has the oddest sensation, just for a moment, that he can actually feel the kid’s sadness. That he’s experiencing the same heavy sensation blooming in his chest as the kid is.

The feeling fades away quickly. Probably just one depressed guy feeling empathy for another.

Why the fuck don’t you try to help him? What else do you have to do?

“Okay,” Mulder says with a sigh. “Sure. I have a lot of questions. But come inside. I’ll see what I can do.”

The boy follows Mulder obediently. His eyes, sharp and observant, fly all over the room, taking in every detail. He stares at the piles of books on the floor, the same perturbed expression on his face that Scully had.

“I’m reorganizing my books,” Mulder explains halfheartedly. “Why don’t you come sit at the table with me? More room over here. What’s your name?”

“Jackson,” the kid says, sliding into one of Mulder’s kitchen table seats. 

“Are you hurt, Jackson?”

“No,” he says. 

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Some muscle twitches in the kid’s face, and Mulder can see that yes, he definitely is hungry and thirsty. He wonders how far the kid has walked today. So many questions, but experience has taught him to take care of basic needs first. 

“I’m okay,” the kid says with a modest lift of his shoulder.

“I was thinking about ordering a pizza,” Mulder says. “If I get one, will you eat it? It would be a favor. I can get more if you share it with me.”

“All right,” Jackson says, watching him closely. “I like Italian sausage.”

“Hey, that’s my favorite,” Mulder says pleasantly. “What a coincidence. Let me order, and then we’ll talk.” 

Mulder picks up his phone to call. There’s only one place that delivers out here in the boondocks, and he has their number saved. As he gives them the order, he watches Jackson rise from his seat and wander around the room, examining Mulder’s belongings, picking up books and pictures on the shelves. Mulder realizes with bemusement that for a few minutes the mystery teen has managed to entirely sidetrack him from his own troubles.

An intriguing case could always do that, he thinks.

“Who are they?” Jackson asks, when Mulder is off the phone. Jackson is holding up a framed black and white photo from the sixties, a relic from the intact days of his parents’ marriage that Mulder has only recently had framed.

“They’re my parents,” Mulder says. “A long time ago, when they were young.”

“Are they still alive?”

“No,” Mulder says. “No, they’re gone.”

Jackson nods seriously, looking at the photo. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. It’s been some time now.”

Jackson tilts his head thoughtfully. “Can I ask you… do you sometimes feel bad that they died? Like it was your fault?”

Mulder frowns, startled. “How would you—why would you say that?” 

“Sorry,” Jackson says, his face flushing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to … My parents are dead, too.”

“Oh,” Mulder says, his tone changing. “I’m sorry.”

“They were murdered,” Jackson adds in a monotone. “They were shot. Just a few weeks ago.”

Mulder lets out a breath. “Oh, wow,” he says. “That’s recent. That’s a lot, Jackson.”

Jackson puts the photo down and walks back over to his seat at the table. He makes unsettling direct eye contact with Mulder, and when he does, Mulder can see that his eyes are wet. 

“Is the reason you came here to see me …. something to do with that?” Mulder asks. “Something to do with your parents?”

Jackson nods, but can’t seem to say anything else, his lip quivering. Some tears stream down his face. Mulder recognizes signs of trauma all over the kid and knows not to push, even though he definitely wants to know more. 

“You want something to drink?” Mulder says gently. “I have spiced apple cider. That good kind from Trader Joe’s. You want some of that?”

“Okay,” Jackson says, sniffing. Mulder stands to get the cider. “I don’t know what Trader Joe’s is.”

“Oh, it’s just a grocery store,” Mulder says, opening the fridge. “There’s not one near here, but I go to the one in Alexandria sometimes and stock up. Maybe you’ve seen one before if you’ve gone into DC.”

“I’ve never been to DC,” Jackson says. “I’m from Wyoming.”

Mulder turns around from the counter to look at Jackson, surprised. “You’re from Wyoming?”

“Yeah,” he says. “This is the first time I’ve ever been this far east. Really the first I’ve been anywhere except Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho — and my uncle Wyatt’s in Minnesota.” 

“How did you get here? To Virginia?”

“Someone drove me. To see you.”

Mulder’s puzzled. “Someone drove you? Who drove you?”

Jackson looks down at his hands on the table. “I can’t tell you that.” He swallows, looking ashamed. “Is that okay? I just … can’t tell you.”

Mulder shakes his head in bewilderment. “Yeah, well, of course it’s okay,” he says. “Tell me whatever you want. I’m just trying to figure out what you need from me, Jackson.”

The microwave, which has been humming, now dings, and Mulder lifts two mugs of cider to the table, placing them in front of Jackson and himself. He notices that Jackson never stops staring at him, taking in every detail. His eyes are intensely green, bright, constantly shifting at everything around him.

“All right,” Mulder says. “What do you need me to know?”

Jackson sips his cider, sitting up very straight and stiff. He bizarrely reminds Mulder of Scully sitting on the couch before, sipping her tea and refusing to let her guard down. 

The kid sets down his cup. “They think I killed my parents,” Jackson says. He stares meaningfully at Mulder. “They think I woke up and shot them, then went to school like nothing happened. They’re trying to arrest me.”

Mulder stares back at him, blinking. “But you didn’t shoot them.”

“No.”

“So you’re on the run? From the police?”

“Yeah,” Jackson says. “I left my school. I snuck out. I’ve been running since.”

“And somehow, you ran all the way from Wyoming to Virginia,” Mulder says. “To see … me.”

Jackson scowls slightly. “I can tell you don’t believe me all the way. That you’re suspicious,” he says. “But that’s the truth, I swear.”

“I’m not exactly suspicious,” Mulder says, although he is, just a little. “I’m just trying to figure out how I might be of help. I mean, I’m not a lawyer, or even a private investigator, Jackson.” He cradles his cup of cider, appraising the boy. “Back when I was an F.B.I. agent, my partner and I, we dealt with cases that had to do with unusual circumstances. The supernatural. Is there anything about what happened to your parents that might be … unusual?”

“They were shot,” Jackson says, monotone again. “It wasn’t supernatural.”

“Why do the police think that you killed them?”

“I don’t know,” Jackson says. His stoic face crumples. “I don’t know the answer to that. I wish I did. They seemed really sure.”

Mulder studies him. He’s experiencing a strong feeling of certainty that the boy didn’t kill his parents. It’s a feeling probably derived from his rusty profiling skills, but right now it feels more like a pure feeling. 

“Hey,” he says impulsively, reaching for the kid’s arm. “Whatever happened  …  it’s not your fault, Jackson.”

The boy draws away. “No,” he says, his voice tight. “That’s the thing. I think it might be my fault.” 

Mulder sits back in his chair again, then slowly crosses his arms. “I don’t follow.”

“I didn’t kill them,” Jackson says. “I loved them.” He swallows. “But I think they were killed because of me. I can’t think of any other reason why. That’s why I’m here.” He licks his lips anxiously.

Mulder waits a moment expectantly, but Jackson doesn’t continue. “Why do you think they were killed because of you?” he prompts.

Jackson’s staring at the table, not looking up. “I think it has something to do with my birth parents,” he says, so quietly Mulder can barely hear.

Mulder’s mug had been halfway to the table, but he now freezes in place. Gradually, he becomes aware of the sound of the clock on the kitchen wall ticking and finds himself moving again.

“You’re adopted?” Mulder asks in a careful, precise voice. He sets his mug down.

“Yeah,” Jackson says. 

“How… how old are you?

“I’m almost fourteen.”

Mulder has to stop again. Almost fourteen. Born in spring 2001. The boy is watching him closely, a curious expression on his face. 

“Do you…know who your birth parents are?”

“I know who my birth mother is,” Jackson says. “Not her name. I don’t know her name. But I know who she is.”

Mulder finds he can’t speak. He sits there staring at the boy, trying not to observe a hundred new things about him. The texture of his hair. The color of his eyes. The shape of his face. His tendency to lick his lips when he is nervous.

“How do you know who she is?” Mulder manages finally.

“You said you’d worked supernatural cases, right?” Jackson asks. “Well. I’ve seen her… in my mind. In these flashes. That’s something I can do. I’ve seen her calling for me. Crying for me. A few times in my life. I sort of figured out that was who it was.”

Mulder runs his hands down his face, trying to absorb this.  “Okay,” he says. “Okay. I have questions about all of that, but okay.” He steels himself. “You said you knew who she was. Who—who is she?”

Jackson looks up directly at him, with a pointed expression, like he thinks he should have figured this out already. “The woman who was here before. Who you fought with. The woman who drove off. With the red hair.”

Mulder closes his eyes. He keeps them closed for a moment, searching desperately for some idea for what to say or do next. 

He opens them and nods slowly at the boy.

“All right,” he says in a rough voice, running his hands together. “All right then.”

He folds his hands on the table.

“Then first off,” he says, “you should know you have been to DC before.”

***

[makutaservaela]

Yet another weird ramble

When the Toa and Turaga escaping Teridax's lair, they are all trying to move quickly, yet the Toa run right past the tiny shambling Turaga.

In Karda Nui, when Tanma landed on Lewa's back, Lewa was angered and demanded he get off, despite the alternative being leaving the Matoran alone in the skies with the Makuta- or falling to his death if Lewa hadn't known whether Tanma had a jetpack.

There was one point in Mask of Life where Tahu picks up Takua, and in MNOG it is somewhat implied that Pohatu picked up Takua while escaping the Nui-Jaga (given that Pohatu used his mask to escape, and at that point didn't have a Nuva mask to share his power). Although Pohatu's silhouette isn't actually carrying Takua

But other than those two points with Takua, you rarely ever see Toa picking up or carrying Matoran or Turaga- to safety, or just in general.

I was thinking about it while working on a Bio-Parenting,

but in my HC I also generally present Toa carrying Chroniclers on their back if the Chronicler happens to be following that Toa, like Vakama above or Hewkii carrying Macku. Not to mention the frequent depictions of Makuta carrying their kids on their backs, or how Onua started carrying Lewa after Lewa hurt his leg and when they are in places where Lewa can't use his mask to move around.

I also have a Toa Group with three flyers, and when they go places, the three flyers often just carry the three non-flyers, no issue. Flyer Toa carrying non-flyer Toa is perfectly normal in my HC, but in the books I recall one point in the Metru arc where they consider that as an option to cross a ditch and then decide against it. (Although there is one point where Matau does carry people, and another where Nuju's mask is used to lift Vakama, per Vakama's request).

Even in Tales of the Tohunga, when Nokama is bound and captured by the Rahi, Takua picks her up and carries her away.

But either way, it makes me wonder how normalised they would consider carrying to be. Matoran clearly have no problem riding on larger things like Ussal Crabs and birds, and in canon have no concept of infantilizing (given that they have no infants), so I'd wonder if, say in that situation in MoL, the Turaga would have been the least bit offended if the Toa would have scooped an arm under the Turaga's waist and under-arm carried them through the door.

[alpydk]

Red on You (Part 4) - "Propane Nightmares"

GalexRugan - ZhentWeave Shenanigans - What? You think I'm going to stop this train? No!

Ao3 Link

Pray… Ilmater, please…

The window wasn’t locked, but the heat of summer had forced it tightly shut. Andora banged her shoulder against it, one hand gripping the frame, the other supporting her as she clung onto the stone wall she had climbed. She’d made it onto the desk, her sandals had wedged in between the cracks, but the last part of her improvised plan was falling flat. Her white robes, now stained with sweat and dried blood, hung down, weaving between the frantic grasps of what was left of the high priest’s hands. Monstrous hisses were choked from his throat as he tried to get to her, saliva and blood spat from his rotting cracked lips with each failed attempt.

Thudding at the door continued, other clerics since turned drawn to the sound of the chaos in the small scriptorium. Desperate prayers filled her mind. Her heart pounded in her ears as adrenaline flooded her system. Her dark eyes met her terrified reflection in the moonlit window, her blonde hair tussled and skin pale with fear, and she knew it was all over for her. She was going to die at the hands of the man who should have been there to protect her. Ilmater, please.

The window opened a fraction, the cool night breeze seeping into the room, filling her lungs and giving her a fraction of hope. She pushed her fingertips under the frame; the wood digging into her flesh as she desperately tried to open the window further. Growls and snarls grew closer, dirt covered nails clawing at her ankles. Her shoulder slammed the window, her fingers bled as the frame scraped away the skin that lay beneath it, but the fraction of pain was worth it as salvation lay before her. Andora scrambled up the last of the wall, the cotton of her robes trailing behind her as she pulled the rest of her body through the small window. She saw the high priest as he clawed at the cold stone beneath her, no longer the superior she had wanted to impress, but the predator she knew had lay beneath the surface all along.

Quickened breaths left her lips, whispered words of devotion to her god mingled with them. The city was alive with the sound of unrest. Moans and shrieks filled every dark alleyway around her, but she could not move. Her body lay heavy beneath her, her eyes fixed on the window she had just escaped from, watching for any sign that he could come after her. Shouting grew from the west; the Halls of Justice having fallen to the undead. No matter how much Andora wanted to bury her head and forget what was happening, she couldn’t. She needed to find safety, find a way to survive and escape the city, if possible.

Slowly her senses came to her, the walls of the temple appearing in front of her in full, the smell of the surrounding decay warmed with the soon rising midsummer sun. The cobbles lay cold beneath her palms and the alleyway she found herself in was empty, aside from the leftovers of empty crates and the iron manhole cover decked in moss. With the strained shambling of one of her once beloved clerics coming into her sights, she knew there would be no safety in the streets, no location she could escape the ever-growing horde, and so, imagining the smell of vanilla, she quietly departed into the sewers, hoping the darkness there would provide her the sanctuary she craved.

---

“Men, get the doors barricaded. Do not let any of those things through!”

Silver amour clanked around as the paladin yelled orders to the young recruits. “Darius, you’re to scout the area. Find me any survivors in here that can assist us. Leonidas, you’re to go to the roof. Get me an aerial report. I want to know exactly how many of those things we are dealing with.”

Both men nodded in acknowledgement, running off in different directions, neither noticing as the commander coughed, wiping away the blood that came up on the back of his hand. He disregarded any other thought than the blood coming from a blow to his jaw.

“Percival!” he barked, knowing the number of men he had was limited.

“Yes, commander.”

“We need scrolls, potions, anything that can be mustered up to get us a hold on the situation.

“Understood.”

Watching as another soldier vanished into the halls of the academy, he looked over the main door. It stood grand and proud, much like the now felled door of his own halls. He wondered how long this one would remain standing. “Let me be your eyes, Blind One, and cast your justice upon this world,” he whispered to himself, the basic prayer bringing him a moment of reprieve.

“Attacking the academy? Have you taken complete leave of your senses?” Gale shouted, his run turning into a march as he eyed up the broad-shouldered and heavily armoured paladin that stood before him.

“Lucius, commander of the order of Tyr. And not an attack, wizard.” He spat the word with disdain. “The city is under siege from a legion of the undead. My men and I barely escaped with our lives.”

“Gale Dekarios.” He didn’t quite believe the words being said to him, the understanding that paladins would be forced out of their halls by something they’d been trained to defeat. “Undead? But there has been no word of it here.”

“Then this place is safe… for now. We lost most of our men in a matter of minutes to what appeared to be clerics.”

Lissa caught up, slightly out of breath. “One of your soldiers updated me. What do you need us to do?”

“We need protective wards and communication to the outside. I believe you’re somewhat capable of something of that basic level.”

Gale scoffed at the words, the insult to their wizardry abilities not going unnoticed. “Lissa, my dear, can you prepare an arrangement of glyphs on the door as a precaution? I myself will take a higher vantage point and confirm what Lucius here reports.”

“You speak as if I try to deceive you.”

“Merely being cautious, as is my nature.”

Leaving the two of them alone to prepare near the entrance to the main hall, Gale took a deep breath in the hopes it would settle his mind. He would not worry until he knew more, at least that is what he told himself as his mind drifted to images of his tower under siege from ghouls and zombies. His leather boots trod quietly on the stone steps as he left towards the rooftops, his quiet mumbling of discontent echoing in the empty corridors. Though the uprising of the undead could be likely, no such attack had happened in years, especially on such a scale that the academy would be involved. No, this was merely a false alarm.

---

Astarion could see as the shadows retreated, the dawn bringing an additional threat to his existence. He pressed against the door of the tavern they had reached, wishing to go inside but unsure of what they would find. The corpse of a young woman lay a few feet away, unmoving, but he watched it with suspicion. “Rugan. Any possibility of a little shade?”

“Shh. Manticore…”

“What? Don’t say we have a-”

“Manticore Tavern.” Rugan signalled upwards to the sign, his body bent over as he panted for breath after they’d spent most of the night running through the streets, ducking for cover and sprinting where needed. “A little further west and we can take the coast path south down to the tower.”

“As much as I’d love some time on the beach, it won’t do much for my complexion other than, oh yes, burning it to a cinder!”

“What are you talking-” He turned to see the way Astarion was held against the building, clinging to what was left of the darkness as sunlight crept up behind them. “Shit. Sewers, mate. It’s the only way.”

It was a quick decision, but hiding in a tavern was not an option Rugan wanted as he lifted the manhole and shoved the pale white hair down under his palm. “Just head west, then south. I’ll stay topside and meet you at the tower when night falls.”

“You’re leaving me alone down here?” Astarion was outraged at what was happening, being abandoned to traverse the underbelly of the city. “You cannot be serious; it smells revolting down here!”

“It’s not much better up here if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Granted, but the sewers. What about my shirt? Do you have any idea how long it takes to repair ruffles of this quality?”

Rugan smirked, pulling the manhole towards him, watching as the shadows passed over Astarion’s ruby shaded eyes. “I see why you and Gale get on so well now.”

Sunlight climbed his legs, and he brought his eyes to the rooftops of the buildings, a fresh plan on how to reach the tower now in mind. “Ruffles of all things…”

---

Death roamed the streets, corrupting all it came across. Bites, scratches, a festering plague infecting every poor soul too slow to escape and find shelter. More fortunate families barricaded their doors, clambered together in attics, hoping never to be found. Vendors either lay dead in their storefronts or ambled lifelessly under the morning light in search of new victims. All drifted toward the Blackstaff Academy. The hive mind commanding their every move.

Tibs sat in the centre of the market, a wide margin between him and the horde that seemed to erupt from his presence. His face appeared melted with the dim light upon it, his eyes gone, his once dark hair now nothing but wisps and pus. Sanguis et putredo. Vita et mors. Revertere ad factorem tuum. The words hummed from the lipless gap between under his nose and where his jaw hung on desperately; the amulet pulsing rhythmically like that of his once beating heart.

“We can’t get to him through all of those things. We’d be dead in seconds.” Darnys peered through the curtains of the tavern room they’d snuck into. They’d walked the streets for hours in search of Tibs and the magical artefact he carried, eventually noticing how the undead flocked in a similar direction northward. Each step had then become calculated so as not to become spotted or trapped in the centre of a crowd and, with luck, they had ended up in one of the high story taverns. Though the Swinging Sword had always been her type of establishment with the regular barfights and escorts, she’d never managed the time for a night there. Now the place lay covered in blood and bodies in various stages of decay, and she wondered if she’d ever get the chance again.

Friol sat on the nearby bed, rubbing her knee, unsure if it was the ache causing the reaction or just a habit out of stress. “No chance of going over them? Under them? Come on Darnys, I don’t pay you for your pretty face.”

“Over would probably be our best bed. We’d need to arm ourselves with ranged weapons, get the high ground advantage and…” Her voice drifted off as she saw a twinkle in the distance, a reflection on a mirrored plating. “Friol?”

“What?” The reply was sharp, impatient at the lack of results being seen.

“Look outside. Something on the academy roof.”

Pulling herself off the bed, Friol pushed the curtains aside to get a good look at what was being pointed out. At first, nothing appeared, but then the twinkle happened again, causing a devious smirk to rise on her lips. “Paladins…perfect.”

She turned around, her eyes drifting to the ladder leading up to the rooftop. “Time for you to play the damsel in distress.”

“What do you mean?”

Friol spoke slowly, a shadowed gleam in her eyes as she explained the plan. “You’re to go to the roof, cry out for help. The sweet little paladins will come to your aid, and in doing so, will distract the undead. Whilst they’re distracted, I’ll get our amulet back.”

Darnys’ face dropped. After everything she’d done, she was simply going to be used as bait.

---

Leonidas sat on the roof of the academy, his sights passing over the rippling flood of corpses which surrounded the walls of the academy. Silver armour glinted in the morning of the streets. White robes were now a deep shade of red blood and black ooze. He had only been in Waterdeep for a day to attend a ceremony, and he simply wished to return home to his dear Clarissa. Most likely she was sleeping, the dreams she was partaking in a stark contrast to the realities he was facing.

The sun had crept up over the horizon, a pallet of pink and oranges that merged with wispy clouds, a dawn of hope that he thanked Tyr for. He could hear the droning at the walls, the main steel gate before the courtyard holding steady despite the increasing numbers. Alchemist’s Fire was being tossed from the upper windows of the academy, a further barricade against the ghouls which hungered to get in. All he could do was pray as he saw how far the rot had spread, how the entire south side of Waterdeep had been lost throughout the night. A growing voice caused him to turn and, with it, he spotted the chestnut locks and robed figure of a wizard emerge onto the roof with him.

“At the academy. Avoid the streets. Supposed undead. Unclear of number or cause.” For a moment, Gale considered adding a short few words of love, but felt that doing so would dampen the seriousness of the message entirely. He needed Rugan to avoid danger, not believe this was some kind of passive aggressive excuse for not returning home so early. The horde came into view from the roof, quickly causing him to change his mind. Gale knew better than to be so petty. “I love you.” The seconds passed, and the spell was sent without issue. At least the receiver was alive.

Leonidas heard the whispered spell, relaxing and realising this person was possibly not an enemy. “Don’t suppose you could get one of them messages to Baldur’s Gate for me?”

“I would require knowing the recipient, unfortunately.”  

“Ah… I’m sure she knows, anyway.”

Gale nodded in understanding as he watched the undead crowd at the foot of the building. “Don’t worry. I’ve faced worse.”

“Hm. As have I, but it never hurts to tell someone you love them.”

He couldn’t help but agree as he lowered his head, thankful that he had tacked those words of adoration onto the end of his spell. He glanced over at the paladin, young, elvish with short blonde hair that flowed lightly in the wind and blue eyes which gazed out over Waterdeep wistfully. “I’m Gale. I would say a pleasure to meet you, but considering the circumstances…”

“Leonidas.”

They sat on the roof in silence for a short while, both trying to come up with any idea of survival before they heard the distant scream of a lone woman on top of a building. Ebony hair gathered behind her as the wind caught it and she waved her hands frantically in the direction of the academy.

Leonidas was the first to start moving, his sense of justice driving him forward. “Clear a path for me!”

---

“West and south… West and south.” Astarion stood in the shit filled sewers, turning between the crossroads before him, each dark tunnel appearing the same as the last with red tiles and copious amounts of rats. There were no signposts, no easy to recognise landmarks to guide his way. He didn’t even have the fortune of Petras to fall back on for guidance, and so with nothing but frustration and the hope of possibly strangling Rugan when he caught up with him, he continued on forward through the damp, cursing the situation he’d been caught in once again. “Just going to marry the wizard. It’ll be fun, mate. Just a few drinks. You’ll enjoy it…. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

[melishade]

I love how careless Marley is handling the literal blood of Satan when one wrong move means imminent death lol. Them mfs are going to be responsible for the fuckin' zombie/terrorcon apocalypse and the best excuse they can give at this point is "we did a lil oopsie". This is not even that far-fatched too when you remember how zombie like Berthold was before his death and take the episode "Thirst" into consideration. It also makes me wonder, is a human terrorcon possible? Like in theory it should be since it's just dark energon possessing a corpse. If Dark Energon can bring even Ratchet's broken tool and Skyquake's arm to life what's stopping it from doing that to alien lifeforms? An Outbreak AU with Megatron going "I TOLD YOU SO!" every 5 seconds would be fun to read lmao.

So...we're having a Zombie AU now? Okay, I guess.

I mean, it's highly possible for that to happen with how reckless Marley has been depicted to be in the show and how dangerous dark energon is. It did turn Cylas into a terrorcon, even though his circumstances were extremely different from a regular human. But he was still a human who had succumb to the effects of dark energon.

Not to mention Raf has nearly died from it, but we've never seen what would have happened if he had died from it. Would he have respawned as Unicron's minion? We'll never know.

As for the Zombie AU

TW Violence TW Death

Let's say during the skirmish of Bertholdt scumming to dark energon, instead of beating a scientist to death, he bites a scientist before he gets shot by Magath. The scientist starts feeling unwell and he's kept under quarantine to be checked over. A day later, the scientist gets worse before straight up dying. One of the scientists checks the bodies and the scientist's corpse respawns before biting into the neck of another scientist.

Basically it's an infection frenzy. But it becomes worse with Eldians. Because while non-Eldians fall victim within a day, Eldians fall victim in a matter of hours. So you can imagine just how fast shit hits the fan once Eldians start getting infected. Megatron starts feeling a weak pulse of dark energon, which gets stronger in a matter of hours. He informs Optimus and Hanji about it before going back to the mainland...and is literally met with everything being in shambles. Non-Eldians are slow walking zombies. Eldians unfortunately sprint.

So now just picture Megatron running in holoform away from the horde to get answers.

Megatron ends up finding some Warriors and Warrior Cadets, but it's not looking too good. The Warrior Cadets are screaming for their lives as some infected Marleyans and Eldians are trying to grab at them. Pieck is doing her best to fend them off but they are climbing all over her titan form. Megatron manages to grab the Warrior Cadets and pull them to safety, but Gabi ends up getting bit in the leg during the skirmish.

Megatron demands to know what the hell is going on. But the Warrior Cadets are in complete confusion. Megatron demands to know where the Warriors are, but they don't know. Porco speaks up hearing rumors about a titan ritual happening and says they might be in the science division. Megatron tells them all to stay outside of the science division as he ventures there alone to figure out what's going on. He somehow manages to find an unconscious Annie in her cell. No one even bothered to go in, and quickly makes a move to grab her and run. Whatever was happening, he wasn't going to let a titan shifter get infected. It looked like it was too late for the Cart Titan anyway.

Megatron then spotted all the Marleyan soldiers, including Calvi, huddled in a bunker and ignored them for the time being. He then finds Zeke and Magath gathering weapons and Reiner begging the both of them to go get Bertholdt out of here. Megatron ends up speaking in his regular voice demanding what the hell happened, causing Reiner to understandably freak out and for Magath to be on the defensive. Zeke has no choice but to explain what happened and Megatron can't help but chew all of them out for being so careless with dark energon in the first place. Megatron immediately hands Zeke Annie and goes to look for Bertholdt. Megatron sees patient zero spazzing out due to the dark energon. Megatron tries to kill him, but there's a cave in that causes him and Bertholdt to be separated from each other.

Megatron and the others realize that Pieck has completely succumbed to the infection and is wrecking the compound. Pieck ends up killing Zofia in the process and Megatron has no choice but to reveal his titan form and crush Pieck, killing her, and any other people who have become infected. He could feel the pull of dark energon in him but he refuses to utilize it. He refuses to succumb to its alluring call.

Megatron then tells them all he's taking them to the island. Some try to retort, but Megatron proclaims that the entire world is no doubt going to hell and the island is the safest option. He has to transport them two at a time, and as he's getting them to the island and having to explain what's going on. Gabi succumbs to her infection and starts going haywire. She starts attacking people, and ends up biting Jean's hand. Optimus in holoform quickly subdues him, and as she's thrashing in his grip, Optimus notices the really nasty bite mark on her legs. Optimus remembers the horror movies that the kids on Earth used to watch and quickly explains that infection spreads through bite marks or bodily fluids. Jean is staring at his bitten hand in horror, but Mikasa ends up thinking fast and cuts off his arm, causing him to scream in pain. Everyone's yelling in frustration at her but Hanji quickly gets to work to stop the bleeding.

Optimus and Megatron are arguing in holoform about Gabi's condition and Megatron is proclaiming they need to kill her. Optimus is trying to retort but Megatron reminds him that she's not coming back. Optimus tries to retort, but Gabi ends up biting Optimus and distorting the holoform arm. Gabi bolted for Megatron, but Megatron grabs Mikasa's sword and decapitates her. Reiner is obviously devastated, and now Optimus and Megatron are arguing in their bipedal mode about what Megatron just did. Because the conversation can go any further, Megatron's optics turn purple due to the amount of humans that got infected with dark energon, and the strength is starting to fuck with his head. On top of that, Megatron didn't check if Bertholdt was dead, so now there's a Colossal Titan infested with dark energon. So Megatron is kind of dealing with that.

So plot points for the Zombie AU:

-Bertholdt is undead. Has dark energon in his system. Colossal Titan with dark energon. But he still has some conscious thought. He ends up climbing out of the rubble of Liberio, but his mind is so warped that he thinks Paradis attacked and wants revenge.

-There's discussion about how to proceed with this information. Majority are suggesting that they bar themselves off from the rest of the world. Hanji is the one advocating that they fight to help the world and cure the populus. Because it could only be a matter of time before this infection comes to their shores. It almost did. And their complacency left them unprepared for the Colossal Titan attack. They need to find a solution.

-Megatron's optics are purple now due to the high rate of infection. Megatron hates it. Hanji has to consistently ask about Megatron's experience with dark energon in order to come up with a solution. They're trying to come up with a cure.

-Jean ends up dying due to the blood loss and the dark energon still in his system. So when Jean respawns, Mikasa is ready to kill him, but Hanji asks to keep Jean alive so they can study him. He could be help for a cure. Everyone else thinks its inhumane for obvious reasons, but Hanji reminds everyone that they could ultimately be facing trouble.

-There's a lot of drama between the Warriors Cadets, Warriors, Magath, and the island, but some are won over by Optimus and Hanji's integrity. However they hate Megatron for obvious reasons.

-Annie wakes up to a whole nightmare.

-Marleyan officers are still huddled underground. Haven't decided if they live or not. We'll see.